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7 December 2017
Twenty-six people indicted for their roles in two conspiracies to bring drugs – including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine – to Northeast OhioRead the Press Release
Twenty-six people were indicted in federal court for their roles in two separate conspiracies to bring large amounts of drugs – including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine – to Northeast Ohio, law enforcement officials said.
Fifteen people were charged in a 29-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and U-47700 (a fentanyl analogue). They are: Irwin Jose Vargas, 42, of Euclid; Keyra Linnette Martinez, 42, of Euclid; Irwing Vargas Rosario, 24, of Cleveland; Isidoro M. Gonzalez, 41, of Cleveland; Alcides Garcia, 46, of Ponce, Puerto Rice; Austin Natale, 27, of Cleveland; Kayle Mae Jonela, 22, of Brook Park; Rosemary Howell, 55, of Cleveland; Dennis Mansfield, 58, of Cleveland; William Rodriguez, 41, of Cleveland; Jeffrey Mack, 44, of Cleveland; Victor Felix, 39, of Cleveland; Nelson Benitez, Jr., 34, of Cleveland; Thomas Lopez, 39, of Cleveland, and Edgar Arroyo, 37, of Cleveland.
Twelve people were charged in a 26-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, N-Ethyl Pentalone (an analogue to MDMA or “molly”) and marijuana. They are: Emad Silmi, 43, of North Olmsted; Christopher Young, 46, of Westlake; Herbert Shaw, 44, of Cleveland; Samer Abu-Kwaik, 46, of Cleveland; Nelson Benitez, Jr., 34, of Cleveland; Jonathan Smith, 34, of Lathrup Village, Mich.; John D. Ciarlillo, 42, of Medina; Anthony Quinn Greenlee, 26, of Huron; Santana Jones, 22, of Cleveland; Gregory Lowery, 32, of Painesville; Mogahed Mustafa, 30, of North Olmsted, and Erkan Nevzadi, 29, of Cleveland.
Benitez is charged in both indictments.
“These groups brought hundreds of pounds of dangerous drugs into Northeast Ohio and sold them throughout our community,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “We will continue to work collaboratively to shut off the flow of drugs and seek long prison sentences for traffickers.”
“This long term investigation was aimed at stopping dangerous drugs from flowing into our city and streets, and holding accountable those that choose to illegally pollute our communities. Heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and synthetic opioids were among the drugs seized, and the FBI, along with our many law enforcement partners, are committed to working to defeat this menacing threat one drug trafficking organization at a time."
"This investigation was the culmination of strong relationships between the various law enforcement partners,” Cuyahoga County Sheriff Cliff Pinckney said. “The Sheriff's Department will always vigorously pursue drug traffickers in conjunction with this partnership."
“Today's massive take down marks a major step forward in combating illegal opiate sales within the city of Cleveland,” Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said. “As you can see from this joint effort, law-enforcement remains committed to erasing this problem in Northeast Ohio. Further, we encourage anyone battling addiction to utilize the many resources that are available and to strive to get well.”
Vargas, Martinez and Gonzales arranged for shipments of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine from Puerto Rico between 2016 and the present. These shipments included at least a kilogram of fentanyl, a kilogram of heroin and five kilograms of cocaine. Many of these shipments came through the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS, according to the indictment.
Vargas, Martinez, Gonzales and Rosario then sold the drugs to other drug traffickers in Cleveland. Members of the conspiracy used several locations in Greater Cleveland to receive, store and distribute the drugs, including: 4705 Bridge Ave. (Vargas’ business, Santiago Auto Care Services, also known as Capu Auto and Sound); 6841 Day Drive, Apartment 605, in Parma and 754 Hemlock Drive in Euclid (Vargas’ and Martinez’s residences); 3871 Ridge Road (Gonzales’ business, Ways to Save Auto Sales); 5601 Wichita Ave. (Gonzales’ residence) and 11901 Lena Ave. (Howell’s and Mansfield’s residence), according to the indictment.
Vargas and Martinez often used the U.S. Postal Service online system to track shipments of parcels sent to Northeast Ohio from Puerto Rico, as well as packages shipped from China to Puerto Rico, according to the indictment
In the second conspiracy, Silmi obtained large amounts of cocaine from Abu-Kwaik and then sold it to other drug dealers from his business Global Auto Body & Collision at 4317 W. 130th Street. He also obtained large amounts of N-Ethyl Pentylone – an analogue of “molly” – from Greenlee, which Greenlee had obtained from suppliers in China. Silmi sold the molly analogue to other dealers from his Cleveland auto body shop, according to the indictment.
Silmi obtained at least five kilograms of cocaine and more than 100 kilograms of marijuana between January 2016 and March 2017, according to the indictment.
Greenlee used 3006 Cleveland Road West, Apartment 8 in Huron (his residence) and U.S. Motor Sales at 4927 Brookpark Road in Parma (his business) to store and distribute drugs. Kwaik used U.S. Motor Sales at 4927 Brookpark Road, Parma, Ohio (his business) and 7358 Meadow Lane, Parma, Ohio (his residence) to store and distribute drugs, according to the indictment.
Greenlee and Nevzadi used firearms, ammunition and other weapons to protect their drug trafficking activities, according to the indictment.
Silmi is also charged with conspiracy to launder money as part of an effort to hide his drug profits, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Cleveland Division of Police, the IRS, and members of the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area personnel.
The NOLETF is a long standing multi-agency task force comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the police departments of Broadview Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Euclid, Independence, North Royalton, the Regional Transit Authority, Westlake and Shaker Heights. The NOLETF is also one of the initial Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiatives. HIDTA supports and helps coordinate numerous Ohio drug task forces in their efforts to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking in Ohio.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Matthew J. Cronin.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tohatchi Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison for Federal Murder ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dennison Hale, 44, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Tohatchi, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 210 months in prison for his conviction on a second-degree murder charge. Hale will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence.
Hale was arrested on Feb. 23, 2016, by the FBI on a criminal complaint alleging that he murdered a Navajo woman on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M. According to the complaint, on Feb. 20, 2016, Hale struck the victim in the head and fled from the scene of the crime, the victim’s home in Hogsback, N.M. The victim was transported by helicopter to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Hale was later indicted on a murder charge on March 23, 2016.
On Feb. 28, 2017, Hale pled guilty to a felony information charging him with second degree murder. In entering the guilty plea, Hale admitted that on Feb. 20, 2016, he killed the victim by striking her twice in the head with a crowbar.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Murphy prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Texas pilot pleads guilty to wire fraud and arson conspiraciesRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston announced that a Texas pilot has pleaded guilty today to federal wire fraud and arson charges.
Theodore Robert Wright, III, 32, formerly of Kemah, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit arson. At sentencing, Wright faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud conspiracy count and 5 to 20 years in federal prison on the arson conspiracy count.
According to information presented in court, Wright led a multi-jurisdictional fraud and arson scheme that spanned from Hawaii to the Gulf of Mexico and involved the destruction of various assets, including vehicles, aircraft, and vessels. Wright and his co-conspirators, Shane Gordon, 45, of Houston, Texas, Raymond Fosdick, 41, of Houston, Texas, and Edward Delima, 41, of Honolulu, Hawaii, acquired assets and obtained insurance coverage in amounts exceeding their purchase prices. Wright and his co-conspirators then devised and carried out schemes to destroy the assets and defraud insurance companies.
The assets destroyed in the scheme included a 1966 Beechcraft Baron, a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo, a 1971 Cessna 500, and a 1998 Hunter Passage. The Beechcraft Baron made an emergency landing in the Gulf of Mexico, sank in deep water, and was not recovered. The Lamborghini Gallardo crashed into a ditch full of water, causing the vehicle to flood. The Cessna 500 was completely destroyed when Fosdick set it on fire at Wright’s direction at an airport in Athens, Texas. The Hunter Passage sank in a marina in Hawaii. Fraudulent insurance claims were filed in relation to each of these incidents. Wright and his co-defendants also filed a fraudulent $1 million personal injury lawsuit related to the crash in the Gulf of Mexico. The suit was settled for $100,000.
On May 17, 2017, Wright, Gordon, Fosdick, and Delima were charged with various offenses related to their conduct in the scheme in the Eastern District of Texas. Wright’s co-conspirators have all pleaded guilty. On September 26, 2017, Delima pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. On October 12, 2017, Fosdick pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit arson. On October 25, 2017, Gordon pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal agent.
At sentencing, Delima faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Fosdick faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud conspiracy count and 5 to 20 years in federal prison on the arson conspiracy count. Gordon faces up to 5 years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not been determined.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and L. Frank Coan, Jr.
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Tampa Man Pleads Guilty for Role in “Ghost” Employee and Credit Line ScamsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Rany Smith (48, Tampa), a/k/a “Abdelmajid Wahbi,” has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 22 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. As part of his plea agreement, Smith is required to pay restitution to his victims and forfeit at least $93,586.65 in ill-gotten gains traceable to the offenses.
