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20 November 2017
Former Putnam County sheriff’s deputy resentenced in federal courtRead the Press Release
Found guilty of civil rights violations, now looks at additional prison time
PRESS RELEASE
Terre Haute – United States Attorney Josh Minkler today announced the resentencing of a former Putnam County deputy who was found guilty of two counts of deprivation of civil rights under the color of law.
“Our primary goal in prosecuting and resentencing TJ Smith was that he be treated fairly. Simply put, TJ Smith should not receive favorable treatment from the criminal justice system because of his status as a law enforcement officer or his political connections in Putnam County. We are confident that the federal law was fairly enforced in this case and that Judge Magnus-Stinson’s sentence of 33 months makes that message crystal clear.”
Smith was found guilty at a jury trial in September 2014, for his role in using excessive force when arresting two individuals in Greencastle Indiana. He was sentenced by Judge William T. Lawrence in December, 2014 to 14 months’ imprisonment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana appealed the sentenced to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeal in Chicago arguing that the sentence was unreasonably low. The Seventh Circuit remanded the case to the District Court for resentencing. The case was reassigned to Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson who sentenced Smith to 33 months.
The case was prosecuted by Drug and Violent Crime Chief Bradley A. Blackington and Assistant United States Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum.
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Former Norwalk Resident Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Heroin Involved in Bridgeport OverdoseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD PISKE, 34, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin that contributed to an overdose death of a Bridgeport woman last year.
This prosecution is part of 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, early in the morning of June 29, 2016, Bridgeport Police and emergency medical personnel responded to Bridgeport residence on a report of an apparent overdose. At the residence, responders found a deceased 25-year-old female on the floor of a bedroom.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the victim died from acute heroin, cocaine and alcohol intoxication.
The investigation, which included analysis of PISKE’s cell phone and the victim’s boyfriend’s cell phone, revealed that, on June 28, 2016, the victim’s boyfriend purchased a quantity of heroin from PISKE, who was residing in Norwalk at the time. Later that day, the victim and her boyfriend ingested some of the heroin that had been purchased from PISKE.
PISKE was arrested on a criminal complaint on September 29, 2016. On August 24, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin.
PISKE, who is released on a $25,000 bond, was ordered to report to prison on January 3, 2018.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Bridgeport Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Runowicz.
Former New York Law Firm Partner Admits Conspiring to Defraud Two New York Law Firms Out of More Than $7 MillionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, woman today admitted using bogus litigation support companies to obtain millions of dollars from two law firms where she was a partner, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Keila Ravelo, 52, of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to two counts of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Count One) and tax evasion (Count Nine).
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Ravelo worked as a partner for a company identified in the indictment as “Law Firm 1” from July 1, 2005, through October 2010. She then became partner in another law firm, identified in the indictment as “Law Firm 2,” and worked there from October 2010 through November 2014.
From 2008 through July 2014, Ravelo and her husband, Melvin Feliz, 51, conspired to defraud Law Firm 1 and Law Firm 2, forming two limited liability companies, “Vendor 1” and “Vendor 2,” which purported to provide litigation support to the firms, but in fact provided no actual services to the firms. Ravelo and Feliz controlled Vendor 1 and Vendor 2 bank accounts and submitted invoices to Law Firm 1 and Law Firm 2 for work that was never performed for the law firms or their clients. Ravelo, in her capacity as a partner at the law firms, approved payments to Vendor 1 and Vendor 2, which Ravelo and Feliz later used for personal expenses. The law firms paid Vendor 1 and Vendor 2 approximately $7.8 million. Ravelo and Feliz willfully failed to report the fraudulent earnings on their tax returns.
On Aug. 25, 2015, Feliz pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. Feliz admitted that from 2008 through July 2014, he and Ravelo controlled the Vendor 1 and Vendor 2 bank accounts and submitted invoices to Law Firm 1and Law Firm 2 for work that was never performed for the law firms or their clients. He admitted that Ravelo, in her capacity as a partner at the law firms, approved payments to Vendor 1 and Vendor 2 that Ravelo and Feliz later used for personal expenses. Before pleading guilty for the role he played in this wire fraud and tax evasion conspiracy, Feliz pleaded guilty to an indictment which charged him and two other men with conspiring to distribute approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The tax evasion charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine. Sentencing for Ravelo is scheduled for March 5, 2018. Feliz is awaiting sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited law enforcement officers of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, and law enforcement officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Kogan, Brian Urbano and Ronnell Wilson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jafer Aftab and Barbara Ward, Acting Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.
Defense counsel: Lawrence S. Lustberg Esq., Newark, New Jersey, and Steven H. Sadow Esq., Atlanta, Georgia
Former Marshall Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography, Faces 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Arkansas man, formerly of Marshall, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing child pornography.
Kenneth Larrechea, 48, of Marshall, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to possessing child pornography. Larrechea also had an apartment in Blackburn, Mo.
Larrechea was identified as one of 158 individuals who received child pornography through Kik (an instant messaging and chat application) from a New York man, who pleaded guilty in a separate case in the Northern District of New York. An FBI agent executed a search warrant at Larrechea’s Marshall residence on Dec. 8, 2015, and seized several electronic media devices, including computers, hard drives and cell phones.
Investigators discovered several images on an SD card in Larrechea’s cell phone of a child victim, approximately 10 or 11 years, getting in and out of a shower. The images were screen shots taken from a video file. The child victim told investigators she was not aware that she was being video recorded or photographed.
More than 400 videos and more than 70 images of child pornography and erotica were located on Larrechea’s cell phone and SD card.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Larrechea will be sentenced to 13 years in federal prison without parole, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release. 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 David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI and the Marshall, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Illinois Department of Corrections Officer Sentenced to Four Months in Federal Prison for Violating Inmate's Federal Civil RightsRead the Press Release
Dustin A. Fleming, 31, of DuQuoin, Illinois, formerly employed as a correctional officer by the Illinois Department of Corrections, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to a term of four months in federal prison for violating an inmate’s civil rights, announced Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Fleming previously pled guilty on July 18, 2017, to an information charging him with assaulting and causing bodily injury to a handcuffed inmate at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center by choking, punching, kneeing, and kicking the inmate without any legal justification in violation of the United States Constitution. The offense occurred on October 15, 2016.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Fleming was ordered to pay to the United States fines and special assessments totaling $200 and was placed on a two-year term of supervised release to follow his incarceration. Fleming’s employment with the Illinois Department of Corrections was terminated following his guilty plea.
The investigation leading to the charges and guilty plea was conducted by the Illinois State Police with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Former Charter School Principal Pleads Guilty to Federal Program TheftRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Noel Rodriguez, age 56, formerly of Dover, Del., pleaded guilty to one count of federal program theft before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews. Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2018.
According to court records and statements made in open court, over a three-year period beginning in July 2011, while serving as Principal of the Academy of Dover, a charter school in Dover, Del., Rodriguez embezzled $145,480 from the school.
Rodriguez accomplished this embezzlement in a number of ways. First, he charged personal expenses to four unauthorized credit cards he opened in the name of the school. Rodriguez also abused the State of Delaware’s voucher program, by which charter schools are permitted to submit qualified expenses for reimbursement, and the State of Delaware’s procurement card system, by which the State of Delaware issues credit cards to charter school administrators to purchase necessary school supplies. Rodriguez used the embezzled money for personal expenses such as electronics, gardening and camping equipment, automobile costs, a dog house, personal travel, and home improvement items.
During this time, the Academy of Dover received significant federal funding, which provides the basis for the federal program theft charges. The maximum penalty is ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Weiss said, “Mr. Rodriguez stole from the school he was entrusted to run. He is being held accountable for his betrayal of the public trust, and his case should serve as a warning to others contemplating misappropriating public funds.”
