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20 November 2017
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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Multiple guilty pleas expose ability of drug cartels to launder drug proceeds through money remittersRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The last of nine Atlanta-based defendants charged with laundering drug money to Mexico through metro-Atlanta area money remitters has pleaded guilty, concluding a three-year long federal investigation targeting professional money launderers that exposed the ability of drug cartels to launder their illicit proceeds through money remittance companies.
“This investigation revealed how drug cartels use remittance companies to fuel their criminal enterprises,” said U. S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Money remitters have strict rules to follow. When employees make a decision to ignore those rules, both the employee and money remitter businesses can face prosecution.”
“This case demonstrates the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle and bring to justice those involved with trying to circumvent our financial laws and help launder illegal drug proceeds,” said ICE HSI Atlanta Acting Special Gregory Wiest.
“Drug Cartels are constantly looking for conduits like money service businesses to launder their illicit drug proceeds back to Mexico. We work to dismantle drug organizations by cutting off the money flow back to Mexico, this makes it harder for the drug cartels to operate,” said James Dorsey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to target these money laundering experts by working jointly with our law enforcement partners.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2014, federal law enforcement agents began investigating individuals in the metro-Atlanta area that were suspected of laundering drug proceeds to Mexico. Federal agents utilized cooperating sources to infiltrate these individuals’ networks and determined that the money launderers were frequently using small businesses to send drug proceeds to Mexico. These small businesses offered “money remittance services,” which allow customers to wire funds to individuals in other countries without using traditional bank accounts.
Investigators determined that managers and employees of a number of metro-Atlanta remitters were knowingly helping the money launderers send drug proceeds to Mexico. During the course of this investigation, cooperating sources and an undercover law enforcement officer brought drug proceeds or money that was represented as coming from drug sales to different remitters. In exchange for a kickback, managers and employees of nine different remitters agreed to launder the funds to Mexico by breaking the transactions into smaller amounts and by listing fake sender names, addresses, and telephone numbers. The investigation revealed that nine metro-Atlanta remitters transmitted more than $40 million over a roughly four-year timeframe. The resulting guilty pleas in this case made clear that the bulk of this money came from the sale of illegal narcotics.
Several of the defendants who pleaded guilty actually served as the Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (“BSA/AML”) compliance officers for their respective stores and were responsible for detecting and reporting these types of illicit financial transactions. Instead, these defendants used their anti-money laundering training to help the drug proceeds flow to Mexico undetected.
The recorded undercover transactions that took place during the operation exposed how willing many remitters were to help their customers secretly send drug proceeds to Mexico. One defendant, who served as a store manager and BSA/AML compliance officer, even gave an undercover officer tips on where to sell drugs in Atlanta. Another defendant, who also served as a store manager and BSA/AML compliance officer, offered to provide a cooperating source help on obtaining fake identifications so that drug proceeds could be transmitted to Mexico undetected.
The following individuals have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering and are awaiting sentencing:
- Oscar Gustavo Perez-Bernal, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at La Tienda and Cocina Linda Vista, which were both located in Chamblee, Georgia.
- Itzayana Guadalupe Perez-Bernal, a/k/a Lupe, 24, of Norcross, Georgia, was an employee at La Tienda.
- Norma Dominguez, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at La Veracruzana, which was located in Chamblee, Georgia.
- Norma Carrera, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Hilos y Estambres Teresita, which was located in Chamblee, Georgia.
- Victor Perez, 31, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Intercargo, which had offices in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Marietta, Georgia.
