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18 December 2017
Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault While Armed for Shooting His Neighbor in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Talmadge Jones, 65, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a felony charge stemming from the shooting of his neighbor, which occurred in October 2017 on their block in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Jones pled guilty on Dec. 15, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of aggravated assault while armed. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for April 20, 2018. The charge carries a mandatory minimum term in prison of five years and a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, Jones and the victim are neighbors and have known each other for several years. The two men had prior arguments related to the Homeowner Association rules for their gated community.
On Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, at approximately 2:20 p.m., the victim was waxing his car in the driveway outside his home in the 2200 block of Retta Gilliam Court SE. Jones was at his own home on the same street. Jones opened a window and shot the victim once in the chest. The victim fell to the ground bleeding. After the shooting, Jones took his dog, got into his car, and drove away. He was arrested on Nov. 1, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
The gunshot entered the victim’s back, exited his chest, and pierced his heart. As a result of the shooting, the victim sustained serious bodily injuries that required surgery and hospitalization, including at least nine days intubated in an intensive care unit. He is in ongoing rehabilitation and treatment.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Caught with over 31,000 Marijuana Seeds Admits to Conspiring to Cultivate Marijuana in Giant Sequoia National MonumentRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Rosario Beltran-Leal (Beltran), 43, of Sinaloa, Mexico, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture or cultivate, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana in the Giant Sequoia National Monument in Tulare County, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Beltran was found last spring bringing over 31,000 marijuana seeds to a cultivation site in a remote area closed to the public in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. He was also in possession of a large quantity of food and cultivation supplies, including 100 hose connectors. In pleading guilty, Beltran acknowledged that he had delivered food supplies to marijuana growers in the same area in 2016. The irrigation system from the previous year was intact. Native vegetation and trees had also been trimmed to make room for the marijuana plants and water had been diverted from a tributary of Mill Creek.
Beltran is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on March 12, 2017. Beltran faces a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
MS-13 Member Admits Responsibility for Murder of 15-Year Old BoyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member pleaded guilty on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in federal court in Boston to racketeering conspiracy involving the murder of a 15-year-old boy in East Boston.
Joel Martinez, a/k/a “Animal,” 23, a Salvadoran national formerly residing in East Boston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 22, 2018.
Martinez was identified as a member of MS-13’s Eastside Loco Salvatrucha (ESLS) clique, which operated in Chelsea, Everett, and elsewhere in greater Boston. Martinez admitted that on Sept. 20, 2015, he murdered a 15-year-old boy on Trenton Street in East Boston.
In recorded conversations between Martinez and a cooperating witness, Martinez acknowledged being a member of MS-13 and admitted that he stabbed the victim to death. Specifically, Martinez said, “I stabbed the asshole three times, and it was a beautiful thing! Just beautiful!” As a result of the murder, Martinez was “jumped in” and made a “homeboy,” or full member of MS-13, during a ceremony that was surreptitiously recorded by federal agents. When a prospective member is “jumped in,” members of the MS-13 clique beat the new member with their hands and feet while one of the leaders of the clique counts aloud slowly to thirteen.
After a three-year investigation, Martinez was one of 61 individuals named in a superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. Martinez is the 27th defendant to plead guilty in this case.
Martinez faces up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation upon the completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; Somerville Police Chief David Fallon; and Herndon (VA) Police Chief Maggie A. DeBoard made the announcement.
Lebanon Sex Offender Sentenced to 21 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a registered sex offender in Lebanon, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Kavin Dywayne Finley, 45, of Lebanon, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Finley to supervised release for the rest of his life following incarceration.
Finley, who pleaded guilty on April 27, 2017, is registered with the Missouri Sex Offender Registry due to his 1999 convictions in Arizona for molesting a 12-year-old child multiple times.
According to court documents, Finley was actively engaged in trading child pornography with other individuals on the Internet. The investigation began on April 16, 2015, when a Missouri State Technical Assistant Team investigator received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which reported child pornography in Finley’s Google Gmail account. Finley’s e-mail had multiple images of child pornography that he was sending to another user, and he remarked that he had more images and videos he could send.
On May 12, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Finley’s residence and seized a laptop computer, which contained multiple videos of child pornography, and Finley was arrested. Investigators also found child pornography on Finley’s cell phone.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Armored Vehicle and Gun Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man who pleaded guilty to robbing an armored vehicle and stealing 18 firearms, including a silencer, from a gun store, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.
Anthony Jovan Greene, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan. He pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of theft from a Federal Firearms Licensee.
According to the plea agreement, Greene admitted that on Oct. 5, 2012, both he and at least one other co-conspirator used baseball bats to rob approximately $210,889 from a Garda Cash Logistics armored truck at the Las Vegas Outlet Mall in downtown Las Vegas. Greene further admitted that on Sept. 8, 2016, he stole a total of 18 handguns, rifles, and a silencer from 2nd Amendment Gun shop at 4570 N. Rancho Drive in Las Vegas.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip N. Smith Jr. prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide commitment by the Department of Justice to reduce gun and gang crime in America by networking local programs that target gun and gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
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Konawa Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joe William Cooper, age 59, of Konawa, Oklahoma pled guilty to Felon In Possession Of Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about May 29, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Joe William Cooper, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The defendant will remain in custody pending a sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Justice Department Settles U.S. Worker Discrimination Claims Against Colorado Agricultural CompanyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Crop Production Services Inc. (Crop Production), an agricultural company headquartered in Loveland, Colorado. The settlement resolves a lawsuit the Justice Department filed against the company on Sept. 28, 2017, alleging that the company discriminated against U.S. citizens because of a preference for foreign visa workers, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The Department’s lawsuit alleged that in 2016, Crop Production discriminated against at least three United States citizens by refusing to employ them as seasonal technicians at its El Campo, Texas location because the company preferred to employ temporary foreign workers under the H-2A visa program. According to the Department’s complaint, Crop Production imposed more burdensome requirements on U.S. citizens than it did on H-2A visa workers to discourage U.S. citizens from working at the facility. For instance, the complaint alleges that although U.S. citizens had to complete a background check and a drug test before being permitted to start work, H-2A visa workers were allowed to begin working without completing them and, in some cases, never completed them. The complaint also alleged that Crop Production refused to consider a limited-English proficient U.S. citizen for employment yet hired H-2A visa workers with limited-English proficiency. Ultimately, all of Crop Production’s 15 available seasonal technician jobs in 2016 went to H-2A visa workers instead of U.S. workers.
Under the INA, it is unlawful for employers to intentionally discriminate against U.S. workers because of their citizenship status or to otherwise favor the employment of temporary foreign visa workers over available, qualified U.S. workers. In addition, the H-2A visa program allows employers to hire foreign visa workers only if there is not a sufficient number of qualified and available U.S. workers to fill the jobs.
The settlement agreement requires Crop Production to pay civil penalties of $10,500.00 to the United States, undergo department-provided training on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA, and comply with departmental monitoring and reporting requirements. In a separate agreement with workers represented by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Crop Production agreed to pay $18,738.75 in lost wages to affected U.S. workers.
“There will be zero tolerance for companies that violate the Immigration and Nationality Act by hiring foreign visa holders over U.S. workers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Division’s Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative is committed to fighting discriminatory hiring practices that prevent qualified U.S. workers from obtaining jobs, and we commend Texas RioGrande Legal Aid for bringing this matter to our attention.”
The settlement is part of the Division’s Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, an initiative aimed at targeting, investigating, and bringing enforcement actions against companies that discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of foreign visa workers.
The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits, among other things, citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to: different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Parker-HannifinRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Parker-Hannifin Corporation. The settlement requires Parker-Hannifin to divest the Facet filtration business, including the aviation fuel filtration assets that it acquired from CLARCOR Inc. on Feb. 28, 2017.
The Department’s Antitrust Division filed suit on Sept. 26, 2017, because the acquisition eliminated competition in the development, manufacture, and sale of qualified filtration products necessary for the proper filtration of aviation fuel used in commercial and military aircraft. It has now filed a proposed settlement in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware that, if approved by the court, would resolve the lawsuit, restore competition in the markets for aviation fuel filtration systems and elements, and address the Department’s competitive concerns.
“This agreement to fully divest the Facet filtration business restores the competition in the aviation fuel filtration markets that the underlying merger eliminated,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Once the divestiture is completed, the acquirer will be in the same competitive position that CLARCOR enjoyed before the transaction, and the Facet brand of aviation fuel filtration products will be able to once again compete in the free market with Parker-Hannifin. This divestiture avoids the difficulties of a regulatory behavioral decree, relying instead on competition in the free market to protect American consumers and our military.”
Parker-Hannifin and the Antitrust Division agreed to the divestiture as well as provisions designed to promote compliance and make the enforcement of this consent decree as effective as possible on behalf of consumers and the military.