According to the
plea agreement , Smith, originally from Morocco, stole the identities of other immigrants and used them to carry out a variety of fraud schemes throughout Florida. In 2016, Smith was convicted of public benefits fraud in federal court (Boston, MA) and was sentenced to probation. He then moved to Tampa and obtained employment as a manager of a local franchise using the name of another North African immigrant to hide his felony record. As a manager of the franchise, Smith put several fictitious employees on the business’s payroll and collected their wages for months.Smith pursued a similar scheme in south Florida where he was hired as a manager of a business in Delray Beach, again using a stolen identity to hide his criminal past. He then hired multiple co-conspirators who, while real employees, fraudulently received extra wages due to Smith regularly inflating their hours in the business’s time clock management system.
In separate scheme, Smith used a variety of other identities stolen from North African immigrants to take out lines of credit from various Florida retailers and online merchants. He then financed tens of thousands of dollars in purchases from these vendors and had the merchandise shipped to his Tampa address and to those of his co-conspirators. Smith never repaid any of these debts.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations’ National Security Division, the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Gerard.
St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Related ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Sean McChord O’Donnell pled guilty to charges of racketeering, involving the use of interstate facilities to promote prostitution occurring between November 2016 and January 2017.
According to court documents, in November 2016, O’Donnell travelled to the First Western Inn, 4828 North Broadway, Saint Louis, Missouri. He did so to meet with a 21-year-old heroin addicted prostitute referred to as MB and paid MB to engage in commercial sex acts. He also drove MB on prostitution calls, provided security for her, rented hotel rooms for her and lent her money. The defendant also posted online advertisements on MB’s behalf on escort/prostitution websites. During the course of a late November visit, O’Donnell observed 15-year-old Jane Doe in the hotel lobby. Jane Doe had just recently left her pimp. Jane Doe was a missing juvenile and St. Louis County Police had been looking for her since September 2016. O’Donnell handed Jane Doe his card and told her to call him. O’Donnell subsequently engaged in commercial sex acts with Jane Doe.
Between late November and January 2017, Jane Doe moved between several hotels in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, Missouri. O’Donnell rented most of the rooms for Jane Doe since she had no identification. O’Donnell began to post and pay for Jane Doe’s advertisements on Backpage.com. The defendant took pictures of a scantily clad Jane Doe, which were included in postings. He posted the advertisements with her pictures using his email address. O’Donnell continued to engage in commercial sex acts with Jane Doe and took explicit photos of Jane Doe and used his phone to send images to others.
Officers had been searching for Jane Doe since September 2016, and on or about January 23, 2017, observed her image on Backpage.com. Police attempted to arrange a prostitution visit with Jane Doe and determined that she was at the Econolodge at 4576 Woodson Road, in a room rented by O’Donnell. On January 24, 2017, officers were able to locate and retrieve Jane Doe from a motel room.
O’Donnell, 52, of St. Louis, MO, pled guilty to one felony count of Racketeering Using Interstate Facilities to Promote, Manage, Establish and Carry on the Unlawful Activity of Prostitution before United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig. Sentencing has been set for March 18, 2018.
This charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police, Bridgeton Police, St. Charles County Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Howard Marcus is handling the case.
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Springdale Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Jeremy Lynn McGrew, age 36, of Springdale, was sentenced today to 75 months in federal prison followed by fifteen years of supervised release on one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in December of 2016, members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) identified an IP address that was making files of child pornography available for download. As a result, members of the ICAC Taskforce executed a federal search warrant on April 5, 2017, at the residence of Jeremy Lynn McGrew, which is located in the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville Division. At that time, law enforcement confiscated multiple items of digital evidence that contained child pornography. While on the scene, law enforcement also encountered McGrew. After being informed of his Miranda rights, McGrew admitted viewing and accessing child pornography for fourteen years.
McGrew was indicted in June 2017 and pled guilty in August 2017.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC). Assistant United States Attorney Amy Driver prosecuted the case for the United States.
Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 100 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Kevino Graham, 36, of Philadelphia was sentenced yesterday to 100 years in federal prison for sex trafficking by the Honorable C. Darnell Jones, II, United States District Court Judge, announced United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. In addition, Judge Jones imposed a fine of $1000, a $300 special assessment, lifetime supervised release, and restitution of $641,900.
According to court documents, the defendant ran a striptease club, known as “Club Passions,” and brothel, known as “Passionate Touch,” at a property he leased in the Cathedral Park section of Philadelphia. Along with his three co-defendants, the defendant engaged in acts of force, threats, fraud and coercion to cause young women to engage in prostitution, including subjecting them to repeated acts of sadistic sexual torture.
The defendant and co-defendant Raffael Robinson were convicted by a jury on February 5, 2016. Defendant Graham was convicted of two counts of sex trafficking by force and one count of attempted sex trafficking by force. Robinson was convicted of one count of sex trafficking by force, and awaits sentencing. Co-defendant Brian Wright pled guilty and was previously sentenced to 262 months’ incarceration. Co-defendant Renato Teixeira pled guilty and was previously sentenced to 102 months’ incarceration.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims’ Unit and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.
Sentencings for December 4 - December 6, 2017Read the Press Release
Sheila Kay Fundenberger, 44, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 6, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Fundenberger was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. She received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Daniel Thomas Poynor, 37, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 4, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Poynor was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 300 months of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $300.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
David Netterfield, 27, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 4, 2017, for bank theft. Netterfield was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $59,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Michael Shane-Lourcey Clements, 25, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on December 4, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Clements was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $15,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Second Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery with Member of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task ForceRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4811
Baltimore, Maryland – Thomas Robert Finnegan, age 38, of Easton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence stemming from a 2014 home invasion robbery of a Baltimore city couple.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
David Kendall Rahim and Rahim’s cousin, Detective Jemell Lamar Rayam, were also charged in the robbery. Rayam was a member of the Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF,) a division of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to his plea agreement, on June 27, 2014, police officers with the Gun Trace Task Force, including Detective Rayam, executed a search and seizure warrant at a store that sold birdseed and pigeons. No illegal contraband or firearms were found at the location. The storeowners, a married couple, had $20,000 in cash at the store that they intended to use to pay off tax liabilities they owed on two homes.
After the search, Rayam told Finnegan and Rahim about the money and agreed to rob the couple at their residence later that evening. Using a law enforcement database, the GTTF detective located the home address of the victims. The defendants surveilled the house, then Rayam gave Finnegan and Rahim BPD tactical gear to impersonate the police during the home invasion. Rayam remained outside in the vehicle so that he could intercept any police officers who responded to the home invasion by telling them that he was a BPD officer. Finnegan and Rahim entered the residence and robbed the victims at gunpoint of the $20,000. During the robbery, Finnegan pointed a gun at one of the victims and said to “sit still and be patient,” while Rahim looked on. Rahim, Finnegan, and Rayam split the proceeds.
Finnegan faces up to 20 years in prison for the robbery charge and up to life in prison for the firearm charge. Rayam and Rahim have also pleaded guilty. Sentencing for Rahim has been set for March 9, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. and sentencing for Finnegan has been set for March 9, 2018 at 12 p.m.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Saratoga Springs Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Heroin Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Matthew P. Charo, age 36, of Saratoga Springs, New York, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distributing heroin to a 30-year-old woman who died from taking it.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “Today’s sentence holds Matthew Charo accountable for causing the death of a young woman who was struggling to overcome her addiction. Though his decade of imprisonment cannot undo the harm to the victim and her family, who will continue to endure the unimaginable loss of their daughter, vigorous enforcement is a key component of prevention. Heroin kills, and dealing heroin is a deadly choice that can subject the dealer of even a small amount to severe consequences if a customer dies from taking heroin. As part of our multi-pronged approach to the opioid crisis, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold drug dealers accountable for fatal overdoses.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Vadim D. Thomas stated: “Today’s sentencing is the culmination of many long hours and dedicated work, but the effort to make our communities safer continues. The FBI is committed to investigating those like Mr. Charo, who endanger our families and our communities with drugs.”
As part of his guilty plea on August 14, 2017, Charo admitted that on October 2, 2014, he sold heroin to a 30-year-old woman who was his acquaintance from high school. Before the sale, the victim told Charo that she had tried all day to buy heroin without success. Charo agreed to help the victim buy heroin, and used the victim’s food stamp EBT card to buy heroin from another individual, which he then distributed to the victim. She ingested the heroin and died due to acute heroin intoxication.
New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II stated: “I want to thank our law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local level for bringing this man to justice. Drugs such as heroin destroy our communities and put lives at risk. This sentencing sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the illegal drug activity and the deadly consequences that are associated with such activity. We will remain vigilant in pursuing and prosecuting criminals who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods through the distribution of these illegal and harmful narcotics.”
Saratoga Springs Police Department Chief Gregory Veitch stated: “As this investigation has clearly demonstrated, drug dealing is not a victimless crime. No prison sentence will ever bring this victim back to life or alleviate the suffering of her loved ones. The Saratoga Springs Police Department remains committed to working with our state and federal partners in law enforcement in this never-ending battle against those who choose prey on our community.”
