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16 November 2017
North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
A Greensboro, North Carolina, resident was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), filing a fraudulent tax return, and bankruptcy fraud, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents and information provided to the court, during 2008 and 2009, Hassie Demond Nowlin, aka Demond Nowlin and Brilliant Knowlin, 44, filed several fraudulent tax returns with the IRS that included fake income and withholding taxes and sought more than $750,000 in fraudulent refunds. Nowlin also filed documents with the Guilford County Register of Deeds purporting to renounce his United States citizenship and proclaiming to be a sovereign citizen. Between 2008 and 2010, the IRS assessed taxes, penalties and interest against Nowlin related to the fraudulent returns. After being notified of the assessments, Nowlin began concealing his assets and placing them in the names of nominee entities.
Nowlin also admitted that between 2011 and 2017, he earned hundreds of thousands of dollars operating a tax preparation business. Nowlin filed hundreds of tax returns for clients that claimed phony business and education expenses, sought refunds to which the clients were not entitled and did not identify him as the paid preparer. Nowlin caused the fees he earned to be deposited into nominee bank accounts that he controlled. Nowlin also admitted that he made false statements to IRS agents, including that he did not prepare tax returns for clients.
In addition to the tax-related charges, Nowlin also admitted to attempting to cheat his creditors by filing fraudulent personal bankruptcy petitions. Along with these petitions, Nowlin also submitted false financial statements on which he did not fully disclose his income and assets.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles ordered Nowlin to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $188,001.89. Nowlin pleaded guilty in August to obstructing the internal revenue laws, filing a fraudulent tax return, and bankruptcy fraud.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Hairston commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand P. Ramaswamy of the Middle District of North Carolina, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Greensboro, North Carolina, resident was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), filing a fraudulent tax return, and bankruptcy fraud, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents and information provided to the court, during 2008 and 2009, Hassie Demond Nowlin, aka Demond Nowlin and Brilliant Knowlin, 44, filed several fraudulent tax returns with the IRS that included fake income and withholding taxes and sought more than $750,000 in fraudulent refunds. Nowlin also filed documents with the Guilford County Register of Deeds purporting to renounce his United States citizenship and proclaiming to be a sovereign citizen. Between 2008 and 2010, the IRS assessed taxes, penalties and interest against Nowlin related to the fraudulent returns. After being notified of the assessments, Nowlin began concealing his assets and placing them in the names of nominee entities.
Nowlin also admitted that between 2011 and 2017, he earned hundreds of thousands of dollars operating a tax preparation business. Nowlin filed hundreds of tax returns for clients that claimed phony business and education expenses, sought refunds to which the clients were not entitled and did not identify him as the paid preparer. Nowlin caused the fees he earned to be deposited into nominee bank accounts that he controlled. Nowlin also admitted that he made false statements to IRS agents, including that he did not prepare tax returns for clients.
In addition to the tax-related charges, Nowlin also admitted to attempting to cheat his creditors by filing fraudulent personal bankruptcy petitions. Along with these petitions, Nowlin also submitted false financial statements on which he did not fully disclose his income and assets.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles ordered Nowlin to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $188,001.89. Nowlin pleaded guilty in August to obstructing the internal revenue laws, filing a fraudulent tax return, and bankruptcy fraud.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Hairston commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the
investigation, and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand P. Ramaswamy of the Middle District of North Carolina, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
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North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Filing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Durham, North Carolina, tax return preparer was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent income tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents filed with the court, Maria Streater worked for KEF Professional Tax Services, a tax preparation business located in Durham. From 2012 through 2014, Streater prepared fraudulent income tax returns for clients by creating false sources of income in order to maximize the earned income tax credit and obtain refunds to which her clients were not entitled. Streater agreed that she caused a tax loss of $274,090.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles ordered Streater to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $83,083 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Hairston commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Ramaswamy and Trial Attorney Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
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Nigerian Nationals Detained in Elaborate Bank Fraud, Counterfeit Passport SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Two Nigerian nationals have been detained in federal custody in Rhode Island on charges they allegedly participated in a large-scale counterfeit bank fraud and passport scheme, with an intended loss of more than $850,000.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Michael S. Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New England, announced the arrest today of Olugboyega Akinloye Fasanya, 35, of Woonsocket, and Anthony Chidozie Ezike, 35, of Pawtucket, on a federal criminal complaint charging them with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and use of counterfeit passports. Fasanya and Ezike made initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Providence today and were ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
According to an affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, it is alleged that beginning in June 2015, Fasanya orchestrated a scheme that defrauded more than ten banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and elsewhere by acquiring and altering originally lawfully passed checks between commercial entities. The checks were altered to be made out to aliases used by Fasanya, Ezike and others, and deposited into bank accounts opened using the aliases. In many instances, the funds were removed from the accounts prior to the fraud being detected by the financial institutions.
It is also alleged that the scheme involved the sending of unauthorized wire transfers into accounts opened using the false identities, followed by rapid withdrawals. It is alleged that the defendants used counterfeit passports from Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa as forms of identification when opening various bank accounts used to execute the scheme.
According to the affidavit, it is alleged that participants in the scheme deposited fraudulent checks and wires totaling approximately $853,000 and successfully obtained approximately $368,000 through withdrawals and debit purchases.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Woonsocket, Pawtucket and Warwick Police Departments.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced in Cocaine and Firearm ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced yesterday’s sentencing of ANTONIO NEVEAUX, age 42, of New Orleans, following the August 2017 trial.
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced NEVEAUX to 138 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
On August 8, 2017, a federal jury found NEVEAUX guilty of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, conspiracy to obstruct justice, possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Co-defendant ANTHONY B. WASHINGTON pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2017. Co-defendant TERRANCE SMITH pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Housing Authority of New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael McMahon, David Sinkman and Jeff Sandman were in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TIM NALL, age 62, of New Orleans, pled guilty today to a one-count Bill of Information charging him with receipt of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at NALL’s residence on July 25, 2017, during which time they seized numerous electronic items including one desktop computer and numerous loose storage media, such as CDs and DVDs which contained images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of children. A forensic examination of the device revealed that NALL used the devices to search for, download, and save images and videos of children younger than two-years old engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The forensic examination located approximately 2,080 images and 2 videos of prepubescent children engaging in sexually explicit on NALL’s digital devices.
NALL faces a mandatory minimum of five years imprisonment and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine per count. He can also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Barbier has been scheduled for February 22, 2018.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of prosecution.
New Orleans Man Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JON C. BALLAY, age 58, of New Orleans, was charged in a three-count Indictment with production of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of a fourteen-year-old girl.
If convicted, BALLAY faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years per count, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. He can also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter, and specifically the FBI New Orleans Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Kenner Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
New Indictment in Federal RICO Case Targeting Crips Gang Adds Murder Charge Related to Previously Unsolved HomicideRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has returned a new indictment in a racketeering case targeting the Five Deuce Broadway Gangster Crips (BGC) street gang that adds a murder charge stemming from a previously unsolved 2012 homicide, Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown announced today.
The “second superseding indictment” charges BGC member Joshua Perez, also known as “Tiny Ange,” in the murder of 37-year-old William Sherman, who was killed after BGC gangsters mistakenly identified him as being part of a group that were members of a rival gang.
The new indictment also alleges that co-defendant Marquis Shaw, also known as “T-Loon,” participated in the attack that resulted in Sherman’s murder. Shaw also faces charges previously filed in the BGC case that allege he committed a 2003 murder of a non-gang member outside of the House of Blues in West Hollywood.
Perez, 26, and Shaw, 43, allegedly are prominent members of a BGC clique known as the Gremlin Riderz, a violent enforcement arm that acts as the gang’s hit squad, which includes enforcing discipline among the gang’s members and carrying out acts of retaliation against rival gangs.
The new charges in the indictment accuse Perez of committing murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence that caused death. Each of these offenses carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole in federal prison.
The indictment alleges that Sherman was murdered during a May 10, 2012 incident in which BGC members were retaliating against a rival gang for the murder of a BGC member. BGC members traveled in a multi-vehicle convoy to a party being held by the rival gang, and fired at least 40 shots into a group of men who were walking to the party. Sherman was killed and two others were injured in the shooting. The victims were not members of the rival gang targeted by BGC. Prior to the second superseding indictment, no one had been charged in the killing.
The second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on November 9 charges Perez, Shaw and five other BGC members with participating in a conspiracy to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Members of the conspiracy allegedly engaged in murders, robberies, witness and informant intimidation, and narcotics sales.
