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14 November 2017
Chinese Citizen Charged in Connection with Taking Graduate Record Exam for OthersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chinese national was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston in connection with taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and TOEFL exam for other Chinese citizens.
Yinyan Wang, 25, a Chinese national studying in Pennsylvania, was charged with one count of visa fraud and one count of passport fraud. Wang was arrested in Pennsylvania, where she made an appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Philadelphia yesterday. She is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston later this week.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday, Wang took the GRE in Boston on Oct. 20, 2017, for another Chinese citizen. At the testing site, Wang presented a counterfeit Chinese passport containing a counterfeit nonimmigrant visa purportedly issued by the United States in the identity of the other student. The affidavit further alleges that on five prior occasions between July 2017 and August 2107, Wang took either the GRE or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam under assumed names for other people.
Each charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $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 and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Child Pornography Charges Filed Against Two Rhode Island WomenRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Two women have made initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Providence on child pornography charges.
Samantha York, 29, of Warwick and Pawtucket, has been ordered detained in federal custody on a criminal complaint charging her with production and distribution of child pornography. York made an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on November 9, 2017, charged with one count each of production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
According to information presented to the Court, it is alleged that in March 2014, York produced a video depicting child pornography involving a female toddler. It is alleged that the video was distributed to at least two other individuals.
In a separate federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court, Karissa A. Cave, 21, of Coventry and Newport, is charged with one count each of receiving child pornography and possession of child pornography. Cave was released on $10,000 unsecured bond following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond on November 9, 2017.
According to information presented to the Court, it is alleged that Cave received and possessed child pornography involving a female toddler allegedly produced and distributed by Samantha York.
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.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, Michael S. Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New England, and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates announce the filing of federal criminal complaints in these matters.
These matters continue to be investigated by the the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and the Woonsocket Police Department.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General for their ongoing assistance investigating these matters.
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Chicopee Man Charged with Selling HeroinRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Chicopee man was arrested today and charged in federal court in Springfield with distributing heroin.
Steven Brown, 27, was indicted on one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin. He appeared in federal court in Springfield this afternoon.
According to the indictment, Brown possessed and distributed heroin on June 30, 2016.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri, and Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office 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.
Charlotte pain pill dealer pleads guilty to federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Charlotte drug dealer pleaded guilty today to a federal hydromorphone crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Timothy Fields, 39, entered his guilty plea to distribution of hydromorphone.
Fields admitted that on January 18, 2017, he sold hydromorphone to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place in Bluefield. Fields further admitted to all the drug trafficking activity charged in the indictment, including that he sold hydromorphone on two other occasions, that he sold crack on two occasions, and that he manufactured crack.
Fields faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on March 20, 2018.
The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John L. File is responsible for the prosecution. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the plea hearing.
This case is being prosecuted under the Bluefield Pill Initiative, part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers in communities across the Southern District.
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Captain of Drug Smuggling Vessel Sentenced to 104 MonthsRead the Press Release
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Fitzwater (619) 546-8756 and Assistant U. S. Attorney Connie Wu (619) 546-8592
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 14, 2017
SAN DIEGO – Jesus Armando Portocarrero-Angulo was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez to 104 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute over 1,370 pounds of cocaine while onboard a vessel.
On October 4, 2016, defendant Portocarrero-Angulo was acting as the captain of the go-fast vessel “Pez Sierra,” which was traveling in international waters. While on routine patrol, a maritime patrol aircraft observed the occupants of the vessel throwing bales of suspected contraband overboard into the ocean.
A helicopter launched from the United States Coast Guard Cutter Waesche approached the defendant’s vessel, which was traveling in the Eastern Pacific Ocean about 175 nautical miles northeast of the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. The helicopter signaled the defendant’s vessel to stop, but it refused to do so. The helicopter used warning shots, and then precision fire to disable the vessel. The Coast Guard recovered approximately 21 bales of cocaine previously thrown overboard from the defendant’s vessel.
Portocarrero-Angulo pleaded guilty in August. Two additional crewmembers who were onboard the go-fast vessel have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing before Judge Benitez on January 8, 2018.
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
DEFENDANT Case Number 16cr2555
Jesus Armando Portocarrero-Angulo Age: 33 Ecuador
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute on Board a Vessel – Title 46, U.S.C., Section 70503
Maximum penalty: 40 years in prison and $5,000,000 fine
AGENCY
Drug Enforcement Administration
United States Coast Guard
California Resident Sentenced to Prison for Filing Fraudulent Tax Returns Using Stolen IDs of Homeless and Unemployed IndividualsRead the Press Release
A California resident was sentenced to 54 months in prison today for conspiring to file false claims for tax refunds, submitting false claims for tax refunds, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch for the Northern District of California.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Diep Vo aka Nancy Vo, 71, conspired with codefendant Trong Nguyen aka John Nguyen, to use the IDs of homeless and unemployed individuals in the San Jose, California area to file fraudulent claims for refunds with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Vo went to homeless shelters and halfway houses and falsely represented to individuals that she could get them money from a government program designed to assist people who had not worked in previous years. Vo convinced people to write down their names and social security numbers and to sign blank income tax returns. Vo and Nguyen then falsified the signed returns by including bogus income and income tax withheld amounts, and seeking fraudulent tax refunds totaling approximately $3.4 million. Vo and Nguyen directed the refund checks to private mailboxes they controlled.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman ordered Vo to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $700,816 in restitution to the IRS. Nguyen previously pleaded guilty to submitting and conspiring to submit false claims for refund and was sentenced in September to 25 months in prison.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Stretch thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber Rosen and former Trial Attorney Gregory Bernstein of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Taheem Mungo, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced in federal court to seven years in prison for drug trafficking, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, New Hampshire State Police Troopers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Mungo was a passenger on September 1, 2016. The stop occurred on Interstate 95 around Hampton, New Hampshire. Police arrested Mungo after learning that he had an active arrest warrant out of New York. Mungo then consented to a search of his luggage, which resulted in the seizure of controlled substances, including approximately 172 grams of crack cocaine and 10 grams of heroin.
Mungo pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute on July 26, 2017. He will serve three years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.
“Drug trafficking continues to pose a significant danger to the health and welfare of our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “I commend the efforts of the State Police in this matter. Their investigative work prevented these drugs from being distributed in the Granite State.”
This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Bullitt Kelbley.
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Barkhamsted Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution Charge Stemming from Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GARRETT GOMEZ, 27, of Barkhamsted, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to one count of distribution of fentanyl. This prosecution is part of an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 20, 2016, Torrington Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Torrington and found a deceased 30-year-old male lying on his bed. At the scene, investigators collected six wax paper folds and three torn wax paper folds found on a bedside table. They also found a hypodermic needle at the feet of the victim.
Subsequent laboratory testing of the contents of the wax folds confirmed the presence of fentanyl, and the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the victim died from acute fentanyl intoxication.
The investigation, which included analysis of text messages contained on the victim’s cell phone, revealed that in the evening of May 19, 2016, the victim agreed to meet with GOMEZ to purchase “9 for 60.” In the victim’s automobile, investigators found an ATM receipt showing a $60 withdrawal.
GOMEZ was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on August 23, 2016.
The charge of distribution of fentanyl carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for February 7, 2018.
GOMEZ is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the Torrington Police Department. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Runowicz.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Appoints Members to U.S. Attorney Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced the appointment of nine new U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). The AGAC was created in 1973 and reports to the Attorney General through the Deputy Attorney General. AGAC represents the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys.
The new appointees include: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama Richard Moore; U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John W. Huber; U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Justin E. Herdman; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Robert Higdon; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma Robert Trent Shores; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Joshua Minkler; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri Jeff Jensen; and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska Bryan Schroder.
U.S. Attorney Richard Moore will serve as the Chair of AGAC, and U.S. Attorney John W. Huber will serve as the Vice Chair.
“I am pleased to announce the first members of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee under this administration. These U.S. Attorneys will play an important role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission to reduce violent crime, combat transnational criminal organizations, secure our southern border, end the devastating opioid crisis, and return to the rule of law,” said Attorney General Sessions.
A brief bio on each nominee is below:
Richard Moore (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Richard Moore’s appointment as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama in September 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Moore served as the Inspector General for the Tennessee Valley Authority. From May 2009 to March 2011, Mr. Moore was the Chairman of the Investigations Committee for the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. Prior to this position, Mr. Moore served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama from 1985 to 2003. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Moore was an Atlantic Fellow in Public Policy at Oxford University in England. Mr. Moore received his B.S., summa cum laude, from Spring Hill College and his J.D. from the Samford University Cumberland School of Law.
John W. Huber (Vice Chair)
Since June 2015, John Huber has served as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah, and in August 2017, the Senate again confirmed his appointment. Prior to being United States Attorney, Mr. Huber served as an Assistant United States Attorney for thirteen years. Mr. Huber began his prosecutorial career in the Weber County (Utah) Attorney’s Office, and later served as the Chief Prosecutor for West Valley City, Utah, before joining the United States Attorney’s Office in 2002. Mr. Huber received his B.A. from the University of Utah and his J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law.
Justin E. Herdman
The Senate confirmed Justin Herdman’s appointment as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in August 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Herdman was a partner at Jones Day and an Assistant United States Attorney in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Herdman previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City from 2001 to 2005 and as an associate at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP. He is currently a Judge Advocate General in the United States Air Force Reserve. Mr. Herdman received his B.A. from Ohio University, his Master of Philosophy from the University of Glasgow and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Robert Higdon
The Senate confirmed Robert Higdon to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina in October 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Higdon was a partner at the law firm of Williams Mullen. He previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Western and Eastern Districts of North Carolina. In the Eastern District U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Higdon served as Chief of the Criminal Division for more than 11 years. Mr. Higdon also served as senior trial counsel in the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice. He received his B.A., cum laude, from Wake Forest University and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Jeff Jensen
The Senate confirmed Jeff Jensen to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri in October 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Jensen was a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Missouri starting in 1999, and was Executive United States Attorney from 2005 to 2009. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Jensen was an FBI Special Agent from 1989 to 1999. While working at the FBI, Mr. Jensen attended St. Louis University School of Law at night, graduating magna cum laude. He also received his B.A., cum laude, from Indiana University School of Business.