As part of the sentence, Senior United States Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin following Charo’s release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the New York State Police, and the Saratoga Springs Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon.
Sapulpa Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Unlawfully Manufacture and Possess Destructive DevicesRead the Press Release
District Judge John W. Dowdell sentenced Christopher Dean Nichols, 23, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma to 44 months in prison for the crime of Conspiracy to Unlawfully Manufacture and Possess Destructive Devices. Nichols must also pay a special monetary assessment totaling $100. After release from prison, Nichols must serve two years on supervised release.
On or about May 20-23, 2017, Nichols conspired with another person to manufacture and possess pipe bombs. He made the bombs with materials he bought at a hardware store, including pipe and fittings. He added explosive powder to the pipe, threaded a fuse through one end of each device and placed BBs in the devices. The devices were not registered and were illegally manufactured and possessed. He then planted the pipe bombs in a parked vehicle at the Creek County Courthouse without the owner’s knowledge, intending to scare the owner of the vehicle.
United States Attorney Shores stated, “If you chose to make a pipe bomb and terrorize citizens in our communities, you will be held accountable,” United States Attorney Shores said. “Let it be clear, we will not tolerate attempts to thwart courtroom processes - be they civil or criminal, federal or state - by threats and intimidation with improvised explosive devices. I commend the ATF and Creek County law enforcement for their swift actions in this investigation.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sapulpa Police Department and the Tulsa Police Department Bomb Squad investigated the matter. Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Litchfield prosecuted the case.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Salvadoran national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Gerardo Alberto Perez-Fuentes, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2018.
Perez-Fuentes was previously deported on Oct. 8, 2015. On Sept. 6, 2017, law enforcement in Chelsea encountered Perez-Fuentes and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Perez-Fuentes will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting this case.
Saluda Felon Sentenced to 71 Months Imprisonment for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Zebedee Cleo Adams, age 37, of Saluda, South Carolina was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Greenville for Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of Charleston sentenced Adams to 71 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea and sentencing hearing established that on September 5, 2015, the Saluda Police Department attempted to stop Adams for speeding. Adams drove his vehicle at high speeds through a neighborhood. Adams was apprehended when he wrecked his car into a ditch. Adams was arrested, and had a loaded Beretta .32 caliber pistol in his pocket. Adams had prior felony convictions for which he had not received a pardon and was prohibited from carrying a firearm.
The case was investigated by agents of the ATF and Saluda Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
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Russian Citizen Sentenced to 37 Months for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nikolay Souslov, a/k/a “Nikolay Glukhov,” a/k/a “Nikolai Kuznetsov,” a/k/a “Nikolai Burov,” age 70, and a citizen of Russia, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for alien smuggling.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Chief Patrol Agent John C. Pfeifer, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Souslov was convicted following a four-day jury trial in May 2017. Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered him to serve a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.
The evidence at trial showed that between 2013 and October 19, 2016, Souslov smuggled people into the United States by walking them through the woods from Canada during the night. Souslov, who is experienced in orienteering, used only a compass to guide people through the woods to a pickup spot, where they were transported to New Jersey. On October 19, 2016, Border Patrol arrested Souslov as he led an alien into the United States.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer.
Roswell Man Sentenced to Five Years for Federal Drug Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joseph Vallejos, 25, of Roswell, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 60 months in prison for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking charges. Vallejos will be on supervised release for four years after completing his prison sentence.
Vallejos and co-defendant Renee Rodriguez, 33, also of Roswell, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in Sept. 2015, with conspiracy, distribution of methamphetamine, and firearms offenses in Chaves County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, Vallejos and Rodriguez sold an aggregate of 157.7 grams of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement officers during nine separate transactions between July 2015 and Sept. 2015. The complaint further charged Rodriguez with brandishing a handgun during a methamphetamine transaction on July 8, 2015.
Vallejos and Rodriguez subsequently were charged in a nine-count indictment that was filed on Dec. 17, 2015. The indictment charged Vallejos and Rodriguez with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from July 1, 2015 through July 30, 2015. It also charged Rodriguez with distributing methamphetamine on three occasions in July 2015, and Vallejos and Rodriguez with distributing methamphetamine on four occasions in July 2015. Rodriguez also was charged with brandishing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime on July 8, 2015. According to the indictment, Vallejos and Rodriguez committed the nine crimes in Chaves County.
On Aug. 3, 2016, Vallejos pled guilty to a conspiracy charge and four methamphetamine distribution charges. In entering the guilty plea, Vallejos admitted that he was responsible for distributing approximately 52.6 grams of methamphetamine in Chaves County in July 2015.
On Aug. 12, 2016, Rodriguez pled guilty to two of the distribution of methamphetamine charges and to brandishing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Rodriguez admitted that on July 8, 2015, she distributed approximately 15 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer, and during that transaction she used and carried a firearm. Rodriguez further admitted that she distributed approximately 11.9 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer on July 30, 2015. Rodriguez was sentenced on Oct. 31, 2017, to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Roswell office of the FBI and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Rocklin Man Charged with Enticing a Minor Online for Sexual Purposes and Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a sealed three-count indictment last week, against Cameron Fox, 34, of Rocklin, charging him with online enticement of a minor for sexual purposes, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed after Fox’s arrest on December 5, 2017. Fox was arraigned on Tuesday and he pleaded not guilty.
According to court documents, it is alleged that Fox enticed a minor to meet with him to engage in sexual activity, and that he produced child pornography of that same minor on at least one occasion. It is also alleged that Fox possessed other child pornography. Fox’s next court date is January 4, 2018.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosanne Rust is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Fox faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety.
Real Estate Developers Sentenced in White Plains Federal Court for Conspiracy to Corrupt the Electoral Process in BloomingburgRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, today announced that SHALOM LAMM and KENNETH NAKDIMEN were sentenced for conspiracy to corrupt the electoral process, in connection with an election in Bloomingburg, New York. LAMM was sentenced today to 10 months in prison. NAKDIMEN was previously sentenced on September 15, 2017, to six months in prison. Both defendants were sentenced by United States District Judge Vincent Briccetti in White Plains federal court.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim stated: “False and fraudulent voter registrations have no place in our democracy. As the sentences imposed on Shalom Lamm and Kenneth Nakdimen show, those who try to undermine the integrity of our elections will be prosecuted and punished.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, as well as statements made in related court filings and proceedings:
Starting in 2006, LAMM and NAKDIMEN, real estate developers, sought to build and sell real estate in Bloomingburg, New York. From these real estate development projects, LAMM, NAKDIMEN, and others hoped for and anticipated making hundreds of millions of dollars. But by late 2013, the first of their real estate developments had met local opposition, and still remained under construction and uninhabitable. When met with resistance, rather than seek to advance their real estate development project through legitimate means, LAMM, NAKDIMEN, and others instead decided to corrupt the democratic electoral process in Bloomingburg by falsely registering voters and paying bribes for voters who would help elect public officials favorable to their project.
Specifically, in advance of an election in March 2014 for Mayor of Bloomingburg and other local officials, LAMM, NAKDIMEN, and others, and people working on their behalf, developed and worked on a plan to falsely register numerous people who were not entitled to register and vote in Bloomingburg because they actually lived elsewhere. Those people included some who never intended to live in Bloomingburg, some who had never kept a home in Bloomingburg, and indeed, some who had never set foot in Bloomingburg. LAMM, NAKDIMEN, and others took steps to cover up their scheme to register voters who did not actually live in Bloomingburg by, among other things, creating and back-dating false leases and placing items like toothbrushes and toothpaste in unoccupied apartments to make it seem as if the falsely registered voters lived there.
LAMM, NAKDIMEN, and others also bribed potential voters by offering payments, subsidies, and other items of value to get non-residents of Bloomingburg to register unlawfully and vote there.
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In addition to the prison terms, LAMM, 58, of Bloomingburg, New York, was sentenced to one year of supervised release, a $20,000 fine, and 400 hours of community service and NAKDIMEN, 64, of Monsey, New York, was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and 400 hours of community service.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI-Hudson Valley White Collar Crime Task Force, the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, the Sullivan County Sherriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Mr. Kim also thanked the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, Election Crimes Branch, for its assistance in the case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn Martin, Benjamin Allee, and Perry Carbone are in charge of the prosecution.
Quincy Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Patronizing a 13 Year Old Engaged in Commercial SexRead the Press Release
Spokane– Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Albert Castro, Jr., of Quincy, Washington, was sentenced after having previously pleaded guilty in March, 2017, to patronizing a thirteen-year-old child engaged in commercial sex. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. sentenced Castro to a seven-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release upon release of federal prison.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, a thirteen-year-old female contacted Castro at the direction of Eric J. Perez, who was also charged in connection with this case. Castro paid the child $80 for two sex acts at his residence.