The new indictment is the latest development in a case originally filed in 2014 against 72 members and associates of the BGC, a violent and primarily African-American gang that controls parts of South Los Angeles and downtown Los Angeles. Out of the 72 defendants originally charged in a 213-page RICO indictment, 64 defendants have pleaded guilty and one was convicted at trial. Many of those convicted have received lengthy prison sentences – including the leader of the BGC, who was sentenced to nearly 22 years in federal prison – and those defendants have been banned from living in BGC territory after they complete their prison terms.
After the filing of the original indictment in this case, federal and local law enforcement authorities continued to investigate the BGC, which included reexamining the 2012 attack that led to Sherman’s murder and developing new witnesses to that incident.
The seven defendants named in the second superseding indictment – the only defendants remaining in the BGC case – are scheduled to go on trial on February 6, 2018 before United States District Judge S. James Otero. Perez and Shaw each face mandatory terms of life in prison if convicted of the murder charges alleged in the indictment.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation into the BGC was conducted by agents and officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department. Considerable assistance was provided during this investigation by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Torrance Police Department, the Buena Park Police Department, the El Segundo Police Department, the San Bernardino Police Department and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mack Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section; Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner and Wilson Park of the Violent and Organized Crime Section; and Assistant United States Attorney Sheila Nagaraj of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEVEN SINGH, 39, of New Haven, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. SINGH also admitted to violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 14, 2017, the FBI executed a search warrant at SINGH’s resident on Hallock Street in New Haven and seized approximately five grams of crack cocaine, narcotics paraphernalia, and a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol containing a magazine loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition.
SINGH has three prior federal convictions. In June 2011, he was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 24 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for distributing crack cocaine and, in July 2015, he was sentenced to 38 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing ammunition and violating the conditions of his supervised release imposed when he was sentenced in 2011. He was released from prison in March 2016.
SINGH has been detained since his arrest on June 14, 2017. When he is sentenced, SINGH faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for the firearm offense, and a maximum term of imprisonment of two years for violating his supervised release. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
Nationwide Identity Theft and IRS Tax Fraud Scheme Results in Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—On Wednesday, November 15, 2017, United States District Court Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Lateef Aina Animawun, 37, a Nigerian citizen and recent resident of the Atlanta, Georgia area, to federal prison for 65 months for his role in committing conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and mail and wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay $2,304,044.92 in restitution. Animawun will be subject to deportation upon completion of his prison sentence.
According to court documents, in May 2013, a Medford victim notified the IRS that false federal and Oregon state tax returns were filed electronically using her and her husband’s names. The returns included personally identifiable information (PII) including their social security numbers and dates of birth.
An IRS investigation led to search warrants of residences in Illinois, Maryland and Georgia and numerous email and instant messenger accounts used by the defendant and other co-conspirators to further their fraudulent scheme. Agents seized prepaid debit cards with fraudulent tax refunds still on them, approximately $79,000 worth of money orders, over $14,000 in cash and electronic devices. The IRS determined that the co-conspirators obtained the stolen PII of more than 250,000 victims. This included stolen identities from the database of an Oregon company purchased from sources in Vietnam by one of the co-conspirators. Additionally, the co-conspirators gained access to the IRS “Get Transcript” system where they obtained sensitive taxpayer information on their identity theft victims and used it to file fraudulent tax returns.
Agents found thousands of stolen identities in Animawun’s email accounts many of them originating from co-defendant Emmanuel Kazeem. Animawun directly accessed victim IRS taxpayer transcripts, he used prepaid debit cards set up with the stolen identities to file numerous fraudulent tax returns and wired fraudulent tax refunds to Nigeria.
Last August, a federal jury in Medford convicted Emmanuel Kazeem of 19 counts of mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Based on evidence presented at the trial, Emmanuel Kazeem purchased over 91,000 of the stolen taxpayer identities from a Vietnamese hacker. These stolen identities originated from the Oregon Company database and most of them belonged to victims living in Oregon and Washington. His sentencing is currently set for March 22, 2018. The sentencing for Oluwamuyiwa Olawoye is scheduled for April 19, 2018 for his role in the offenses. Three other co-defendants, Oluwaseunara Osanyinbi, Oluwatobi Dehinbo and Michael Kazeem have been sentenced.
This case results from a joint investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the FBI. Investigative support was provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Department of State; and, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations. Byron Chatfield and Gavin Bruce, Assistant United States Attorneys, are prosecuting the case for the District of Oregon.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 17 ½ Years in Prison for Heroin and Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jose Velazquez, age 27, was sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy that stretched from Stroudsburg to New York to the state of Maine, and forcing or coercing women into engage in prostitution in northeastern Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Velazquez, who used the street name “Sev,” previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin (which is approximately equivalent to 4000 retail bags of heroin) and to sex trafficking an adult female between 2012 and 2014, using force and coercion.
Velazquez was originally indicted along with six other people by a federal grand jury in September 2015. In October 2016, Velazquez was charged in a superseding indictment with drug trafficking and sex trafficking crimes.
Velazquez’s conviction and sentence resulted from an investigation into the activities of a street gang known as the Black P-Stones. The superseding indictment alleged that male gang members were “beaten-in” to the gang and female members were “sexed-in” to the gang. The superseding indictment further alleged that members of the Black P-Stones obtained heroin in New York and distributed the heroin in Stroudsburg and locations in the state of Maine. According to the superseding indictment, couriers were used to transport heroin from New York to Maine.
The superseding indictment further alleged that females were “sexed-in” to the gang by being forced to engage in sex with male gang members; recruited and coerced to engage in prostitution; advertised as adult escorts on a website; provided with heroin and other drugs; and placed in various are hotels/motels to work as prostitutes. Male gang members used threats, force, drugs, and intimidation to coerce females to engage in prostitution.
Judge Mannion also ordered the defendant to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Velazquez must also comply with sex offender registration and notification requirements.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, members of the Pennsylvania State Police, Maine State Police, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and local police in Monroe County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Mobile County Man Found Guilty of Possession of a Firearm After Being Convicted of FelonyRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney, Richard W. Moore, announces that David Tyler Nelson, a 22 year old, resident of Coden, Alabama was found guilty of possession of a firearm after conviction of a felony.
The evidence produced at trial showed that on May 13, 2017, Mobile County, Alabama deputies conducted a traffic stop of a GMC Arcadia that belonged to Nelson’s father. The vehicle was stopped because of an expired tag and turning without giving a signal. Nelson was observed in the front passenger seat sleeping with a hand gun protruding from his waistband. The firearm was immediately seized from Nelson’s person and determined to be a .25 caliber Beretta pistol. Deputies awakened Nelson. They asked why he had the firearm. Nelson responded, “I bought it for a couple bills and took it across the bay.” Nelson was then asked his name and he replied, “Tyler Perry,” and gave his dated of birth as “January 1, 1995”. A records check on the scene did not produce an identity or any information based on what Nelson provided. Inside the vehicle, deputies found a work ID for Nelson that had his picture and correct name. Deputies then confronted Nelson with the photo ID and he stated that his name was “David Tyler Nelson” and gave his true date of birth. A records check of the accurate information revealed that Nelson had been convicted of Unlawful Possession or Receipt of a Controlled Substance on June 30, 2016.
Mr. Nelson will be sentenced on February 21, 2018, before the Honorable Callie V. S. Granade.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and presented it to the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The prosecutors assigned to the case was Assistant United States Attorneys, Erica Hilliard, Lawrence Bullard and Gina S. Vann.
Mississippi Skilled Nursing Facility, Related Companies, and Executives Agree to Pay $1.25 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Grossly Substandard Care to Facility ResidentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that Hyperion Foundation, a Georgia not-for-profit entity (Hyperion), Julie Mittleider, a resident of Georgia and Hyperion’s former President, AltaCare Corporation, a Georgia corporation engaged in nursing home management (AltaCare), Douglas Mittleider, AltaCare’s Chief Executive Officer, and related companies, Long Term Care Services Inc. and Sentry Healthcare Acquirors Inc., have agreed to pay the United States a total of $1.25 million to resolve allegations of false claims to Medicare and the Mississippi Medicaid program for providing grossly substandard care to residents at the Oxford Health and Rehabilitation nursing home in Lumberton, Mississippi, from late 2005 through mid-2012, when it was operated by AltaCare, under a contract with Hyperion.
“Residents of nursing homes are some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Nursing home operators who bill Medicare and Medicaid for providing their residents with grossly deficient services will be held accountable.”
