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Tuesday 7 November 2017
Dallas Woman Sentenced for Her Role in a “Foreclosure Rescue Scheme” That Exploited Vulnerable Homeowners Facing ForeclosureRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Christina Renee Caveny, 37, of Dallas, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to 15 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $270,134.84 in restitution, following her guilty plea in June 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
A federal grand jury in Dallas returned an indictment in December 2016 charging Caveny and three others with felony offenses stemming from a “foreclosure rescue scheme” they ran from approximately February 2012 through January 2013. Mark Demetri Stein, 36, of Carrollton, Texas, is awaiting trial. Richard Bruce Stevens, 51, of San Antonio, Texas, pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2017. Bruce Kevin Hawkins, 52, of Desoto, Texas, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $219,109 in restitution.
According to plea documents in Caveny’s case, Stein operated Real Estate Solutions, Stevens used Texas Real Estate Services, and Hawkins formed ERealty Mortgage Group, LLC, as foreclosure rescue companies. The conspirators used third parties to contact homeowners and offer them an opportunity to get out of their present home loans and receive a new home loan with a reduced interest payment and reduced monthly payment. Caveny and other conspirators falsely represented to homeowners that they had “investors” standing by who were ready to quickly purchase the homeowner’s present loan from the lender holding the current mortgage. They also falsely represented that they would use investors to purchase the homeowner’s loan from the original lender at a greatly reduced price through a “short sale” process.
Furthermore, Caveny and other conspirators falsely represented to the homeowners that the homeowners had the legal authority to transfer their homeowner’s deed to the defendants.
As part of the scheme, the conspirators fraudulently required homeowners to start making all future loan payments to them based on fraudulent so-called “loans,” and they also told homeowners to ignore late payment notices sent by lenders. As part of the scheme, the conspirators conducted a fraudulent “closing” for each homeowner where they caused the homeowner to pay them a large down payment on the new “loan,” and they also had the homeowner sign fraudulent documents, such as a promissory note, deed of trust, special warranty deed, and/or a so-called “land trust.”
Further, according to plea documents, the conspirators falsely represented to homeowners that the conspirators could “sell” their property back to the homeowner with a new loan, when the conspirators well knew they did not legally own the property. The conspirators also told homeowners to ignore notices of nonpayment from their present lender as they continued to unlawfully collect monthly so called “mortgage payments” from homeowners. In fact, conspirators instructed several homeowners to file for bankruptcy but to not follow up with the bankruptcy process as an additional means to delay foreclosure and conceal the conspirators’ criminal conduct. Conspirators concealed that all down payment and monthly mortgage payments fraudulently collected from homeowners was spent for their own personal benefit.
The defendants recruited at least 70 distressed and vulnerable homeowners who were facing the imminent threat of foreclosure on their homes and fraudulently collected a total of at least $242,000 from them.
This case is one of several felony prosecutions of bankruptcy-related crimes generated by the Bankruptcy Fraud Initiative in the Northern District of Texas. With the charges in this indictment, 26 defendants have been charged as part of that initiative. Nineteen have been convicted, one resulted in a mistrial, and six are pending trial.
The Dallas FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis prosecuted.
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Chairman of Purported Hedge Fund Sentenced for Conspiring to Commit Securities and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NICHOLAS MITSAKOS was sentenced today to 30 months in prison on charges of conspiring to commit securities fraud and wire fraud in connection with his operation of a purported hedge fund called Matrix Capital. MITSAKOS pled guilty on May 25, 2017, and was sentenced by the Honorable Denny Chin, a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit who was sitting by designation in the Southern District of New York.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As he previously admitted in pleading guilty, Nicholas Mitsakos spun a fake tale to investors about his miraculous track record of trading in the securities markets. Mitsakos lured investors by claiming returns of over 66 percent for one year, never disclosing that his portfolio was an entirely ‘hypothetical’ one and that in fact, he had never entered into any real trades.”
According to the Complaint, Indictment, and statements made during court proceedings:
In or about October 2013, MITSAKOS created a purported hedge fund called Matrix Capital (“Matrix”), which claimed to be a long-short fund with a long track record of success. In order to raise money for his fund, MITSAKOS sent marketing materials to numerous potential investors claiming that Matrix had achieved outsized returns that exceeded major indices like the S&P 500. One newsletter sent to potential investors, for example, claimed that Matrix had achieved returns of approximately 25% in 2012, 66% in 2013, 20% in 2014, and 49% between January and October of 2015. MITSAKOS also led potential investors to believe that these returns were based on actual securities trades by Matrix, and that Matrix had tens of millions in assets under management (“AUM”).
MITSAKOS’s representations regarding Matrix’s performance and AUM were false. In fact, Matrix had no track record in actually purchasing and selling securities, and, indeed, had no meaningful assets at all until receiving funds from a victim in September 2015. Instead, the purported performance results provided to potential investors were premised on how a hypothetical portfolio would have performed had Matrix actually acquired certain securities. No such trading actually took place and Matrix never actually owned any of the securities in the hypothetical portfolio that MITSAKOS maintained. Even in regard to Matrix’s hypothetical investment portfolio, MITSAKOS retroactively manipulated the investments in that portfolio from time to time in order to improve dramatically its hypothetical performance.
Based in part on these and other misrepresentations, Matrix received approximately $2 million from an investor in September 2015. However, MITSAKOS used only a portion of that amount – about $1.2 million – to actually buy and sell securities. Of the remaining amount, MITSAKOS spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on business expenses and personal expenses like car payments, credit cards, and his own rent. MITSAKOS’s trading of the $1.2 million that he did invest, moreover, resulted in significant losses.
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In addition to the prison sentence, MITSAKOS, 57, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. The Court further ordered MITSAKOS to forfeit a sum of $861,163.62 and to pay restitution to victims of his offense.
Mr. Kim praised the exceptional work of the Office’s criminal investigators, and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Allen and Brendan Quigley are in charge of the prosecution.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Eight Years’ Imprisonment for Unlawfully Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
A man who fired a handgun three times in a residential neighborhood was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison.
James Mitchell, age 37, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to possession of ammunition as a felon.
Information presented at the sentencing hearing showed that on October 7, 2016, Mitchell was drinking and using drugs at a party in Cedar Rapids. The following afternoon, Mitchell’s girlfriend showed up outside of the residence where Mitchell was partying. Mitchell confronted his girlfriend in the street, before slamming her onto the ground, causing a friend of Mitchell’s to pull him away from the girlfriend. Mitchell then brandished a handgun and fired it three times into the air. Several neighbors heard the altercation and called the police. Mitchell fled the scene and discarded his handgun in an alley.
Mitchell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. He was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and a special assessment of $100 was imposed. Mitchell must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Mitchell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshal Service, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-19-LRR.
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Catonsville Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy in “Swatting” IncidentRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – Zachary Lee, age 25, of Catonsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today Conspiracy to Provide False Information and False Information and Hoax relating to a scheme to cause an emergency services response, a practice known as “swatting.”
The plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Gary L. Gardner of the Howard County Police Department; and Howard County State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino.
According to Lee’s plea agreement, between February 17 and February 18, 2015, Lee, who resided in Ellicott City at the time, and co-conspirator Robert Walker-McDaid, age 19, of Coventry, England, United Kingdom, conspired to convey false information about a hostage situation that would cause armed law enforcement officers to be dispatched to the home of an acquaintance of Lee (the victim).
Specifically, on February 17, 2015, Lee messaged McDaid via an internet telephone service and stated, “I have someone I need sw@tted.” At McDaid’s request, Lee provided McDaid with the address of the victim and McDaid responded to Lee, “il do it when im up.” On February 18, 2015, a call from McDaid’s internet telephone account was made to the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center’s (MCAC) Terrorism Hotline. Lee, McDaid, and another individual were participants in that call. The caller pretended to be the victim and stated that he had a loaded gun, several bags of plastic explosives, and three hostages. The caller demanded $15,000 in cash be delivered in a red bag to the victim’s address. The caller stated that he would start executing the hostages in 15 minutes if his demands were not met. Shortly after police arrived at the address, Lee allegedly posted on his Facebook account, “Love my team.”
At the time the call was made, authorities were not aware that the emergency call was false. A Howard County Police Department (HCPD) Tactical team went to the address provided by the callers, and ultimately shot the victim with rubber bullets in the chest and face. The victim suffered significant injuries to his face and chest, including bruised lungs, a fractured rib, and numerous broken bones to the left side of his face. He was transported to the hospital where he underwent approximately three facial reconstructive surgeries.
This “swatting” caused over 40 officers to respond to T.D.’s home and remain there for over 2.5 hours and cost the Howard County Police Department over $10,000. Investigators subsequently discovered that the victim was not in possession of loaded firearms or explosives, did not make the emergency call, and there were no hostages at the residence.
If the Court accepts the parties’ plea agreement, Lee will be sentenced to 2 years in prison.
Walker-McDaid has been arrested in the United Kingdom and is currently in extradition proceedings. United States District Judge Marvin J. Garbis has scheduled sentencing for January 18, 2018 at 11 a.m. Lee remains detained.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI, Howard County Police Department, and Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Perry and Zachary A. Myers, who are prosecuting the case.
California Man Who Engaged in Robbery Spree and Fled Across the Country Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVID E. BYERS, 35, of Solana Beach, California, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to a federal robbery charge stemming from an east coast robbery spree and subsequent cross country pursuit.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 19, 2017, BYERS, wearing a bandana over his face and displaying what appeared to be the handle from a handgun, robbed a Gulf gas station in Nesconset, N.Y., of $300. On April 20, he robbed a Chase Bank branch in Stony Brook, N.Y., of $2,107. On April 24, BYERS, wearing a bandana over his face and displaying what appeared to be a handgun, robbed a Citgo gas station in Greenwich, Conn., of $223. On April 25, again wearing a bandana over his face, he robbed a Chase Bank branch in Greenwich of $8,722. On April 26, BYERS returned to the Chase Bank branch in Greenwich and robbed it of $3,391.
On April 28, Greenwich Police saw BYERS driving a vehicle and attempted to apprehend him, but he drove away at a high rate of speed, subsequently abandoned the vehicle on I-95 and evaded police on foot. He then stole another vehicle in Port Chester, N.Y., placed a stolen license plate on the vehicle, and proceeded to drive to California.
Pennsylvania State Police attempted to apprehend BYERS in Pennsylvania by deploying a tire deflation device, but BYERS was able to abandon the vehicle and fled on foot. He then stole a pickup truck that had keys in it. At a rest stop, he stole Maryland license plates, put them on the truck and continued driving west.