Castro’s criminal conduct was discovered while law enforcement officers were independently investigating Perez. The Perez investigation began after a sister of one of the child-victims informed a school counselor that she was concerned about her sister’s Facebook contacts with Perez. The counselor immediately informed the Quincy Police Department. The Quincy Police Department, together with the FBI, discovered that Perez’s Facebook account contained multiple conversations between Perez and multiple 12-15 year old girls. For his part, Perez pled guilty on September 28, 2017 to seven criminal charges -- Production of Child Pornography, Attempted Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, Child Sex Trafficking, Attempted Child Sex Trafficking, and Possession of Child Pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2017.
Joseph H. Harrington said, “The impact of Castro’s crime on his victim cannot be overstated. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington prosecutes crimes against children aggressively, in part because of the extreme vulnerability of the young victims.” Harrington went on to add, “This case is yet another example of the successful investigative efforts that can be accomplished when state and federal law enforcement, such as the Quincy Police Department and the FBI, work in partnership.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
• Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The Quincy Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation of this matter. Scott T. Jones, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, prosecuted the case.
Port St. Lucie Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography, Coercing Minors to Produce Child Pornography, and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Port St. Lucie resident was sentenced to life in prison for producing and distributing child pornography, coercing minors to produce child pornography, and possessing child pornography.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), made the announcement.
Scott Joseph Trader, 32, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, previously pled guilty to enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b); distribution of material containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) & (b)(1); possession of matter containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) & (b)(2); and production of material containing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C §§ 2251(a) & (e) (Case No. 17-CR-14047-Middlebrooks).
According to court records, since at least November 2014 through May 31, 2017, Trader video recorded himself sexually abusing two minor girls entrusted to his care, one of whom was two years old. Trader also coerced dozens of minor victims online to send him child pornography using social media applications and collected vast amounts of child pornography from the internet, including the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, sadism and masochism, and bestiality. Trader distributed large amounts of child pornography over the internet to adults and to minor victims as young as eight years old, which included the videos/images of the defendant’s own sexual abuse of children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigation efforts of ICE-HSI, ICE-HSI in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and the Port Saint Lucie Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marton Gyires.
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.
Pair Charged with Creating Child Pornography of ToddlerRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged two individuals – Ciera Richter, 25, of Cincinnati, and Jason Fletcher, 40, of Franklin, Ohio – with charges related to the selling of a child and creating child pornography in an indictment returned here yesterday afternoon.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the charges.
According to court documents, Fletcher was previously convicted by the state of Ohio of importuning a minor, among other crimes. Under the terms of his probation, he was not to possess pornography of any kind.
In May 2017, during a visit with his probation officer, the officer noticed Fletcher had two mobile devices and, after having Fletcher provide access to the devices, started to review the phones’ contents. The probation officer found pornography of a minor female on one of the phones and Fletcher was subsequently arrested.
Search of the phone revealed, among a collection of child pornography, child pornography videos made with the phone. Some of the videos on the phone involve Fletcher, Richter and a two-year-old.
In the videos, Richter helps hold, entertain and position the toddler, while Fletcher records himself sexually abusing the child.
According to the indictment and other court documents, Richter procured a two-year-old for the purpose of making the videos and intended to sell the videos.
“The indictment alleges that Richter provided the toddler to Fletcher with the knowledge that as a consequence of the transfer, the two-year-old would be portrayed in child pornography,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “Offenses like those alleged here are among the most heinous, and most important, that we prosecute. We take seriously our duty and responsibility to keep children safe from those who would prey upon them.”
“Child pornography is the permanent record of a child being sexually exploited, and this victimization continues every time that image is transmitted, downloaded, shared or viewed,” said Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge of HSI for Michigan and Ohio. “HSI special agents take special pride in their role of seeking justice on behalf of those who have been sexually exploited and victimized.”
Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and production of child pornography. Those crimes generally carry a potential sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison. Fletcher faces a potential range of 35 years to life in prison, because he has at least two prior state convictions for crimes involving children.
Richter is also charged with one count of selling a child, which is punishable by a range of 30 years to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by HSI and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Ozark Man Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Airbag SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that an Ozark, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to a scheme to sell counterfeit automotive airbags and components online.
Aleksey Illyuk, 28, of Ozark, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, to one count of mail fraud and one count of smuggling goods into the United States.Illyuk admitted that he sold counterfeit automotive airbags and airbag components on his online eBay stores, CarPro 417 and CarPro Electronics. Illyuk received shipments from various Chinese manufacturers of airbags, airbag covers and other items that contained the trademarks of Honda, Toyota, Chevy, Ford and other companies. Each of these imported airbags contained trademarks and markings that made it appear the legitimate holder of the trademark had manufactured the airbags. Illyuk fraudulently marketed these items as airbags that had been manufactured by the legitimate trademark holder, when he knew that the parts were counterfeit and not manufactured by the legitimate trademark holder.
Illyuk sold approximately $120,000 worth of counterfeit items to consumers throughout the United States through his online stores from Jan. 1, 2015, to Aug. 17, 2017. The fact that the airbags and the airbag components parts were counterfeit and not manufactured by the legal holders of the displayed trademark or logo on the item was never truthfully disclosed to the consumers.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Illyuk must forfeit to the government $103,000 obtained from the proceeds of his illegal scheme, as well as 150 counterfeit Toyota airbags and component parts (including 24 inflators and fully assembled airbags); 77 counterfeit Honda airbags and component parts (including 4 fully assembled airbags); 70 counterfeit Chevy/GMC airbags and component parts; 54 counterfeit Ford airbags and component parts; 207 counterfeit Nissan airbags and component parts (including 2 fully assembled airbags, 102 name plates, and 25 airbag covers); 8 counterfeit Infiniti airbag covers; 10 counterfeit Accura airbags and component parts; 13 counterfeit Hyundai airbags and component parts; 7 counterfeit BMW airbags and component parts (including 5 fully assembled airbags); 4 counterfeit Subaru airbags and component parts; 4 counterfeit Lexus fully assembled airbags; 1 counterfeit Mazada airbag and component part; and $17,000 seized by law enforcement agents.
Under federal statutes, Illyuk is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Oklahoma City Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice a 14-Year-OldRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – HARRY DEAN WHEELER, JR., 67, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty today to attempting to entice a minor to have sex, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, an undercover agent with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs posted an advertisement on Craigslist on September 19, 2017, in which he claimed to be a boy looking for a "daddy" who would be "willing to teach me about sex." The affidavit explains that through the Craigslist email reply function, Wheeler used explicit sexual language to indicate he wanted to meet the boy for a sexual encounter. He also included three nude photos of himself. According to the affidavit, the undercover agent responded: "Wow, your [sic] hot and sound really cool. Just to get it out of the way, I’m 14, but I’m very mature for my age, that’s why I don’t mind older guys." The affidavit states Wheeler then replied by email: "We must keep it a secret as what we will be doing is not legal." Wheeler allegedly arranged to meet the person he thought was a 14-year-old boy in the parking lot of a business at 5501 North May Avenue in Oklahoma City, with the intention of driving him to his own residence. When Wheeler arrived at the parking lot and identified himself to the undercover agent as "daddy," federal agents arrested him.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint against Wheeler on September 21, 2017. On November 8, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted him on one count of using a facility and means of interstate commerce to attempt to persuade, induce, and entice an individual he believed to be under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity. This afternoon, Wheeler pleaded guilty to that offense before U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti.
At sentencing, Wheeler faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. He could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison. He will serve at least 5 years and up to life on supervised release after incarceration and could be fined up to $250,000. He may also be required to pay a $5,000 special assessment. The court ordered Wheeler to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until sentencing, which will take place in approximately 90 days.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale is prosecuting the case. Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Mountain Grove Woman Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Louis Vuitton SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Mountain Grove, Mo., woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling counterfeit Louis Vuitton material into the United States so that she could make and sell counterfeit merchandise on her website.
Tonya Virtue, 33, of Mountain Grove, Mo., waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, to one count of smuggling goods into the United States.
Virtue admitted that she sold approximately $50,000 worth of counterfeit Louis Vuitton items through her online store, Soul Sisters, to customers throughout the United States. Virtue received shipments of fabric and material affixed with counterfeit Louis Vuitton trademarks and logos from an overseas Chinese manufacturer between Jan. 1 and Sept. 27, 2017. Virtue created counterfeit handbags, purses and other items from the counterfeit fabric, which she sold to consumers who believed they were purchasing items created by Louis Vuitton.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Virtue must forfeit to the government $50,000 derived from the proceeds of the criminal scheme, as well as 17 Louis Vuitton clutch bags, 34 Louis Vuitton shoulder bags, 4 Louis Vuitton duffle bags, 9 Louis Vuitton wallets, 5 incomplete Louis Vuitton shoulder bags, 3 13-by-55-foot sheets of Louis Vuitton material, 1 15-by-55-foot sheet of Louis Vuitton material, 60 13-by-26-inch sheets of Louis Vuitton material, 36 Louis Vuitton-branded boxes.
