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13 December 2017
Bossier City car dealer pleads guilty to stealing $177,000 from credit unionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Benton man pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking out loans totaling $177,000 for three cars that didn’t exist.
Larry Wayne Toms Jr., 41, of Benton, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of bank fraud. According to the guilty plea, Toms, who is a car dealer in Bossier City, La., submitted fraudulent loan applications for the purchase of three cars from June 1, 2015 to July 23, 2015 to the Post Office Employees Federal Credit Union in Shreveport, and the credit union disbursed $177,000 to Toms. The three vehicles listed in loan applications did not exist.
Toms faces up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of March 23, 2018.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
Bloods Gang Member Sentenced for Federal Racketeering and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
A Raleigh, North Carolina Bloods gang member was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for racketeering and drug charges.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. of the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement.
Chief U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced Christopher Darnell Evans, 28, to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised released following his prison sentenced. Evans was named in an Indictment filed on Jan. 20, charging him with conspiracy to participate in a pattern of racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine. On Sept. 11, Evans pleaded guilty to those charges.
According to the indictment, the Black Mob Gangstas and Donald Gee Family (BMG/DGF) Bloods is a violent street gang with members operating in Raleigh, including the Haywood Street area, since the early 2000s. The gang is organized according to a detailed hierarchical structure. Senior leadership regularly conducted formal meetings, collected dues from members and assaulted members who failed to pay or follow orders.
Evans attended gang meetings, received instructions from higher-ranking gang members regarding the gang’s rank structure and the payment of gang dues. Additionally, Evans frequently sold narcotics on behalf of the gang, specifically cocaine.
The case was investigated by the Raleigh Police Department, FBI and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dena King and Scott Lemmon of the Eastern District of North Carolina, and Trial Attorney John C. Hanley of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Bloods Gang Member Sentenced for Federal Racketeering and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced CHRISTOPHER DARNELL EVANS, 28, of Raleigh, North Carolina to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
EVANS was named in an Indictment filed on January 20, 2017 charging him with conspiracy to participate in a pattern of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. On September 11, 2017, EVANS pled guilty to those charges.
According to the indictment, the Black Mob Gangstas and Donald Gee Family (“BMG/DGF”) Bloods is a violent street gang with members operating in Raleigh, including the Haywood Street area, since the early 2000s. The gang is organized according to a detailed hierarchical structure. Senior leadership regularly conducted formal meetings, collected dues from members, and assaulted members who failed to pay or follow orders.
EVANS attended gang meetings, received instructions from higher ranking gang members regarding the gang’s rank structure and the payment of gang dues. Additionally, EVANS frequently sold narcotics on behalf of the gang, specifically cocaine.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Raleigh Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dena King and Scott Lemmon of the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney John C. Hanley of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section represented the government.
Beverly Hills Doctor Convicted of Fraud, Corruption in Massive Workers’ Comp SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 13, 2017
SAN DIEGO – Beverly Hills Radiologist Ronald Grusd and two of his corporations, California Imaging Network Medical Group and Willows Consulting Company, were convicted by a federal jury late yesterday of fraud and bribery charges in connection with a massive health care-fraud scheme involving the State of California’s Workers’ Compensation program.
After a seven-day trial, the jury found Dr. Grusd and his companies guilty on all charges facing them, including Conspiracy, Honest Services Mail and Wire Fraud, Health Care Fraud, and Travel Act violations, based on their years-long bribery and fraud scheme.
According to evidence presented at trial, Dr. Grusd and his companies paid kickbacks for patient referrals from multiple clinics in San Diego and Imperial counties in order to fraudulently bill insurance companies over $25 million for medical services. Dr. Grusd negotiated with various individuals, including a primary treating physician, the payment of kickbacks for the referral of workers’ compensation patients for various medical services, including MRIs, ultrasounds, Shockwave treatments, toxicology testing and prescription pain medications.
After the patients were referred for the treatment or service, one of Dr. Grusd’s companies, California Imaging Network Medical Group, would fraudulently bill insurance companies for the procedures, concealing from both the patients and the insurers that substantial kickbacks had been paid in violation of California law. Another of Dr. Grusd’s companies, Willows Consulting Company, funneled the kickback payments to those directing the referral of the patients from the various clinics. Records presented at trial showed that Dr. Grusd paid over one hundred thousand dollars in bribes to secure the billings for hundreds of patients, with bribes paid on a per-patient or per-body-part formula.
Dr. Grusd was ordered to return to federal court on March 12, 2018, for a sentencing hearing for himself as well as both corporations. Since 2009, Dr. Grusd and his various companies have filed tens of thousands of liens in the California Workers Compensation System, seeking reimbursement for hundreds of millions of dollars from multiple insurers. To date, any outstanding liens have been stayed and will be sent to lien consolidation for dismissal proceedings as a result of the convictions. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict as to Dr. Grusd’s administrator, Gonzalo Paredes, who was ordered back to court on January 4, 2018, for a hearing regarding a retrial.
Dr. Grusd, Paredes, and the corporations were originally indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2015, when the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, working in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Insurance, announced multiple arrests arising from “Operation Back Lash” – a long-term, proactive health care fraud investigation targeting corruption and fraud in the California Workers’ Compensation system that is continuing.
Since then, nearly 40 individuals and corporations have been charged with federal and/or state crimes, including doctors, attorneys, marketers and providers of medical services and devices. The four other defendants charged with Dr. Grusd and Paredes – who were alleged to have received bribes in exchange for patient referrals – have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with the continuing investigation while awaiting sentencing. The charges on which Dr. Grusd went to trial were brought in July 2017, when a grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment against him and his companies.
Grusd’s practice, California Imaging Network Medical Group, operated clinics throughout California in San Diego, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Fresno, Rialto, Santa Ana, Studio City, Bakersfield, Calexico, East Los Angeles, Lancaster, Victorville and Visalia.
“A patient entrusts his life to his physician,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “A doctor’s medical decisions should be based on the best interest of the patient, not the highest bidder. The jury has found that Dr. Grusd perverted that sacred relationship by buying and selling patients – oftentimes on a per-body-part basis – for his own personal enrichment.”
U.S. Attorney Braverman commended the tireless efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Insurance to investigate these offenses, and thanked San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan and her office for collaborating with the United States Attorney’s Office on the Operation Back Lash prosecutions.
“These convictions show that the paying of illegal bribes and treating patients as commodities for the purpose of lining conspirator's pockets will not be tolerated,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric S. Birnbaum. “The FBI will continue to use our investigative expertise to dismantle sophisticated criminal conspiracies at the highest levels. This case exemplifies that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out corruption in our health care system.”
Anyone with information about healthcare fraud may call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or 1-800-225-5324 or the California Department of Insurance’s toll-free fraud hotline, 800-927-4357.
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 15cr2821-BAS
Ronald Grusd Los Angeles, CA
Gonzalo Ernesto Paredes LaVerne, CA
California Imaging Network Medical Group Incorporated in 2007
Willows Consulting Company Incorporated in 2011
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Mail Fraud, Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Health Care Fraud, in violation 18 U.S.C. 1349
Maximum Penalty: 20 years in custody; $250,000 fine, or twice the pecuniary gain or loss; three years’ supervised release; restitution to victims of the offense; forfeiture
Honest Services Mail and Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Secs. 1341, 1343 and 1346 (18 Counts)
Maximum Penalty (each count): 20 years in custody; $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss; three years’ supervised release; restitution to victims of the offense; forfeiture
Health Care Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1347, (14 Counts)
Maximum Penalty (each count): 20 years in custody; $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss; three years’ supervised release; restitution to victims of the offense; forfeiture
Travel Act, in violation of U.S.C. 1952 (6 Counts)
Maximum Penalty: Five years in custody; $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss; three years’ supervised release; restitution to victims of the offense; forfeiture
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
California Department of Insurance
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Auburn Man Convicted for Possession of a Firearm after a Conviction for a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Willie Richard Minor, 58, of Auburn, Maine, was convicted today following a two-day jury trial in U.S. District Court of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Court records and trial evidence revealed that on June 14, 2010, Minor was convicted in Maine Superior Court of Assault. The victim of the assault was his wife at the time. As a result of that conviction, the defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms. On November 27, 2016, in an interview with the Auburn Police Department, the defendant admitted to having a gun and told the police he kept the gun in his apartment. The police subsequently searched his apartment pursuant to a warrant and found the gun Minor had described.
Minor faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Auburn and Mechanic Falls Police Departments, the Maine State Police Crime Lab, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Atlanta man convicted of assaulting Federal Marshals with a motor vehicleRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Shusta Traverse Gumbs has been convicted of two counts of using a motor vehicle to assault members of the U.S. Marshals Services’ Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERTF) after he attempted to flee arrest in his vehicle, pinning a Deputy U.S. Marshal with his car in the process.
“Gumbs used his vehicle to pin one of the Deputy Marshals between two cars, resulting in serious injury to the officer,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “He also jeopardized the lives of the remaining arresting officers who were near the defendant’s car during the assault. We are committed to backing our men and women in law enforcement, and will use all of our resources to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who seek to injure our law enforcement partners who work hard to protect us.”
“Assaulting a federal officer shows a disregard for law and order. We appreciate the hard work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring Gumbs to justice. He was held accountable for this assault by a jury of his peers,” said Keith D. Booker, Chief Inspector, Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and evidence presented at trial: On October 21, 2016, the SERFTF sought Gumbs for an active warrant issued by Douglas County, Georgia, Superior Court for failure to appear for the offenses of theft by receiving stolen property, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of marijuana. SERFTF members saw Gumbs stopped in a black car in a parking lot of a store in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta.
A deputy entered the parking lot in a car, with another deputy as his passenger. A third deputy arrived in a van, with two more deputies as his passengers. Two separate deputies each arrived in separate vehicles. All the officers then converged on Gumbs’ vehicle with the sirens and blue lights of their vehicles engaged and firearms drawn. Gumbs was ordered to turn off and exit his vehicle. Gumbs suddenly placed his vehicle in reverse and backed up approximately 10 to 15 feet.
One of the deputies then ran to his vehicle to retrieve an expandable baton should it become necessary to break any of the windows of Gumbs’ vehicle. As that deputy approached Gumbs’ vehicle a second time, Gumbs accelerated his vehicle to force his way past one of the officers’ parked vehicles. As Gumbs did so, he pinned the deputy between the two vehicles, crushing his left thigh, knee, foot, and ankle. Gumbs then fled the West End area at a high rate of speed during heavy traffic, striking a motorist’s vehicle, and running a stop sign and a red traffic light. He eventually abandoned the vehicle and eluded capture until four days later, on October 25, 2016.