“Mr. Rodriguez knowingly and willfully abused his position of trust to steal education funds that were supposed to be used provide services for the most innocent of victims – school children. That is unacceptable,” said Geoffrey Wood, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Region. “I’m proud of the work of OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement colleagues for holding Mr. Rodriguez accountable for his fraudulent actions.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Education – Office of the Inspector General, and the Delaware Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the Delaware Office of Auditor of Accounts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth L. Van Pelt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Forest Heights Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Robbery and Attempted RobberyRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – On Friday, November 17, 2017, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Sean Lamar Jordan, age 43, of Forest Heights, Maryland, to ten years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release on charges of Robbery, Attempted Robbery and Using, Carrying, and Brandishing of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office; Chief Douglas Holland of the Hyattsville Police Department and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police.
According to his plea agreement, in June 2015, Jordan conspired with Ronnie Anthony Ingram, Jr. and William Eugene Nolan to rob cell-phone stores in Beltsville, Maryland and Hyattsville, Maryland. Among other things, Jordan provided Nolan with a loaded handgun to use during the robberies, and he also provided information to Nolan and Ingram concerning the target stores, in order to facilitate their crimes.
On June 27, 2015, Nolan and Ingram, having been armed and informed by Jordan, entered into a cell-phone store in Beltsville, Maryland, wearing black ski masks. Nolan pointed the handgun at employee and demanded to be taken to the safe, where Nolan, Ingram, and Jordan believed that certain valuable cellular telephones were located. But upon discovering that there was no safe, Nolan struck one of the employees with the gun, and he and Ingram fled from the store without taking any goods.
Later that same day, Jordan advised Nolan and Ingram of a nearby cell-phone store in Hyattsville, which Jordan believed was a good robbery target. Jordan, Nolan, and Ingram went to that store, and Jordan again provided information to facilitate the robbery. That evening, Nolan and Ingram entered that store wearing ski masks, with Nolan again bearing a gun. After threatening employees, they stole approximately 34 electronic devices, valued at approximately $20,390, and escaped in a car that they had parked nearby.
Following the successful robbery of the Beltsville store, Nolan and Ingram met with Jordan, and Nolan returned Jordan’s handgun. Nolan and Ingram also gave Jordan the majority of the stolen goods, so that Jordan and others could sell them for cash. Jordan later provided Nolan and Ingram approximately $1,700 each as payment for their roles in the robbery.
Jordan’s co-defendants have previously pleaded guilty. Ingram was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and Nolan was sentenced to 74 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning praised the FBI, the Hyattsville Police, the Prince George’s County Police, and the Alexandria (Virginia) Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Packard and Thomas Sullivan who prosecuted the case.
Enfield Man Admits to Selling Heroin and Fentanyl to 2 Overdose VictimsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN REED, 32, of Enfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 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, Enfield Police 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 REED the evening before the victim died.
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 were later able to recover 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 also had purchased heroin from REED two days before his death.
REED was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on April 27, 2017.
The charge of distribution of heroin and fentanyl carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
REED is released on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing.
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.
El Reno Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rachel Marie White, age 38, of El Reno, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Drug Conspiracy, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(B), punishable by not less than 5 years imprisonment, and up to 40 years imprisonment, and up to a $5,000,000.00 fine.
The Superseding Indictment alleged that beginning in or about July 2016 and continuing until on or about November 29, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree together, and with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual).
The charges arose from a joint investigation entitled “Golden Pony” coordinated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) of the Eastern District of Oklahoma. OCDETF is an initiative led and coordinated by the Office of the United States Attorney. The agencies involved in the investigation were the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Hammer represented the United States.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Reynaldo Rodriguez, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to one year and one day in prison and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In October 2017, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Rodriguez was previously deported on June 14, 2007. In June 2017, law enforcement officers in Hampden County encountered Rodriguez and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Department of Justice awards Lafayette Police Department $1.2 millionRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that the Lafayette Police Department has been awarded $1,249,999 in grant funding through the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) COPS Hiring Program (CHP).
Sessions today announced $98,495,397 in grants to 179 law enforcement agencies throughout the country for the COPS Hiring Program, which allows those agencies to hire 802 additional full-time law enforcement officers.
“Cities and states that cooperate with federal law enforcement make all of us safer by helping remove dangerous criminals from our communities,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Today, the Justice Department announced that 80 percent of this year’s COPS Hiring Program grantees have agreed to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in their detention facilities. I applaud their commitment to the rule of law and to ending violent crime, including violent crime stemming from illegal immigration. I continue to encourage every jurisdiction in America to collaborate with federal law enforcement and help us make this country safer.”
“I want to be the first to congratulate the Lafayette Police Department on being awarded this grant,” Van Hook stated. “This will allow the department to add new officers to their ranks, which will only enhance the great work that they perform on a daily basis.”
CHP provides grant funding directly to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to support hiring additional law enforcement officers for three years to address specific crime problems through community policing strategies.
In September, the Justice Department announced additional priority consideration criteria for FY2017 COPS grants. Applicants were notified that their application would receive additional points in the application scoring process by certifying their willingness to cooperate with federal immigration authorities within their detention facilities. Cooperation may include providing access to detention facilities for an interview of aliens in the jurisdiction’s custody and providing advance notice of an alien’s release from custody upon request. One hundred and forty three of the 179 (80 percent) awarded agencies received additional points based on their certifications of willingness to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
The complete list of award recipients can be found here.
The COPS Office awards grants to hire community policing officers, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training and technical assistance to community members, local government leaders and all levels of law enforcement. Since 1994, the COPS has invested more than $14 billion to help advance community policing.
Department of Justice Awards over $500,000 to Four Oklahoma Cities to Hire Community Policing OfficersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice has awarded more than $500,000 to four Oklahoma cities to enhance law enforcement, announced Mark A. Yancey, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Brian J. Kuester, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The recipients are:
Dewar Police Department: $69,208
Lindsay Police Department: $99,428
City of Sallisaw: $95,569
Shawnee Police Department: $250,000
These funds will enable Dewar, Lindsay, and Sallisaw to hire one additional police officer each. Shawnee will be able to hire two additional officers. Dewar and Sallisaw are in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, while Lindsay and Shawnee are in the Western District of Oklahoma.
These grants are part of more than $98 million awarded to 179 law enforcement agencies across the United States through the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, also known as "COPS." These funds will support hiring 802 additional full-time law enforcement officers.
The Department of Justice’s national press release on these COPS grants is available at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-sessions-announces-98-million-hire-community-policing-officers.
Defendant Convicted of Ordering 2004 Murder of Jeweler in Midtown ManhattanRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that HECTOR RIVERA was found guilty on Friday of ordering the 2004 murder of Eduard Nektalov, a Manhattan diamond dealer. RIVERA was convicted on all counts following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Thirteen years ago, Eduard Nektalov was shot to death on a crowded sidewalk in midtown Manhattan. For over a decade, this brazen murder was left unexplained. Now, not only has that mystery been solved, a unanimous jury has convicted Hector Rivera of ordering the execution-style murder of Eduard Nektalov over a business dispute. Rivera now faces a mandatory sentence of life in a federal prison. We hope the verdict brings some measure of closure and comfort to Eduard Nektalov’s family.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and the evidence presented in court during the trial:
RIVERA was the leader of a violent robbery crew that operated in the diamond district in midtown Manhattan. In 2004, RIVERA commissioned the murder of Eduard Nektalov because of a business dispute between Nektalov and one of RIVERA’s criminal associates. During the evening rush hour on May 20, 2004, a hitman hired by RIVERA followed Nektalov from his jewelry store on West 47th Street. Less than a block from the store, the hitman shot Nektalov once in the head and twice in the back in the middle of a crowded sidewalk on Sixth Avenue. Nektalov was pronounced dead within 20 minutes of the shooting. RIVERA paid the hitman and another participant a combined total of $30,000 to carry out the murder.
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RIVERA, 65, was found guilty of conspiring to commit murder for hire and murder for hire, each of which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; and using a firearm to commit murder, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to the sentences imposed on all other counts. RIVERA is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Engelmayer on April 11, 2018.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the District Attorney’s Office for New York County and the District Attorney’s Office for Bronx County for their assistance with the prosecution.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Hartman and Jordan Estes are in charge of the prosecution.