The government alleged that from October 2005 to May 2012, Hyperion made claims to Medicare and Medicaid for providing effectively worthless services to residents at the Lumberton, Mississippi facility, while the facility was managed by AltaCare. For example, the United States alleged that Hyperion failed to meet the nutritional needs of residents, failed to administer medications to residents as prescribed by their physicians, overmedicated residents, hired insufficient staff to care for them, and diverted Medicare and Medicaid funds to other entities affiliated with Douglas or Julie Mittleider, leaving the facility unable to pay for its basic operations, including food, heat, air conditioning, pest control, and cleaning. These failures, the United States alleged, caused the facility’s residents to suffer pressure ulcers, falls, dehydration, and malnutrition, among other physical, mental and emotional harms. As a result, Hyperion allegedly submitted false claims for grossly substandard care, and Douglas Mittleider, AltaCare and certain related companies allegedly caused such false claims.
“When operators of nursing homes harm our most vulnerable citizens and break the law by defrauding our government for grossly substandard or worthless services, we will bring to bear all the resources of the Federal Government in order to rectify these terrible actions,” said D. Michael Hurst, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. “I commend our attorneys and investigators for resolving this travesty with one of the largest healthcare fraud settlements involving a single nursing home. We will continue the Department of Justice’s long-standing commitment to protecting the elderly.”
“It’s troubling when a nursing home company and its executives accept Medicare and Medicaid money to care for vulnerable nursing home residents and provide grossly deficient care, as alleged in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to hold nursing homes accountable to ensure residents receive quality healthcare and are provided safe living conditions.”
The settlement resolves allegations filed in a lawsuit by Academy Health Center Inc., the owner and landlord of the Lumberton, Mississippi skilled nursing facility. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government for the submission of false claims and share in any recovery. The False Claims Act authorizes the United States to intervene and take over primary responsibility for the action, as it did in this case. The amount to be recovered by the private whistleblower has not been determined.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Academy Health Center, Inc. v. Hyperion Foundation, Inc., et al., 3:10-cv-552-CWR-LRA (S.D. Miss.). It was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, and HHS-OIG. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The government’s complaint in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Mississippi Skilled Nursing Facility, Related Companies, and Executives Agree to Pay $1.25 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Grossly Substandard Care to Facility ResidentsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Hyperion Foundation, a Georgia not-for-profit entity (Hyperion), Julie Mittleider, a resident of Georgia and Hyperion’s former President, AltaCare Corporation, a Georgia corporation engaged in nursing home management (AltaCare), Douglas Mittleider, AltaCare’s Chief Executive Officer, and related companies, Long Term Care Services Inc. and Sentry Healthcare Acquirors Inc., have agreed to pay the United States a total of $1.25 million to resolve allegations of false claims to Medicare and the Mississippi Medicaid program for providing grossly substandard care to residents at the Oxford Health and Rehabilitation nursing home in Lumberton, Mississippi, from late 2005 through mid-2012, when it was operated by AltaCare, under a contract with Hyperion.
“Residents of nursing homes are some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Nursing home operators who bill Medicare and Medicaid for providing their residents with grossly deficient services will be held accountable.”
The government alleged that from October 2005 to May 2012, Hyperion made claims to Medicare and Medicaid for providing effectively worthless services to residents at the Lumberton, Mississippi facility, while the facility was managed by AltaCare. For example, the United States alleged that Hyperion failed to meet the nutritional needs of residents, failed to administer medications to residents as prescribed by their physicians, overmedicated residents, hired insufficient staff to care for them, and diverted Medicare and Medicaid funds to other entities affiliated with Douglas or Julie Mittleider, leaving the facility unable to pay for its basic operations, including food, heat, air conditioning, pest control, and cleaning. These failures, the United States alleged, caused the facility’s residents to suffer pressure ulcers, falls, dehydration, and malnutrition, among other physical, mental and emotional harms. As a result, Hyperion allegedly submitted false claims for grossly substandard care, and Douglas Mittleider, AltaCare and certain related companies allegedly caused such false claims.
“When operators of nursing homes harm our most vulnerable citizens and break the law by defrauding our government for grossly substandard or worthless services, we will bring to bear all the resources of the Federal Government in order to rectify these terrible actions,” said D. Michael Hurst, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. “I commend our attorneys and investigators for resolving this travesty with one of the largest healthcare fraud settlements involving a single nursing home. We will continue the Department of Justice’s long-standing commitment to protecting the elderly.”
“It’s troubling when a nursing home company and its executives accept Medicare and Medicaid money to care for vulnerable nursing home residents and provide grossly deficient care, as alleged in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to hold nursing homes accountable to ensure residents receive quality healthcare and are provided safe living conditions.”
The settlement resolves allegations filed in a lawsuit by Academy Health Center Inc., the owner and landlord of the Lumberton, Mississippi skilled nursing facility. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government for the submission of false claims and share in any recovery. The False Claims Act authorizes the United States to intervene and take over primary responsibility for the action, as it did in this case. The amount to be recovered by the private whistleblower has not been determined.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Academy Health Center, Inc. v. Hyperion Foundation, Inc., et al., 3:10-cv-552-CWR-LRA (S.D. Miss.). It was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, and HHS-OIG. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The government’s complaint in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Carlos Lucera-Mejia, 28, was charged today in federal court in Boston with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
According to the indictment, law enforcement in Chelsea encountered Lucera-Mejia in October 2017 and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. Lucera-Mejia was previously deported in April 2016.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, one year of supervised released, and a fine of up to $250,000. Lucera-Mejia will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael S. Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Re-entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Reynaldo Cristobal Jimenez Jimenez, age 25, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to time served (22 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
As part of his guilty plea, Jimenez Jimenez admitted that he is a citizen of Mexico, and that he illegally returned to the United States after he was removed to Mexico on September 16, 2012.
On October 25, 2017, ICE Officers arrested Jimenez Jimenez in Queensbury, New York.
Following the sentencing, Jimenez Jimenez was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Malden Man Charged with Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Trey Miller, 18, of Malden, was indicted today in federal court on charges of being a felon in possession of a weapon and ammunition.
According to the indictment, on Oct. 31, 2017, Miller, having previously been convicted of a felony, possessed a Smith & Wesson .45 caliber pistol and 10 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Local Tax Return Preparer Sent to Prison for Fraudulent Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A tax return preparer who operated a local business under various names has been ordered to federal prison for willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, announced acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Albert Bobby Daniels Jr. pleaded guilty Aug, 3, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett handed Daniels a 21-month sentence to be immediately followed by a year of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay $257,590 in restitution to the IRS.
According to the criminal information and plea agreement filed in the record of the case, Daniels was in the business of preparing income tax returns and operated that business under various names including Home Based Business Tax Services in Houston. Daniels admitted he willfully added numerous false deductions and credits to 45 client income tax returns without their knowledge in order to inflate refunds by approximately $257,590.
The sentencing hearing today revealed that his motive was to develop a reputation for getting large client refunds, which could generate more fees.
Daniels was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Austin office of IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Sledge Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Leader of Black P-Stones Gang Sentenced for Racketeering Conspiracy and Murder ChargesRead the Press Release
A Newport News, Virginia man was sentenced today in Norfolk, Virginia, to two life terms as well as 25 years in prison, to be served concurrently, after being convicted of Racketeering Conspiracy - including acts of murder; attempted murder; robbery; obstruction of justice and narcotics distribution; Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Conspiracy and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Conspiracy and Possession to Distribute Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Martin W. Culbreth of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement.
According to the evidence at trial, Michael Hopson, aka “Hop” and “Big Homie,” 39, was a member of a violent street gang called the Black P-Stones, also referred to as the P-Stone Bloods and Cobra Stones, which operated as a criminal enterprise located primarily in the Beechmont, Courthouse Green and Woodview neighborhoods in the Denbigh area of Newport News. The evidence at trial established that the Black P-Stones engaged in various criminal activities including murders, robberies, illegal drug trafficking and obstruction of justice.
According to the evidence at trial, Hopson was the founding member and leader (“OG”) of the Black P-Stones/Cobra Stones set of the Denbigh area, Newport News. The defendant was a security officer at Denbigh High School, in Newport News where he met and recruited Denbigh High School students and others into the P-Stones. According to the government’s evidence, in addition to Hopson recruiting at Denbigh High School, he also sold narcotics while acting in his capacity as a school resource officer. As the “OG,” Hopson approved, directed, planned, and participated in criminal activities, including robbery and attempted robberies, narcotics distribution, murders and attempted murders. He recruited members, associates and non-members, including minors, to conduct criminal activities for the gang. Further, Hopson collected monthly dues from all P-Stone members; carried out violations; ordered violations; ordered and presided over meetings; and possessed, distributed and discharged firearms. Additionally, he distributed marijuana, to other P-Stone members to sell for the purpose of obtaining money for the gang and collected proceeds from marijuana trafficking from all P-Stone members.