Shusta Traverse Gumbs, 39, of the U.S. Virgin Islands, was convicted of two counts of forcibly assaulting, impeding, opposing, resisting, or interfering with four federal officers during the performance of their official duties.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Services’ Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, with assistance from the Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Anderson Felon Sentenced for Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money ChargesRead the Press Release
Anderson, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Michael Donyell Robinson, age 35, of Anderson, South Carolina was sentenced in federal court for “Conspiracy to Sell Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson sentenced Robinson to 78 months imprisonment.
Evidence presented at the change of plea and sentencing hearings established that on November 17, 2015, a deputy from the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a car driven by Tempest Campbell for a traffic violation. The officer found that Campbell’s license was expired and the passenger, Michael Robinson, was wanted on warrants out of North Carolina. When asked why Robinson appeared nervous, Robinson handed the deputy a bag containing $9,760 in counterfeit currency and two plastic bags containing MDMA and methamphetamine. Inside Campbell’s purse, officers located a G.P.C. model 10, .22 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber. Campbell stated that Robinson had shoved the gun in her purse when they saw the Abbeville patrol car’s blue lights. Robinson had two matching .22 caliber bullets on him and additional cocaine, crack, and a digital scale around his seat. Robinson has prior felony convictions, which prohibited him from possessing a firearm. Further investigation revealed that Campbell and Robinson had previously sold counterfeit to a third party. Robinson has remained in custody since his arrest. Campbell previously pled guilty to the counterfeiting conspiracy.
The case was investigated by agents of the United States Secret Service, ATF, and the Abbeville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
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44 Individuals Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On December 8, 2017, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against 44 defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in the municipalities of Caguas, Cidra, and Aguas Buenas, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), Caguas Strike Force Unit, are in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of DEA and the US Marshals.
The indictment alleges that beginning in or about the year 2013, the organization distributed heroin, crack, cocaine, marihuana, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) all within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising the Turabo Heights, Brisas del Turabo, Juan Jiménez-García, Práxedes Santiago, Jardines de Cidra, and Vistas de Jagüeyes Public Housing Projects and other areas nearby the municipalities of Caguas, Cidra and Aguas Buenas, PR, all for significant financial gain and profit.
The 44 defendants acted in different roles in order to further the goals of their organization, to wit: leaders, drug point owners, drug processors, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. According to the indictment, defendants and their co-conspirators would deposit money in accounts belonging to incarcerated members of the organization to keep them from cooperating with law enforcement.
The defendants are: Nelson Torres-Delgado, a.k.a. “Nelsito/El Burro”; Wilfredo Maldonado-Ríos, a.k.a “Yuyo/La Flaca”; Juan Blanco-Meléndez, a.k.a. “Puchu”; Pedro José Pomales, a.k.a. “Pedro El Tetón”; Gerardo Rodríguez-Guzmán, a.k.a. “Figurita”; Luis Cataño-Landan, a.k.a. “Beba”; Pedro J. Carrasquillo-Marcano, a.k.a. “Potin”; Carlos J. Reyes-Rosario, a.k.a. “Carlitos Mea”; José Luis González-De Jesús, a.k.a. “Rambo”; Christopher Rivera-Gómez, a.k.a. “Cagao”; Joshuan Casanova-López, a.k.a. “Torito”; Javier J. Suárez-Álvarez, a.k.a. “Javi El Goldo”; Pedro Xavier Montañez-Fernández, a.k.a. “Vito Fernández”; Alexis Pérez-Mléndez, a.k.a. “Lechón/Sexi Carolina”; Jesús Torres-Coss, a.k.a. “Popo”; Jonathan Torres-Coss, a.k.a. “Jonatito”; Carlos Rodríguez-Zayas, a.k.a. “Carlitos Zayas”; Juan G. Díaz-Colón, a.k.a. “Gabi Diente”; Gregorio Angulo-Rosa, a.k.a. “Monkey”; Ángel Betancourt-Flores, a.k.a. “Betan”; Luis M. Hernández-Ramos, a.k.a. “Ardilla”; Kenneth Cedeño-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “La Barbie”; Edwin Padilla-López, a.k.a. “Bebo/Play”; Ángel M. Ruiz-Robles, a.k.a. “Angie”; Félix A. Rosario-Garced, a.k.a. “Chandel”; Emmanuel Figueroa-Centeno, a.k.a. “Emma”; Luis Joel Marrero-Ortiz, a.k.a. “La J”; Reynaldo Ríos-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Garra”; Jeseiken Rodríguez-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Jeiki”; Juan C. Claudio-Cervera, a.k.a. “Clau”; Onix Rosario-Delgado; José Padilla-Santiago, a.k.a. “Gurabo”; Christian Centeno-Rosado, a.k.a. “Espigao”; Christian Roldán-Colón, a.k.a. “Roldán”; Kesia González-Claudio; Jean Pierre Benítez-Reyes, a.k.a. “Jampi”; Jorge L. Nieves-Colón, a.k.a. “Coli”; Carlos Pedraza-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Carli/Lechón”; Jonathan Hernández-Flores; Ricardo Abel Rivera-Santos, a.k.a. “Abel”; Jorge L. Roque-Cruz, a.k.a. “Chapa”; Emmanuel Díaz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Emanuel Trenzas”; Victor Reyes-Santiago, a.k.a. “Vitito”; and Ernesto Aroche-Rivera, a.k.a. “Flow/Hector”.
Twenty-five of the defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crime. All of the defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of ten million dollars.
“One of our top priorities continues to be the disruption and dismantling of drug trafficking organizations, at every level,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The result of this joint operation, with the collaboration of our state counterparts, shows our commitment to keep drugs and firearms out of our neighborhoods.”
“This indictment sends a clear message that ATF and its Federal and local partners will tirelessly combat armed drug trafficking and violent crime in Puerto Rico. The criminality that affects the most vulnerable members of the community will never be tolerated,” said Ari Shapira, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Miami Field Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa S. Zapata-Valladares is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). This multi-agency task force investigates and dismantles major drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi kilogram quantities of narcotics as well as the gang violence that is generated by drug trafficking.
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16 People Linked to San Fernando Valley-Based Narcotics-Delivery Service Indicted by Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal and local law enforcement authorities today took into custody seven defendants linked to a drug-distribution ring that operated out of Van Nuys and used a fleet of cars and a staff of drivers to make rapid deliveries – primarily of heroin – in response to phone orders.
Today’s arrests follow the filing of three indictments returned yesterday afternoon by a federal grand jury. The main indictment, which charges 14 defendants, outlines the operations of “Manny’s Delivery Service,” a telephone order narcotics-delivery service that allegedly sold heroin and cocaine, often supplying to customers who were directed to meet delivery drivers at locations across the San Fernando Valley.
While the delivery service sold small user-quantities to customers who phoned in orders, the conspiracy allegedly sold larger quantities as part of its sophisticated, high-volume narcotics business. The indictment discusses managers who obtained narcotics, delivery vehicles with hidden compartments and the movement of bulk cash collected from narcotics transactions.
In relation to the alleged conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, the indictment outlines activities over a two-month period that began in late August. During this period, members of the drug ring obtained multi-kilogram quantities of heroin and moved hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, according to wiretapped conversations outlined in the indictment. Bulk narcotics were stored in a “stash house,” and smaller quantities of drugs were packaged and dispatched to customers from a facility maintained by the ring in Van Nuys.
During today’s enforcement operations, law enforcement authorities seized approximately 14 pounds of heroin, more than one pound of cocaine and a significant amount of cash.
The main indictment charges 14 defendants who played various roles in the Manny’s Delivery Service. The defendants, many of whom have aliases, are:
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Sigifredo Gurrola Barrientos, 40, of Sylmar, the alleged manager of the drug trafficking operation who oversaw the movement of narcotics and the operation’s fleet of delivery vehicles (arrested today);
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Adrian Munoz-Garcia, 24, of Buena Park, who is described in the indictment as Barrientos’ right-hand man (arrested today);
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Juan Carlos Bonilla, 21, of Phoenix, Arizona, who allegedly took customers’ orders and helped coordinate deliveries (currently a fugitive);
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Eduardo Daniel Ramirez-Hernandez, 26, of Van Nuys, who also allegedly took customers’ orders and arranged for deliveries (arrested today);
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Joel Cortes-Solano, 26, of Anaheim, who allegedly was a dispatcher, delivered drugs and collected proceeds from other delivery drivers (currently a fugitive);
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A currently unidentified man known only as “Gangster,” who allegedly also worked as a dispatcher;
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Jacqueline De La Rosa, 24, of Pacoima, who allegedly purchased wholesale quantities of narcotics and stored them at her residence, as well as transported large sums of narcotics proceeds (arrested today);
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A man charged in the indictment under the moniker “Lineas” who was taken into custody today and identified as Gerardo Aguilar-Castillo, 27, of Orange;
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Alexander Abraham Talamantes Garcia, 40, of Anaheim, who allegedly provided narcotics to and collected funds from delivery drivers (currently a fugitive);
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Manuel Ruelas, 21, of Phoenix, Arizona, who allegedly provided narcotics to and collected funds from delivery drivers (who is currently in state custody and is expected to be turned over to federal authorities soon);
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Alan Pineda, 23, of Santa Ana, who allegedly was a delivery driver (currently a fugitive);
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Arnold Pineda, 20, of Santa Ana, who allegedly was a delivery driver (currently a fugitive);
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Christian Elias, 21, of Santa Ana, another alleged delivery driver (currently a fugitive); and
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Anthony Salvador Magallon, 19, of Santa Ana, who allegedly was a delivery driver (currently a fugitive).
Two additional indictments returned yesterday by the grand jury name individual defendants who allegedly purchased larger quantities of drugs from Manny’s Delivery Service. These defendants are charged with various narcotics distribution offenses that allegedly took place in Ventura County. They are:
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Douglas Von Brunner, 33, of Ventura, who is charged with possession with the intent to distribute nearly one pound of heroin and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl (who was in state custody and was turned over to federal officials today); and
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Christopher Daniel Rumsey, 31, of Newbury Park, who allegedly distributed heroin (arrested today).
The seven defendants taken into custody today are expected to be arraigned tomorrow morning in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Authorities are continuing to search for the eight fugitives.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The main indictment charges the 14 defendants in a conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances. If they were to be convicted of that offense, each defendant would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a potential sentence of life without parole.