- Merli Sandy Tejeda-Bermudez, a/k/a Jorhley Adadlay-Bermudez, 30, of Duluth, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/compliance officer at Mundo Cargo and RR Latinas, which were both located in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
- Daniel Castaneda-Garcia, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at Taqueria el Dany, which was located in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
- Lidia Pineda-Altamarino, a/k/a Lily, 33, of Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Additionally, Susan Fiorella Ayala-Chavez, a/k/a Pitus, 30, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering and has been sentenced to three years, one month in federal prison. Ayala-Chavez was an employee at the Rainforest Chevron gas station in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department, Georgia State Patrol, and Powder Springs Police Department provided valuable assistance throughout the course of the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Krepp and Alison B. Prout are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section provided significant assistance.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
- Oscar Gustavo Perez-Bernal, 35, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the manager and BSA/AML compliance officer at La Tienda and Cocina Linda Vista, which were both located in Chamblee, Georgia.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama- Keyon Montez Butler (24) of Montgomery, Alabama was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Federal law prohibits a person convicted of a felony from possessing firearms or ammunition. Butler was found guilty of the charge after a trial that took place in June 2017
At trial, the jury heard testimony that Butler and a co-defendant, Demarcus Cordarious Parker (25) also from Montgomery, were both convicted felons who possessed firearms that they intended to sell. During an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Montgomery Police Department, Parker made multiple gun sales to undercover law enforcement agents in August of 2016. ATF also discovered that Butler had placed an advertisement for the sale of a firearm on Facebook and they arranged to meet him at Oak Park in Montgomery to make the purchase. Butler drove to Oak Park in an SUV with Parker in the passenger seat. In the vehicle, Butler had possession of a .40 caliber pistol and sold it to law enforcement who were working undercover.
Butler’s lengthy sentence for this conviction was due to his significant criminal history, which included prior convictions of robbery in the first degree, possession of a controlled substance, and felony murder. Following his sentence of 10 years in prison, Butler will be subject to 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Demarcus Parker pled guilty to his charges in June and will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years.
U.S Attorney Franklin would like to thank the ATF Montgomery Field Office and the Montgomery Police Department for investigating this case and for combating the illegal sale of guns on our streets. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise O. Simpson.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison After Shootout at Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Christopher Gilcrest (34) of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Federal law prohibits a person convicted of a felony from possessing firearms or ammunition.
A jury found Gilcrest guilty of the charge after a trial in June of this year. Evidence presented at the trial showed that on October 23, 2016, Gilcrest went to the Value Gas Food Store on Highland Avenue in Montgomery just after midnight. After approaching the store, he began to argue with a man in the parking lot. During the argument, Gilcrest pulled out a gun. At this point, the other man produced his own firearm and Gilcrest shot him in the leg. Several shots were exchanged between them and Gilcrest fled the scene after firing his weapon at least six times. A total of three people were struck by bullets during the gunfire, including the defendant and an innocent bystander.
Although Gilcrest’s gun could not be recovered, the Montgomery Police Department (MPD) was able to collect spent shell casings from the scene immediately after the shooting. After seeing surveillance camera footage of the shooting and the ballistics examination of the casings, the jury found that the casings came from the gun that Gilcrest was firing.
Court records show that this is not the first time that Gilcrest has faced charges of being a felon in possession of firearms or ammunition. In 2009, he was convicted of illegally possessing a handgun as a felon.
Following his prison sentence of 10 years in prison, Gilcrest will be subject to 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“It is unfortunate that as a nation we have experienced a significant increase in violent crime and, unfortunately, Montgomery is not immune from this problem,” stated U.S Attorney Franklin. “We are committed to aggressively prosecuting all violations of the federal firearms laws to combat this disturbing and dangerous trend. We will use every tool in our law enforcement arsenal to protect the citizens of this district and deter others from using a gun to resolve conflict.”
“This successful prosecution and sentencing speak to the importance of the cooperative relationships within the criminal justice system,” said Montgomery Police Chief Ernest Finley. “We appreciate working with the U.S. Attorney and his staff to increase safety throughout the City of Montgomery and to achieve justice.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge, Steve Gerido remarked, “Protecting the public by the removal of the criminal element that commits acts of violence with a firearm was the result of the combined efforts by ATF, Montgomery Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office”
U.S. Attorney Franklin would like to thank the following entities for their assistance in investigating this case: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Montgomery Police Department (MPD). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley Bodiford and Ben Baxley.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal Use of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ADRIAN CONTRERAS-VARELAS, age 18, a citizen of Mexico, was charged today in a one-count Indictment with illegal use of a Social Security Number in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
CONTRERAS-VARELAS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five years, a fine of $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment of $100. Additionally, CONTRERAS-VARELAS is subject to a period of supervised release after imprisonment of up to three years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Luis David Huerta-Carranza (37, Mexico) to two years in federal prison for illegal re-entry into the United States. He pleaded guilty on August 31, 2017.