Prior to its delivery into commercial or military aircraft, aviation fuel must be properly filtered at multiple stages to ensure the removal of water droplets and particulate contaminants. Failure to filter aviation fuel properly creates unacceptable safety risks and can result in potentially catastrophic consequences. To address these safety concerns, aviation fuel filtration systems and elements are subject to specific industry standards, mandated by the U.S. airline industry. Only those aviation fuel filtration products qualified by the Energy Institute (EI) may be used to filter aviation fuel for use in U.S. commercial and military planes.
Prior to the acquisition, Parker-Hannifin and CLARCOR were the only two manufacturers of EI-qualified aviation fuel filtration systems and elements in the United States and were engaged in vigorous head-to-head competition, which was eliminated following the transaction. On Sept. 26, 2017, the Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Parker-Hannifin and its subsidiary, CLARCOR, alleging that Parker-Hannifin’s $4.3 billion acquisition of CLARCOR created an effective monopoly in the markets for EI-qualified aviation fuel filtration systems and elements sold to U.S. customers. The Department alleged in its complaint that Parker-Hannifin’s acquisition of CLARCOR’s aviation fuel filtration assets would result in increased prices, decreased services and product innovation, and slower delivery of these critical safety products. Shortly after the filing of its complaint, the Division reached an agreement with Parker-Hannifin to preserve and maintain the aviation fuel filtration assets of both Parker-Hannifin and CLARCOR during the pendency of the action.
Parker-Hannifin Corporation is an Ohio corporation headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a diversified manufacturer of filtration systems, and motion and control technologies for the mobile, industrial and aerospace markets with operations worldwide. In 2017, Parker-Hannifin’s sales revenues were approximately $12 billion. Parker-Hannifin sells its aviation fuel filtration products under the Velcon brand.
CLARCOR Inc. was a Delaware corporation headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. CLARCOR was a leading provider of filtration systems for diversified industrial markets with net sales of approximately $1.6 billion in 2016. CLARCOR manufactured and sold aviation fuel filtration products under the Facet brand.
The proposed settlement, along with the Department’s competitive impact statement will be published in the Federal Register, as required by the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act. Any person may submit written comments regarding the proposed final judgment within 60 days of its publication to Maribeth Petrizzi, Chief, Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 5th Street, N.W., Suite 8700, Washington, D.C. 20530. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the court may enter the Final Judgment upon a finding that it serves the public interest.
Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Owners and Manager of Kansas Rental PropertiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that female tenants in residential rental properties in Wichita, Kansas, were subjected to egregious sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The department’s complaint names four individuals as defendants: Thong Cao, who manages the rental properties and does business as Cao Properties and Rentals; Mai Cao; Van Le; and Tong Nguyen. Each of the defendants owns or previously owned one or more of the properties where the illegal conduct occurred.
Today’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, arose from two complaints that former tenants filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The lawsuit alleges that Thong Cao sexually harassed female residents at the rental properties from at least 2010 to 2014. According to the complaint, Thong Cao engaged in harassment that included, among other things, making unwelcome sexual advances and comments, engaging in unwanted sexual touching, and evicting tenants who refused to engage in sexual conduct with him.
“No woman should have to endure sexual harassment in order to remain in her home,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual harassment in housing is unacceptable and illegal, and landlords should be on notice that the Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act to combat this type of discrimination and to obtain relief for its victims.”
“Property owners and managers who use their position to seek sexual favors are not only violating a woman’s housing rights, they are creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation,” said Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD will continue to work with the Justice Department to take action to ensure that individuals that provide housing meet their obligation to comply with federal fair housing laws.”
In October, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the Sex Harassment Initiative (SHI). The initiative specifically seeks to increase the Department’s efforts to protect individuals from harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, security guards, and other employees and representatives of rental property owners.
The Justice Department has filed or settled six sexual harassment cases since January 20, 2017, and has recovered over $1 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing.
Today’s lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the victims, civil penalties and a court order barring future discrimination. The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct. The allegations must be proven in federal court.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or operated by Thong Cao, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line:
- English language: Call 1-800-896-7743, then press 1 to continue in English and select mailbox 994 to leave a message; or
- Spanish language: Call 1-800-896-7743, then press 2 to continue in Spanish and select mailbox 3 to leave a message.
Individuals can also report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by e-mailing the Justice Department at [email protected].
Jury Convicts Former Police Officer of Attempting to Support ISISRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a former police officer today of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and obstruction of justice.
“Nicholas Young swore an oath to protect and defend, and instead violated the public’s trust by attempting to support ISIS,” said Dana J. Boente, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “I want to thank the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metro Transit Police, and the trial team for their tireless work and dedication to this case.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Nicholas Young, 38, of Fairfax, was formerly employed as a police officer with the Metro Transit Police Department. In late July 2016, Young attempted to provide material support and resources to ISIS by purchasing and sending gift card codes that he believed would allow ISIS recruiters to securely communicate with potential ISIS recruits.
Between Dec. 3, 2015, and Dec. 5, 2015, Young attempted to obstruct and impede an official proceeding. In specific, Young believed an associate of his, who was actually an FBI confidential human source (CHS), had successfully joined ISIS in late 2014. During an FBI interview, Young was told the FBI was investigating the attempt of his associate (the CHS) to join ISIS. Nevertheless, in an attempt to thwart the prosecution of the CHS and himself, Young attempted to deceive investigators as to the destination and purpose of the CHS’s travel.
Additionally, in November 2014, Young attempted to obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding of the Grand Jury by sending a text message to the CHS’ cell phone in order to make it falsely appear to the FBI that the CHS had left the United States to go on vacation in Turkey. In actuality, Young believed the CHS had gone to Turkey and then to Syria in order to join and fight for ISIS.
Young faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 23, 2018. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the verdict. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and John T. Gibbs, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Turgeon, and Trial Attorney David P. Cora of the National Security Division.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-265.
Jury Convicts Former Police Officer of Attempting to Support ISISRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a former police officer today of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and obstruction of justice.
“Nicholas Young swore an oath to protect and defend, and instead violated the public’s trust by attempting to support ISIS,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “I want to thank the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metro Transit Police, and the trial team for their tireless work and dedication to this case.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Nicholas Young, 38, of Fairfax, was formerly employed as a police officer with the Metro Transit Police Department. In late July 2016, Young attempted to provide material support and resources to ISIS by purchasing and sending gift card codes that he believed would allow ISIS recruiters to securely communicate with potential ISIS recruits.
“This case is another example of the complex nature of the terrorism threat we face and the danger it poses to our communities here at home,” said Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office. “The FBI's highest priority is protecting the American people by countering the threat posed by terrorism. The dedicated professionals assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force work to thwart the threat of terrorism every day. I would like to thank all of our partner agencies for their dedication and hard work particularly the Metro Transit Police Department.”
Between Dec. 3, 2015, and Dec. 5, 2015, Young attempted to obstruct and impede an official proceeding. In specific, Young believed an associate of his, who was actually an FBI confidential human source (CHS), had successfully joined ISIS in late 2014. During an FBI interview, Young was told the FBI was investigating the attempt of his associate (the CHS) to join ISIS. Nevertheless, in an attempt to thwart the prosecution of the CHS and himself, Young attempted to deceive investigators as to the destination and purpose of the CHS’s travel.
Additionally, in November 2014, Young attempted to obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding of the Grand Jury by sending a text message to the CHS’ cell phone in order to make it falsely appear to the FBI that the CHS had left the United States to go on vacation in Turkey. In actuality, Young believed the CHS had gone to Turkey and then to Syria in order to join and fight for ISIS.
Young faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 23, 2018. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the verdict. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and John T. Gibbs, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Turgeon, and Trial Attorney David P. Cora of the National Security Division.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-265.
Iraqi Refugee Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, the 25-year-old refugee who was born in Iraq and resided in Houston, has been ordered to federal prison for 16 years following his conviction of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He pleaded guilty Oct. 17, 2016.
Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana Boente, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Division and Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston made the announcement.
“Any person who provides material support to a foreign terrorist organization will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Martinez. “Al Hardan’s actions were treacherous and completely antithetical to the freedoms we as U.S. citizens value. The sentence imposed today reflects the Department of Justice’s resolve to seek out and punish all violators who would give aid and comfort to international terrorists.”
Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes, who accepted the guilty plea, handed Al Hardan a 192-month sentence. He will also be on supervised release for the rest of his life.
At the time of his plea, Al Hardan had admitted he attempted to provide material support – specifically himself – to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Al Hardan entered the United States as a refugee on or about Nov. 2, 2009. Prior to entering the country, Al Hardan was in at least two refugee camps in Jordan and Iraq. After being admitted into the U.S. as an Iraqi refugee, he was granted legal permanent residence status on or about Aug. 22, 2011, and had resided in Houston.
In 2013, federal agents began investigating Al Hardan who had been communicating with a California man whom he understood was associated with the Al-Nusrah Front. In those communications, the individual had told Al Hardan that he had previously traveled to Syria to fight for Al-Nusrah and discussed plans to return to Syria with Al Hardan to fight for Al-Nusrah.