Jessie K. Liu
The Senate confirmed Jessie Liu to be United States Attorney for the District of Columbia in September 2017. Ms. Liu was previously Deputy General Counsel for the United States Department of the Treasury and a partner at the law firms of Morrison & Foerster LLP and Jenner & Block LLP. In addition, she has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia and in several senior positions in the United States Department of Justice, including as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division, counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, and deputy chief of staff for the National Security Division. Ms. Liu clerked for then-Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She received her A.B., summa cum laude, from Harvard University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.
Joshua Minkler
The Senate confirmed Joshua Minkler to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana in October 2017. Since June 2015, Mr. Minkler had served as the interim United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. Prior to that position, he served for 21 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Indiana. Before he joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Minkler served for five years as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Office of the Kent County Michigan Prosecuting Attorney. Mr. Minkler received his B.A. from Wabash College, and his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Bryan Schroder
Bryan Schroder’s nomination to be United States Attorney for the District of Alaska is pending in the Senate. Mr. Schroder is currently the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Alaska, and previously served as the First Assistant United States Attorney and Criminal Chief. Mr. Schroder has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for more than 11 years. Mr. Schroder is a retired Captain in the U.S. Coast Guard, having served for 24 years. Mr. Schroder graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the University of Washington School of Law.
Robert Trent Shores
The Senate confirmed Robert Trent Shores to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma in September 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Shores was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Oklahoma. Mr. Shores previously served as First Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma and deputy director for the Department of Justice’s Office of Tribal Justice, where he developed initiatives to promote public safety in Indian Country. Mr. Shores received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Impede or Injure A Federal Officer During 2014 Armed Standoff in BunkervilleRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – An Arizona man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas to conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer during a federal impoundment operation of Cliven Bundy’s trespassing cattle in the Bunkerville, Nevada area in 2014.
Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division, and Director William Woody for the Bureau of Land Management’s Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
Micah L. McGuire, 32, of Chandler, Ariz., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Chief Judge Gloria M. Navarro. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 16, 2018. McGuire faces the statutory maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the plea agreement, McGuire knew that Cliven Bundy and his sons, Ryan, Ammon, Dave, and Mel, Ryan Payne, and others associated with them, planned to thwart, impede and interfere with the impoundment operations. He knowingly entered into a conspiracy with his co-defendants and others to impede federal law enforcement officers through a show of force and intimidation in order to prevent the officers from performing their duties in relation to the impoundment and to induce them to leave the area. McGuire furthered the conspiracy by serving on a personal security detail for Cliven Bundy; and entering the Toquop wash, a closed area where law enforcement officers were conducting their duties, with a firearm on April 12, 2014.
The case was investigated by the FBI and BLM. The case was prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadia J. Ahmed and Daniel R. Schiess, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin M. Creegan.
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Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Downloading Child Sex Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Christopher Jaye Boykin (34, Lisman, Alabama) has pleaded guilty to four charges of receiving child pornography over the Internet. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison on each count.
According to court documents, in February 2014, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations determined that a host computer in Jacksonville, where Boykin was residing, was offering child pornography on a file sharing network. Boykin later pawned that computer at a shop in Jacksonville, and it was seized by law enforcement. On November 14, 2014, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Boykin’s home and seized another computer that he had used to download at least 49 videos depicting sexual abuse of young children. During an interview, Boykin admitted that both computers contained child pornography for his own “viewing pleasure.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
* Supplemental Release * Fentanyl Overdose Case SentencedRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – This supplemental release to the previously distributed November 8, 2017, release, “Fentanyl Overdose Case Sentenced,” seeks to clarify the charges upon which each defendant has been sentenced.
Charles Jesse Beuterbaugh, 30, of Pottawattamie County, Dustin C. Sullivan, 27, of Council Bluffs, and, Cody Lanus, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, were each convicted of conspiracy to distribute at least 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance, which resulted in the reasonably foreseeable death of a 20-year-old male and serious bodily injury to another male.
Michael David Redmond, Jr., 22, of Council Bluffs, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute at least 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance.
All defendants charged in this case have entered guilty pleas. To date, United States Senior District Court Judge James E. Gritzner has sentenced Beuterbaugh to 240 months in prison; Sullivan to 162 months in prison; Lanus to 144 months in prison; and, Redmond, Jr. to 120 months in prison. Amanda N. Pandis and Walter John O’Donohue, III are scheduled to be sentenced in February of 2018.
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Learn more about this release by calling Kevin E. VanderSchel at 515-473-9300, or by emailing him at [email protected] (link sends e-mail).
13 November 2017
West Haven Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 2 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS ROBLES, 27, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a heroin trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad targeted a New Haven-based heroin trafficking organization. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical and video surveillance, revealed that members of the organization regularly purchased bulk quantities of heroin from suppliers located in the Bronx, New York, and sold the heroin through a network of redistributors, including ROBLES, on the streets of New Haven.
The investigation has resulted in federal charges against 23 individuals.
On August 21, 2017, ROBLES pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.
The DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad includes officers from the Bristol, Greenwich, Hamden, Milford, New Haven, Shelton, Vernon and Wilton Police Departments. The New Haven, East Haven and West Haven Police Departments, together with the U.S. Coast Guard, provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick F. Caruso.
Valencia County Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – William Douglas Warwick, 53, of San Clemente, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating federal drug trafficking and firearms laws. Warwick entered the guilty plea under a conditional plea agreement under which he reserved the right to appeal from the court’s denial of his motion to suppress evidence, and with the understanding that if he prevails on his appeal, he will be permitted to withdraw his guilty plea.
Warwick was arrested on Nov. 7, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm on Aug. 3, 2016, in Valencia County, N.M. According to the complaint, FBI agents located two rifles, multiple rounds of ammunition and methamphetamine in Warwick’s residence during the execution of a search warrant.
Warwick was charged in a two-count indictment filed on Dec. 7, 2016, with being an addict and a convicted felon in possession of firearms. The indictment was superseded on March 28, 2017, and charged Warwick with being an addict and convicted felon in possession of firearms on Aug. 3, 2016 and Nov. 7, 2016, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Nov. 7, 2016. According to the superseding indictment, Warwick committed the crimes in Valencia County. Warwick was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine and tampering with evidence.
During today’s proceedings, Warwick entered a guilty plea under a conditional plea agreement to Counts 1 and 3 of the superseding indictment charging him with being an addict and felon in possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine. In entering the guilty plea, Warwick admitted that on Aug. 3, 2016, he was an unlawful user of controlled substances and a convicted felon while in possession of a rifle. Warwick further admitted that on Nov. 7, 2016, law enforcement agents located approximately 45.7 grams of pure methamphetamine on his person during the execution of a search warrant.
At sentencing, Warwick faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Matthew Beck and Randy M. Castellano of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Undocumented Alien Gets 25 Years for Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 28-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Houston was ordered to federal prison for his conviction of trafficking nearly six kilograms of methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Jesus Ortiz-Flores pleaded guilty Aug. 12, 2016.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Ortiz-Flores to 300 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his prison term.
At the time of his plea, Ortiz-Flores admitted to playing a key role in attempting to deliver methamphetamine in the Houston area.
On June 13, 2014, a confidential source mistakenly received several bundles which contained approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine from two unknown male couriers working for him. The couriers had approached him and mistakenly threw a bag in his car containing six bundles of methamphetamine. The source quickly realized the bundles contained drugs and contacted federal agents who advised him to contact Ortiz-Flores. At that time, Ortiz-Flores advised him that drugs were supposed to go to another person who was then supposed to divide it up and provide to others.
Ortiz-Flores told him he could just sell the drugs. The source later told Ortiz-Flores he sold two kilograms of methamphetamine. Upon the direction of Ortiz-Flores, the source then delivered the remaining four kilograms to another man for him to sell. The drugs were hidden inside a spare tire and delivered as instructed.
Officers then conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle the man was driving and seized the methamphetamine. All six of the bundles of methamphetamine were subsequently sent for further analysis, which demonstrated a net weight of 5.924 kilograms and 100% purity.
The drugs had been imported from Mexico.
The evidence in the case also revealed Ortiz-Flores was involved in other methamphetamine trafficking transactions totaling more than 17 kilograms for which he was held accountable at the hearing today.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arthur R. Jones is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman appointed to Attorney General's Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced the appointment of nine new U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). The AGAC was created in 1973 and reports to the Attorney General through the Deputy Attorney General. AGAC represents the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys.
The new appointees include: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama Richard Moore; U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John W. Huber; U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Justin E. Herdman; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Robert Higdon; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma Robert Trent Shores; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Joshua Minkler; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri Jeff Jensen; and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska Bryan Schroder.
U.S. Attorney Richard Moore will serve as the Chair of AGAC, and U.S. Attorney John W. Huber will serve as the Vice Chair.
“I am pleased to announce the first members of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee under this administration. These U.S. Attorneys will play an important role in carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission to reduce violent crime, combat transnational criminal organizations, secure our southern border, end the devastating opioid crisis, and return to the rule of law,” said Attorney General Sessions.
“I am honored to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and believe that our office’s experience dealing with the threats posed by violent crime, the opioid epidemic, national security and other priority issues will be valuable to our Justice Department leadership,” Herdman said.
A brief bio on each nominee is below:
Richard Moore (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Richard Moore’s appointment as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama in September 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Moore served as the Inspector General for the Tennessee Valley Authority. From May 2009 to March 2011, Mr. Moore was the Chairman of the Investigations Committee for the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. Prior to this position, Mr. Moore served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama from 1985 to 2003. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Moore was an Atlantic Fellow in Public Policy at Oxford University in England. Mr. Moore received his B.S., summa cum laude, from Spring Hill College and his J.D. from the Samford University Cumberland School of Law.
