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16 January 2018
Bakersfield Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Possess Stolen U.S. Mail and Possession of 15 or More Stolen Credit CardsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jason Leroy Geiser, 36, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to two years and four months in prison for conspiracy to possess stolen U.S. mail and the unlawful possession of credit and debit cards, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Judge Drozd also ordered the forfeiture of $85,000.
According to court documents, between October 1, 2016, and March 2, 2017, Geiser conspired with others to steal mail and to use information and credit and debit cards obtained from the stolen mail for their own monetary benefit.
According to the plea agreement, on October 17, 2016, Geiser stole mail from a community mailbox. Based on information from an eyewitness, police officers were able to follow Geiser to an empty house where they found him and another person with stolen mail in plain view. More stolen mail and two unauthorized credit cards were found in Geiser’s vehicle. On December 9, 2016, police officers found Geiser at a local hotel with two other individuals in possession of stolen mail and 18 stolen credit and debit cards.
On January 4, 2017, Geiser stole mail from a community mailbox, and based on information from an eyewitness, officers were able to determine that the thief was Geiser and went to his home. They found a large amount of mail in Geiser’s vehicle, his home, and a shed in his back yard. Eighty-four stolen, unauthorized credit or debit cards were seized in this search. On March 2, 2017, he was arrested by officers with the Bakersfield Police Department on an active warrant and a search of his vehicle resulted in the recovery of a large amount of mail and 64 stolen or unauthorized credit and debit cards.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Attorney General Issues Religious Freedom Day ProclamationRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions released the following proclamation commemorating Religious Freedom Day: “Thomas Jefferson served as President for two terms, as Vice President, and as Secretary of State, but he did not mention these prestigious titles on his tombstone. Instead, he named three accomplishments he was more proud of: that he had founded the University of Virginia, authored the Declaration of Independence, and authored the Virginia statute of religious freedom.
“To commemorate Religious Freedom Day, the Department of Justice will file an amicus brief today supporting reversal of the D.C. District Court’s decision denying the Archdiocese of Washington’s motion for preliminary injunction against Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) and will file a second amicus brief later this week with the Supreme Court of Montana supporting parents who claim that the state unconstitutionally discriminated against their children when it barred them from a private school scholarship program because they attend a religious school.
“On this Religious Freedom Day, as we remember this historic statute, we do well to remember the timeless truths it articulates: that religious freedom is an inalienable human right which deserves the protection of the law and that ‘truth is great and will prevail if left to herself.’”
12 January 2018
“King of Death” Supplier Pleads Guilty, Faces Mandatory Life SentenceRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to leading and supplying a heroin and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy that resulted in more than a dozen overdoses and at least two deaths.
Kenneth Stuart, aka “Bones,” 43, of Newark, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison when sentenced on April 24, 2018.
According to court documents, Stuart served as the out-of-state source of supply for a Virginia based heroin and fentanyl drug distribution ring led by Chesapeake ringleader, Erskine Dawson, Jr. aka “June,” “Junior.” From March to December 2016, Stuart supplied between three and ten kilograms of heroin and fentanyl, which equates to approximately 7,500 to 25,000 individual doses. The narcotics, which were often concealed in stuffed animals, were trafficked by Stuart and several others at his direction from New Jersey to Virginia. The heroin and fentanyl was distributed in wax baggies stamped “King of Death,” “Last Call,” “Mad Max,” and “Chef Curry,” among many others. Stuart informed his co-conspirators about new labels and his desire to have them promoted.
Stuart was aware that at least two Virginians died from his fentanyl and that several others had suffered non-fatal overdoses. After hearing of at least one fentanyl death, Stuart told a co-conspirator that “another one bit the dust” yet instructed two co-defendants to continue selling his product.
On Sept. 7, 2016, H.D. consumed fentanyl supplied by Dawson via Stuart and co-conspirator Clark and suffered a fatal overdose. On Nov. 14, 2016, G.M. consumed heroin supplied by Dawson via Stuart and co-conspirator Clark and suffered a fatal overdose. On Dec. 8, 2016, the DEA in partnership with officers from the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake police departments executed search warrants on motels in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk, made arrests, and seized cash, guns, and over 1,800 wax baggies of heroin and fentanyl.
Eight people involved with this trafficking organization were indicted and as of today, all eight have pleaded guilty. Four of those federal defendants have been sentenced to a combined 70 years in prison.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, and Kelvin L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel T. Young, William D. Muhr, and Andrew C. Bosse prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-61.
Wichita Men Plead Guilty to Federal Gambling, Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – Two Wichita men pleaded guilty Friday to federal gambling and income tax charges, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Danny Chapman, 67, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of tax evasion. Daven Flax, 46, Wichita, pleaded guilty to two counts of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making a false statement on a tax return.
Chapman: Online sports betting
In his plea, Chapman admitted he worked as a sports bookmaker in the Wichita area and had at least five people working for him. Chapman and his subordinates took bets on sporting events from clients in their “book” of bettors and collected their losses. They arranged for clients to place bets through online gambling web sites that were created and hosted in Costa Rica. Chapman and subordinates kept a portion of the money they collected. His gross revenue from bookmaking exceeded $2,000 in a single day.
Chapman failed to pay almost $345,000 in federal income taxes on his earnings from illegal gambling. In order to evade taxes, he purchased vehicles in cash and registered them in the name of other persons, including a colleague and a nephew. He frequently purchased money orders and cashier’s checks using the names of family members.
Flax: Poker games in Wichita, sports betting
In his plea, Flax admitted he operated an illegal gambling business in Wichita. He conducted and managed illegal poker games at numerous locations in Wichita. His income came from taking a cut or “rake” from the amount of money wagered. He was responsible for paying employees including dealers, waitresses and caterers as well as paying for the use of commercial properties where poker games were held. The games were not open to the public. Only gamblers who were invited could play.
In addition, Flax worked as a sub-bookie for Chapman’s sports betting operation.
Flax failed to pay more than $65,000 in federal income taxes on his earnings from illegal gambling.
Chapman and Flax will be sentenced at a later time. Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Illegal gambling business: Up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Tax evasion: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000.
Making a false statement on a tax return: Up to three years and a fine up to $100,000.
Beall commended the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the Wichita Police Department, Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst for their work on the case.
West Des Moines Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Carjacking at Gun PointRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On January 12, 2018, Joseph Richard Salcido, age 25, of West Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert W. Pratt to 90 months of imprisonment for carjacking a relative at gun point in April 2017, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum.
Salcido pled guilty on July 19, 2017, to carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1), and to the use and carry of a firearm in connection with that offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). As part of the guilty plea proceeding, Salcido admitted that he took the vehicle by force and while displaying a firearm, a Smith and Wesson 40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, and that he took the police on a high-speed chase through Des Moines residential areas.
The record indicated that speeds of the chase reached 60 miles per hour and involved the running of four stop signs as Salcido eluded police in an attempt to discard controlled substances, including cocaine, and the firearm used in the carjacking. After his arrest near the 5800 block of Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa, Salcido made four calls to third parties from the Polk County Jail in an attempt to retrieve the discarded controlled substances and firearm. Law enforcement ultimately retrieved both the controlled substances and firearm. Salcido's sentence was enhanced due to recklessly endangering the lives of others while eluding police and for attempting to obstruct justice.
This investigation was conducted by the West Des Moines Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Vice-President of Sergeant Bluff Construction Company Receives Sentence for Making False Statements in Connection with a Highway ProjectRead the Press Release
A woman who made false statements in connection with a highway project was sentenced January 12, 2018, to a $34,432.02 fine.
Jenna Danielle Wilson, 31, from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, received the sentence after an August 7, 2017, guilty plea to making false statements in connection with a highway project.
At her guilty plea, Wilson admitted that between January 28, 2016, and July 28, 2016, she knowingly made false representations, false reports, and false claims with respect to the cost of work performed or to be performed or materials furnished or to be furnished in connection with the construction of a highway or related project approved by the Secretary of Transportation. Wilson, while Vice-President of K&L Inc., also doing business as Circle A Construction Inc., submitted falsified Expanded Polystyrene Fill (EPS) invoices to general contractor, Godbersen-Smith Co., and ultimately, the Iowa Department of Transportation for stockpiled materials on the I-29 Sioux Interchange Project. In all, Wilson fraudulently increased the amounts on the Benchmark invoices by $807,637.10. Because the invoices were paid when they were submitted, the fraudulently inflated invoices, in effect, amounted to Wilson wrongfully writing K&L a no-interest loan, in an attempt to remedy K&L’s cash-flow problems. Wilson saved K&L, through her fraudulent actions, approximately $34,000.
Wilson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wilson was fined $34,432.02. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. She must also serve a two-year term of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-4045.