On May 1, BYERS engaged the Arizona State Police in a high-speed chase before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot.
BYERS was arrested in San Diego on May 2.
Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for January 30, 2018, at which time BYERS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. BYERS has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Greenwich Police Department, Suffolk County (N.Y.) Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Arizona State Police and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
California Man Sentenced to Almost 22 Years’ Imprisonment for Coercion of A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stephen Chang, age 29, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Yvette Kane to 262 months’ imprisonment for travel with intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct (3 counts) and coercion of sexual activity from a minor (2 counts).
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Chang began communicating with a minor female when she was only 13 years old. The communications began in August 2014, and continued until the day of his arrest at the Harrisburg International Airport on March 5, 2016. During these conversations, Chang enticed the juvenile to produce and send sexual exploitative images. Chang also traveled from Los Angeles, California to Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania on December 12, 2014, October 1, 2015, and March 4, 2016, to engage in sexual conduct with the minor. On January 29, 2016, police were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in a CyberTipline report about Facebook communications between the minor residing in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and an adult male in California, later identified as Stephen Chang. Law enforcement also learned that Chang engaged in sexual conduct with a second victim in Bakersfield, California.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, the Elizabethtown Police Department, the Northwest Regional Police Department, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office and the Harrisburg International Airport Police and demonstrates an excellent collaborative investigative effort to remove dangerous sexual predators from the street and protect the communities’ children. Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
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Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, John Howard was sentenced to 181 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly for his participation in three violent carjackings. Howard and his co-defendant, Donald Warren, previously pleaded guilty to carjacking and related firearms charges. Warren was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment on September 14, 2017.
Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“John Howard attacked innocent members of communities in Queens and Nassau Counties as they went about their daily lives, terrorizing them with the threat and use of lethal force,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “With this sentence, Howard is being held accountable for his numerous violent crimes.” Ms. Rohde also thanked the Nassau County Police Department, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance during the investigation.
Carjacking, December 18, 2015
According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, on December 18, 2015, Howard approached a woman who was sitting in a parked Volkswagen Jetta in Valley Stream, New York. As the woman leaned over to retrieve her purse from the passenger side, Howard pressed a hard object against her back and said, “You know what this is. If you want to see your family and not be on the news, give me your money.” Howard stole the woman’s car and drove away in it.
Carjacking, December 28, 2015
Howard and Warren confronted the driver of a Mercedes Benz in front of a Best Western hotel in Jamaica, New York. Warren threatened the driver with a handgun and demanded his wallet. Warren and Howard beat the man over the head, stole his wallet, and drove away in the Mercedes.
Carjacking and Shooting, January 21, 2016
Howard participated in another carjacking with Warren in which they stole a car parked outside a Hampton Inn hotel in South Ozone Park, New York. A young woman was waiting for her mother in the passenger seat of a Hyundai parked in front of the hotel when Warren, armed with a loaded handgun, entered the vehicle and drove it around the hotel parking lot. When the young woman’s mother left the hotel a few minutes later, Warren exited the vehicle and demanded the mother’s purse. Warren shot the woman in the chest when she resisted. Howard and Warren then fled the scene.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Hajjar and Moira Kim Penza are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JOHN HOWARD
Age: 50
Residence: Brooklyn, New YorkDONALD WARREN
Age: 55
Residence: Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-102 (AMD)
Bradenton Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Firearm and Drug-Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida– Senior U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Anthony Sanchez (25, Bradenton) to 11 years in federal prison for possessing carfentanil, a Schedule II controlled substance, with the intent to distribute it, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty on August 4, 2017.
According to court documents, Sanchez sold a stolen Sig-Sauer .9mm caliber pistol and ammunition to an undercover agent at the Desoto Square Mall, in Bradenton. He also sold the agent 10.85 grams of carfentanil, while possessing a loaded .22 caliber revolver.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN) — a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Barbour County man sentenced for methamphetamine distribution and possession of an illegal weaponRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Dylan Lee Hamrick, 24, of Belington, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 108 months incarceration for distributing methamphetamine and possessing an altered firearm, United States Attorney William J. Powell announced.
Hamrick was found in possession of methamphetamine and a shotgun with a shortened barrel in November 2015 in Randolph County. He pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” and one count of “Possession of a Firearm with a Shortened Barrel” in April 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Elkins Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Baltimore BGF Member Pleads Guilty to 2013 Murder of WitnessRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – Wesley Jamal Brown, a/k/a “Wes,” age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family’s Greenmount Avenue Regime. As part of his plea agreement, Brown admitted that on May 2, 2013, he murdered a witness to prevent him from testifying against a fellow BGF member in a pending state case.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Daniel Board of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Gordon Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
According to his plea agreement and court documents, Brown was a member of the BGF Greenmount Regime, formerly known as the Young Guerilla Family, or YGF. Between 2005 and September 2017, Brown agreed with other BGF members to engage in crimes to further the interest of the gang, including drug distribution, murder, robbery, witness tampering, and witness retaliation. Brown admitted that he personally engaged in drug trafficking and murder in furtherance of BGF.
Specifically, Brown admitted that on or about April 26, 2013, he possessed with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. Brown further admitted that on or about June 20, 2013, he possessed 51 grams of heroin and a quantity of cocaine that he planned to sell.
Brown further admitted that on or about May 2, 2013, in the 600 block of Cokesbury Avenue, he shot and killed Moses Malone with a .22 caliber handgun. In the weeks before his death, Malone had been the victim of a robbery and shooting committed by a member of the BGF Greenmount Regime. On April 19, 2013, Malone identified the BGF member who robbed and shot him during an interview with Baltimore Police officers. Brown admitted that he shot and killed Malone to prevent him from testifying against his fellow BGF member in the pending state case.
According to his plea agreement, Brown further admitted that in the days following Malone’s murder, he requested assistance from another BGF member in disposing of the .22 caliber handgun that he had used to kill Malone. Brown told the other BGF member that the handgun was “dirty” because he had used it to shoot a witness (i.e., Malone) who had implicated a member of the BGF Greenmount Regime in a crime.
Brown admitted that on or about May 12, 2013, he exchanged text messages with a BGF associate, in which he agreed to sell the .22 caliber handgun that he had used to kill Malone for $250.
United States District Judge Bredar has scheduled Brown’s sentencing for February 5, 2018. Brown remains detained pending sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Schenning commended ATF Baltimore, FBI Baltimore, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Christina A. Hoffman, who are prosecuting the case.
Attorney General Sessions Welcomes Steven Engel as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal CounselRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions welcomed the confirmation of Steven Engel as the Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel.
“I applaud the Senate for the confirmation of Steven Engel,” said Attorney General Sessions. “I am confident his extensive legal work and his previous experience in the Office of Legal Counsel have prepared him very well to lead the office that provides legal advice to the President, to the Department, and to every other Executive Branch agency.”
The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel provides legal advice to the President and all Executive Branch agencies. The Office drafts legal opinions of the Attorney General and provides its own written opinions and oral advice in response to requests from the Counsel to the President, the various agencies of the Executive Branch, and other offices within the Department. Such requests typically deal with legal issues of particular complexity and importance, or those about which two or more agencies are in disagreement. The Office is also responsible for reviewing pending legislation for constitutionality.
All executive orders and substantive proclamations proposed to be issued by the President are reviewed by the Office of Legal Counsel for form and legality, as are various other matters that require the President’s or the Attorney General’s formal approval.
Prior to his confirmation, Engel was a partner at the law firm Dechert LLP, where he appeared in courts across the country, handling a wide range of civil litigation matters, including in the areas of administrative law, commercial litigation, and securities law. An experienced appellate litigator, Engel clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for Judge Alex Kozinski and on the U.S. Supreme Court for Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. In addition, Engel regularly argued in the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the New York appellate courts, and handled appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, seven U.S. Courts of Appeal, and numerous state appellate courts. Engel was also a member of the pro bono panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Before joining Dechert, Engel served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, where he provided legal advice to senior policymakers on issues facing the Executive Branch.
Engel graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College and received a master’s degree in history from Cambridge University, where he was a Knox Fellow. He received his law degree from the Yale Law School, where he was the Essays Editor for the Yale Law Journal.
Atlanta Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court for Using Identification of Mexican Nationals to Attempt Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Cristobal Guevara Castelan, age 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, pled guilty in federal court in Anderson. Castelan pled guilty to committing fraud in connection with the use of identification information in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028. United States District Judge Timothy Cain, of Anderson, accepted the plea and will impose a sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Castelan coordinated with another individual to use the identities and identification of Mexican nationals to apply for Internal Revenue Service Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs). ITINs are legal identification numbers used to file tax returns by non-resident or resident alien individuals who are present in the country and who are performing work for employers that are withholding various federal monies from the individual’s wages. The ITINs permit the non-resident or resident alien, who does not possess a social security number, to file a legal tax return and to receive, where appropriate, refunds due. Castelan, however, was appropriating the identities of individuals, from Mexico, who had not actually performed any work in the United States, to apply illegally for ITINs and then, subsequently, for fraudulent returns. Through the investigative efforts of the IRS, Castelan’s scheme was disrupted before any improper refunds were actually paid out by the federal government.
Ms. Drake stated that the maximum penalty the defendant can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 15 years, plus a special assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by Special Agent Edwin Rogers of the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney D. Josev Brewer of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Allentown Physican Sentenced to Prison for Failure to File Federal Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Harry W. “Buck” Buchanan, 63, of Allentown, PA, was sentenced yesterday for willfully failing to file tax returns, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. Buchanan, who operated Harry Buchanan IV MD PC, failed to file federal tax returns in 2009 and 2010, even though his income substantially exceeded the minimum amount establishing the requirement to file. He was sentenced to a term of 6 months confinement, with a year of supervised release to follow.
Buchanan is an ophthalmologist practicing in the Allentown area. In April of 2017, he pled guilty to two counts of willful failure to file tax returns, admitting that he had failed to file tax returns or pay taxes for the years 2009 and 2010, despite knowing of his obligations. In his plea agreement, he acknowledged that he owed federal income taxes, for those two years that totaled $194,643.
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bea Witzleben.
Akron man charged with illegally transporting explosive devicesRead the Press Release
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Akron Police Department, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, announce Elijah Blankenship has been federally charged with transporting explosive materials, a violation of Title 18, Section 842(a)(3). Blankenship will have an initial appearance in U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Burke’s courtroom today at 10am.
In the early evening of August 16, 2017, Akron Police officers began speaking with Elijah Blankenship in the area of Druid Walk in Akron. Through the discussion with Blankenship it was determined that Blankenship possessed a folding knife in his waistband. An Ohio State Highway Patrol K-9 Officer and his partner approached the scene and alerted to Blankenship's vehicle. Two packages of unknown powder substances, gunpowder and a pipe bomb were discovered during the probable cause search of the vehicle. Blankenship was placed in custody by law enforcement.