The government put forth evidence at trial that demonstrated that on Oct. 31, 2007, Hopson, acting in his leadership capacity, ordered P-Stone members to seek robbery targets for the purpose of obtaining money and property for the gang. After the order, P-Stones, armed with firearms, sought robbery targets in the Beechmont area. Further, the defendant approved the murder of A.J., member of Thug Relations, a rival of the P-Stones. While A.J. did not come out of his house, at Hopson’s direction, the P-Stones members arrived at A.J.’s home, armed with firearms, and attempted to lure him from the home.
On Nov. 6, 2007, a P-Stone member, acting on Hopson’s orders, lured E.S., a 17-year-old P-Stone member, to a location in Newport News, for the purpose of killing him. Hopson had previously given him the “green light” for the killing of E.S. due to E.S. being friends with members of Thug Relations. Once E.S. arrived at the location, E.S was shot and killed. As a result of the murder, Hopson rewarded the P-Stone member with a promotion.
On Dec. 10, 2008 Hopson authorized the murder of J.W., a Crip who had been disrespectful to members of the P-Stones. Acting on those orders, two P-Stone members went to the home of J.W. and fired multiple rounds into the home. J.W.’s father, who was sitting in the living room when the shooting occurred, was hit with debris from the bullet shrapnel and suffered injury to his eye.
On March 9, 2009, Hopson ordered the murder of two members of 10-1 Mafia Crips, a rival of the P-Stones. Hopson authorized the murder after the two were responsible for the beating of a P-Stone member. Acting on Hopson’s orders, two P-Stone members shot multiple times into the home of the two 10-1 Mafia Crips.
On April 17, 2009, Hopson ordered two P-Stones to fire multiple rounds into a home he knew to be occupied because the individuals inside the home were disrespectful to him.
Hopson ordered the murder of A.J., a Thug Relations member who was responsible for the murder of a P-Stone member. On June 12, 2009, A P-Stone member acting on Hopson’s orders shot at A.J.
The investigation of this case was led by the FBI’s Safe Streets Peninsula Task Force, with the assistance of the Newport News Police Department and the James City County Police Department. Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Organized Crime and Gang Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
Lawrence Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for KidnappingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The leader of a Lawrence-based kidnapping crew was sentenced today to life in federal prison for his role in a 2012 kidnapping.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns sentenced Danny Veloz, 41, of Lawrence, Mass., to life in prison today for his role in leading a violent, sophisticated crew that targeted drug dealers for kidnappings.
Veloz was arrested following a wide-ranging investigation that targeted kidnapping and home invasion crews operating in the City of Lawrence. The majority of these kidnappings were carried out by organized, armed, violent crews often referred to as Joloperros (loosely translated as “Stick-up Guys”). Veloz’s crew consisted of four other Lawrence men, Jose Guzman, a/k/a “Cano”; Gadiel Romero, a/k/a “TC”; Jose Matos, a/k/a “Boyca”; and Luis Reynoso, a/k/a “Prieto”; as well as Henry Maldonado, of Manchester, N.H.; and Thomas Wallace of Raymond, N.H.
On July 23, 2012, armed with firearms and wearing t-shirts with the word “police” on them, the crew kidnapped two men at gunpoint on Allston Street in Lawrence. The victims were transported to Manchester, N.H., and held overnight – during which time one was burned with a hot iron – before being rescued by law enforcement. The kidnapping was one of several kidnappings or attempted kidnappings committed by Veloz’s crew in 2012. During trial, several individuals testified that in addition to the July 23, 2012, kidnapping, Veloz and his crew also attempted kidnappings on May 8, 2012, and July 8, 2012.
A search of Veloz’s home resulted in the seizure of two laptop computers containing information about GPS tracking devices used to commit the kidnappings, as well as cell phones used by Veloz to communicate with his associates.
Since the investigation began in 2012, more than 20 people have been convicted of either kidnapping-related offenses or being associated with members of Lawrence-based kidnapping or home invasion crews. Romero, Wallace, and Matos were sentenced to 23 years, 13 years, and 12 years in prison, respectively. Maldonado, Guzman, and Reynoso are scheduled to be sentenced on November 21 and 22, 2017.
The charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Kerry A Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Lawrence Police Chief James X. Fitzpatrick; Manchester (N.H.) Police Chief Nick Willard; and Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Task Force prosecuted the case.
LaPorte County Man SentencedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced that Timothy Bennitt, age 27, of Rolling Prairie, Indiana was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Bennitt was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Bennitt committed 6 armed robberies in St. Joseph and LaPorte County restaurants and businesses. During his January 2017 crime spree, Bennitt used a handgun during these armed robberies. In addition, during 4 of the robberies, Bennitt was assisted by co-defendant Nathan Kellogg, who drove and provided the car. Bennitt and Kellogg used the money from the robberies on food, lodging and drugs. Bennitt’s accomplice, Kellogg pled guilty to 4 of the robberies and is scheduled for sentencing November 21, 2017.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department, Mishawaka Police Department, South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Police Department. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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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.
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.
Jamaican Resident Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Role in Fake Lottery ScamRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A resident of Jamaica, West Indies, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for swindling elderly residents of the United States by falsely telling them they had won millions of dollars in Jamaican lotteries, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Ricardo Reid, 32, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2011 to 2016, Reid purchased mailing lists that contained addresses and other information of elderly individuals and then solicited these individuals by tricking them into believing they had won millions in lotteries and sweepstakes. He also told the elderly individuals that in order to redeem these fictitious winnings, they had to pay registration fees and other fees and taxes. Reid told the victims that the calls were from officials of the United States, such as the IRS, and from lottery or bank officials.
Reid admitted that he used aliases like “Robert Gates,” “Mr. Bogohazian,” and “Damien Boswel,” and used call forwarding and Voice Over Internet Protocol services to make and receive calls, all while masking his phone number and location.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Reid to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $577,703.78.
Anyone with information regarding possible victims of this activity is urged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspectors in Newark at 973-693-5400.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Joseph W. Cronin, and special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lorraine S. Gerson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: K. Anthony Thomas Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – On Wednesday, November 15, 2017, Rodrigo Hernandez-Garcia, 32, an illegal alien living in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to 8 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Raymond Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Immigration Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, in New Orleans.
Hernandez-Garcia was ordered to be turned over to Immigration officials for deportation to Mexico upon completion of his sentence.
This case was investigated by Immigration Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Efrain Cordoba Carrera (30, Plant City) to two years in federal prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on August 17, 2017.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Plant City based on evidence that Fausto Beltran Sedano and Lazaro Sandobal Gonzalez were counterfeiting identity documents, such as lawful permanent resident alien cards (also known as green cards) and social security cards, to allow undocumented individuals to unlawfully obtain employment and continue their unlawful presence in the United States. During the execution of the warrant, an arsenal of weapons was found in Carrera’s bedroom, including 11 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Two of the firearms had high-capacity magazines and the serial number on one of them was obliterated. Carrera was prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition because he was unlawfully present in the United States.
"This criminal not only violated our nation's immigration laws, but also illegally possessed more than 10 weapons," said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. "Our communities are safer today because of the hard work of our HSI special agents."
In July 2017, Lazaro Sandobal Gonzalez was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment for transferring a false identification document knowing that it had been produced without lawful authority. In September 2017, Fausto Beltran Sedano was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment on the same charge.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam M. Saltzman.
INTERPOL Washington Attends 2017 IPR Center SymposiumRead the Press Release
On November 15, 2017, INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau--staff members participated in the 2017 Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Center Symposium, “Solving the E-Commerce Puzzle.” Held at the National IPR Coordination Center in Arlington, Virginia, the symposium brought together over 150 business, industry, government and law enforcement leaders to explore the challenges in combatting e-commerce crime.
Harrison County man sentenced for firearm chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew E. Boone, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months incarceration for unlawful possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Boone, age 32, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in June 2017. Boone, having previously been convicted of heroin distribution in United States District Court, and five felonies in Harrison County Circuit Court, admitted to having a 9mm pistol in his possession. The crime occurred in January 2017 in Harrison County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clarksburg Police Department investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.Hamden Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Disguised as OxycodoneRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AGUSTIN CIRINO, 29, of Hamden, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to distributing fentanyl disguised as oxycodone.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 9, 2017, the Hamden Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a Hamden residence where a 30-year-old male was found deceased. At the scene, investigators seized drug and non-drug evidence, including three suspected oxycodone tablets and the victim’s cellphone. The investigation revealed that the victim arranged to purchase oxycodone tablets from CIRINO on March 7 and March 8.