John W. Huber (Vice Chair)
Since June 2015, John Huber has served as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah, and in August 2017, the Senate again confirmed his appointment. Prior to being United States Attorney, Mr. Huber served as an Assistant United States Attorney for thirteen years. Mr. Huber began his prosecutorial career in the Weber County (Utah) Attorney’s Office, and later served as the Chief Prosecutor for West Valley City, Utah, before joining the United States Attorney’s Office in 2002. Mr. Huber received his B.A. from the University of Utah and his J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law.
Justin E. Herdman
The Senate confirmed Justin Herdman’s appointment as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in August 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Herdman was a partner at Jones Day and an Assistant United States Attorney in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Herdman previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City from 2001 to 2005 and as an associate at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP. He is currently a Judge Advocate General in the United States Air Force Reserve. Mr. Herdman received his B.A. from Ohio University, his Master of Philosophy from the University of Glasgow and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Robert Higdon
The Senate confirmed Robert Higdon to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina in October 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Higdon was a partner at the law firm of Williams Mullen. He previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Western and Eastern Districts of North Carolina. In the Eastern District U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Higdon served as Chief of the Criminal Division for more than 11 years. Mr. Higdon also served as senior trial counsel in the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice. He received his B.A., cum laude, from Wake Forest University and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Jeff Jensen
The Senate confirmed Jeff Jensen to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri in October 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Jensen was a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Missouri starting in 1999, and was Executive United States Attorney from 2005 to 2009. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Jensen was an FBI Special Agent from 1989 to 1999. While working at the FBI, Mr. Jensen attended St. Louis University School of Law at night, graduating magna cum laude. He also received his B.A., cum laude, from Indiana University School of Business.
Jessie K. Liu
The Senate confirmed Jessie Liu to be United States Attorney for the District of Columbia in September 2017. Ms. Liu was previously Deputy General Counsel for the United States Department of the Treasury and a partner at the law firms of Morrison & Foerster LLP and Jenner & Block LLP. In addition, she has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia and in several senior positions in the United States Department of Justice, including as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division, counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, and deputy chief of staff for the National Security Division. Ms. Liu clerked for then-Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She received her A.B., summa cum laude, from Harvard University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.
Joshua Minkler
The Senate confirmed Joshua Minkler to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana in October 2017. Since June 2015, Mr. Minkler had served as the interim United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. Prior to that position, he served for 21 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Indiana. Before he joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Minkler served for five years as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Office of the Kent County Michigan Prosecuting Attorney. Mr. Minkler received his B.A. from Wabash College, and his J.D. from Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Bryan Schroder
Bryan Schroder’s nomination to be United States Attorney for the District of Alaska is pending in the Senate. Mr. Schroder is currently the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Alaska, and previously served as the First Assistant United States Attorney and Criminal Chief. Mr. Schroder has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for more than 11 years. Mr. Schroder is a retired Captain in the U.S. Coast Guard, having served for 24 years. Mr. Schroder graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the University of Washington School of Law.
Robert Trent Shores
The Senate confirmed Robert Trent Shores to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma in September 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Shores was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Oklahoma. Mr. Shores previously served as First Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma and deputy director for the Department of Justice’s Office of Tribal Justice, where he developed initiatives to promote public safety in Indian Country. Mr. Shores received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Two charged in federal court for attempted armed robbery of Willoughby credit unionRead the Press Release
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Willoughby Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office announce the arrest of two individuals responsible for the October 11 robbery of the Willoughby Eastlake Credit Union.
Arvis Williams, Jr., 22, and Melvin Hill, IV, 21, were placed in federal custody this morning. Williams and Hill are charged attempted bank robbery and brandishing a weapon during a crime of violence. A third suspect identified as a juvenile is not being charged federally.
On October 11, at approximately 9:55a.m., an off-duty uniformed Willoughby Police Officer was working as security at the Willoughby Eastlake Credit Union, located at 38024 Second Street in Willoughby. The off-duty police officer reported an attempted bank robbery by two male suspects wearing hoodies that entered the credit union. The suspects observed the uniformed officer, dropped their loaded Smith and Wesson MP-15 assault rifle at the credit union entrance and fled.
Additional marked and unmarked units responded to the area to assist in locating the suspects. Two suspects were apprehended, Arvis Williams, Jr. and the second suspect was identified as a juvenile.
A short time later a patrol officer observed a possible additional suspect, after questioning, this individual was identified as Melvin Hill, the getaway driver.
The suspects were taken into custody and charged locally. Today, Williams and Hill were transported to federal custody.
Additional federal charges are anticipated as these two are suspected of being responsible for several credit union robberies.
Two Women Indicted and Arrested on Charges of Embezzling from Molokai Federal Credit UnionRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Allennie Naeole, 55, a resident of Kaunakakai, Hawaii, and Janell Purdy, 40, a resident of Wailuku, Maui, were arrested on November 13, 2017, as a result of a federal indictment charging them with embezzling more than $1 million from a Molokai federal credit union over a seven year period of time.
Elliot Enoki, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that a federal grand jury returned a fifteen-count indictment against Naeole and Purdy on November 8, 2017. The indictment charged both individuals with conspiring to embezzle, and embezzling, funds belonging to the First Hawaiian Homes Credit Union ("First Hawaiian Homes") on Molokai between 2008 and 2015. According to the indictment, Naeole and Purdy were the only two permanent employees of First Hawaiian Homes, and were responsible for conducting all of its banking transactions and maintaining its books and records. The indictment alleges that the two individuals issued checks from First Hawaiian Homes’ accounts to pay personal expenses for Naeole and her family members, including credit card bills and car payments. Naeole and Purdy also withdrew more money than was on deposit in their own bank accounts and those belonging to their family members, and used the money to pay personal expenses. The withdrawals created negative balances in the accounts, which Naeole and Purdy concealed by making fictitious entries in First Hawaiian Homes’ records.
The indictment also alleges that Naeole took steps to conceal the embezzlements from First Hawaiian Homes’ board of directors and the National Credit Union Administration ("NCUA"), which insured its assets. According to the indictment, Naeole falsified records, created a letter bearing a forged signature and falsely claiming that First Hawaiian Homes had assets at another bank, and created a fictitious email account to communicate with the NCUA.
The indictment charges both individuals with one count of conspiracy and six counts of embezzlement, and Naeole with one count of making a false document and one count of aggravated identity theft. An indictment is merely an accusation, and Naeole and Purdy are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to thirty years’ of imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000, as to each of the embezzlement charges, and up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 for the conspiracy charge. Naeole separately faces up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 for the false document charge, and a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 for the aggravated identity theft charge.
Naeole was arrested on Molokai, and Purdy was arrested on Maui. Purdy was brought to federal court, where she pled not guilty to all charges and was released on bail. Trial was set for January 9, 2018 before United States District Judge Derrick K. Watson. Naeole will be arraigned on the charges on November 14, 2017.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Treasury Department, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Maui County Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca A. Perlmutter.
Three Individuals Charged with Conspiracy and ArsonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jodarin Marquis Whitfield (27, Sarasota), Herbert Adelphus Pinckney (39, Avon Park), and Rashica Shaguana Ford (39, Sarasota) with conspiracy and arson. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on March 11, 2015, Whitfield, Pinckney, and Ford set fire to a residential dwelling in Bradenton. At the time of the arson, three adults and five children occupied the home.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the State Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, the Bradenton Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
Sonoyta Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison for Fourth Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Bernardo Romo-Ramos, 35, of Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico, and a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 200 months of imprisonment. Bernardo Romo-Ramos had previously pleaded guilty to importation of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. This was Romo-Ramos’s fourth drug trafficking conviction.
On Aug. 23, 2016, Romo-Ramos entered the United States from Mexico through the Papago Gate on the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation. He was driving a 2001 Chevrolet truck that was later found to be loaded with 22 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1.2 kilograms of heroin. The forty-seven packages of narcotics were located in after-market compartments under the floorboards of the truck.
The investigation was conducted by the Homeland Securities Investigations’ Native American Targeted Investigation of Violent Enterprises Task Force. The prosecution was handled by Sarah B. Houston and Susanna Martinez, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-432-TUC-RCC-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2017-111_ Romo_Ramos
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on November 13, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Anthony Edward Farmer, age 33, was sentenced to 18 months in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Farmer was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 11, 2017. He pled guilty on September 18, 2017.
The conviction stems from Farmer failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between May 22, 2017, and June 16, 2017. Farmer had previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court, which requires him to register for the rest of his life.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Farmer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rochester Brother and Sister Plead Guilty to Harboring Undocumented Restaurant WorkersRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that J. Guadalupe Hernandez, 33, and his sister, Felisita Hernandez, 32, both of Farmington, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, harboring an illegal alien, and pattern and practice before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that between February 2014 and December 2015, the defendants conspired to conceal aliens working at El Jimador Mexican Restaurant in Farmington, NY, and Molcajetes Mexican Grill, in Greece, NY, in violation of the immigration laws of the United States. El Jimador was owned by defendant Guadalupe Hernandez while Molcajetes was owned by Felisita Hernandez.
In furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants provided apartment housing in Farmington and Geneva for some of the undocumented workers. In addition to providing housing, Guadalupe and Felisita Hernandez paid the aliens in cash in order further to conceal their employment.
The pleas are the culmination of an investigation on the part of Immigration and Custom Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sentencing is set for January 19, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Larimer.
Production Company Registers Under the Foreign Agent Registration Act as Agent for the Russian Government Entity Responsible for Broadcasting RTRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente announced today that T&R Productions, LLC (T&R), a Washington, D.C., corporation, registered today with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as an agent for ANO TV-Novosti, the Russian government entity responsible for the worldwide broadcasts of the RT Network (RT). The National Security Division’s FARA Registration Unit is reviewing T&R’s filings for sufficiency.
“Americans have a right to know who is acting in the United States to influence the U.S. government or public on behalf of foreign principals,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente. “The Department of Justice is committed to enforcing FARA and expects compliance with the law by all entities engaged in specified activities on behalf of any foreign principal, regardless of its nationality.”