Decatur Woman to Serve 18 Months in Prison for Defrauding Home Services ProgramRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill., -- A Decatur, Ill., woman, Charissie Davis, was sentenced this afternoon to serve 18 months in federal prison for defrauding the Home Services Program, a Medicaid waiver program. The health care benefit program provides funding to pay personal assistants who aid qualifying disabled individuals in performing household tasks and personal care. With the permission of a doctor, the personal assistant may also perform certain health care procedures.
Davis, 44, of the 2500 block of E. Prairie St., pled guilty on May 5, 2017, to submitting falsified Home Services Program time sheets for payment. Davis admitted that she filled in hours worked by her son for services that he never provided from February 2011 to February 2013, and from June 2013 to March 2014. In fact, Davis’s son did not provide personal assistant services to Davis because he was incarcerated. Davis signed the time sheets herself and forged her son’s signature. When Davis received payment, she endorsed the checks by signing her son’s name.
Davis was ordered to surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Jan. 23, 2018. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $50,244.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Dallas Man Sentenced for His Role in November 2015 Armed Assault on Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Edgar Solorzano, 24, of Dallas, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 231 months in federal prison for the November 19, 2015 armed assault of two federal law enforcement officers in southwest Dallas, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
In April 2017, Solorzano pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of assault on a federal officer and one count of using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during in relation to a crime of violence. He has been in custody since the time of his arrest in August 2016.
Co-defendant Victor Manuel Solorzano, 32, was convicted, following a four-day trial, of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of assault of a federal officer, and two counts of using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Victor Solorzano was sentenced on November 2, 2017 to 567 months in federal prison.
According to documents filed in the case, on November 19, 2015, Victor and Edgar Solorzano, cousins who lived across the street from each other, fired numerous gunshots at two federal officers with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with high-powered, semi-automatic firearms, and riddled their pickup truck with bullets as the officers fled.
Officers went to install a court-ordered tracking device on Victor Solorzano’s vehicle at his residence on Wilbur Street in Dallas, Texas. Victor was under federal investigation by HSI for trafficking methamphetamine at the time. Immediately after installing the tracking device on Victor’s vehicle, Victor, armed with a pistol, confronted the officer in the street and began firing at the officer. The officer got inside the passenger’s side of a pickup as Victor and Edgar began firing numerous gunshots at the two federal officers, who did not return fire. Victor and Edgar continued firing at the federal officers as they sped away. The officer who installed the court-ordered tracking device sustained four nonfatal bullet wounds and the pickup driven by the other officer sustained numerous bullet strikes, all from the back.
After the shooting, Edgar hid the pistol in the attic of his residence and the pistol used by Victor in a neighbor’s backyard. The police searched Edgar’s residence and found the pistol hidden in the attic. The police also found in Edgar’s bedroom more than eight grams of methamphetamine, drug-distribution paraphernalia, and a variety of firearms and ammunition. The pistol used by Victor was found in the neighbor’s backyard.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dallas Police Department and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated. Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Kull and Rachael Jones prosecuted.
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Corcoran Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud in the Bakken Oil FieldsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the sentencing of RONALD DAVID JOHNSON, 51, to 126 months in prison for stealing more than $2.1 million from victims who were hoping to invest successfully in the North Dakota oil boom. On June 19, 2017, following a five-day trial, a jury convicted JOHNSON on nine counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. JOHNSON was sentenced this morning by Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn.
“Ronald Johnson abused the trust of his victims only to enrich himself at their expense. He promised investors he would use their money to purchase land in North Dakota and to build indoor RV parks, but it was all a lie. Johnson simply stole their money,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson. “With today’s sentence, which includes prison time, restitution and a forfeiture order, Johnson is now being held accountable for his crimes.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to uncovering investment fraud schemes and bringing to justice those who prey on investors for their personal financial gain,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Shivers of the St. Paul Field Office IRS Criminal Investigation. “Those who line their pockets with profits from investment fraud schemes should know they will not go undetected and there will be detrimental consequences for this type of criminal behavior as in the case of the 126- month sentencing handed down to Ronald Johnson today.”
“The FBI together with our law enforcement partners will tirelessly pursue those responsible for investment fraud schemes,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard T. Thornton, Minneapolis Division. “The sentence handed down today to include time in prison reflects the seriousness of the defendant's crimes.”
As proven at trial, JOHNSON came up with an investment idea to address the need to house oil workers in the Bakken in North Dakota and Montana. The idea, registered as Indoor RV Parks, LLC (“IRVPK”), would allow oil workers to eschew more common barracks-style housing in favor of comfortable indoor RV parks, specifically large climate-controlled warehouses where oil workers could park their RVs and have access to shared amenities like on-site storage, laundry and vending machines. Johnson promised his investors that as “members” of IRVPK, they would, based on the amount of the investment, receive a percentage of the rental income and other revenue generated by the indoor RV park. As part of his scheme, JOHNSON sent emails and letters to investors designed to lull them into a false sense of security and to postpone complaints regarding delays in the project.
As proven at trial, JOHNSON fraudulently solicited $2.1 million from four investors in IRVPK, telling the investors that their money would be used to build and manage indoor RV parks for oil workers. Instead of using the investor money to purchase land and start construction on the RV parks, JOHNSON used the funds to repay prior investors, fund his personal 51-acre cattle farm, take vacations, buy vintage Chevrolets, and purchase real estate, including a 17-acre island on Mink Lake in Maple Lake, Minn. As of today, IRVPK has not built any indoor RV Parks, has not acquired any property in North Dakota or Montana, and has a bank account that is empty.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS and the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Langner and Joseph H. Thompson.
Defendant Information:
RONALD DAVID JOHNSON, 51
Corcoran, Minn.
Convicted:
- Wire fraud, 9 counts
- Money laundering, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 126 months in prison
- Three years of supervised release
- $2,303,629 in restitution
- Forfeiture of all property derived from criminal proceeds
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Colchester Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Nicholas Rodimon, 31, of Colchester, Vermont, was sentenced on November 20, 2017, in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve 114 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Rodimon to serve an eight (8) year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court records and proceedings, in approximately 2014, Rodimon met a woman named Natalia on a website using the Internet. Natalia told Rodimon that she was from the country of Romania. They started communicating away from the website using Skype. Natalia began performing sex shows for Rodimon, which he viewed at his residence in Colchester, Vermont. Rodimon sent approximately $5,400 to Natalia during the time period of May 2014 to February 2016. During this period, Natalia engaged in sexual activity with her daughter for Rodimon to view over Skype. At all relevant times, the daughter was under the age of 12 years old. Rodimon viewed the sexual activity and, without telling Natalia, recorded some of the activity. On or about November 11, 2015, Rodimon saved a sexually explicit image of the daughter being transmitted to him from Natalia using the Skype over the Internet to the hard drive of his computer.
The Romanian woman, Natalia, was prosecuted in Romania. She received a sentence of 114 months imprisonment.
Acting United States Attorney Eugenia A.P. Cowles commended the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the investigation and prosecution of Rodimon. The prosecution of Rodimon was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson. Rodimon was represented by Mark Kaplan.
Chief of Maintenance Employee at Ken American Resources Paradise #9 Mine Located in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, Sentenced for Violation of the Mine Safety and Health ActRead the Press Release
OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Chief of Maintenance at Ken American Resources Paradise #9 Mine located in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, was recently sentenced in United Sates District Court by Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr., to two years of supervised probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine for felony violations of the Mine Safety and Health Act, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
“Falsifying safety records puts our miners at risk and will be federally prosecuted” stated U.S. Attorney Coleman. “Safety inspections of belt drives in coal mines are important because if they don’t run smoothly, fires or other catastrophes can occur in an environment with zero margin of error. We will continue to work with the Mine Safety and Health Administration to investigate those who undermine the safety of our Commonwealth’s critically important mines.”
Daniel L. Couch, Jr. entered a guilty plea on July 13, 2017, and was sentenced on November 17, 2017.
According to the indictment, Couch, whose job it was to make a weekly inspection of electric equipment, specifically of the belt drive of coal seal 11 at Paradise #9 Mine, did not in fact make the required fire suppression checks for the week of May 1 through 7, in 2016.