The DEA Northeast Laboratory subsequently determined that the seized tablets contained fentanyl, acetaminophen and dipyrone, not oxycodone. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner also determined that the victim died as a result of “acute fentanyl toxicity, clonazepam, duloxetine use.”
CIRINO was arrested on May 9, 2017. Today, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Chief Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for March 1, 2018.
CIRINO is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Hamden Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Spector.
Guns Purchased for Oregon Felon Found in CaliforniaRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Sylis Terrance Thomas, 25, of Salem, Oregon, and Lakisha Berry, 25, also of Salem, Oregon, were sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown for conspiring to make false statements to two Salem-area gun retailers during the purchase of 11 firearms. Both defendants previously entered guilty pleas and have been out of custody since their arrest on federal charges. Thomas received a sentence of 24 months imprisonment and Berry received a sentence of 12 months imprisonment. Both will serve three years of supervised release following the completion of their prison sentences.
This investigation began when Salem Police notified the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms of Thomas’s October 1, 2015 purchase of 9 handguns from The Pawn Shop and two handguns from the Sportsman’s Warehouse, both Federal Firearms Licensees in Salem. ATF Agents subsequently obtained video footage of Berry inside the gun shop with another individual who appeared to be selecting the guns while Berry stood nearby. At the conclusion of both sales, Berry signed federally required sales documents, in which she declared that she was the actual buyer and that the weapons were not purchased on behalf of another. Agents were able to identify the other person as Sylis Terrance Thomas, a convicted felon, prohibited by law from possessing firearms. Agents learned that two weeks after Berry bought the guns, one of the handguns was recovered in Oakland, California, during the course of an investigation into an attempted murder and robbery. Oakland Police did not get any information about the gun except that it was bought on the street for $450.
On October 23, 2015, agents served a federal search warrant at defendant Thomas’s residence. During the search warrant, Thomas told agents that he gave Berry most of the money to buy the guns and that he wanted the firearms for protection. He stated that he was “highly aware” that he was not allowed to purchase or possess firearms, so he asked defendant Berry to buy him the guns. Although Thomas stated that Berry knew he could not have firearms, she agreed to purchase them.
Using the defendant’s cell phone records and other investigative tools, Agents determined that both Berry and Thomas left the Salem area immediately following their purchases, travelling south on I-5 to the Oakland, California, area. Thomas later admitted that he and Berry sold the guns for cash to people he knew in Sacramento.
On November 27, 2015, the California Highway Patrol recovered a Sig Sauer pistol from a driver during a routine traffic stop. That gun had also purchased by Berry. To date, the whereabouts of the other 9 firearms is unknown.
This case was investigated by the Salem Police, and the ATF and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Nyhus.
Gunman sentenced to 32 years in prison for serial commercial robbery spreeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Deanthony Foster has been sentenced to 32 years in prison for participating in armed robberies of seven commercial businesses in the Atlanta area, including Wal-Mart Stores and Citgo Stores. Foster carried a gun in all of the robberies, pointed the gun at employees, and actually shot into the floor at one of the Wal-Mart robberies while demanding money. He coordinated with other individuals who acted as lookouts by cell phone.
“Foster cared nothing for people or their safety while he sought to enrich himself at the end of a gun,” said U. S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “He seriously injured one individual and terrorized many others, including employees and members of the public by displaying a firearm, and in one instance, discharging a firearm. His sentence is lengthy and reflective of the seriousness of his crime.”
“Mr. Foster was responsible for a violent crime spree where others were seriously hurt. As a result of much hard work by many law enforcement agencies working together with federal prosecutors, this sentencing in federal court to a lengthy prison sentence will not only hold him accountable but will make our community a safer place for all,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: From May 15, 2015 to October 26, 2015, Deanthony Foster and others carried out a series of armed robberies before they were identified by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Six of the robberies targeted Wal-Mart Stores. The defendants researched the locations of the stores in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb Counties, and then conducted surveillance before and during the robberies. They communicated by cell phone before and after each robbery, always with one or two of them acting as getaway drivers waiting in the parking lot. The lookouts were captured on in-store videos while talking on their cell phones and casing the stores.
In each robbery, Foster, also captured on video, entered the stores wearing a surgical mask, with a gun in his hand, and demanded money from employees who were emptying cash registers. In the last robbery of this series, Foster discharged his gun into the floor near the employees when they did not immediately meet his demands for money.
After the indictment, law enforcement agents found that the defendant had participated in another commercial robbery in Cobb County where he shot an employee in the leg when the victim struggled with him.
Deanthony Foster, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to 32 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $24,791.00, and a special assessment of $200. Foster was convicted on these charges on August 11, 2017, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Police Departments of Cobb County, DeKalb County, Gwinnett County, Hapeville, Roswell, Riverdale, Dunwoody, and the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Hoffer and Jessica C. Morris prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Two Charges of Possession of Firearms by a FelonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – On Tuesday, November 14, 2017, Cornell Lamar Abram, 38, of Gulfport, pled guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to two separate indictments charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
The first indictment was filed in the Southern District of Mississippi in 2015. The case was investigated by the Gulfport Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The second indictment was filed in the Northern District of Alabama in 2017. That case was investigated by the Birmingham, Alabama, Police Department and transferred to the Southern District of Mississippi. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams.
Abram will be sentenced on February 15, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine in each case.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegally Re-entryRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that VENACIO ORTIZ-LEON age 29, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information charging him with illegal reentry of a removed alien.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced ORTIZ-LEON to time served and a $100 special assessment. ORTIZ-LEON will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
According to court documents, on or about June 3, 2017, ORTIZ-LEON was found in the United States after having been officially deported and removed on or about January 27, 2011.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González was in charge of the prosecution.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Cecilio Castro-Zacarias, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 15, 2018.
In September 2017, law enforcement in New Bedford encountered Castro-Zacarias and determined him to be unlawfully present in the United States. Castro-Zacarias was previously deported on Aug. 12, 2005.
Castro-Zacarias faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Gilberto Ramirez-Ramirez, 27, was charged today in federal court in Boston with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
According to the indictment, law enforcement in Lynn encountered Ramirez-Ramirez in April 2017 and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. Ramirez-Ramirez was previously deported in March 2016.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised released, and a fine of up to $250,000. Ramirez-Ramirez will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael S. Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgia Man Sentenced for Cyber Crime That Cost Sedgwick County $566,000+Read the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Georgia man was sentenced Wednesday to 27 months in federal prison for his part in an e-mail spoofing scheme that cost Sedgwick County more than $566,000, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
George S. James, 49, Brookhaven, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
In his plea, James admitted that on Oct. 7, 2016, Sedgwick County sent approximately $566,088 to his bank account at a Wells Fargo bank in Georgia. James transferred part of the money he received from Sedgwick County to a bank account in Shanghai, China, and part of the money to an account at Deutsche Bank in Bremen, Germany. James also spent some of the money.
In his plea, James denied that the fraud scheme was his idea. He said that on Sept. 23, 2016, he was contacted by a person identified in court records as A.H., who asked to deposit some money into James’ account at Wells Fargo. James said he knew A.H. was engaged in fraud, but James denied knowing that Sedgwick County was the victim.
In his plea, James said it was A.H. – or someone working with A.H. – who sent an email to Sedgwick County on Sept. 23, 2016, purporting to be from Cornejo and Sons, LLC, and requesting the county send future payments to a new account number at Wells Fargo. On Oct. 7, 2016, the county sent $566,088 to James’ account at Wells Fargo. The county learned later that Cornejo did not request the change of account and did not receive the payment.
Beall commended the FBI, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Fourteen with ties to violent YNB Stretch Gang indicted for drug and firearm offensesRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Fourteen defendants have been charged in a federal indictment, unsealed yesterday, with felony offenses stemming from their role in a Dallas–based criminal street gang known as “YNB Stretch Gang” and a drug distribution group known as “2600 Money Block,” announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
“These violent, drug-dealing gangs should be on notice,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “We’re going after them wherever they are.”
Ten defendants, mostly from Dallas, were arrested earlier last week and one is in custody on state charges. Those arrested made their initial appearances in federal court and were detained. Three remain fugitives.
In connection with the takedown, law enforcement seized quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, PCP, prescription pills, marijuana and multiple firearms, including an assault rifle.