FARA does not inhibit freedom of expression, does not restrict the content of information disseminated, does not restrict an agent’s lobbying or publication of information or advocacy and applies neutrally to all foreign countries. It requires public disclosure of certain activities and relationships through registration by “agents of foreign principals” with the Justice Department. FARA does not limit publishing of materials or viewpoints; it requires only registration, labeling of informational materials and broadcasts, and recordkeeping.
Congress passed FARA in 1938, intending to ensure that the American public and our lawmakers know the source of information that is provided at the behest of a foreign principal, where that information may be intended to influence U.S. public opinion, policy and laws. The law does not restrict registrants from operating, however. Other U.S. agents of foreign media entities are currently registered under FARA and continue to operate freely in the United States.
Since August 2014, T&R has operated studios for RT, hired and paid all U.S.-based RT employees, and produced English-language programming for RT, which is both shown on cable networks across the United States and available on RT’s website. T&R’s filings are available to the public at www.fara.gov.
Prison Guard Convicted for Bribery and Smuggling ContrabandRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 28-year-old man from Houston has entered a guilty plea to bribery of a federal employee, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez along with Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI.
Jacoby Derrell Randall first came to the attention of law enforcement in early 2017. At that time, authorities had received numerous reports that prison guards were smuggling contraband into the Joe Corley Detention Facility which houses federal inmates. The investigation revealed that Randall was smuggling various contraband into the prison, including food, various electronic devices and marijuana.
During the plea today, Randall admitted he smuggled various contraband in exchange for bribes in violation of his official duties.
“The FBI is dedicated to investigating allegations of public corruption at any level,” said Turner. “Public corruption erodes the public’s confidence in our democracy and will not be tolerated.”
Sentencing has been set for Feb. 12, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes. At that time, Randall faces up to 15 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Julie N. Searle is prosecuting the case.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 27 Months for New Fraud Scheme, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN VOLOSHIN, 61, formerly of New Haven and Woodbridge, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating a fraud scheme and for violating a condition of his federal supervised release from a prior conviction.
On May 17, 2012, Judge Chatigny sentenced VOLOSHIN to 33 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for operating multiple fraud schemes that caused losses of more than $1.5 million to individuals and lenders. As part of the schemes, VOLOSHIN forged signatures and used fabricated bank account statements, tax returns, mortgage releases and loan applications. VOLOSHIN was released from prison on May 16, 2014, and began serving a three-year term of supervised release.
Shortly after his release from prison, in an attempt to gain permission from the U.S. Probation Office to travel to London, VOLOSHIN repeatedly lied to and misled his supervising probation officer by concocting a bogus job for a real estate concern in London. On November 7, 2014, Judge Chatigny sentenced VOLOSHIN to an additional nine months of imprisonment and 27 months of supervised release for violating the terms and conditions of his federal supervised release.
VOLOSHIN was released from prison on June 8, 2015, and began serving his 27-month term of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in the fall of 2015, VOLOSHIN engaged in another fraud scheme by soliciting money from individuals and representing that the money would be fully invested to generate very high returns. Although VOLOSHIN did invest some of the victims’ money, he used substantial portions of the victims’ money for personal expenses, including a $20,000 payment toward a luxury apartment in Manhattan, and for plastic surgery, fine dining, retail shopping and alcohol.
Judge Chatigny ordered VOLOSHIN to pay $275,000 in restitution. VOLOSHIN also has a substantial restitution obligation from his prior conviction.
VOLOSHIN has been detained since his arrest on May 26, 2016. On January 4, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, and admitted to a violation of the terms and conditions of his federal supervised release.
Judge Chatigny sentenced VOLOSHIN to 21 months of imprisonment on the wire fraud conviction, and a consecutive six months of imprisonment on the supervised release violation.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc H. Silverman and David T. Huang.
Phenix City Resident Convicted in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Schemes that Sought $26 MillionRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama –A Phenix City, Alabama resident was convicted Thursday by a federal jury for his part in two stolen identity refund fraud schemes, announced U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. for the Middle District of Alabama and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
William Anthony Gosha III, a/k/a Boo Boo, was convicted of one count of conspiracy, 22 counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and 25 counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the evidence presented at trial, between November 2010 and December 2013, Gosha ran a large-scale identity theft ring with his co-conspirators, Tracy Mitchell, Keshia Lanier, and Tamika Floyd, who were all previously convicted and sentenced to prison. Together they filed over 8,800 tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that sought more than $22 million in fraudulent refunds of which the IRS paid out approximately $9 million.
In November 2010, Gosha stole IDs of inmates from the Alabama Department of Corrections and provided the IDs to Lanier who used the information to seek fraudulent tax refunds. Gosha and Lanier agreed to split the proceeds. Gosha also stole employee records from a company previously located in Columbus, Georgia. In 2012, Lanier needed an additional source of stolen IDs and approached Floyd, who worked at two Alabama state agencies in Opelika, Alabama: the Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Resources. In both positions, Floyd had access to the personal identifying information of individuals, including teenagers. Lanier requested that Floyd primarily provide her with identities that belonged to sixteen and seventeen year-olds. Floyd agreed and provided thousands of names to Lanier and others at Lanier’s direction.
After receiving the additional stolen IDs, Gosha recruited Mitchell and her family to help file the fraudulent returns. Mitchell worked at a hospital located at Fort Benning, Georgia, where she had access to the personal identification information of military personnel, including soldiers who were deployed to Afghanistan. She stole soldiers’ IDs and used their information to file fraudulent returns.
In order to electronically file the fraudulent returns, Gosha, Lanier, and their co-conspirators applied for several Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFIN) with the IRS in the names of sham tax preparation businesses. Gosha, Lanier, and their co-conspirators then used these EFINs to file the returns and obtain tax refund related bank products from various financial institutions, which provided them with blank check stock. Gosha and his co-conspirators initially printed out the fraudulently obtained refund checks using the blank check stock.
However, the financial institutions halted Gosha’s and his co-conspirators’ ability to print checks, and as a result they recruited U.S. Postal employees who provided Gosha and others with addresses on their routes to which the fraudulent refund checks could be mailed. In exchange for cash, these postal employees collected the refund checks and provided them to Gosha, Lanier, Mitchell and others. Gosha also directed tax refunds to prepaid debit cards and had them sent to addresses he controlled. Gosha used the prepaid cards to withdraw the refunds.
In addition, between January 2010 and December 2013, Gosha participated in a separate stolen identity refund fraud scheme with Pamela Smith and others, in which Gosha sold the IDs that he had stolen from the Alabama Department of Corrections to Smith and others. Smith and others used the IDs to file returns that sought approximately $4.8 million in fraudulent refunds of which the IRS paid out approximately $1.85 million. Smith was previously convicted and sentenced to prison.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Watkins did not set a date for sentencing. Gosha faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to file false claims, a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire and mail fraud and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and monetary penalties. He was remanded into custody.
U.S. Attorney Franklin and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler and Gregory P. Bailey of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross of the Middle District of Alabama, who are prosecuting the case.
Pharmaceutical Employee Admits Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting State Health Benefits ProgramsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Galloway, New Jersey, man today admitted defrauding New Jersey state health benefits programs and other insurers out of nearly $500,000 by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick and New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced.
Andrew Gerstel, 39, a pharmaceutical sales representative, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2015 through April 2016, Gerstel recruited individuals in New Jersey to obtain very expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications from an out-of-state pharmacy, identified in the information as the “Compounding Pharmacy.” The conspirators learned that certain compound medication prescriptions – including pain, scar, antifungal, and libido creams, as well as vitamin combinations – were reimbursed for thousands of dollars for a one-month supply.
The conspirators also learned that some New Jersey state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, municipal police officers, and state troopers, had insurance coverage for these particular compound medications. An entity referred to in the information as the “Pharmacy Benefits Administrator” provided pharmacy benefit management services for the State Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified state and local government employees, retirees, and eligible dependents, and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified local education employees, retirees, and eligible dependents. The Pharmacy Benefits Administrator would pay prescription drug claims and then bill the State of New Jersey for the amounts paid.
Gerstel recruited public employees and other individuals covered by the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator to fraudulently obtain compounded medications that were reimbursed for the highest amounts, without regard to their medical necessity. The prescriptions were then faxed to Compounding Pharmacy, which filled the prescriptions and billed the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator.
The pharmacy paid one of Gerstel’s conspirators a percentage of each prescription filled and paid by the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator, which was then distributed to Gerstel and other members of the conspiracy. Gerstel paid recruiters under him and individuals with insurance coverage to reward them for obtaining the prescriptions.
According to the information, the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator paid Compounding Pharmacy over $50 million for compounded medications mailed to individuals in New Jersey.
As part of his plea agreement, Gerstel must forfeit $184,389.05 in criminal proceeds he received for his role in the scheme and pay restitution of at least $483,946.72.
Gerstel faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2018.
Ten other conspirators – Matthew Tedesco, Robert Bessey, Michael Pepper, Thomas Hodnett, Steven Urbanski, John Gaffney, Judd Holt, George Gavras, Richard Zappala, and Michael Neopolitan – have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and await sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen in Newark, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka in New York, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the Division of Pensions and Financial Transactions in the State Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Attorney General Porrino and Division Chief Eileen Schlindwein Den Bleyker, for its assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. David Walk, Jr. and Jacqueline M. Carle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Defense counsel: Ralph A. Paolone Esq., GallowayParkersburg woman sentenced to federal prison for drug crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg woman who was caught with heroin and methamphetamine in January 2017 was sentenced today to a year and a half in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Megan Kerns, 29, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.
On January 12, 2017, agents with the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force arrested Kerns in Parkersburg. In a search incident to arrest, agents discovered in her possession approximately 30 grams of heroin, 50 grams of methamphetamine, and a Taurus .380 caliber pistol. She also had in her possession a box of sandwich bags, a set of digital scales, and two cell phones. Kerns further admitted to all the drug trafficking activity charged in the indictment, including that she distributed heroin and methamphetamine in Parkersburg during the months of March 2016 and January 2017.
The Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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North Carolina Resident Pleads Guilty to Preparing Fraudulent Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Winston-Salem, North Carolina resident, who is also licensed as an attorney in Georgia, pleaded guilty today to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return, 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, between 2006 and 2016, Shannon DeWayne Patterson was an attorney licensed to practice in Georgia. Between January and May 2015, Patterson co-owned and operated tax preparation businesses named “Fast Tax” in the cities of Salisbury and Kannapolis, North Carolina. Patterson employed several individuals to prepare clients’ tax returns. Patterson instructed his employees to fabricate information on their clients’ tax returns to maximize their refunds. Patterson admitted to aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns that sought more than $60,000 in fraudulent tax refunds.
Patterson also admitted filing false personal tax returns for 2014 and 2015, on which he underreported his income.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 12, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. Patterson faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Hairston thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Criminal Division Chief Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
North Carolina Resident Pleads Guilty to Preparing Fraudulent Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Winston-Salem, North Carolina resident, who is also licensed as an attorney in Georgia, pleaded guilty today to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return, 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, between 2006 and 2016, Shannon DeWayne Patterson was an attorney licensed to practice in Georgia. Between January and May 2015, Patterson co-owned and operated tax preparation businesses named “Fast Tax” in the cities of Salisbury and Kannapolis, North Carolina. Patterson employed several individuals to prepare clients’ tax returns. Patterson instructed his employees to fabricate information on their clients’ tax returns to maximize their refunds. Patterson admitted to aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns that sought more than $60,000 in fraudulent tax refunds.
Patterson also admitted filing false personal tax returns for 2014 and 2015, on which he underreported his income.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 12, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. Patterson faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Hairston thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Criminal Division Chief Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
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Non-Indian Man from Albuquerque Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federally Commissioned Tribal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Vincent P. Luciani, 26, a non-Indian man from Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to assaulting a federal officer. Luciani’s plea agreement recommends a six-month term of imprisonment followed by a period of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Luciani was arrested on July 3, 2017, and was charged by criminal complaint with assaulting an officer of the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department, who is commissioned as a Special Law Enforcement Officer by the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. According to the complaint, Luciani assaulted the officer by threatening the officer following a routine traffic stop. Luciani committed the offense on June 30, 2017, on Laguna Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M.
Luciani was subsequently indicted on July 27, 2017, and charged with assault on a federal officer with a deadly and dangerous weapon on June 30, 2017, in Cibola County.
During today’s proceedings, Luciani pled guilty to a misdemeanor information charging him with assault on a federal officer. In entering the guilty plea, Luciani admitted that on June 30, 2017, he was stopped by a Laguna Police officer who was commissioned as a Special Law Enforcement Officer by the BIA because he was driving his vehicle recklessly and at a high rate of speed. Luciani further admitted that when the officer pulled him to the side of the road, Luciani exited his vehicle with a black object in his hand, threatened to injure the officer if the officer approached him and continued to threaten and yell at the officer until his arrest. Luciani acknowledged that officers located a firearm in plain view in his vehicle during a search incident to Luciani’s arrest. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez.
Newport News Man Convicted of a False Distress Call and ThreatsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Newport News man today for making a false distress call to the U.S. Coast Guard.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Justin P. Stahmer, 39, made a false distress call on June 20, 2016, while several miles northeast of Cape Henry. Stahmer used the International Distress Frequency, VHF Channel 16, to call “man overboard,” despite being alone on his boat and knowing no one had fallen in the water. For over 45 minutes the Coast Guard sought more information from Stahmer over the radio and launched a full search for a person in the water, including deploying a 45-foot patrol boat, an 87-foot cutter, and a search and rescue helicopter. Once he was found, Stahmer initially denied making any distress call to the Coast Guard and then indicated he called the Coast Guard because he ran out of gas. As the Coast Guard Boarding Officers inspected Stahmer’s vessel, he became belligerent and angry. Ultimately, the Virginia Marine Resource Commission Police arrived and arrested Stahmer for boating under the influence of alcohol. While being transported back to shore, Stahmer began to kick and threaten one of the Coast Guard Boarding Officers, stating that Stahmer would “take him out” if he ever saw the Boarding Officer again.
Stahmer faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 20, 2018. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Marty J. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Chesapeake Region, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Gavin are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-123.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 12 Months and 1 Day in Federal Prison in Kickback Scheme to Obtain Contracts to Transport Russian Nuclear Fuel to the U.S.Read the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – United States District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Boris Rubizhevsky, age 67, of Closter, New Jersey to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in connection with his role in arranging corrupt payments to influence the awarding of contracts with the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation. Judge Chuang also ordered Rubizhevsky to forfeit $26,500.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Acting Inspector General April Stephenson of the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Energy; and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. Vale of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office.
According to court documents, Rubizhevsky acted as an intermediary in connection with corrupt payments to co-conspirator Vadim Mikerin, the former director of the Pan American Department of JSC Techsnabexport (TENEX), a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation and the sole supplier and exporter of Russian Federation uranium and uranium enrichment services to nuclear power companies worldwide.
According to his plea agreement, between October 2011 and February 2013, Rubizhevsky and Mikerin agreed to conceal corrupt payments being made from the United States to overseas bank accounts for the benefit of Mikerin, including payment to a foreign bank account located in Latvia. Rubizhevsky admitted that the conspirators used sham consulting agreements to disguise the corrupt payments.
Mikerin previously admitted that he conspired with Rubizhevsky and others to transmit more than $2 million from Maryland, and elsewhere in the United States, to offshore shell company bank accounts located in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland with the intent to promote violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Mikerin pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in August 2015, and was sentenced in December 2015 to 48 months in prison for his role in the money laundering scheme.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning praised the DOE-OIG and FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorneys David I. Salem and Michael T. Packard, Assistant Chiefs Chris Cestaro and Ephraim Wernick and Trial Attorney Derek Ettinger of the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section, who prosecuted the case.
Montana U.S. Attorney's Office Hosting Meeting and Training on Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, through its Joint Montana Human Trafficking Task Force, is hosting a meeting and training on the status of human trafficking for the regional human trafficking task forces from across the state. The training is in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center based in Washington, DC, the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking based in Colorado, and the Yellowstone County Area Human Trafficking Task Force. The training will take place at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Billings and at the Billings Public Library on November 14, 2017. The training is open to registered law enforcement personnel and others affiliated with the state and regional task forces. An evening session at Rocky Mountain College is open to the public and to the press.
The morning meeting and training is designed to discuss the current status of Montana’s state and regional task forces, as well as current trends, data, and research in human trafficking. Regional task forces in Montana include Missoula, Great Falls and Yellowstone County, with new task forces being established in Bozeman and Kalispell. A primary goal of the training is to discuss how each task force is operating through an assessment of their current operations, identification of potential gaps or areas for improvement, and establishing goals for each task force in the fight against human trafficking in Montana.
The afternoon session is dedicated to the Colorado Project, a product of the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking in Colorado. The Colorado Project was a research-based initiative in Colorado about human trafficking that then created a “replicable model for communities and states to utilize” and “establish a baseline of promising practices to understand what is working to combat human trafficking in the areas of prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships” (commonly referred to as the “4 Ps”).
This meeting and training builds off of several human trafficking trainings held in Montana over the last two years. This includes trainings in March 2016 held in Missoula and in May 2017 in Billings designed for law enforcement and other personnel in recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting human trafficking in Montana.
A community event is being held in the evening at Rocky Mountain College. The evening session, led by the Yellowstone County Area Human Trafficking Task Force, the FBI, and Deliver Fund is titled “Technology and Human Trafficking: Parents and Teachers Protecting Children in the Digital Age.” The event is from 6:00-8:00 PM at Rocky Mountain College’s Fortin Center. All members of the community are invited.
The morning and afternoon training is closed the public and the press. The evening session is open to the public and the press.
Manchester Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – James Diaz, 36, previously of Manchester, NH, was sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison for firearms and narcotics offenses, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Diaz’s residence in Manchester on February 16, 2017, leading to the recovery of a previously stolen CZ 75, 9mm handgun. Diaz is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm as a result of a prior felony conviction. Controlled substances, including approximately 18 grams of fentanyl and 100 grams of cocaine, approximately $3,000 in U.S. currency, and unrelated ammunition were also seized from Diaz’s residence. As part of his plea agreement, Diaz additionally admitted to the possession of five other firearms and assorted ammunition which were not in his apartment during the search warrant, but were later turned over to law enforcement.
Diaz, who previously pleaded guilty on July 26, 2017, will serve three years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Manchester Police Department. The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.
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Manchester Man Convicted of Participating in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that on Thursday a federal jury found Alfredo Gonzalez, 50, of Manchester, New Hampshire, guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin.
Evidence presented at the trial established that Gonzalez was a Manchester-based heroin trafficker who purchased heroin from a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization run by Alberto Guerrero Marte. The trial evidence proved that Gonzalez negotiated deals to obtain at least 1.4 kilograms of heroin in June and July 2016. On July 10, 2016, surveillance agents followed Gonzalez from Manchester to a restaurant in Lawrence, where Gonzalez met Marte and others to conduct a deal for 500 grams of heroin. A law enforcement officer later stopped a vehicle operated by a runner for Gonzalez and seized 504.4 grams of heroin.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2018.
The trial of Gonzalez concludes the prosecutions of all but one of those arrested in October 2016 following an investigation into a large heroin trafficking operation. Alberto Guerrero Marte, 38, pleaded guilty to a heroin trafficking conspiracy charge and was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison. Michell DeJesus, 34, Luis Rodriguez Lugo, 34, Maria Miguelina Lara, 33, Jonaly Dejesus, 22, Allan Raymond Pimentel, 21, Santo Rodolfo Garcia Mendez, 33, Wilkin Andres Beltre Arias, 39, Edward Garcia, 31, and Luis Colon, 30, all have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Allison DeJesus, age 19, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of probation.
One remaining defendant, Pedro Carlos Vicente Guerrero, 48 is scheduled for trial in February of 2018. Two other defendants, Santos Guerrero Morillo, 37, and Heibrahim DelValle Baez, 33, are fugitives.
