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20 October 2017
Eight Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Eight Iowa residents have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges.
At sentencing hearings in August, September, and October of 2017, Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Kyle Chyma, age 29, Edgar Hernandez, age 31, Kelbie Struve, age 25, Kailyn Struve, age 26, and Marlene Hernandez, age 25, all of Toledo, Iowa, Scott Steuhm, age 26, and Tyler Walz, age 23, both of Tama, Iowa, and Alejandra Castillo-Hernandez, age 46, of Marshalltown, Iowa, to prison time. The defendants received the following prison terms:
Edgar Hernandez was sentenced to 252 months’ imprisonment;Kyle Chyma was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment;
Scott Steuhm was sentenced to 160 months’ imprisonment;
Kelbie Struve was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment;
Alejandra Castillo-Hernandez was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment;
Kailyn Struve was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment;
Marlene Hernandez was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment; and
Tyler Walz was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.
Each defendant must also serve a term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
In September 2016, a federal grand jury charged all eight defendants with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. At plea hearings in February and March of 2017, Chyma, Edgar Hernandez, Steuhm, Kelbie Struve, Kailyn Struve, Marlene Hernandez, and Alejandra Castillo-Hernandez admitted to trafficking in methamphetamine. Chyma, Kailyn Struve, and Walz admitted to trafficking in cocaine. Chyma also admitted to money laundering. The indictment contained a forfeiture allegation, and as part of their guilty pleas, the eight defendants agreed to forfeit $360,027.19 in drug proceeds.
At the sentencing hearings, Chief Judge Strand found that Edgar Hernandez and Scott Steuhm were responsible for distributing approximately 339 pounds of ice methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Edgar Hernandez and Kyle Chyma received sentencing enhancements for serving as leaders of the drug trafficking organization. Edgar Hernandez, Chyma, and Steuhm received sentencing enhancements for importing methamphetamine from Mexico.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ravi T. Narayan and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with support from the Marshalltown Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Marion Police Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa City Police Department, Johnson County Drug Task Force, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-CR-76.
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Dual Israeli/Russian Citizen Extradited to United States to Face Money Laudering ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Stanislav Nazarov, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Russia, has been extradited from Israel to face charges in an indictment accusing him of taking part in an international money laundering scheme.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, John L. Phillips, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations for the U.S. Department of Treasury, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Washington, D.C.
Nazarov was among 19 people charged earlier this year in federal indictments outlining various international fraud and money laundering conspiracies. He was arrested in March 2017 in Israel following an undercover investigation and later waived extradition to the United States. Nazarov was brought to the United States on Oct. 19, 2017, and is to make his first appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The indictment charges Nazarov with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering. It includes a forfeiture allegation seeking a money judgment representing the proceeds of the alleged scheme.
According to the indictment, Nazarov conspired with others in June 2016 to defraud a large reinsurance company in India. That company fell victim to a cyber-phishing scheme whereby Nazarov’s co-conspirators allegedly tricked a director of that company into wiring $1.4 million to a bank account in the United States. In December 2016, the indictment alleges, Nazarov obtained what he believed to be a portion of that $1.4 million by receiving $50,000 at his location in Israel. According to the indictment, Nazarov received that money by orchestrating a sophisticated money laundering scheme whereby the $50,000 was first transferred to Russia, and then to Nazarov in Israel.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of the Inspector General, and ICE-HSI Washington, D.C. Assistance has been provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Israeli National Police. The FBI Legal Attache in Tel Aviv, Israel, also provided assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Marando and David Kent of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips, Christopher Toms, and C. Rosalind Pressley.
District Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Fatally Beating Man at Her ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomasine Bennett, 68, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison on a charge of voluntary manslaughter for killing her 63-year-old boyfriend at her apartment in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Bennett pled guilty in July 2017 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. The Honorable José M. Lopez accepted the plea today and sentenced Bennett accordingly. Following her prison term, Bennett will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on Feb. 17, 2017, at approximately 12:55 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received a call to investigate trouble at an apartment in the 700 block of 21st Street NE. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, Walter M. Clark, unconscious and unresponsive inside a hallway closet with multiple bruises to the body. The District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported Mr. Clark to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later determined that Mr. Clark, 63, died from multiple blunt force trauma.
Bennett met police officers when they arrived on the scene. According to the proffer, she stated that her boyfriend was in the back and that he made her smoke “Love Boat” the previous night. She directed officers to the hallway closet. Investigators quoted Bennett as saying that she beat Mr. Clark with a baseball bat over the last day and a half. She was arrested and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Earnest, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Costa Rican Pleads Guilty to Selling Drugs Imported from India in the United StatesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Costa Rica, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of mail fraud and money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced on October 16, 2017.
Ramiro Navarro Quesada, 41, a resident of Costa Rica pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose. Quesada was arrested in Madrid, Spain, pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice, in February 2017. He was extradited to the United States in late August.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Quesada used a Costa Rican website to advertise the Internet sale of Schedule II and IV controlled substances and erectile dysfunction drugs, which were exported from India and received in the United States.
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2018 at 11 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
“This case is a prime example of how the U.S. will use all available tools at our disposal to identify and apprehend drug traffickers,” said Wayne Salzgaber, INTERPOL Washington Acting Director.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Quesada.
Cape Cod Man Sentenced for a Distributing Heroin and Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate of the Cape Cod Nauti-Block gang was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawfully possessing two firearms and distributing heroin.
Shaun Miller, 32, of Hyannis, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to 90 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2016, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin and one count of possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Miller was charged as part of the federal investigation into the “Nauti-Block” gang, led by Denzel Chisholm, Christian Chapman and Christopher Wilkins, that resulted in the indictment of 19 individuals. These gang leaders obtained heroin from New Bedford, and other areas, and distributed the heroin to numerous drug dealers on Cape Cod, including Miller. Miller then re-sold this heroin to his own customers. At the time of his arrest, Miller was found with two .357 caliber firearms and over $40,000 in cash.
In September 2017, Chisholm and Wilkins were sentenced to 28.5 years in prison and nine years in prison, respectively. In July 2017, Chapman was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe; and Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen and Miranda Hooker of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Cape Cod Man Sentenced for Distributing Suboxone in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate of the Cape Cod Nauti-Block gang was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing suboxone within MCI-Norfolk prison, where he was an inmate.
Browning Mejia, 26, of Hyannis, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to 10 months in prison – five months to be served consecutive to and five months to be served concurrent with a state prison sentence he is currently serving related to the murder of Christine Ferreira - and one year of supervised release, during which time Mejia is banned from visiting Hyannis other than to attend classes at Cape Cod Community College. In May 2017, Mejia pleaded guilty to use of a communications facility in furtherance of a felony drug offense.
Mejia was charged as part of the federal investigation into the “Nauti-Block” gang, led by Denzel Chisholm, Christian Chapman and Christopher Wilkins, that resulted in the indictment of 19 individuals. These gang leaders obtained heroin from New Bedford, and other areas, and distributed the heroin to numerous drug dealers on Cape Cod. In exchange for heroin, Chisholm obtained suboxone from his customers and then supplied that suboxone to Mejia, who distributed it at MCI-Norfolk prison, where he was an inmate.
In September 2017, Chisholm and Wilkins were sentenced to 28.5 years in prison and nine years in prison, respectively. In July 2017, Chapman was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe; and Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen and Miranda Hooker of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy announced today that Harvey Peake, 61, of Canada, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who is handling the case, stated that in 2013, Peake recruited co-defendant John Lambert to assist in the transporting of illegal narcotics for distribution. On October 3, 2016, Peake and Lambert traveled to the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in downtown Buffalo to hand off 10 kilograms of cocaine. The two men met briefly with a third individual in the casino and then walked towards the parking garage where Peake’s vehicle was parked. Lambert got into the driver’s seat and tapped the brake lights to signal their location to the third individual. Peake then opened the trunk of and removed a suitcase. The third individual pulled up next to the vehicle and Peake attempted to give the suitcase to the individual. Peake and Lambert were then arrested. Law enforcement officers seized the suitcase, which contained approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine.