All items were collected for laboratory analysis and evidence. The disassembly of the suspected pipe bomb and pyrotechnic aerial shell revealed PVC components containing metal screws, nuts, and bolts as well as an unknown powder. A test burn was conducted of the unknown powder. The powder burned in a manner consistent with an energetic pyrotechnic powder.
Today, November 7, 2017, Elijah Blankenship was charged in federal court with possession of an explosive device without a license.
Stephen Anthony, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation said: “Officers on scene are commended for their swift and thorough response to the dangerous situation they encountered. The FBI will continue to work collaboratively with local, state and federal agencies in order to ensure our community and our citizens are kept safe.”
“Law enforcement did an outstanding job identifying this defendant and finding the explosive he possessed,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “Collaborative efforts such as this are crucial to keeping our nation and community safe.”
“Our officers did a great job being vigilant and proactive in stopping Elijah Blankenship. We are and will continue to work with our federal partners to bring this case to justice,” said Chief Kenneth Ball, Akron Police Department.
“ATF maintains a wealth of expertise in the areas of firearms and explosives,” said Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “This case would not have been possible without the continued professionalism of our partners in the Akron Police Department and the Summit County Bomb Squad. We are committed to working with them and all of our law enforcement partners and to use our expertise to remove the most violent criminals from our streets.”
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The investigation is ongoing, therefore information, other than the unsealed complaint, cannot be provided.
Monday 6 November 2017
Yankton Man Sentenced on Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Yankton, South Dakota, man convicted of Bank Robbery was sentenced on November 6, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
David William Giese, age 27, was sentenced to 4 years in custody, followed by 4 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, as well as $6,900 in restitution.
Giese was indicted for bank robbery by a federal grand jury on February 15, 2017. He pled guilty on August 15, 2017.
On July 26, 2016, Giese robbed the Wells Fargo Bank in Yankton. At approximately 4:55 pm, Giese entered the bank wearing an old man mask and carrying a cardboard box. He approached the teller and stated, “Give me all your money. There’s a bomb in the box.” Giese also handed the teller a handwritten note that stated he had a bomb and demanded money. After the teller provided cash from the drawer, Giese left the sealed cardboard box on the counter and told all of the bank employees not to call the police for 30 minutes otherwise the bomb would detonate. Giese exited the bank building and left the scene in his vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Yankton Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Giese was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
West Des Moines Man Sentenced to More than Three Years in Federal Prison after Providing False Document to the United States Attorney during a Civil False Claims Act InvestigationRead the Press Release
A durable medical equipment store owner who provided false documents to the United States Attorney’s Office during a civil False Claims Act investigation was sentenced on Friday to more than three years in federal prison. James O’Connor, from West Des Moines, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 19, 2017, guilty plea to one count of Making and Using False Documents, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(3).
In a plea agreement, O’Connor, who operated O’Connor Medical Supply, Inc., in Clive, Iowa, agreed that he provided a false document to the United States Attorney’s Office in response to a Civil Investigative Demand the office issued in conjunction with a civil False Claims Act investigation. Specifically, O’Connor admitted to providing a false Letter of Medical Necessity intended to conceal the fact that he previously submitted a claim to Medicare for a more complex and more expensive orthotic device than what he actually provided to a Medicare beneficiary. O’Connor further admitted that he caused nearly $350,000 in loss to the government.
O’Connor also entered into a settlement agreement to resolve the United States’ civil False Claims Act investigation. As part of that investigation, the United States alleged that O’Connor submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for four more expensive models of durable medical equipment than what he actually provided to beneficiaries: ankle foot orthoses, walking boots, knee braces, and wrist finger orthoses. O’Connor agreed to pay $898,523.08 to resolve these allegations. O’Connor paid Medicare full reimbursement in the amount of $177,321.58 and Medicaid full reimbursement in the amount of $172,631.70. Separately, O’Connor agreed to exclude himself as a provider of services in all federal health care programs.
Because a private citizen, known as a relator, filed a qui tam, or whistleblower, lawsuit raising the civil allegations, O’Connor paid the relator’s law firm an additional $51,476.92 in fees. The relator also received $224,630.77 (25%) of the nearly $900,000 recovery pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Those provisions permit private individuals with knowledge of wrongdoing to bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery.
O’Connor was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. O’Connor was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and he was ordered to make $349,953.28 in restitution to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Judge Reade found the crime involved at least 3,375 upcoded claims for durable medical equipment between 2011 and 2015. Judge Reade found O’Connor’s criminal conduct was sophisticated, and he in fact passed a 2013 audit. Judge Reade observed “cheating the government is serious,” and found the crime was one of “greed,” “deception,” and “lying.” In denying O’Connor’s request for a sentence of one-day Judge Reade noted it was a substantial aggravating factor in the case that O’Connor had cut, copied, and forged signatures of doctors.
United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan stated, “The result in this case makes clear that health care fraud does not pay. Our Office continues to encourage citizens to report fraud in government health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. This conviction and sentence demonstrate that citizen complaints are taken seriously, and absolute honesty is required during our Office’s investigation of those complaints of fraud.”
“This sentencing is an indication to others who engage in these types of illicit activities that they will be caught and they will face justice,” FBI Omaha Field Office Special Agent in Charge Randall Thysse said. “We are proud of the diligent efforts of our team that worked on this case and the close partnership and collaboration we have with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Iowa and all who assisted with this successful outcome.”
Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City Region, stated, “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, and bring to justice, healthcare providers who submit false claims for reimbursement to HHS programs.”
O’Connor was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Vavricek, and the civil matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Schunk. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the State of Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The criminal case file number is 17-CR-39. The civil case file number is 15-CV-3170-LTS.
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Uniontown Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 28 months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Kent Ramsey, age 44.
According to information presented to the court, Ramsey conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
Acting United States Attorney Song commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led the multi-agency investigation of this case. The investigation also included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fayette County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Heidi M. Grogan and Troy Rivetti prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Attorney's Office Resolves ADA Investigation of Polling Sites in Isabella County, MI to Ensure Voting Access for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan today announced that it has reached a resolution under the Americans with Disabilities Act with 11 municipalities in Isabella County, MI to ensure access for individuals with disabilities at polling places. The case was commenced under the U.S. Justice Department’s compliance review authority.
Under the terms of the resolution, 11 cities and townships within Isabella County agreed to make temporary and permanent changes to all of their polling places to make them accessible on Election Day before the next 2018 election. The participating municipalities are:
Broomfield Township,
Chippewa Township,
Coldwater Township,
Deerfield Township,
Gilmore Township,
Isabella Township,
Nottawa Township,
Sherman Township,
Union Township,
City of Clare, and
City of Mt. Pleasant.
“A vibrant democracy requires that all voices are heard. People with disabilities should not be discouraged from voting by physical obstacles at their polling place. We are pleased that so many Townships and Cities in Isabella County are making changes to their polling places to make it easier for people with disabilities to exercise their right to vote,” said Daniel L. Lemisch, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Title II of the ADA prohibits public entities, such as cities and townships, from discriminating against people with disabilities in their programs, services and activities. With respect to polling places, public entities are required to select and use polling places that are accessible. More information about this resolution and the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY), via the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov, or the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s civil rights hotline at (313) 226-9151, or email at [email protected].
U.S. Army Contracting Officer Representative Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Accepting Bribes from South Korean CompaniesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A U.S. Army contracting officer representative who admitted taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from South Korean contractors in return for approving fraudulent invoices was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison.
Marcus D. Flowers, 51, of Enterprise, Alabama, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson. In addition to the prison term, Judge Anderson ordered Flowers to pay $351,043 in restitution to the United States Army.
Flowers pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Flowers, who worked as a contracting officer representative for the United States Army, was responsible for approving invoices related to the installation of closed circuit televisions at U.S. military installations in the Republic of Korea after verifying the completion of work by contractors. According to court documents, Flowers accepted $351,043 in cash over the course of four years in return for approving payments despite the fact that some contractors never installed the CCTVs, or they installed inferior CCTV models than those required by the contracts.
“This case presents an extreme example of pervasive corruption,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court. “For at least four years, [Flowers] essentially engaged in a business of betraying his country and dispensing government money in return for cash. The scope was massive, cheating taxpayers out of millions of dollars and reaping [Flowers] the benefit of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
As part of his plea, Flowers has agreed to forfeit to the government any remaining proceeds of the bribery scheme, which includes real estate purchased in the Philippines.
Prior to surrendering to U.S. authorities late last spring, Flowers was convicted of offenses related to the bribery scheme in a South Korean court and he served approximately 10 months in prison there.
Flowers was permitted to begin serving his prison term on June 25, 2018 so that he may receive medical treatment for a serious health condition.
The federal case that led to Flowers’ arrest and subsequent plea resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, which received assistance from South Korean authorities.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel O’Brien of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Galatzan of the Asset Forfeiture Section is assisting in the case.
Two defendants sentenced to federal prison for gun crimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two defendants were sentenced to federal prison today on gun charges, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Edward William Blake, Jr., 52, of Belle in Kanawha County, was sentenced to a year and nine months in federal prison, having previously pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. In a separate prosecution, Carlos Lamont Gray, 26, of Detroit, was sentenced to a year and a half in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Blake admitted that on April 18, 2016, officers responded to a domestic violence call at his residence in Belle. The encounter resulted in Blake’s arrest and in his wife being taken to the hospital. When officers returned later that evening with his wife, she informed them that Blake had a gun in the home that he had hidden prior to their arrival earlier in the day. The wife took the officers into the master bedroom and opened a drawer in a small nightstand beside the bed where officers located a Bryco Arms 9mm pistol. Blake was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of two prior misdemeanor domestic battery convictions in Nicholas County Magistrate Court.
In a separate prosecution, Gray admitted that on February 20, 2017, he and another individual traded a Ruger .223 caliber rifle for a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun at Bridgeport Equipment in Charleston. Gray also admitted that on March 9, 2017, he was pulled over on Nancy Street in Charleston and officers found the loaded Smith & Wesson handgun on his person. Gray was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of felony convictions in 2012 in Wayne County, Michigan, for receiving or concealing a stolen vehicle and fleeing a police officer.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation of Blake. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is in charge of Blake’s prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
The investigation of Gray was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is in charge of Gray’s prosecution. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.