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Vallejo Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Multimillion Dollar Mortgage and Foreclosure Rescue Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sergio Roman Barrientos, 64, of Poway, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from about September 2004 through February 2008, Barrientos and co-conspirators Zalathiel Aguila and Omar Anabo operated an entity named Capital Access LLC, in Vallejo. They preyed on homeowners nearing foreclosure, convinced them to sign away title in their homes, spent any equity those homeowners had saved, and used straw buyers to defraud federally insured financial institutions out of millions of dollars in home loans obtained under false pretenses. The equity stripped from the distressed homeowners’ properties was then used for operational expenses of the scheme and personal expenses of Barrientos and his coconspirators. Vulnerable homeowners across California lost their homes and savings as a result of the scheme, and lenders lost an estimated $10.47 million from the fraud.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Yelovich and Todd A. Pickles are prosecuting the case.
Co-defendant Zalathiel Aguila remains out of custody awaiting trial. The charges against him are allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Omar Anabo, charged elsewhere, is set for sentencing on April 27.
Barrientos is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on April 6, 2018. Barrientos faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Two Men Sentenced to 70-Month Prison Terms on Federal Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ronald H. Furman, 34, of Philadelphia, and Juan R. Zenil, 31, of Donna, Texas, have been sentenced to 70-month prison terms on federal drug distribution charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Neil Trugman, Chief of the Amtrak Police Department, and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Furman and Zenil earlier pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of unlawful possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. They were sentenced on Jan. 11, 2018, by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Following his prison term, Furman will be placed on four years of supervised release. After his prison term, Zenil is subject to deportation to Mexico.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Dec. 1, 2016, Furman and Zenil together boarded an Amtrak train in Atlanta. They were travelling together to Philadelphia on tickets that Furman had purchased. On Dec. 2, 2016, the Amtrak train arrived at Union Station in Washington, D.C. for a stopover.
At that time, law enforcement officers approached Furman and Zenil. Zenil, consented to a search of his bag and officers discovered approximately two kilograms of cocaine inside, wrapped in plastic and duct tape. After a drug dog alerted to the presence of a controlled substance in Furman’s bag, officers obtained a search warrant. In a search of the bag, officers discovered approximately three kilograms of cocaine wrapped in plastic and duct tape.
Furman and Zenil were both placed under arrest. According to the government’s evidence, Furman and Zenil possessed this cocaine jointly with the intent to distribute it to others. Both men have been in custody since their arrests.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Liu, Amtrak Chief Trugman, and Special Agent in Charge Colder commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Amtrak Police Department and the DEA. They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Bateman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who indicted and prosecuted the case.
Two Men Sentenced in Connection with McDonald’s Restaurant Armed Robbery in Lockhart Shopping CenterRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Helwood Paris, 20, of Puerto Rico, and Hanselo Recio, 18, of the Dominican Republic, were sentenced yesterday for their roles in the armed robbery of the McDonald’s restaurant in Lockhart Shopping Center, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Paris to 87months in prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, and 87 months for robbery in the first degree. He sentenced Recio to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and 108 months for discharge of a firearm during a federal crime of violence. Judge Gomez also sentenced Paris to three years of supervised release and Recio to five years of supervised release. He ordered Paris to serve his sentence concurrently and Recio to serve his consecutively. Judge Gomez also ordered both men to pay a $100 special assessment, and perform 400 hours of community service.
According to documents filed in court, on March 25, 2017, members of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) responded to reports of a robbery at the McDonald’s restaurant in Lockhart Shopping Center. After an exchange of gunfire, Recio, who was inside the restaurant, surrendered and was taken into custody. Paris was arrested after the investigation revealed that he was involved in the planning, execution and attempted cover-up of the robbery.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the VIPD. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte and former Criminal Chief Christian A. Fisanick.
Two Men Charged with Fraud in Connection with Hurricane Sandy CleanupRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael C. Mikulka, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Regional Office of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), Charles Brandeis, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office (“DSS”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging RICHARD GRIFFIN and FRANK GILLETTE with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with New York City’s Hurricane Sandy cleanup efforts.
The defendants were taken into federal custody this morning and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses later today. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Hurricane Sandy
From in or about October 2012 through in or about November 2012, the East Coast of the United States was hit by Hurricane Sandy, the second-largest Atlantic storm in recorded history at that time. The effects of Hurricane Sandy were felt in approximately 24 states, displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes, leaving more than eight million people without power, causing tens of billions of dollars in damage, and killing at least 160 people.
The Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut was hit particularly hard, with record storm surges that devastated the coastal areas of the region and left lower Manhattan underwater and without power.
Cleanup Efforts
On or about October 30, 2012, President Obama declared Hurricane Sandy a major disaster in New York, which made federal funding available to New York State and local governments for, among other things, debris removal and cleanup.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the New York City Department of Sanitation (“DSNY”) contracted with private vendors (the “Vendors”) to remove over 280,000 cubic yards of debris left on the roadways and rights-of-way throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursed DSNY for 90% of the cost of the debris removal performed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
In order to monitor the work performed during the cleanup effort, DSNY required the Vendors to submit certain paperwork (“Time Certificates”) that tracked the particular machines used and the date and time of usage. At the end of the project, DSNY paid the Vendors based on the information contained in the Time Certificates.
The Scheme
At all times relevant to the Indictment, RICHARD GRIFFIN and FRANK GILLETTE, the defendants, owned and operated subcontractors that were hired to assist a Vendor in Hurricane Sandy debris removal efforts (“Subcontractor-1” and “Subcontractor-2,” respectively). GRIFFIN and GILLETTE submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent Time Certificates (“Fraudulent Time Certificates”) to DSNY, which purported to show debris removal that Subcontractor-1 and Subcontractor-2 performed during the Hurricane Sandy cleanup effort, but which in fact was not performed. As a result of submitting Fraudulent Time Certificates, GRIFFIN and GILLETTE obtained over $80,000 in fraudulent payments from DSNY through one of the Vendors.
* * *
Set forth below is a chart containing the names, ages, residences, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, DOL-OIG, DSS, NYPD, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason M. Swergold and Jessica Greenwood are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
DEFENDANT
AGE
CHARGES
MAXIMUM PENALTY
RICHARD GRIFFIN
48
Mail Fraud Conspiracy;
Mail Fraud In Connection with a Presidentially Declared Major Disaster
30 years in prison for each count
FRANK GILLETTE
45
Mail Fraud Conspiracy;
Mail Fraud In Connection with a Presidentially Declared Major Disaster
30 years in prison for each count
[1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Massachusetts Men Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Manufacturing MarijuanaRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two central Massachusetts men were charged in separate indictments yesterday in federal court in Worcester in connection with marijuana grow operations. The defendants allegedly cultivated marijuana after federal search warrants were executed.
Peter Molle Jr., 35, of Holland, was charged with two counts of manufacturing marijuana and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and one count of money laundering. Eric Vallee, 38, of Sutton, was charged with two counts of manufacturing marijuana and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute. Molle and Vallee were arrested in December 2017 after being charged by criminal complaint.
Vallee and Molle were featured in a magazine article that noted that Vallee harvested 10 pounds of marijuana based on a cultivation timetable that would result in his harvesting hundreds of pounds of marijuana per year. According to court documents, Vallee and Molle’s bank activity included large cash deposits, which is consistent with the proceeds of drug sales.
Search warrants were executed in February 2017 at Vallee’s home in Auburn; a home in Sutton where Vallee previously resided; and Molle’s residence in Holland where commercial-style marijuana grow operations were discovered. More than 100 marijuana plants were found at Vallee’s Auburn residence, more than 100 marijuana plants at Molle’s Holland residence, and more than 30 marijuana plants were found at the residence in Sutton.
Following the execution of the search warrants, Vallee and Molle allegedly continued to engage in substantial marijuana cultivation. On Dec. 12, 2017, additional search warrants were executed at Vallee’s house in Sutton and at Molle’s house in Holland. At both locations, significant commercial-style marijuana grow operations were found and marijuana packaged for sale was recovered at Vallee’s residence.
Each defendant faces a mandatory 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 and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are each presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twenty-One Suspected Drug Traffickers Arrested on Federal and State Charges in the Enterprise and Dothan AreasRead the Press Release
Enterprise, Alabama– Today, twenty-one suspected methamphetamine and heroin traffickers from the Enterprise and Dothan areas have been arrested during pre-dawn roundups, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. from the Middle District of Alabama. These arrests follow two federal grand jury indictments that charge five federal defendants with various narcotics trafficking crimes, including conspiracy, distribution, and possession of methamphetamine and heroin. The remaining sixteen defendants were arrested on related state charges.
The following individuals were arrested on federal charges: Antonio Tyrell Pouncey, 38, of Enterprise, AL; Kimberly Christina Pouncy, 28, of Enterprise, AL; Ervin Gene Bradham, 53, of Enterprise, AL; Lynn Renfroe Donaldson, 51, of Enterprise, AL; and Rudyver Garcia, 30, of Sandy Springs, GA.
The following suspects from the Coffee County area are facing state charges of criminal conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime: Alesia Cain, Authur Davis, Jimmy Farthing, Betty Grantham, Vincent Gray, James Johnson, Lashonda Jones, Taurence Marshall, Darnell Martin, Pierre Martin, Penny Martinez, Charee Perkins, Gerald Deondra Pouncy, David Reeves, Jason Scott, and Stevie Speigner.