Beginning in June 2014 and continuing through 2015, Al Hardan also developed a relationship with a Confidential Human Source (CHS). During that time, they discussed traveling overseas to support ISIL in fighting jihad and various ways to assist ISIL. Al Hardan also said he wanted to be trained in building remote transmitter/receiver detonators for improvised explosive devices, wanted to learn to use cell phones as the remote detonators and wanted to build remote detonators for ISIL. Al Hardan indicated he taught himself how to make remote detonators by accessing online training videos and other resources he found online and showed the CHS a circuit board he built to be used as a transmitter for a detonator.
On Nov. 5, 2014, Al Hardan took an oath of loyalty to ISIL. Two days later, Al Hardan and the CHS participated in approximately one hour of tactical weapons training with an AK-47 that Al Hardan indicated he wanted.
During the investigation, Al Hardan had also posted many statements on social media in support of ISIL. One of those included a photo of a Humvee with an ISIL flag. Above the photo, Al Hardan posted, “ISIS yesterday in Iraq, today in Syria and Allah willing, tomorrow in Jerusalem.” He also made numerous statements about his plans to travel to Syria and fight alongside ISIL and become a martyr. In one instance he said “I want to blow myself up. I want to travel with the Mujahidin. I want to travel to be with those who are against America. I am against America.”
Upon his arrest in January 2016, investigators discovered training CDs on how to build remote detonators, electronic circuitry components, tools used to build circuitry, multiple cell phones (that had not been activated), a prayer list for committing Jihad and becoming a martyr and the ISIL flag.
Al Hardan has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Imperato, Carolyn Ferko and S. Mark McIntyre prosecuted the case.
Iraqi Refugee Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, the 25-year-old refugee who was born in Iraq and resided in Houston, has been ordered to federal prison for 16 years following his conviction of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He pleaded guilty Oct. 17, 2016.
Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana Boente, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Division and Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston made the announcement.
“Any person who provides material support to a foreign terrorist organization will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Martinez. “Al Hardan’s actions were treacherous and completely antithetical to the freedoms we as U.S. citizens value. The sentence imposed today reflects the Department of Justice’s resolve to seek out and punish all violators who would give aid and comfort to international terrorists.”
Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes, who accepted the guilty plea, handed Al Hardan a 192-month sentence. He will also be on supervised release for the rest of his life.
At the time of his plea, Al Hardan had admitted he attempted to provide material support – specifically himself – to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Al Hardan entered the United States as a refugee on or about Nov. 2, 2009. Prior to entering the country, Al Hardan was in at least two refugee camps in Jordan and Iraq. After being admitted into the U.S. as an Iraqi refugee, he was granted legal permanent residence status on or about Aug. 22, 2011, and had resided in Houston.
In 2013, federal agents began investigating Al Hardan who had been communicating with a California man whom he understood was associated with the Al-Nusrah Front. In those communications, the individual had told Al Hardan that he had previously traveled to Syria to fight for Al-Nusrah and discussed plans to return to Syria with Al Hardan to fight for Al-Nusrah.
Beginning in June 2014 and continuing through 2015, Al Hardan also developed a relationship with a Confidential Human Source (CHS). During that time, they discussed traveling overseas to support ISIL in fighting jihad and various ways to assist ISIL. Al Hardan also said he wanted to be trained in building remote transmitter/receiver detonators for improvised explosive devices, wanted to learn to use cell phones as the remote detonators and wanted to build remote detonators for ISIL. Al Hardan indicated he taught himself how to make remote detonators by accessing online training videos and other resources he found online and showed the CHS a circuit board he built to be used as a transmitter for a detonator.
On Nov. 5, 2014, Al Hardan took an oath of loyalty to ISIL. Two days later, Al Hardan and the CHS participated in approximately one hour of tactical weapons training with an AK-47 that Al Hardan indicated he wanted.
During the investigation, Al Hardan had also posted many statements on social media in support of ISIL. One of those included a photo of a Humvee with an ISIL flag. Above the photo, Al Hardan posted, “ISIS yesterday in Iraq, today in Syria and Allah willing, tomorrow in Jerusalem.” He also made numerous statements about his plans to travel to Syria and fight alongside ISIL and become a martyr. In one instance he said “I want to blow myself up. I want to travel with the Mujahidin. I want to travel to be with those who are against America. I am against America.”
Upon his arrest in January 2016, investigators discovered training CDs on how to build remote detonators, electronic circuitry components, tools used to build circuitry, multiple cell phones (that had not been activated), a prayer list for committing Jihad and becoming a martyr and the ISIL flag.
Al Hardan has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Imperato, Carolyn Ferko and S. Mark McIntyre prosecuted the case.
Individual Arrested for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – On December 14, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Andie Nikolany-Geigel for interference with commerce by threats or violence, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.
The indictment alleges that on or about November 25, 2017, in the District of Puerto Rico, Nikolany-Geigel, while carrying and brandishing a firearm, did take approximately 405 dollars from the TO GO Convenience Store, in the presence of employees, against their will by means of actual and threatened force, violence and fear of injury, threatening the employees with a firearm in order to commit the robbery.
“This defendant threatened the lives of defenseless victims while they were working for the hard earned money during these difficult times,” said US Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “Through the hard work of federal and state law enforcement and the US Attorney’s Office prosecutors, this defendant will be brought to justice.”
“The FBI and other federal agencies, along with police departments all across Puerto Rico, are making it a top priority to take violent offenders off the streets. We then work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to see that anyone involved in committing these crimes receives the maximum prison sentences allowed by federal law,” said Douglas A. Leff, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, San Juan Field Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Pérez-Bouret. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years of imprisonment for the robbery charge (Count One), and up to life imprisonment for the firearms charge (Count Two). Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Husband and Wife Sentenced in Homeland Security Impersonation Scheme Involving 780 Victims and over $1,000,000Read the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 14, 2017, Manish Patel (age: 26) was sentenced to 38 months imprisonment, and ordered to pay $1,101,901.61 in restitution for committing wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Additionally, Nikita Shukla (age: 26) was sentenced to one year and one day imprisonment, and ordered to pay $149,531.28 in restitution for committing wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.
According to the plea agreements and other court documents, unknown members of the scheme located in India called victims and made material misrepresentations to them, which caused the victims to send a MoneyGram, which is an electronic, interstate transfer of money to a specific location and to a specific, fictitious name. One misrepresentation that the callers made was that they were from the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and that the individuals (legal immigrants) had to pay for new passports or other items in order to avoid being sent to jail or deported. The caller would then instruct the victim to send a MoneyGram for a certain amount of money to a specific location and to a specific, fictitious name. The callers made numerous other misrepresentations to the many victims of this scam.
Manish Patel and others possessed fraudulent driver’s licenses that included the fictitious names of the MoneyGram recipients, but contained a photo of themselves. They used these fraudulent driver’s licenses to pick up MoneyGrams throughout the country. Patel frequently picked up several MoneyGrams a day from various locations using fraudulent driver’s licenses. For at least part of the scheme, Nikita Shukla drove Manish Patel throughout the country, including in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Patel and Shukla were allowed to keep a certain percentage of fraud proceeds, but then deposited the remaining cash into various bank accounts or handed the cash off to unknown individuals.
Using 134 different fraudulent identifications, Patel picked up $1,101,901.61 in fraud proceeds in 1,081 transactions, from 780 victims from September 28, 2016 through May 10, 2017. Shukla aided and abetted by driving Patel to pick up $149,531.28 in fraud proceeds from 100 victims. When they were arrested in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Patel and Shukla possessed 147 fraudulent driver’s licenses with fake names and Patel’s photo in them. Law enforcement also found $21,672 in cash in the car.
The case was investigated by the Greenfield Police Department, the United States Secret Service Financial Crimes Unit, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Digital Forensics and Analysis Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Corey.
The public should be aware that neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the Internal Revenue Service (or any other federal government agency) will ever ask you to pay money to them via MoneyGram, RIA, Western Union, or especially iTunes or Steam (online gaming) gift cards.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
Houston Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for East Texas Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 45-year-old Houston man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Christopher Wade Ferrell pleaded guilty on May 18, 2017, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison on Dec. 15, 2017 by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.
According to information presented in court, on Mar. 11, 2016, deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department received information that a large shipment of methamphetamine was to arrive in the Beaumont, Texas area for further distribution. Law enforcement officers followed the suspects when the driver began driving erratically. A traffic stop was attempted at which time the driver of the vehicle, Ferrell, pulled into a parking lot then fled the scene in his vehicle when the officers approached the vehicle. Ferrell continued to evade officers and committed numerous traffic violations while doing so until he crashed into a privacy fence. Ferrell then fled on foot and was apprehended several homes away. The passengers remained in the vehicle and as officers approached the vehicle, they detected the odor of raw marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and located approximately one ounce of marihuana and assorted pills in a passenger’s purse, approximately 10 grams of suspected methamphetamine in a woman’s jacket pocket and approximately 11 other ounces of suspected methamphetamine inside a white plastic grocery bag in the rear seat area. Officers further located $10,500 in cash and assorted drug paraphernalia inside a backpack in the vehicle. Ferrell admitted to transporting one kilogram of methamphetamine to Beaumont earlier that same day and admitted that the money found in the backpack was from the sale of the methamphetamine.