On about May 17, 2016, an Inspector from the United States Department of Labor, Mine Safety & Health Administration, inspected the record book for fire suppression checks conducted on the belt drives for coal seam 11, which contains seven separate belt drives at seven different locations, and found that no fire suppression checks had occurred for the week of May 1 through 7, 2016.
On or about May 19, 2016, the Inspector returned to Paradise #9 mine and re-examined the record book for inspections for the belt drive for coal seam 11, at which time the book revealed that the belt drives had been examined on May 7, 2016 by “D. Couch,” and that no hazards had been observed.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ream and was investigated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) U.S. Department of Labor.
Chicago Police Officer Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Committing Federal Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago Police Department officer was sentenced today to five years in federal prison for using unreasonable force against two individuals while on duty.
A federal jury in August convicted MARCO PROANO on two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. Proano used unreasonable force with his service weapon while on duty as an officer of the Chicago Police Department on Dec. 22, 2013. Proano fired 16 shots into a vehicle that contained numerous people, wounding two individuals who suffered bodily injuries as a result of the unreasonable force.
U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman imposed the 60-month sentence in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia Alexakis and Erika Csicsila.
Cheyenne County Man Sentenced for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Cheyenne County man was sentenced Monday to 25 years in federal prison for producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Brett Nolan Cico, 32, St. Francis, Kan., pleaded guilty as charged to three counts of producing child pornography and three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor while registered as a sex offender. Two of the victims were 14 years old and the other victim was 15 years old.
Beall commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Canyon County Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of 2,800 Rounds of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOISE – Herminio Sandoval, 63, of Caldwell, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.
On October 22, 2014, Sandoval was convicted of conspiracy to attempt to evade and defeat tax and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. He was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release. According to the plea agreement, on May 21, 2017, United States Probation officers visited Sandoval at his residence in Caldwell, Idaho. After noticing a pistol holster on the dining room table, probation officers asked Sandoval to open a gun safe that was located in the dining/family room of his residence. A probation officer located approximately 2,800 rounds of various caliber ammunition inside of the safe.
A charge of unlawful possession of ammunition is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.
Sentencing is set for February 13, 2018, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Beaver Dams Man Sentenced for Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Scott Kennedy, 40, of Beaver Dams, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, was sentenced to 235 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that between June 2012, and May 4, 2016, Scott Kennedy conspired with others, including Wendy Kennedy, Jared Mendez, and Terry Champion, to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. Kennedy distributed large amounts of methamphetamine with and to people throughout the area of Schuyler, Chemung, and Steuben Counties in New York. During that time, defendant personally manufactured large amounts of methamphetamine at his home at 44 Campground Road in the Town of Catlin and on the property maintained by his sister, Wendy Kennedy, at 2200 County Route 19 in the Town of Dix.
Kennedy also received assistance from numerous co-conspirators who provided him with supplies with the intent that he would use those supplies to manufacture methamphetamine. Jared Mendez, for example, sold stolen anhydrous ammonia to Kennedy, while Terry Champion sold pseudoephedrine to Kennedy.
Jared Mendez, Terry Champion, and Wendy Kennedy have been convicted of charges stemming from the conspiracy and will be sentenced on December 1, 2017, November 30, 2017, and December 19, 2017, respectively. Charges are pending against another co-defendant, Quinton Harrison. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, Special Investigations Unit, Rochester; the New York State Police, CNET Southern Tier, under the direction of Major Richard Allen; the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of William Yessman; and the Schuyler County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Joseph Fazzary.Attorney General Sessions Announces $98 Million to Hire Community Policing OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced $98,495,397 in grant funding through the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The Attorney General announced funding awards to 179 law enforcement agencies across the nation, which allows those agencies to hire 802 additional full-time law enforcement officers.
“Cities and states that cooperate with federal law enforcement make all of us safer by helping remove dangerous criminals from our communities,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Today, the Justice Department announced that 80 percent of this year’s COPS Hiring Program grantees have agreed to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in their detention facilities. I applaud their commitment to the rule of law and to ending violent crime, including violent crime stemming from illegal immigration. I continue to encourage every jurisdiction in America to collaborate with federal law enforcement and help us make this country safer.”
CHP provides grant funding directly to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to support hiring additional law enforcement officers for three years to address specific crime problems through community policing strategies.
In September, the Justice Department announced additional priority consideration criteria for FY2017 COPS Office grants. Applicants were notified that their application would receive additional points in the application scoring process by certifying their willingness to cooperate with federal immigration authorities within their detention facilities. Cooperation may include providing access to detention facilities for an interview of aliens in the jurisdiction’s custody and providing advance notice of an alien’s release from custody upon request. Eighty percent of the awarded agencies received additional points based on their certifications of willingness to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
The complete list of award recipients can be found here.
The COPS Office awards grants to hire community policing officers, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training and technical assistance to community members, local government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to help advance community policing.Anil Uskanli Sentenced for Interference with Flight CrewRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Anil Uskanli, age 26, of Turkey, was sentenced today to time-served (six months) in federal prison, and ordered to pay restitution of $8,525.00 for interfering with American Airlines flight crew members and attendants while aboard a May 19, 2017 flight from Los Angeles, California to Honolulu, Hawaii.
Elliot Enoki, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that Uskanli was arrested upon the flight’s arrival in Honolulu, after ignoring directions from flight attendants, yelling, pounding bathroom walls, and pushing against a drink cart positioned to prevent access to the cockpit. According to information presented in court, Uskanli carried a laptop while advancing towards the cockpit, causing fear that he was carrying an explosive. Flight attendants were required to ask passengers for help restraining Uskanli, and the pilot initiated emergency and bomb threat procedures. Two military fighter jets were dispatched from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to escort the flight to a safe landing.
Uskanli was ordered detained following his arrest. After being determined competent to stand trial, Uskanli pled guilty to interfering with a flight crew. Uskanli claimed that his conduct was the result of mental illness.
At today’s sentencing, United States District Judge Derrick K. Watson sentenced Uskanli to six months in federal prison, the amount of time that he has served since his arrest. Uskanli was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,525.00 to American Airlines for the cost of a delayed return flight, flight crew expenses, and passenger inconvenience. The Court also ordered that Uskanli be placed under a term of supervised release for three years, the maximum term available by statute for this offense.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the State of Hawaii Department of Public Safety Sheriff’s Office, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Airport Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Morgan Early.
Albany Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Amado Colon, age 21, of Albany, New York, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
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).
Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe also imposed a 10-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release, and ordered Colon to pay total restitution of $25,000 to 7 child pornography victims whose images of abuse he possessed. Colon must also register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
As part of his July 27 guilty plea, Colon admitted that in June 2014, he posted child pornography images to an image-sharing web site based in Russia, allowing visitors to the site to view the images. He also received, from others, the username and password information for 8 Dropbox remote storage accounts, each of which contained hundreds of images of child pornography. Colon then took exclusive control over these accounts, and the child pornography in them, by changing the accounts’ usernames and passwords. Colon also admitted to possessing child pornography files on several electronic devices found in his house.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Barnett.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
15 Members and Associates of Aryan Circle Gang Indicted on Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Fifteen members and associates of the white supremacist organization, Aryan Circle, have been charged in a federal indictment with offenses stemming from their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that operated from January 2017 through November 2017. U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement today.
Eleven defendants were arrested and four others are in state custody. The eleven arrested have made their initial appearances in federal court and will remain in custody pending further court hearings.
Defendants, mostly residents of the area surrounding Lake Tawakoni, who are charged in this indictment include:
Crystal Leann Sharkey, aka “Crystal Leann Jordan,” 36
Michael Paul Watts, 28
Jason Wayne McClure, 43
Kellie Lea Locke, 37
Michael Brandon Powell, 43
Jody Heather Bausch, aka “Jody Land,” 41
Scott Ralph Land, 47
Jeremiah Jason McGregor, aka “Wicked,” 40
James Earl Goodin, aka “Bo,” 35
Nicole Joni Culpepper, 27
Kyle Quincy Ketchum, 30
Ember Nicole Berg, 33
Shannon Marie Morgan, 42
Aaron Dewayne Marrs, 39
Leslie Irene Cates, 34
This just-unsealed indictment charges all of the above-listed defendants, with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation that would require the defendants, upon conviction, to forfeit any property that constitutes or was derived from proceeds traceable to the offense, including multiple firearms.