These arrests are a part of a long-term federal drug and money laundering investigation based out of Dothan and Enterprise. The federal investigation has led to the seizure of heroin and multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. The investigation also led to the seizure of firearms and a vehicle equipped with a device to conceal narcotics.
The federal defendants will face a minimum of ten (10) years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life.
In addition to today’s arrests, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant in Enterprise, which targeted members of the drug trafficking organization. Several federal, state and local agencies participated in these arrests and the search.
An indictment is merely a method of charging a defendant. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigating agencies include: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dothan Police Department, the Enterprise Police Department, the Ozark Police Department, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), the Georgia State Police, the Clayton County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office, the Poarch Creek Tribal Indian Police Department and the Washington County, Florida Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Curtis Ivy, Jr. and R. Randolph “Rand” Neeley.
Tullos man pleads guilty to illegally possessing an unregistered silencerRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Tullos man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing a homemade silencer that he had not registered.
Joshua Womack, 33, of Tullos, La., pleaded guilty before Chief District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents received information that Womack possessed a rifle with a silencer on December 15, 2015. Agents later questioned Womack, and he admitted to owning a Marlin, .22 caliber rifle. He told agents that he did not own a firearm silencer but had possessed one that was attached to the rifle. The silencer was not registered in the National Firearms and Registration and Transfer Record.
Womack faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine. He also faces forfeiture of the weapons seized. The court set sentencing for April 6, 2018.
This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.
The ATF and Winn Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.
Treatment Center Owners Plead Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Involving Sober Homes and Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment CentersRead the Press Release
Two treatment center owners pled guilty for their participation in a multi-million dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme that involved the filing of fraudulent insurance claim forms and defrauded health care benefit programs.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Jimmy Patronis, Florida Chief Financial Officer; Michael J. Waters, Special Agent in Charge, Amtrak Office of Inspector General (Amtrak-OIG); Isabel Colon, Regional Director, United States Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Dennis Russo, Director of Operations, National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), made the announcement.
Tovah Lynn Jasperson, a/k/a Tara, 48, of Wellington, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347; all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
Alan Martin Bostom, 75, of Wellington, pled guilty to one count of making false statements related to a health care matter, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035(a)(1).
According to court documents, Jasperson and Bostom were the owners of Angel’s Recovery, a business with multiple locations in Palm Beach County that purportedly operated as a licensed substance abuse service provider (or treatment center) offering clinical treatment services for persons suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. Angel’s Recovery also offered medication-based treatment for opioid addiction.
At different times, the defendants managed all aspects of Angel’s Recovery, including hiring and firing personnel, admitting and discharging patients, and making financial decisions. To secure a steady stream of patients, the defendants established illegal kickback/bribe relationships with owners of sober homes, in exchange for referring the sober homes’ insured residents to Angel’s Recovery for treatment. Sober homes were purportedly in the business of providing safe and drug-free residences for individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. The defendants provided the money used to purchase or rent several properties used as “sober homes,” although the purchase agreements or leases would bear the names of third parties.
The defendants and co-conspirators provided kickbacks and bribes, in the form of free or reduced rent, insurance premium payments, and other benefits to individuals with insurance who agreed to reside at the sober homes and attend drug treatment, which included regular and random drug testing (typically three or more times per week), so that members of the conspiracy could bill the testing and treatment to the residents’ insurance plans. To disguise kickbacks and bribes to patients, the defendants used a separate entity to pay insurance premiums for patients of Angel’s Recovery so that Angel’s Recovery could continue to bill the patients’ insurance companies for treatment expenses.
Jasperson and Bostom hired a doctor to serve as the medical director of Angel’s Recovery who frequently pre-signed prescriptions that were used to dispense controlled substances to patients of Angel’s Recovery by other employees. After the doctor’s medical license was suspended, the defendants continued to employ him and failed to inform the Florida Department of Children and Families because it could not continue to operate as a licensed facility without a licensed medical director.
The defendants and co-conspirators caused the submission of insurance claims that: falsely stated the testing and treatment were medically necessary, failed to disclose that patients were referred to Angel’s Recovery in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, failed to disclose that patients were not asked to pay kickbacks and deductibles, failed to disclose that the defendants paid some patients’ insurance premiums, and failed to disclose that the prescribing physician’s license was suspended.
Jasperson faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment. Bostom faces a maximum of five years imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for May 11, 2018 at 10 a.m.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the Greater Palm Beach Health Care Fraud Task Force. Agencies of the task force include the FBI, IRS-CI, the Florida Division of Investigative and Forensic Services, Amtrak-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and NICB. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Marie Villafaña.
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/
Tonawanda Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead 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 Randy Rance, 56, of Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque, who is handling the case, stated that in December 2016, the defendant distributed child pornography to an undercover investigator. In January 2017, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department seized the Rance’s computer. Forensic examination determined that the defendant was in possession of hundreds of thousands of images of child pornography, some of which depicted prepubescent children less than 12 years old.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Town of Tonawanda Police Department under the direction of Chief Jerome Uschold, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 17, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.Tobacco Wholesalers Charged with Defrauding State of ConnecticutRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that, on January 10, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a 13-count indictment charging PAVAN VASWANI, 39, of West Haven, and RISHI MALIK, 45, formerly of Fairfield, with engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the State of Connecticut of millions of dollars in taxes due on tobacco products imported into the state.
VASWANI and MALIK were arrested yesterday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William I. Garfinkel in Bridgeport. MALIK was detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for January 16. VASWANI was released on a $250,000 bond.
As alleged in the indictment, VASWANI has operated KDV Discounts LLC, a wholesale tobacco business based in Bridgeport. MALIK previously operated the business as Connecticut Discounts LLC before selling it to VASWANI in 2012. Between 2013 and 2017, VASWANI filed false tax forms with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services that underreported his taxes due. He then paid over those lower amounts instead of taxes actually owed. MALIK conspired with VASWANI through means including forming a Pennsylvania company, Discount Deals, to acquire smokeless tobacco that was imported into Connecticut without payment of taxes.
It is alleged that the State of Connecticut was defrauded of approximately $5.8 million through this scheme.
The indictment charges VASWANI and MALIK with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to violate the Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act (“CCTA”), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. The indictment also charges VASWANI with 12 counts and MALIK with four counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, on each count.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an Indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, Criminal Investigations Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Laraia and Michael S. McGarry.
Three Named in Federal Indictment Alleging $2.5 Million Loan Modification Scheme that Affected over 500 Distressed HomeownersRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – Three Southern California men have been indicted on federal mail fraud charges that allege they solicited homeowners on the verge of foreclosure with bogus promises of loan modifications with interest rates as low as 2 percent.
The three men charged – Michael Paul Paquette, 34, of San Juan Capistrano; Allan Jessie Chance, 34, of Temecula; and Dennis Edward Lake, 59, of Costa Mesa –were arrested Thursday pursuant to an eight-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on December 20.
Paquette, Chance and Lake were arraigned on the indictment yesterday afternoon in United States District Court, where they all entered not guilty pleas and were ordered to stand trial on March 6. All three defendants were released on $15,000 bonds.
According to the indictment, Paquette and Chance operated under aliases and told distressed homeowners that they worked for the Laguna Hills-based HAMP Services – which sounded similar to the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), a legitimate government program which permanently reduced mortgage payments to affordable levels for qualifying buyers.
Paquette and Chance told victims that they were approved for a government-affiliated loan modification, but they needed to make three “trial payments” before the loan would be modified, according to the indictment. They also falsely told the victims that their money would be held in a trust or escrow account. Chance falsely claimed that he had experience in getting home loans modified because he had worked at Bank of America.
After victims began making “trial payments,” their files were referred to Lake, who ran a Newport Beach-based business called JD United. The indictment alleges that Lake and his employees told victims that they were working on loan modifications, furthering hope that the loan modifications promised by Paquette and Chance were coming and that there was no need to contact law enforcement about the “trial payments” that had been paid.
When being pitched on the loan modification service, the victims were never told that $800 of the “trial payments” went to JD United, and that Paquette and Chance received commission payments taken directly from the accounts where the “trial payments” were deposited. The indictment further alleges that none of the victim money went to the lenders or a government agency for a loan modification.
Investigators believe that over 500 victims nationwide paid at least $2.5 million dollars to the defendants and others in “trial payments.”
The scheme allegedly ran from the beginning of 2014 through April 2015. Paquette and others originally started soliciting victims claiming that they worked for Hope Services. After victims made many complaints about Hope Services, new victims were solicited using the name HAMP Services starting in late 2014.
Two other defendants involved in the scheme have pleaded guilty to federal charges and are pending sentencing.
Paquette, Chance, and Lake are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Additionally, Paquette is charged in three substantive mail fraud counts, Chance in four mail fraud counts, and Lake in six mail fraud counts. If they were to be convicted, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The case against Paquette, Chance and Lake is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP). The Federal Trade Commission provided substantial assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vibhav Mittal of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Three Men Sent to Prison in Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Three Houston men have been ordered to federal prison following their convictions in a $1 million narcotics trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Robert Ashleigh Whitten, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Lalo Buddy Perez, 27, and Michael Anthony Patran, 29, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Today, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake ordered Perez to serve a 135-month term of imprisonment, while Whitten and Patran received respective sentences of 120 and 60 months in prison. Perez and Whitten will serve five years of supervised release following completion of their prison terms. Patran will serve three years of supervised release.