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Two Cartel Members Sentenced to Life Prison Terms in Slaying of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and Attempted Murder of ICE Special Agent Victor AvilaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two Mexican nationals were sentenced today to two terms of life in prison for the murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, and related offenses in the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE HSI Special Agent Victor Avila on Feb. 15, 2011, in Mexico.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division Stephen E. Richardson and Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of ICE made the announcement.
The defendants, Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, aka Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua, aka “Zafado,” 36, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Jesus Ivan Quezada Piña, aka “Loco,” 29, of Matamoros, Mexico, are among seven Mexican nationals who were extradited to the United States on federal charges in this case. They were found guilty by a jury on July 27, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth.
“HSI Special Agents Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila were in Mexico to protect and serve our country when they were ambushed by these ruthless criminals, who will now spend the rest of their lives in a prison cell,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “This case serves as a reminder, that if you harm a U.S. agent, the U.S. government will pursue you to the ends of the earth to ensure that you are brought to justice.”
“Special Agents Zapata and Avila dedicated themselves to federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “While working on behalf of our country, they were ruthlessly gunned down in a carjacking attempt by members of hit squads for the Los Zetas drug cartel. We have never forgotten what happened to these two American heroes in that ambush on a Mexican highway more than six years ago. The sentencings this week reflect our determination to protect U.S. officials abroad and bring to justice those who do them harm.”
“This week’s sentencings for those responsible for the murder of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of Special Agent Victor Avila are the closure and justice we have been working toward since we began our investigation” said Assistant FBI Director Richardson. “Any attack against a federal agent serving his or her country is deeply personal for us and investigating those attacks remain a top priority for the FBI. I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners and our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia for their tireless work to bring this case to a successful conclusion and secure these sentences.”
“The sentences handed down today should serve as a powerful message to drug cartels and other transnational criminal organizations that there is no escape from justice, and that we will not rest until they have been held accountable for their crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” said ICE Acting Director Homan. “We remain grateful to the government of Mexico, the Department of Justice, and all our partners involved in sending these murderers to prison. The men and women of ICE will not forget the example of bravery and sacrifice set by Special Agent Zapata as we work to eradicate these criminal networks across the globe.”
Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were found guilty of four federal offenses: murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an internationally protected person; and using, carrying and brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death. The verdicts followed a trial that began July 10, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, during which the government presented testimony from 22 witnesses, including Special Agent Avila.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were members of two Los Zetas hit squads, or “estacas,” and were on a mission on the day of the shootings to steal vehicles for use in the cartel’s operations. On the afternoon of Feb. 15, 2011, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were among a group of cartel members who targeted an armored Chevrolet Suburban bearing diplomatic plates and driven by the special agents on a busy highway south of San Luis Potosi. Special Agent Zapata and Special Agent Avila were on official business, heading southbound to Mexico City, when the attack took place. During the ambush, the cartel members fired at and into the agents’ vehicle with handguns and semiautomatic assault weapons, including AK-47 and AR-15 type assault rifles. Special Agent Zapata, 32, was fatally shot, and Special Agent Avila, then 38, was wounded. Investigators later found approximately 90 shell casings at the scene, according to the trial evidence.
Five other defendants previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in this case and are to be sentenced tomorrow. Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, aka “Catracho,” 29; Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, aka “Cacho,” 35; Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka “Piolin,” 36; and Alfredo Gaston Mendoza Hernandez, aka “Camaron,” 34, pleaded guilty to federal murder and attempted murder charges between August 2011 and October 2016. The fifth defendant, Francisco Carbajal Flores, aka “Dalmata,” 42, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE HSI agents. All of the defendants are Mexican nationals, with the exception of Venegas Rivera, who is from Honduras.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Marshals Service. The Government of Mexico provided substantial assistance throughout the investigative and prosecution phases of the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. DiLorenzo and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys David Karpel and Karen Seifert of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. Former Assistant Deputy Chief Andrea Goldbarg of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office also served as members of the prosecution team at earlier stages of the litigation. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has provided substantial assistance.
Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones, Paralegal Specialist Mac Caille Petursson, and Intern Jake Yelin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Paralegal Specialist Alejandra Arias of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.
Two Cartel Members Sentenced to Life Prison Terms in Slaying of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and Attempted Murder of ICE Special Agent Victor AvilaRead the Press Release
Two Mexican nationals were sentenced today to two terms of life in prison for the murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, and related offenses in the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE HSI Special Agent Victor Avila on Feb. 15, 2011, in Mexico.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia, Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division Stephen E. Richardson and Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of ICE made the announcement.
The defendants, Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, aka Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua, aka “Zafado,” 36, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Jesus Ivan Quezada Piña, aka “Loco,” 29, of Matamoros, Mexico, are among seven Mexican nationals who were extradited to the United States on federal charges in this case. They were found guilty by a jury on July 27, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and sentenced by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth.
“HSI Special Agents Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila were in Mexico to protect and serve our country when they were ambushed by these ruthless criminals, who will now spend the rest of their lives in a prison cell,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “This case serves as a reminder, that if you harm a U.S. agent, the U.S. government will pursue you to the ends of the earth to ensure that you are brought to justice.”
“Special Agents Zapata and Avila dedicated themselves to federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “While working on behalf of our country, they were ruthlessly gunned down in a carjacking attempt by members of hit squads for the Los Zetas drug cartel. We have never forgotten what happened to these two American heroes in that ambush on a Mexican highway more than six years ago. The sentencings this week reflect our determination to protect U.S. officials abroad and bring to justice those who do them harm.”
“This week’s sentencings for those responsible for the murder of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of Special Agent Victor Avila are the closure and justice we have been working toward since we began our investigation” said Assistant FBI Director Richardson. “Any attack against a federal agent serving his or her country is deeply personal for us and investigating those attacks remain a top priority for the FBI. I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners and our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia for their tireless work to bring this case to a successful conclusion and secure these sentences.”
“The sentences handed down today should serve as a powerful message to drug cartels and other transnational criminal organizations that there is no escape from justice, and that we will not rest until they have been held accountable for their crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” said ICE Acting Director Homan. “We remain grateful to the government of Mexico, the Department of Justice, and all our partners involved in sending these murderers to prison. The men and women of ICE will not forget the example of bravery and sacrifice set by Special Agent Zapata as we work to eradicate these criminal networks across the globe.”
Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were found guilty of four federal offenses: murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an internationally protected person; and using, carrying and brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death. The verdicts followed a trial that began July 10, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, during which the government presented testimony from 22 witnesses, including Special Agent Avila.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were members of two Los Zetas hit squads, or “estacas,” and were on a mission on the day of the shootings to steal vehicles for use in the cartel’s operations. On the afternoon of Feb. 15, 2011, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were among a group of cartel members who targeted an armored Chevrolet Suburban bearing diplomatic plates and driven by the special agents on a busy highway south of San Luis Potosi. Special Agent Zapata and Special Agent Avila were on official business, heading southbound to Mexico City, when the attack took place. During the ambush, the cartel members fired at and into the agents’ vehicle with handguns and semiautomatic assault weapons, including AK-47 and AR-15 type assault rifles. Special Agent Zapata, 32, was fatally shot, and Special Agent Avila, then 38, was wounded. Investigators later found approximately 90 shell casings at the scene, according to the trial evidence.
Five other defendants previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in this case and are to be sentenced tomorrow. Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, aka “Catracho,” 29; Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, aka “Cacho,” 35; Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka “Piolin,” 36; and Alfredo Gaston Mendoza Hernandez, aka “Camaron,” 34, pleaded guilty to federal murder and attempted murder charges between August 2011 and October 2016. The fifth defendant, Francisco Carbajal Flores, aka “Dalmata,” 42, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE HSI agents. All of the defendants are Mexican nationals, with the exception of Venegas Rivera, who is from Honduras.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Marshals Service. The Government of Mexico provided substantial assistance throughout the investigative and prosecution phases of the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. DiLorenzo and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys David Karpel and Karen Seifert of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. Former Assistant Deputy Chief Andrea Goldbarg of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office also served as members of the prosecution team at earlier stages of the litigation. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has provided substantial assistance.
Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones, Paralegal Specialist Mac Caille Petursson, and Intern Jake Yelin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Paralegal Specialist Alejandra Arias of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.
Two Associates of La Cosa Nostra Plead Guilty to Extortion-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Two associates of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime family pleaded guilty today to extortion-related charges.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb for the District of Massachusetts; Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw of the of the FBI Boston Division and Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today.
Ralph Santaniello, 50, and Giovanni Calabrese, 54, both of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, each pleaded guilty to two counts of Interference with Commerce by Threats or Violence and two counts of Using Extortionate Means to Collect an Extension of Credit. Santaniello and Calabrese are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 29, 2018 and Jan. 30, 2018, respectively, before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman. Santaniello and Calabrese were arrested and charged in August 2016 along with three other associates, Gerald Daniele, Francesco Depergola, and Richard Valentini.
According to the indictment, in conducting their illegal activities, Santaniello and Calabrese used violence and, exploiting what the victims believed to be their relationship with the Genovese La Cosa Nostra Crime Family, implied threats of physical violence and death to instill fear in their victims.
In 2013, Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola, and Valentini allegedly attempted to extort money from a Springfield businessman. Santaniello assaulted the businessman and threatened to cut off his head and bury his body if he did not pay. Over a period of four months, the businessman paid $20,000 to Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola, and Valentini to protect himself and his business.
In 2015, a Springfield resident took a gambling loan in the amount of $3,700 from an indicted co-conspirator. During a six-month period, the man was threatened that if he did not make payments, the total amount of the loan increased to $5,000 without notice or justification. Santaniello and Calabrese assisted the co-conspirator in the collection of the loan.
Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Kevin O’Regan, Chief of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Associates of La Cosa Nostra Plead Guilty to Extortion-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two associates of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime family pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to extortion-related charges.
Ralph Santaniello, 50, and Giovanni Calabrese, 54, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence; one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence – aiding and abetting; one count of conspiracy to use extortionate means to collect extensions of credit; and one count of using extortionate means to collect extensions of credit – aiding and abetting. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled their sentencings for Jan. 29, 2018, and Jan 30, 2018, respectively. Santaniello and Calabrese were arrested and charged in August 2016 along with three other associates, Gerald Daniele, Francesco Depergola and Richard Valentini.
Santaniello and Calabrese, along with their alleged co-defendants, were associates of the New York-based Genovese LCN crime family and engaged in various criminal activities in Springfield, Mass., including loansharking and extortion from legitimate and illegitimate businesses, such as illegal gambling businesses and the collection of unlawful debts. The defendants allegedly used violence, exploited their relationship with LCN, and implied threats of murder and physical violence to instill fear in their victims.