Under federal statutes, Virtue is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Monongalia County man admits to firearm chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Morgantown, West Virginia, man has admitted to a firearm charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Roger Dale LaMar, age 48, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.”
Lamar, having previously been convicted of second degree murder in Preston County Circuit Court in 2001, admitted to having three firearms in his possession. The crime occurred in February 2017 in Taylor County.
LaMar 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 Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.Mexican National Indicted for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Mexican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing more than two kilograms of cocaine thrown from his vehicle while fleeing from police officers.
Rosvel Flores Montantes, 33, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Kan., was charged with one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint filed against Flores on Nov. 15, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, the investigation began with a confidential source who was in contact with a broker in Mexico to engage in a cocaine transaction. Investigators were informed that a transaction would take place in the parking lot of the Super 8 motel in Riverside, Mo.
Flores arrived at the parking lot driving a Ford F-250 and approached a Nissan sedan. Flores got out of his truck, engaged in conversation with the occupant of the other vehicle, then got into the passenger side of the Nissan. Flores got out of the Nissan and retrieved something from the truck, then returned to the passenger seat of the Nissan. Flores got out of the Nissan again, this time carrying a pastel-colored bag, got back into the truck, and began to leave the parking lot.
Officers attempted to make a traffic stop, the affidavit says, because the license plates on the truck belonged to another vehicle. However, upon observing the lights and sirens of the police vehicles, Flores began to elude law enforcement officers by speeding and failing to stop for traffic signals. The F-250 truck began traveling at high speeds onto I-635 North, ignoring the emergency lights and sirens of multiple law enforcement marked and unmarked units.
The F-250 truck performed several evasive maneuvers for approximately seven to 10 minutes in an attempt to evade law enforcement. The F-250 finally came to an abrupt stop going north bound on 69 Highway just past Merriam Lane in Merriam, Kan. Flores and a passenger got out of the truck and attempted to flee from law enforcement officers on foot. They were both arrested.
Investigators found the pastel bag, which had been discarded during the pursuit, by retracing the path of the fleeing vehicle. According to the affidavit, the bag contained four brick-size amounts of cocaine wrapped in dark-colored wrapping, which weighed a total of 2,355 grams.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Clark. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Mexican Citizen Admits Illegal Re-entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Maria Angelica Cruz Lancheros, a/k/a Coral Marisol Tovar Flores, age 41, and a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty today to illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Chief Patrol Agent John C. Pfeifer, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Cruz Lancheros admitted that she was removed from the United States to Mexico on July 7, 2009 and again on June 14, 2010. In 2010, Cruz Lancheros was convicted of this same offense, re-entry of a removed alien, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. Cruz Lancheros admitted that she returned to the United States without permission after those removals and that on May 6, 2017, she was in Burke, New York.
As a result of her conviction, Cruz Lancheros faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when she is sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby on April 6, 2018. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Committing Bank Robberies in Three New England StatesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Vincent M. Torraco, 26, of Athol, Massachusetts, was sentenced to serve 43 months in federal prison for a series of bank robberies that occurred in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made during Torraco’s earlier plea hearing, Torraco robbed TD Bank branches in Gardner, Massachusetts, on September 16, 2016, in Rindge, on September 23, 2016, and in Winchester, Connecticut, on September 24, 2016. In each robbery, Torraco passed a note to a bank teller demanding money. In at least two of the robberies, the notes included warnings not to include dye packs with the money. Torraco was identified as the robber in each instance through bank security images, which revealed distinctive clothing and physical characteristics common to Torraco, and in one case a fingerprint on the demand note. Torraco was arrested on September 27, 2016, in Huntersville, North Carolina.
Torraco previously pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery. After serving his sentence, he will serve a three-year term of supervised release.
“Bank robberies are inherently violent offenses that can jeopardize the lives of bank employees and customers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime and to improve the safety of our communities.”
Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division said, "Mr. Torraco not only took money from a federally insured bank, he also intimidated the tellers, and wasted taxpayer resources by requiring law enforcement officers to search for him. This sentence imposed on the defendant reflects the serious nature of bank robbery. The FBI is proud of the relationship with its law enforcement partners and working together, we are able to make our community a safer place."
The investigation of this matter was overseen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and conducted by the Rindge (N.H.) Police Department, the Gardner (Massachusetts) Police Department, the Winchester (Connecticut) Police Department and the Huntersville (North Carolina) Police Department. The prosecution of the case is being coordinated with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Massachusetts and Connecticut, the Middle District (Massachusetts) Attorney’s Office, and the Litchfield County (Connecticut) State’s Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.
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Machine Shop Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges of Illegally Manufacturing Assault Rifles and Silencers He Intended to SellRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man pleaded guilty today to two counts of unlawful manufacturing and dealing in firearms, specifically short-barreled AR-15-style assault rifles and silencers.
Axel Fernando Galvez, 36, who resides in Watts, pleaded guilty to two felony firearm offenses before United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder.
Galvez admitted in court that he purchased components for firearms from multiple sellers to disguise the quantity he was buying. Galvez then finished the parts and assembled the assault rifles at a South Los Angeles machine shop where he worked.
On August 28, 2017, Galvez sold five of these assault rifles, through an intermediary, to an undercover operative with the United States Postal Inspection Service. Galvez believed that the undercover operative was a convicted felon and was going to resell the weapons in Egypt and the Philippines.
In further discussions with the undercover operative, Galvez negotiated the sale of another 100 homemade assault rifles, offering a bulk discount.
In a plea agreement filed in federal court, Galvez also admitted that he manufactured five silencers for firearms.
Galvez, who is being detained without bond, is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Snyder on March 12. As a result of today’s guilty pleas, Galvez faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
A second man charged as a result of this investigation – Marcos Ernesto Chavarria, 31, of Inglewood – also pleaded guilty today and admitted conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Snyder is scheduled to sentence Chavarria also on March 12, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
During the investigation into Galvez, the Postal Inspection Service worked jointly with the Los Angeles Police Department Parcel Task Force. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center provide substantial assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section.
Louisiana Resident Indicted in Stolen ID Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former resident of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, was charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to the indictment, Aaron Daniels conspired with others to defraud the United States by filing tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that sought fraudulent refunds. Daniels allegedly obtained the IDs of inmates he was incarcerated with in the East Carroll Detention Center and provided this information to his co-conspirators in exchange for a fee so they could file fraudulent tax returns. Daniels is also charged with assisting in the preparation and presentation of seven false tax returns, including his own personal returns, which allegedly included false dependents and education credits, and sought inflated refunds.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged in indictments are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Daniels faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and three years for each of the seven false return charges. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Evans commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden Brockett and Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Louisiana Resident Indicted in Stolen ID Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –A former resident of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, was charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to the indictment, Aaron Daniels conspired with others to defraud the United States by filing tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that sought fraudulent refunds. Daniels allegedly obtained the IDs of inmates he was incarcerated with in the East Carroll Detention Center and provided this information to his co-conspirators in exchange for a fee so they could file fraudulent tax returns. Daniels is also charged with assisting in the preparation and presentation of seven false tax returns, including his own personal returns, which allegedly included false dependents and education credits, and sought inflated refunds.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged in indictments are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Daniels faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and three years for each of the seven false return charges. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Evans commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden Brockett and Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Longs Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug and Charges in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Quavon Melik Bellamy, age 22, of Longs, SC, pled guilty in federal court in Florence to Possession of a Stolen Firearm and Ammunition and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. United States District Judge Bryan Harwell, of Florence, heard the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on February 14, 2017, law enforcement responded to a call about a man with a gun. The female 911 caller provided officers with Bellamy’s name and a vehicle tag number. Officers ran the tag and identified the address on the vehicle’s registration. Officers responded to the address and located the vehicle in the front yard. When the officers arrived at the residence, Bellamy exited the house and officers informed him of the victim’s report. Bellamy stated that he ran into the victim and they had “words,” but he denied possessing or presenting a firearm. Officers confirmed the vehicle was registered to Bellamy and inquired about firearms in the vehicle. Bellamy responded there were no firearms in the vehicle and gave consent to a search of the vehicle. Upon opening the vehicle door, the officer immediately smelled marijuana. Officers searched the vehicle and located a black purse on the back seat that contained two glass jars of marijuana and a scale. Officers also found a Springfield Armory 9mm handgun on the rear floorboard, fully loaded with fifteen rounds of ammunition including one in the chamber. After being advised of his rights and agreeing to speak with law enforcement, Bellamy initially claimed he did not know anything about the firearm, only later to admit it was his and that he presented it to the victim. After running the firearm’s serial number through dispatch, officers confirmed that the firearm was stolen.
US Attorney Drake stated that Bellamy faces a maximum penalty ten years in federal prison. The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Horry County Police Department, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office handled the case.
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Local Chiropractor and Wife, and One Police Officer Plead Guilty to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO - Police Officer Terri Owens of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD); Dr. Mitchell Davis, a St. Louis chiropractor; and his wife Galina Davis, all pled guilty today to federal charges arising out of a scheme to obtain un-redacted accident reports for use in Dr. Davis’s practice.