In 2016, law enforcement personnel began investigating a drug trafficking organization distributing significant quantities of cocaine in the Houston area. Agents quickly confirmed that Patran and Perez were both major suppliers and distributors within the Houston and Magnolia, Texas, community. Through the course of the investigation, agents also confirmed that Patran and Perez conspired with Whitten to distribute cocaine and the proceeds from the narcotics trafficking.
On Sept. 6, 2016, authorities conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Perez was driving with Patran as passenger. At that time, law enforcement discovered a blue Puma gym bag containing 20 individually-wrapped packages of U.S. currency, which totaled approximately $237,475. They also found an AK-47 assault rifle and Walther P99 pistol.
Shortly thereafter, law enforcement agents observed Whitten at a gas station and contacted him. He lied to the police about his identity and attempted to flee, but was captured immediately. Upon a search of his Dodge Ram truck, authorities found more than 18 kilograms of cocaine and approximately $666,638.00 in his vehicle. Some of the cocaine was open and spilled into a cooler which caused an odor that permeated the vehicle.
All three men have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie N. Searle and Rick Bennett are prosecuting the case.
Three Individuals, Including Former General Manager and Controller, Charged in Embezzlement Scheme at Sonnen MotorcarsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Amir Bakhtiari, Arlette Casino, and Austin Caba were arrested today for their respective roles in an alleged conspiracy and fraud scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett; and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf.
According to the indictment, from at least 2010 to 2016, Bakhtiari, 50, a resident of Newport Beach, Calif. and formerly of Marin County, Calif., orchestrated an embezzlement scheme at Sonnen Motorcars (“Sonnen”). Sonnen owned and operated three car dealerships in Marin County—Sonnen Volkswagen, Audi Marin, and Porsche Marin. From 2009 to 2016, Bakhtiari managed the Volkswagen and Audi dealerships. Bakhtiari allegedly used his role to initiate a scheme wherein Sonnen made payments on fraudulent invoices to fake advertising vendors who then forwarded the majority of the proceeds from Sonnen back to Bakhtiari. The indictment alleges that Casino, 47, a resident of Santa Rosa, Calif., who served as controller of Sonnen from 2013 to 2016, and Caba, 38, a resident of Burlingame, Calif., who controlled one of the fake advertising vendors, conspired with Bakhtiari and participated in the scheme since at least 2013.
According to the indictment unsealed today, Bakhtiari caused others to create shell entities with names suggesting that the shell companies were in the business of advertising. The shell companies were controlled by friends or associates of Bakhtiari’s, including Caba. These entities were Advision Advertisers, Elite Marketing and Advertising, Pacific Blue Advertising, and ARC Sierra Promotional & Incentive Co. (ARC Sierra). The indictment alleges ARC Sierra was controlled by Caba. Bakhtiari then allegedly created or caused the creation of fake invoices from each of the fake advertising vendors to Sonnen, purporting to bill Sonnen for advertising work. Along with the controller, which from 2013 to 2016 was Casino, Bakhtiari approved the payments on these fake invoices from Sonnen’s bank accounts, in the form of checks written to the fake vendors. In sum, the indictment alleges that from 2010 to 2016, Bakhtiari directed approximately $6.3 million in fraudulent transfers in this manner. When the money reached the vendor bank accounts, the individuals who controlled these accounts wrote checks back to Bakhtiari for a majority of the funds. In total, Bakhtiari received approximately $3.6 million via checks in this manner. Caba also allegedly used funds embezzled from the ARC Sierra bank account to pay the balance on an American Express credit card account that he shared with Bakhtiari. The indictment alleges Bakhtiari and Caba spent approximately $1.7 million on this American Express credit card account.
According to the indictment, Bakhtiari and Casino also initiated other fraudulent payments to themselves, including bonuses that Bakhtiari falsely claimed were funded by the corporate offices of Volkswagen or Audi. Bakhtiari and Casino approved the payment of these fraudulent bonuses, knowing they were not authorized by the majority owner of Sonnen Motorcars.
Bakhtiari, Casino, and Caba were all charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Bakhtiari and Caba were also charged with conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h), and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the maximum penalty for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud is twenty years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for each count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity is ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
All three defendants were arrested today in California by the FBI – Bakhtiari was arrested in Newport Beach, Caba was arrested in Burlingame, and Casino was arrested in Santa Rosa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Kingsley is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Bridget Kilkenny. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the IRS-CI.
Texas Man Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine and Interstate Transportation of Drug MoneyRead the Press Release
On January 12, 2018, Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that Roberto Ochoa Cantu, age 44 of Alamo, Texas, was sentenced to 10 years and six months (126 months) in prison for distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, methamphetamine and five years (60 months) for interstate transportation in aid of racketeering. Those sentences are to run concurrently (at the same time). Cantu was ordered to serve five years on supervised release following the prison term. However, he is a citizen of Mexico and will likely be deported after serving his prison sentence.
Cantu was arrested on April 24, 2017 after approximately a one-year investigation regarding shipments of methamphetamine sent from south Texas to Lincoln for distribution. The proceeds of drug sales were sent back to Texas via cash deposits made into accounts opened at local banks. Cantu was involved in six sales of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Lincoln between November of 2016 and February of 2017, including a sale of 62 grams of actual/pure methamphetamine, which occurred on December 4, 2016. Cantu was held responsible for the distribution of at least 150 grams of actual/pure methamphetamine. Cantu instructed the confidential informant to pay for the methamphetamine by depositing cash into bank accounts in Lincoln from which the proceeds could be withdrawn by persons in south Texas.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of Explosive Material at AirportRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Michael Christopher Estes, 46, formerly of Tazewell, Tennessee, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell today and pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of explosive material, in connection with the October 2017 incident at the Asheville Regional Airport, announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
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 (FBI), Charlotte Division and Chief Tammy Hooper of the Asheville Police Department.
According to today’s plea hearing and documents filed with the court, shortly after 12:30 a.m. on October 6, 2017, Estes walked onto the grounds of the Asheville Regional Airport carrying a package containing an explosive device he had constructed. The explosive device was inside two plastic bags, each tied in a knot, which Estes placed outside the entrance of the airport’s baggage claim area.
According to court documents, Estes constructed the device using material that is known to explode violently when coming in contact with a flame or other ignition source. Court records show that the explosive device also contained nails and a shotgun cartridge. Shrapnel, nails or ball bearings often are added to such devices to increase the devastation inflicted by the explosion. According to plea documents, the words “FOR GOD & COUNTRY” were written on the strike strip of a matchbox attached to the device. Another message, “FOR ALL THE V/N VETS OUT THERE!!!,” was written on the tape attaching a portion of a clock to the device. The alarm on the clock was positioned to go off at 6:00, but it was not actually set.
At approximately 6:30 a.m. on October 6, 2017, the Asheville Regional Airport Authority Department of Public Safety was alerted to the presence of a “suspicious bag” outside the terminal building. Law enforcement responded to the scene and evacuated passengers and employees from the baggage claim area. According to court documents, bomb technicians rendered the device safe and it tested positive for explosive material. Law enforcement released a photograph of Estes, and arrested the defendant the following day in an area not far from the airport.
Estes admitted in court today that he purchased the material and constructed the explosive device he placed at the airport. Court documents show that Estes told law enforcement that we were getting ready to “fight a war on U.S. soil,” and that terrorists were coming to the United States. Estes told law enforcement that he believed that federal agencies were unprepared to fight the terrorists. Estes also told law enforcement that his intention was not to hurt the public but to devise a training scenario. He also said that he placed the device at the airport so it would be picked up by law enforcement, so that law enforcement would “now know how” to make a similar device. Estes also admitted to staging a backpack in the woods across from the airport. Law enforcement located the backpack, which contained some of the material Estes used to construct the device.
Estes is currently in federal custody. The maximum penalty for unlawful possession of explosive material at an airport is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date for the defendant has not been set yet.
The investigation was led by the FBI and the Asheville Police Department. In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanks the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Asheville Regional Airport Authority Department of Public Safety for their invaluable assistance and coordination in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is in charge of the prosecution.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Calvin Weaver, age 27, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number, and simple possession of cocaine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), New York Field Division, and Frank Fowler, Chief of the Syracuse Police Department.
Weaver pled guilty to all three charges following a decision by Chief U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby denying Weaver’s motion to suppress evidence found on the day of his initial arrest. In particular, Judge Suddaby found that both the stop of Mr. Weaver and the subsequent frisk of his person, which revealed that Mr. Weaver was carrying both a gun and plastic bags of cocaine, were lawful and available for use as evidence against him had the case proceeded to trial.