Lambert has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 8, 2018 before Judge Geraci.
Canadian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Acting Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Panagiota Loukisas, 57, of North York, Ontario, Canada, pleaded guilty to bank fraud before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2014, the defendant opened accounts at five banks in Niagara Falls, NY. Loukisas deposited checks drawn on a Canadian bank account held by her company, PM Global Consulting Services, into these five accounts. The defendant then withdrew significant sums of money from the Niagara Falls bank accounts before the checks were returned to the banks for insufficient funds. Loukisas is accused of fraudulently depositing non-sufficient fund checks valued at more than $83,000 and withdrawing more than $52,000 from the accounts before the scheme was discovered.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by Special Agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. before Judge Geraci
Business Owner Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Fraudulent Billing Scheme Against Federal GovernmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nikita Davis, 48, a business owner with a firm in Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for a scheme in which she improperly qualified for government contracts and then fraudulently billed the United States more than $1.1 million.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration, made the announcement.
Davis pled guilty in June 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to major fraud against the United States. She was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. The plea agreement calls for her to pay $1,189,697 in restitution to the United States. Upon completion of her prison term, Davis will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Davis was the president and chief executive officer of Federal Acquisition Consultants Inc. (FACI), a company based in Washington, D.C., that specialized in acquisition and program management support. The company was formed in 2007 as an economically disadvantaged, woman-owned, small business.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Davis made fraudulent representations when she applied in March 2013 for a contract under a GSA program created to streamline the federal procurement process through pre-negotiated prices and terms. GSA provided centralized procurement for the federal government through this program, known as the GSA Multiple Awards Schedule Program (GSA MAS).
The GSA awarded Davis’s company a GSA MAS contract designation in May 2013. Later in 2013, the Department of Commerce solicited requests for quotes from GSA MAS contractors for work related to the mission of the Afghanistan Investment and Reconstruction Task Force. The Task Force, part of the Commerce Department, aimed to facilitate and coordinate activities designed to help Afghanistan develop a sustainable economy, stabilize the market, and create strong Afghan-American partnerships.
Davis’s company submitted quotes and in September of 2013 was awarded seven contracts, worth a total of more than $3.1 million. In April 2014, the Commerce Department’s Office of Inspector General initiated an investigation into Davis and the company, based on an allegation that she submitted false invoices and made false statements to government agencies. The investigation revealed that, in obtaining the GSA MAS contract designation, Davis made false representations about her company’s past work experience. It also determined that Davis’s company improperly billed and collected from the government a total of $1,189,697 under the contracts by billing improperly for travel, danger pay, insurance, security and labor.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Inspector General Ochoa, and Inspector General Gustafson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Offices of the Inspector General for the General Services Administration and Department of Commerce. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Howie and Paralegal Specialist Aisha Keys. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller, who prosecuted the case.
Burlington Man Sentenced for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Burlington man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for trafficking three women for sex and threatening them with violence.
Barry Davis, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to 18 years in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2017, Davis pleaded guilty to three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and three counts of interstate transportation with intent to engage in prostitution.
In April 2015, Davis met a young woman at a driving instruction class and enticed her to leave with him by promising to take care of her and provide her with a steady supply of heroin. Davis drove her to New Jersey, rented a hotel room, posted an advertisement online for sex with her, and took the money she made having sex with men who responded to the ad. Davis used heroin to coerce the woman, and punched her in the head and threatened her with further harm if she did not follow his rules and prostitute for him.
In August 2015, Davis perpetrated a similar scheme after he picked up two young women from a heroin detox center and drove them to Connecticut. There, he rented a hotel room, posted online advertisements for sex with the women, and took the money they made having sex with men who responded to the ads. Davis used heroin to coerce the women to prostitute for him. Davis also hit one of the women for breaking one of his prostitution rules and threatened to beat the other woman if she did not make enough money prostituting for him.
Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; and U.S. Marshal John Gibbons for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit and the Lawrence, Salem, Burlington, Milford (Conn.), and Franklin Township (NJ) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah Foley and Kelly Lawrence of Weinreb’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team prosecuted the case.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Damaging Government PropertyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Justin Vazquez, 30, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted by a federal jury of damaging government property, was sentenced to 10 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that on October 20, 2016, during a status conference prior to trial on a firearm’s charge, Vazquez carved a vulgar obscenity into a wooden table in the courtroom of Chief Judge Geraci.
In May of 2017, the defendant was convicted of the firearm charge and sentenced to 72 months in prison. Today’s 10 months sentence will be served consecutive to that sentence.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Marshal’s Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
Bridgeville Suboxone Clinic Operators Charged with Unlawful Distribution of Controlled Substances and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Two Pittsburgh-area residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of unlawfully distributing controlled substances and health care fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The 39-count indictment, returned on October 18 and unsealed today, named Mark R. Foster, 70, of Wexford, Pennsylvania and Terri C. Brown, 53, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Foster and Brown were arrested this morning at their respective residences.
According to indictment, Brown owned and operated Cherry Way, a Suboxone clinic, located in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, and Foster was a medical director at Cherry Way. The indictment alleges that Brown and Foster conspired together to create and submit unlawful prescriptions for Suboxone, Adderall and Percocet, and then unlawfully dispensed those controlled substances to Brown and to other persons not specifically named in the Indictment. Brown is also charged with health care fraud for allegedly submitting fraudulent claims to Highmark and Medicaid, through Cherry Way, for payments to cover the costs of the unlawfully prescribed Suboxone, Adderall and Percocet.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $3,250,000, or both, for the controlled substances offenses. Brown faces an additional maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and fines of $500,000 for the health care fraud charges. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Rice to be honored with Attorney General's Award for labor trafficking prosecutionRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea S. Rice has been selected to receive the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, one of the highest honors the Justice Department bestows upon its employees.
Rice and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser are being honored for their work in United States v. Castillo-Serrano et. al., a case in which the defendants engaged in a human trafficking conspiracy, forcing undocumented minors to work at an Ohio chicken farm for little or no pay.
The award will be presented by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Oct. 25 in Washington, D.C.
“The work of Chelsea, and everyone involved in this case, was nothing short of heroic,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “The leaders of the smuggling ring were sent to prison and the victims are on the road to recovery. This case demonstrates the horrors of human trafficking but also provides a blueprint for how law enforcement can combat the crime.”
Federal agents were alerted in late 2014 that adults and some children as young as 14 years old were being smuggled into the country and forced to work in deplorable conditions on an Ohio farm.
With the promise that their children would receive an education, parents in Guatemala surrendered custody and control of their children to Aroldo Roberto Castillo-Serrano, who then assumed the deed to the parents’ Guatemalan property as collateral for their smuggling fee.
These children, along with the adults with whom they were smuggled, were then routed through the United States to Ohio, where they were forced to live in trailers, some of which lacked water, electricity, heat and even windows, and work up to 12 hours a day on the egg farm. The work included cleaning chicken coops, loading and unloading crates of chickens, debeaking chickens and vaccinating chickens.
With the coordination and cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor, the victims of this forced labor scheme were recovered, received necessary medication attention and were granted continued presence status so that they could cooperate in the prosecution of Castillo-Serrano and his accomplices, Angelica Pedro-Juan, Pablo Duran, Jr., Conrado Selgado Soto, Conrado Selgado Borbon and Bartolo Dominguez.
Prosecutors and federal agents traveled to Guatemala. They worked with social service providers and non-government organizations to ensure the victims received the support and services they needed. They also, over time, gained the trust of the victims, some of whom eventually confronted the defendants in court.
All six defendants pleaded guilty. Ringleader Castillo-Serrano recruited the victims, smuggled them into the United States, oversaw money transfers and issued threats to ensure compliance. He received a prison sentenced of more than 15 years. Pedro-Juan falsely represented herself to government officials as a family friend of the minor victims in order to have them released to her custody. She also oversaw the trailers where the victims were housed and arranged for their wages to be transferred to co-conspirators in Guatemala and elsewhere. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Rice joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010. She is a graduate of Santa Clara University and the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Armed Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Christian Delgado, 27, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who is handling the case, stated that Delgado was arrested following the execution of a search warrant on September 13, 2016, at 734 Jay Street in Rochester. Upon entry, investigators detained the defendant, who was located on a bed in an open living area. Officers found three other people throughout the house.