The 26-count indictment charges the following: Nykees Earl Campbell, aka “#1,” “NaNa,” “Ny-Nizzle,” 19; Avery Wayne Davis, aka “AD,” 36; Demond Lynn, aka “Slime,” 36; Kearwon Dmargo Magee, 23; Rodney Eugene Roquemore, aka “Turbo,” 31; Lawrence Williams, aka “One Eye”; Kris Landon Greene, aka “#5,” 20; Bryson Deontae Bright, 24; Ralph Earl Campbell III, 22; Garry Dewayne Newton, aka “#4,” 20; Stacy Moore, aka “Jay,” 23; Marcus Jackson, aka “Marty-Mar,” 23; Mitchell Holmes; Cedric Charles Witcher, 22.
The indictment alleges, beginning in January 2016, the defendants used an area in Dallas referred to as “2600 Money Block” to cut, package and distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and ecstasy/OxyContin pills to numerous customers. The proceeds from the sale of drugs were used to produce music videos glorifying acts of violence and promoting the lifestyle of YNB Stretch Gang members and associates.
Prosecutors are seeking to forfeit several things used as part of or as a result of the criminal conspiracy, 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.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, United States Marshal’s Service, Dallas Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert.
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Four charged in multi-state health care fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Matthew Harrell, Nikki Richardson, Tomeka Howard and Andrea Barrett have been indicted on multiple counts of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and aggravated identify theft related to fraudulent claims filed with the Georgia, Florida and Louisiana Medicaid programs.
“Through their scheme, the defendants are alleged to have fraudulently billed over $3 million to Medicaid,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Their greed knew no bounds of decency, as they left a number of victims in their wake.”
“The FBI continues to play a key and critical role in protecting federally funded health care based programs, to include Medicaid and Medicare, from those individuals who would, through fraud, attempt to divert those funds to their own accounts and away from those who desperately need the services that they provide. The federal investigation and resulting federal indictments of these four defendants illustrates not only the problems of healthcare fraud but the aggressive efforts underway by law enforcement to combat it,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“The defendants allegedly ripped off programs meant to provide critical mental health services for children and adults. This type of criminal behavior will not be tolerated,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for HHS OIG. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to uncover these fraudulent schemes and bring criminals to justice.”
“The Medicaid Program is not an endless source of money, and those who victimize the program take valuable resources away from the people that need them,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “The Georgia Attorney General's Office will continue to collaborate with our federal and state partners to investigate these kinds of egregious cases.”
“This multi-millon dollar Medicaid scheme spanned several states and involved the stolen identities of medical professionals and children—but through coordinated investigative efforts with our federal partners and Medicaid Fraud Control Units in Georgia and Tennessee this scheme was thwarted and arrests have been made,” said Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Medicaid fraud essentially steals from our taxpayers and we will not tolerate anyone manipulating the program to get rich.”
“Medicaid welfare fraud steals money from the taxpayers and jeopardizes care for the needy,” said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. “We are grateful to have law enforcement partners throughout the country who are committed to investigating, arresting, and prosecuting criminals who defraud our State and its people.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: The defendants owned or worked with companies that purportedly provided mental health counseling and treatment to children and adults. These companies included, Revive Athletics, Inc., R.A. Florida, Inc., Jode Counseling Treatment and Training Services, LLC, 118 Management and Consulting, Inc., A Brighter Day, LLC, and Lillie Cares Health Services, LLC. These companies billed over $3.7 million in Medicaid claims, and received approximately $2.5 million based on the fraud.
According to the indictment, the defendants stole the identities of mental health service providers, including a psychologist and licensed clinical social workers, in Georgia and Florida. The defendants’ companies then used the stolen identities to submit fraudulent Medicaid claims seeking payment for mental health services that were never provided. The defendants attempted to conceal the fraud scheme by directing employees and contractors to create fraudulent documentation and forge provider signatures to support the fraudulent billing.
Matthew Harrell, 42, of Atlanta, Georgia, Nikki Richardson, 42, of Fairburn, Ga., Tomeka Howard, 42, of Decatur, Georgia, and Andrea Barrett, 42, of Virginia Beach, Virginia were indicted on November 7, 2017.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The case is being investigated by the Georgia State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Medicaid Fraud Control Units for Florida and Louisiana. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Brown and Georgia Assistant Attorney General Robin Daitch are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Wells Man Convicted of Child Sex Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that William Gaudet, 51, formerly of Wells, Maine, was convicted today following a four-day jury trial in U.S. District Court of transporting a minor interstate intending to engage in criminal sexual activity and interstate travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court records and trial evidence, on two occasions during the summer of 2010, Gaudet traveled between Maine and Pennsylvania with an eight-year-old child intending to engage in sexual activity with her. On both occasions, he sexually assaulted the child. The investigation began in 2014 after the child reported the abuse. In 2012, Gaudet was convicted in New Hampshire Superior Court for sexually assaulting another minor in 2001 and 2005.
The defendant faces between 10 years and life in prison on the transportation charge and up to 30 years in prison on the travel charge. He also faces a $250,000 fine on each count. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Biddeford, Gorham, Kennebunk, Wells, Wakefield (New Hampshire) and Pocono Township (Pennsylvania) Police Departments; the New Hampshire Correctional Facility; the Carroll County (New Hampshire) Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who 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.
Former Rutherford County Tennessee Sheriff's Chief Administrative Deputy Sentenced on Federal Corruption ChargesRead the Press Release
A former Rutherford County Sheriff Chief Deputy of Administration was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for operating a private electronic cigarette company in the county jail for personal gain, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee.
Joe L. Russell II, 50, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Marvin E. Aspen of the Northern District of Illinois, sitting by designation in the Middle District of Tennessee, who also ordered Russell to pay $52,500 in restitution and to forfeit $52,234.41, an amount equal to all proceeds he received from JailCigs. Russell, along with former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert F. Arnold, 41, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Arnold’s uncle, John Vanderveer, 59, of Marietta, Georgia, were named in a 14-count indictment in May 2016 charging them with honest services fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, bribery concerning federal programs, extortion under color of official right, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
According to his plea, Russell admitted to forming JailCigs along with Arnold and Vanderveer in 2013; using Arnold’s official position as Sheriff of Rutherford County to benefit JailCigs by allowing the company’s electronic cigarettes to come into the Rutherford County jail as non-contraband and to be distributed by county employees; taking steps to disguise their involvement in the company; and misrepresenting the benefits that Rutherford County was supposedly receiving from JailCigs.
Arnold pleaded guilty in January 2017 and was sentenced in May 2017 to 50 months in prison and ordered to pay $52,500 in restitution and to forfeit $66,790. Vanderveer was sentenced in September 2017 to one year plus one day in prison for attempting to tamper with a key witness in the investigation by asking her to destroy incriminating documents related to the scheme. Vanderveer was ordered to pay $52,500 in restitution.
The FBI and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Mark J. Cipolletti of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Andrew Laing of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecil W. VanDevender of the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
Former Rutherford County Tennessee Sheriff's Administrative Chief Deputy Sentenced on Federal Corruption ChargesRead the Press Release
Joe L. Russell, II, 50, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., the former Rutherford County Sheriff Chief Administrative Deputy, was sentenced today on federal corruption charges to 15 months for his role in operating a private electronic cigarette company in the county jail for personal gain, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee and Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Russell, along with former Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold and Arnold’s uncle, John Vanderveer, were named in a 14-count indictment in May 2016 charging honest services fraud; mail fraud; wire fraud; bribery concerning federal programs; extortion under color of official right; obstruction of justice; and conspiracy. Russell pleaded guilty on January 20, 2017.
The sentence was handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Marvin E. Aspen of the Northern District of Illinois, sitting by designation in the Middle District of Tennessee, who also ordered Russell to pay $52,500 in restitution and to forfeit $52,234.41, an amount equal to all proceeds he received from JailCigs, LLC, the company at the heart of the fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Russell admitted to forming JailCigs along with Arnold and Vanderveer in 2013, using Arnold’s official position as Sheriff of Rutherford County. The profit-making scheme to derive benefits from JailCigs included allowing the company’s electronic cigarettes to come into the Rutherford County jail as non-contraband and to be distributed by county employees; taking steps to disguise their involvement in the company; and misrepresenting the benefits that Rutherford County was supposedly receiving from JailCigs.
Robert F. Arnold, the former Sheriff of Rutherford County, pleaded guilty in January 2017 and was sentenced in May 2017 to 50 months in prison and ordered to pay $52,500 in restitution and to forfeit $66,790. Arnold’s uncle, John Vanderveer, was sentenced in September 2017 to one year plus one day in prison, for attempting to tamper with a key witness in the investigation by asking her to destroy incriminating documents related to the scheme.