A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
The investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Texas Department of Public Safety, with assistance from the Henderson County Sheriff, Hunt County Sheriff, Quinlan Police Department, Rockwall County Sheriff, Texas Highway Patrol, and Van Zandt Sheriff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney P. J. Meitl is prosecuting.
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17 November 2017
“John Doe” Convicted of Passport Fraud, Social Security Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Two Counts of Voter FraudRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4855
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury has convicted “John Doe,” whose true identity remains unknown, on charges of passport fraud, social security fraud, aggravated identity theft, and two counts of voter fraud.
The verdict was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Richard J. Ingram for the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration—Office of the Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division.
According to evidence at presented at the three-day trial, beginning at an unknown time, the defendant has lived under the assumed identity of a United States Citizen born in the United States Virgin Islands.
Beginning in the summer of 1997, the defendant used the victim’s personally identifiable information to obtain a series of driver’s licenses and identification cards, including a Maryland state identification card and multiple Maryland driver’s licenses. Building upon these documents, the defendant also obtained a United States passport, a Social Security card, and registered to vote. Most recently, in the 2016 Presidential Election, the defendant voted using the name of the stolen identity.
The defendant faces up to 10 years imprisonment for passport fraud, 5 years for Social Security fraud, 5 years for each count of voter fraud, and a mandatory 2-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is set for February 23, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. at the U.S. District Court in Baltimore. The defendant remains detained in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the Department of State—Diplomatic Security Service; and the Social Security Administration—Office of the Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning acknowledged the assistance of the Acting United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett in the District of the Virgin Islands, and the Howard County Police Department and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Phil Selden who prosecuted this case.
If anyone has any information on the identity of “John Doe,” who has used the name Cheyenne Moody Davis, they are asked to email the State Department at [email protected].
According to the Diplomatic Security Service, John Doe is approximately 41-44 years old, 5’8, with light brown eyes and has previously gone by the pseudonyms “Chris” or “Richie.” John Doe may be from from Antigua, Barbuda, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, or Jamaica. According to evidence introduced at trial, he has a Jamaican accent. According to the State Department, John Doe would have been between 20-25 years old when he left disappeared from his community around June of 1997. More information can be found at https://www.state.gov/m/ds/rls/274463.htm.
Yang Zou Sentenced to 97 Months in Ice CaseRead the Press Release
Today, SHAWN N. ANDERSON, Acting United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), announced that defendant YANG ZOU, age 38, from Susupe, Saipan, was sentenced in District Court to a 97-month term of imprisonment for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Court also ordered ZOU to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On April 15, 2016, ZOU was approached by enforcement agents with the Commonwealth Casino Commission at the Best Sunshine Live Casino in Saipan. Agents wanted to question him about his chip activity. ZOU, however, immediately asked to use the restroom and, once inside a stall, placed a cigarette box containing methamphetamine into a wastebasket. The drugs were discovered by a Best Sunshine bathroom attendant soon afterwards and eventually turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Subsequent testing showed the box contained 38.6 grams of methamphetamine with a 97 percent purity level.
On December 2, 2016, ZOU was charged by Indictment with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). A jury found ZOU guilty on April 7, 2017, after a one-day trial.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance and cooperation of the Commonwealth Casino Commission. The case was prosecuted by Garth Backe, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of the NMI.
Willimantic Crack Dealer Sentenced to 57 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BAYOHAN MANGUAL, also known as “YG,” 32, of Willimantic and Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2014, MANGUAL was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine and heroin. He was released from prison in November 2015.
In February 2017, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force received information that MANGUAL was distributing large quantities of crack cocaine in the Willimantic area. In February and March, investigators conducted two controlled purchases of distribution quantities of crack from MANGUAL in Willimantic. MANGUAL was arrested on March 31 after investigators stopped a car he was driving and seized approximately 55 grams of cocaine from his person.
MANGUAL has been detained since his arrest. On August 24, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (“crack”), and he admitted to violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Judge Shea sentenced MANGUAL to 33 months of imprisonment on the new drug offense, and a consecutive 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Washington County Man Sentenced to Probation for Failing to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Washington County, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court in Pittsburgh to two years probation, restitution in the amount of $105,906, and fine of $3,000, on his conviction of willful failure to file income tax returns, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Rodney J. Williams, of Washington County.
According to the information presented to the court, Williams failed to file tax returns in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Assistant United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting U.S. Attorney Song commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rodney J. Williams.
Vallejo Woman Sentenced to over 7 Years in Prison for Scheme to Buy Multiple Vehicles Using Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Simone Aguilar, 45, of Vallejo, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. for a scheme to buy multiple vehicles using stolen identities, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On October 7, 2016, Aguilar pleaded guilty to possession of device-making equipment and aggravated identity theft. On September 1, 2015, co-defendant Gurpinder Sandhu, 49, formerly of Vallejo, pleaded guilty; on March 4, 2016, he was sentenced to nine years in prison.
According to court documents, in September 2014 law enforcement agents began investigating reports of numerous vehicles being fraudulently purchased with stolen identities from car dealerships throughout the Northern and Eastern Districts of California. The investigation led to the residence of Aguilar and Sandhu, where law enforcement found three of the fraudulently obtained vehicles: a 2014 Nissan Rogue, a 2014 Dodge Challenger, and a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Inside the residence, law enforcement agents found many counterfeit items, including credit cards and California driver’s licenses. Law enforcement agents also found device-making equipment to manufacture these counterfeit items. This equipment included an embossing machine, cameras, printers, scanners, materials and chemicals used to produce identification cards, state seals, and a blue backdrop on the wall to imitate a California Department of Motor Vehicles background for photo IDs. Agents also found documents containing the names of real people, such as rental agreements, Comcast bills and sales receipts.
Based on the fraudulent documents found in the apartment, law enforcement agents identified at least 50 victims of identity theft. Aguilar and Sandhu used these identities to fraudulently purchase vehicles from car dealerships and retail goods from commercial stores such as Macy’s.
Aguilar and Sandhu succeeded in getting at least seven vehicles in this manner. In addition to the three vehicles named above, Sandhu fraudulently obtained a 2013 Yamaha motorcycle, a 2010 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2013 Dodge Challenger and a 2013 Dodge Charger.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Segal prosecuted the case.
Urbandale Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Sex Trafficking of ChildrenRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On November 17, 2017, United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose sentenced Clark Wesley Betts, Jr., 41, of Urbandale, Iowa, to life imprisonment for two counts of sex trafficking of a child, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Betts was also sentenced to three, concurrent terms of 40 years’ imprisonment for three counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a person under the age of 21. Betts was ordered to pay restitution in the amounts of $349,032 to the first minor victim and $374,400 to the second minor victim. He also must pay $500 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
On June 8, 2017, a jury convicted Betts of the sex trafficking and drug charges, which arose from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Des Moines Police Department. Betts was convicted of providing two minor victims to Betts’s drug dealer for sex acts in exchange for crack cocaine. Betts was also convicted of providing crack cocaine to the three minor victims.
“Human trafficking is a crime that occurs in the shadows,” said United States Attorney Krickbaum. “Its victims are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. We depend upon all members of society to alert law enforcement where they suspect someone may be a victim of human trafficking, so that we can protect the victims and see that justice is done.”
Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person their life controlling them or monitoring them closely. Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaged in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Des Moines Police Department. Support services were provided by the Blank Children’s STAR Center, the Iowa Department of Human Services, and Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Services. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by calling Kevin E. VanderSchel at 515-473-9300, or by emailing him at [email protected] (link sends e-mail).
Trial Scheduled for Tolono Man Indicted on Charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – Trial has been scheduled in January for a Tolono, Ill., man, Joshua E. Lange, 39, indicted this week on charges of child sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography. Lange appeared for arraignment today in Urbana. Trial is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2018.