During the search, officers found a loaded Charter Arms .38 special caliber revolver inside a laundry basket in the front bedroom. Officers also found $365 cash on the nightstand in the front bedroom, along with heroin on a shelf in the bedroom and near the doorway. Inside a backpack found in the front bedroom, officers found cocaine and approximately two ounces of marijuana. Additional cocaine was discovered in the open living area near the bed on which the defendant was laying. Drug trafficking paraphernalia in the house as well.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (“GRANET”), under the direction of Rochester Police Department Lieutenant David Gebhardt, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 22, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
Anthony Waits Sent to Prison for More Than 14 Years for Role in Stealing USDA Funds Intended for ChildrenRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced Thursday that United States District Court Judge James M. Moody Jr., sentenced Anthony Waits, 38, of England, to prison for his role in a multi-million dollar scheme to steal money intended for feeding children in low income areas.
Judge Moody sentenced Waits on Wednesday following a hearing that went into the evening to 175 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $3,316,280.85 in restitution. A jury convicted Waits of conspiracy to commit wire fraud following an eight-day trial in April.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) feeding programs in Arkansas are administered through the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS). Sponsors who want to participate in the feeding programs must submit an application to DHS for approval. After they are approved, they can provide meals as part of the feeding programs, and they are reimbursed for the eligible meals they serve.
Waits, not a sponsor himself, recruited sponsors to participate in the feeding program. The sponsors he recruited then paid a percentage of the money they received from the program back to Waits. Five sponsors who Waits recruited have pleaded guilty to their involvement and admitted to making payments to Waits. The sponsors who Waits recruited received over $3.3 million in federal funds meant to feed children, and many testified at trial that they paid Waits approximately 40 percent of what they received.
Anthony Waits’ estranged wife, Gladys Waits, worked for DHS. She was responsible for processing applications from sponsors who applied to participate in the feeding programs, determining their eligibility, and approving their proposed feeding sites. Gladys Waits also helped these sponsors avoid DHS’s detection of the fraud.
Gladys Waits received bribe payments from some sponsors, both directly through checks made payable to her and indirectly through checks made payable to relatives, including Anthony Waits. Anthony Waits recruited sponsors Reuben Nims, James Franklin, Christopher Nichols, Waymon Weeams, and Dortha Harper to participate.
Anthony Waits is the 12th defendant to be sentenced for his involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain USDA program funds intended to feed children in low income areas. Other defendants sentenced include: Kattie Jordan (63 months’ imprisonment on March 15, 2016); Nims (21 months’ imprisonment on November 2, 2016); Tonique Hatton (108 months’ imprisonment on January 4, 2017); Franklin (24 months’ imprisonment on January 10, 2017); Maria Nelson (30 months’ imprisonment on January 31, 2017); Michael Lee (30 months’ imprisonment on May 1, 2017); Nichols (three years’ probation on May 16, 2017); Gladys Waits (108 months’ imprisonment on July 17, 2017); Alexis Young (18 months’ imprisonment on August 18, 2017); Erica Warren (18 months’ imprisonment on August 18, 2017); and, Francine Leon (34 months’ imprisonment on September 21, 2017).
Weeams and Harper have pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud USDA feeding programs and are awaiting sentencing. Jacqueline Mills was convicted along with Anthony Waits on April 6, 2017, following the jury trial and will be sentenced on December 6, 2017.
In this investigation law enforcement has uncovered more than $11 million in fraud related to these USDA Arkansas feeding programs.
Although everyone initially indicted in this scheme has now been convicted, the investigation is still ongoing, and continues to be conducted by the USDA–Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jana K. Harris, Allison W. Bragg, and Cameron McCree.
If you are aware of any fraudulent activity regarding feeding programs, please email that information to [email protected].
Ambridge Drug Dealer Sentenced to 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months imprisonment followed by 4 years supervised release on his convictions of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Dwayne Corrigan, 33, of Ambridge, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around January 2016 and continuing thereafter to in and around July 2016, Corrigan conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance. Corrigan also distributed fentanyl on July 27, 2016, and, pursuant to his plea agreement with the United States, Corrigan accepted responsibility for the fact that the fentanyl he distributed on July 27, 2016, resulted in the serious bodily injury of two individuals.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine A. King prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Song commended the federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of members drawn from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, the Baldwin Borough Police Department, the Duquesne Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Munhall Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Scott Township Police Department, and the West Homestead Police Department, along with assistance from the Borough of McKees Rocks Police Department, the Borough of Ambridge Police Department, the Borough of Sewickley Police Department, the Crescent Township Police Department, the City of Aliquippa Police Department, the Borough of New Brighton Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Corrigan. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
********* Media Advisory *********Read the Press Release
The United States Postal Inspection Service, will hold a media event at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 6th Floor, Sirena Building, Hagatna, on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017, from 1:00 PM -2:00 PM, to discuss enforcement and prevention efforts regarding drug trafficking and drug abuse on Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI).
WHO: U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Assistant Inspector Kevin Rho, San Francisco DivisionUnited States Attorney’s Office
Drug Enforcement Administration
Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency
WHEN: Wednesday, October 25, 2017, at 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
WHERE: U.S. Attorney’s Office Conference Room, 6th Floor, Sirena Building, Hagatna
NOTE: All media must present photo I.D. as well as valid media credentials.
19 October 2017
“Rival Impact” Gang Member Charged in Brooklyn Federal Court with Double HomicideRead the Press Release
Nabiu Mansaray, a member of a Coney Island-based gang known variously as “Mermaid Boys,” “Mermaids,” “Rival Impact,” “R.I.,” and “33rd Street Crew,” will be arraigned this afternoon in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on a superseding indictment charging him with crimes including racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, narcotics trafficking and unlawful use of firearms. Mansaray’s co-defendant, Frank Smith, was previously arraigned on similar charges in the Eastern District of New York after his arrest on the underlying indictment on July 7, 2016, and is charged with additional racketeering acts in the superseding indictment. Mansaray will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione, following his removal from Maryland, where he was arrested by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on September 15, 2017, pursuant to the superseding indictment.
The charges were announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).
As detailed in the superseding indictment, between January 2000 and January 2014, to maintain Rival Impact’s power and hold in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, the defendants and their gang engaged in widespread narcotics distribution and violence, including the October 4, 2010 murders of Terrance Serrano and Rashawn Washington, in addition to various attempted murders, robberies, assaults and acts of intimidation. Serrano and Washington, who were members of a rival gang known as “Thirty-O,” were shot and killed while sitting in their car after leaving a nightclub in Manhattan, just north of Union Square.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Cruz Melendez, Jennifer M. Sasso and Josh Hafetz are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
FRANK SMITH (“Fresh,” “Freez,” and “Freezee”)
Age: 32
Staten Island, New York
NABIU MANSARAY (“Monchichi” and “Chich”)
Age: 33
Germantown, Maryland
EDNY Docket No. 16-CR-346 (FB)
Western Washington Organizations Receive more than $6.2 Million in Grants to Fight Domestic Abuse and Sexual ViolenceRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice will provide more than $6.2 million in federal funds to a dozen western Washington entities working to combat domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. The grants also fund services to victims, and programs to prevent violence and abuse.
“I’m pleased that these grant monies support programs that assist victims of domestic and sexual violence, and prevent such violence in the future,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “These grants are aimed at assisting a wide range of western Washington residents from tribal members, to immigrants, to members of our LGBTQ community. I commend the groups whose proposals rose to the top and received funding.”
Five local non-profit organizations received grants:
- Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Seattle – A $750,000 grant to provide advocacy services to 500 rural Latina victims of sexual assault and legal services to an additional 120 victims.
- Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, Shelton, WA – A $356,717 grant to provide services in rural Mason County, including training for first responders, establishment of sexual assault protocols, establish 24/7 domestic violence response system and appropriate materials to advocate for Latina victims.