The FBI and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecil W. VanDevender of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Mark J. Cipolletti of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Andrew Laing of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case.
Former New York Man Sentenced to 15 Months for Interstate Transportation of a Person for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Donovan Miller, 30, formerly of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 15 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for transporting an individual in interstate commerce with the intent that she engage in prostitution. He was also ordered to pay $500 in restitution to his victim.
Court records reveal that on March 29, 2014, Miller, the female victim, and a third person traveled from Portland to New York City by bus. Upon arriving in New York City shortly after midnight, Miller took the victim and the third person to a hotel, and introduced them to another woman he had known for a long time. Advertisements for the victim’s prostitution services thereafter were posted on Backpage.com under the phone number of Miller’s long-time acquaintance.
The District of Maine is one of six districts designated through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam), through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Westbrook Police Department.
Former Ballard County Judge Executive and Ballard County Treasurer Sentenced for Their Individual Roles in Concealing Unauthorized Bank LoansRead the Press Release
PADUCAH, Ky. – United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman today announced the sentencing of the former Ballard County Judge Executive and Ballard County Treasurer, in United States District Court, by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell, for their individual roles in securing and then concealing unauthorized bank loans.
“When public officials break the law, this diminishes the public’s confidence in our government and the rule of law itself,” stated United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman. “Our office and our law enforcement partners will hold elected officials accountable, be it for defrauding banks or the very resources of the people they were elected to represent. Vigorous investigation and ultimate federal prosecution of public officials in the Western District of Kentucky, who use their positions to steal from the public, should keep corrupt officials up at night.”
Vickie Louise Viniard, the former Ballard County Judge Executive was sentenced to time served and a 2-year period of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $1,832.76 individually and $53,998.21 jointly and severely with co-defendant Belinda Foster for bank fraud, wire fraud and making false statements on a loan application. Foster, the former Ballard County Treasurer, was also sentenced to time served and a 2-year period of supervised release and ordered to pay $93,673.82 in restitution, of which $53,998.21 will be jointly and severally liable with Viniard. Foster pleaded guilty to bank fraud, wire fraud, and receiving fraudulent medical reimbursement payments. Neither Viniard nor Foster had any history of criminal activity but both now stand convicted of felony offenses involving public corruption.
According to information presented in court, Viniard, while serving as Ballard County Judge Executive, applied for and received a series of five unauthorized loans, totaling over $1 million, on behalf of Ballard County during a two-year period between June of 2012 and June of 2014.
At the time of the loans, Ballard County suffered from cash shortages and this prompted Viniard’s scheme, which was to obtain short-term loans in order to fund Ballard County operations and make payments on bond obligations without seeking approval of the loans from the Ballard County Fiscal Court or informing the Kentucky Department of Local Government, both of which she was required to do under Kentucky state law. Even though Viniard did not personally benefit from any of these loans and all loan proceeds were used for Ballard County expenditures; Viniard lied to the bank’s loan officer by claiming she had authority to obtain the loans, which she knew she did not have. Viniard also intentionally concealed these loans from the Ballard County Fiscal Court for over two years and never notified the Kentucky Department of Local Government about any of the loans.
Co-defendant Belinda Janean Foster, the former Ballard County Treasurer, also deceived the Ballard County Fiscal Court about the loans by assisting Viniard in intentionally concealing the existence of the loans and even acting as a co-signor on some of the loans. Foster, at the direction of Viniard, never reported the loans to the Fiscal Court or the Kentucky Department of Local Government and intentionally labeled $350,000 from the loans as “payroll tax” instead of accounting for the income as loan proceeds. In addition to the fraudulent loans, Foster regularly wrote herself checks for fraudulent medical reimbursement payments totaling over $27,000.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nute Bonner and was investigated by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Former Attorney and Others Sent to Prison for Money Laundering and Auto Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Three people have been ordered to federal prison following their convictions of money laundering for their participation in a Houston-based bank fraud and money laundering scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Houston resident Jason Ryan Hall, 36, pleaded guilty Aug. 15, 2016, while disbarred former attorney Howard Price Johnson, 63, from Salt Lake City, Utah, and Ohio resident Anissa Lavon Burdett, 50, pleaded guilty Sept. 29, and 23, 2016, respectively.
Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ordered Hall to serve an 18-month sentence to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. Johnson was previously sentenced to a term of 12 months and a day, while Burdett was ordered to serve six months in prison. At the hearing today, additional evidence was presented about Hall’s role in orchestrating the scheme. He was further ordered to pay restitution to the victim banks of $484,070.76 and forfeit $21,000 to the United States.
The three individuals participated in an automobile loan fraud scheme centered in Houston spanning April through November 2011. Hall held himself out as a used car dealer who sold luxury vehicles through his alleged Houston car dealerships “EZ Auto Group” and “1st Choice Motors.” Hall’s alleged dealerships, however, existed only as websites that Hall created. They had no physical existence, owned no cars and made no actual auto sales.
Acting as “straw buyers,” Johnson, Burdett and others applied to lenders for auto loans in order to purchase used Mercedes and Lexis cars from Hall’s supposed dealerships. In reality, no vehicles were purchased and Hall had none to sell. In their auto loan applications, the straw buyers made multiple misrepresentations to prospective lenders and submitted fraudulent documents Hall created and supplied in support of the loan applications. These fraudulent documents included fake bills of sale of the cars that were the subject of the loans and fake W-2 forms that purported to show gainful employment by the straw buyers that would qualify them for the loans.
Once the auto loans funded and the funds had been deposited into the bank accounts of the alleged dealerships, Hall kicked-back a portion of the loan funds to the straw buyers. Hall delivered no vehicles to the straw buyers and delivered no vehicle titles to the lenders. The straw buyers failed to pay off their loans, causing the loans to go into default. During the scheme, straw buyers applied for a total of 16 fraudulent auto loans with a combined value of approximately $695,741.
Hall was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and U.S. Secret Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson prosecuted the case.
Firearms Smugglers SentencedRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Five Laredoans have been ordered to prison following their convictions for their roles in smuggling firearms into Mexico, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Juan Diego Madrid, 27, Rolando Armando Madrid, 21, Erik Villasana, 20, Edward Alexander Duenas, 20, and Francisco Xavier Martinez, 25, participated in a scheme to purchase civilian variants of firearms currently issued to military forces from various local firearms dealers. Between March 2016 and November 2016, Juan Madrid directed several individuals, including Rolando Madrid, Duenas and Martinez, to purchase the firearms. The firearms were then transferred to Villasana, who arranged for the firearms to be smuggled into Mexico.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña sentenced Juan Diego Madrid to a term of 65 months in federal prison, while his brother - Rolando Madrid, Villasana, Duenas and Martinez received respective sentences of 51, 63, 27 and 41 months in prison.
The straw purchasers bought AR-15 and AK-47-type semiautomatic rifles, Beretta 92FS and DPMS AR-type rifles from Academy and Kirkpatrick Guns & Ammo stores in Laredo and San Antonio. Juan Madrid would then purchase the firearms from the straw purchasers and then re-sell them at a profit to Villasana who would then arrange for the firearms to be smuggled into Mexico. Juan Madrid was already a convicted felon and thereby prohibited from purchasing, owning or possessing firearms.
Juan Madrid’s brother, Ruben Arnoldo Madrid, 21, was also involved in the scheme as a straw purchaser. He will be sentenced at a later date.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Homero Ramirez and Special AUSA Lisa Ezra are prosecuting the case.
Federal Criminal Complaint Charges Two Men with Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — Bruce Trenshel Davis, aka “Wheatie,” 25, of Shreveport, Louisiana and Brandon Ray Austin, aka “Pep,” 31, of Fort Worth, Texas, appeared yesterday in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton, on a federal criminal complaint stemming from their attempt to threaten witnesses who were cooperating with law enforcement in the prosecution of a child sex trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
The complaint charges both Davis and Austin with one count of attempting to obstruct or interfere with enforcement and one count of tampering with a witness, victim, or informant. Magistrate Judge Cureton ordered both defendants to remain in custody pending further court hearings.
“Protecting victims and witnesses is one of the most important jobs of law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “We will aggressively prosecute those who attempt to threaten, intimidate, or do physical harm against those who cooperate and work with law enforcement. That commitment is never more steadfast than in cases such as this, involving violent threats against minor female victims who have been sexually exploited.”