The investigation into “Manny’s Delivery Service” was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ventura County Narcotics Task Force. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Glendale Police Department provided substantial assistance during today’s operations.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher C. Kendall and A. Carley Palmer of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
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12 December 2017
York Gang Member Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a member of a gang that has operated for a decade or more in the City of York was sentenced to life in prison for racketeering and drug distribution conspiracies.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, U.S. District Court Judge Yvette Kane imposed a sentence of life in prison on Douglas Kelly, a/k/a “Killer,” age 39, who was identified as a member of the “Southside” street gang as well as a member of the Bloods. When imposing sentence, Judge Kane noted Kelly’s role as one of the originators of this gang that ravaged the community in York for over a decade, causing numerous deaths and many other victims. Judge Kane indicated that Kelly’s gang activity placed him at the core of the organization.
At the sentencing, the government asked for a life sentence by highlighting Kelly’s significant prior criminal history. The government noted that at the age of 15, Kelly was convicted of attempted murder in New York for shooting an eight-year-old in the head with a shotgun. His criminal conduct did not dissipate, the government argued. Rather, in the early 2000’s, he was one of the original sources of guns and drugs to the gang. Judge Kane agreed and noted that Kelly was comparable to the two other leaders of the group Rolando Cruz, Jr., and Mark Hernandez, both of whom she recently sentenced to life in prison.
In November 2015, a jury convicted Kelly of racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracies after a seven-week trial. It included over 100 witnesses called by the government, including York City Police officers and detectives, federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI and gang members who had previously pleaded guilty and featured the presentation of over 500 exhibits. Among the exhibits were videos of violent incidents involving the Southside Gang, drugs, cash and property seized by police and ATF agents as part of the investigation.
The jury convicted the other 11 men who went to trial with Kelly.
The gang, labeled by the government as a criminal enterprise, is known as Southside. It operated in southern York, centered in the area of Maple and Duke Streets. There was no formal structure but the participants included senior leaders, drug traffickers engaged in distribution and sales of narcotics, particularly crack cocaine, and “shooters,” individuals who committed acts of violence, including use of firearms on behalf of the gang and to protect its members from other gangs in York. Order was maintained through intimidation and threats and, in some cases, murder. The Southside Gang includes a group of violent drug traffickers, originally affiliated with the “Bloods,” primarily a New York-based national violent street gang.
Violence against a rival York gang, called “Parkway,” allegedly resulted in death or shootings of members of both gangs and innocent bystanders.
ATF, together with the York City Police Department and the York County District Attorney’s Office, began an intensive two-year investigation of Southside in 2012. It culminated in a September 2014 grand jury indictment of 21 individuals.
Eight of the indicted persons, including James Abney, a senior Southside leader, pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy charge prior to the trial, as did seven other individuals included in the September 2014 indictment.
Many individual Southside gang members were investigated and previously prosecuted by York County law enforcement agencies on state charges. The federal prosecution aimed at dismantling the organization by exposing and attacking its continuity and leadership. The federal investigation of gang violence and drug dealing in York is continuing in full cooperation with local police and the York County District Attorney’s Office.
Overall, the jury found seven of the 12 men on trial guilty of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute drugs, mainly cocaine base (crack) and cocaine, but including heroin in some instances. Two others were found not guilty of the racketeering charge but were found guilty of the drug distribution conspiracy count of the indictment. Three of the defendants were found not guilty of either of the conspiracy counts. The jury found all 12 defendants guilty of possession of illegal drugs with the intent to distribute. Two defendants were also charged and found guilty of, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The principal defendants, specifically the most violent and those in leading roles, were found guilty of the racketeering conspiracy charges.
The individual defendants and the charges on which they were awaiting sentencing or were sentenced:
Rolando Cruz, Jr., “Mico,” age 32; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, drug possession with intent to deliver and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking (2 counts) was sentenced on October 3, 2017, to life in prison.
Marc Hernandez, a/k/a “Marky D,” age 32; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, drug possession with intent to deliver and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking (2 counts) was sentenced on October 25, 2017, to life in prison.
Roscoe Villega, a/k/a “P Shawn,” age 44; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Tyree Eatmon, a/k/a “Ree,” age 29; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver is awaiting sentencing,
Maurice Atkinson, a/k/a “Mo,” age 30; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver is awaiting sentencing,
Anthony Sistrunk, a/k/a “Kanye,” age 29; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver is awaiting sentencing,
Eugene Rice, a/k/a “B Mor,” age 29; drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 200 months in jail,
Angel Schueg, a/k/a “Pocko,” age 28; drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver is awaiting sentencing,
Jalik Frederick, a/k/a “Murder Cat,” age 22; drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 33 months in prison on June 5, 2017,
Brandon Orr, a/k/a “B Or,” age 23; drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 34 months in prison on November 10, 2016,
Jabree Williams, a/k/a “Minute,” age 24; drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 60 months in prison on May 15, 2017.
Southside gang members who pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy prior to the trial are and who are awaiting sentencing are:
James Abney, a/k/a “Doocs,” age 31.
Malik Sturdivant, a/k/a “Base,” age 25.
Jahkeem Abney, a/k/a “Foo,” age 27.
Ronald Payton, a/k/a “Ron Ron,” age 25.
Cordaress Rogers, a/k/a “Tank,” age 31.
Marquis Williams, a/k/a “Quis,” age 29.
Jerrod Brown, a/k/a “Boogie,” age 28.
Quintez Hall, a/k/a “Q,” age 25.
Richard Nolden, a/k/a “Rich,” age 27.
The case included the participation and assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police, West York Borough Police Department, Spring Garden Township Police Department, the York County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio, William Houser, and Joseph Terz prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
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Waterloo Man Sentenced to a Decade in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing GunRead the Press Release
A man who fired shots at a campus church was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 10 years in federal prison.
Darius Devon Nickelous, age 23, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 1, 2017, jury verdict finding him guilty of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Evidence at trial showed that Nickelous fired a revolver multiple times at the Wesley Foundation Church on January 17, 2017, during a party hosted by a fraternity. The Wesley Foundation Church is located on the University of Northern Iowa’s campus in Cedar Falls. Nickelous fled the scene, but was quickly located by the Cedar Falls Police Department. Nickelous attempted to hide the revolver by a vehicle parked on the street. Officers recovered the gun, which had five spent casings inside, and detained Nickelous. Nickelous, who was extremely intoxicated, had an injury to his arm that was consistent with being grazed by a gunshot. Nickelous was unable to tell officers how he received the injury. No one else was injured. Nickelous was prohibited from possessing the gun because he was an unlawful drug user, had prior felony convictions and had prior misdemeanor domestic abuse convictions.
Nickelous was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Nickelous was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes.
Nickelous 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 Attorneys Emily K. Nydle and Ravi T. Narayan and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Falls Police Department, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-02016
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Washington Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Defrauding Alaskans Out of Approximately $2.7 MillionRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that a Washington man was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison for defrauding Alaskans with an advance fee scheme where he promised investors a significant return on an investment that did not actually exist. His wife was previously convicted on one count of social security fraud in Washington.
Floyd Jay Mann, Jr., 56, of Puyallup, Washington, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 10 years in prison, followed by a term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay full restitution to the victims. Mann pleaded guilty in July 2017 to 11 counts of wire fraud and eight counts of money laundering in Alaska.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward, who prosecuted the case, Mann defrauded individuals in Dillingham and elsewhere of approximately $2.7 million by falsely leading the victims to believe that he was the recipient of a multimillion-dollar settlement from a class-action lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company. Mann told victims that if they helped to pay his medical bills and other lawsuit-related expenses, the victims would be paid back plus a substantial return on their money, but only after Mann’s multimillion-dollar settlement was released by the court. In fact, Mann did not use the victim’s money to pay medical bills. There was no lawsuit settlement, and Mann used the money he obtained from the victims to gamble at a casino, collecting over $1 million in jackpots while receiving need-based social security benefits.
The scheme started when Mann first convinced an elderly neighbor who had cancer, and was formerly from Dillingham, that he too had cancer. Once Mann gained the neighbor’s sympathy and trust, Mann convinced the neighbor of the legitimacy of his fraudulent lawsuit. The neighbor gave so much money to Mann’s scheme he lost his house and then succumbed to his cancer. Meanwhile, Mann moved on to the elderly neighbor’s friends and relatives in Dillingham. Mann carried out his scheme over six years. Mann created fraudulent court documents and had co-conspirators assisting him with pretending to be judges and federal agents to corroborate his fraudulent stories to the victims.
According to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Diggs, who prosecuted the case against Floyd Mann’s wife, Cheryl Mann, in the Western District of Washington, during the course of Floyd Mann’s scheme, he and his wife Cheryl Mann and their son collected approximately $81,000 in need-based Supplemental Security Income benefits. Cheryl Mann was the designated payee for Floyd Mann and their son and responsible for reporting any changes in the household income or assets. During this time, Cheryl Mann won approximately $125,000 by gambling at a casino. That income, as well as the funds obtained by her husband, disqualified the Manns from the public assistance they received. At her sentencing on July 7, 2017, Cheryl Mann was ordered to pay $81,000 in restitution and serve three years of probation.
“Floyd Mann preyed upon the sick and elderly. He ruined the lives of those who sadly placed their trust in him,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson. “I commend the members of this office and our law enforcement partners in their efforts to obtain this conviction and sentence.”
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time well-wishers have gotten robbed helping others in fake battles against cancer,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Bottjer. “IRS-CI Special Agents work diligently to stop criminals like Mann and others who commit crimes out of greed.”
In imposing the sentence, Judge Burgess noted that Mann was a “dogged, determined, charlatan” who caused “permanent financial and emotional damage to dozens of people.” Judge Burgess also commented that Mann was “sophisticated, devious, and calculating.”
The IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), conducted the investigation leading to the convictions in these cases.
Wanblee Man Sentenced to 174 Months in CustodyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Wanblee, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on December 4, 2017, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Jason Poor Bear, age 42, was sentenced on three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact to a total of 174 months in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Poor Bear received 120 months’ custody on Count I, 30 months on Count II, and 24 months on Count III, to be served consecutively. The five-year supervised release terms for each count were ordered to be served concurrently.
Poor Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 17, 2013. He pleaded guilty to the charges on June 23, 2017.