- King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KSARC) Seattle – A $776,336 grant to provide competent sexual assault advocacy and civil legal representation to Latina victims of sexual assault.
- Young Women’s Christian Association YWCA, Seattle – A $608,603 grant to conduct outreach to underserved communities and provide legal services to victims of sexual assault thought a variety of means, including translating materials into Spanish, Somali and Korean.
- NW Network of Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors, Seattle – A $350,000 grant to work with other partners to provide intervention and therapy services to youth survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and sex trafficking.
Both King County and Pierce County received grant funding, as did Clark College in Vancouver, WA.
- Pierce County received $900,000 to work with local non-profits to provide services to victims of domestic violence especially in immigrant communities.
- King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office received $406,079 to work with domestic violence victims to understand why victims recant their statements to law enforcement, jeopardizing prosecution.
- Clark College, Vancouver, WA – A $300,000 grant to train law enforcement and provide services to victims of sexual assault.
Three Western Washington Tribes and one coalition received grants focused on services to victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence:
- Tulalip Tribes of Washington, Tulalip, WA -$528,015 for a civil legal aid program for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Port Angeles, WA -$498,865 to provide housing and services to victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse.
- Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, La Conner, WA - $495,000 to strengthen the Tribal justice system and provide services to victims.
- Washington State Native American Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Sequim, WA - $318,008 to raise awareness and provide services to Native American victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse and sex trafficking.
More information about the grants are available from the recipients.
Waltham Man with Criminal Record Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Waltham man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully possessing multiple firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Zeph H. Pitt, 42, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In May 2016, Pitt pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
In February 2015, Pitt traveled to Florida and took possession of his deceased father’s estate. Included with the property was a cache of weapons and ammunition, including an Israel Weapons Industry Baby Desert Eagle .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol; a Ruger P85 9mm semi-automatic pistol; a Mossberg 930 12 gauge shotgun; an ERA 12 gauge shotgun; a Ruger 10/22 .22 caliber rifle; a Harrington and Richardson 700 .22 caliber rifle; and approximately 2400 rounds of various caliber ammunition. Pitt then transported the weapons and ammunition to his home in Waltham. Once in Waltham, two of the firearms were stolen by Pitt’s friend, George Perry, also a previously convicted felon. Perry was later arrested and admitted to stealing the weapons from Pitt.
Pitt was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a 1994 breaking and entering conviction; a 1994 distribution of cocaine conviction; a 1999 distribution of cocaine conviction; a 2003 kidnapping, assault and battery, and assault with a dangerous weapon conviction; a 2010 larceny conviction; a 2010 breaking and entering conviction; a 2010 assault and battery conviction; and a 2013 conviction for carrying a dangerous weapon.
In August 2016, Perry was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Waltham Police Chief Keith MacPherson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Hollis Lee Ball, age 44, of Virginia, was indicted on October 18, 2017, by a federal grand jury for sexual exploitation of children and enticement of children.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that between March 5 and 11, 2017, Ball contacted two children in Pennsylvania through an Ipad application known as “Musical.ly.”
This matter was investigated by the Lower Paxton Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Schinnour is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 30 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Vermont Man Sentenced for Possession of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Robert Mackenzie, 62, of Fletcher, Vermont, was sentenced on October 18, 2017, in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve a one (1) year term of probation after his guilty plea to one count of possession of Oxycodone. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Mackenzie to perform 40 hours of community service during his term of probation, and to pay a $25 special assessment.
According to court records and proceedings, while employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a Rural Carrier Associate, Mackenzie stole Oxycodone for his personal use from parcels sent through the U.S. mail that he was supposed to deliver. Mackenzie stole parcels containing controlled substances on at least six separate occasions. Mackenzie lost his job upon discovery of the thefts.
Acting United States Attorney Eugenia A.P. Cowles commended the efforts of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, in the investigation and prosecution of Mackenzie. The prosecution of Mackenzie was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson. Mackenzie was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth.
Union Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Michael Brewer, 61, of Union, Maine pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, on May 13, 2017, Brewer led the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on a high speed chase after they attempted to execute a traffic stop of the truck Brewer was driving. The chase ended when Brewer crashed and rolled his truck. When removing Brewer from the truck, officers located a .22 caliber pistol resting beside Brewer. Brewer was prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions for Criminal Operating Under the Influence (2006), Burglary (2015) and Attempted Murder (1989).
Brewer faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Boothbay Harbor Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Two mail carriers charged with stealing packagesRead the Press Release
Two mail carriers were indicted for stealing packages from the mail while working for the U.S. Postal Service.
Brandon L. Mitchell, 32, of North Olmsted, is accused of stealing a parcel on Aug. 4 that was addressed to a location on Melgove Avenue in Garfield Heights, according to the indictment.
Thomas N. Schaefer, 43, of Broadview Heights, is accused of stealing a parcel on Aug. 3 that was addressed to a location on McBride Avenue in Cleveland, according to the indictment.
Assistant United States Attorney Elliot Morrison is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two Men Involved in Lawrence Heroin Trafficking Scheme Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national and a Saugus man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for their roles in a heroin trafficking scheme operating in and around Lawrence.
Waner Manuel Lara, a/k/a Anibal Santiago Torres, 34, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a controlled substance – 100 grams or more of heroin and fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance – 100 grams or more of heroin and fentanyl. Edwin Soto, 46, of Saugus, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a controlled substance – heroin and fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled their sentencings for Jan. 17, 2018, and Jan. 10, 2018, respectively.
From about April 2015 to March 2016, law enforcement investigated the drug distribution activities of Ramon Baez and his associates in and around the City of Lawrence. Baez obtained kilograms of heroin and cocaine from local suppliers and suppliers based in Mexico. Baez’s co-conspirator, Jose A. Rosario, supplied Baez with heroin, which Baez then repackaged for distribution.
Lara and Soto purchased heroin and fentanyl from Baez. On Dec. 29, 2015, law enforcement officers seized from Soto $99,200 in drug proceeds intended for Baez. On March 19, 2016, agents seized from Lara 140 grams of heroin and fentanyl supplied to him by Baez.
Baez was sentenced in June 2017 to 121 months in prison, and Rosario was sentenced in September 2017 to 22 months in prison.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the cases.
Two Brothers from Yorktown Heights Plead Guilty in Connection with Heist of over $1 Million Worth of Computers Bound for Public High School StudentsRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTON SALJANIN and GJON SALJANIN pled guilty this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith to charges associated with participating in a scheme to steal, transport, and sell a shipment of approximately 1,200 computers, valued at over $1 million, that were bound for two public high schools in New Jersey. All four defendants charged in the scheme have pled guilty. ANTON SALJANIN and GJON SALJANIN are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas in February 2018.
According to the Complaint and Superseding Indictment filed in White Plains federal court, as well as materials submitted in connection with the plea proceedings:
On or about January 15, 2014, ANTON SALJANIN, a driver for a shipping company, drove a truck from Yorktown Heights, New York, to a technology company located in Massachusetts to pick up a shipment of approximately 1,200 computers. ANTON SALJANIN brought his brother, GJON SALJANIN, with him. The computers were being shipped to two public high schools located in New Jersey, and were valued at over $1 million.
The next morning, ANTON SALJANIN reported to the Yorktown Police Department that the truck had been stolen from a parking lot located in Yorktown Heights. Later that day, ANTON SALJANIN reported to Yorktown Police that he had been driving around looking for the truck when he happened to spot it from the highway in a parking lot in Danbury, Connecticut. The truck would not have been visible in the Danbury parking lot to a driver passing by on the highway. Furthermore, historical cell site data for ANTON SALJANIN’s cellphone contradicts his claims about the route he took to look for the truck.
Yorktown Police detectives examined the truck and found that a window had been broken. The detectives found broken glass on the scene in the Danbury parking lot but found no broken glass on the scene in the Yorktown Heights parking lot, suggesting that the window had been broken at the Danbury parking lot rather than at the Yorktown Heights parking lot.