This case is the result of an extensive joint investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. Ferrell was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 2, 2016, and charged with drug trafficking violations.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle S. Englade.
Honolulu Man Sentenced to 80 Months for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi sentenced Beei-Huan Chao, age 62, to 80 months in prison today for transporting child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(1). Chao, who was formerly employed as a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, pled guilty to the offense on May 30, 2017.
Elliot Enoki, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to court documents and information presented in court, in February of 2016, Chao was using a file sharing program called Vuze to obtain child pornography over the internet and share it with others. On February 11, 2016, a FBI agent working in an undercover capacity connected with Chao’s computer and downloaded 14 videos from Chao, all of which depicted child pornography. Agents executed a search warrant at Chao’s residence in June of 2016 and found more than 500 images of child pornography on his electronic devices.
At today’s sentencing, Judge Kobayashi commented that Chao’s conduct helped fuel a business that exploits minors and subjects them to humiliation. Judge Kobayashi also noted that the amount and type of child pornography Chao transported was an aggravating factor. In addition to sentencing Chao to 80 months in prison, Judge Kobayashi also imposed a ten-year term of supervised release and ordered Chao to pay a $35,000 fine. Chao must also register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction where he resides.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Nammar.
Honduran national sentenced to 18 months for possession of firearm, ammunition by illegal alienRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Honduran citizen was sentenced last week to 18 months in prison for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Franklin Reyes, 36, of Honduras, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an alien illegally present in the United States. According to the September 1, 2017 guilty plea, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s officers responded to a report of shots fired on January 7, 2017 at a Lafayette apartment complex. After arriving, they heard a gunshot come from one of the apartments. Reyes opened the door of an apartment holding a .38 special revolver, which officers knocked from his hand as they arrested him. Officers found bullet holes in the walls and ceiling of the apartment and 11 expended ammunition casings scattered around the apartment. Reyes was previously removed in February of 2003, May of 2007, March of 2012, January of 2013 and December of 2013.
The ATF, Homeland Security Investigations and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Haworth Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Blake Gilbert, age 33, of Haworth, Oklahoma pled guilty to Felon In Possession Of Firearm & Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about September 7, 2017, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Christopher Blake Gilbert, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce a firearm and ammunition which have been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charge arose from an investigation by the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, the Choctaw Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The defendant will remain in custody pending a sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Glades Drugs Agrees to Pay the United States $300,000 to Settle Allegations of Fraudulent Claims to Medicare and TRICARERead the Press Release
Glades Drugs, Inc., a pharmacy located in Palm Beach County, Florida has agreed to pay the United States $300,000, to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by waiving or failing to collect required copayments from Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries.
Benjamin Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), made the announcement.
The allegations arose from a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, Elvens Vertus, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. Relator Vertus is a licensed pharmacy technician who worked at Glades Drugs in 2014 and 2015. As set forth in the settlement agreement between the parties, the United States alleged that between July 2014 and May 2015, Glades Drugs waived or failed to collect required copayments from beneficiaries to induce beneficiaries to accept prescription medications that generated reimbursements from Medicare and TRICARE.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, HHS-OIG, and DCIS. The case was investigated and the settlement negotiated by Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Spaccarotella and HHS-OIG Senior Counsel Felicia Heimer.
The case is captioned United States of America ex. rel. Elvens Vertus v. Glades Drugs, Inc., et al., Case No. 15-CV-81627 (S.D. Fla.), and was before The Honorable Donald M. Middlebrooks. The claims settled by the lawsuit are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Fulton Man Pleads Guilty to Firing Shots During Pursuit, Faces 40 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Fulton, Mo., man who fired at law enforcement officers and other motorists during a high-speed pursuit pleaded guilty in federal court today.
Russell Dean Moore, Jr., 27, of Fulton, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to the charges contained in an April 21, 2016, federal indictment.
Moore pleaded guilty to three criminal violations that occurred during a high-speed pursuit on Interstate 70 by law enforcement officers, in which Moore fired shots at both the officers and at semi-trailer trucks in an effort to block the pursuit. Moore pleaded guilty to one count of the destruction of a motor vehicle (a USF Holland, Inc., semi-tractor trailer), one count of the use of a firearm in furtherance of that crime, and one count of the use of a firearm in furtherance of the destruction of another motor vehicle (a DCE Transportation, Inc., semi-tractor trailer).
According to the plea agreement, Boone County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a Columbia, Mo., residence on the afternoon of April 6, 2016, for a stolen vehicle complaint. A woman told deputies that her 2007 Jeep, as well as firearms and other items, had been stolen from her residence. Among the items stolen was a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
At 2:44 a.m. the following morning, a sergeant with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department spotted the stolen Jeep in the parking lot of Midway Travel Center, 6401 E. Hwy. 40, Columbia. The sergeant drove over to the Jeep, which appear to be unoccupied, got out of his vehicle and walked towards the Jeep. As he did so, a woman appeared in the front passenger seat. She moved to the driver’s seat and drove away, stopping in the parking lot to allow Moore to get in the front passenger seat.
The sergeant pursued the Jeep with his emergency lights active. The Jeep turned onto Highway 40 and, as it was crossing Interstate 70, Moore shot at the sergeant multiple times. The Jeep turned onto Highway UU and stopped at the intersection of Sugar Creek Road. The sergeant saw Moore exit the Jeep and started shooting at him. Moore got back into the Jeep and the pursuit continued.
After the sergeant’s patrol vehicle was struck by at least one bullet, disabling it, other officers continued the pursuit of the stolen Jeep into the southern part of Columbia. The chase eventually moved onto Interstate 70 East, where officers continued to pursue the stolen Jeep into Callaway County. Throughout the pursuit, multiple shots were fired from the Jeep at various officers. Shots were also fired from the Jeep at four semi-trailer trucks traveling on Interstate 70, nearly striking one of the drivers.
The Jeep ran out of gas on County Road 172 in Callaway County and the occupants of the Jeep were arrested.
Moore told investigators that his intent when shooting at semi-trailer trucks on Interstate 70 East was to cause a serious accident, which would terminate the officers’ pursuit and aid in their escape. Two tractor trailers were shot during the pursuit. One of the drivers stopped his vehicle and discovered that his cab was damaged, and there was a 9mm bullet lodged behind the driver’s seat. Another driver told investigators he heard a pop and his truck engine began smoking and overheated. He pulled into a rest stop and called his employer. There was a hole in his tractor grill and the radiator, air cooler and condenser were damaged.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Moore agree to recommend to the court a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Four People Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Elderly Victims Throughout the United StatesRead the Press Release
Last week, four people from the Dubuque, Iowa area were sentenced to federal prison for participating in a fraud scheme that targeted more than 250 elderly victims across the United States. The sentences were imposed in Cedar Rapids by United States District Judge Linda R. Reade.
Evidence at the sentencing hearings and prior court hearings showed that Carlos Rodriguez, Michael Marcov, Stephanie Marcov, and Shawn Vaassen were all involved in a scheme to defraud victims, who were generally elderly, around the country. All four previously admitted that while they never made calls to victims, other individuals involved in the scheme called victims on the phone and told these victims that a relative was in jail. The caller would then ask the victims to wire money via Western Union or Money Gram to get the relative released. They further admitted that the money was being wired to various participants in the fraud who would pick up the wire transfers. They further admitted that there were participants in and around Dubuque who received wire transfers from the victims and sent the proceeds of the fraud via wire transfer to other participants of the scheme often located in the Dominican Republic
On December 13, 2017, Carlos Rodriguez, age 38, from Galena, Illinois, was sentenced to 79 months in federal prison after a May 9, 2017, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. At his sentencing hearing, the judge found that Rodriguez was a manager of the fraud scheme and had personally recruited numerous individuals in the Dubuque area to participate in the fraud and then directed their actions. The judge found that Rodriguez was responsible for more than $750,000 in losses to 285 victims. Rodriguez was ordered to pay $774,584.97 in restitution to the victims.
On December 13, 2017, Michael Marcov, age 26, from Hazel Green, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison after a May 19, 2017, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. At his sentencing hearing, the judge found that, after Marcov was recruited by Rodriguez to participate in the scheme, Marcov became a manager of the fraud scheme, recruited others to participate, and directed the actions of those he had recruited. The judge found that Marcov was responsible for nearly $300,000 in losses to 111 victims. In sentencing Marcov, the judge noted his extensive criminal history, including prior convictions for theft and domestic abuse. The judge ordered him to pay $298,314.42 in restitution to the victims.