At sentencing on May 18, 2018, Weaver faces up to 10 years in prison on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and up to 5 years in prison on the charge of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Mr. Weaver also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years on those two charges. On the possession cocaine charge, the defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 1 year, a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 1 year, and a $100,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Syracuse Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Levine.
St. Louis Man Sentenced on Federal Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Thomas Anderson was sentenced to 180 months in prison in connection with conspiracy charges involving the transportation of large quantities of marijuana and money laundering.
According to court documents, from 2008 until 2014, Anderson, aided by other members of the conspiracy, acquired more than 1,000 kilograms of usually high grade marijuana from sources of supply in California and distributed it in different places, including St. Louis and Boston. Anderson purchased multi-hundred pound amounts of marijuana from a variety of sources. When purchased from sources of supply, Anderson caused the marijuana to be transported from California to St. Louis and elsewhere, including Boston, via various means. In some instances, marijuana was concealed inside items, such as water heaters, large pieces of antique furniture, fixtures, and PODS moving company containers. In other instances, Anderson arranged for marijuana to be shipped concealed in various trucks. Anderson also utilized private aircraft to transport marijuana from California to St. Louis and elsewhere. Regardless of the means of conveyance, the marijuana was recovered in St. Louis and in Boston by other members of the conspiracy and delivered to distributors or distributed for Anderson.
The conspiracy generated millions in proceeds. Proceeds were then delivered back to California for the purchase of more marijuana, usually in two main ways: hidden inside luggage and the luggage was transported to California via commercial airlines; or via private aircraft.
Anderson, 31, St. Louis, MO, was convicted in August 2017 of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The eight-day trial was held before United States District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Casey, John Davis and Sirena Wissler are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
St. Louis Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Robert Barteau was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and followed by lifetime supervised release for child pornography charges before United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry.
According to court documents, between January 1, 2014 and June 17, 2014, Barteau possessed a laptop that contained more than 677 images of child pornography where each video is considered to be equivalent of 75 images. He received the images and videos depicting child sexual abuse from the Internet. All these images and videos were of prepubescent minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and some portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, or other depictions of violence. All of the children in these videos and images appeared to be under the age of twelve years old, with one child toddler aged.
Barteau, 54, of St. Louis, MO, pled guilty on October 12, 2017 to one felony count of possession of child pornography and has a prior sex conviction in Madison County, Illinois.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Louis County Police Department and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lang and Investigator Donya Jackson are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
St. Joseph Man Sentenced for Second Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a St. Joseph, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his second federal bank robbery conviction.
Terry L. Hager, 50, of St. Joseph, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan, Jr., to 11 years and one month in federal prison without parole. Today’s sentence includes a 33-month term of incarceration upon the revocation of Hager’s supervised release in an earlier bank robbery sentence in a separate case.
Hager, who pleaded guilty on Jan. 3, 2017, admitted that he stole $13,957 from UMB Bank, 1211 N. Belt Hwy., St. Joseph, on March 5, 2016.
According to court documents, Hager was wearing a baseball cap, a bandana over his face, sunglasses and clear plastic gloves when he entered the bank. Hager approached a teller and motioned for her to be quiet by placing his finger to his lips then demanded that she give him all the money. After the teller emptied the contents of her drawer, Hager demanded the money from her second drawer, but she was unable to comply because she did not have a key for the drawer. Hager told the teller to get on the floor and called a second teller, who did have the key, over to the teller counter. (As this occurred, a third teller was able to push a panic button to alert law enforcement of the robbery). As the second teller was interacting with Hager, she attempted to press an emergency button, but he placed his hand over the button preventing her from doing so.
After he received cash from both tellers, Hager exited the bank. He later led law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit, traveling approximately 80 miles per hour through a densely populated residential neighborhood with groups of children playing near the street. Officers were forced to terminate the pursuit due to the significant danger to the public.
The next day, Hager was located at a local Wal-Mart store and placed under arrest without incident as he left the store.
This case represents Hager’s second federal bank robbery conviction. Hager, who was incarcerated for more than 22 years on his first bank robbery conviction, was released from federal prison and placed on supervised release on Dec. 2, 2013. He was still on supervised release for his first federal bank robbery offense when he committed the second.
On March 26, 2015, while on supervised release for his first federal bank robbery, Hager was arrested in Buchanan County, Mo., for second-degree domestic assault after a report that he threatened and physically assaulted a woman with whom he shared a domestic relationship. He was convicted of the offense on July 6, 2015, and sentenced to eight months’ incarceration. On Feb. 11, 2016, Hager appeared in federal court for a supervised release revocation hearing. After making a statement on his own behalf, Hager’s supervised release was continued with further instruction that his supervised release would be reviewed in 90 days. Hager committed the bank robbery approximately 23 days later.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Springfield Couple and Three Vermont Residents Arrested for Heroin and Crack Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield couple and three Vermont residents were arrested today and charged with federal drug offenses including conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine.
Nia Moore-Bush, a/k/a “Nia Dinzey,” 27; and Dinelson Dinzey, 34, both of Springfield, Mass.; Joshua Foster, 40; Tracy Parsons, 45; and Jamieson Gallas, 36, all of Barre, Vt., were each charged in an indictment unsealed today on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine.
According to court documents, beginning in at least October 2017, the five defendants conspired to distribute heroin and more than 28 grams of crack cocaine.
Moore-Bush, Foster, and Parsons face mandatory minimum sentences of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Due to prior felony drug convictions, Dinzey and Gallas face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of eight years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $8 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 and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the ATF’s Springfield Area Firearms Enforcement Task Force with assistance of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, ATF’s Burlington Field Office, the Massachusetts State Police and the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine A. Wagner of Lelling’s Springfield Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sheffield Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE – A federal judge this week sentenced a Sheffield man to more than 11 years in prison for possessing child pornography, including images of infants and toddlers being raped, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town.
U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH BOERCKEL, 27, of Sheffield, to 11 years and three months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Boerckel pleaded guilty in September to possessing more than 13,000 images of child pornography on his computer and computer hard drives. He must report to prison Feb. 7.
“This defendant possessed thousands of horrific images of adults forcing sex acts on children and babies, innocents completely unable to defend themselves,” Town said. “Anyone possessing these images ensures that those children continue to be victimized. Judge Proctor’s sentence rightfully reflects the severity of this case and our efforts reflect our pledge to fully prosecute these atrocious behaviors.”
Law enforcement seized computers and hard drives during searches of Boerckel’s home in March 2015, according to his plea agreement. An Alabama Department of Revenue review of Boerckel’s computer hard drives showed that hundreds of the images were stored on a drop box saved to “the cloud,” so investigators could not determine if the images had been accessed in Lauderdale County or Colbert County.
Further FBI analysis of Boerckel’s electronic equipment identified the 13,183 images of child pornography, according to the plea agreement.
The FBI, Alabama Department of Revenue and the Florence Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Keim prosecuted.
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Rollin' 60 Crips Gang Leaders Sentenced for Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
The two leaders of the Detroit branch of the Rollin 60s Crips street gang were sentenced this morning for their roles in gang-related murders, shootings, and drug distribution. Jerome Hamilton and Darriyon Mills’s sentences follow their guilty pleas to RICO conspiracy and firearm charges and are the result of the collaborative efforts of law enforcement and the community to reduce homicide and other violent crime under the Detroit One program, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Joining in the announcement was Paul Vanderplow, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department.
The Court sentenced leader, Jerome Hamilton, 26, of Detroit, to 30 years in prison. Hamilton previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death. Hamilton took responsibility for, amongst other racketeering activity, issuing a “green light” to murder rival gang members of the Playboy Gangster Crips in 2011, which resulted in a non-fatal shooting of a rival gang member; a firebombing of rival Blood gang member’s house; and the August 8, 2011 homicide of Kionte Atkins during a drive-by shooting. Hamilton also admitted to being involved in the distribution of marijuana and illegal prescription pills as part of his membership with the Rollin 60s Crips.
Hamilton’s second-in-command, Darriyon Mills, 22, of Detroit, was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Mills previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Mills committed armed robberies, carjackings, and attempted multiple murders. He also trafficked drugs for the gang and in this way funded the Rollin 60s and their crimes.
According to the indictment, the Rollin’ 60s Crips is a national street gang founded in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1970s. In approximately 2006, Jerome Hamilton started a Detroit set of the Rollin 60s, which now boasts approximately 150 members and who operated primarily on the west side of Detroit in the vicinity of Seven Mile and Tracey. The Rollin 60s Detroit chapter is a violent organization responsible for numerous assaults, robberies, carjackings and the unlawful possession and trafficking of firearms and narcotics in and around the Detroit metropolitan area over the last nine years. The gang uses violence as a means of retribution for acts done by rival gang members, to intimidate witnesses, and as a means for individuals to maintain or advance their position within the gang.
United States Attorney Matthew Schneider stated, “This office is making it a top priority to pursue violent criminals and remove them from our streets. All Michigan residents deserve safety and we will relentlessly prosecute gang members who commit violence.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the senseless violence committed by criminal gangs,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Paul Vanderplow. “ATF stands committed to working with our law enforcement partners to end the gang violence that plaques our neighborhoods. Every citizen has the right to feel safe in their neighborhoods.”