During interviews with the Yorktown Police, ANTON SALJANIN and GJON SALJANIN both falsely claimed that on the night of January 15, 2014, they drove directly from a convenience store outside of Yorktown Heights to the Yorktown Heights parking lot. Security camera footage from various locations in Yorktown Heights shows that a truck matching the description of the truck driven by the SALJANIN brothers departed from their claimed route, and instead traveled in the direction of the residence of Ujka Vulaj, a long-time friend of ANTON SALJANIN. The video surveillance footage also shows that the duration of the detour corresponds to the approximate length of time it would have taken to drive to Vulaj’s residence, unload the computers from the truck, and return to the route to the Yorktown Heights parking lot.
From in or about January 2014 through at least in or about April 2014, Vulaj sold the stolen computers, some with the help of a co-worker, Carlos Caceres. They sold the computers, which had a retail value of approximately $1,000, for far below the market price. Vulaj and Caceres charged approximately $500 to $800 in cash for each computer, and handed over each computer in plain brown cardboard packaging.
* * *
ANTON SALJANIN, 45, of Yorktown Heights, New York, pled guilty on October 18, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment, interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, and sale of stolen property, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of theft from an interstate shipment, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 6, 2018.
GJON SALJANIN, 42, of Yorktown Heights, New York, pled guilty on October 16, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment, interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, and sale of stolen property, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2018.
The SALJANINs’ co-defendants have been convicted and sentenced. Vulaj, 56, of Yorktown Heights, New York, pled guilty on June 17, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment, interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, and sale of stolen property, and was sentenced by Judge Karas on May 12, 2017, to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised released (including 6 months of home confinement). Judge Karas also ordered Vulaj to forfeit $889,424.15 in ill-gotten gains and to pay $889,424.15 in restitution.
Caceres, 39, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty on July 21, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit receipt, possession, and sale of stolen property, and was sentenced by Judge Karas on January 6, 2017, to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised released. Judge Karas also ordered Caceres to forfeit $331,188 in ill-gotten gains and to pay $331,188 in restitution.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Yorktown Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, and the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Won S. Shin, Benjamin Allee, and Scott Hartman are in charge of the prosecution.
Toledo woman sentenced to prison for theftRead the Press Release
Marita Holland, 32, of Toledo, was sentenced to a year in prison for theft of government funds, said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and IRS Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner.
Holland, in 2012, illegally received two checks from the U.S. Treasury totaling approximately $16,793, according to court documents.
Holland was ordered to pay $119,081 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Gene Crawford.
Three Men Arrested in Federal Fentanyl Sweep Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three men pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to their roles in a widespread heroin and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating in Lawrence.
Andreury Fana Burgos, 21, of Lawrence, Mass.; Melvin Weatherspoon, 58, of Rochester, N.H.; and Matthew Shover, 29, of Maine, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled the sentencings for Burgos and Weatherspoon on Feb. 13, 2018, and Jan. 30, 2018, respectively. Shover’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
On May 30, 2017, after a year-long investigation aimed at attacking the fentanyl and heroin crisis in Lawrence and surrounding areas, more than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement officers executed a federal drug sweep to dismantle a Lawrence-based drug trafficking organization allegedly run by Juan Anibal Patrone. Burgos, Weatherspoon, and Shover were arrested and charged along with Patrone and approximately 25 co-conspirators.
Burgos was a street level courier who delivered drugs to addicts at Patrone’s direction. Weatherspoon and Shover were redistributors who obtained drugs from Patrone to distribute to their own customers.
Patrone has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $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; Michal J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick made the announcement today. The DEA Cross Border Initiative, comprised of the DEA and the Andover, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, and Wilmington Police Departments, conducted the investigation jointly with the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Winkler of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Thirteen Involved in Rival Mill Creek Drug Distribution Organizations IndictedRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen announced today the indictment of thirteen individuals on charges including murder, drug trafficking, and unlawful possession and use of firearms.
For several years two drug distribution groups operated within the Mill Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia to sell crack cocaine in and around two playgrounds. One organization sold crack in a playground, commonly referred to as “the Grounds,” located near to the intersection of 52nd Street and Westminster Avenue. The second organization sold crack in a playground, commonly referred to as “the Pit,” located near to the intersection of 51st Street and Reno Street. These two areas are within close proximity to each other (merely a few blocks away) and are separated by a baseball field on Westminster Avenue, the lower boundary of “the Grounds.” “The Grounds” organization involved Robert Mack, a/k/a “Tweet,” Kenneth Riley, a/k/a “Kenny,” James Wilson, a/k/a “JT,” Clayton Roberts, a/k/a “Water,” Mark Samuel, Xavier Towel, a/k/a “Zay,” Sir Robert Keen, a/k/a “Brock,” and others. “The Pit” organization involved, Sean Gilliam, a/k/a “Shizzy-Ones,” Bryant Calloway, a/k/a “Bigs,” Sean Wilson, a/k/a “Lil Shizz,” Tonie Henderson, a/k/a “Tone,” Tyree Johnson, a/k/a “Riq,” and others.
In the summer of 2013, Bryant Calloway, a convicted felon and member of “the Pit” organization, attempted to overtake a portion of the crack sales that were occurring in “the Grounds” area. In furtherance of that effort on August 5, 2013, Bryant Calloway, and others, entered into “the Grounds” and shot and killed Brian Littles, a/k/a “BL,” who at the time was selling crack for “the Grounds” organization. Calloway killed Littles in order to attempt to expand the drug distribution area of his organization.
In response to the murder of Littles, members of “the Grounds” organization conspired to shoot Calloway. On November 22, 2013, James Wilson, a convicted felon and member of “the Grounds’” organization, shot Calloway approximately 10 times. Calloway survived the murder attempt. Within 24 hours of the shooting of Calloway, Sean Wilson, a convicted felon and member of “the Pit” organization, fired multiple shots from a firearm down a residential street near to “the Grounds.” “D.F.”, an innocent bystander who happened to be present in the area was shot and injured.
Three indictments were unsealed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Seven members of “the Grounds” organization were charged in a 16 count indictment. That indictment charges, among other offenses, a multi-year long crack distribution conspiracy, the shooting of Bryant Calloway, possession, use and discharge of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm, and multiple counts of crack distribution and distribution of crack within a protected zone.
Five members of “the Pit” organization were charged in a 31 count indictment. That indictment charges, among other offenses, a multi-year long crack distribution conspiracy, the murder of Brian Littles, the shooting of D.F., possession, use and discharge of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm, and multiple counts of crack distribution and distribution of crack within a protected zone.
Also, a two count indictment was filed against Marcus Royster who, during the ATF investigation, sold over 28 grams of crack cocaine to a confidential informant within a protected zone.
“The alleged acts of those charged here illustrate the threat to our communities posed by the violent crime that goes hand in hand with drug distribution,” said Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. ”The violence knows no boundaries, nor does it respect protected zones, like community playgrounds, that should be safe spaces. Through the cooperation between federal and local officials in cases like this, we remain committed to significant prosecutions that will make our communities safer.”
“The ATF is committed to working with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to target violent drug trafficking organizations that are responsible for drug trafficking and related gun violence in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Cekada. “These indictments are a perfect example of the collaborative effort between the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department to target violent offenders.”
“This investigation, along with the resultant arrests, is a fine example of great collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross, Jr. “We appreciate all of our law enforcement partners in our collective effort to keep our city safe.”
If convicted the defendants face lengthy terms of imprisonment. Bryant Calloway, Kenneth Riley, and James Wilson, each face a mandatory minimum term of 30 years imprisonment and a maximum of life. Sean Gilliam and Robert Mack each face a mandatory minimum term of 25 years imprisonment and a maximum of life. Sean Wilson, Tyree Johnson, Clayton Roberts, Xavier Towel, Sir Robert Keen, and Marcus Royster each face a mandatory minimum term of 20 years imprisonment and a maximum of life. Tonie Henderson and Mark Samuel each face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life. Each defendant also faces multiple years of post-release supervision, potential fines and special assessments.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department, investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Ortiz and Seth Schlessinger.
Texas Man Indicted for "Sextorting" Minors in IllinoisRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Texas man was indicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Peoria, Illinois, on charges related to the production of child pornography involving four minor victims, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Hansen of the Central District of Illinois.