On December 14, 2017, Stephanie Marcov, age 28, from Hazel Green, Wisconsin, who is married to Michael Marcov, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison after a May 19, 2017, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. At her sentencing hearing, the judge found that Stephanie Marcov was responsible for more than $30,000 in losses to 14 victims. The judge ordered her to pay $33,879.30 in restitution to the victims.
On December 14, 2017, Shawn Vaassen, age 22, from Asbury, Iowa, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison after a March 2, 2017, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful possession of a sawed-off shotgun. At his sentencing hearing, the judge found that Vaassen was recruited by Rodriguez to participate in the scheme and later became a manager of the fraud scheme who recruited others to participate and directed the actions of those he had recruited. The judge found that Vaassen was responsible for more than $250,000 in losses to 68 victims. In sentencing him, the judge also noted that Vaassen had unlawfully possessed a sawed-off shotgun in an effort to intimidate some of the individuals he had recruited to participate in the scheme. On September 23, 2016, Vaassen fired the sawed-off shotgun into the ceiling of a room at the Glenview Motel in Dubuque. While no one was shot, Vaassen’s discharge of the gun caused one person to lose hearing in an ear and also damaged the motel room. The judge also ordered Vaassen to pay $177,637.66 in restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme and $303.92 in restitution to the Glenview Motel for the damaged he caused to the hotel room.
All four individuals must also serve a term of supervised release after being released from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The prosecutions were part of the Elder Justice Initiative of the Department of Justice. In June 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa was selected as one of 10 districts in the nation to form an Elder Justice Task Force (http://go.usa.gov/cSngj). The task force was assembled to foster a collaborative working relationship among all levels of government officials, advocacy groups for the elderly and the disabled, and others charged with the care and protection for these vulnerable groups. The goals include ensuring the integrity of all government expenditures by eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in health programs, and protecting some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens from harm, whether it occurs in nursing homes or other institutions or involves financial fraud schemes. To learn more about the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, visit: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/.
“Every day, elderly Iowans are plagued by fraudulent calls trying to trick them out of money,” said United States Attorney Peter Deegan. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement and other partners to hold accountable those who prey on others’ generosity and concern for their relatives. This office will also continue to prosecute the most dangerous criminals in our communities, including those like Shawn Vaassen who use firearms and threats of violence to commit their crimes. I thank the Department of Homeland Security and the Dubuque Police Department for their hard work on this case.”
Michael Marcov, Rodriguez, and Vaassen are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until each can be transported to a federal prison. Stephanie Marcov was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Vavricek and Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Investigations and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 17-CR-1001 and 17-CR-1004.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Fort Wayne Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced that Danurell M. Blair, age 39, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was charged by way of complaint with bank robbery.
According to documents in this case, the complaint alleges that on December 16, 2017 Blair entered a bank in Kendallville, Indiana, demanded money from the bank teller. The teller provided money from the top drawers of two teller stations and Blair stuffed it into bags he brought with him. At approximately 10:01am, a law enforcement officer observed Blair exiting the bank walking fast. The law enforcement unit also observed Blair driving evasively through area business parking lots. The unit attempted to stop Blair, however he fled creating a high speed chase. The police were able to stop the vehicle and take Blair into custody.
“My Office is committed to working with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners to reduce bank robberies on the streets of Northern Indiana,” U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch II said in a statement.
"The FBI's Fort Wayne office worked hand in hand with our state and local law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion," said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Indianapolis Division. "Working together we are able to get violent offenders off of the streets and make our communities a safer place for all."
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that a Complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the: Allen County Sheriff’s Department; Auburn Police Department; Churubusco Police Department; Fort Wayne Police Department; Kendallville Police Department; Indiana State Police; and Whitley County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Miller Lowery.
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Former Grovetown City Clerk Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Nearly $900,000 DollarsRead the Press Release
Augusta, GA – Vicky Vinson Capetillo, from Grovetown, Georgia, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall to two federal felonies related to her embezzlement of nearly $900,000 from the City of Grovetown.
According to the factual basis presented for her guilty plea, Capetillo worked for the City of Grovetown as the City Clerk. Her duties as Clerk included the preparation of the regular bank deposits of the City. Capetillo developed a scheme to steal the cash from the deposits: first, she intercepted checks sent in by citizens as payment for utility bills; then, after developing a cache of checks, she would pocket cash from the regular deposit and replace the stolen cash with the intercepted checks to make the deposit ticket balance.
Between January 2011 and April 2016, Capetillo stole and deposited $890,000 in cash into her and her family’s accounts.
Capetillo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, and five years of supervision following release from prison. Capetillo was released on bond pending sentencing, which will be set after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.
U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine said, “The citizens of this district should be able to rely on the honest service of their public officials. Corruption and embezzlement by those in positions of government trust will be met with federal prosecution and jail time.”
The charges against Capetillo resulted from an investigation led by IRS Special Agent Jeff Hale and FBI Special Agent Charles McKee. Assistant United States Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes prosecuted the case for the Government. For any questions, please contact Appellate Chief R. Brian Tanner at (912) 652-4422.
Federal grand jury indicts Fort Polk soldier for illegally manufacturing, using a chemical weaponRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Fort Polk soldier with manufacturing and detonating a chemical weapon in the Kisatchie National Forest adjacent to the Fort Polk Army installation.
Ryan Keith Taylor, 24, of New Llano, La., was charged with producing, possessing and using a chemical weapon in violation of federal law. According to the indictment, Taylor manufactured and detonated a chemical weapon on April 12, 2017 in the Kisatchie National Forest that resulted in the release of highly toxic chlorine gas into the atmosphere.
Taylor faces up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
The FBI and U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis E. Robinson are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Federal and State Authorities Arrest 14 Defendants on Federal Drug Trafficking/Money Laundering Charges Filed in El PasoRead the Press Release
Today, federal authorities arrested 35-year-old Evelyn Gonzalez of Glendale Heights, IL, on federal drug trafficking charges, bringing the total number of those arrested over the past week in connection with this distribution operation to 14, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and Special Agent in Charge Karen I. Flowers, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, El Paso Division.
The other 13 defendants include:
Name Age Residence
Veronica Martinez Carrera-Perez (aka “Comadre,” “Luna”) 41 El Paso
Sergio Serra (aka “Flaco”) 35 Edinburg, TX
Fernando Chavez-Rolon (aka “Raco”) 24 Woodstock, IL
Crystal Aguilar (aka “Betty”) 33 El Paso
Ricardo Martinez (aka “Richie”) 32 El Paso
Roberto Clemente 41 El Paso
Esperanza Corpus de Escalona (aka “Espy”) 45 Alton, TX
Cristal Glore-Guzman 33 Mission, TX
Julio Ferreyra 33 Cicero, IL
Kevin Martinez 24 Clint, TX
Julio Mota (aka “Gordo,” “Gordito”) 26 Sunland Park, NM
Jesus Galindo 29 El Paso
Rene Alvarez 19 El Paso
A federal grand jury indictment, returned in El Paso, charges all of the defendants except Rene Alvarez with one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Carrera-Perez, Serra, Roberto Clemente, Corpus de Escalona, Glore-Guzman, Martinez, and Mota are charged with a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. All but Jesus Galindo are charged with one or more substantive drug possession charges. Carrera-Perez, Serra, Aguilar, Roberto Clemente, Corpus de Escalona, Ferreyra and Martinez are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Authorities allege that these defendants were responsible for the smuggling into the United States of large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. The narcotics would be transported to areas across the United States, including Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, and Wichita, Kansas, for further distribution. Defendants would also collect, transport and launder cash proceeds derived from the sale of narcotics.
During this investigation, authorities seized approximately 48 kilograms of cocaine, 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of heroin, and over $500,000 in U.S. currency attributed to this drug trafficking operation.
All of the defendants remain in federal custody pending detention hearings expected to occur in U.S. Magistrate Court in El Paso beginning this week. Upon conviction on the drug charges, Veronica Martinez faces a mandatory life imprisonment sentence; Roberto Clemente and Sergio Serra face between 20 years and life imprisonment; Rene Alvarez faces up to 20 years imprisonment; and, the remaining defendants face between ten years and life imprisonment. Defendants convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering face up to 20 years imprisonment.
“The individuals arrested and charged in this indictment are allegedly responsible for distributing cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin without regard to the countless people suffering from drug addiction,” stated DEA El Paso Division Special Agent in Charge Karen I. Flowers. “The Western Texas law enforcement community banded together to stop this organization from doing further harm and to save lives.”
These federal charges resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration together with the United States Border Patrol, El Paso Police Department, Socorro Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Norman (OK) Police Department and the Arkansas State Police.
The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering operations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Federal Jury Convicts Two Colombian Nationals in Plan to Smuggle over $45 Million of CocaineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Gustavo Enrique Llanos Miranda (62) and Jair Mendoza Montoya (49), both of Colombia, South America, guilty of conspiring to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and possessing with the intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Llanos Miranda faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. Mendoza Montoya faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for March 20, 2018. They were indicted on September 19, 2017.