In addition to Hamilton and Mills, twelve other Rollin 60 Crips members pleaded guilty or were convicted after trial of various racketeering or firearm charges.
The arrests and convictions in this case are, in part, the result of the Detroit One Initiative, a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicide and other violent crime in Detroit. The case was investigated by the ATF’s Comprehensive Violence Reduction Program, which includes representatives of the Detroit Police, Michigan State Police, and Michigan Department of Corrections, in coordination with the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, and Detroit Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eaton Brown, Shane Cralle, and Michael Heesters.
Rogers Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Peng Chanthalangsy, age 37, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 92 months in federal prison followed by fifteen years of supervised release on one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
In March of 2017, the Rogers Police Department, while investigating a drug trafficking organization, executed a search warrant on the Rogers residence of Chanthalangsy. In addition to confiscating illegal narcotics, law enforcement seized numerous computers and electronic devices. While searching the electronic devices for evidence of drug trafficking, law enforcement located numerous images of child pornography. A federal search warrant was obtained specifically to allow for a search of child pornography, which revealed approximately two thousand (2000) images of minors engaged in sexual explicit conduct. At sentencing, the Government presented the Court with evidence that some of the images depicted minors as young as toddlers.
“HSI works everyday with our state and local law enforcement partners to ensure the perpetrators of these despicable crimes are brought to justice”, said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI New Orleans Thomas M. Annello. “We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of child exploitation and seek justice for the most vulnerable of our citizens, our children.” Annello is the Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans field office with responsibility for Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Chanthalangsy was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2017 and entered a guilty plea in August 2017.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Rogers Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case for the United States.
Rogers Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Aiding and Abetting in the Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Manuel Ortiz Jr., age 37, of Rogers, was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $35,000.00 fine on one count of Aiding and Abetting in the Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in March of 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) utilizing a confidential source (CS) placed a recorded phone call to Ortiz. During the call, the CS asked Ortiz about purchasing one ounce of methamphetamine. Ortiz directed the CS to go to a grocery market in the Western District of Arkansas and purchase the ounce of methamphetamine. The substance purchased was sent to the DEA South Central Laboratory for testing. The lab determined that the substance contained 27.5 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Ortiz was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2017 and entered a guilty plea in August 2017.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Kim Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
Rochester Man Sentenced for His Role in Conspiracy to Sell OxycodoneRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Ronald Lockwood, 44, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who handled the case, stated that Lockwood was prescribed large quantities of oxycodone by his heath care provider for a severe injury that he had sustained. Beginning in February 2015 and continuing until his arrest in February 2017, Lockwood conspired to sell his oxycodone pills to Daniel Volonino, Jr. and Michael Ingham, who, in turn, sold pills to others in the Rochester area.
Michael Ingham has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing. Charges are pending against Daniel Volonino, Jr. 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.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and investigators with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the New York State Attorney General, under the direction of Eric Schneiderman.
Roanoke Valley Opioid/Heroin Task Force to Present A Community Conversation about Opioid Pain Killer and Heroin Addiction: A National, State and Local CrisisRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – On August 10, 2017, the President declared the opioid crisis to be a national emergency. Just yesterday, Attorney General Sessions stated, “With one American dying of a drug overdose every nine minutes, we are facing the deadliest drug crisis in American history.”
According to United States Attorney Rick Mountcastle, “Our community must work together to solve this crisis using a three-pronged approach: provide access to treatment and recovery for family, friends, and neighbors suffering from the disease of opioid and heroin addiction; prevention programs to raise awareness about the dangers of opioids; and targeted law enforcement.”
In the coming weeks, United States Attorney Mountcastle will attend four community conversations about opioid and heroin abuse hosted by the Roanoke Valley Opioid and Heroin Task Force in collaboration with the Prevention Council of Roanoke County. These events will include law enforcement updates, personal stories about the impact of opioids and heroin, and other important information, and will be an opportunity to join together to combat this crisis.
The schedule for these free events is as follows:
- January 18 at 6:00 p.m. – Northside High School Auditorium
- January 22 at 6:00 p.m. – Cave Spring High School Auditorium
- January 25 at 6:30 p.m. – William Fleming High School
- February 15 at 6:30 p.m. – Patrick Henry High School
Registered Sex Offender Returned to Federal Prison for Six More YearsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – David Aaron Smith-Garcia, also known as David Garland Atwood II, 34, of Vicksburg, was sentenced on December 21, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate, to serve an additional six years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for violating the terms of his supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
This was the third time that Smith-Garcia, who legally changed his name in June 2017 through proceedings in the Warren County Chancery Court, has been returned to prison for violating the terms of his supervised release.
Smith-Garcia is a registered sex offender who originally pled guilty on April 1, 2005, to one count of using the internet to knowingly persuade, induce and entice a person he believed to be under the age of eighteen years to engage in sexual activity and to one count of wire fraud. He served 63 months in federal prison for his original convictions. Smith-Garcia violated the terms of his supervised release and was sentence to serve an additional 5 months incarceration on March 23, 2010. Smith-Garcia violated the terms of his supervised release a second time in 2010 and 2011, and he was sentenced March 29, 2013, to serve an additional six years in federal prison.
In April 2017, following his release from federal prison, Smith-Garcia violated the terms of his supervision for a third time. After weeks of hearings and testimony, on December 21, 2017, United States District Judge Wingate found Smith-Garcia guilty of seven violations of his supervision, including:
- unlawfully and feloniously using electronic communications for the purpose of threatening, terrifying and harassing a victim in violation of Mississippi law;
- willfully, unlawfully and feloniously exposing another person to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through engaging in unprotected sex on two occasions without notifying the victim that Smith-Garcia is HIV positive, in violation of Mississippi law; and
- leaving the Southern District of Mississippi without the permission of either the Court or the US Probation Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.
RI Resident Sentenced in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man was sentenced on Thursday to 72 months in federal prison for arranging the shipment of more than 200 packages containing hundreds of grams of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island, some of which he arranged while incarcerated at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institution.
William Gonzalez, 50, of Providence, was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr, to serve 4 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. The government and the defense recommended the court impose a sentence of 72 months incarceration. The federal prison sentence imposed is to be served consecutive to a sentence of 25 years, 12 years to serve imposed in Rhode Island state court on August 31, 2016, in an unrelated case. In that case, Gonzalez pleaded nolo contendre to possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver.
The U.S. Sentencing Guideline imprisonment range in this matter is 210-262 months.
Gonzalez’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty on October 3, 2017, to one count each of conspiracy to possess one or more kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of one or more kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute.
At the time of his guilty plea, Gonzalez admitted to the Court that beginning in January 2016, he traveled repeatedly to Puerto Rico for the purpose of purchasing large quantities of cocaine, and arranging for the drugs to be shipped via the U.S. Postal Service to various addresses in Rhode Island. Gonzalez admitted to participating in a conspiracy in which he was responsible for at least 203 packages containing a minimum of 300 grams each being shipped from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island. Gonzalez was responsible for the shipment of nearly 61,000 grams of cocaine into Rhode Island.
On August 31, 2016, Gonzalez was arrested by Rhode Island State Police and ordered detained at the Adult Correctional Institution. While incarcerated, he continued to direct other members of the conspiracy to purchase cocaine in Puerto Rico and to mail the cocaine back to Rhode Island.
The case in federal court was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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Prior Felon from Belen Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Body Armor and Oxycodone Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Barry Romero, 38, of Belen, N.M, pled guilty today in Albuquerque, N.M., to unlawfully possessing body armor and Oxycodone trafficking. Romero’s plea agreement recommends a 96-month term of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Romero is being prosecuted under a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution because of his previous felony convictions for armed robbery, attempt to commit robbery and cocaine trafficking. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Romero was arrested on Sept. 28, 2016, on a two-count indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of body armor by a felon who has been convicted of a crime of violence. According to the indictment, Romero committed the crimes on Nov. 10, 2015, in Valencia County, N.M. Romero was prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition or body armor because of his prior felony convictions.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Romero pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of body armor by a felon who has been convicted of a crime of violence and possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Romero admitted that on Nov. 10, 2015, he was arrested at his residence in Belen, by Deputy U.S. Marshals who had a warrant for Romero’s arrest on a parole violation. During the execution of a search warrant on Romero’s residence incident to his arrest, law enforcement agents located body armor, two handgun cases, ammunition, Oxycodone and drug paraphernalia. Romero further admitted that he possessed the oxycodone with the intent to distribute it to other people. Romero acknowledged that he was convicted of armed robbery in 2005, prior to unlawfully obtaining the body armor. Romero remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Cairns is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Plainfield Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl to Overdose VictimRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GEORGE KINNEY, 35, of Plainfield, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl to an overdose victim in 2016.
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 August 31, 2016, the Plainfield Police Department responded to a report of an untimely death of a 38-year-old female at a hotel in Plainfield. At the scene, officers seized drug and non-drug evidence, including bags that appear to have contained heroin and/or fentanyl that were located in a bathroom garbage can. The investigation revealed that KINNEY had provided the drugs to the victim and her boyfriend shortly before the victim’s death.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently determined that the victim died due to the combined effects of ethanol and fentanyl.