In 2013, Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini allegedly attempted to extort money from a Springfield businessman. Santaniello assaulted the businessman and threatened to cut off his head and bury his body if he did not comply. Over a period of four months, the businessman paid $20,000 to Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini to protect himself and his business.
In addition, during a six-month period in 2015, it is alleged that Daniele extended two extortionate and usurious loans to an individual, and then, along with Santaniello and Calabrese, threatened the individual if he did not make payments on the loans.
Each charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb; Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni; and Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Kevin O’Regan, Chief of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office, and Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Men Sentenced in Connection with Online Sales of Stolen Razor BladesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three Boston-area residents, including a former Gillette employee, were sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with the online sales of stolen Gillette razor blades.
Joseph Evangelista, 63, of Lowell; Robert A. Liberatore, 52, of Wakefield; and Mark S. Girardin, 44, of Randolph, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to three years of probation. Liberatore must spend the first six months of his probation on home confinement and Evangelista must abide by a curfew for six months, both subject to electronic monitoring. Girardin must spend the first six months of his probation in a community confinement center and the second six months on home confinement, also subject to electronic monitoring. In addition, Liberatore and Girardin were each ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $116,028 to the IRS, and Evangelista was ordered to pay restitution of $56,023 to Gillette. In August 2017, Evangelista pleaded guilty to one count of causing the interstate transportation of stolen property, and Liberatore and Girardin each pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns.
Evangelista, a former employee of Gillette, stole razor blades from the Gillette manufacturing plant in South Boston and delivered the stolen goods to Liberatore and Girardin, who operated an online business called Cambridge Dedicated Services, through which they sold various items on eBay, including Gillette razor blades. Liberatore and Girardin failed to report income generated through Cambridge Dedicated Services on their annual federal tax returns.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra S. Bower and Christine Wichers of Weinreb’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Somerset Men Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jason Whitis, 41, Robbie Neal Whitis, 34, and Joshua Kelley Pyles, 33, each of Somerset, Ky., were sentenced today, by Senior United States District Judge Joseph M. Hood, for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Robbie Whitis and Pyles were also sentenced for possessing a firearm in furtherance of the methamphetamine conspiracy. Jason Whitis was sentenced to 200 months in prison; Robbie Whitis was sentenced to 75 months; and Pyles was sentenced to 120 months.
Jason Whitis and Robbie Whitis previously pleaded guilty, on August 7, 2017, and admitted that they conspired with each other and Pyles to distribute approximately 220 grams of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was intended for distribution in the Somerset area. The methamphetamine was discovered during a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by all three defendants, in Fayette County, on April 26, 2017. During the traffic stop, Robbie Whitis and Pyles were each found in possession of a firearm. Robbie Whitis then admitted that he possessed the firearm for protection, in furtherance of the drug crime. Pyles was found guilty after a jury trial, in August of this year.
Under federal law, all three men must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Following their release, they will then be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Timothy J. Plancon, DEA Special Agent in Charge; and Richard Sanders, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert M. Duncan, Jr., and Lauren Tanner Bradley.
Seattle Area Man Convicted of Multiple Counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, Sex Trafficking of a Minor, and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 51 year-old Seattle-area man was convicted of 17 federal felonies today in the U.S. District Court in Seattle for his scheme to recruit young women and girls and force them to engage in prostitution, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington, and Special Agent in Charge Jay S. Tabb, Jr. of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office.
David D. Delay was convicted following a ten-day jury trial. The jury deliberated approximately 90 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on the following counts: conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion; three counts of sex trafficking adults through force, fraud, and coercion; two counts of attempted sex trafficking of a juvenile through force, fraud, and coercion; one count of attempted sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy to transport females for prostitution and six counts of transporting individual victims for prostitution; two counts of production of child pornography; and one count of obstruction of and interference with a sex trafficking investigation.
According to evidence presented in court, including the testimony of seven victims, the defendant targeted vulnerable teenagers and young women in their early 20s on the internet, enticing them to travel to Seattle with false promises of fame and fortune and a starring role in a purported HBO documentary that he claimed to be producing and filming. In order to convince the victims that his assertions were true, Delay sent them falsified bank account screenshots supposedly depicting the profits of his other films, a photograph of himself outside of an HBO office, and seemingly official, binding contracts that he asked them to sign. An HBO representative testified that the company did not have any business dealings with Delay.
Once the victims arrived in Seattle, the defendant coerced them to engage in prostitution for his profit. He manipulated them emotionally and psychologically, isolated them, established their complete dependency on him, and in some instances threatened legal action, falsely claiming that the victims had violated the terms of their contracts and were subject to civil lawsuits. In furtherance of his sex trafficking scheme, the defendant also enticed two minor victims to produce graphic pornographic photographs and videos for him, and in one instance threatened to release sexually explicit video images of a victim unless she complied with his demands.
“This defendant preyed on vulnerable teenagers and young women, exploiting them for his own profit and sexual gratification, with no regard for their humanity,” said Acting Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue sex traffickers and hold them accountable for their horrific crimes.”
“I commend the victims who courageously took the witness stand and described some of the darkest moments in their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington. “It was their testimony coupled with the other evidence in this case that demonstrated for all to see that the defendant’s outrageous actions were nothing less than criminal.”
Defendant Delay’s sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 2, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Co-defendant Marysa Comer, 22, of Matthews, North Carolina, previously pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2015, to one count of sex trafficking conspiracy for her role in defendant Delay’s scheme. She faces up to life in prison at her sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 1, 2017.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office and the Redmond Police Department, along with assistance from the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaverton, Oregon Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham and Trial Attorney Matthew Grady of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Seattle Area Man Convicted of 17 Federal Felonies for Scheme to Exploit Young Women and Juveniles in ProstitutionRead the Press Release
A 51 year-old Seattle-area man was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of 17 federal felonies for his scheme to recruit young women and girls, and force them to engage in prostitution, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes, Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jay S. Tabb, Jr. of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office.
DAVID D. DELAY was convicted following a ten-day jury trial. The jury deliberated approximately 90 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on the following counts: conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion; three counts of sex trafficking adults through force, fraud, and coercion; two counts of attempted sex trafficking of a juvenile through force, fraud, and coercion; one count of attempted sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy to transport females for prostitution and six counts of transporting individual victims for prostitution; two counts of production of child pornography; and one count of obstruction of and interference with a sex trafficking investigation.
According to evidence presented in court, including the testimony of seven victims, the defendant targeted vulnerable teenagers and young women in their early 20s on the internet, enticing them to travel to Seattle with false promises of fame and fortune, and a starring role in a purported HBO documentary that he claimed to be producing and filming. In order to convince the victims that his assertions were true, DELAY sent them falsified bank account screenshots supposedly depicting the profits of his other films, a photograph of himself outside of an HBO office, and seemingly official, binding contracts that he asked them to sign. An HBO representative testified that the company did not have any business dealings with DELAY.
Once the victims arrived in Seattle, the defendant coerced them to engage in prostitution for his profit. He manipulated them emotionally and psychologically, isolated them, established their complete dependency on him, and in some instances threatened legal action, falsely claiming that the victims had violated the terms of their contracts and were subject to civil lawsuits. In furtherance of his sex trafficking scheme, the defendant also enticed two minor victims to produce graphic pornographic photographs and videos for him, and in one instance threatened to release sexually explicit video images of a victim unless she complied with his demands.
“I commend the victims who courageously took the witness stand and described some of the darkest moments in their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “It was their testimony coupled with the other evidence in this case that demonstrated for all to see that the defendant’s outrageous actions were nothing less than criminal.”
“This defendant preyed on vulnerable teenagers and young women, exploiting them for his own profit and sexual gratification, with no regard for their humanity,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue sex traffickers and hold them accountable for their horrific crimes.”
Defendant DELAY’s sentencing has been scheduled for February 2, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Co-defendant Marysa Comer, 22, of Matthew, North Carolina, previously pleaded guilty on November 16, 2015, to one count of sex trafficking conspiracy for her role in defendant DELAY’s scheme. She faces up to life in prison at her sentencing, which is scheduled for December 1, 2017.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office and the Redmond Police Department, along with assistance from the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, the Beaverton, Oregon Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham and Trial Attorney Matthew Grady of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Romanian Sentenced for Role in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Nicolae Sarbu, of Romania, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced to 25 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the Bank of America in the amount of $183,120.54. In addition, co-defendant Marinela Unguru-Ducila, also of Romania, was sentenced to time served upon her prior plea of guilty.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that between August 2015 and November 2015, Sarbu conspired with Marinela Unguru-Ducila and others to execute a scheme to defraud Bank of America. The defendants used skimming devices and cameras on 10 occasions at automated teller machines (ATM’s) in the Buffalo and Rochester areas and in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Bank account information and personal identification numbers (PIN’s) were recorded without the true account holder’s knowledge or authorization and then used to make unauthorized withdrawals of cash from various ATM’s in the Western District of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. A skimmer is a device used unlawfully to record bank account information from a customer’s debit card when the card is inserted into an ATM. Defendant Sarbu also encoded the bank account information obtained by the skimmers onto magnetic strips on blank plastic cards and gift cards. Unguru-Ducila was present with Sarbu when he installed skimmers at multiple banks in North Tonawanda, NY and West Seneca, NY and failed to notify authorities about this felony crime.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland security investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Counterfeit CoinsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today Timothy Meacham, 32, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit coins before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in May 2017, Meacham posted an ad on Craigslist advertising the sale of two genuine United States gold collector coins. The defendant used a false name and concealed his phone number in the ad in order to hide his true identity. The victim, a Pennsylvania man, contacted Meacham and traveled to Rochester on May 15, 2017, at which time he purchased the counterfeit coins for $5,000.00 cash. As part of the fraud, the defendant falsely represented that the coins were authentic and had been passed to Meacham from his deceased grandfather. The defendant also falsely represented that he needed to sell the coins in order to pay for funeral expenses related to the unexpected death of a family member. Upon his return to Pennsylvania, the victim discovered that the coins were counterfeit and contacted the United States Secret Service in Rochester which began an investigation leading to the arrest of Meacham.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Lewis Robinson.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2018, before Judge Wolford.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Violating Federal Drug and Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Kevin Scott was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Scott, age 22, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Nora Barry Fischer. Judge Fischer ordered that Scott serve four years of supervised release after he is released from prison.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rachael L. Dizard and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police led the multi-agency investigation of this case that also included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Scott Township Police Department, the Munhall Police Department, the Baldwin Police Department, and the Pleasant Hills Police Department. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Phelps County Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Assisted Living CenterRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Denise Rea Barner was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 15 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for fraudulently using her employer’s debit card for personal gain. Barner was further ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $125,576.80.