The indictment alleges that on three occasions, from September 2015 through January 2017, Lange, of the 300 block of Windstone Drive, exploited at least two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce an image of such conduct and transmit the image in interstate commerce. The indictment also alleges that on Aug, 25, 2017, Lange possessed mobile devices and other digital storage material containing child pornography.
On Nov. 3, Lange was arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint. According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Lange was under investigation for a criminal sexual abuse allegation in Champaign County Circuit Court when investigators allegedly found sexually explicit images of minors that appear to be taken in the basement of Lange’s Tolono residence.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of child sexual exploitation (three counts) is 30 years in prison; possession of child pornography (one count) carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both offenses carry potential fines of up to $250,000.
During a court appearance on Nov. 9, 2017, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, in Urbana, Lange was ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Champaign Police Department, and the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The 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.
Three Windsor Locks Residents Charged with Distributing Heroin and Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on November 9, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a five-count indictment charging CHRISTINE MILES, 58, OSCAR MONTOYA, 62, and CHRISTY MILES, 33, all of Windsor Locks, with drug trafficking offenses stemming from the distribution of heroin and various prescription medications.
The three defendants were arrested yesterday. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and were ordered detained. Detention hearings are scheduled for next week.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in approximately 1998, Christine Miles, her husband Oscar Montoya, and Christy Miles, who is the daughter of Christine Miles, conspired to possess and distribute heroin, oxymorphone, hydrocodone and alprazolam.
On August 4, 2016, members of the North Central Narcotics Task Force and the DEA conducted a court-authorized search of the defendants’ residence at 350 North Street in Windsor Locks and seized a large quantity of various prescription medications, approximately two pounds of marijuana, $10,093 in cash and more than $13,000 in gift cards.
The indictment charges each of the defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substance, and with one or more counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, certain controlled substances.
Each of the charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of the 350 North Street residence, the cash and gift cards seized during the August 2016 search, and more than $700,000 contained in numerous bank accounts. The seized cash, gift cards and bank accounts have been the subject of a pending civil forfeiture action.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Marshals Service with the valuable assistance of the North Central Narcotics Task Force and the Windsor Locks, Enfield, Vernon, East Windsor and Manchester Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David X. Sullivan and Michael E. Runowicz.
Three Quad Cities Men Convicted for Attempted Armed Robbery, Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Three Quad Cities area men are scheduled for sentencing in March after a jury convicted them this week for attempted armed robbery of a Rock Island home. The jury returned guilty verdicts against Deaunta Tyler, 30, and Dalvent Jackson, 25, both of East Moline, Ill., and Ledell Tyler, 36, of Silvis. Each was convicted on Nov. 15, of attempted robbery, discharging a firearm in furtherance of the attempted robbery, and being felons in possession of firearms.
Evidence at trial established that on the evening of Jan. 7, 2017, the three men invaded a family home in Rock Island in search of drugs. During the attempted robbery, the defendants threatened to shoot various occupants of the home, including two pregnant women and several young children. Trial evidence also established that one of the men discharged a firearm during the robbery in an effort to further intimidate the victims. Approximately five hours after the attempted robbery, officers of the Rock Island Police Department arrested the men after they fled from a traffic stop and crashed their vehicle.
Sentencing has been scheduled on March 13, 2018, in Rock Island, before U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow. At sentencing, each defendant faces up to 30 years in prison for the attempted armed robbery and felon in possession of a firearm charges, and a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison for discharging a firearm in furtherance of the attempted robbery to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed for the underlying offenses.
The Rock Island Police Department investigated the charges. Law enforcement personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Illinois State Police also assisted in the investigation and testified at trial. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Allegro and Kevin Knight.
Three Galivants Ferry Men Plead Guilty in Federal Court to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Ephifanio Castillo-Pacheco, age 44, Isidro Camacho-Castillo, age 20, and Samuel Zepeda-Gonzalez, age 60, all of Galivants Ferry, SC, pled guilty in federal court in Florence, South Carolina. Castillo-Pacheco, Camacho-Castillo and Zepeda-Gonzalez pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, §841(a)(1). Camacho-Castillo also pled guilty to possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, §924(c). United States District Judge Bryan Harwell of Florence accepted the pleas and will impose sentences after he has reviewed the presentence reports, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on March 8, 2017, during the execution of a federal search warrant, agents seized cocaine, multiple firearms and a large amount of cash from a residence in Galivants Ferry, South Carolina. During the search Camacho-Castillo was in one of the bedrooms along with a loaded Glock .380 caliber pistol, a loaded Kassnar Imports 9mm pistol and approximately 45 grams of cocaine. In the bedroom belonging to Castillo-Pacheco, agents found approximately 14 grams of cocaine, and 9mm and .380 caliber ammunition. Castillo-Pacheco and Zepeda-Gonzalez were both located in the living room where they were counting $177,989.00 in cash. Agents learned that Zepeda-Gonzalez had been paid to transport the cash to an unknown individual in McAllen, Texas.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty Castillo-Pacheco and Zepeda-Gonzalez can receive is imprisonment for 20 years and a fine of $1,000,000.00 The maximum penalty Camacho-Castillo can receive is imprisonment for life and a fine of $1,000,000.00.
The case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the South Carolina Highway Patrol and SLED. Assistant United States Attorney A. Bradley Parham of the Florence office handled the case.
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Texarkansas Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Texarkana, Arkansas - Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Brian Tremayne Porter, age 29, of Texarkana, Texas, was sentenced November 15, 2017 to 100 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Texarkana.
According to court records, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force learned that methamphetamine was being distributed in Southwest Arkansas by Brian Porter. In the early months of 2017, Porter conspired with another to distribute two (2) ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential source in exchange for $1400 in Miller County, Arkansas. The substance purchased was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for testing. The lab determined that it was a mixture of a substance that contained methamphetamine and weighed approximately 53.4 grams
Porter was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2017 and pled guilty to the charge in June 2017.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Driver prosecuted the case for the United States.
Stanislaus County Man Convicted of Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal jury in Fresno today found Adam Alan Henry, 39, of Turlock, guilty of conspiring to sexually exploit a minor and receipt or distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, from May 2012 until September 19, 2013, Henry conspired with another person to create video and still images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. From 2007 through September 2013, Henry used a file-sharing program to receive child pornography.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Ceres Police Department with assistance from Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David L. Gappa and Ross Pearson are prosecuting the case.
The court has scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 5, 2018, at which time Henry faces maximum possible punishments of 15-30 years in prison for the conspiracy to sexually exploit a minor charge and 5-20 years in prison for the receipt of child pornography charge. For both charges there is a possible lifetime term of supervised release, a mandatory $100 penalty assessment, and a possible $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
St Louis Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Heroin and Cocaine Conspiracy in Southern IllinoisRead the Press Release
A St. Louis resident was sentenced to federal prison on Friday, November 17, 2017, for his role in the conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine in Southern Illinois and elsewhere.
United States Attorney Donald S. Boyce announced the sentence for the Southern District of Illinois. Defendant Marlon Martez Lee, 43, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release, a $500 fine, and a $200 special assessment.
An indictment filed on October 18, 2016, charged Lee and co-defendant Charles Christopher Thirdkill in a two-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances and a second count of unlawful distribution of heroin. Co-defendant Thirdkill has plead guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative brings federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations. The investigation was conducted by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
Spearfish Woman Sentenced to 40 Years for Role in Child’s DeathRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Spearfish, South Dakota, woman convicted of Second Degree Murder was sentenced on November 17, 2017, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Lori Ann Wisecarver, age 44, was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release, ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and restitution in an amount to be determined.