“The conviction of this significant heroin trafficker is an example of the ongoing efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to stop the distribution of heroin and other drugs in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Farley. “While those who are battling addiction need access to treatment, people like this defendant who seek to profit from selling heroin will be prosecuted aggressively. I salute the hard work of the DEA and our law enforcement partners. Their quick action in seizing this large quantity of heroin prevented the defendant from selling this deadly substance to the citizens of New Hampshire.”
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels across New England and those suffering from Opioid addiction need access to treatment and recovery,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “But those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin and fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions. DEA is committed to aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute these poisons in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice anyone who distributes these drugs.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; the Massachusetts State Police; the Haverhill Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Manchester Police Department; the Lawrence Police Department; the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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Man Sentenced for Armed Robberies of Tidewater BusinessesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced to 34 years in prison today for his role in five armed robberies of Tidewater businesses.
According to court documents, Jerrod Pemberton, 21, along with co-conspirator Olandjuwan Beale, 21, and a third co-defendant, planned and executed five commercial robberies in Newport News and Hampton. Over a 10-hour period on March 6, the men used firearms while robbing a Newport News 7-Eleven, 1st Stop Mart, Luckie’s Convenience Store and Mary’s Deli and Convenience Store, as well as a 1st Stop Mart in Hampton. In each robbery, Beale approached the clerks and ordered them to provide cash. By the last robbery in Hampton, Beale also robbed customers in the store. Pemberton provided security for the robberies by brandishing a firearm at victims and putting customers on the ground. Beale and Caron Walker, 21, were arrested after a concerned citizen photographed the license plate of the vehicle the men used to flee the final robbery and forwarded the information to the Hampton Police Division. Pemberton was arrested later in Newport News.
Beale was sentenced to 33 years on October 21, and the final co-defendant, Caron Walker, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 11.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, and Michael C. Grimstead, Acting Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:17-cr-50.
Last US Defendant Pleads Guilty in Multimillion Dollar India-Based Call Center Scam Targeting US VictimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – An Illinois man pleaded guilty today to money laundering conspiracy, joining six others who recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for their roles in liquidating and laundering victim payments generated through a massive telephone impersonation fraud and money laundering scheme perpetrated by a network of India-based call centers responsible for defrauding U.S. residents of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez made the announcement along with Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Deputy Director Peter T. Edge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Inspector General J. Russell George of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and Inspector General John Roth of Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG).
Miteshkumar Patel, 42, most recently residing in Willowbrook, Illinois; Rajesh Bhatt, 53, Sunny Joshi, 47, both of Sugar Land, Texas; and Jagdishkumar Chaudhari, 39, of Montgomery, Alabama, each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy. Raman Patel, 82, of Gilbert, Arizona; Praful Patel, 50, of Fort Myers, Florida; and Jerry Norris, 47, of Oakland, California, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering offenses. With the exception of Raman Patel, who pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michelle Burns in the District of Arizona on Nov. 6, the defendants pleaded guilty on varying dates between Sept. 22 and Nov. 13, before U.S. District Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas.
According to admissions made in connection with their pleas, Miteshkumar Patel, Raman Patel, Joshi, Chaudhari, Bhatt, Praful Patel, Norris and their co-conspirators perpetrated a complex scheme in which individuals from call centers located in Ahmedabad, India, impersonated officials from the IRS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and engaged in other telephone call scams, in a ruse designed to defraud victims located throughout the United States. Using information obtained from data brokers and other sources, call center operators targeted U.S. victims who were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, fines or deportation if they did not pay alleged monies owed to the government. Victims who agreed to pay the scammers were instructed how to provide payment, including by purchasing general purpose reloadable (GPR) cards or wiring money. Upon payment, the call centers would immediately turn to a network of “runners” based in the United States to liquidate and launder the fraudulently obtained funds.
Based on admissions in Miteshkumar Patel’s plea, beginning in or around 2013, he managed a crew of a half dozen domestic runners involved in the criminal scheme, liquidating as much as approximately $25 million in victim funds for conspirators from India-based call center and organizational co-defendant HGLOBAL. Miteshkumar Patel communicated about the fraudulent scheme with various domestic and India-based co-defendants via email, text messaging and WhatsApp messaging. He and his runners purchased reloadable GPR cards that were registered using the misappropriated personal identifying information (PII) of unsuspecting victims that were later used to receive victims’ funds. They then used those reloadable cards containing victims’ funds to purchase money orders and then deposit those money orders into bank accounts, as directed, while keeping a portion of the scam proceeds as profit. Miteshkumar Patel also trained the runners he managed on how to conduct the liquidation scheme, provided them with vehicles to conduct their activities in Illinois and throughout the country and directed a co-defendant to open bank accounts and limited liability companies for use in the conspiracy. Miteshkumar Patel further admitted to using a gas station he owned in Racine, Wisconsin, to liquidate victim funds and possessing and using equipment at his Illinois apartment to make fraudulent identification documents used by co-defendant runners in his crew to receive wire transfers directly from scam victims and make bank deposits in furtherance of the conspiracy.
According to admissions in Raman Patel’s guilty plea, from in or around 2014, he served as a domestic runner in and around south-central Arizona, liquidating victim scam funds per the instructions of a co-defendant. Raman Patel also served as a driver for two co-defendants in furtherance of their GPR liquidation and related activities and sent bank deposit receipts related to the processing of victim payments and fraud proceeds to an India-based co-defendant via email and document scan services offered at various retail stores.
Based on admissions in Joshi and Bhatt’s guilty pleas, beginning in or around 2012, Joshi and Bhatt worked together as runners in the Houston area along with a co-defendant. They admitted to extensively communicating via email and text with, and operating at the direction of, India-based conspirators from organization co-defendant CALL MANTRA call center to liquidate up to approximately $9.5 million in victim funds. They used GPR cards which were funded by co-conspirators with scam victim funds to purchase money orders which were then deposited into third party bank accounts, while keeping a percentage of the scam proceeds for themselves as profit. Joshi has also agreed to plead guilty to one count of naturalization fraud pursuant to a federal indictment obtained against him in the Eastern District of Louisiana, based on fraudulently obtaining his U.S. citizenship.
Chaudhari admitted in his plea that between April 2014 and June 2015, he worked as a member of a crew of runners operating in the Chicago area and elsewhere throughout the country at the direction of Miteshkumar Patel and others. In exchange for monthly cash payments, Chaudhari admitted to driving to hundreds of retail stores to purchase GPR cards to be loaded with victim funds by co-conspirators in India, purchasing money orders with GPR cards that had been funded with victim proceeds, depositing money orders purchased using victim scam proceeds at various banks and retrieving wire transfers sent by victims of the scheme. Chaudhari is an Indian national with no legal status in the United States and has agreed to deportation after he serves his sentence as a condition of his guilty plea.
In his plea, Praful Patel admitted that between in or around June 2013 and December 2015, he was a domestic runner who liquidated funds in and around Fort Myers, Florida, for conspirators from India-based call center and organizational co-defendant HGLOBAL. He communicated extensively via WhatsApp texts with his conspirators. For a percentage commission on transactions he conducted, Praful Patel admitted to purchasing reloadable GPR cards that were registered using the misappropriated PII of unsuspecting victims. These cards were later used to receive victims’ funds and to purchase money orders which were deposited into bank accounts as directed. He also used fake identity documents to receive wire transfers from victims.
According to Norris’ guilty plea, beginning in or around January 2013 continuing through December 2014, he was a runner who worked with conspirators associated with India-based call center and organizational co-defendant HGLOBAL, and was responsible for the liquidation of victim scam funds in and around California. Norris admitted he communicated extensively via WhatsApp and email with India-based co-defendants including Sagar “Shaggy” Thakar. He also purchased GPR cards used in the scheme, sent lead lists to conspirators in India that were then used by callers located in the call centers to target potential victims in the telefraud scheme, received scam proceeds via wire transfers using fictitious name and laundered scam proceeds from GPR cards via ATM withdrawals.
To date, Miteshkumar Patel, Raman Patel, Joshi, Chaudhari, Bhatt, Praful Patel, Norris, 49 other individuals and five India-based call centers have been charged for their roles in the fraud and money laundering scheme in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas on Oct. 19, 2016. Including the pleas announced today, a total of 24 defendants have pleaded guilty thus far in relation to this investigation. Defendants Bharatkumar Patel, Ashvinbhai Chaudhari, Harsh Patel, Nilam Parikh, Hardik Patel, Rajubhai Patel, Viraj Patel, Dilipkumar A. Patel, Fahad Ali, Bhavesh Patel, Asmitaben Patel, Montu Barot, Nilesh Pandya, Dipakkumar Patel, Nisarg Patel, Rajesh Kumar and Dilipkumar Ramanlal Patel previously pleaded guilty on various dates between April and September 2017.
The remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
ICE – Homeland Security Investigations, DHS-OIG and TIGTA led the investigation of this case. Also providing significant support were the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs; Ft. Bend County Sheriff’s Office; police departments in Hoffman Estates and Naperville, Illinois, and Leonia, New Jersey; San Diego County District Attorney’s Office Family Protection and Elder Abuse Unit; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; IOC-2; INTERPOL Washington; USCIS; U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Middle District of Alabama, Northern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, District of Colorado, Northern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Indiana, District of Nevada and District of New Jersey. The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau also provided assistance in TIGTA’s investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and Craig M. Feazel are prosecuting the case along with Senior Trial Attorney Michael Sheckels and Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Trial Attorney Amanda Wick of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. HRSP’s Ann Marie Ursini and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the naturalization fraud case against Joshi.
A Department of Justice website has been established to provide information about the case to already identified and potential victims and the public. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of fraud or identity theft in relation to this investigation or other telefraud scam phone calls may contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via this website.
Anyone who wants additional information about telefraud scams generally, or preventing identity theft or fraudulent use of their identity information, may obtain helpful information on the IRS tax scams website, the FTC phone scam website and the FTC identity theft website.
Last Defendant in the United States Pleads Guilty in Multimillion Dollar India-Based Call Center Scam Targeting U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
An Illinois man pleaded guilty today to money laundering conspiracy, joining six other defendants who recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for their roles in liquidating and laundering victim payments generated through a massive telephone impersonation fraud and money laundering scheme perpetrated by a network of India-based call centers responsible for defrauding U.S. residents of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the Southern District of Texas, Acting Deputy Director Peter T. Edge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Inspector General J. Russell George of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and Inspector General John Roth of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) made the announcement.