The conviction stems from Poor Bear using force to engage in sexual activity on May 29, 2013, at Wanblee, with the victim while she was incapable of declining participation.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Poor Bear was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Vallejo Woman Sentenced to A Year in Prison for Fraudulently Collecting Almost $300,000 in Social Security Benefits over 23 YearsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Emma Carter-Alexander, 66, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to one year in prison and ordered to pay $298,168.20 in restitution for converting public money to her own use, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, since the death of Carter-Alexander’s mother in 1993, Carter-Alexander has been collecting her mother’s Social Security disability benefits for her own use. To facilitate this fraud, Carter-Alexander filed yearly representative payee statements falsely indicating that she was using the funds for her mother’s well-being, even though her mother was deceased. Over the course of 23 years, Carter-Alexander converted $298,168.20 in public money to her own use.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy J. Kelley prosecuted the case.
Uncasville Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Child Sex Trafficking and Heroin Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMON GOMEZ, also known as “B.I.,” 41, of Uncasville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a minor and heroin distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of May 29, 2016, members of the Groton Police Department and emergency services personnel responded to a Groton motel room on the report of a suspected drug overdose. The victim, a 17-year-old female, was administered two doses of Narcan, which were deemed unsuccessful, before she was transported to the hospital and died later that morning.
The investigation revealed that GOMEZ, who knew the victim was under the age of 18, brought the victim to the motel to engage in prostitution, where the victim stayed with Adele Bouthillier, who also was engaged in prostitution. On the morning of May 28, 2016, GOMEZ sold a quantity of heroin to Bouthillier who then gave it to the victim.
GOMEZ has been detained since his arrest on June 1, 2016. On November 17, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor, and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Bouthillier pleaded guilty to the same charges and, on October 17, 2017, was sentenced to 43 months of imprisonment.
On September 20, 2017, Nestor Santana, also known as “Beans,” of New London, pleaded guilty to a heroin distribution offense stemming from this investigation. Santana supplied GOMEZ with the heroin that subsequently caused the death of the victim. He is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow at 10 a.m.
The matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Town of Groton Police Department and the Regional Community Enhancement Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Twenty-One Defendants Plead Guilty to Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced today that Operation Rolling Thunder, an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and local law enforcement, has resulted in twenty-one defendants entering guilty pleas related to the distribution of methamphetamine and firearms possession in Southwest Virginia and North Carolina.
According to evidence presented at numerous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, the individuals involved in this drug trafficking organization were responsible for the transportation of large quantities of methamphetamine from the Greensboro, North Carolina area to be distributed in Galax, Virginia, Grayson County, Virginia, Carroll County, Virginia, and Surry County, North Carolina. Additionally, many of the members of the organization possessed and used firearms to further their drug trafficking activities. The following defendants entered guilty pleas to the following offenses:
- Amy Hoyt, 46, of Mt. Airy, North Carolina: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment; Possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment.
- Grandy Nester, 33, of Pilot Mt., North Carolina: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment; Possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment.
- Amber Bilyeu, a.k.a. “Rose”, 32, of Mt. Airy, North Carolina: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00 fine with a mandatory minimum term of ten years imprisonment.
- Karen Hawks, 45, of Low Gap, North Carolina: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
- Walter “Butch” Sexton, 64, of Galax, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
- Brittany Cochran, 28, of Fries, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine – maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00.
- Timothy Bowman, 46, of Cana, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment; Possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment.
- Annette Freeman, 32, of Cana, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
- Brad Hunley, 29, of Galax, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
- Shawanna Phipps, 37, of Independence, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $8,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
- Brian Graff, 33, of Independence, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $8,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
- Riley Alley, 26, of Cana, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine – maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00
- Calvin Jermaine Maxwell, 34, of Galax, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine – maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00.
- David Norman, 29, of Galax, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine – maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00.
- Jonathan Choate, 34, of Independence, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment.
- Kevin Humphries, 38, of Cana, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $8,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
- Jackie Christopher Parsons, 39, of Mouth of Wilson, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $8,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
- Jessilyn Jones, 26, of Independence, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine – maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00.
- Vickie Grose, 48, of Galax, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine - twenty years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00.
- Stacey Jerome Sawyers, 30, of Galax, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine – maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00.
- Travis Brian Anders, 35, of Sugar Grove, Virginia: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine – maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Surry County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Galax Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, United States Marshals Service, United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Tucker County residents admit to illegal firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – A Parsons, West Virginia man and woman have admitted to firearms charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jamie Huffman, age 35, pled guilty to two counts of “Theft of Firearm from Federal Firearm Licensee.” Huffman admitted to stealing several firearms from B.F. Long & Co, a Federal Firearm Licensee, including a .38 caliber revolver, and a 40 caliber Glock pistol, and a 9mm pistol. The crimes occurred in July and August 2016 in Tucker County.
Christopher C. Earnest, age 35, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Stolen Firearm - Aiding and Abetting” and two counts of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Earnest admitted to possessing three stolen firearms. Earnest, having previously been convicted of distributing methamphetamine in United States District Court in the Northern District of West Virginia, admitted to possessing a 12-gauge shotgun, a .38-caliber pistol, and .40 caliber Glock pistol. The crimes occurred in June and August 2016 in Randolph and Tucker Counties.
Huffman faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Earnest faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. 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 defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Tennessee Woman Sentenced to Sixty Months for Aiding and Abetting an Attempt to Kidnap Judge and SheriffRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Patricia Parsons, 50, of Brighton, Tennessee, was sentenced to sixty months in federal prison for aiding and abetting solicitation to commit kidnapping. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to the facts revealed during the plea hearing in September 2017, from February 2017 through May 2017, Parsons conspired with Suzanne Holland, a self-appointed Chief Justice of the Universal Supreme Court of the Tsilhquot’ in Nation in Canada, to kidnap a Tipton County judge and a Nebraska sheriff.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "The U.S. Attorney’s Office takes any threats against law enforcement, the courts and public officials very seriously. The defendant’s disturbing conduct in this potentially violent case strikes at the very heart of our justice system, and we are pleased that she has been held accountable for her role in this unusual kidnapping attempt."
On January 10, 2017, Michael Parsons (the defendant’s husband) was scheduled to appear in state court in Tipton County, Tennessee on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Mr. Parsons did not show up for court, removed the ankle monitor and fled the jurisdiction. Two days later, he was located and arrested in a small airport in Arapahoe, Nebraska after flying himself there in a plane.
On February 16, 2017, FBI New Orleans received information that Suzanne Holland, self-appointed Chief Justice of the Universal Supreme Court of the Tsilhqot’ in Nation in Canada, was attempting to hire a bounty hunter to kidnap Sheriff Kurt Kapperman of Furnas County, Nebraska and Judge Joseph Walker of Tipton County, Tennessee and to break Mr. Parsons out of jail. Ms. Holland contacted an FBI Confidential Source in New Orleans, Louisiana and solicited the source to execute what were purported to be duly-
issued "arrest warrants" for the sheriff and judge issued by the Tsilhqot’ in Nation. Holland emailed "arrest warrants" to the source along with an "order to release Michael Parsons from jail." Further investigation revealed that the Tsilhqot’ in Nation was a Sovereign Citizen Group located on the Indian reservation in British Columbia, Canada.
On February 17, 2017, Ms. Holland provided a telephone number for the source to facilitate further discussions. FBI Memphis determined this number to be that of Mr. Parson’s wife, defendant Patricia Parsons.
Based on initial telephone conversations, Ms. Holland and the source agreed to draft a contract, signed by both parties, describing duties and payments. A final negotiated price of $250,000 was agreed upon for the arrest of the sheriff and judge and the facilitating release of Mike Parsons from jail. Mike Parsons was described as an Associate Justice of the Tshilhqot’ in Nation.
On February 23, 2017, the source and Ms. Holland agreed on an initial payment of $5,000 to begin arranging all travel and other details related to the operation. Holland told the source that Patricia Parsons would have the money and be available to meet in Memphis. On March 6, 2017, the source advised Holland that a business associate would meet Patricia Parsons to coordinate the payment. An amended contract was drawn up and signed by both parties. The source then contacted Patricia Parsons to discuss the transaction.
On March 3, 2017, Ms. Holland requested the source to accept a Corvette in lieu of the $5,000 payment. The Corvette was owned by the Parsons and located on Patricia Parsons’ property in Brighton, Tennessee. In telephone conversations, Patricia Parsons advised that the Corvette had some problems but was worth approximately $7,000. Three days later, during a series of phone calls, the source advised the defendant that an associate was traveling to the Parsons’ property to complete the payment transaction.
Further the source explained to Parsons what the overall operation would entail, including: selling the vehicle to help fund the operation; breaking Mr. Parsons out of jail; kidnapping the Tennessee judge (who was scheduled to preside over her husband’s impending trial) and the Nebraska sheriff; using the plane to transport the abducted individuals to Holland in Canada; and using 30 operatives divided into two teams to accomplish these objectives.
During these calls, defendant Parsons advised that her phone was tapped by the FBI and agreed to call the source on another phone. The defendant called on a different line and indicated that she was ok with the source taking the vehicle and using the plane in Nebraska "as long as the FBI don’t come knockin at my door again." The source explained that the operatives would need to go to Canada because "once we kidnap a judge and a sheriff, our heads are gonna be on the choppin block… and once we do what we gotta do we can never come back." After these discussions, the defendant agreed to meet one of the operatives to complete the transaction.
On March 6, 2017, an undercover FBI employee posing as an associate of the source exchanged phone calls with the defendant and subsequently met at her residence in Brighton, Tennessee to obtain the Corvette. Due to the fact that the Corvette was inaccessible at the residence, the defendant agreed to provide the associate a 1991 Ford Ranger truck as the down payment for the operation. Parsons could not find the title but signed a note transferring ownership of the vehicle and gave the associate keys to the truck.
Between March 11 and March 15, 2017, the associate made three separate telephone calls to Parsons in order to gain further information on Tipton County Judge Joseph Walker. The associate asked about an address and photo of the judge’s house. The defendant responded that she did not know the specific address but that the judge’s name was "Joseph Walker III" and advised that he was located in Ripley, Tennessee in Lauderdale County. She also agreed to find out more information on the judge. On another call, the defendant advised the associate about a Ripley P.O. Box for the judge and stated he presided over courts in Tipton, Lauderdale, Hardeman, Fayette and one other county. At no time did Parsons attempt to notify any authorities of the impending plot to kidnap a sheriff and judge and free Mr. Parsons from jail.
On December 12, 2017, U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Parsons to 60 months imprisonment and two years’ supervised release to begin after her term of incarceration.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hall prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Tax Return Preparer Sentence to 24 MonthsRead the Press Release
Idrissa Koita, 45 of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Louis D. Lappen.