According to court documents, between 2007 and 2016, Dr. Davis owned and operated Davis Chiropractic Clinic, now known as City Health and Chiropractic. Located on Lindell Blvd in St. Louis, the clinic primarily provided services to accident victims. Galina Davis assisted Dr. Davis in identifying, soliciting, and scheduling potential accident victims.
According to SLMPD policy, the SLMPD will provide un-redacted accident reports only to persons involved in the accidents, the companies insuring them, or the lawyers representing them. Un-redacted accident reports contain detailed information, including addresses, telephone numbers, birthdates, and insurance information of the occupants of the vehicles. Dr. Davis and Galina Davis knew that the SLMPD would not disclose un-redacted police reports to them. To get around this policy, Galina Davis and Dr. Davis recruited, solicited, and paid individual SLMPD police officers to obtain un-redacted accident reports for them.
According to court documents, while on duty, Officer Owens accessed the SLMPD computers and thereafter disclosed the un-redacted reports to Galina Davis and Dr. Davis in exchange for cash payments. Owens knew that she was acting contrary to the SLMPD policies. In an attempt to conceal the bribery payments, Galina Davis met the officer on parking lots of various retail stores and paid the officers in cash for each un-redacted accident report.
Using the information from the un-redacted reports, Galina Davis contacted accident victims, identified herself as Gail, Allison, Kelly, Laura, or Shannon, and offered the accident victims free services at Davis Chiropractic. Dr. Davis and Galina Davis focused on identifying accident victims from neighborhoods where there was a large concentration of low-income victims. They believed that low-income individuals would be more receptive to their solicitations and offers of free services.
Once the accident victims came to Davis Chiropractic, Dr. Davis encouraged and pressured them to rate their pain level as 8 or 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst. Dr. Davis told the patients that the higher pain level was necessary to obtain a higher settlement amount. Sometimes, patients would succumb to Dr. Davis’s pressure and enter a higher pain level. At other times, Dr. Davis entered a pain level in the patient records that was higher than the patients reported.
Dr. Davis routinely told patients that they needed about 21 chiropractic treatments, before the patients were examined and the nature, location, and severity of any injury had been determined. He also routinely referred accident patients to pain management doctors before there had been a determination that the patients needed the services. Dr. Davis told the patients that the chiropractic visits and the visits to pain management doctors would increase the amount of the insurance settlement. Dr. Davis’s share of the insurance settlement depended on the type and number of services that Davis Chiropractic provided to the accident victims.
Dr. Davis completed and submitted patient treatment records containing false information, which he knew insurance companies would consider in making settlement decisions.
Dr. Davis and the Government have stipulated that the loss resulting from the false statements in the patient health records is $550,000. The parties have further stipulated that the loss to the SLMPD is $146,000.
“This type of fraud affects more than the individuals involved. If the companies being defrauded pass on the cost, you end up paying more for insurance,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. “It is particularly egregious when the fraud is committed by those in positions of public trust.”
Terri Owens, 55, appeared before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel and pled guilty to one count of accepting bribes in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666. The bribery charges carry a penalty of up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Sentencing is set for March 9, 2018.
Dr. Mitchell Davis, 47, of St. Louis County, appeared before Judge Sippel and pled guilty to one count of false statements relating to healthcare matters in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1035, and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. The health care related fraud charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Sentencing is set for March 9, 2018.
Galina Davis, 47, of St. Louis County, appeared before Judge Sippel and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to gain illegal access to a protected SLMPD computer in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and faces up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both. Sentencing is set for March 9, 2018.
Two other former police officers have been charged in a related case. On December 6, 2017, Marlon Caldwell, 50, of St. Louis City, and Cauncenet Brown, 42, of Perris, CA, were indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to accept bribes in return for disclosing un-redacted police reports in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. They each face a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry and Reginald Harris are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Lincoln County man pleads guilty for failing to register as a sex offenderRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Lincoln County man faces up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty today for failing to register as a sex offender, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Cody Matthew Wroblewski, 32, of Harts, also faces a term of federal supervised release of at least five years and up to life following his sentence.
Wroblewski admitted that from January 2017 until his arrest on August 30, 2017, he failed to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. On August 30, 2017, Wroblewski was located and arrested at his residence on Bag Harts Creek Road in Lincoln County. Wroblewski was required to register as a sex offender because of a 2011 South Carolina conviction for third degree criminal sexual conduct. He was also previously convicted in 2012 in South Carolina for failing to update his sex offender registration.
The United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the plea hearing.
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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Liberian National Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Isaac T. Kannah, 51, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer. The charge carries a maximum penalty of four years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that, in May 2011, an Immigration Judge of the Executive Office of Immigration Review was conducting removal proceedings against George Boley, the former head of the Liberian Peace Council during the Liberian Civil War in the 1990s. One of the issues material to the removal proceedings was whether the Liberian Peace Council was a warring or fighting faction during the war. During the removal proceedings, Boley offered false and inaccurate testimony on this issue, asserting that the Liberian Peace Council was not a warring or fighting faction, in an effort to corruptly influence, obstruct and impede those proceedings, a felony in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1505.
In May 2011, the defendant knew that Boley was offering false and inaccurate testimony in order to obstruct the removal proceedings. Despite this knowledge, the defendant failed to notify the relevant federal authorities (such as the Immigration Judge or federal law enforcement authorities) about the crime. In addition, Kannah also sought affirmatively to conceal the crime by failing to state that the Liberian Peace Council was in fact a warring faction during the Liberian Civil War despite being questioned on that issue during his testimony at Boley’s removal proceedings.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly and the Philadelphia Office of ICE-HSI.
The United States Attorney’s Office was assisted in this investigation and prosecution by Brenda Sue Thornton, a Department of Justice Trial Attorney with the Counterterrorism Section, National Security Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 9, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Larimer.
Lawyer Living Lavish Lifestyle Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Scott W. Atway, 44, of Powell, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to filing a false tax return.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the plea entered into today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
According to the Statement of Facts in this case, for several years, including 2010 through 2013, Atway owned multiple Verizon Wireless stores in Central Ohio aside from being a self-employed attorney who operated his own law practice. In 2013, he also generated income from a real-estate holding company for his rental properties.
Atway provided incomplete or false documents to his tax-return preparer. He further made false statements to her when asked to justify how he paid for his lifestyle.
During this timeframe, Atway was building and improving upon a luxury home in Powell. He paid more than $800,000 to contractors for additions including an enclosed tennis court, basketball court, in-ground pool, six-car garage and an elevator. These expenses could not have been covered by the amount of taxable income Atway reported to the IRS.
He was also buying high-end cars, including a $99,000 Land Rover, a $50,000 Porsche 911, a $24,000 Lexus IS250, a $71,000 BMW X6 and a nearly $143,000 Audi R8. For these cars, he either received no financing or paid off the loans early, and the income he reported to the dealerships was much greater than what he reported on his tax returns.
For 2010 through 2013, Atway caused a tax loss to the United States of between $250,000 and $1.5 million.
“Scott Atway is well-educated and seemingly a successful businessman, but he chose to lie to the IRS and now he is a convicted felon,” said Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
Filing a false tax return is a federal crime punishable by up to three years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Lawrence Nassar Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Lawrence Gerard Nassar, 54, of Holt, Michigan, was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for child-pornography and obstruction-of-justice offenses, U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff ordered the federal sentence to be served consecutive to the sentences he receives in state court. In addition to the prison term, Nassar must also register as a sex offender, and, if released from prison, he will be subject to a lifetime term of supervised release.
In July of this year, Nassar pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving child pornography in 2004, possessing child pornography from 2003 to 2016, and destroying and concealing evidence in 2016 when he believed, correctly, that ongoing investigation by law enforcement would reveal his child-pornography activities. As part of a plea agreement, Nassar agreed not to oppose a sentencing enhancement for engaging in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of minors. That enhancement, based on his extensive history of personally sexually molesting minors, increased his advisory U.S. Sentencing Guideline range by over 70%. This is the same enhancement that would have applied had he been convicted of additional federal charges related to his hands-on misconduct, such as for traveling interstate with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. By the time of his sentencing, Nassar faced an advisory guideline range of 30 years to life in prison, capped by the combined statutory maximum for the three counts of 60 years.
Dozens of victims participated in the federal sentencing proceeding by submitting written victim-impact statements to the Court. The victims wrote about the pain and trauma Nassar caused them, their shattered trust and innocence, the enduring impact this conduct has had on their lives, and their desire to see justice. The victims called on the Court to severely punish Nassar and protect others from further acts of sexual predation.