Miteshkumar Patel, 42, most recently residing in Willowbrook, Illinois; Sunny Joshi, 47, of Sugar Land, Texas; Jagdishkumar Chaudhari, 39, of Montgomery, Alabama; and Rajesh Bhatt, 53, of Sugar Land, each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy. Raman Patel, 82, of Gilbert, Arizona; Praful Patel, 50, of Fort Myers, Florida; and Jerry Norris, 47, of Oakland, California, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering offenses. The pleas were entered before U.S. District Court Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas between Sept. 22 and Nov. 13, except for Raman Patel’s plea, which was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Michelle Burns in the District of Arizona on Nov. 6. Six of the men have been in federal custody since their arrests in October 2016 and will remain detained until their pending sentencing dates.
According to admissions made in connection with their pleas, Miteshkumar Patel, Raman Patel, Joshi, Jagdishkumar Chaudhari, Bhatt, Praful Patel, Norris and their co-conspirators perpetrated a complex scheme in which individuals from call centers located in Ahmedabad, India, impersonated officials from the IRS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and engaged in other telephone call scams, in a ruse designed to defraud victims located throughout the United States. Using information obtained from data brokers and other sources, call center operators targeted U.S. victims who were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, fines or deportation if they did not pay alleged monies owed to the government. Victims who agreed to pay the scammers were instructed how to provide payment, including by purchasing general purpose reloadable (GPR) cards or wiring money. Upon payment, the call centers would immediately turn to a network of “runners” based in the United States to liquidate and launder the fraudulently obtained funds.
Based on admissions in Miteshkumar Patel’s plea, beginning in or around 2013, Miteshkumar Patel managed a crew of a half dozen domestic runners involved in the criminal scheme, liquidating as much as approximately $25 million in victim funds for conspirators from India-based call center and organizational co-defendant HGLOBAL. Patel communicated about the fraudulent scheme with various domestic and India-based co-defendants via email, text messaging and WhatsApp messaging. Miteshkumar Patel and his runners purchased reloadable GPR cards that were registered using the misappropriated personal identifying information (PII) of unsuspecting victims that were later used to receive victims’ funds, and used those reloadable cards containing victims’ funds to purchase money orders and then deposit those money orders into bank accounts, as directed, while keeping a portion of the scam proceeds as profit. Miteshkumar Patel also trained the runners he managed on how to conduct the liquidation scheme, provided them with vehicles to conduct their activities in Illinois and throughout the country, and directed a co-defendant to open bank accounts and limited liability companies for use in the conspiracy. Miteshkumar Patel further admitted to using a gas station he owned in Racine, Wisconsin to liquidate victim funds, and possessing and using equipment at his Illinois apartment to make fraudulent identification documents used by co-defendant runners in his crew to receive wire transfers directly from scam victims and make bank deposits in furtherance of the conspiracy.
According to admissions in Raman Patel’s guilty plea, from in or around 2014, Patel served as a domestic runner in and around south-central Arizona, liquidating victim scam funds per the instructions of a co-defendant. Patel also served as a driver for two co-defendants in furtherance of their GPR liquidation and related activities and sent bank deposit receipts related to the processing of victim payments and fraud proceeds to an India-based co-defendant via email and document scan services offered at various retail stores.
Based on admissions in Joshi and Bhatt’s guilty pleas, beginning in or around 2012, Joshi and Bhatt worked together as runners in the Houston, Texas area along with a co-defendant. They admitted to extensively communicating via email and text with, and operating at the direction of, India-based conspirators from organizational co-defendant CALL MANTRA call center to liquidate up to approximately $9.5 million in victim funds, including by purchasing GPR cards and using those cards, funded by co-conspirators with scam victim funds, to purchase money orders and deposit them in third party bank accounts, while keeping a percentage of the scam proceeds for themselves as profit. Joshi has also agreed to plead guilty to one count of naturalization fraud pursuant to a federal indictment obtained against him in the Eastern District of Louisiana, based on fraudulently obtaining his U.S. citizenship.
Jagdishkumar Chaudhari admitted in his plea that between April 2014 and June 2015, he worked as a member of a crew of runners operating in the Chicago area and elsewhere throughout the country, at the direction of Miteshkumar Patel and others. In exchange for monthly cash payments, Jagdishkumar Chaudhari admitted to driving to hundreds of retail stores to purchase GPR cards to be loaded with victim funds by co-conspirators in India, purchasing money orders with GPR cards that had been funded with victim proceeds, depositing money orders purchased using victim scam proceeds at various banks, and retrieving wire transfers sent by victims of the scheme. Jagdishkumar Chaudhari is an Indian national with no legal status in the United States, and has agreed to deportation after he serves his sentence as a condition of his guilty plea.
In his plea, Praful Patel admitted that between in or around June 2013 and December 2015, he was a domestic runner who liquidated funds in and around Fort Myers, Florida for conspirators from India-based call center and organizational co-defendant HGLOBAL. Praful Patel communicated extensively via WhatsApp texts with his conspirators. For a percentage commission on transactions he conducted, Praful Patel admitted to purchasing reloadable GPR cards that were registered using the misappropriated PII of unsuspecting victims that were later used to receive victims’ funds, using those reloadable GPR cards containing victims’ funds to purchase money orders and depositing those money orders into bank accounts as directed, and using fake identity documents to receive wire transfers from victims.
According to Norris’ guilty plea, beginning in or around January 2013 continuing through December 2014, he was a runner who worked with conspirators associated with India-based call center and organizational co-defendant HGLOBAL, and was responsible for the liquidation of victim scam funds in and around California. Norris admitted he communicated extensively via WhatsApp and email with India-based co-defendants including Sagar “Shaggy” Thakar, purchased GPR cards used in the scheme, sent lead lists to conspirators in India that were then used by callers located in the call centers to target potential victims in the telefraud scheme, received scam proceeds via wire transfers using fictitious names, and laundered scam proceeds from GPR cards via ATM withdrawals.
To date, Miteshkumar Patel, Raman Patel, Joshi, Jagdishkumar Chaudhari, Bhatt, Praful Patel, Norris, 49 other individuals and five India-based call centers have been charged for their roles in the fraud and money laundering scheme in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas on Oct. 19, 2016. Including the pleas announced today, a total of 24 defendants have pleaded guilty thus far in relation to this investigation. Defendants Bharatkumar Patel, Ashvinbhai Chaudhari, Harsh Patel, Nilam Parikh, Hardik Patel, Rajubhai Patel, Viraj Patel, Dilipkumar A. Patel, Fahad Ali, Bhavesh Patel, Asmitaben Patel, Montu Barot, Nilesh Pandya, Dipakkumar Patel, Nisarg Patel, Rajesh Kumar, and Dilipkumar Ramanlal Patel previously pleaded guilty on various dates between April and September 2017.
Miteshkumar Patel is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2018.
The remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
ICE – Homeland Security Investigations, DHS-OIG and TIGTA led the investigation of this case. Also providing significant support were: the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs; Ft. Bend County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; police departments in Hoffman Estates and Naperville, Illinois, and Leonia, New Jersey; San Diego County District Attorney’s Office Family Protection and Elder Abuse Unit; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; IOC-2; INTERPOL Washington; USCIS; U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Middle District of Alabama, Northern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, District of Colorado, Northern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Indiana, District of Nevada and District of New Jersey. The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau also provided assistance in TIGTA’s investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Michael Sheckels and Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Trial Attorney Amanda Wick of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and Craig M. Feazel of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting this case. HRSP’s Ann Marie Ursini and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the naturalization fraud case against Joshi.
A Department of Justice website has been established to provide information about the case to already identified and potential victims and the public. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of fraud or identity theft in relation to this investigation or other telefraud scam phone calls may contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via this website.
Anyone who wants additional information about telefraud scams generally, or preventing identity theft or fraudulent use of their identity information, may obtain helpful information on the IRS tax scams website, the FTC phone scam website and the FTC identity theft website.
Lamont Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Bakersfield Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Raymond Mireles Jr., 45, of Lamont, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 15 years and three months in prison, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Mireles admitted to conspiring with codefendant Marlene Isabel Medina and others to distribute crystal methamphetamine to various drug dealers and users in Kern County and elsewhere. Mireles admitted that he distributed and possessed with intent to distribute over 500 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, which includes officers of the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Announces Compensation Process for Western Union Fraud Victims with Funds Recovered Through Asset ForfeitureRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced today that the United States has begun the remission compensation process to provide recovery for Western Union Company (Western Union) fraud victims from the $586 million civil forfeiture.
As part of agreements with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed earlier this year in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western Union, a global money services business headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, agreed to forfeit $586 million. According to admissions contained in the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and the accompanying statement of facts, between 2004 and 2012, Western Union processed hundreds of thousands of transactions for Western Union agents and others involved in an international consumer fraud scheme. As part of the scheme, the perpetrators of fraud schemes contacted victims in the United States and falsely posed as family members in need or promised prizes or job opportunities. Victims were then directed to send money through Western Union to purportedly help their relative or claim their prize. Various Western Union agents were complicit in these fraud schemes, often processing the fraud payments in return for a cut of the fraud proceeds.
Through the remission process, victims of fraud who sent a money transfer through Western Union between Jan. 1, 2004, and Jan. 19, may be eligible for compensation for their losses. The Department of Justice will send petitions for remission to over 500,000 potential victims. These petitions will provide information and instructions regarding making a claim for compensation online or through the mail. Individuals who believe they may be victims but who do not receive a petition may obtain a petition form online at www.WesternUnionRemission.com. The deadline for filing a petition is Feb. 12, 2018.
“Knowing that its agents were involved in fraudulent schemes – and knowing that it had a legal obligation to detect and report this criminal conduct to the authorities – Western Union failed to act, leading to massive victim losses,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “Returning forfeited funds to these victims and other victims of crime is one of the Department’s highest priorities. I want to commend our prosecutors, the FTC, and our law enforcement agent partners for their hard work that led to vindicating the rights of these victims.”