Koita worked as a tax return preparer for the companies The Ledgerking, Inc. and Medmans Financial Services. Between January 2009 and May 2012, Koita claimed false credits, false deductions and false dependents on federal tax returns for his clients in order to increase their tax refunds. During the same years, Koita also falsified his own personal tax returns by claiming false credits and false dependents.
According to the United States Attorney’s office, Koita pleaded guilty to preparing and filing false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Koita also pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft stemming from claiming false dependents on tax returns.
Koita’s tax preparation scheme resulted in a tax loss to the federal government in the amount of $2,073,567.54. In addition to Koita’s 24 month prison sentence, he will also be required to serve 3 years’ probation and pay back $60,911 in restitution.
The case was investigation by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Wzorek.
Summit Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child Appears in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Summit, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child.
Desi Duncan Campbell, age 38, was indicted on October 11, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on December 6, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years and up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, between 2004 and 2008, Campbell engaged in sexual acts with a juvenile female. At the times of Campbell’s conduct, the victim was under the age of twelve.
The charges are merely accusations and Campbell is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Campbell was ordered detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
St. Francis Man Sentenced for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on December 11, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
George Scott, age 32, was sentenced to 54 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentences will be served concurrently. Scott was also ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Scott was indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon on July 11, 2017. He was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender on August 15, 2017. He pled guilty to both offenses on September 26, 2017.
The conviction for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon stemmed from an incident that occurred in St. Francis in the early morning hours of June 12, 2017. Scott and another man, Kyle Swift Hawk, got into an altercation with the victim. While Swift Hawk and the victim scuffled, Scott pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the victim multiple times. The victim suffered significant blood loss and internal injuries, and was subsequently hospitalized.
Scott was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in federal court in November 2012. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocating or changing employment. In March 2017, Scott registered with an address in Rapid City, South Dakota. Scott subsequently moved from his registered address and did not update his registration until June 2017, when he registered with an address in St. Francis. Scott was arrested following the assault on June 12, 2017. Scott did not update his sex offender registration between March 30, 2017, and June 8, 2017, as required by law.
Kyle Swift Hawk, age 25, was also indicted based on his involvement in the June 12, 2017, assault. On October 30, 2017, he pled guilty to Misprision of a Felony, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 1 year of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Swift Hawk is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing, which is scheduled for January 22, 2018.
These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the cases.
Scott was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service
South African Man Found Guilty of Attempting to Entice a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that Andries Snyman, 43, who is from South Africa and working in Isabel, South Dakota, was convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet following a three-day federal jury trial held in U.S. District Court in Rapid City. The guilty verdict was returned on December 8, 2017.
Snyman was one of ten men who were arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2016 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following several chats and texts with a person Snyman believed to be a 14 year-old boy, but who was in fact an undercover agent, he proceeded to negotiate the time and place they would meet to have sex. When Snyman went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.
The undercover operation and arrests were a joint effort between the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins prosecuted the case. Sentencing has been set for April 19, 2018.
Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced to 180 Months for Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announces that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine was sentenced on December 11, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Jessica Anne Trevino, age 37, was sentenced to 180 months in custody, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
An Indictment was issued against Trevino for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine by a federal grand jury on May 10, 2016. She pled guilty to the Indictment on August 28, 2017.
Starting in 2014, Trevino was involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Sioux Falls. During her involvement, Trevino trafficked over seven and a half pounds of methamphetamine from California to Sioux Falls utilizing rental vehicles. Her co-conspirator, Noe Trevino, was also indicted for his conduct in the same conspiracy. He also pled guilty and was sentenced to 120 months in prison on August 28, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer D. Mammenga prosecuted the case
Shawn Johnson Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, Acting United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant SHAWN JOHNSON, age 30, was sentenced in District Court today to a term of 71 months imprisonment for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841. Johnson had previously pled guilty to the offense on May 15, 2017. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and payment of a mandatory $100 assessment fee. Additionally, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On March 10, 2015, law enforcement officers arrested Johnson pursuant to an arrest warrant for a Superior Court of Guam probation violation. At the time, Johnson was serving a probation sentence for felony possession of a controlled substance. Upon receiving consent to enter a residence, officers found Johnson in his bedroom. Officers also discovered 26 grams of pure methamphetamine, numerous Ziploc baggies, two digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency, and the Superior Court of Guam Probation and Marshals.
Seven Springfield Residents Among Those Indicted for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that seven Springfield, Mo., residents are among 11 defendants indicted by a federal grand jury today for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute at least a kilogram of heroin in Greene County, Mo.
Jovan J. Denson, 39, Gerald E. Pope, 41, Edward J. Smith, 51, Christine D. Jones, 26, Benjamin J.H. Goodman, 22, Earl E. Jones, 49, and Cierra Nash, 24, all of Springfield; Oriola J. Ijaola, 40, of Chicago, Ill.; Deanna J. Miller, 47, of Orlando, Fla.; Amy E. Mitchell, 45, address unknown, and Reginald Perkins, age and address unknown, were charged in a 12-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield.
Today’s indictment alleges that all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin in Greene County from March 1, 2016, to May 18, 2017.
In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Denson is charged with five counts of distributing heroin and one count of money laundering. The indictment alleges that Denson used $9,500 from illegal drug trafficking to make a down payment on a vehicle.
Ijaola is also charged with one count of distributing heroin. Miller, Jones and Smith are each also charged with one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute.
Pope is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that Pope was in possession of a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol on May 18, 2017.
The indictment also contains forfeiture allegations, which would require Denson to forfeit to the government $13,131 seized by law enforcement officers and Pope to forfeit to the government $4,852 seized by law enforcement officers.
Today’s superseding indictment replaces the original indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury on June 13, 2017. The superseding indictment includes Ijaola and Perkins as additional defendants; Brian J. Brown, 36, and Corbin S. Rice, 26, both of Springfield, were previously charged in the original indictment and have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute at least a kilogram heroin.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jody M. Larison. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Seven Members and Associates of the Gambino and Bonanno Crime Families Indicted for Racketeering and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, New York, a 13-count superseding indictment was unsealed charging six members and associates of the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra and a member of the Bonanno organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra with racketeering conspiracy, including predicate acts of loansharking, operating illegal gambling businesses, narcotics distribution conspiracy and obstruction of justice conspiracy. The superseding indictment relates to the defendants’ alleged criminal activities on Long Island, in Brooklyn, and elsewhere between January 2014 and December 2017. The defendants – John “Johnny Boy” Ambrosio, an acting captain in the Gambino family, Frank “Frankie Boy” Salerno, a soldier in the Bonanno family, and Thomas Anzaone, Alessandro “Sandro” Damelio, Joseph Durso, Anthony Rodolico and Anthony Saladino, associates of the Gambino family, were arrested earlier today and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Gary R. Brown in federal court in Central Islip.
Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Division (FBI), Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations New York (HSI), Timothy D. Sini, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
“Today’s arrests represent a major disruption of La Costra Nostra’s activities on Long Island,” stated acting United States Attorney Rohde. “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a wide range of illegal and violent conduct in furtherance of their criminal enterprise. The superseding indictment sends a message that this Office, together with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to diminishing these organized crime families and their deleterious effect on our communities. Ms. Rohde also praised the exceptional investigative efforts and collaboration of the FBI, HSI, SCPD, and the NYPD.
“The arrests in this case prove organized crime families haven’t gone away, and continue to plague our communities with their general disregard for anything other than their own greed,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “The overt deadly attacks that used to make headlines aren’t as prevalent, but their violent tactics haven’t changed. Members of these families should take heed that the FBI Organized Crime Task Force and our law enforcement partners haven’t gone away, and we dedicate resources each and every day to putting these criminals in jail.”
“From operating an illegitimate casino and an illegal loan shark operation to distributing cocaine and marijuana, the charges against these individuals are extensive,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners in investigating nefarious criminal organizations like La Cosa Nostra and dismantling their operations.”
“Building this solid case against these ruthless criminals took years of dedicated and collaborative work on behalf of the men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department and our law enforcement partners,” SCPD Commissioner Sini said. “I am extremely proud of our officers and investigators, grateful for the continued partnership between this department and the, NYPD, FBI, HSI and appreciative of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York to bring these criminals to justice.”
Loan Sharking Offenses
As alleged in the indictment and court filings, Ambrosio, also known as “Johnny Boy,” conducted a lucrative loansharking operation in which he, Anzalone, Rodolico, Saladino and others extended extortionate loans to, and used extortionate means to collect from numerous individuals, often charging exorbitant interest rates and employing violent collection methods. For instance, in an intercepted conversation between Saladino and Anzalone, the two discussed various “gambling debts” owed by other parties, Saladino stated that he would give a debtor “something to be scared about”, but that he did not want a “beef” – a physical altercation – at his “club”, because he was “responsible to John [Ambrosio] for what happen[ed] there.” In that same call, Saladino offered to “fix” another gambling debtor, saying “by the time we’re done…he’s not going to have an office to play anywhere.” In another conversation with Ambrosio, an individual asked for Ambrosio’s help collecting a debt and recounted telling the debtor, “I don’t know if you know who I am and where I come from, but I promise you, you will never walk again.” Ambrosio and Rodolico also allegedly attempted to obstruct the federal grand jury proceeding into their criminal activities by intimidating a loanshark victim into lying to law enforcement.Illegal Gambling Offenses
According to the indictment and other court filings, Ambrosio also was involved with a variety of gambling operations, including illegal poker games, electronic gaming machines and internet sports betting, with Damelio, Durso, Salerno and Saladino being responsible for many of the day-to-day operations. In one intercepted call, Ambrosio stated that there was no need to travel to a casino – “you can play right here” and “save gas money.”Narcotics Trafficking Offenses
As also alleged in the indictment and court filings, defendants Anzalone, Damelio, Durso, Saladino and Salerno distributed a variety of narcotics, including cocaine, marijuana and alprazolam, which is commonly known as Xanax. Significantly, Saladino and Salerno engaged in the distribution of wholesale quantities of cocaine, including 12 separate sales to an undercover member of law enforcement totaling over half a kilogram.The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted, Ambrosio, Anzalone, Damelio, Durso and Rodolico face a maximum of 20 years in prison. Saladino and Salerno each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the cocaine conspiracy offenses.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
JOHn AMBROSIO (“Johnny Boy”)
Age: 74
Huntington, NYTHOMAS ANZALONE
Age: 44
Queens, NYALESSANDRO DAMELIO (“Sandro”)
Age: 49
Queens, NYJOSEPH DURSO
Age: 26
Glen Cove, NYANTHONY RODOLICO
Age: 46
Huntington, NYANTHONY SALADInO
Age: 67
Glen Cove, NYFRANK SALERNO (“Frankie Boy”)
Age: 43
Queens, NYE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-522 (S-1)(SJF)
Rutland Man Sentenced to 60 Months and Ordered to Pay $40,000 Fine for Conspiracy to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Kwasi Asante, 59, of Rutland, was sentenced December 6, 2017, in United States District Court in Burlington to 60 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Bulk Cash Smuggling. Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that Asante pay a $40,000 fine. As part of his plea, Asante also agreed to the forfeiture of more than $27,000. Asante will serve three years of supervised release following the completion of his prison sentence. Asante had been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since January 2017.