According to court documents, Huerta-Carranza was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in June 2001, September 2013, and January 2014.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations will continue to focus on investigating, arresting, and removing criminal aliens from the United States,” said Michael W. Meade, acting field office director for the Miami Field Office of ERO.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara Wick.
Mexican Man Admits Illegal Re-entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Agustin Martinez, age 35, and a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty today to illegal re-entry into the United States.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas R. Decker, Director of the New York Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Agustin Martinez was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on May 18, 2016, following a felony conviction earlier that year, in New York, for driving while intoxicated. On February 14, 2017, he was encountered by an ICE Officer in the Ulster County Jail in Kingston, New York. Agustin Martinez admitted that he returned to the United States without permission following the May 2016 removal.
As a result of his conviction, Agustin Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced by United States Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on March 19, 2018. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Meadows Regional Medical Center, Inc. and Affiliates to Pay up to $12.875 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Meadows Regional Medical Center, Inc. (“Meadows”) and others have agreed to pay the United States and Georgia a total of up to $12,875,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act. The United States and State of Georgia contended that Meadows and others violated and conspired to violate the False Claims Act by submitting claims referred by physicians with whom Meadows had improper compensation arrangements, in violation of the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute. As part of the settlement, Meadows has also entered into a corporate integrity agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
“This Office prioritizes the investigation of improper financial relationships between health care providers and referral sources because services reimbursed by federal health care programs should be based on the patients’ best interests, and not on the financial interests of their doctors. We will continue to use all available resources at our disposal to pursue culpable providers, executives, and physicians,” said United States Attorney R. Brian Tanner. “In the early stages of this investigation, Meadows made available its executive team, voluntarily produced large numbers of documents, self-identified potential issues, proposed monetary and non-monetary corrective actions, and followed through on those proposals. Meadows should be commended for its response, which resulted in a resolution that acknowledged the substantial efforts Meadows made on its own accord.”
“Once Meadows learned of payments to providers for hospital referrals they quickly acknowledged the wrongdoing and took positive steps to correct the problems,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “It is essential that patients and taxpayers be confident medical decisions have not been tainted by illegal financial considerations.”
“Georgia’s Medicaid program depends upon the integrity of referral sources for healthcare services,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Our office, through the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, will continue to safeguard our citizens from activity that places profits above patients. Providers like Meadows who voluntarily cooperate with investigations and take proactive remedial steps make protecting our programs much more effective.”
This investigation was conducted by Special Agent David Graupner, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Investigator Kimberly Reinken, United States Attorney’s Office, and Law Clerk Alison Slagowitz. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney J. Thomas Clarkson. The State of Georgia was represented by Assistant Attorney General James Mooney with assistance from Investigative Auditor Denise Colson. The claims resolved by the settlement agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. For additional information, please contact United States Attorney R. Brian Tanner at (912) 652-4422.
McLaughlin Man Found Not Guilty of Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man was acquitted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury as a result of a federal jury trial in Aberdeen, South Dakota, beginning on November 13, 2017, and concluding on November 14, 2017.
Richard Todd Steele, age 37, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 14, 2017.
The charge stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred in April 2017, in McLaughlin.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
Marion County Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Charles Wallace Ellsworth (55, Summerfield) to 10 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. He also was ordered to serve a life term of supervised release, and to comply with all applicable state and federal sexual offender and sexual predator registration statutes, upon his release from prison. Ellsworth pleaded guilty on August 21, 2017.
According to court documents, between March 2017 and May 11, 2017, Ellsworth received images of child pornography on a file sharing network. On May 12, 2017, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Ellsworth’s home. Forensic analyses of his computer revealed more than 100 images of child pornography, including numerous images of infants and toddlers.
“This criminal preyed on the most vulnerable in our society, our children,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge, James C. Spero. “We have stopped this predator in his tracks, protecting countless children from his crimes.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Orlando Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale R. Campion.