According to evidence presented at trial, Llanos Miranda and Mendoza Montoya participated in a plan to smuggle more than 1,500 kilograms of cocaine on board a large oil tanker named FAT CROW. In August 2017, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) interdicted the vessel in international waters in the Caribbean Sea. After conducting an exhaustive search of the ship, the USCG found 1,504 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment that the crew had constructed in the ship’s bow. Llanos Miranda and Mendoza Montoya, along with several other FAT CROW crewmembers, had participated in extensive negotiations with a drug cartel representative concerning their compensation for smuggling the cocaine and participated in loading the cocaine onto the ship. Five other crewmembers pleaded guilty to the conspiracy prior to trial. The wholesale value of the cocaine exceeds $45 million.
This case was investigated by agents of the Panama Express Strike Force, an OCDETF Strike Force comprised of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor G. Stout and Carlton C. Gammons.
Fayette County Felon Sentenced to More than Fifteen Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Shotgun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
A Fayette County felon, who possessed a shotgun and ammunition in a car in June 2016, was sentenced last week to more than fifteen years in federal prison.
Kyle Dwayne Boleyn, age 42, received the prison term after a June 29, 2017, guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In a plea agreement, Boleyn admitted that, on June 16, 2016, he was a passenger in a Ford Mustang that was driving the streets of Oelwein, Iowa. When law enforcement officers stopped the Mustang, they found defendant with a shotgun and ammunition. They also found a number of materials that Boleyn intended to use to manufacture methamphetamine, including pseudoephedrine and Coleman fuel. Boleyn already had a warrant for his arrest when he was found with the gun. He also had at least seven prior felony convictions. The convictions include convictions for delivery of methamphetamine, manufacture of methamphetamine, sexual abuse, and violation of a sex offense registry law.
Boleyn was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Boleyn was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. Boleyn must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Boleyn is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Oelwein Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 17-CR-31. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Dubuque Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Perjury Before a Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who committed perjury before a federal grand jury was sentenced last week to more than two years in federal prison.
John Michael Gronen, age 20, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 25, 2017, guilty plea to making a false declaration before a grand jury. At the plea hearing and in a plea agreement, Gronen admitted that he testified falsely, under oath before a grand jury in the Northern District of Iowa on January 10, 2017. Gronen testified that he had never seen a particular sawed-off shotgun, when he had seen another individual carrying the sawed-off shotgun in September 2016. Further, Gronen falsely testified that no one was using drugs at his house on September 22, 2016, when he actually saw two people using cocaine and marijuana in his basement on that date.
Gronen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Gronen was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Gronen was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-cr-31-LRR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Drug Cartel Supplier Gets 30 Years in Federal Prison for East Texas Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 33-year-old Houston man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Jaime Cruz Romero pleaded guilty on May 17, 2017, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on Dec. 15, 2017 by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.
According to information presented in court, beginning in March 2014, federal agents began in investigation of a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine from Houston to Beaumont, Texas and then throughout the United States. Jaime Cruz Romero was identified as a main supplier of methamphetamine, dealing directly with the Mexican sources which was confirmed to be with the Knights of Templar Cartel. Cruz Romero was identified as a manager or supervisor and was found to be personally responsible for conspiring with others to distribute at least 62 kilograms of methamphetamine, 18 kilograms of cocaine, and 20 pounds of marijuana. The drugs were brought from Mexico and distributed to sources in the Houston and Beaumont areas for further distribution.
This case is the result of an extensive joint investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. Cruz Romero was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 3, 2016 and charged with drug trafficking violations.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle S. Englade.
Doctor Sentenced to 30 Years for Oxycodone Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond doctor was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for conspiring to distribute Oxycodone.
According to court documents and evidence and testimony at trial, Clarence Scranage, Jr., 62, was the supplier to a drug trafficking organization that, at various points in time, had more than 40 participants. The participants were recruiters, pill fillers, and dealers who sold to addicts. During the course of the conspiracy, which began in January 2011, Scranage dispensed 1,257 fraudulent prescriptions amounting to more than 223,000 30-mg Oxycodone pills distributed into the underground stream of commerce. Scranage represented himself at trial, and was convicted by a jury on all 19 counts charged in the indictment on August 10. During the trial, one expert testified that Scranage was “a one-man opioid epidemic.”
In addition to the prison sentence, the Court also entered a forfeiture order in the amount of $628,500 which represents the proceeds Scranage received as a result of this drug trafficking conspiracy.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:17-cr-23.
District Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Canaan King, 18, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a four-year prison term for a robbery that occurred near the Fort Totten Metro Station in April 2017, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
King pled guilty in August 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of robbery. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of three to five years in prison. The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced King on Dec. 15, 2017, to four years in prison. Following the prison term, King will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Monday, April 24, 2017, at approximately 6:10 p.m., the victim was walking from the Fort Totten Metro Station near the 700 block of Gallatin Street NE. King approached the victim from behind and placed her in a chokehold. A struggle ensued, and King demanded the victim’s iPhone 6S and told her to “be quiet” and “delete your iCloud.” He choked the victim tighter as she tried unsuccessfully to access her iCloud. He then took the iPhone and fled.
The victim’s iPhone 6S was recovered during the execution of a search warrant on King’s residence in Northeast Washington. Following his arrest on April 28, 2017, King admitted robbing the victim, indicating that he grabbed her from behind and took her phone before fleeing.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Rizwan Qureshi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Dillwyn Couple Indicted on Federal Health Care Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Charlottesville, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury, sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, have indicted a husband and wife and charged them with a variety of crimes related to health care fraud, United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
The grand jury has charged Dennis Lewis Gowin, 66, of Dillwyn, Va., with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, twelve counts of making false statements relating to health care matters, twenty-eight counts of wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information, four counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of being a previously convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm.
In addition, the grand jury has charged Cheryl Gowin, 65, of Dillwyn, with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, two counts of making false statements relating to health care matters, twenty-eight counts of wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information and three counts of aggravated identify theft. Both defendants were charged in an indictment returned last week and made their initial court appearances today in federal court.
According to the indictment, it was the goal of the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves by submitting false and fraudulent claims to Virginia Medicaid. They allegedly attempted to accomplish this goal by filing and attempting to file multiple false applications with employers and Medicaid providers.
The indictment alleges that during these application processes, the defendants conspired to provide false information about their backgrounds to gain employment. Once employed, the defendants fraudulently billed Medicaid. Upon termination of their employment, both defendants took possession of personal health information of patients, without their consent.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Office of the Virginia Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Virginia State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber and Special Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Riordan will prosecute the case for the United States.
A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Five Years for Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Prince George Kelly (36, Apollo Beach) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered him to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit the ammunition seized in the offense.
Kelly pleaded guilty on September 28, 2017.
According to court documents, on December 16, 2016, officers with the Tampa Police Department responded to a domestic violence call. When the officers arrived at the home, Kelly was standing outside. He informed the officers that he did not have any weapons on his person and invited the officers to pat him down. When Kelly raised his arms, the officers observed the bottom of a Glock magazine sticking out of his front pants pocket. The magazine was loaded with .45 caliber ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Kelly is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is 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.
Convicted Burglar Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Three Rifles and a ShotgunRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that United States District Court Senior Judge Callie V.S. Granade sentenced Eric Beard to 41 months in prison on December 18, 2017. The defendant pled guilty to the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on April 26, 2017, a residence in the Mobile area was burglarized. Among the property stolen from the residence were four firearms: 1. 12 gauge Remington shotgun; 2. .234 caliber New England Rifle; 3. .223 caliber Savage Edge Rifle; and a
4. Thompson rifle.Law enforcement officials soon suspected Beard of committing the burglary. Eric Beard was later arrested and provided a statement to police where he admitted to possessing all the stolen firearms in question, but maintained he had no involvement with the burglary. Beard was also found to be in possession of a television that was from the residence during the burglary; however, Beard would only offer that he received the television set from “a guy he knew from prison.”
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office looked at area pawnshops and learned that Beard pawned all four stolen weapons on the same day they were reported stolen in the burglary.
Eric Beard has a prior conviction for burglary in Mobile County, Alabama. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mobile, Alabama Field Office, in conjunction with the Mobile Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baugh prosecuted the case for the Southern District of Alabama.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Brown, 49, of North Franklin, Conn., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Brown pled guilty to the charge in February 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan. Following completion of his prison term, Brown will be placed on 15 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government's evidence, beginning on Aug. 31, 2015, Brown engaged in communications with an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, through a social network site. During the course of the communications, Brown provided the undercover officer with video and images of child pornography. Brown also expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with a purported female minor.
In order to confirm the identity of the defendant, the undercover officer, together with other FBI agents, initiated an investigation that led them to Brown. Brown was registered as a sex offender as a result of a 2005 conviction in Connecticut for distribution of child pornography for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. Brown was arrested in Connecticut on Sept. 17, 2015, and was brought to the District of Columbia to face charges, and has remained in custody ever since. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement seized a cellular phone and tablet. These were submitted for forensic analysis. Law enforcement located thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography on the two devices.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director Vale, and Chief Newsham praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Criminal Investigator John Marsh and Paralegal Specialist Michelle Wicker, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who prosecuted the case.