Court records indicate that Asante was not a heroin addict, and that he possessed a graduate degree in engineering. According to Court filings, since 2014 Asante conspired with Jaiden Paige and others to distribute heroin in the Rutland area. Court documents indicate that when Asante was arrested on February 1, 2016, at Newark Airport in New Jersey, he was in the process of boarding a flight to Jamaica, flying on a one-way ticket. He possessed approximately $23,000 in cash, more than $10,000 of which was hiding in his luggage next to lunchmeat.
In January 2017, Asante pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information charging him with conspiring to distribute heroin from 2014 to February 2016, as well as failing to report that he was leaving the United States with more than $10,000 in United States currency.
Asante was originally released after posting $150,000 bail (which was later reduced to $140,000), but was taken into custody after his guilty plea in January 2017.
This was Asante's first felony conviction. Court papers described his criminal history as negligible.
This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Asante is represented by Paul Volk. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher.
Rochester Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Darien Bordeaux, 33, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, was sentenced to 41 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that on October 22, 2016, Rochester Police Department officers were on patrol in the area of Curlew Street when they stopped a Dodge Grand Caravan because the registration had expired. The defendant was riding in the front passenger seat. The driver and co-defendant, Kalib Gladney, gave a false name when asked by officers. Bordeaux and Gladney were asked to get out of the van and officers searched it. Inside a jacket found on the floor, between the front passenger and driver seats, officers discovered a loaded Arminius Futche-Industre revolver with a defaced serial number. The defendant’s identification card was also found with the revolver. Bordeaux was previously convicted in 2004 of Robbery in the First Degree and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division.
Randolph County man admits to failing to update sex offender registryRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Mill Creek, West Virginia, man has admitted to failing to update his sex offender registry, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Daniel Lee Vance, age 22, pled guilty to one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration.” Vance admitted to moving from West Virginia to Ohio and failing to update his sex offender registration. The crime occurred from July to October 2017 in Marion County.
Vance faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshal Service investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.Ralls County Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – William Cashel was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for production and receipt of child pornography between January 1, 2015 and August 28, 2015.
According to court documents, the defendant took pornographic pictures of a six-year-old girl. The photographs were located on his cell phone by law enforcement. The defendant had also received child pornography via a social media application on his cell phone.
Cashel, 44, New London, MO, pled guilty in July to one felony count of production of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. He appeared today for sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge John Ross.
This case was investigated the New London Police Department, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Kirksville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lang is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Public Corruption Convictions for Former Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro UpheldRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo denied former Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro’s latest appeal regarding his 2011 conviction on multiple public corruption charges. Specifically, Judge Caputo adopted the Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick and denied Cordaro’s appeal based on the Supreme Court’s 2016 decision in McDonnell v. United States.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Judge Caputo rejected Cordaro’s claim that the McDonnell decision required that his convictions for Hobbs Act extortion, bribery and racketeering must be vacated and that he be granted a new trial. Judge Caputo stated that “Cordaro fails to demonstrate that it is more likely than not that no reasonable jury would have convicted him if the jury had been instructed in accordance with McDonnell.” Characterizing the evidence as “straightforward” and “overwhelming,” the Court also found that Cordaro failed to establish that he was actually innocent of the charges.
Cordaro was convicted in 2011, along with former Lackawanna County Commissioner Anthony Munchak, on multiple charges including racketeering and other public corruption offenses relating to the Commissioner’s demands for payments and other benefits from individuals and entities doing business with Lackawanna County. Cordaro was sentenced on January 30, 2012, to serve 132 months’ imprisonment and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence on May 31, 2013. Munchak was sentenced in 2012 to serve 84 months’ imprisonment and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction and sentence on May 31, 2013.
After Cordaro’s conviction and sentence were affirmed, Cordaro filed a motion to vacate his conviction and sentence based on alleged ineffective assistance of his trial counsel. A three-day hearing was held in January 2015 and Judge Caputo denied the motion in August 2015. Cordaro appealed that ruling and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court.
Following the Supreme Court’s 2016 decision in McDonnell, Cordaro filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus on February 3, 2017, and Magistrate Judge Mehalchick issued a Report and Recommendation denying the Petition on September 1, 2017. Cordaro objected to the Magistrate’s findings and by Order dated December 11, 2017, Judge Caputo adopted the Report and Recommendation and upheld all of Cordaro’s convictions.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service. At trial, the government was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Lorna N. Graham, William S. Houser and Bruce Brandler. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Cerutti, Chief of Appeals, handled the Habeas Corpus Petition.
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Press Conference AdvisoryRead the Press Release
There will be a press conference today at 12:00 p.m. to announce federal terrorism charges against Akayed Ullah in connection with yesterday’s bombing at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The press conference will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/usaosdny/
WHO:
Joon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
William F. Sweeney, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
John J. Miller, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counter Terrorism for the City of New York
WHEN:
Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at 12:00 p.m.
WHERE:
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York
1 St. Andrew’s Plaza
New York, NY 10007
LIVESTREAM: https://www.facebook.com/usaosdny/
CONTACT: James Margolin, Dawn Dearden, Nicholas Biase
(212) 637-2600
Pleasants County man sentenced for selling methamphetamineRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dale Wesley Jenkins, Jr., of St. Marys, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 21 months incarceration for methamphetamine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jenkins, also known as Buddy, age 56, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine” in August 2017. Jenkins admitted to selling methamphetamine in November 2016 in Pleasants County, West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police and the Pleasants County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Operation Hardest Hit Defendants Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Portsmouth men were sentenced today to a combined 35 years in prison for their role in a massive heroin and fentanyl drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, on August 14, over 300 law enforcement agents made arrests and executed search warrants in Virginia, Georgia, and New York. The takedown was the result of a multi-year, multi-jurisdictional, and multi-agency Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation designated Operation Hardest Hit.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Leroy Perdue and his drug trafficking organization (Perdue DTO) in early 2016 following the heroin overdose death of a young resident of Chesapeake. With the participation of nearly two dozen Confidential Human Sources, law enforcement infiltrated the Perdue DTO and made 10 undercover controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl. On June 22, the investigative team arrested Rhadu Schoolfield in Norfolk with more than 800 grams of heroin after he returned from a trip to New York. According to the indictment, the Perdue DTO distributed in excess of 100 kilograms of heroin (approximately 250,000 doses) over a 10-year period. Members of the Perdue DTO were responsible for supplying a violent gang based in Portsmouth and continued to sell dangerous narcotics even after learning that their drugs resulted in death.
Abraham Atkins, 35, of Portsmouth was sentenced today to 20 years in prison. According to court documents Atkins was involved in the conspiracy for more than four years and distributed in excess of 6 kilograms of heroin. He served as the source of supply for two co-defendants and was supplied directly by Leroy Perdue. His involvement in the conspiracy was on the heels of having served nine years in state custody for a similar offense.
Eddie L. Tyson, 46, of Portsmouth was also sentenced today to 15 years in prison. His involvement in the conspiracy was for nine months, but it immediately followed after serving more than six years in state custody. Mr. Tyson received a sentencing enhancement for possessing a MAC-10 machine style pistol while distributing heroin.
The dozen individuals below have pleaded guilty. The leader of the DTO, Leroy Perdue, has elected to go to trial on May 15, 2018:
Name, Age
Hometown
Guilty Plea
Sentence
Abraham Atkins, 35
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
20 Years
Eddie L. Tyson, 46
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
15 Years
Edward Muckle, 32
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
December 13
Jamars Cooper, 26
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
January 3, 2018
Victoria Waller, 42
Portsmouth
September 6, 2017
January 3, 2018
Dominic Diablo Mosley, 35
Portsmouth
September 6, 2017
January 4, 2018
Nicholas Godwin, 37
Portsmouth
September 6, 2017
January 10, 2018
Kevin Lawrence, 37
Portsmouth
September 7, 2017
January 11, 2018
Tywon McKelvy, 42
New York
October 3, 2017
January 25, 2018
Darion Perdue, 24
Portsmouth
October 17, 2017
January 29, 2018
Christina James
New York
October 18, 2017
February 7, 2018
Rhadu Schoolfield, 33
Portsmouth
October 18, 2017
February 12, 2018
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of HSI Norfolk, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Kelvin L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, and Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Tidewater Violent Crime Task Force, in partnership with HSI’s Norfolk Field Office, ATF, Chesapeake Police Department, Virginia State Police, and the Portsmouth Gang Suppression Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla, Andrew C. Bosse, and William B. Jackson, are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-116.
Niagara Falls Woman Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Evade Reporting Requirements While Purchasing Money OrdersRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Georgina Fisher, a/k/a Georgina Baratta, 47, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a financial institution to fail to file a transaction report before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys MaryEllen Kresse and Russell T. Ippolito, who are handling the case, stated that on January 28, 2010, the defendant traveled to four Western Union agents in Amherst and Cheektowaga to purchase money orders. At each of the four locations, Fisher purchased less than $3,000 in money orders because she knew that if she purchased $3,000 or more in money orders, she would be required to show identification, and that the Western Union agent would be required to record such identification and other specifics of her money order purchase. The total amount of the money orders purchased on January 28, 2017, was $8,000. In addition, on seven other days between January 29, 2010, and February 6, 2010, Fisher engaged in similar conduct designed to evade the reporting requirements regarding the purchase of money orders in amounts of $3,000 or more. Specifically, on each of these other dates, the defendant traveled to multiple Western Union locations, purchasing less than $3,000 in money orders at each location. The money orders purchased on these dates totaled $66,000.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, under the supervision of Special Agent-in-Charge James D. Robnett.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2018, before Judge Arcara.