KINNEY was arrested on May 9, 2017. At the time of his arrest, KINNEY possessed 40 bags of heroin on his person, and another 150 bags that were hidden in secret compartment in his pickup truck. The seized bags contained heroin and fentanyl, and most had identical labeling to the bags found in the victim’s hotel room.
Judge Bolden ordered KINNEY to forfeit his truck, a 2008 Ford F150 XL.
KINNEY has been detained since his arrest. On October 18, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin and fentanyl.
KINNEY’s criminal history includes convictions for drug trafficking and a domestic violence offense.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Plainfield Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Pittsburgh Man Admits Guilt in Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and oxymorphone, one count of health care fraud, and one count of perjury, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Jeremiah Davidson, age 61, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to a one-count information and two counts of a Superseding Indictment before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Davidson obtained opioid prescription pain medication through physicians, often paid by taxpayer funded insurance programs, and sold the medication to a conspirator for later distribution to addicts. He arranged for the taxpayer funded insurance programs to pay for the pills by representing that he intended to use the medication for his own medical care when, in fact, he intended to sell the medication.
While on bond pending his guilty plea, the Pittsburgh Police arrested the defendant after observing him selling pain medication to a known pill distributor. During a hearing on the government’s motion to revoke the defendant’s bond, the defendant testified under oath that he did not receive money for selling his pain medication, that he had paid cash for the medication, that the medication had not been paid for through insurance, and that he had notified an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation of his arrest within 24 hours. All of that testimony was false and provided the basis for the perjury charge to which Davidson pleaded guilty.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2018. The law provides for a total sentence of 35 years in prison, a fine of not more than $1,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Davidson.
Pharmacy Owner, Medical Doctor and Patient Recruiter Convicted in $4.3 Million Pain and Scar Cream Kickback Scheme Against Military Insurance ProgramRead the Press Release
The owner of an Orlando, Florida-area pharmacy, a medical doctor and a patient recruiter were convicted today for their role in a kickback scheme involving pain and scar creams that resulted in the payment of approximately $4.3 million in false and fraudulent claims to TRICARE. TRICARE provides coverage for active duty military and their families, as well as retired veterans.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office and Resident Agent in Charge Brooke M. Harris of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG) Defense Criminal Investigative Service made the announcement.
Larry Howard, 53, of Oviedo, Florida; Nicole Bramwell, M.D., 52, of Apopka, Florida; and Raymond Stone, 57, of Orlando, were convicted after a five-day trial of one count of conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks and paying and receiving kickbacks. Howard was also convicted of two counts of paying health care kickbacks, and Bramwell and Stone were convicted of one count each of receiving health care kickbacks. In addition, Howard was convicted of two counts of money laundering.
According to evidence presented at trial, Howard was the owner of Fertility Pharmacy, located in Oviedo. The evidence showed that Howard paid illegal health care kickbacks to Raymond Stone, who in return referred patients to doctors previously selected by Howard. The doctors then prescribed expensive pain and scar creams to the patients, which Howard then billed to TRICARE. The evidence also showed that Howard paid illegal health care kickbacks to Dr. Nicole Bramwell, who in return wrote prescriptions for the expensive creams. The creams could cost up to $17,000 per bottle. Between October 2014 and May 2015, TRICARE paid Fertility Pharmacy over $4.3 million procured through illegal kickbacks.
The case was investigated by the DOD-OIG and the FBI and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Senior Litigation Counsel John Michelich and Trial Attorneys Timothy Loper and Alexander Kramer are prosecuting the case. Former Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Hunter previously prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 3,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $12.5 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Pharmacy Owner, Medical Doctor and Patient Recruiter Convicted in $4.3 Million Pain and Scar Cream Kickback Scheme Against Military Insurance ProgramRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – The owner of an Orlando, Florida-area pharmacy, a medical doctor and a patient recruiter were convicted today for their role in a kickback scheme involving pain and scar creams that resulted in the payment of approximately $4.3 million in false and fraudulent claims to TRICARE. TRICARE provides coverage for active duty military and their families, as well as retired veterans.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eric Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office and Resident Agent in Charge Brooke M. Harris of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG) Defense Criminal Investigative Service made the announcement.
Larry Howard, 53, of Oviedo, Florida; Nicole Bramwell, M.D., 52, of Apopka, Florida; and Raymond Stone, 57, of Orlando, were convicted after a five-day trial of one count of conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks and paying and receiving kickbacks. Howard was also convicted of two counts of paying health care kickbacks, and Bramwell and Stone were convicted of one count each of receiving health care kickbacks. In addition, Howard was convicted of two counts of money laundering.
According to evidence presented at trial, Howard was the owner of Fertility Pharmacy, located in Oviedo. The evidence showed that Howard paid illegal health care kickbacks to Raymond Stone, who in return referred patients to doctors previously selected by Howard. The doctors then prescribed expensive pain and scar creams to the patients, which Howard then billed to TRICARE. The evidence also showed that Howard paid illegal health care kickbacks to Dr. Nicole Bramwell, who in return wrote prescriptions for the expensive creams. The creams could cost up to $17,000 per bottle. Between October 2014 and May 2015, TRICARE paid Fertility Pharmacy over $4.3 million procured through illegal kickbacks.
The case was investigated by the DOD-OIG and the FBI and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Senior Litigation Counsel John Michelich and Trial Attorneys Timothy Loper and Alexander Kramer are prosecuting the case. Former Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Hunter previously prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 3,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $12.5 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Panama City Beach Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Curtis Jason Jones, 39, of Panama City Beach was sentenced to 78 months in prison yesterday after pleading guilty on October 12, 2017, to possession of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In March 2015, law enforcement officers received information that Jones was in possession of child pornography. In June 2015, officers executed a search warrant on Jones’s residence. Forensic examinations of the electronic items seized during the search revealed hundreds of images and one video of child pornography, including 56 images and one video file containing known child victims previously identified by law enforcement. The child pornography images that Jones possessed showed children who appeared to be 10 years of age and younger, with some as young as five years of age.
“Children deserve to be protected from online exploitation, and my office and our law enforcement partners are committed to pursuing child predators who target innocent children,” said United States Attorney Canova.
“While already serving time for sexual battery, this criminal’s electronic devices were searched, and he was also discovered to be a child predator,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “HSI special agents and our partners at the Panama City Beach Police Department and the Northern District Florida United States Attorney Office have now ensured he will be held accountable for his crimes against children, in addition to the sentence he is already serving for sexual battery.”
The case was investigated by the Panama City Beach Police Department and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Thielemann.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Panama City Beach Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Michael Shawn Garrett, 45, of Panama City Beach, Florida, a colonel in the Florida Air National Guard, was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday after being convicted on October 17, 2017, of attempted enticement of a minor for sex. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In May 2017, undercover investigators conducted an operation to identify individuals seeking to engage in sexual activity with minors. Garrett responded to a Craigslist advertisement in which an undercover officer posed as a 14-year-old boy. During ninety minutes of conversation with the undercover officer, Garrett discussed the sex acts he wished to perform with the boy. Through his e-mail communications, Garrett repeatedly requested the physical address of the boy, offering to pick up the boy to engage in the sexual encounter. Garrett was arrested after arriving at the designated meeting place.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “My office is committed to pursuing public safety, and a top priority is protecting young, innocent children from becoming victims of exploitation crimes. Child predators tragically use the Internet to try to reach their victims and take advantage of their vulnerabilities.”
“This defendant attempted to victimize and exploit a child,” said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The FBI is committed to protecting children in our community, and will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to identify these predators. We also encourage parents to take time to educate their children about dangers lurking online.”
“This predator thought he was going to molest a young boy,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Instead, he faced HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners, and now he will be held accountable for his crimes.”
The case was investigated by the Panama City Beach Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Thielemann.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Owner of Seafood Company Charged in Atlantic Blue Crab ScamRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The owner of a Newport News seafood business was charged today by criminal information with conspiring to commit Lacey Act violations for blending foreign crab meat with Atlantic blue crab meat, then labeling the blended crab meat as “Product of USA”.
James R. Casey, 74, of Poquoson, is the owner and President of Casey’s Seafood, Inc. According to court documents, from at least July 2012 through June 2015, Casey knowingly conspired to replace Atlantic blue crab with crab meat from Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Central and South America. Casey and his co-conspirators falsely labeled at least 397,917 pounds of crab meat, with a retail value in the millions of dollars, as Atlantic blue crab and “Product of the United States”.
According to court documents, Casey directed employees to remove foreign crabmeat from the original shipper’s packaging containers, blend and combine foreign crab meat from one processor with crab meat from another processor, and place it into different packing containers with a label declaring that the contents were a “Product of USA,” despite knowing that the contents were imported crab meat. Casey also directed employees to place labels with “Product of the USA” on containers that covered up labels that stated “Product of Brazil” or “Product of China”.
Casey has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jeffrey H. Wood, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Tim Donovan, Assistant Director for National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt and Trial Attorney Gary N. Donner of the Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations provided significant assistance during the investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER.