According to court documents, from July 1991 to February 25, 2016, Barner was an employee of the Robert L. Kyle Center Home for Semi-Independent Living Inc. She was named as a “Director” of the Kyle Center in about November of 2004 and her duties included general accounting.
Beginning in about November 2007 and ending in February 2016, Barner falsely and fraudulently used the Kyle Center debit cards to make unauthorized personal purchases and ATM withdrawals. The Kyle Center sustained a loss of between $95,000.00 and $150,000.00.
Barner, 54, Rolla, Missouri, pled guilty in July to one felony count of access device fraud and appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel.
Access device fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by the Rolla Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Roy handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Pensacola Tax Preparer Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher Jacob Rankins, 33, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced on Friday to serve 18 months in prison after pleading guilty on June 16, 2017, to twelve counts of aiding or assisting others in the preparation of false tax returns. In addition, Rankins was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $356,172. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Documents introduced at the time of the guilty plea reflect that, between January 1, 2011, and May 8, 2012, while working as a tax preparer at American Tax Service in Pensacola, Florida, Rankins aided, assisted, counseled, and advised others in the preparation and presentation of fraudulent and false tax returns. The tax returns prepared by Rankins falsely represented the taxpayers’ business expenses and falsely claimed educational credits which resulted in taxpayers receiving approximately $356,172 in refunds and credits that the taxpayers were not entitled to receive.
The case resulted from the investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.
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.
Pawtucket Resident Detained on ID Theft, Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket resident is detained in federal custody on charges he allegedly used stolen identities and falsified documents to open bank accounts and to secure bank financing for the lease or purchase of at least four new vehicles. Three of the vehicles allegedly ended up in the possession of the alleged leader of a fentanyl and cocaine distribution organization responsible for the distribution of hundreds of kilograms of the drugs in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Donald Wicklund, 32, of Pawtucket, R.I., was arraigned today and ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on an indictment charging him with five counts of aggravated identity theft, five counts of fraudulent use of a social security number, three counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of wire fraud.
The indictment and arraignment of Donald Wicklund are announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Brian Deck, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the U.S. Secret Service; and Scott E. Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations.
According to court documents and information provided to the court, it is alleged that between March 31 and May 24, 2017, Wicklund used stolen personal identifying information of others, including social security numbers belonging to at least two minor children, and fraudulent documents and addresses, to secure funding for the purchase or lease of new vehicles in Johnston, Warwick and Lincoln, R.I., and in Foxboro, Mass.
According to information provided to the court, three of the vehicles secured by Wicklund were later identified by law enforcement as having been in the possession or control of Ramon Delossantos, 24, of Cumberland, RI. In court papers, Delossantos has been identified as the alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont. The drug trafficking operation was recently broken up by law enforcement during “Operation Panamera.” To date, at least 25 individuals, including Delossantos, have been arrested and ordered detained in federal custody.
According to court documents, Wicklund allegedly used stolen identities, fraudulent documents and fraudulent addresses to purchase or lease two new cars, a new pick-up truck and a three-wheel motorcycle. One of the cars, the pick-up truck and the motorcycle were later identified by law enforcement as being in the possession or control of Delossantos. The motorcycle was later shipped to the Dominican Republic. One of the cars allegedly purchased by Wicklund was later found to be registered in Texas.
It is also alleged in court documents that Wicklund used stolen personal identifying information and fraudulent documents to obtain a bank account and debit card at a Rhode Island credit Union.
According to court documents, Wicklund’s alleged criminal conduct first came to law enforcement’s attention during an investigation of Reynaldo Martinez, 25 of Central Falls. On August 15, 2017, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Martinez with four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of access fraud, and one count each of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, attempted access fraud and interstate transportation of stolen goods. It is alleged that Martinez participated in a conspiracy to use stolen personal identifying information to open or attempt to open retail store credit cards and lines of credits used to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of goods and services in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Martinez is currently detained in federal custody and is awaiting trial.
An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The cases against Donald Wicklund and Reynaldo Martinez are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
Donald Wicklund’s alleged criminal activity was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General/Office of Investigations.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch thanks the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Rhode Island State Police, and the Warwick, Providence and Pawtucket Police Departments for their assistance in the investigation of this case.
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Owner of Florida Pharmacy Pleads Guilty in $100 Million Compounding Pharmacy Fraud Scheme; Real Properties, Cars and a 50-Foot Boat Will Be ForfeitedRead the Press Release
The president and owner of a Florida pharmacy that was at the center of a massive compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, which impacted private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE, pleaded guilty today for his role in the scheme. Seven other individuals have previously pleaded guilty in connection to the scheme. Various real properties, cars and a 50-foot boat will be forfeited as part of the guilty pleas.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Resident Agent in Charge Brooke Harris of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Tampa Regional Office made the announcement.
Nicholas A. Borgesano Jr., 45, of New Port Richey, Florida, the president and owner of A to Z Pharmacy of New Port Richey, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. His sentencing will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr of the Middle District of Florida.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Borgesano owned and operated numerous pharmacies and shell companies that he and his co-conspirators used to execute a fraud scheme involving prescription compounded medications. The scheme generated over $100 million in fraud proceeds, he admitted. Borgesano acquired and controlled A to Z Pharmacy in New Port Richey, Havana Pharmacy, Medplus/New Life Pharmacy and Metropolitan Pharmacy, all of Miami; and Jaimy Pharmacy and Prestige Pharmacy, both of Hialeah, Florida. He admitted using these pharmacies to cause the submission of false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for prescription compounded medications, chiefly pain creams and scar creams, to private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE. Borgesano admitted that he and his co-conspirators manipulated billing codes in the reimbursement claims and submitted reimbursement claims for pharmaceutical ingredients they did not have. Borgesano and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescriptions and patient identifying information used to further the scheme, including to a physician in exchange for the physician signing prescriptions for patients he never saw. Borgesano admitted using A to Z Pharmacy as the hub of his operation on behalf of all his pharmacies. He disbursed proceeds of the fraud scheme through a variety of methods, including by check and wire transfer to co-conspirators’ shell companies and through the purchase of assets, he admitted.
In addition to Borgesano, the following defendants have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in the scheme:
- Bradley Sirkin, 55, of Boca Raton, Florida;
- Scott P. Piccininni, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
- Edwin Patrick Young, 49, of New Port Richey, Florida;
- Wayne M. Kreisberg, 40, of Parkland, Florida;
- Matthew N. Sterner, 48, of New Port Richey, Florida;
- Peter B. Williams, 57, of New Port Richey, Florida; and
- Joseph Degregorio, 71, of New Port Richey, Florida
The cars that will be forfeited include a 1936 Ford Deluxe, a 1964 Chevrolet Corvette convertible, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a 2008 Lamborghini convertible. The boat that will be forfeited is a 2009 50’7” Cigarette racing boat. The cars and boat had previously been seized. The combined equity in the real properties, cars and boat that will be forfeited is over $7.6 million. The real properties, cars and boat had been purchased with proceeds from the fraud scheme.
This case was investigated by the FBI with support from HHS-OIG and DCIS 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. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Christopher J. Hunter and Trial Attorney Timothy P. Loper of the Fraud Section.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
Owner of Newark, New Jersey, Political Fundraising and Consulting Company Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark woman today admitted evading taxes while operating her political fundraising and consulting business in 2015, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Linda O. Jumah, 35, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark federal court to an information charging her with one count of tax evasion. She was released on $75,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
As owner of Elite Strategies LLC, Jumah intentionally under-reported income that she received from the business for tax year 2015 by filing a false federal personal income tax return. Jumah admitted that after sharing proceeds with a business partner, she under-reported $121,941 in income for the 2015 tax year, resulting in a tax loss of $39,633.
The tax evasion charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2018.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen; the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacques S. Pierre and Jihee G. Suh of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Robert G. Stahl Esq., Westfield, New Jersey.
Owner of Florida Pharmacy Pleads Guilty in $100 Million Compounding Pharmacy Fraud Scheme; Real Properties, Cars and A 50-Foot Boat Will Be ForfeitedRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – The president and owner of a Florida pharmacy that was at the center of a massive compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, which impacted private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE, pleaded guilty today for his role in the scheme. Seven other individuals have previously pleaded guilty in connection to the scheme. Various real properties, cars and a 50-foot boat will be forfeited as part of the guilty pleas.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Resident Agent in Charge Brooke Harris of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Tampa Regional Office made the announcement.
Nicholas A. Borgesano Jr., 45, of New Port Richey, Florida, the president and owner of A to Z Pharmacy of New Port Richey, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. His sentencing will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr of the Middle District of Florida.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Borgesano owned and operated numerous pharmacies and shell companies that he and his co-conspirators used to execute a fraud scheme involving prescription compounded medications. The scheme generated over $100 million in fraud proceeds, he admitted. Borgesano acquired and controlled A to Z Pharmacy in New Port Richey, Havana Pharmacy, Medplus/New Life Pharmacy and Metropolitan Pharmacy, all of Miami; and Jaimy Pharmacy and Prestige Pharmacy, both of Hialeah, Florida. He admitted using these pharmacies to cause the submission of false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for prescription compounded medications, chiefly pain creams and scar creams, to private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE. Borgesano admitted that he and his co-conspirators manipulated billing codes in the reimbursement claims and submitted reimbursement claims for pharmaceutical ingredients they did not have. Borgesano and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescriptions and patient identifying information used to further the scheme, including to a physician in exchange for the physician signing prescriptions for patients he never saw. Borgesano admitted using A to Z Pharmacy as the hub of his operation on behalf of all his pharmacies. He disbursed proceeds of the fraud scheme through a variety of methods, including by check and wire transfer to co-conspirators’ shell companies and through the purchase of assets, he admitted.
In addition to Borgesano, the following defendants have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in the scheme:
- Bradley Sirkin, 55, of Boca Raton, Florida;
- Scott P. Piccininni, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
- Edwin Patrick Young, 49, of New Port Richey, Florida;
- Wayne M. Kreisberg, 40, of Parkland, Florida;
- Matthew N. Sterner, 48, of New Port Richey, Florida;
- Peter B. Williams, 57, of New Port Richey, Florida; and
- Joseph Degregorio, 71, of New Port Richey, Florida
The cars that will be forfeited include a 1936 Ford Deluxe, a 1964 Chevrolet Corvette convertible, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a 2008 Lamborghini convertible. The boat that will be forfeited is a 2009 50’7” Cigarette racing boat. The cars and boat had previously been seized. The combined equity in the real properties, cars and boat that will be forfeited is over $7.6 million. The real properties, cars and boat had been purchased with proceeds from the fraud scheme.