Wiscarver was charged on September 15, 2015, and pleaded guilty on February 3, 2017. The conviction stems from Wisecarver’s prolonged and extreme physical abuse of a young boy from October 2014 to February 2015 at Pine Ridge. The abuse ultimately caused the death of the child.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Six Cases Prosecuted in Metro Louisville for Skimming Credit Card Information of Gas Station CustomersRead the Press Release
Estimated up to 50 active skimmers at gas-pumps in greater Louisville during investigation
Financial loss exceeds $3.5 million
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman, joined by FBI Special Agent in Charge Amy S. Hess, United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Richard Ferretti, and Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad, today announced the results of an on-going investigation involving nearly 30 law enforcement agencies, across three states, (Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana) that has resulted in the arrest of eight individuals charged with aggravated identity theft, wire fraud and other charges, for their roles in skimming credit card information of gas station customers at gas-pumps.
“Today, the United States Attorney’s Office is joined by the FBI, Secret Service, Louisville Metro Police and nearly 30 law enforcement agencies to send a unified message to those who plant credit card skimming devices in the Western District of Kentucky: you will be caught and you will be prosecuted,” stated United States Attorney Russell Coleman.
“As advances in technology influence almost every aspect of our daily lives, it is important to remember these same advances allow the unscrupulous to prey on unsuspecting members of the public. The FBI, and its federal, state, and local counterparts will continue our efforts to inform the public regarding the danger of credit card skimming, and we will pursue those who commit these crimes and bring them to justice,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Amy S. Hess.
“This indictment is another example of how the Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force continues to successfully combat financial crimes. Our success is this case is the result of the extraordinary work of our investigators and our close cooperation with our law enforcement partners, stated United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Richard Ferretti”
In the Western District of Kentucky, eight individuals have been indicted by federal grand jury, either individually or as co-defendants, with charges including possession of device making equipment, conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, money laundering, wire and bank fraud. Of the eight defendants, two were sentenced in United States District Court, four pleaded guilty and await sentencing, and the remaining two defendants have trial dates in January 2018. All defendants have been charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 24 months consecutive with the sentence for any other fraud offenses. There is no parole in the federal system.
The number of victims exceeds 7,000 unique card numbers belonging to both individuals and businesses. The United States Attorney’s Office has provided banks and financial institutions with information where card numbers were compromised. The combined intended loss for the six cases exceeds $3.5 million.
According to the indictments and plea agreements, skimmers were in use at convenience store gas stations located at Highway 42 in Prospect, Taylorsville Road, Bardstown Road, Saint Andrews Church Road, Galeen Drive, Shelbyville Road, and LaGrange Road.
Specifically, in United States v. Misael Jose Fernandez Campos, the defendant was charged by indictment on May 3, 2016 and entered a guilty plea to all 16 counts on October 2, 2017 before Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr., in United States District Court. According to the plea agreement, between February 2015, to March 2016, Campos manufactured skimming devices designed to illegally capture credit and debit card numbers being used at Louisville gas stations. The skimming devices were installed by Campos inside the gas pumps and later collected. The stolen financial information was then re-encoded, transferred, or cloned on to the magnetic strip of other plastic cards.
On August 17, 2017, five defendants were charged in four separate cases by grand jury indictment. Specifically, Pabel Anguela-Vazquez, Andres Tomas Alvarez Hernandez, Leonardo Rodriguez Prado, Yusbel Folgosso Parrado, and Miguel Yansel Castillo Fornaris.
Defendants Anguela-Vazquez and Hernandez were charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud. Both Hernandez and Anguela-Vazquez pleaded guilty in United States District Court, before District Judge David J. Hale in August 2017. Sentencing is scheduled for December 1, 2017 in Louisville.
Defendant Prado was charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of unauthorized and counterfeit access devices, and money laundering. Defendant Garcia was charged with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. Both are scheduled for trial in United States District Court, before Senior Judge Charles R. Simpson, in January 2018.
Defendant Parrado was charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on November 8, 2017, to 28 months in prison by Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr.
Defendant Fornaris was charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced on November 6, 2017 in United States District Court, to 45 months in prison, by Chief Judge H. McKinley, Jr.
On September 1, 2017, defendant Noslen Hernandez Guerra was charged in a criminal complaint, then by grand jury indictment, with fraud with identification documents, while on federal supervised release. Guerra pleaded guilty on October 23, 2017, and is scheduled for sentencing in United States District Court by Chief Judge H. McKinley, Jr., on February 5, 2018.
“This form of identity theft is causing untold losses to both financial institutions and individuals who are merely filling their tanks at the gasoline pump. As we begin the busiest travel season of the year, consumers need to pay special attention to where and how they pay for gasoline as criminals are using new and more sophisticated technologies,” concluded United States Attorney Coleman.
Consumers can take steps to reduce the risk of having their payment card information stolen at the gas pump. These steps include paying for gasoline inside the convenience store and when possible pay with cash; checking for signs that may suggest that the machine has been tampered with such as missing, broken, or loose security tape; and using gas pumps in view of surveillance cameras or visible to store clerks.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Judd and Daniel Kinnicutt and are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, and Louisville Metro Police with assistance from Bardstown (KY) Police Department, Bellbrook Ohio Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Carrolton Police Department, Centerville Ohio Police, Harrison County Indiana Sheriff’s Department, Hamilton County Ohio Police Department, Jasper Indiana Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Kentucky Department of Corrections, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kentucky State Police, Lexington Police Department, Madison Indiana Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Oldham County Police, Prospect (KY) Police Department, Rising Sun Indiana Police Department, St. Matthews Police Department, Simpsonville Police Department, Versailles Police Department, and West Chester Ohio Police Department. the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Colorado State Patrol, Clark County Sherriff's Office, Allen County Sherriff's Office, and Scottsville Police Department
Shelburne Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Mail Fraud, Money Laundering, and Making a False StatementRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Matthew Senator Melvin, 36, of Shelburne, was sentenced Thursday in United States District Court in Rutland to 18 months of imprisonment following his guilty pleas to charges of Mail Fraud, Money Laundering, and Making a False Statement. United States District Judge Geoffrey Crawford also ordered that Melvin pay more than $11,000 in restitution, as well as a $5,500 fine. The government is seeking an additional money forfeiture. Melvin will serve three years of supervised release following the completion of his prison sentence. Melvin has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his March 2017 arrest.
Melvin pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with Mail Fraud and Money Laundering, among other crimes. Melvin was originally released on conditions in connection with this prosecution. However, court records indicate that in February 2017 he made a series of false statements to the United States Probation office, resulting in an additional Indictment, to which Melvin also pleaded guilty, charging him with making a false statement. Court records indicate that Melvin engaged in a scheme to defraud employers by seeking and obtaining employment by the use of false or stolen identities, and that he laundered part of the proceeds of this crime by withdrawing them from one bank and depositing them into an account at another financial institution.
This was Melvin's first federal felony conviction. He had previously been convicted of various offenses by the State of Vermont.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division, as well as the United States Secret Service.
Melvin is represented by Paul Volk. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher.
San Angelo Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — A 45-year-old San Angelo, Texas, man, Michael Doerr, who pleaded guilty in August 2017 to one count of receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 121 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Judge Cummings remanded Doerr into immediate custody to begin serving his sentence.
According to plea documents filed in the case, on August 25, 2016, Doerr used computer hard disk drives to save images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Doerr received the material over the Internet and saved the material on the hard disk drives at his residence.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the San Angelo Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy prosecuted.
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Sacramento Men Plead Guilty to Bank Fraud and Identity Theft Scheme Using Stolen U.S. MailRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Billee Vang, 26, and Dang Vue, 27, both of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to a fraud scheme that involved manufacturing postal service locks and keys in order to steal U.S. Mail, steal identities and defraud financial institutions, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Vang and Vue each pleaded guilty to bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft of stolen U.S. mail, stealing and reproducing postal service locks and keys, and unlawful possession of at least five identification documents for fraudulent purposes.
According to court documents, between January 13, 2017, and May 12, 2017, Vang and Vue stole mail throughout Sacramento and Placer Counties, including neighborhoods in Roseville, Elk Grove, and Sacramento. As part of their criminal scheme, Vang and Vue stole Postal Service locks and used them to reverse engineer counterfeit keys to facilitate theft of mail from neighborhood mailbox units.