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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa - On November 17, 2017, Jonathan Escareno Chavezheather Jean Reekr, 28, of Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 210 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base and for money laundering, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. These sentences were ordered to be served concurrently.
On July 12, 2017, Escareno pleaded guilty to these charges, admitting he was engaged in the distribution of marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base between September of 2015 and September of 2016, and had engaged in laundering drug proceeds in July of 2016. These charges stemmed from a several-month investigation of Escareno Chavez, in which numerous controlled purchases of marijuana and cocaine were made from him. Law enforcement agents also intercepted Escareno Chavez’s wire and electronic communications, which permitted them to identify a broad network of over 20 persons engaged in the distribution of controlled substances in the Des Moines area.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, with significant assistance of numerous other federal, state, and local agencies, including the Des Moines Police Department and Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. 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).
Man Sentenced on Federal Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Enrique Garcia Burgos, age 45, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced in federal court to 85 months imprisonment followed by a three-year term of supervised release. On July 25, 2017, Burgos entered a guilty plea in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin and cocaine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846. United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence imposed the sentence.
This case was part of an extensive investigation conducted by a team of law enforcement agencies into the sale of heroin and other illegal drugs in the Horry County, South Carolina, area. During the investigation, Burgos, and a co-defendant, Asuncion Arguello, were identified as possible heroin distributors in the Myrtle Beach area. Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing and sentencing hearing established that agents made a controlled purchase of heroin from Arguello in January 2016. Several months later, based on additional information learned during the investigation, agents stopped a vehicle occupied by Burgos and Arguello on Interstate 20 in Florence County. Agents searched the vehicle and located a loaded firearm, over 1 kilogram of heroin, and nearly 500 grams of cocaine.
The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fifteenth Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit , and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher D. Taylor of the Florence office prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced for Making False Statements on Passport ApplicationRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Roderick Randy England was sentenced, to be imprisoned to 18 months in federal prison followed by three years supervised release, in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, by United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell. England previously pled guilty to making a false application on a passport application which is a violation of Title 18 U.S.C. 1542.
Evidence presented at the guilty plea and other hearings established that England, a citizen of Jamaica, previously served a prison sentence in Florida after being convicted on charges of making a false claim of citizenship with the intent to obtain a state benefit. England was also sentenced to a one year term of supervised release which required him to report to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings when he was released from custody. However, England failed to report upon his release. Instead, England applied for a passport at the Post Office in Longs, South Carolina, on February 21, 2013, using a false name and the birth certificate of a citizen of the U.S. Virgin Islands. England was later arrested in Tacoma, Washington, and charged with driving under the influence, resisting arrest, and escape. England was then transported back to South Carolina to face federal charges.
Agents of the United States Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Day of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4855
Baltimore, Maryland – On November 15, 2017, United States District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Russell Todd O’Bannon, age 52, of Dundalk, Maryland, to 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography. Judge Bennett ordered that, upon his release from prison, O’Bannon must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Police Chief Wade Goolsby of the Waxahachie Police Department in Waxahachie, Texas.
According to his plea agreement, between November 2013 and January 2016, O’Bannon communicated with numerous male and female minors through the internet in which he persuaded, induced, and enticed the victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct, to produce images of this conduct, and to send the images to him. As a result, the minor victims sent O’Bannon numerous pornographic images of themselves through the social media platform Facebook.
The 17 minor victims were located in various regions of the United States and in foreign countries. O’Bannon communicated through the text-messaging feature of Facebook, using alias Facebook profiles that falsely identified him as “Martin Anderson.” Under this alias, O’Bannon consistently lied about his age to his minor victims and sent the victims photos of nude and shirtless young men and photos of genitals, claiming that these were images of himself. O’Bannon requested that the minors send him images of their genitalia and of them engaging in masturbation, and the victims complied with these requests. O’Bannon also stated intentions of visiting the minors to have sex, and graphically described the sex acts he intended to perform with them. He regularly told female victims that he wanted to have unprotected sex to impregnate them. Several of the minor victims were in foster care or in group homes. Two of the minors told O’Bannon that they had been victims of previous rapes. O’Bannon responded by requesting details about the rapes and continued to ask for pornographic images of the children.