Mark P. Barnwell, 35 of Whitehouse, Texas, was indicted on four counts of production of child pornography and one count of being required to register as a sex offender while committing a sex-related felony involving a minor. Barnwell was initially arrested on Oct. 3, in Whitehouse, Texas on a federal criminal complaint.
According to the indictment, from September 2016 through November 2016, Barnwell employed, used, persuaded, coerced, and enticed four different minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Further, according to the Indictment, Barnwell committed a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charges are the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, the Peoria Police Department and the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald Hanna and Katherine Legge of the Central District of Illinois and Trial Attorney William Grady of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Tax Return Preparer Charged in 21-Count Tax Fraud IndictmentRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Ernest Ray Lewis with 17 counts of aiding and assisting in the filing false of tax returns, and 4 counts of failing to file a tax return. Each aiding and assisting offense carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment. Each failing to file a tax return offense carries a penalty of up to one year in prison.
According to the indictment, Lewis worked at a tax return preparation business in Jacksonville. The indictment alleges that Lewis knowingly reported false information on customers’ income tax returns, including false claims for business losses and dependent exemptions, which decreased the amount of money owed by the customers to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and increased the amount of tax refunds received by the customers from the IRS. The indictment specifically alleges that Lewis filed 17 false returns on behalf of 10 taxpayers for the years 2012 through 2015.
The indictment also alleges that Lewis was required to file a tax return reporting his own income for each of the years, from 2012 through 2015, but failed to do so.
The owner of the tax return preparation business (Elizabeth M. Jordan) and her daughter (Dolores A. Youmans), who worked as a preparer at the business, were also indicted on June 30, 2016, with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and aiding and assisting others with the filing of false tax returns. Their cases remain pending.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Taos County Man Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Oxycodone Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joseph Cordova, 31, of Chamisal, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a 48-month prison term followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on an Oxycodone trafficking charge. The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Borak of the El Paso Division of the DEA, and New Mexico State Police Chief Pete N. Kassetas.
Cordova appeared in court on Sept. 30, 2016, on an indictment charging him with possessing Oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and methadone with intent to distribute. The indictment alleged that Cordova committed the crimes on June 5, 2016, in Taos County, N.M.
On June 5, 2017, Cordova pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with possessing Oxycodone with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Cordova admitted that on June 5, 2016, officers of the New Mexico State Police found more than 1,000 Oxycodone pills while searching Cordova’s vehicle. Cordova admitted that he intended to distribute the pills to others.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Eicker prosecuted the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempting to Join Jabhat al-Nusrah in SyriaRead the Press Release
Abdella Ahmad Tounisi, 23, of Aurora, Illinois, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, and a lifetime of supervised release, for attempting to travel overseas to Syria to join Jabhat al-Nusrah, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente, Acting U.S. Attorney Joel R. Levin for the Northern District of Illinois and Acting Special Agent in Charge John P. Selleck of the FBI’s Chicago field office made the announcement. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan.
Tounisi was arrested at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago in April 2013 as he attempted to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. Tounisi had spent four months conducting online research related to overseas travel and violent jihad, focusing specifically on Syria and the violent Jabhat al-Nusrah terrorist organization.
Tounisi pleaded guilty in 2015 to one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. According to his plea agreement, Tounisi in early 2013 made online contact with an individual he believed to be a recruiter for Jabhat al-Nusrah. He and the purported recruiter exchanged a series of emails, during which Tounisi shared his plan to go to Syria by way of Turkey, as well as his willingness to fight for the jihadist cause, the plea agreement states. Unbeknownst to Tounisi, the purported recruiter was actually an FBI employee.
Tounisi, a U.S. citizen, requested an expedited passport and purchased an airline ticket for the flight from Chicago to Istanbul. He arrived at O’Hare on the evening of April 19, 2013, and was arrested after passing through security in the international terminal.
The defendant was a close friend of Adel Daoud, of Hillside, Illinois, who was arrested on Sept. 14, 2012, for allegedly attempting to detonate a bomb outside a bar in downtown Chicago. Tounisi recommended certain attack techniques to Daoud but ultimately decided against participating in the attack. Daoud was charged separately and is awaiting trial in federal court in Chicago.
The investigation was led by the Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of Special Agents of the FBI, officers of the Chicago Police Department and representatives from an additional 20 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas of the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Lolita Lukose of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Join Jabhat Al-Nusrah in SyriaRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge today sentenced a suburban Chicago man to 15 years in prison for attempting to travel overseas to join a jihadist militant group in Syria.
ABDELLA AHMAD TOUNISI, 23, of Aurora, Ill., was arrested at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago in April 2013 as he attempted to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. Tounisi had spent four months conducting online research related to overseas travel and violent jihad, focusing specifically on Syria and the violent Jabhat al-Nusrah terrorist organization.
Tounisi pleaded guilty in 2015 to one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan imposed the sentence in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and John P. Selleck, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation was led by the Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of Special Agents of the FBI, officers of the Chicago Police Department, and representatives from an additional 20 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
According to his plea agreement, Tounisi in early 2013 made online contact with an individual he believed to be a recruiter for Jabhat al-Nusrah. He and the purported recruiter exchanged a series of emails, during which Tounisi shared his plan to go to Syria by way of Turkey, as well as his willingness to fight for the jihadist cause, the plea agreement states. Unbeknownst to Tounisi, the purported recruiter was actually an FBI employee.
Tounisi, a U.S. citizen, requested an expedited passport and purchased an airline ticket for the flight from Chicago to Istanbul. He arrived at O’Hare on the evening of April 19, 2013, and was arrested after passing through security in the international terminal.
Tounisi was a close friend of Adel Daoud, of Hillside, Ill., who was arrested on Sept. 14, 2012, for allegedly attempting to detonate a bomb outside a bar in downtown Chicago. Tounisi recommended certain attack techniques to Daoud but ultimately decided against participating in the attack. Daoud was charged separately and is awaiting trial in federal court in Chicago.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Lolita Lukose of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Springfield Sex Offender Sentenced for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., sex offender was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Robbie R. Robinson, 29, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to seven years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Robinson to a three-year term of supervised release following incarceration, with the special condition that he register as a sex offender as required by state and federal law.
On June 1, 2017, Robinson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Robinson admitted that he was in possession of a loaded CW9 9mm pistol on Oct. 13, 2016.
Springfield police officers contacted Robinson at a local Wal-Mart store on that date and discovered an active warrant for his arrest. Officers asked Robinson if he possessed any weapons, and he admitted he was in possession of the pistol. An officer frisked Robinson and found the pistol in his front right pants pocket.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Robinson has prior felony convictions for the attempted rape of a child and failure to register as a sex offender. Robinson was not registered, as required by law, at the time of the offense.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man identified during an online live-streaming session was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography.
Michael V. Lucas, 32, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Lucas to a 15-year term of supervised released following incarceration.
Lucas, who pleaded guilty on May 3, 2017, admitted that he received and distributed child pornography from Jan. 1, 2016, to Sept. 22, 2016.
According to court documents, a federal law enforcement agent in Phoenix, Ariz., encountered a person later identified as Lucas among the participants who were live streaming images and videos of child pornography over the Internet on Sept. 15, 2016. During the live-streaming session, Lucas claimed to have molested two 13- and 16-year-old victims and said he would attempt to broadcast a future sexual encounter with the victims.
Lucas was partially visible in a reflection during the live stream. The federal agent engaged in two additional live-streaming sessions that day in which Lucas participated and continued to share images and videos of child pornography.
On Sept. 19, 2016, Lucas was identified by the agent posting messages in a known pedophile group. These messages described the number of videos he possessed as well as advertising his new Skype group. Lucas was live streaming videos of child pornography and his reflection could be seen. Lucas also shared two links to a Dropbox account that contained images of child pornography and claimed that he was in possession of more than 1,000 videos of child pornography.