In announcing the sentence, Judge Neff left no doubt that “maximum potential penalties are in order here.” She found the case “unique.” The images Nassar collected were numerous and “like none other that I’ve seen.” She expressed dismay that Nassar was a doctor and was troubled by the thought that he might have “felt omnipotent” for getting away with sexually assaulting his victims when their mother was in the room. “I am a mom. I cannot imagine [the anguish those mothers must feel].” She chastised Nassar for violating the most basic tenant of medicine – “Do no harm.” Finally, the Judge expressed deep concern for the victims’ sense of self-worth that was destroyed. She concluded that Nassar “is, was, and will be a danger to children.” “It is through consecutive sentencing that I can protect young children.”
Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Birge said: “Today was a day of reckoning for Larry Nassar. He more than deserves this punishment for what he did. He consumed child pornography on a massive scale. We found 37,000 images of child pornography on his computers. Insatiable hunger of that nature simply encourages those who produce such images to continue to sexually exploit children. Compounding his danger to the public, Nassar was an insidious hands-on child predator in his own right. He took advantage of family friendships. And he treated his license to practice medicine as a license to sexually molest children. Thanks to the brave victims who came forward, we learned the full scope of his depravity. The breadth and dark depth of his heinous acts are extraordinary.”
U.S. Attorney Birge added: “My heart goes out to the victims-- those in the images and those he personally sexually molested. With today’s sentencing, I hope his victims find a sense of renewed self-worth in knowing their role in this outcome. And I hope they and the public find some measure of solace and reassurance in knowing that Nassar has been held accountable for his actions. Anyone who exploits children will be found out and held accountable regardless of their position or station in life.” U.S. Attorney Birge then expressed his thanks to the victims for making the outcome possible in this case and he thanked the FBI and Michigan State University Police for their efforts in support of the charges.
“Today’s sentencing represents an important achievement as we take another step in this long process of holding Nassar accountable for his shocking predatory acts of child sexual abuse and exploitation,” said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. “I want to thank those involved at the FBI in Detroit and Los Angeles, Michigan State University Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless work to bring Nassar to justice. This punishment of a man who once held a position of trust and enjoyed the trust and respect of many should serve as a warning to those who prey upon and sexually exploit children that there will be severe consequences for crimes of this nature. My thoughts are with all the victims whose lives have been forever impacted.”
Michigan State University Police Chief Jim Dunlap commented that: “The Michigan State University Police Department appreciates the effective collaboration with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to achieve a measure of justice for the survivors.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
The Detroit and Los Angeles Divisions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Michigan State University Police Department (MSUPD) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Lewis prosecuted the case.
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Las Vegas Man Convicted of Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A former family and marriage counselor was convicted by a jury Wednesday for soliciting a minor for sex, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.
Ian Alexander Pincombe, 49, of Las Vegas, was found guilty of one count of coercion and enticement, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of receipt of child pornography. United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey presided over the jury trial. Sentencing is set for March 5, 2018. Pincombe faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on April 30, 2014, during an undercover operation, a law enforcement detective located an advertisement on Craigslist.com in which an individual, later identified as Pincombe, was seeking females for sex. The advertisement included a nude photograph. The undercover detective, posing as a 13-year-old girl, began communicating with Pincombe. Over the next two days, Pincombe exchanged sexually explicit emails and text messages with the girl, one of which included a sexually explicit photograph of himself. On May 2, 2014, law enforcement arrested Pincombe at a shopping center parking lot in Henderson where he had agreed to meet the girl for a sexual encounter. Pincombe was later charged with coercion and enticement, and the child pornography charges.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Henderson Police Department, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Coumou and Elham Roohani are prosecuting 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 and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Las Vegas Couple Pleads Guilty to Violent Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas couple pleaded guilty to two violent armed carjackings, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.
Former felon Uriah Zamir Crain, 28, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to carjacking, carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm. Nicole Elizabeth Nowak, 23, also of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to carjacking, carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II accepted their guilty pleas. Sentencing is scheduled for March 8, 2018.
According to the criminal complaint and their individual plea agreements, on June 22, 2017, after striking up a conversation with the victim at Hayat Liquor, Nowak asked the victim to drive her home and invited the victim into the house. Later that night at the house, Crain and another man hit the victim in the head with handguns, which resulted in injury, and stole the victim’s money, wallet, and Ford F-150 truck. Then, on June 25, Crain and Nowak committed a second carjacking. Crain shot the victim in the leg, which resulted in serious bodily injury, and Crain and Nowak then stole the victim’s Lincoln Navigator truck and other property belonging to the victim. At the time of his arrest, Crain had a Glock 9mm handgun and a 30-round Glock magazine in his possession.
At the time of sentencing, the statutory maximum penalty for carjacking is 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the maximum penalty for carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury is 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; the minimum penalty for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence is 10 years in prison with a maximum penalty of up to life in prison; the minimum penalty for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence is seven years in prison with a maximum penalty of up to life in prison; and the maximum penalty for felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip N. Smith Jr. and Alexandra Michael are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide commitment by the Department of Justice to reduce gun and gang crime in America by networking local programs that target gun and gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
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KC Man Sentenced for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than six kilograms of cocaine.
Demond Robins, 36, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 12 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 20, 2017, Robins pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine from May 22 to Dec. 14, 2015, and to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy from Dec. 13, 2013, to Dec. 16, 2015.
Robins admitted that he provided cocaine to co-defendant Jonathan Villegas-Escobar, 26, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo., who then distributed the drugs to customers and delivered the drug money back to Robins. During the course of this conspiracy, Villegas-Escobar and Robins distributed approximately 1.9 kilograms of cocaine to a law enforcement confidential informant. Villegas-Escobar has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12, 2017.
Robins needed someone to hold the proceeds of his drug sales and to help legitimize those illegal proceeds. During this time period, Robins did not have a job or an otherwise legitimate source of income. Robins’s girlfriend, Constance Anderson, 36, of Kansas City, Mo., assisted Robins in laundering his illicit drug proceeds. Anderson has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
During the conspiracy, Robins provided Anderson money to keep in either bank accounts, a safe deposit box, or elsewhere. Anderson later gave the money back to Robins when he needed it to purchase additional drugs for sale. Robins started out getting $5,000 at a time from Anderson to purchase 18 ounces of cocaine at a time, which he would then sell, but later he increased the amount he would get nearly $10,000 at a time, so that he could purchase larger amounts of cocaine.
Robins provided money (from the proceeds of drug sales) to Anderson, so that she could then purchase vehicles and real estate for him. One of the vehicles she purchased was a 2011 Jaguar XJ from a dealer in Chicago, Ill., for $33,421. Robins admitted that the purchase of a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, a 2008 BMW 650i convertible and a 2015 Ford F150 was made with the proceeds of drug trafficking. Anderson also purchased property on Prospect Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. The purpose of these purchases was to transform money from illegal drug sales into legitimate property.
On Dec. 17, 2015, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant on Anderson’s safe deposit box. Agents recovered $142,680 in cash from the box, along with various vehicle and property titles, vehicle keys and jewelry. Some of the money found in the safe deposit box was the pre-recorded buy money law enforcement used in purchasing cocaine from Villegas-Escobar. Agents also recovered approximately $9,995 in cash hidden in the trunk of Anderson’s car.
Robins has forfeited the Jaguar XJ and the cash seized by law enforcement agents, as well as any ownership interest in the real estate and other vehicles, to the federal government.
In addition to the approximately 1.9 kilogram of cocaine Robins and Villegas-Escobar sold to the confidential informant, the approximately $152,675 recovered equates to approximately 3.392 kilograms (based on approximately $45/gram). Additionally, Robins received approximately three kilograms of cocaine from Jose Aguayo-Rodriguez, 25, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo.; to avoid double-counting, only one additional kilogram of cocaine is attributed to Robins. This results in a total of approximately 6.292 kilograms of cocaine. Aguayo-Rodriguez pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 1, 2017, to three years in federal prison without parole.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Jury Convicts Busby Man of First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – Following a four-day trial with testimony from fourteen government witnesses, Dimarzio Swade Sanchez, 20, of Busby, was convicted by a Montana jury of first degree murder. Sanchez will be sentenced on March 29, 2018 and faces mandatory life in prison for the murder. He also faces a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided over the trial.
Evidence presented at trial by Assistant United States Attorneys Lori Suek and John Sullivan showed that on April 17, 2016, the victim received a ride from Dimarzio Sanchez, Angelica Jo Whiteman, Frank James Sanchez, and others. On the way to Crow Agency, an altercation ensued in the vehicle. The vehicle stopped on Castle Rock Road.
The evidence showed that the victim was beaten when Dimarzio and Frank Sanchez retrieved a gas can from the trunk of the vehicle. The victim was stripped naked, covered in gas and set on fire. All the remaining occupants of the vehicle then left the scene. The victim remained in the field for approximately fourteen hours until discovered and given emergency medical treatment. The victim, who suffered third degree burns and severe frostbite of the legs, was hospitalized in Salt Lake City until pronounced dead on June 28, 2016.
U. S. Attorney Kurt Alme stated, “We are pleased with the jury’s verdict. It is the result of hard work by Assistant U. S. Attorneys Lori Suek and John Sullivan, FBI and BIA law enforcement; and the victim and witness staff and other staff of the FBI and BIA and the U. S. Attorney’s Office. Our sympathies go out to the victim’s family and the Crow tribal community for their loss.”