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.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI and the Waxahachie Police Department for its work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Maddox who prosecuted the case.
Lubbock Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Tarvinn Djuan Williams, 29, of Lubbock, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 188 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in August 2017 to one count of production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Williams has been in custody since his arrest in June 2017.
According to plea documents filed in the case, on March 26, 2017, Williams made contact through Facebook messaging with a 16-year-old minor female, Jane Doe l, for the purpose of convincing her to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him. Williams concealed his true identity by representing himself to be “Samantha Pena,” a female alias that he created for the purpose of recruiting females to engage in sex acts with Williams.
Williams, representing himself to be “Samantha Pena,” convinced Jane Doe l to meet him to engage in sexual intercourse with him and represented that “Samantha Pena” would pay Jane Doe 1 to engage in the sex acts with Williams. Jane Doe 1 met with Williams at least three times and engaged in sexual intercourse with him.
In the course of the communications between Williams, using the identity of “Samantha Pena,” and Jane Doe 1, Williams asked Jane Doe l to take sexually explicit pictures and send them to Pena. “Samantha Pena” told Jane Doe 1 that she wouldn’t be required to have sex with Williams if she would send the sexually explicit material. Jane Doe 1 complied with the requests and took and sent pictures and one video. “Samantha Pena” made repeated promises to Jane Doe l that she would be paid, but “Samantha Pena” never paid Jane Doe 1.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lubbock Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy prosecuted.
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Lovejoy Barber Shop Used to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Stevie Alejandro, 31; Cleophus Dentmond a/k/a Face, age 28; Gilbert Guzman, age 48; and Catherine Ramos, age 29, all of Buffalo, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a mixture or substance containing cocaine. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan A. Tokash, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, since May 2017, the defendants, including Alejandro, the operator of Barberians Barber Shop located on East Lovejoy Steet, in Buffalo, NY were selling cocaine out of the barber shop. The Buffalo Police Department received numerous complaints about suspected drug activity in the barber shop which is located across from Buffalo Public School No. 43, the Lovejoy Discovery School.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda; Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zak; and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.Initial appearances were held before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy on November 16 and November 17, 2017. The defendants were released on conditions except for Stevie Alejandro who requested a detention hearing which is scheduled for November 21, 2017.
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.Long Island-Based Telephonics Corporation Pays $4.25 Million to Settle Overbilling Claims on Army & Navy ContractsRead the Press Release
Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, today announced that Telephonics Corporation, based in Farmingdale, New York, has agreed to pay $4,250,000 to the United States to settle claims that Telephonics overbilled the federal government under certain contracts to provide vehicle-mounted counter-improvised explosive device systems (Warlock Systems) to the Army and multi-mode radar systems (LAMPS Systems) to the Navy.
The settlement announced today is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
“Defense contractors who enrich themselves at taxpayers’ expense by failing to accurately represent the costs of their goods and services will be held fully accountable. Taxpayers deserve no less,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. Ms. Rohde praised the successful partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, DCIS, NCIS, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command in detecting and preventing fraud and overbilling.
“The civil settlement announced today is the end result of a successful joint case conducted by DCIS, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Contract Audit Agency and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York,” stated Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent-in-Charge, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “DCIS and its law enforcement partners will continue to investigate violations of the False Claims Act in order to protect U.S. military members and prevent defense contractors from profiting at the expense of the American taxpayer.”
“This settlement further demonstrates the resolve of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit and our law enforcement partners to protect and defend the assets of the United States Army,” stated Special Agent-in-Charge L. Scott Moreland.
“Fraud is never a victimless crime,” stated NCIS Northeast Field Office Special Agent-in-Charge Leo Lamont. “In this case, involving the intentional mischarging of the Navy for critical equipment during a time of war, the victims are not just our men and women in uniform, but all American taxpayers. NCIS will continue to tirelessly pursue all those who seek to take advantage of the Department of the Navy and its interests.”