“American consumers lost money while Western Union looked the other way,” said Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen of the FTC. “We’re pleased to start the process that will get that money back into consumers’ rightful hands.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting consumers from fraud schemes for many years,” said Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division. “While enforcing the laws that protect the innocent victims of these crimes, we are honored and take pleasure in returning the proceeds of international mass marketing fraud activity to their rightful owners, the victims, whenever possible. We would like to thank the victims who reported the fraudulent activity and worked with us during the investigation. We would also like to thank our law enforcement and regulatory investigative partners, particularly the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and the FTC for their contributions to this collaborative effort.”
More information regarding the remission process, including eligibility criteria, updates, and frequently asked questions is available at www.WesternUnionRemission.com or by calling (844) 319-2124. Gilardi & Co. LLC is serving as the remission administrator in this matter. Neither Gilardi & Co., LLC nor DOJ will ask for any payment in order to participate in this remission process. For more information on how to protect yourself from fraud, please visit www.consumer.ftc.gov or www.postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the criminal fraud investigation. The FTC conducted the civil fraud investigation. Since fiscal year 2000, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, which will oversee the remission process, has successfully used its specialized expertise to return $5.1 billion in forfeited assets to victims of crime.
Justice Department Announces Compensation Process for Western Union Fraud Victims with Funds Recovered Through Asset ForfeitureRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced today that the United States has begun the remission compensation process to provide recovery for Western Union Company (Western Union) fraud victims from the $586 million civil forfeiture.
As part of agreements with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed earlier this year in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western Union, a global money services business headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, agreed to forfeit $586 million. According to admissions contained in the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and the accompanying statement of facts, between 2004 and 2012, Western Union processed hundreds of thousands of transactions for Western Union agents and others involved in an international consumer fraud scheme. As part of the scheme, the perpetrators of fraud schemes contacted victims in the United States and falsely posed as family members in need or promised prizes or job opportunities. Victims were then directed to send money through Western Union to purportedly help their relative or claim their prize. Various Western Union agents were complicit in these fraud schemes, often processing the fraud payments in return for a cut of the fraud proceeds.
Through the remission process, victims of fraud who sent a money transfer through Western Union between Jan. 1, 2004, and Jan. 19, may be eligible for compensation for their losses. The Department of Justice will send petitions for remission to over 500,000 potential victims. These petitions will provide information and instructions regarding making a claim for compensation online or through the mail. Individuals who believe they may be victims but who do not receive a petition may obtain a petition form online at www.WesternUnionRemission.com. The deadline for filing a petition is Feb. 12, 2018.
“Knowing that its agents were involved in fraudulent schemes – and knowing that it had a legal obligation to detect and report this criminal conduct to the authorities – Western Union failed to act, leading to massive victim losses,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “Returning forfeited funds to these victims and other victims of crime is one of the Department’s highest priorities. I want to commend our prosecutors, the FTC, and our law enforcement agent partners for their hard work that led to vindicating the rights of these victims.”
“American consumers lost money while Western Union looked the other way,” said Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen of the FTC. “We’re pleased to start the process that will get that money back into consumers’ rightful hands.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting consumers from fraud schemes for many years,” said Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division. “While enforcing the laws that protect the innocent victims of these crimes, we are honored and take pleasure in returning the proceeds of international mass marketing fraud activity to their rightful owners, the victims, whenever possible. We would like to thank the victims who reported the fraudulent activity and worked with us during the investigation. We would also like to thank our law enforcement and regulatory investigative partners, particularly the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and the FTC for their contributions to this collaborative effort.”
More information regarding the remission process, including eligibility criteria, updates, and frequently asked questions is available at www.WesternUnionRemission.com or by calling (844) 319-2124. Gilardi & Co. LLC is serving as the remission administrator in this matter. Neither Gilardi & Co., LLC nor DOJ will ask for any payment in order to participate in this remission process. For more information on how to protect yourself from fraud, please visit www.consumer.ftc.gov or www.postalinspectors.uspis.gov.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the criminal fraud investigation. The FTC conducted the civil fraud investigation. Since fiscal year 2000, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, which will oversee the remission process, has successfully used its specialized expertise to return $5.1 billion in forfeited assets to victims of crime.
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Judge Sentences Mexican Citizen to Prison for Illegally Re-entering U.S. after DeporationRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A citizen of Mexico has been sentenced in federal court in Johnstown to 15 months in prison, and upon his release, to be placed in the custody of Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for deportation, on his conviction of reentry of an illegal alien, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Jorge Ceballos-Ponce, 55, of Blair County, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, on Nov. 16, 2016 Ceballos-Ponce, an alien who had been deported from the United States on Apr. 24, 2007, was found in Blair County, Pa. He had unlawfully re-entered this Country without receiving permission to do so from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Song commended the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Ceballos-Ponce.
Johnstown Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Possessing Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pa. has been sentenced in federal court in Johnstown to 96 months in prison and four years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Clyde Simmons, 33, of Johnstown, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, on May 7, 2014, Simmons possessed with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Song commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Cambria County Drug Task Force, for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Simmons.
Intermediary Who Facilitated Corrupt Payments to a Russian Nuclear Energy Official Sentenced for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A New Jersey businessman was sentenced to a year and one day in prison for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in connection with his role in arranging corrupt payments to influence the awarding of contracts with the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation.
The sentence was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Schenning for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Angela Sigler of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General (DOE-OIG); and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Boris Rubizhevsky, 67, of Closter, New Jersey was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to forfeit $26,500. Rubizhevsky pleaded guilty on June 15, 2015, to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Rubizhevsky acted as an intermediary in connection with corrupt payments to co-conspirator Vadim Mikerin, the former director of the Pan American Department of JSC Techsnabexport (TENEX), a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation and the sole supplier and exporter of Russian Federation uranium and uranium enrichment services to nuclear power companies worldwide.
According to court documents, between October 2011 and February 2013, Rubizhevsky and Mikerin agreed to conceal corrupt payments being made from the United States to overseas bank accounts for the benefit of Mikerin, including a payment to a foreign bank account located in Latvia. Rubizhevsky admitted that the conspirators used sham consulting agreements to disguise the corrupt payments.
Mikerin previously admitted that he conspired with Rubizhevsky and others to transmit more than $2 million from Maryland, and elsewhere in the United States, to offshore shell company bank accounts located in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland with the intent to promote violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Mikerin pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in August 2015, and was sentenced in December 2015 to 48 months in prison for his role in the money laundering scheme.
The DOE-OIG and FBI investigated the case. Assistant Chiefs Christopher Cestaro and Ephraim Wernick and Trial Attorney Derek Ettinger of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David I. Salem and Michael T. Packard of the District of Maryland prosecuted the case.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Prison after Returning to the United States Following Four DeportationsRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who had previously been deported four times was sentenced on November 9, 2017, to five months in federal prison.
Eliceo Tecpile-Tzompaxtle, age 35, a native and citizen of Mexico illegally residing in New Vienna, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 19, 2017, guilty plea to misuse of a Social Security Number and illegal reentry of a removed alien.
Tecpile-Tzompaxtle admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission after having been deported from the United States in 2002, 2007, and twice in 2008. Tecpile-Tzompaxtle also admitted that after illegally returning to the United States, he used a fraudulent Social Security Number when he completed state and federal tax forms in December 2014 at a company in New Vienna, Iowa, where he unlawfully worked.
Tecpile-Tzompaxtle was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Tecpile-Tzompaxtle was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Tecpile-Tzompaxtle is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-Cr-2063.
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Harrison County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua Dillon Menendez-Finch, of Spelter, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 30 months incarceration for a firearms violation, United States Attorney William J. Powell announced.
Menendez-Finch, age 30, pled guilty to “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in July 2017. Menendez-Finch, having previously been convicted of felonies in the Circuit Courts of Taylor and Harrison Counties, admitted to possessing a .357-caliber revolver in February 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 investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that on November 13, 2017, Chief United States District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Luis Lorenzo-Urbina, age 31, of Bellevue, Nebraska for his conviction for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Lorenzo-Urbina was sentenced to fifteen months of imprisonment to be followed by a term of supervised release of three years.
Lorenzo-Urbina is a citizen of Guatemala. Although he had illegally entered the United States, he was placed on an immigration bond and was allowed to remain in the United States pending completion of proceedings in immigration court. On May 23, 2017, Bellevue Police responded to a disturbance call and encountered Lorenzo-Urbina. A search of his vehicle yielded a Mossberg shotgun and a Ruger revolver. Further investigation revealed store surveillance photos of Lorenzo-Urbina showing the Ruger to a pawnshop employee. The weapons had been stolen from a home in Iowa a few days earlier.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Custom Enforcement and the Bellevue Police Department.
Fresno Area Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — James Gonzales-Gay, 35, of Sanger, pleaded guilty today to assaulting a mail carrier with the intent to commit robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on September 15, 2017, a mail carrier delivering mail in the area of Maple and Huntington, in Fresno, felt someone jump onto the bumper of his mail delivery truck. Gonzales-Gay appeared at the driver’s door, pulled the mail carrier from the truck, and began driving it away. After Gonzales-Gay drove the mail truck a short distance, the carrier was able to catch up to the truck and disable it. Gonzales-Gay elbowed the mail carrier in the face while struggling over control of the vehicle. After taking the keys from the ignition, the carrier was able to escape. Gonzales-Gay was soon thereafter stopped by law enforcement officers, who found parts of a Taurus handgun on Gonzales-Gay’s person. Gonzales-Gay is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
Gonzales-Gay is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on February 5, 2018. Gonzales-Gay faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Fort Myers Man Sentenced to More Than Fifteen Years for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced Derrick L. Kinchen (39, Fort Myers) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. As a three-time convicted felon, he was subject to enhanced penalties under the Armed Career Criminal statute. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm and ammunition associated with the offense.
According to court documents, on July 22, 2016, the Fort Myers Police Department was contacted regarding an individual with a gun at an apartment complex. Following a search in the area, Kinchen was located and identified as the individual with the firearm. As a result of his prior felony convictions, Kinchen is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.