Vang and Vue used the stolen mail, including checks and identification documents, to take over victim bank and credit accounts. Additionally, Vang and Vue used and attempted to use access devices, credit card convenience checks, and personal checks that had been stolen from postal customers to conduct unauthorized transactions at the expense of federally insured financial institutions.
This case is the product of investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Elk Grove Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Roseville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rodriguez is prosecuting this case.
Vang and Vue are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on February 16, 2018. Each defendant faces up to 30 years in prison for the bank fraud convictions, a mandatory consecutive two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. They also face up to five years in prison for theft of U.S. Mail, 10 years in prison for stealing and reproducing postal service locks and keys, and 15 years in prison for possessing over five identity documents for purposes of fraud.
Queens, New York Man Sentenced to Ten Months in Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on November 16, 2017, John Williams, 33, of Queens, New York was sentenced to ten months in federal prison after his guilty plea to a charge that he conspired to distribute heroin and cocaine base in the Burlington area. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that Williams serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.
Judge Reiss previously sentenced Williams’ codefendant in the conspiracy, Laura Berard, to eight months imprisonment. According to court records, from late 2015 to mid-2016, codefendant Laura Berard periodically permitted Williams to use her North Champlain Street apartment in Burlington as a base from which to deal drugs, which Williams brought up from New York City.
In determining that a ten-month sentence was appropriate, Judge Reiss considered, among other factors, the relatively low drug quantity involved in this case as well as Williams’ efforts to turn his life around by attending college and being a more responsible parent. Judge Reiss also granted the defendant’s request for a variance from the crack cocaine Sentencing Guidelines table and to use the powder cocaine table instead as the basis for calculating the advisory term of imprisonment. According to court records, the total drug quantity involved was approximately twenty grams of crack cocaine and just over two grams of heroin. Williams faced a maximum sentence of twenty years.
Acting United States Attorney Cowles commended the Burlington Police Department, HSI, and DEA for their work in this investigation. She noted that this case is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Vermont Heroin Initiative, which is a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat heroin distribution in Vermont.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr handled this prosecution. Jean-Claude Charbonneau, Esq., of Rutland, represents John Williams. Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth represented Berard.
Port Angeles Man Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Abuse of Young Child on National Park LandRead the Press Release
A Port Angeles, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 97 months in prison and ten years of supervised release for aggravated sexual assault of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. CHARLES JASON BUTCHER, 46, admitted the assault in a recorded phone call with his victim in 2016. The assault on the young child occurred in 2001. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton said, “The nature of this offense is extremely odious.”
“For fifteen years the defendant denied sexually abusing the two young victims in this case, compounding a horrific betrayal,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “I commend the courage of the victims and the commitment of the Park Service investigator who took what was considered a “cold case” and developed the evidence necessary to convict.”
According to records filed in the case, two young children, ages 7 and 4, were visiting a resort operated by BUTCHER and his family near Lake Crescent on Olympic National Park land. Following the visit, the children’s mother suspected sexually abusive contact and medical exams showed signs of sexual molestation. BUTCHER was interviewed and denied any sexual abuse. In late 2015, the victim and the victim’s mother reached out to law enforcement, and a National Park Service Special Agent was assigned the case as part of a cold case review. The victims agreed to additional forensic interviews. Ultimately, one of the victims agreed to place a recorded phone call to BUTCHER in which he admitted the abuse. BUTCHER later admitted the molestation of one of the victims to law enforcement.
The case was investigated by the National Park Service and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted federally because the assault occurred on National Park land. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Grady Leupold.
Ponchatoula Man Sentenced for Theft of Firearms from Premises Owned and Operated by a Federally-Licensed Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ANTWON SEYMORE, age 19, of Ponchatoula, was sentenced yesterday after previously pleading guilty to theft of firearms from a premises owned by a federally-licensed firearms dealer and aiding-and-abetting.
U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced SEYMORE to 37 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and $8,780 in restitution.
According to the court documents, on or about April 8, 2016, SEYMORE, and a juvenile broke into The Tickfaw Auction Company, a business owned and operated by a federally-licensed firearms dealer, and stole 25 handguns. All of those guns were manufactured outside of Louisiana and necessarily had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. McMahon is in charge of the prosecution.
Orlando Man Convicted for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found McKenzie Calixte guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and five counts of theft of government property. He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the theft counts. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 29, 2018.
Calixte was indicted on February 15, 2017.
According to evidence introduced during trial, Calixte conspired with Tanya Fox and others in a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent tax returns using identities that had been stolen from a variety of sources. Fox directed Calixte and others to open business bank accounts in the name of a fraudulent tax preparation business and to have the tax refunds deposited into those accounts. Fox then worked with Calixte and the conspirators to withdraw the funds and spend the money. As part of the scheme, Calixte incorporated a false tax preparation business, Strong Hand Accounting, Tax & Payroll Services, Inc., and opened a business bank account in that name. He had 127 fraudulent tax refunds deposited into this account totaling more than $160,000. According to trial testimony, Calixte then withdrew funds from the account to pay a co-conspirator, to pay rent for a home that he leased with Fox, and to purchase a Range Rover.
Fox attempted to receive approximately $5.8 million in fraudulent tax refunds and was successful in receiving over $4 million from the United States Treasury throughout the conspiracy, which lasted over two years. A federal jury previously found her guilty and she was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Calixte is the eleventh person to be found guilty as a result of this scheme. Shanterica Smith, Gerald Williams, and Delray Duncan provided approximately 2,400 names from the Orange County Health Department to Fox, so that she and her co-conspirators could file the fraudulent tax returns. Smith was sentenced to five years in federal prison, Williams was sentenced to four years and six months’ imprisonment, and Duncan was sentenced to a term of three years and six months in federal prison.
In addition, April Cuyler was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and Chianti Smith was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Marceila Jackson and Reshonda Roberts each received two years in federal prison. Shanta Thaxton was sentenced to two years’ probation, and Mariah Herron is currently awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
Norwalk Landscaper Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that CANDIDO VALADARES, also known as Candide Valadares, 57, of Norwalk, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to one count of filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, VALADARES operates two Norwalk-based landscaping businesses, Candide’s Landscaping and Water Gardens, LLC and Candide Contractor & Natural Pools, LLC. He also provides snow-removal services to his clients during winter months. An investigation revealed that VALADARES deposited receipts from his businesses into both his business and personal bank accounts. He also paid various employee wages out of both his business and personal accounts.
VALADARES used a tax return preparer to prepare his yearly tax returns. The tax preparer took figures from certain profit-and-loss statements obtained from VALADARES or his bookkeeper to prepare the relevant federal tax returns. VALADARES knew that the profit-and-loss statements did not reflect all revenues deposited in VALADARES’ business and personal bank accounts. As a result, VALADARES’ federal tax returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011 tax years underreported hundreds of thousands of dollars in total income.
VALADARES is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton on February 8, 2018, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years and a fine of up to $100,000. VALADARES also has agreed to repay the U.S. Treasury $175,898 in restitution for the taxes he failed to pay, and additional penalties and interest that have accrued on his unpaid taxes.
This matter has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Murder for hire defendant sentenced in federal courtRead the Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler today announced the sentencing of a woman for her role in a diabolical plot to murder a Hamilton County victim. Renee S. Perillo, 54, Glendale, California was sentenced to 27 years’ imprisonment today in federal court by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.
“This devious plot to murder and kidnap a victim is beyond any logical comprehension,” said Minkler. “Ms. Perillo will have many many years in the Department of Corrections to think about her actions.”
Perillo plead guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder for hire in May 2017. According to court documents, on May 22, 2015, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service at a residence in Noblesville. When officers arrived, they found Renee Perillo and her son Richard lying in wait in the back seat of the victim’s vehicle along with a syringe of paralytic and a firearm. Her motive was to keep the victim from pursuing legal remedies against her boyfriend.
Perillo also utilized the U.S. mail in September 2015, to send an envelope, which contained a letter to an undercover FBI agent posing as a “hitman.” In her letter, she suggested to the hitman that the victim be killed at an ATM machine to make it look like a robbery.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Bradley Shepard, Perillo must also serve five years of supervised release following her sentence.
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