In March of 2017, the Fort Worth Police Department’s VICE Unit conducted a recovery operation in response to a lead sent from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in reference to a suspected victim of Child Sex Trafficking. Fort Worth VICE Unit located and utilized a Backpage.com ad containing photographs of a minor female that advertised commercial sex acts. As a result of the operation, the minor female was recovered. Additionally, two other minor females, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3, were also located. The operation resulted in eight men being arrested on sex trafficking of children charges.
Demarcus Davis, Kentrell Davis, Pierre Lagrone, Herman Sanders and Reginald Smith were among the eight charged.
According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, on July 25, 2017, Bruce Davis, a relative of Demarcus Davis and Kentrell Davis, sent threatening text messages to Jane Doe 2, the 17-year-old female victim in the case mentioned above. Bruce Davis threatened physical harm to Jane Doe 2 and her family because he believed she was cooperating with law enforcement in the prosecution of Kentrell Davis and Demarcus Davis.
Another witness who cooperated with law enforcement and provided valuable evidence that detailed the size and scope of the same child sex trafficking organization received threats from Austin, according to the affidavit. Austin was friends with Lagrone, Sanders and Smith. On October 18 and 19, 2017 Austin sent text messages to the witness threatening her in relation to her cooperation in the prosecution of Lagrone, Sanders and Smith.
A complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The government has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment. The maximum penalty for the offense is not more than 20 years in federal prison.
The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Worth, Tyler and Arlington Police Departments are investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl is in charge of the prosecution.
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Evansville-area methamphetamine drug trafficking organization dismantledRead the Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
Evansville – United States Attorney Josh Minkler today announced federal criminal charges against 14 individuals for their role in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking ring.
“Drug dealing fuels much of the violence that plagues many of our communities,” said Minkler. “My goal is to make Evansville one of the most inhospitable places in the country to sell illegal drugs. Those who do sell illegal drugs will face the full force of federal prosecution.”
Those charged include:
Mark Dow, Jr. 37, Owensboro, Kentucky
Tommy Howard, 42, Evansville
Andrea Maddox, 37, Evansville
Derricus Gilbert, 34, Tell City
Noel Henry, 42, Evansville
William Brown 33, Evansville
Kelly Damien, 33 Evansville
Tashiya Sanabria, 38, Evansville
Charles Redwine, 33, Evansville
Richard Mayo, Jr. 37, Evansville
Robert Howard, 45, Evansville
Bobby Hunter, 37, Evansville
Melinda Sigers, 33, Evansville
Shampayne Brown, 22, Evansville
All individuals are in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service except Tashiya Sanabria who remains a fugitive.
From October 2016 until November 13, 2017, it is alleged that Tommy Howard and Andrea Maddox were the leaders and supervisors of a conspiracy to distribute and possess large quantities of methamphetamine in the Evansville area. T. Howard and Maddox would obtain their methamphetamine from their source of supply who was Mark Dow, Jr. - his sources were in Arizona and California.
Once the methamphetamine was transported to Evansville, it was redistributed to mid-level dealers who sold the drug throughout Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky. Members of the conspiracy distributed the methamphetamine on a “front” providing quantities of the drug on a consignment basis, meaning it was paid for after the sale. It is further alleged that the conspirators used cellphones and talked in code language using text messages to discuss matters related to the trafficking operation.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents seized 13 pounds of methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, $120,000 in United States currency, and two firearms.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the United States Marshal Service, the Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, the Tell City Police Department, the Owensboro Police Department, the Henderson Police Department and the Kentucky State Police.
“Unfortunately, with drugs, also comes violence and addiction, said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Greg Westfall.” “The message is clear, the DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to utilize all the resources available to target those criminals who are responsible for the distribution of drugs poisoning the Evansville Community.”
“The Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force will continue to work diligently with our Federal law enforcement partners to ensure our community and our citizens remain safe,” said Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin. “This investigation and the resulting arrests are examples of our ongoing commitment to address the problem of drugs in our community.”
According to Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley who is prosecuting this case for the government, all defendants face up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted.
An indictment is merely a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendant are considered innocent until proven guilty in federal court.
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Elizabethtown Man Charged with Illegal Re-entry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Raul Francisco Torres-Perez, of Elizabethtown, PA, was charged today by Indictment with illegal reentry after deportation, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment alleges that on or about October 13, 2017, Torres-Perez, an alien, and native and citizen of Mexico, was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States on or about October 1, 2011 and January 10, 2012.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ERO”), and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dominican National Indicted on Drug Trafficking, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national previously convicted and incarcerated in federal and state prisons on drug trafficking charges was named today in a 15-count federal indictment charging him with trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine; and being an alien in possession of a firearm, a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New England Field Division announced the return of an indictment charging Marcio Alexandro Martinez-Lara, 42, of Providence, with one count each of possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; 5 counts of distribution of fentanyl; one count of possession with intent to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin; one count each of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine; and one count each of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, alien in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Lara has been detained in federal custody since his arrest by members of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force on July 19, 2017. The arrest came after numerous alleged controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine from Martinez-Lara while he was under law enforcement surveillance, and the execution on July 19 of court authorized searches of his residence and business in Providence, a drug stash house he allegedly operated in Cranston, and of two vehicles allegedly in his control. During the searches law enforcement seized more than 1,182 grams of fentanyl, 1,148 grams of heroin, 106 grams of methamphetamine, 28 grams of cocaine and a loaded firearm.
As members of the DEA Drug Task Force, with the assistance of the Woonsocket, Cranston and Providence Police Departments, were preparing to execute the search warrants, agents and officers encountered and detained Martinez-Lara outside the alleged stash house in Cranston. Law enforcement officers allegedly seized nearly 103 grams of fentanyl concealed inside Martinez-Lara's clothing.
At the time of his arrest, Martinez-Lara identified himself to law enforcement as being Sandro Martinez. Law enforcement has since determined that his actual name is Marcio Alexandro Martinez-Lara.
An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to court records, in October 1997 Martinez-Lara was convicted in federal court on cocaine trafficking charges and subsequently sentenced to 121 months in federal prison; in April 1998 Martinez-Lara was convicted in Rhode Island state court on delivery of schedule I/II controlled substances and conspiracy charges and sentenced to 10 years in state prison – 18 months to serve with 102 months suspended with probation; and on June 9, 2016, Martinez-Lara was arrested by Providence Police and released on bail on a charge of delivery of heroin. He was awaiting trial at the time of his most recent arrest by the DEA Drug Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.
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Cuyahoga Falls man charged after making threats to shoot up church and casinoRead the Press Release
The Cleveland Division of the FBI, The United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District and the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department announce the arrest of a Cuyahoga Falls man charged with interstate threatening communications and destruction of evidence.
Wei Li, 28, texted his estranged wife on November 6, 2017 multiple times threatening to kill her and to shoot up a Las Vegas hotel and casino. Li also referenced conducting a mass shooting at a church with at least 1,000 people in attendance. Li indicated in the text messaging that the killing he planned to commit would go down in history and that he would blame his wife for all the deaths. Li’s wife was employed at a Las Vegas casino at the time of the text.
On November 10, 2017, during a joint interview with FBI agents and Cuyahoga Falls Police Detectives, Li was asked to unlock his phone. He complied but proceeded to delete a string of text messages. Li was immediately arrested and placed in local custody.
This morning, Li was transferred into federal custody. He will have his initial appearance in U.S. Magistrate Judge George Limbert’s courtroom today, Thursday, November 16, 2017, at 9a.m.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland man sentenced to 20 years in prison after trying to film people showering at Geneva State ParkRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after he was arrested trying to film people showering at Geneva State Park, law enforcement officials said.
James D. Sullivan, 60, was found guilty of child pornography crimes.
Law enforcement received a complaint of someone attempting to record people while they were showering at the Geneva State Park’s campground restroom on July 18, 2015, according to court documents.
The restroom has drop ceilings. An Ohio State trooper found an ajar ceiling tile and entered the space, where he found a blanket, a bottle of lotion and bodily fluid on a ceiling tile. The bodily fluid was tested and was a DNA match for Sullivan, according to court documents.
A subsequent search of his Cleveland apartment revealed Sullivan had a Dell laptop computer containing nearly 100 images of children being sexually assaulted.
Sullivan was previously convicted of attempted rape, burglary and gross sexual imposition, according to court documents.
“This defendant has preyed upon people for years, whether abusing people here in Cleveland or trading in images of children being victimized,” U.S Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “This prison sentence makes our community safer.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Sullivan and Carol M. Skutnik following an investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Secret Service.