A criminal information contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
North Carolina Return Preparer Convicted for Filing Fraudulent ReturnsRead the Press Release
A jury sitting in Greensboro, North Carolina, convicted a Durham, North Carolina, tax return preparer of conspiring to defraud the United States and preparing fraudulent tax returns for herself and her clients, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to public documents and information presented during the trial, Keesha Frye, 43, owned and operated KEF Professional Tax Services, a Durham tax preparation business. From 2012 through 2014, Frye and other KEF employees falsified their clients’ tax returns by including fake and inflated sources of income to qualify for and maximize the earned income tax credit and increase the refunds claimed on the returns. Frye also filed personal income tax returns that claimed bogus childcare expenses and business losses.
U.S. District Court Judge William L. Osteen Jr. scheduled sentencing for April 11. Frye faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for each charge of filing fraudulent returns. Frye also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Ramaswamy and Trial Attorney Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
North Carolina Return Preparer Convicted for Filing Fraudulent ReturnsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A jury sitting in Greensboro, North Carolina, convicted a Durham, North Carolina, tax return preparer of conspiring to defraud the United States and preparing fraudulent tax returns for herself and her clients, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to public documents and information presented during the trial, Keesha Frye, 43, owned and operated KEF Professional Tax Services, a Durham tax preparation business. From 2012 through 2014, Frye and other KEF employees falsified their clients’ tax returns by including fake and inflated sources of income to qualify for and maximize the earned income tax credit and increase the refunds claimed on the returns. Frye also filed personal income tax returns that claimed bogus childcare expenses and business losses.
U.S. District Court Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. scheduled sentencing for April 11. Frye faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for each charge of filing fraudulent returns. Frye also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Ramaswamy and Trial Attorney Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
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North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-State Dog Fighting ProsecutionRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty to federal dog fighting and conspiracy charges yesterday, announced United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Brexton Redell Lloyd, 54, of Eagle Springs, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy and two felony counts of possession and training a dog intended for use in an animal fighting venture, contrary to the animal fighting provisions of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to documents filed with the court, Lloyd participated with Justin “Jay” Love and others in a multi-state dog fighting conspiracy. These documents describe Lloyd and Love’s attempt to set up a dog fight between Lloyd and an unknown opponent in October 2015 and Lloyd’s breeding and training activities. Court documents further note that earlier this year, agents seized thirteen pit bull-type dogs from Lloyd’s residence. Ten of the dogs were secured outdoors by excessive chains, wearing thick collars, and positioned so that each dog was out of reach of any other dog. The other dogs were housed individually in pens. The water in the dogs’ bowls was frozen. Two of the four adult dogs seized exhibited scars consistent with dog fighting, and a third adult dog had four fractured teeth. In addition to the dogs, agents seized items related to training dogs for dog fighting purposes, including: a spring pole, a dog harness, and a hanging scale. Agents also seized veterinary supplies, including: intravenous fluids, intravenous administration sets stated for “Veterinary Use Only,” injectable and other antibiotics, a 100-count package of syringes, blood clotting medications such as Blood Stop Powder, and a skin stapler.
“Organized crime has no place in North Carolina or the United States – and dog fighting of this sort is nothing short of organized crime. Our law enforcement partners at the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, and the N.C. State Highway Patrol demonstrated exceptional coordination in bringing this defendant to justice,” said United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
“Yesterday’s guilty plea and our continuing efforts to investigate and prosecute these cases send a strong message that our justice system will not tolerate the torment and death of animals in the fighting ring, all for the sake of illegal gambling,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General. “Federal law is clear on this point and will continue to be enforced.”
“The provisions of the Animal Welfare Act were designed to protect animals from being used in illegal fighting ventures, which often entail other forms of criminal activity involving drugs, firearms and gambling,” said Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General. “Together with the Department of Justice, animal fighting is an investigative priority for USDA OIG, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and assist in the criminal prosecution of those who participate in animal fighting ventures.”
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog fighting “victories.” To date, over one hundred dogs have been rescued as part of Operation Grand Champion, and either surrendered or forfeited to the government. The Humane Society of the United States assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.
This case was investigated by USDA-OIG and FBI, with assistance from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Highway Patrol, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney JoAnna G. McFadden and Trial Attorney Erica H. Pencak of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section Environmental Crimes Section.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 25 Years on Drug and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROBERT RICKS, age 36, of New Orleans, was sentenced to twenty-five years in the Bureau of Prisons by Honorable Judge Carl J. Barbier today after being convicted in a two day trial for his role in conspiring to distribute crack cocaine and heroin, possessing heroin and crack with the intent to distribute, possessing a gun in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the evidence presented at trial, RICKS conspired with several other individuals to distribute crack cocaine and heroin in the fall of 2014 and early 2015. The case began when the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) received a Crimestoppers tip about RICKS’s drug trafficking activity in early February 2015. NOPD officers initiated surveillance and observed RICKS dealing from a house at the corner of Belleville and De Armas streets. They then secured a search warrant for the house where RICKS lived and found heroin, crack cocaine, a loaded pistol, scales, $3,600 in cash, and various other paraphernalia associated with drug trafficking. RICKS was arrested on state charges following the search. The state charges were ultimately adopted for federal prosecution after RICKS became a target in a parallel Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ investigation focused in Algiers.
RICKS was sentenced to a total of twenty-five years in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by eight years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller and Myles Ranier were responsible for the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KENZIE FAULK, age 58, of New Orleans, pled guilty yesterday to an Indictment charging him with possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon and conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, on October 16, 2016, FAULK, a convicted felon, attempted to board a Southwest Airlines flight, departing from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, while he was in possession of a fully loaded revolver. TSA personnel located the weapon in a bag that FAULK was attempting to carry aboard the plane, which was destined to Los Angeles. TSA personnel became aware that a gun was inside of the bag when the TSA x-ray scan machine alerted to its presence. TSA agents confiscated the gun prior to FAULK boarding the plane.
In the days following his arrest, members of the FBI learned that FAULK was trafficking marijuana though the U.S. postal service. FBI agents conducted a search of FAULK’s residence and located a wooden crate that had been shipped from Los Angeles to New Orleans. After executing a search warrant, FBI agents located and confiscated three cellophane wrapped packages of high-grade marijuana inside of the crate, which was addressed to FAULK.
For the charge of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, FAULK faced a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment. For his participation in the drug conspiracy, FAULK faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. Judge Nannette Jolivette-Brown will sentence FAULK on April 5, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the TSA in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany L. Reed is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Convicted Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TIMOTHY JACKSON, age 28, a native of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 10th to violations of the Federal Drug Control Act, Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) for possessing with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, and violations of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the court documents, JACKSON was arrested along with another individual on January 4, 2017. At the time of his arrest, JACKSON was in possession of a quantity of heroin meant for distribution in the Eastern District of Louisiana as well as two loaded semi-automatic handguns and approximately $1,825 in U.S. currency.
For the possession with intent to distribute heroin charge, JACKSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
For the convicted felon in possession of firearm charge. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
Finally, for the possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, JACKSON faces a sentence of at least five years in addition to the sentence he receives for the underlying drug possession with intent to distribute charge.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Michael Simpson is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Couple Sentenced for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRANDON SMITH, age 30, and CHELSIE WILLIAMS, age 24, residents of New Orleans, were sentenced yesterday after previously pleading guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced SMITH to a term of imprisonment of 42 months, 3 years of supervised release, a $10,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment. WILLIAMS was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 36 months, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
According to court documents, in April 2016, SMITH and WILLIAMS obtained two firearms. SMITH and WILLIAMS later pawned one of the firearms. In September 2016, they returned to the pawn shop and attempted to redeem the weapon. WILLIAMS, acting in concert with SMITH, falsely stated that she was the actual buyer/transferee for the firearm and that she was not a convicted felon.
U. S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan McLaren was in charge of the prosecution.
Nebraska Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that Bobby Joe Ansley, 38, of Mullen, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 120 months in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for possession of child pornography. After his release from prison, Ansley will also serve 12 years of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.
In February 2016, the Nebraska State Patrol began receiving Cyber Tips from Google regarding images of sexually explicit conduct involving minors being attached to emails from email addresses associated with Ansley. These emails were sent from email accounts associated with Ansley in January 2016. In August 2016, a third-party informed officers about electronic devices Ansley owned. The person also identified some of the email addresses referenced in the Cyber Tips as being used by Ansley. Based on the Cyber Tips and information provided by the third-party, the State Patrol obtained a Search warrant for Ansley’s residence in Mullen, Nebraska. Officers found the external hard drive and paperwork containing the password for the device. NSP found 1,950 identified images of sexually explicit conduct involving minors, as defined by federal law, on Ansley’s hard drive. These included images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors who had not attained 12 years of age. Further investigation revealed that the minors in the images were identified as living outside the state of Nebraska and that the images were produced outside the state of Nebraska and shipped or transported to Nebraska. Ansley was previously convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in the Southern District of California on October 2, 2003.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.