Cherry Hill Doctor and Son Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding MedicareRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A doctor and his chiropractor son were sentenced to prison today for conspiring to defraud Medicare by using unqualified people to give physical therapy to Medicare recipients, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Robert Claude McGrath D.O., 66, and his son Robert Christopher McGrath, 48, both of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, were sentenced to 30 and 12 months in prison, respectively. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to separate informations charging them each with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Kugler imposed both sentences today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The McGraths owned and operated Atlantic Spine & Joint Institute, a medical practice with offices in Westmont, New Jersey, and Wayne, Pennsylvania. Under Medicare rules, physical therapy had to be provided by Robert Claude McGrath or by a trained physical therapist under his supervision. However, from January 2011 through April 2016, the McGraths sought to defraud Medicare by employing unlicensed, untrained persons to give physical therapy to Medicare patients, at times when Robert Claude McGrath was not even in the office to supervise. They then submitted bills to Medicare fraudulently identifying Robert Claude McGrath as the provider of physical therapy.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Kugler sentenced both defendants to three years of supervised release and ordered them to pay restitution of $890,000.
In a related civil settlement that was announced at the time of their guilty pleas, the McGraths and Atlantic Spine agreed to pay $1.78 million plus interest to the federal government to resolve allegations that the fraudulent bills submitted under the McGraths’ scheme caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare in violation of the False Claims Act.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster in Philadelphia, special agents from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, and special agents from the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark S. McCormack, with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. David Walk Jr. and Andrew A. Caffrey III of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit represented the government in the criminal case and the civil case, respectively.
The New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office reorganized its health care practice in 2010 and created a stand-along Health Care and Government Fraud Unit to handle both criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions of health care fraud offenses. Since that time, the office has recovered more than $1.33 billion in health care and government fraud settlements, judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture under the False Claims Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and other statutes.
Defense counsel: Robert Christopher McGrath and Atlantic Spine & Joint Institute: Riza I. Dagli Esq., Roseland, New Jersey.
Robert Claude McGrath: Perry Primavera Esq., Hackensack, New JerseBosnian Human Rights Abuser Residing in North Carolina Pleads Guilty to Possession of A Fraudulently Obtained Immigration DocumentRead the Press Release
A Bosnian Serb residing in North Carolina pleaded guilty today lying to obtain lawful permanent resident status by concealing his military status and criminal activity during the war in Bosnia. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan and Special Agent in Charge Nick Annan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta made the announcement.
Milan Trisic, 54, most recently residing in Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to a single count of obtaining a Permanent Resident Card, commonly referred to as a “green card,” by making materially false claims and statements. Trisic entered his plea before Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer in the U.S. District Court in Charlotte.
“Those who seek to come to this country must respect our laws,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Entering this country on the basis of fraud is unacceptable. The American people can be assured that this Department is working every day to protect them from the threat posed by criminals who seek to take advantage of our generous immigration system. I want to commend our Homeland Security Investigators and DOJ attorneys for achieving justice in this case.”
According to the admissions made in connection with his plea, Trisic, an ethnic Serb with Bosnian citizenship, is a lawful permanent resident of the United States living in North Carolina. On Nov. 3, 2016, Trisic possessed a green card that was unlawfully obtained. In response to questions on his legal permanent resident application, Trisic knowingly concealed his military service in the Bratunac Brigade, a unit in the Army of the Serb Republic; concealed his criminal activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and lied about his whereabouts during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early and mid-1990s.
As part of his plea of guilty, Trisic admitted that he served in the Army of the Serb Republic as a member of the Bratunac Brigade during various tours of duty between April 1992 and January 1996, at a time when Bosnia and Herzegovina was in the midst of a civil war. Due to its proximity to Serbia, in 1992 forces both aligned with and from Serbia began an ethnic cleansing campaign against the non-Serbian population in and around Bratunac. Trisic admitted that he engaged in various unlawful activities while serving with the Bratunac Brigade, such as the unlawful beating, detention and transportation of Muslim prisoners. Additionally, Trisic admitted that the Bratunac Brigade, operating primarily in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, was one of the military units responsible for the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre that resulted in the deaths of between 7,000 and 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men.
Trisic also admitted that he knowingly lied about his whereabouts during the war in Bosnia. In order to obtain refugee status, Trisic falsely claimed that he resided in Serbia during the war, when in fact he actually resided in Bratunac, Bosnia, where he served as part of the Bratunac Brigade. Trisic later used his illegally obtained status as a refugee to unlawfully obtain permanent resident status in the United States.
Sentencing is not yet scheduled. As part the plea agreement, Trisic will be ordered removed from the United States upon completion of his sentence.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by HSI.
Trial Attorneys Frank G. Rangoussis and Ann Marie Ursini of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith from the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
Beckley woman pleads guilty for role in federal drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Beckley woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Detria S. Carter, 33, entered her guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Carter is one of 23 defendants indicted in June 2017 after a comprehensive investigation of drug trafficking in Southern West Virginia.
Carter admitted that between October 2016 and June 28, 2017, she took part in a drug trafficking conspiracy with multiple participants. During this time period, she was assisting her brother, Velarian Carter, a codefendant who previously pleaded guilty, in maintaining a drug trafficking organization while he was incarcerated on unrelated drug charges. The drug trafficking organization was responsible for distributing cocaine, crack, and heroin in and around Raleigh County. Carter admitted to having other participants in the conspiracy cook cocaine into crack at her house and to distributing the drugs in and around Southern West Virginia.
Additionally, Carter admitted that on May 25, 2017, she was stopped by the Beckley Police Department. Law enforcement discovered that Carter possessed 996 grams of cocaine, approximately 454 grams of crack, and a quantity of fentanyl. Carter admitted that it was her intent, and the intent of the drug trafficking organization, to distribute these controlled substances in Raleigh County. Law enforcement also seized two firearms from the same bag where the drugs were found.
Carter faces at least five and up to 40 years federal prison when she is sentenced on April 24, 2018.
Other individuals implicated as a result of this drug investigation have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Cheyenne Fragale and Macon Fragale, two brothers from Boomer in Fayette County, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of oxycodone, and a quantity of heroin. They both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when they are sentenced on March 14, 2018. Dominic Copney, of Beckley, previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 100 grams of heroin. He faces a mandatory minimum of five and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 17, 2018. Velarian Carter, the brother of Detria Carter, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 280 grams of crack, and more than 100 grams of heroin. He faces at least 20 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 17, 2018.
This prosecution was made possible through the cooperative efforts of several investigating agencies. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Beckley Police Department, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service provided assistance throughout the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of these prosecutions. The plea hearing was held before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Attorney General Sessions Issues Statement on President Trump’s National Security StrategyRead the Press Release
Today Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued the following statement on President Trump’s National Security Strategy: "President Trump has put America first,” Attorney General Sessions said. “The very first pillar of his national security strategy is to protect our homeland--to protect the American people from terrorism, from violent crime, from deadly drugs, and from any other threat we face. And he has taken action to do that by stopping immigration of people we can't vet, holding cities and counties accountable that intentionally undermine federal law enforcement, and putting a bullseye on gangs like MS-13. This year alone, the Justice Department has secured convictions of more than 1,000 gang members across America and arrested hundreds of members of MS-13. Under President Trump's leadership, we are making America safe again."
Associate of La Cosa Nostra Found Guilty of Extortion-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
An associate of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime family was found guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts of extortion-related charges.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan 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 FBI Boston Field Office, Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today.
Richard Valentini, 53, of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts was found guilty today by a jury following a one-week trial of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled Valentini’s sentencing on March 12, 2018.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Valentini and co-defendants, Francisco “Frank” Depergola, Ralph Santaniello, and Giovani “Johnny Cal” Calabrese, were associates of the New York-based Genovese LCN crime family and engaged in various criminal activities in Springfield, Massachusetts, including extortion from legitimate businesses. The prosecutors established that Valentini and his co-defendants used violence, exploited their relationship with the Genovese LCN crime family, and implied threats of murder and physical violence to instill fear in their victims.
The evidence established that in 2013, Valentini, Depergola, Santaniello and Calabrese attempted to extort money from a Springfield businessman. Santaniello and Calabrese assaulted the businessman and threatened to cut off his head and bury his body if he did not comply. Prosecutors established that over a period of seven weeks, the businessman paid $20,000 to Valentini, Santaniello, Calabrese, and Depergola to protect himself and his business.
Each charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, five 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.
Santaniello, Calabrese and Deperola previously pleaded guilty; their sentencings are scheduled for Jan. 29, 2018, Jan. 30, 2018, and March 9, 2018, respectively.
The case was investigated by the FBI Boston Field Office and the Massachusetts State Police. Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Regan, Chief of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Wagner, also of the Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case.