Co-defendant Angelica Jo Whiteman, 19 of Lame Deer, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree murder on August 30, 2017. She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2018 and is facing life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Co-defendant Frank James Sanchez, 19 of Lame Deer, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and accessory after the fact on March 14, 2017. Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2018 and is facing maximum punishment of fifteen years in prison, $125,000 fine and three years supervised release.
The case was a cooperative investigative effort between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Judge Sentences New Castle Man to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking a ChildRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 180 months imprisonment, followed by seven years supervised release, on a charge of sex trafficking of a child, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Ronald Kyle Hartman, 28, of New Castle, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, from August 14, 2016, to August 16, 2016, Hartman knowingly traveled to Ohio from Grove City, Pennsylvania, with a 14-year-old girl for the purposes of sex trafficking. Hartman advertised the juvenile’s prostitution services on backpage.com.
Judge Hornak at sentencing stressed the gravity of the offense and illustrated that if one were to look at offenses as a pyramid, this offense would be at the top of the pyramid.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grove City Police for conducting the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hartman.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Sentences Altoona Child Porn Possessor to 40 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Altoona, Pa. has been sentenced in federal court to 40 months in prison, placed on supervised release for life, and required to register as a sex offender on his conviction of possession of child pornography, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Timothy Hufford, 56, of Altoona, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, on August 18, 2015, Hufford knowingly possessed pictures and videos in individual computer graphic files which were produced using prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The computer graphic files were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Song commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and Altoona Police Department for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Hufford.
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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Juarez Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
In El Paso today, a federal judge sentenced 40-year-old Jose Juan Quinones Avila of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, to 57 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and money laundering announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr.; Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., El Paso Division; and, Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez, United States Postal Inspection Service, Houston Division.
On September 26, 2017, Quinones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a Controlled Substance, over 500 grams of cocaine, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Quinones was a target in an ongoing Bank Secrecy Act investigation. By pleading guilty, Quinones admitted that from March 2006 to April 2017, he was responsible for transporting approximately five kilograms of cocaine in El Paso that was destined for Charlotte, NC, and disbursing approximately $142,156 in illicit proceeds to further ongoing drug trafficking activities in the United States.
The investigation involved agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Attorney General’s Office, and the Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), who safeguards the United States financial system from illicit use, combats money laundering, and promotes national security through the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence and strategic use of financial authorities. Assistant United States Attorney John Johnston prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
Joint Declaration of United States, Colombian, and Mexican Attorneys GeneralRead the Press Release
In the City of Cartagena, Colombia, on December 6th and 7th, 2017, the Attorney General of the United States of America, Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General of Colombia, Néstor Humberto Martínez Neira, and the Acting Prosecutor General of the United Mexican States, Alberto Elías Beltran, held the "Trilateral Summit Against Transnational Organized Crime.” The purpose of the summit was to renew the existing commitment to international judicial cooperation and to deepen joint strategies in the fight against transnational organized crime.
Throughout the summit, the Attorneys General evaluated diverse criminal phenomena linked to organized crime, such as narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, and human trafficking. This criminal activity has affected security and prosperity in the Americas. Thus, the Attorneys General believe that it is necessary to redouble each country’s efforts and fortify cooperation amongst all three countries in order effectively to combat this scourge.
In this regard, the three countries plan to develop and share strategies to effectively combat and dismantle organized criminal structures, in order to successfully address the multiple challenges posed by transnational organized crime.
In particular, the three countries plan to maximize collective law enforcement capabilities by:
1. Streamlining the exchange of information in real time among the investigative bodies in the three countries by utilizing law enforcement channels of communication whenever possible;
2. Prioritizing and collaborating in the interdiction of shipments of narcotics and its illicit proceeds;
3. Engaging in investigative strategies, where possible, to more effectively dismantle transnational criminal organizations;
4. Increasing the exchange of best practices to more effectively investigate and prosecute transnational criminal organizations; and
5. Developing joint capacity building and training programs for public sector actors responsible for criminal investigations and prosecutions, with a particular focus on organized crime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, asset forfeiture, and public corruption.
Illinois Man Sentenced for Attempting to Sexually Exploit Two Minors over X-Box LiveRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Illinois man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for attempting to sexually exploit two minors.
Zack Sawyer, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 15 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release. In June 2017, Sawyer pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of minors.
Around May 2010, Sawyer used X-Box Live to contact a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy in Hampshire County, Mass., and asked them both to send him nude photographs. According to the statement of facts, when the first boy refused, Sawyer threatened to rape and kill him. Sawyer then asked the second boy, and when he, too, refused, Sawyer again threatened rape, adding that he had a drug that would paralyze people.
The government told the court that Sawyer also enticed a third boy in Loudon County, Va., and asked him to pose for a sexually explicit picture over the internet. Sawyer met the boy while playing the online game Minecraft. Sawyer sent a sexually explicit picture of himself to the boy, and Sawyer continued to ask the boy for sexually explicit videos.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Dana J. Boente; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Prabhu of Boente’s Cybercrime Unit prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Houston man sentenced to 60 months in prison for distributing cocaineRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Houston man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine after the drug was found in his car.
Isidro Badillo, 22, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the July 11, 2017 guilty plea, Lake Charles police officers stopped Badillo’s vehicle August 8, 2016 on Interstate 10. Police officers searched the vehicle and found 9.282 kilograms of powder cocaine in the trunk. Badillo knew of the cocaine and said he was driving to an unspecified location outside of New Orleans for delivery and later distribution.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Lake Charles Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that PREBERR RAMOS-PALMA, age 24, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Indictment charging him with illegal reentry of a removed alien.
U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon sentenced RAMOS-PALMA to 8 months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release. Upon completion of his sentence, RAMOS-PALMA will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
According to the court documents, RAMOS-PALMA reentered the United States after being previously deported on April 25, 2014.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis was in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, announced that ROY RIVAS-PALMAS, age 34, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Indictment for illegal re-entry of removed alien.
U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon sentenced RIVAS-PALMAS to 15 months’ imprisonment and one year supervised release. Following completion of his sentence, RIVAS-PALMAS will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
According to the court documents, on June 15, 2017, RIVAS-PALMAS was found in the United States after having been deported previously on October 31, 2013. RIVAS-PALMAS has a prior felony conviction for possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and has been deported on multiple occasions.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in investigating this matter.
Hartford Man Charged with Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl Involved in Two Enfield Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Enfield Police Chief Carl Sferrazza announced that grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment today charging CHRISTOPHER BARRETO, 28, of Hartford, with one count of distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 9:52 a.m., on August 26, 2016, the Enfield Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Enfield and found an unresponsive 31-year-old male slumped over a coffee table in the upstairs bedroom of the residence. The victim was pronounced deceased. Officers searched the immediate area and seized one empty white wax fold and six full white wax folds that contained suspected heroin. Officers also seized the victim’s iPhone. An analysis of text messages revealed that the victim had ordered heroin from an individual in the evening of August 25, 2016.
The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be “acute fentanyl and ethanol intoxication.”
At approximately 8:23 p.m., on October 27, 2016, the Enfield Police Department and emergency personnel responded to another residence in Enfield and found an unresponsive 36-year-old man outside the house. The victim was transported to the hospital for medical attention and pronounced deceased. Officers subsequently recovered the victim’s cell phone and 20 white wax folds that contained suspected heroin. Analysis of the victim’s cell phone revealed that the victim had purchased heroin from the same individual two days before his death.
The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, and heroin.”
It is alleged that BARRETO supplied heroin/fentanyl to an individual who, in turn, sold the drug to both overdose victims.
BARRETO was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on August 10, 2017. At the time of his arrest, investigators seized approximately 2,000 wax folds of heroin from his residence.
The indictment alleges that BARRETO distributed heroin and fentanyl between April 2016 and August 2017.
The charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
BARRETO has been released on a $150,000 bond since October 24.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Enfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
Hartford Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YOHANDER HERNANDEZ-CEDENO, 21, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl-laced heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force revealed that Luis Sanchez, also known as “Viejo,” was distributing large quantities in Hartford’s South End. On August 31, 2016, investigators conducted a controlled purchase of approximately 200 grams of heroin from Sanchez outside of a residence on New Britain Avenue that Sanchez shared with HERNANDEZ-CEDENO. Sanchez was arrested at that time. HERNANDEZ-CEDENO, who was inside the residence, was arrested after he was found in possession of approximately 83 grams of heroin, and a search of the residence revealed approximately 74 grams of heroin, 127 grams of cocaine, and items used to process and package heroin.
Subsequent laboratory testing of the seized heroin revealed the presence of fentanyl.
HERNANDEZ-CEDENO has been detained since his arrest. On June 21, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 100 grams or more of heroin.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on September 28, 2017, was sentenced to 33 months of imprisonment.
The FBI Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.