This case was investigated by the FBI with support from HHS-OIG and DCIS 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. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Christopher J. Hunter and Trial Attorney Timothy P. Loper of the Fraud Section.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
Norridgewock Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Ammunition ChargesRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Vance Cayford, 46, of Norridgewock, Maine pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of ammunition and attempted possession of a firearm.
According to court records, on May 29, 2016, police officers went to the defendant’s Norridgewock residence to investigate a domestic disturbance. Soon after they arrived, the defendant ran towards one of the officers and attempted unsuccessfully to take the officer’s rifle. During a search of Cayford’s residence, officers recovered 92 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition. The defendant was prohibited from possessing ammunition and firearms because of previous Maine felony convictions for domestic violence assault and illegal possession of a firearm.
Cayford faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
New York Man Admits Role in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man today admitted his role in an extensive scheme to obtain money through fraudulently obtained refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Hector Urena pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count each of conspiracy to steal government funds, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft (Count Three).
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) is a common type of fraud committed against the United States government that involves the use of stolen identities to commit tax refund fraud. SIRF schemes generally share a number of hallmarks. Perpetrators obtain personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, from unwitting individuals, who often reside in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. They then complete Form 1040 tax returns using the fraudulently obtained information and falsifying wages earned, taxes withheld, and other data, always ensuring that the fraudulent tax return generates a refund. They direct the U.S. Treasury Department to mail refund checks to locations that the perpetrators control or can access. With the fraudulently obtained refund checks in hand, SIRF perpetrators generate cash proceeds by depositing the checks into bank accounts that they control or cashing the checks at check cashing businesses.
The investigation revealed that Urena and others participated in a classic SIRF scheme. Urena’s conspirators obtained stolen identities to file fraudulent Form 1040s. He and his conspirators then used false and fraudulent documents to convert treasury checks into cash or other proceeds for their own profit at a check cashing business Urena owned. From August 2013 through May 2015, the scheme caused more than $2.7 million in losses to the U.S. Treasury.
The counts of conspiracy to steal government funds is punishable by up to five years in prison. The count of theft of government funds is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Both counts are also punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss caused by the offense. The count of aggravated identity theft is punishable a statutory mandatory prison sentence of two years that must be served consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed for the violation of any other count. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2018.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Joseph W. Cronin; special agents of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Monica Weyler; and special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt; with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: James Kousouros Esq., New York
Nassau County Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography Using Hidden Bathroom CamerasRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Charles Cory Thornton (37, Yulee) has pleaded guilty to using hidden cameras in his bathroom to produce pornographic images and videos of an unsuspecting child. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on July 20, 2017, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Thornton’s residence based on suspected online child exploitation activity. When interviewed, Thornton admitted that he had been searching for child pornography online for several years, and that he was sexually attracted to children. The agents seized several cameras and other computer media from the home. Forensic analyses revealed that, from January 2007 through August 2010, Thornton produced at least 88 videos of four different children changing clothes in the bathroom of his home in Florida and the bathroom of a cabin in Virginia. Thornton surreptitiously recorded these videos using tiny cameras hidden in different spots in the bathrooms. Many of the videos captured explicit close-up footage of the children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Monongalia County woman admits to role in oxycodone distribution ringRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Amanda Gifford, 26, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to her role in an oxycodone distribution operation, United States Attorney William J. Powell announced.
Gifford pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” She admitted to using a telephone to help distribute oxycodone in March 2017 in Monongalia County.
Gifford faces up to four years incarceration and a fine of up to a $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckhannon Police Department, and the Weston Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Mission Woman Indicted on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mission, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Distribution of a Controlled Substance.
Meloni Ann Old Lodge, age 42, was indicted on October 17, 2017. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on November 2, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years in custody and/or a $1,000,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between September 1, 2015, and October 17, 2017, Old Lodge knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in South Dakota. The Indictment also alleges that Old Lodge distributed methamphetamine in Mission on February 19, 2017.
The charges are merely accusations and Old Lodge is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan is prosecuting the case.
Old Lodge was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Duane A. Evans announced that SAUL RODRIGUEZ-AVILES, age 47, pled guilty last week to a one-count Indictment charging him with illegal reentry of a removed alien previously convicted of an aggravated felony.
According to the Indictment, RODRIGUEZ-AVILES reentered the United States after he was previously deported on July 16, 2015.
RODRIGUEZ-AVILES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown set sentencing for December 28, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal Use of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ERNESTO CONTRERAS-REYES, age 42, a citizen of Mexico was charged last Friday in a one-count Indictment for illegal use of a Social Security Number in violation of 42 United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
CONTRERAS-REYES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, a fine of $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment of $100. Additionally, CONTRERAS-REYES is subject to a period of supervised release after imprisonment of up to three years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 168 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH — Carlos Cortinas, 39, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 168 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Cortinas and David Piper, Jr., 52, were convicted following a two-day jury trial in March 2017. Both defendants were convicted on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Piper was previously sentenced to 235 months in federal prison.
Co-conspirator Chadwick Hernandez, 32, pleaded guilty in February 2017 to the same offense and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison.
The government presented evidence at trial that beginning in March 2015 until January 20, 2016 Piper and Cortinas possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Evidence elicited at trial showed that methamphetamine distributors from Arlington, including Cortinas, transported multiple pounds of methamphetamine to Piper for re-distribution of methamphetamine in Bolivar, Missouri.
DEA Fort Worth investigated with the assistance of DEA’s Springfield and Tulsa offices, Arlington Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, North Richland Hills Police Department, Oklahoma DPS, and Polk County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aisha Saleem and Shawn Smith prosecuted.
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Marriage Fraud Scheme Lands Final Defendant in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Houston woman has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a marriage fraud ring between Nigerian nationals and U.S. citizens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez along with Special Agent in Charge Mark B. Dawson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston, District Director Tony Bryson of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) – District 33 and Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson of U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (OIG).
A federal jury convicted Letrishia Andrews on April 24, 2017, following a five-day trial and approximately four hours of deliberation along with Folarin H. Alabi, 35, and Justice Daniel, 42, on multiple counts to include conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, aiding/abetting marriage fraud, marriage fraud, theft of government funds and false statements.
“Obtaining citizenship through fraud threatens the integrity of our immigration system and disrespect's every person who played by the rules to achieve it,” said Dawson. “HSI special agents will continue to work with our partners to ensure that those who use criminal and immoral means to achieve the honor of becoming a United States citizen - will be brought to justice.”
Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered Andrews to serve a total of 24 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $5,629.00 to the Department of Agriculture. The ringleader - Alabi - was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison. He and Daniel are not U.S. citizens and expected to face deportation proceedings following their release. A total of 11 defendants have been convicted in two separate, but related, cases of marriage fraud in a scheme involving Nigerian nationals and U.S. citizens. The other eight had pleaded guilty for their respective roles - Nigerian citizen Ifeoma Adamolekun, 41, and U.S. citizen Charles R. Warren, 44, in the Alabi case as well as U.S. citizens Anisha Gable, 35, Anthony Andrews, 29, Shakietha Joseph, 42, and Trevor Frenney, 42; and Nigerians Michael Nathan, 38, and Hauwa Bello, 39. They were previously sentenced to terms ranging from probation to 12 months and a day in prison. All 11 defendants had resided in Houston.
A “sham” marriage is a marriage that is entered into for the primary purpose of circumventing the immigration laws. All 11 defendants conspired together in connection with a marriage fraud ring involving arranged these “sham” marriages between recruited U.S. citizens and recruited Nigerian nationals. Evidence at trial revealed Alabi would search for and recruit Nigerian nationals at nightclubs.
The defendants would pay U.S. citizens for entering into fraudulent marriages to Nigerian nationals who had originally entered the country on tourist visas. The conspirators would then complete immigration documents and falsely submit them to CIS to obtain legal permanent resident status. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants would take staged photographs of themselves as a couple for documentation of an allegedly meaningful relationship. The conspirators also coached the recruits and/or the Nigerian nationals on what to say when questioned or interviewed by law enforcement or immigration officials about the legitimate nature of the marriages.
At trial, the government presented evidence that Alabi recruited Nigerian nationals, including Daniel, to enter into “sham” marriages with U.S. citizens to deceive immigration authorities and ultimately gain lawful permanent status in the Unites States. The evidence proved Daniel did knowingly marry Andrews, a U.S. citizen, for the for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws of the United States. At the time of this conspiracy, Alabi and Daniel were citizens of Nigeria and had entered the U.S. temporarily on non-immigrant visas.
The jury also heard that Andrews submitted false SNAP applications claiming to be single, while at the same time, filing sworn immigration documents claiming to be married to Daniel.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Andrews and Daniel had marital issues but were in a legitimate marriage despite all the documents and testimony to the contrary. The jury did not believe their claims and found them guilty as charged.
HSI, and CIS - Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate conducted the joint investigation along with Department of Agriculture - OIG. The agencies work together on the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force which was established to combat these types of crimes in which fraudulent representations are made to multiple government agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Bennett and Julie Searle are prosecuting the case.
Man sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for conspiring to provide support to terrorists and soliciting the murder of a federal judgeRead the Press Release
Yahya Farooq Mohammad, 39, was sentenced today to 27 ½ years in prison for one count of conspiracy to provide and conceal material support or resources to terrorists and one count of solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Justin E. Herdman, Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott of the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan supervised the prosecution of the solicitation to commit a crime of violence charge
“As part of his conspiracy, the defendant provided thousands of dollars to Anwar Al-Awlaki in response to his calls to support violent jihad. Once detained, the defendant also solicited the murder of the federal judge presiding over his case. With this prison sentence, he is now being held accountable for his crimes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente. “The National Security Division’s highest priority is counterterrorism and we will continue to pursue justice against those who provide material support to terrorists and those who seek to harm members of our judiciary.”
“For those who wish to harm the United States and support terrorists, whether in Yemen or right here in Toledo, these decades of prison serve as an important reminder that America’s law enforcement will pursue justice across the globe,” U.S. Attorney Herdman said. “He threatened the safety of our citizens, a judge and the independent judiciary. Now he is being held accountable.”
“The FBI is pleased that this individual will be spending a lengthy sentence behind bars for his support of terrorism and a plot to commit murder,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “The FBI will continue working daily to identify and bring to justice those that want to harm the individuals that protect our country or a judge that is upholding the law.”