Antlers Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Allen Bailey, age 50, of Antlers, Oklahoma pled guilty to Felon In Possession Of Firearm & Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about July 18, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, Charles Allen Bailey, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce a firearm and ammunition which have been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The defendant will remain in custody pending a sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Actor Pleads Guilty to Possessing Large Collection of Child Pornography Found on His Home ComputerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Actor Mark Wayne Salling today pleaded guilty to a federal offense of possessing child pornography and specifically admitted that he possessed approximately 25,000 images of children engaged in sexual conduct.
Salling, 35, of Shadow Hills, who is best known for his role as Noah Puckerman on the television show “Glee,” pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor.
In a plea agreement filed in October in United States District Court, Salling acknowledged that he downloaded the images from the internet in 2015 and used software designed to conceal his activity. The collection was discovered on a laptop computer, a hard drive, and a USB flash drive after Salling showed some of the images to a girlfriend, who reported the matter to local enforcement.
Salling pleaded guilty this afternoon before United States District Judge Otis Wright II, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 7.
The child pornography charge that Salling admitted today carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The parties to the plea agreement have agreed that the appropriate sentence in this case is four years to seven years in federal prison, to be followed by a 20-year period of supervised release. If Judge Wright decides to impose a sentence outside of the agreed-upon range, either party will have the option of withdrawing from the agreement.
Once Salling completes his prison sentence and begins serving a period of supervised release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case against Salling is the product of an investigation by the Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which includes officers with the Los Angeles Police Department and special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The Beverly Hills Police Department provided substantial assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joey Blanch of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
15 December 2017
Williamsport Man Charged with Drug Distribution Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Wayne Davidson, age 24, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was indicted on December 14, 2017, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Davidson engaged in the distribution of heroin and carfentanil on June 29, 2017, in Lycoming County, and as a result of those deliveries, two persons suffered serious bodily injury.
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and large animals. It is estimated to be 10,000 times stronger than morphine.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Williamsport Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan VanFleet is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The defendant is facing a mandatory sentence of twenty years in prison and maximum term of life imprisonment. He also faces a $2,000,000 maximum fine, and maximum lifetime term of supervised release. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Williamsport Man Charged with Drug Deliveries Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Nathan Crowder, age 29, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was charged on November 14, 2017, in a superseding indictment with four additional counts of drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the superseding indictment alleges that Crowder engaged in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including heroin and carfentanil, from January to July of 2017. As part of that ongoing conspiracy, it is alleged that Crowder distributed a substance containing heroin and carfentanil on four separate occasions in June and July 2017. As a result, three people suffered serious bodily injury.
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and large animals. It is estimated to be 10,000 times stronger than morphine.
The superseding indictment also contains the original charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to deliver heroin.
The charges stem from an investigation by the South Williamsport Police Department, the Williamsport Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan VanFleet is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The defendant is facing a mandatory sentence of twenty years in prison and maximum term of life imprisonment. He also faces a $2,000,000 maximum fine, and maximum lifetime term of supervised release. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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West Virginia residents admit to their roles in a methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA –Three West Virginia residents have admitted to their roles in a meth distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jerry Lee Stewart, Jr., 28, of Weston, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine” and one count of “Carrying a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.” Stewart admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine in Upshur County and elsewhere from March 2016 to September 2017. He also admitted to possessing a 9mm caliber pistol and a .22 caliber pistol while committing a drug trafficking crime in April 2017 in Lewis County.
Reggie Joe McLain, age 38, of Buckhannon, West Virginia pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.” McLain admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine in Upshur County and elsewhere from March 2016 to September 2017.
Casey Jo Richards, age 28, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Richards admitted to distributing crystal meth in April 2017 in Harrison County.
Stewart and McLain each face up to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000,000 for the conspiracy count. Stewart also faces up to five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms count. Richards faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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 Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the cases 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 are investigating.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Upstate Residents Plead Guilty to Mail Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that John P. Garrett, age 35, of Simpsonville, and Benjamin G. Eller, age 30, of Simpsonville, pled guilty in federal court in Anderson, to a conspiracy to commit mail theft, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain, of Anderson, accepted the plea and will impose 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 the defendants stole mail in and around Greenville County in an effort to obtain bank account numbers, routing numbers, and identification information. Once in possession of this material they would create counterfeit checks and negotiate them to obtain money for methamphetamine.
Defendants often stole automobiles in order to steal mail and pass checks. This was done so that the tag would not come back to them if law enforcement or a citizen spotted them. Hundreds of pieces of stolen mail were recovered in this case along with checks already altered and made payable to defendants.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty defendants can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for 5 years, plus a special assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Union Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Cornelius C. Crawford., age 31, of Union, pled guilty in federal court in Anderson, to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain, of Anderson, accepted the plea and will impose 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 on October 13, 2016, Officer Montjoy with the Jonesville Police Department observed a car failing to maintain lane and a passenger in the car with no seatbelt. Based on these violations, he initiated a traffic stop. When the car stopped, Crawford (who was the passenger) jumped out carrying a green and orange bag and made a run for it. Officer Montjoy chased him. After a chase, Crawford pulled out a .22 caliber Ruger, turned, and pointed it at the officer. Montjoy ordered him over and over to drop the gun and get on the ground. On the tenth or so command, Crawford finally got to the ground, and tried to bury the gun and a bag of cocaine next to him. Once backup arrived, officers placed Crawford under arrest. In the orange bag, the officer located a set of digital scales, five baggies of cocaine, and .22 caliber bullets.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty this defendant can receive is a fine of $2,000,000 and/or imprisonment for 30 years, six years of supervised release, plus a special assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by agents of the Jonesville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
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U.S. Attorney's Statement Regarding Addition of Prosecutor to Fight Violent Crime in Central IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. Attorney John E. Childress issued the following statement upon Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement today that the Department of Justice has allocated additional resources across the country to fight violent crime, including the addition of a prosecutor position in the Central District of Illinois:
“On behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, I would like to thank the Attorney General for the additional resources dedicated to the protection of the citizens of Central Illinois,” stated U.S. Attorney John Childress. “With the help of our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work together to promote the safety and interests of those citizens.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman Awards Outstanding Performance Recognitions to District EmployeesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman recognized nine employees of the Southern District of Ohio in four categories for their distinguished public service in his second annual United States Attorney’s Awards in Outstanding Performance.
Outstanding Performance in Legal Support – Leah A. Gezinski
Ms. Gezinski’s support has enabled the Dayton office to successfully investigate and charge those trafficking heroin, fentanyl and other opioids.
“Ms. Gezinski has been invaluable in supporting some of the most labor-intensive investigations, particularly involving wiretaps,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “She worked tirelessly, and often at late or early hours, to ensure the success of wires that have been instrumental in charging and convicting opioid traffickers.”
Outstanding Performance by an Assistant United States Attorney – Heather A. Hill
Ms. Hill led three jury trials in the first four months of 2017 that arose from separate child-exploitation investigations.
In January, Thomas A. Sweeney was convicted of all counts, including production of child pornography, attempted coercion/enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography and commission of a sex offense while registered as a sex offender. He was sentenced in July to serve 55 years in prison for the sex crimes, which involved a 14-year-old.
Joshua D. Chapman-Sexton was convicted of all counts in February. He was on supervised release when he committed the new offenses, which included receipt and possession of child pornography, and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
In April, Shawn P. Parrish was also convicted of all counts, including receiving and possessing child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
“Assistant United States Attorneys are the best trial lawyers in the world, and no one performed as much or at a higher level in 2017 than Heather Hill,” Glassman said. “First chairing three jury trials in four months is a remarkable feat, and Ms. Hill’s accomplishment is all the more impressive because the defendants were charged with serious child-exploitation offenses, and she convicted them on every count.”
Outstanding Performance by a Litigative Team – Financial Litigation Unit
Assistant United States Attorney Bethany J. Hamilton, Paralegal Specialists Craig A. Black and Cloteal J. Turner, Legal Assistant Nicole Burczyk and Contract Paralegals Stephanie Crosson and Danielle DeLeon Spires were recognized for collecting more than $261 million in fiscal year 2017 – the highest total in the history of the Southern District of Ohio.
“The Financial Litigation Unit accomplished this new record for our District through 4,322 enforcement activities, close coordination with the Criminal and Civil divisions, and teamwork of the highest order,” Glassman said.
Outstanding Performance in Administration – Karen S. Stocker
As the District’s Budget Officer, Ms. Stocker handled a once-in-a-generation type of transition this past year to a new financial management system that was implemented in each U.S Attorney’s Office across the country.
“Ms. Stocker has been an exemplary Budget Officer for the last decade, and this past year, she not only managed to accommodate within our budget expenses for ambitious investigations and litigation, but she also did so while transitioning to a new national financial management system,” Glassman said. “This transition was among the most significant in many years, but thanks to Ms. Stocker’s diligence and hard work, most litigators in our office probably didn’t even notice.”
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