Between 2004 and 2007, Telephonics, a corporation that provides services, products and technology to the Department of Defense, subcontracted to provide work and materials for the assembly of the Army’s Warlock Systems and the Navy’s LAMPS Systems. The Warlock Systems are installed in vehicles to interrupt wireless systems designed to trigger improvised explosive devices and are used in Afghanistan and Iraq. The LAMPS Systems are used on Navy helicopters.
The government contends that Telephonics did not provide accurate cost data in connection with certain contracts for the Warlock and LAMPS Systems. Specifically, Telephoncs improperly billed the Army and Navy by calculating invoices using: 1) inflated “estimates” when then-current available information showed lower actual costs; and 2) different labor rates than those set forth in relevant contracts. There was no allegation about the quality of Telephonics’ products or services. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Telephonics.
The United States’ investigation was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys John Vagelatos and Robert W. Schumacher.
Local Man Sentenced for $5 Million Investment ScamRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 77-year-old Montgomery man has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions on two counts related to an investment fraud scheme involving more than 50 victims and more than $5 million, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Allan George Cooper pleaded guilty May 5, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon handed Cooper a 121-month sentence. At the hearing, two victims presented live testimony to the Court about the financial hardships they and their families faced because of Cooper’s fraud. In handing down the sentence, Judge Harmon noted Cooper was a danger to the community. He was further ordered to pay a $5,805,535 in restitution and will be required to serve three years of supervised release following completion of the prison term.
Cooper was president of Effective Energy Alternatives dba A.G. Cooper Associates, managing member of AG Cooper LLC and registered agent for Effective Funding Network LLC. Cooper created AG Cooper & Associates and presented himself as an investment advisor, meeting investors through a church group and through referrals from other investors. He solicited and received more than $5 million from investors, many of whom believed he was making short-term loans to small companies who could not get bank financing.
Cooper received investor funds via wire transfers or checks handed to him in person. He presented investment programs that projected more than 12% returns in a short period of time and lulled investors with false and misleading statements he mailed to their homes on a quarterly basis. On occasion, he would make monthly payments to investors with funds provided by new investors. Deceived by these monthly payments and fraudulent quarterly statements, these victims believed their money was being properly invested, and on some occasions, would re-invest more money with Cooper. However, analysis of his bank accounts revealed the majority of the monies were used to pay back other investors, pay his credit cards, fund his other companies and to enrich his own lifestyle.
Previously released on bond, Cooper was taken into custody following the sentencing today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas State Securities Board. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Pasco, Washington Vegetable Processing PlantRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Washington Potato Company, which operates the Freeze Pack vegetable processing plant located in Pasco, Washington. The agreement resolves the Department’s investigation into whether Washington Potato discriminated against work-authorized immigrants when verifying their employment authorization, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The Department’s investigation revealed that Washington Potato routinely requested that work-authorized non-U.S. citizens present specific documents to confirm their citizenship status, such as Permanent Resident Cards or Employment Authorization Documents, while verifying their authorization to work at the Freeze Pack plant, but did not subject U.S. citizens to such requests. The anti-discrimination provision of the INA prohibits employers from subjecting employees to different or unnecessary documentary demands based on employees’ citizenship, immigration status or national origin.
Under the settlement, Washington Potato will pay a civil penalty of $100,000 to the United States, train its staff, post notices informing workers about their rights under the INA’s antidiscrimination provision, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements. An earlier settlement between the Department and Washington Potato Company in May 2017 resolved litigation concerning similar discriminatory conduct by Washington Potato in its management of another facility located in Pasco, Washington.
“Employers must ensure that they do not impose unnecessary and unlawful barriers to employment based on citizenship status,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “We look forward to working with Washington Potato Company to fulfill the terms of this agreement and ensure compliance with the law at all the facilities it operates.”
The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Joseph H. Harrington, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, stated: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends employers utilizing nondiscriminatory employment hiring practices, adding that “the U.S. Department of Justice remains vigilant in investigating and enforcing reported violations of anti-discrimination laws.”
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to different documentary requirements based on their citizenship/immigration status or national origin, or discrimination based on their citizenship/immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.