“Protecting the federal judiciary is our highest priority,” said U.S. Marshal Elliott. “This is an example where we were able to work with our law enforcement partners to protect a judge and bring charges against a dangerous individual.”
Mohammad is an Indian citizen who was an engineering student at Ohio State University between 2002 and 2004. He married a U.S. citizen in 2008. He and three other defendants – his brother, Ibrahim Mohammad, Asif Ahmed Salim, and Sultane Room Salim – were indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2015. The case against the remaining three defendants is pending. They have pleaded not guilty.
Mohammad admitted to conspiring with his co-defendants to travel to Yemen to provide thousands of dollars, equipment, and other assistance to Anwar Al-Awlaki, in an effort to support violent jihad against U.S. military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world. Al-Awlaki was later designated as a global terrorist in 2010 and identified as a “key leader” of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, according to court documents.
On July 22, 2009, Mohammad travelled with two associates to Yemen to meet Awlaki and deliver the $22,000 that they had raised. Although they were unable to meet Awlaki in person, Mohammad and his associates did ensure that Awlaki received the money through a courier.
In addition to pleading guilty to conspiring to provide and conceal material support to terrorists, Mohammad also admitted to soliciting an undercover FBI employee (UCE), posing as a “hitman,” to kidnap and murder U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary. In or about April 2016 – while the terrorism case was pending and assigned to Judge Zouhary – Mohammad told another inmate in the Lucas County Corrections Center in Toledo, Ohio that he wanted Zouhary kidnapped and murdered and that he was willing to pay $15,000 to have this carried out. The inmate provided Mohammad with the contact information for the UCE and stated that the UCE would need a $1,000 down payment before the murder could occur. The inmate also provided Mohammad with an agreed upon code to use when discussing the planned murder over the jail telephone.
On or about April 26, 2016, Mohammad called the UCE from the Lucas County Corrections Center. Using the agreed-upon code, Mohammad told the UCE he wanted to have Judge Zouhary killed. Mohammad agreed to provide the $1,000 down payment. When asked when he wanted the murder committed, Mohammad stated, “The sooner would be good, you know.” Over the ensuing days, Mohammad arranged to have a family member provide the $1,000 in cash to the UCE. On May 5, 2016, that family member met with the UCE and provided the UCE with $1,000 in cash. Mohammad later informed the inmate that the rest of the money for the murder was coming, according to court documents.
Mohammad will be deported from the U.S. upon completion of his sentence, under the terms of his plea agreement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Freeman and Matthew Shepherd of the Northern District of Ohio, and Trial Attorneys Gregory Gonzalez and David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, following an investigation by the FBI.
Man Sentenced to over 27 Years for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorists and Soliciting the Murder of a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
Yahya Farooq Mohammad, 39, was sentenced today to 27 ½ years in prison for one count of conspiracy to provide and conceal material support or resources to terrorists and one count of solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Justin E. Herdman, Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott of the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan supervised the prosecution of the solicitation to commit a crime of violence charge
“As part of his conspiracy, the defendant provided thousands of dollars to Anwar Al-Awlaki in response to his calls to support violent jihad. Once detained, the defendant also solicited the murder of the federal judge presiding over his case. With this prison sentence, he is now being held accountable for his crimes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente. “The National Security Division’s highest priority is counterterrorism and we will continue to pursue justice against those who provide material support to terrorists and those who seek to harm members of our judiciary.”
“For those who wish to harm the United States and support terrorists, whether in Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, or right here in Toledo, these decades of prison serve as an important reminder that America’s law enforcement will pursue justice across the globe,” U.S. Attorney Herdman said. “He threatened the safety of our citizens, a judge and the independent judiciary. Now he is being held accountable.”
“The FBI is pleased that this individual will be spending a lengthy sentence behind bars for his support of terrorism and a plot to commit murder,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “The FBI will continue working daily to identify and bring to justice those that want to harm the individuals that protect our country or a judge that is upholding the law.”
“Protecting the federal judiciary is our highest priority,” said U.S. Marshal Elliott. “This is an example where we were able to work with our law enforcement partners to protect a judge and bring charges against a dangerous individual.”
Mohammad is an Indian citizen who was an engineering student at Ohio State University between 2002 and 2004. He married a U.S. citizen in 2008. He and three other defendants – his brother, Ibrahim Mohammad, Asif Ahmed Salim, and Sultane Room Salim – were indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2015. The case against the remaining three defendants is pending. They have pleaded not guilty.
Mohammad admitted to conspiring with his co-defendants to travel to Yemen to provide thousands of dollars, equipment, and other assistance to Anwar Al-Awlaki, in an effort to support violent jihad against U.S. military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world. Al-Awlaki was later designated as a global terrorist in 2010 and identified as a “key leader” of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, according to court documents.
On July 22, 2009, Mohammad travelled with two associates to Yemen to meet Awlaki and deliver the $22,000 that they had raised. Although they were unable to meet Awlaki in person, Mohammad and his associates did ensure that Awlaki received the money through a courier.
In addition to pleading guilty to conspiring to provide and conceal material support to terrorists, Mohammad also admitted to soliciting an undercover FBI employee (UCE), posing as a “hitman,” to kidnap and murder U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary. In or about April 2016 – while the terrorism case was pending and assigned to Judge Zouhary – Mohammad told another inmate in the Lucas County Corrections Center in Toledo, Ohio that he wanted Zouhary kidnapped and murdered and that he was willing to pay $15,000 to have this carried out. The inmate provided Mohammad with the contact information for the UCE and stated that the UCE would need a $1,000 down payment before the murder could occur. The inmate also provided Mohammad with an agreed upon code to use when discussing the planned murder over the jail telephone.
On or about April 26, 2016, Mohammad called the UCE from the Lucas County Corrections Center. Using the agreed-upon code, Mohammad told the UCE he wanted to have Judge Zouhary killed. Mohammad agreed to provide the $1,000 down payment. When asked when he wanted the murder committed, Mohammad stated, “The sooner would be good, you know.” Over the ensuing days, Mohammad arranged to have a family member provide the $1,000 in cash to the UCE. On May 5, 2016, that family member met with the UCE and provided the UCE with $1,000 in cash. Mohammad later informed the inmate that the rest of the money for the murder was coming, according to court documents.
Mohammad will be deported from the U.S. upon completion of his sentence, under the terms of his plea agreement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Freeman, Matthew Shepherd and Christos N. Georgalis of the Northern District of Ohio, and Trial Attorneys Gregory Gonzalez and David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, following an investigation by the FBI.
Man Sentenced for Stealing Deceased Father’s Social Security benefits for 16 yearsRead the Press Release
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill (619) 546-7924
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 6, 2017
SAN DIEGO –Abel Jose Perez of San Diego was sentenced today to twelve months and one day in federal prison for stealing $271,925.60 in Social Security retirement benefits intended for his father, who had died in 1997. As Perez admitted when pleading guilty, instead of informing the Social Security Administration of his father’s death, Perez continued to take benefits that had been deposited into a bank account in his deceased parents’ names. Soon after each month’s deposit from the Social Security Administration, Perez would forge his father’s signature on a bank check made payable to himself, and divert the funds for his own personal use.
The Social Security Administration pays retirement benefits to eligible retired workers, aged 62 or better, and to their eligible dependents. Although the widow or the minor child of a deceased retiree can receive posthumous benefits, Perez, 55, admitted that in this case he knew he was not entitled to receive any of the money paid out by Social Security after his father’s death. When entering his guilty plea on May 17, 2017, Perez admitted that for over sixteen years he retained exclusive access to and controlled a bank account belonging to his deceased parents, enabling him to illegally convert over a quarter-million dollars of public money to his own use.
Acting United States Attorney Alana W. Robinson commented, “The theft of Social Security benefits is a direct attack on the most vulnerable and needy members of our community. Every dime of stolen benefits reduces the funds available to our retirees and other beneficiaries.” Acting U.S. Attorney Robinson observed that while this was the largest single Social Security theft in the Southern District of California, the office has prosecuted a significant number of such cases in the past three years. Moreover, she anticipated an increase in the office’s enforcement efforts designed to protect the public purse.
“The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General is pleased to see that this crime, which affects every individual relying on the Social Security Trust Fund for their retirement, was taken seriously and punished appropriately in this case,” said Robb Stickley, the Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Field Division, which is responsible for Southern California. “We hope that this sentence sends a message that it is the responsibility of every individual in our society to protect their own retirement savings, and ensure that a loved one’s death does not go unreported.”
In addition to his prison sentence and period of supervised release, Perez was ordered to repay every dollar that he stole from the Social Security Administration. At the conclusion of his sentencing hearing, Perez was remanded into custody to begin serving his prison sentence.
DEFENDANT Case Number 17-cr-01259-WQH
Abel Jose Perez San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Theft of Public Property – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 641
Maximum penalty: 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, restitution
AGENCY
Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General
Man Charged with Conspiracy to Smuggle Heroin from NigeriaRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Nigerian national was arrested for his role in a conspiracy to use ingested pellets to smuggle heroin from Nigeria into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick announced today.
Michael Awotunde, 52, of Lagos, Nigeria, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to import 100 grams or more of heroin.
Awotunde was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Nov. 3, 2017. He appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to the complaint:
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have been investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in Nigeria, New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere. During that investigation, law enforcement learned that the drug trafficking organization employed individuals to ingest heroin pellets and fly to the United States to deliver the drugs to other members of the organization.
On Jan. 26, 2017, one such courier, Ramota Okuleye, 64, also of Lagos, traveled from Nigeria to the United States after ingesting heroin for delivery to a confidential source (CS-1). On Jan. 27, 2017, Okuleye arrived in Newark and provided CS-1 with approximately 68 heroin pellets totaling 979 grams of heroin.
During their conversations, Okuleye explained that she primarily worked for Awotunde, but was transporting drugs for a different person. She told CS-1 to reach out to Awotunde for future transactions and provided CS-1 with a telephone number for Awotunde.
On Feb. 8, 2017, CS-1 spoke with Awotunde and the two agreed to work together in the future. On Sept. 8, 2017, Awotunde agreed to sell CS-1 heroin.
On Oct. 19, 2017, Okuleye returned to the United States after ingesting approximately 51 pellets that tested positive for heroin. She was arrested in October 2017 and charged by federal criminal complaint. Afterwards, Awotunde reached out to CS-1 and expressed concern over her arrest.
Awotunde faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine.
The charges and allegations against Awotunde and Okuleye are merely accusations, and both defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Debra Parker; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), under the direction of Acting Director of Field Operations Leon Hayward, New York Field Office, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Office OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Thomas F.X. Dunn Esq., Glen Rock, New Jersey.