On Sept. 20, 2016, Lucas was live streaming and moved the position of the camera to show his face. Lucas also displayed a handgun and loaded magazine for the weapon during the course of the stream.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lucas’s residence on Sept. 22, 2016, and Lucas was arrested.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
South Hills Man Sentenced to Prison for Committing Ticket ScamRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day in prison on his conviction of wire fraud, to be followed by a consecutive term of imprisonment of four months for a supervised release violation for a previous conviction, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Daniel J. Isabella, Jr., 34, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on or about April 5, 2014, while on pretrial release, Isabella falsely represented to have tickets to entertainment events to potential purchasers on Craigslist. He would then have potential purchasers wire money for these tickets, but Isabella did not provide any tickets. Additionally, on August 11, September 16, and September 28, Isabella was found to have violated his conditions of supervised release for a previous conviction for similar conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Song commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Isabella.
Six Previously Deported Aliens Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that six previously deported aliens were indicted separately on October 18, 2017, by a federal grand jury for illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Gustavo Reyes-Bejarano, age 33, of Honduras, is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after June 2011, and was found in the United States in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Lorenzo Sanchez-Ramos, age 28, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States in September 2013. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after September 2013, and was found in the United States in Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Carlos Pena-Pena, age 39, of Honduras, was previously deported from the United States to Honduras in August 2007. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after August 2007, and was found in the United States in Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Jorge Vazquez-Guzman, age 28, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in July 2013. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after July 2013, and was found in the United States in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Rodolfo Rueda-Varedo, age 46, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2014. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after April 2014, and was found in the United States in Columbia County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Heriberto Moreno-Vasquez, age 31, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2016. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after April 2016, and was found in the United States in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Scheme to Smuggle Illegal Fishing Profits AbroadRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bristol County Sheriff’s Deputy was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for smuggling the profits of an over-fishing scheme to Portugal.
Antonio Freitas, 47, of Taunton, a Sheriff’s Deputy with the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office and a long-time Task Force Officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. In July 2017, Freitas was convicted by a federal jury of one count of bulk cash smuggling and one count of structuring the export of U.S. currency.
On Feb. 5, 2016, Freitas smuggled $17,500 through airport security and later deposited the money in a Portuguese bank account belonging to Carlos Rafael, the owner of Carlos Seafood Inc. Rafael owned 32 fishing vessels and 44 permits, which amounted to one of the largest commercial fishing businesses in the United States. From 2012 to January 2016, Rafael routinely lied to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about the quantity and species of fish his boats caught in order to evade federal quotas designed to guarantee the sustainability of certain fish species. He also submitted false records to federal regulators, and sold most of the fish his vessels caught to a wholesale business in New York City in exchange for bags of cash. During meetings with the undercover agents, Rafael said that in dealings with the New York buyer he received $668,000 in cash, and that he then had the cash smuggled to Portugal to avoid U.S. taxation.
In September 2017, Rafael was sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release, during which time he is banned from working in the fishing industry. The Court also ordered Rafael to pay a fine of $200,000, restitution of $108,929, and to forfeit four fishing vessels and associated permits.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Rear Admiral Steven D. Poulin, Commander of the First Coast Guard District; Timothy Donovan, Assistant Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement; Mark Tasky, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Washington Field Office; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew E. Lelling and David G. Tobin, of Weinreb’s Criminal Division.
Seven More Defendants Charged in Food Program FraudRead the Press Release
A federal indictment was unsealed today charging seven more individuals for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), announced Donald Q. Cochran, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
On October 11, 2017, a federal grand jury in Nashville returned an indictment charging the following individuals with conspiracy to commit wire fraud:
Alice Dunlap, 62, of Murfreesboro, Tenn.;
Adrian Jennings, 23, of Madison, Tenn.,
Brian Jennings, 46, of Springfield, Tenn.;
Clarissa Jennings, 35, of Springfield, Tenn.;
Juanita Mitchell, 61, of Murfreesboro, Tenn.;
Nicole Golden, 41, of Hendersonville, Tenn.; and
Patsy Mathis, 73, of Knoxville, Tenn.
According to the indictment, these defendants claimed to be childcare providers and made application to participate as CACFP home childcare providers through All About Giving, Inc., the CACFP sponsor organization. The indictment also alleges that with the exception of Juanita Mitchell, all defendants are relatives or family members of LaShane Hayes, the founder of All About Giving, Inc.
The CACFP was created to reimburse child care providers for meals served to low-income children and other qualifying individuals. The program is funded by the USDA and administered in Tennessee by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). The USDA and the TDHS utilize program sponsor organizations to enlist childcare providers into the program; communicate the total amount of reimbursement funds the sponsor organization’s providers were entitled to receive each month to the TDHS; and distribute reimbursement funds to childcare providers.
The indictment further alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators, including Hayes, defrauded the program in a number of ways, including by overstating the number of All About Giving providers who actually furnished meals to children; by overstating the number of children who received meals from All About Giving providers in order to receive more program funds from the TDHS; and by cashing CACFP reimbursement checks and returning a portion of the money to Hayes.
Finally, the indictment alleges that between March 2015 and July 2016, the number of providers that All About Giving claimed reimbursement for grew from six to 75 and as of July 2016, All About Giving had received a total of $2,114,239 of CACFP funds from TDHS. The indictment alleges that each defendant received between $11,000 and $41,000 during this period.
LaShayne Hayes pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy earlier this year and admitted stealing more than $1.5 million of program funds. She was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger in April of this year to three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. They also face forfeiture of the proceeds of their offenses.
An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis.
Sentencings for October 13 - 18, 2017Read the Press Release
Adrian Ray Salinas, 32, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 18, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Salinas was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 33 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Steven Mathew King, 44, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 16, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of firearms. King was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $400.00 in restitution and a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Tommy Ambrosio Hernandez, 48, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 16, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Hernandez was arrested in Sacramento, California. He received 63 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sallie E. Caraway, 51, of Jerome, Idaho, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 16, 2017, for aiding and assisting in preparation of fraudulent tax returns. Caraway was arrested in Boise, Idaho. She received six months of imprisonment, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.
Ivan Padilla, 30, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 16, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Terry Lee Jervah, 59, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 13, 2017, for bank robbery. Jervah was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 32 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. Restitution will be determined at a later date. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Juan Antonio Bautista, 25, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 13, 2017, for distribution of methamphetamine and for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Bautista was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 54 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $250.00 in restitution and a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Salt Lake City Man and Chicago Man Convicted of Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – A jury voted yesterday to convict two men of conspiring to defraud the Laurentian Aerospace Corporation (“Laurentian”) of $2.5 million.
Keith Eric Jergensen, age 58, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Debashis Ghosh, age 53, of Chicago Illinois, were found guilty following a 7-day trial before United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Syracuse.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “Jergensen and Ghosh stole $2.5 million from a group of people who founded Laurentian with the hope of building a new business in the North Country. Jergensen and Ghosh quickly gained their victims’ trust, and just as quickly abused it by taking their money and then lying to them about what had occurred. They strung their victims along for years with false promises that their money would be returned. Yesterday’s verdict brought them to justice, brought justice to their victims, and demonstrates our commitment to investigating and prosecuting financial crime.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Vadim D. Thomas stated: “Jergensen and Ghosh abused their investors’ trust, as well as their money. The FBI is dedicated to investigating these crimes because of their lasting impact on the lives of the victims and our community as a whole. Jergensen and Ghosh will now face the serious consequences of their fraudulent actions.”
Judge Sannes is scheduled to sentence the defendants on February 16, 2018. They each face up to 20 years in prison, 2 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine. They may also be ordered to pay restitution to their victims. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The evidence at trial demonstrated that Jergensen and Ghosh were Co-Chief Executive Officers of Verdant Capital Group, LLC (“Verdant”), based in Chicago. Laurentian retained Verdant to raise funds for the construction of an airplane maintenance, repair and overhaul facility to be built in Plattsburgh, New York.
Jergensen and Ghosh asked Laurentian to invest $2.5 million as seed money for the project. They and Laurentian agreed that this money would remain in a Wells Fargo account and could not be moved without the authorization of Laurentian.