New Hampton Man Sentenced on Cyberstalking ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Brandon Gray, 22, of New Hampton, New Hampshire, was sentenced in federal court on Monday to 70 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography and cyberstalking, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley of the District of New Hampshire announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendant created a fake online identity pretending to be a teen pop star, and met a 14-year-old child on the Internet. From 2014 to 2016, the child took various sexually explicit pictures and videos of himself and sent them to the defendant. Eventually, the child discovered that the online persona was fake and attempted to stop communicating with the defendant. The defendant responded by sending him harassing texts, emails, and chats over various social media outlets including messages threatening to post pornographic images of the child online. A search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence and he was found to be in possession of various images and videos constituting child pornography. The defendant admitted to using the alias, to possessing sexually explicit images of the minor victim, and to threatening to post them online.
“Keeping the Internet safe for children is one of the highest priorities of my office,” said Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley. “I commend the collaboration between the Louisiana State Police and Homeland Security Investigations personnel in New Hampshire in locating and bringing this individual to justice. Cyber predators cannot hide behind a computer screen. When their actions cause real harm, there will be real consequences.”
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Manchester, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Louisiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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.
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Nevada Cardiologist Arrested for Unlawful Distribution of Prescription Opioids and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – An Elko, Nevada cardiologist was arrested today on 39-charges of unlawful distribution of prescription opioids and Medicare and Medicaid fraud, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas office, Special Agent in Charge David J. Downing for the DEA’s Los Angeles field office, and Special Agent in Charge Christian Schrank for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office Los Angeles Region.
Dr. Devendra I. Patel, aka Devendrakumar I. Patel, 58, of Elko, is charged with 36-counts of distribution of controlled substances such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, and three-counts of health care fraud. Patel is a cardiologist at his medical practice Northeastern Nevada Cardiology. The statutory maximum penalty for distribution of a controlled substance is 10 years in prison and the maximum penalty for health care fraud is 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear in federal court on Wednesday in Reno.
According to the 39-count indictment that was unsealed today, it is alleged that, from May 2014 to September 2017, Patel routinely prescribed fentanyl, hydrocodone, and oxycodone for his patients without a legitimate medical purpose and that he fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for medical tests that he did not perform. The indictment alleges that Patel performed EKGs on his patients, so he could then order nuclear stress tests which he did not administer. He allegedly used a poorly calibrated machine and presented his patients with fraudulent X-Rays, in order to deceive his patients into thinking they had coronary issues that needed to be treated by him.
"Today we are facing the worst drug crisis in American history, with one American dying of a drug overdose every nine minutes," AG Sessions said. "This summer, I ordered the creation of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, which brings together data analysts and Assistant United States Attorneys from throughout the country to prosecute doctors engaged in opioid-related health care fraud. Additionally, I assigned a dozen of our top federal prosecutors to focus solely on this problem where the epidemic is at its worst. Prosecuting these cases help cut off the supply of drugs and stop addiction from spreading. These prosecutors are already delivering results, filing charges against doctors in Western Pennsylvania and Nevada. We will file many more charges in the months to come—because the Department of Justice will be relentless in hunting down drug dealers and turning the tide of this epidemic."
“Dr. Patel is the first person to be charged in Nevada since the formation of the Justice Department’s Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Myhre.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to turning the tide of the prescription opioid epidemic that is plaguing our communities. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who contribute to this scourge.”
"Despite his physician's oath to do no harm, Dr. Patel recklessly prescribed opioids, for no legitimate medical purpose," stated FBI SAC Rouse. "The FBI is confident that today's arrest will send a message to other physicians that are prescribing opioids outside the scope of legitimate medical care. We are committed to using every tool in our arsenal to battle the opioid crisis in the state of Nevada."
“Our Country is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis and DEA is using every resource available to identify the traffickers and facilitators fueling addiction in our communities,” said DEA SAC Downing. “Healthcare professionals who abuse the public’s trust and prescribe or dispense drugs purely for profit are drug dealers, and they’re going to be held accountable.”
“To combat this opioid epidemic, OIG will never hesitate to investigate health professionals more concerned with profits than patients,” said HHS-OIG SAC Schrank. “Inappropriately diagnosing patients and then prescribing medications is only compounded by the greed of sticking taxpayers with the bill.”
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Secret Service, Elko Combined Narcotics Unit, Nevada Department of Public Safety, and the Elko County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kilby Macfadden and Sue Fahami are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Over 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl. For information about the harmful effects of illicit drug use, visit www.JustThinkTwice.com for teens, and www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com for parents, educators and caregivers.
The Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit is a program that utilizes data to help combat the devastating opioid crisis. The District of Nevada was selected as one of 12 districts nationally to participate in the pilot program. The District of Nevada has assigned an experienced prosecutor that focuses solely on investigating and prosecuting health care fraud related to medical professionals who prescribe opioids, that unlawfully divert of dispense prescription opioids for illegitimate purposes.
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Montgomery Man Sentenced for Shooting at Maxwell Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Matthew Elliott Shashy, 29, of Montgomery, Alabama was sentenced today to 4 years of probation for discharging a firearm outside of Maxwell Air Force Base, announced Louis V. Franklin, Sr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.
The sentence comes after an August 2017 trial where a federal jury found him guilty on charges of impeding, intimidating, and interfering with Air Force personnel working at Maxwell. At trial, the jury heard testimony that during the 2017 New Year’s weekend, Shashy went to the Montgomery Police Department, the Alabama Statehouse, and the Day Street entrance of Maxwell Air Force Base where he spray-painted anti-government graffiti.
After he did not receive enough press coverage of his graffiti, Shashy returned to Maxwell Air Force Base on January 3, 2017, which was the first workday following the New Year’s Day holiday. During the height of morning rush hour, Shashy placed his pickup truck in park, got out, and fired a shotgun three times in the general direction of the Day Street entrance. He then quickly returned to his vehicle and left. A civilian passing by the base observed Shashy shooting and followed him in his vehicle. The civilian was able to obtain a photograph of the truck’s license plate before Shashy slammed on his brakes causing the civilian to rear-end him. Shashy then fled the accident scene.
Ultimately, Shashy was identified as the suspect and law enforcement came to his residence where he had barricaded himself inside. He finally surrendered to law enforcement after lengthy negotiations. Located in the residence were additional firearms and ammunition, anti-government literature, and other evidence connecting him to the Maxwell shooting.
The Montgomery Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Brown prosecuted the case.
Miami Resident Sentenced to over 12 Years for Trafficking “Crystal” MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
On December 8, 2017, Jose Pablo Ortiz-Santizo, 32, of Miami, was sentenced to 151 months (12.5 years) imprisonment for trafficking “crystal” methamphetamine, which is a nearly pure form of the drug.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.
On September 27, 2017, a jury convicted Ortiz-Santizo for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Between December 2016 and February 2017, the DEA, in conjunction with the Broward County Drug Task Force (BCDTF), conducted an investigation into Ortiz-Santizo’s methamphetamine-trafficking activities. During this period, a BCDTF confidential source conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Ortiz-Santizo. Specifically, on December 10, 2016, the confidential source purchased 82.9 net grams (about 3 ounces) of 98% pure methamphetamine for $1.950 from Ortiz-Santizo in Miami. One gram of methamphetamine approximately constitutes a personal use amount. Ortiz-Santizo obtained two of the three ounces he sold to the confidential source from Ulysses Guevara-Ocana, 31, of Los Angeles, California. On July 28, 2017, Guevara-Ocana was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment for methamphetamine trafficking.
On January 11, 2017, the confidential source purchased 54.2 net grams (about 2 ounces) of 98% pure methamphetamine for $1,300 from Ortiz-Santizo. On that occasion, Ortiz-Santizo directed the confidential source to meet Ortiz-Santizo’s brother near a Checker’s restaurant in Miami to consummate the drug deal. In addition, on February 16, 2017, while attempting to assist Ortiz-Santizo in his disabled vehicle on I-95 North in Miami, a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officer seized 111.6 net grams (about 4 ounces) of 99% pure methamphetamine from him.
Additional evidence at trial disclosed that Ortiz-Santizo transported significant quantities of “crystal” methamphetamine from southern California to south Florida for further distribution. The trial evidence also established that given the purity of the methamphetamine it likely originated in Mexico and was smuggled into the United States across the southwest border.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DEA, BSO and FHP. This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Brady, Jr.
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.
Mexican National Sentenced to Ten Years for Conviction on Federal Drug Trafficking and Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Giovanni Montijo-Dominguez, 37, a Mexican national illegally in the United States, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 120 months in prison for his conviction on federal cocaine trafficking and illegal reentry charges. Montijo-Dominguez will be deported after completing his prison sentence.
Montijo-Dominguez and co-defendant Luis Mendoza-Alarcon, 46, also a Mexican national, were arrested on Oct. 7, 2014, and were charged by criminal complaint with cocaine trafficking offenses. They were indicted on Nov. 5, 2014, and both were charged with cocaine trafficking offenses, while Montijo-Dominguez also was charged with illegal reentry to the United States. Mendoza-Alarcon and Montijo-Dominguez subsequently were charged in a superseding indictment on June 30, 2016. The superseding indictment charged Mendoza-Alarcon and Montijo-Dominguez with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute from Oct. 3, 2014 through Oct. 7, 2014; Mendoza-Alarcon with carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime on Oct. 7, 2014; and Montijo-Dominguez with illegal reentering the United States on Oct. 7, 2014. According to the superseding indictment, the defendants committed the offenses in Bernalillo County, N.M.
On June 2, 2017, after a two-week trial, a federal jury convicted Mendoza-Alarcon and Montijo-Dominguez of conspiring to possess at least five kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute it to others.
The evidence at trial established that between Oct. 3, 2014 and Oct. 7, 2014, Mendoza-Alarcon negotiated the sale of approximately six kilograms of cocaine from an undercover law enforcement agent. On Oct. 7, 2014, Mendoza-Alarcon and Montijo-Dominguez arrived in a white Chevrolet Tahoe in the parking lot of a store in southwest Albuquerque to meet with undercover agents. Although Mendoza-Alarcon expressed concern to the undercover agents that the parking lot might be occupied by law enforcement, the defendants proceeded with the sale by presenting the undercover agents with a large sum of cash in order to buy six kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement agents testified that, once the signal to arrest Mendoza-Alarcon and Montijo-Dominguez was given, Montijo-Dominguez attempted to run away, but was quickly caught and arrested. The agents searched the defendants’ white Chevrolet Tahoe, and found a functional firearm loaded with live ammunition.
On July 27, 2017, Montijo-Dominguez pled guilty to Count 3 of the superseding indictment charging him with illegal reentering the United States. In entering the guilty plea, Montijo-Dominguez admitted that he was prohibited from being in the United States on Oct. 7, 2014, because he was previously deported on Dec. 3, 2009 and did not have permission to reenter the United States.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel A. Hurtado and Paul Mysliwiec.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national previously charged with an immigration crime pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court in Boston.
Carlos Lucera-Mejia, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf, who sentenced Lucera-Mejia to time served and one year of supervised release. Lucera-Mejia will be subject to deportation proceedings.
In October 2017, law enforcement in Chelsea encountered Lucera-Mejia and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. Lucera-Mejia was previously deported in April 2016.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael S. Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual Contact of a Person Incapable of Consent was sentenced on December 4, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Brian Thunder Shield, age 20, was sentenced to 120 months in custody on the Sexual Abuse of a Minor charge, and 36 months in custody on the Abusive Sexual Contact of a Person Incapable of Consent, to be served concurrently. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release on each count to be served concurrently, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Thunder Shield was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 19, 2016. He pled guilty on July 20, 2017.
The convictions stem from incidents between January 1, 2016, and March 15, 2016, when Thunder Shield sexually abused two juvenile females.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Thunder Shield was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in 2004 Sexual Assault of Woman in GeorgetownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Benjamin Paz, 54, of Montgomery Village, Md., pled guilty today to sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman after illegally entering her residence in Georgetown in February 2004, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Paz plead guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree burglary. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon prison sentence within the range of eight to 15 years. Following his prison term, Paz would be placed on a period of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo scheduled sentencing for April 9, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 22, 2004, at approximately 4:30 a.m., Paz entered a residence in the 3300 block of Prospect Street NW, where the 21-year-old victim was home sleeping. Paz did not reside at that address, nor did he have permission to enter the dwelling. He was a stranger to the victim. Paz removed the victim’s clothing and sexually assaulted her by force. During the assault, the victim pushed Paz off of her, after which he got up and ran out the back door into the alley. The victim ran out the front door to get help.
The victim made an immediate report to police, and was transported to an area hospital, where she received a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination. This examination included the collection of swabs from her intimate areas. The Physical Evidence Recovery Kit was later sent for forensic testing. That testing revealed an unknown male DNA profile developed from the victim’s swabs. That unknown male DNA profile was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. There were no hits.
Paz was developed as a suspect in these offenses by MPD in 2017. On Feb. 9, 2017, a D.C. Superior Court judge signed a search warrant authorizing the collection of buccal swabs from the defendant. The warrant was executed on Feb. 15, 2017, and the swabs were later sent for forensic testing. During the testing, Paz’s DNA profile was developed and compared to the unknown male DNA profile developed from the testing of the victim’s swabs in the 2004 offense. The results of this comparison revealed that the DNA profile of the defendant matched the DNA profile of the unknown male on the swabs.
Paz was arrested on March 22, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of the detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit and Second Police District, as well as the Deputy Marshals from the U.S. Marshals Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracey Hawkins, Victim/Witness Specialists LaJune Thames and Katina Adams-Washington, and Executive Assistant Shelia Miller.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Attempting to Strangle GirlfriendRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Prince George man was sentenced today to six years in prison for attempting to strangle his girlfriend at military housing on Fort Lee.
According to court documents, Antonio Cain, 34, was staying with his girlfriend in residential housing on Fort Lee on July 29 when he physically assaulted her. During that assault, Cain repeatedly attempted to strangle his girlfriend, choking her to the point of unconsciousness on two separate occasions.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Capt. Brian Bishop, Fort Lee Police Operations Officer, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett 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-110.
Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Hampton man with distribution of child pornography.
According to the indictment, Robert Dobbins, 36, distributed material containing child pornography on or about September 4. According to court documents, law enforcement received information on from a foreign law enforcement agency regarding the user “DEATHLYROSE55” on Website A. In September, the user responded to a foreign law enforcement officer working in an undercover capacity and indicated that he had committed a hands on offense against a child. He also sent the investigator a mega link, which contained child pornography. Law enforcement linked the email address to a residence in Hampton, and determined that Dobbins was previously convicted of receipt and possession of child pornography in January 2005, while he was employed by the Navy.
During the execution of a federal search warrant, Dobbins who at the time was a city of Hampton employee, acknowledged accessing child pornography from his city-issued Samsung smartphone using the internet. Dobbins also stated that he “traded” links to child pornography images and videos with other individuals who he met online utilizing Website A.
Dobbins faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Cowles is prosecuting 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. 4:17-cr-129.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Lafayette Man Convicted During 2-Day Jury TrialRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced that Edward Bishop, age 26, of Lafayette, Indiana was convicted of using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, after a two-day jury trial before District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.
According to documents filed in this case, in June of 2017, Bishop was indicted for using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to trial evidence, Bishop went to sell a small amount of marijuana in a parking lot in Warsaw, Indiana. During that transaction, Bishop ended up shooting at and wounding the drug buyer in the left arm.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend and Warsaw Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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Kanawha County man pleads guilty to distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man pleaded guilty today to a child pornography crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Christopher Chad Winnell, 36, of Marmet, entered his guilty plea to two counts of distribution of child pornography.
Winnell admitted that on December 20, 2014, he engaged in an email conversation from his residence discussing the exchange of child pornography. Winnell further admitted that the email discussion resulted in the exchange of child pornography images involving infants. Winnell also admitted that on November 7, 2015, he used a messaging service to share an image of child pornography involving an infant with multiple individuals. The investigation determined that the image was received by at least one individual in Canada. The investigation further revealed that Winnell possessed hundreds of images of child pornography stored in an online account.
Winnell faces at least 10 and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on March 20, 2018. Upon his release from prison, he will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the West Virginia State Police, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Justice Department Files Federal Lawsuit Against Bridges Consulting Inc. of Annapolis Junction, Maryland, for Violating the Employment Rights of Coast Guard ReservistRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the filing of a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against Bridges Consulting, Inc. (Bridges), a government contractor based in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. The complaint alleges that Bridges violated the employment rights of Lieutenant Commander Bobby L. Lindsay (Lindsay), a reservist in the United States Coast Guard, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
According to the complaint, filed by the United States on Lindsay’s behalf, Bridges violated Lt. Commander Lindsay’s USERRA rights under 38 U.S.C. §§ 4311, 4312 & 4313 by failing to promptly reemploy him upon his return from deployment, by terminating his employment, and by retaliating against him because he complained when funds were withdrawn from his Bridges retirement account.
Lt. Commander Lindsay, who has served more than 30 years in the Armed Forces, was a senior manager for Bridges, where he had worked since 2012. Lindsay deployed for a scheduled three-month tour of duty with the Coast Guard in June 2014; in July 2014, Lindsay found out that Bridges’ contributions to his retirement account had been abruptly withdrawn. After receiving no explanation from the company, Lindsay complained to federal entities, which notified Bridges of his complaint. In September 2014, Lindsay indicated to Bridges that he expected to return to work at the conclusion of his deployment. In turn, Bridges informed Lindsay that he was no longer an employee and that security would be called if he returned to work. Lindsay has since applied to multiple positions at Bridges, but has not been re-hired.
“This lawsuit is another example of the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to protecting the employment rights of the members of our armed forces,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The men and women of our reserve forces deserve the peace of mind that their civilian employment will be there when they return from serving our country.”
The lawsuit filed by the United States seeks damages equal to the amount of Lindsay’s lost wages and benefits, as well as liquidated damages resulting from Bridges’ willful failure to comply with USERRA.
Congress enacted USERRA to reduce employment disadvantages faced by non-career service members; to provide prompt reemployment for returning service members; to minimize disruption to the lives of those performing military service, their employers and others; and to prohibit discrimination and retaliation against those who serve in the uniformed services.
This case stems from a referral by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) following an investigation by DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The litigation is being handled by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Judge Finds Sugar Land Resident Guilty of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal judge has found a 43-year-old legal permanent resident who lived in Sugar Land guilty of receipt, access with intent to view and possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett found Jacinto Lopez-Toledo guilty following two days of trial.
Lopez-Toledo came to the attention of law enforcement after investigators found evidence that he was accessing files from a website known to contain child pornography. A search warrant was executed on his residence on Dec. 1, 2015, at which time investigators seized two desktop computers, a laptop computer and an external hard drive.
The forensic examination of the seized devices revealed Lopez-Toledo had 50,216 images and 941 videos of child pornography. These images and videos included children under the age of 12, bondage and acts of violence. Some of the images are of known victims as identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
At trial, the court found Lopez-Toledo had an additional 527,844 images and 969 videos which appeared to be child pornography but could not be confirmed as involving a minor. The court also heard that Lopez-Toledo had been collecting and viewing child pornography for several years, dating back to as early as 2003.
Lopez-Toledo has previously admitted he would view and download child pornography from the Internet and also from file sharing networks. Prior to trial, he argued those statements should be suppressed as well as the original search warrant which started the overall investigation.
The judge ultimately found him guilty as charged.
Previously released on bond, Toledo-Lopez was ordered into custody following the verdict today where he will remain pending his sentencing, which will be set at a later date. At that time, he faces up to 20 imprisonment for the receipt of child pornography and a maximum of 10 years for intent to view and possession of child pornography.
The FBI and the Pearland Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Sugar Land Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie N. Searle and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
John F. Bash is the New U.S. Attorney for the Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
John F. Bash is the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. Chief United States District Judge Orlando Garcia administered the oath of office to Mr. Bash yesterday at the federal courthouse in San Antonio. A public swearing-in ceremony will be scheduled in the future.
President Donald J. Trump nominated Mr. Bash to be the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas on September 11, 2017. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on November 9, 2017.
“I am honored to return to the Department of Justice and serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District. I look forward to working alongside the talented and dedicated men and women of this office and our partners in law enforcement to protect and defend the Constitution, ensure the safety and security of our community, and pursue the impartial administration of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Bash.
Bash graduated from Harvard University in 2003, and received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2006. Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Bash served as a Special Assistant to the President and as an Associate White House Counsel. Bash was an Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General from 2012 to 2017, where he represented the United States before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was previously an associate in the law firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, and served as a law clerk to the late U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia and to Circuit Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
As U.S. Attorney, Bash is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Texas. He is responsible for prosecuting violations of federal criminal law and representing the U.S. in all civil litigation in which the United States is a party in the district.
The Western District of Texas includes 68 counties spanning approximately 93,000 square miles. The U.S. Attorney’s Office employs more than 250 people. The headquarters office is in San Antonio; staffed offices are in Austin, El Paso, Midland, Del Rio, Waco, and Alpine.
Richard L. Durbin, Jr., who has served as the U.S. Attorney since December 2014, will serve as the First Assistant United States Attorney.