Laurentian, drawing on funds contributed by its board members and one outside investor, wired $2.5 million into the Wells Fargo account on December 3, 2010. Five days later, Jergensen and Ghosh began transferring the money out of the account without Laurentian’s authorization, and by March 18, 2011 they had transferred all of the $2.5 million out of the account.
Jergensen and Ghosh used Laurentian’s $2.5 million to pay Verdant’s expenses including employees and contractors, and to pay others, including payments totaling $1.75 million to a now-defunct wind turbine company that Ghosh was a minority owner of; transfers of $96,500 to Jergensen’s company Contour Composites, Inc. of Utah; a $55,000 “loan” to a friend; and payments totaling $14,500 to an Arizona man who was promising them access to union pension funds.
Having spent the money, and as part of their conspiracy, Jergensen and Ghosh then spent several years falsely assuring Laurentian and its investors that their money was safe and secure, with Jergensen going so far as to forge a memorandum of understanding that purported to show that Laurentian’s money was in a secured bank account at Wells Fargo. The victim investors included a retired United States Air Force colonel, a former New York City Deputy Mayor, a retired law firm partner, and several retired executives from the financial and airline industries.The evidence at trial also demonstrated that Jergensen and Ghosh misappropriated an additional $2.4 million in funds that other businesses had entrusted to them.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Oxycodone then Distributing ItRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH-A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has pleaded in federal court to charges of Obtaining Controlled Substance by Fraud, and Distribution of Oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Carl T. Wilson, age 50, of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, from late 2015 to March 2017, Wilson knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully obtained a controlled substance, namely oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, by misrepresentations, fraud and deception. Also, on March 27, 2017, Wilson knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully possessed with intent to distribute and distributed oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2018 at 9a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 24 years, a fine of $1,250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Carl T. Wilson.
Pimp Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Minor Across United StatesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking a 16-year-old girl throughout the United States.
According to court documents, Andrew Lee Thompson II, aka “Slim,” 34, met the minor victim in Arizona and began sex trafficking her with his two co-defendants, Delberta McKenzie and Rachel Robillard. Thompson posted prostitution advertisements on the Internet, and from February through June 2017, he drove and flew the minor victim across the country for prostitution, including to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. After the prostitution dates, he collected all the money.
While in Arlington, a security guard called police after seeing multiple men go in and out of two rooms at a hotel on Glebe Road. When law enforcement investigated, they found evidence of prostitution related activity in the hotel rooms and recovered the minor victim. After arresting Thompson, law enforcement found tattoos on his body bragging about his pimping activities, including on his arm and across his chest.
Thompson pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on Feb. 9, 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, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and M. Jay Farr, Chief of Arlington County Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen C. Cain is 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. 1:17-cr-168.
Owners of South Bay Business Charged with Visa Fraud Conspiracy and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Jennifer Yang and her business partner Daniel Wu were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and a number of related crimes in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits through the government’s “EB-5” visa program, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch; U.S. State Department, Diplomatic Security Service, San Francisco Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matthew Perlman; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin. The superseding indictment alleges that Yang and Wu submitted to the government fraudulent documents that claimed applicants were creating new commercial enterprises when, in fact, the documents contained information about fake jobs and bogus investments.
The charges are set out in a superseding indictment filed October 12, 2017. As described in the superseding indictment, the EB-5 visa program is administered by the U.S. government through both the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. The program enables foreigners and their immediate family members to obtain a path to Legal Permanent Residency (“LPR”) in the United States by investing in a commercial enterprise. The investment must amount to $1,000,000—or $500,000 if made in certain geographical areas with low employment rates. An applicant may be able to obtain full LPR status after two years, if the commercial enterprise complies with certain regulations, including the requirement to create 10 or more jobs.
According to the superseding indictment, Yang, 50, of Palo Alto, is a licensed member of Bar of the District of Columbia. She held herself out as a legal specialist for persons interested in applying for EB-5 visa benefits. Since 2007 and until 2016, the defendants filed EB-5 visa petitions for at least seven foreign investors who supplied Yang and Wu, 54, of Las Vegas, with at least four-million dollars for the stated purpose of investment into a commercial enterprise. Nevertheless, instead of making legitimate investments that created real jobs, the superseding indictment alleges the defendants created and submitted fraudulent records to deceive the government into issuing benefits on the basis of fake employees. In at least some cases, the information about the bogus employees was created using the personal identifying information of third-parties, without the third-party individuals’ knowledge. Further, the superseding indictment alleges the defendants created documents that misstated the true manner in which the investment monies were used, which in some cases was not for the new enterprises, but instead for the personal benefit of defendants. In this way, the superseding indictment alleges, defendants obtained benefits for clients based on jobs and businesses that did not, in fact, exist.
Yang and Wu both are charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit visa fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; three counts of visa fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a); two counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341; and two counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. In addition, Yang is charged with two counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants, including Yang and Wu, are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants face the following maximum sentences:
DEFENDANT
STATUTE
CHARGE
MAXIMUM PENALTY
Yang and Wu
18 U.S.C. § 371
Conspiracy to Commit Visa Fraud, Mail Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and to Defraud the United States
Maximum term of imprisonment: 5 years
Maximum fine: $250,000
Maximum term of supervised release: 3 years
Restitution
Forfeiture
Yang and Wu
18 U.S.C. § 1546(a)
Visa Fraud
Maximum term of imprisonment: 10 years
Maximum fine: $250,000
Maximum term of supervised release: 3 years
Restitution
Forfeiture
Yang and Wu
18 U.S.C. § 1341
Mail Fraud
Maximum term of imprisonment: 20 years
Maximum fine: $250,000 Maximum term of supervised release: 3 years
Restitution
Forfeiture
Yang and Wu
18 U.S.C. § 1028A
Aggravated Identity Theft
Maximum term of imprisonment: 2 years (to run consecutive to any other underlying felony)
Maximum fine: $250,000
Maximum term of supervised release: 3 years
Yang
18 U.S.C. 1957
Money Laundering
Maximun prison sentence: 10 years
Maximum fine: $500,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater
Maximum term of supervised release: 3 years
Restitution
Both defendants made an initial appearance today before the Honorable Nathanael Cousins, United States Magistrate Judge, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The defendants were released, each on a $500,000 bond. A hearing for review of the bond conditions was scheduled for November 1, 2017, at 1:30 pm before the Honorable Howard R. Lloyd, U.S. Magistrate Judge. In addition, a hearing before U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh is scheduled for December 20, 2017.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Lucey is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation led by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service’s representative to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), overseen by the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations. The DBFTF is a multi-agency task force that coordinates investigations into fraudulent immigration documents. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Office of Fraud Detection and National Security also assisted with the investigation.
Ohio Man Indicted for Cheating NFL Players in $25,000 Charity ScamRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that an Ohio man who defrauded multiple NFL players – including a player for the Kansas City Chiefs – out of nearly $25,000 earmarked for charitable causes, has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Camario A. Richardson, 38, of Maple Heights, Ohio, was charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 13, 2017. That indictment was unsealed and made public upon Richardson’s arrest in Ohio on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017, and his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio. Richardson is scheduled to appear at 1 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2017, in the Western District of Missouri for subsequent court proceedings.
The federal indictment charges Richardson with one count of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, Richardson claimed to have contacts with Nike and agreed to deliver Nike-branded merchandise to five NFL players. None of the victim players are identified by name in court documents.
Richardson allegedly told a Kansas City Chiefs player that he could provide 300 Nike-branded backpacks for a “Book Bag Giveaway” charitable event for children in need of a school backpack at the start of the 2016 school year. Richardson was paid $6,000 for the backpacks in April 2016, the indictment says, but failed to deliver them.
The indictment alleges that Richardson engaged in the same fraud scheme by taking thousands of dollars from the players of three other NFL teams, all as payment for backpacks those players planned to give away at similar charitable events. As a result of Richardson’s fraud scheme, the indictment says, all four victim players purchased backpacks from another source for their charitable events.
The indictment also alleges that Richardson engaged in a fraud scheme by taking money from another NFL player as payment for athletic shoes that he failed to provide.
In June 2016, Richardson allegedly took $6,480 from a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player and $6,480 from an Indianapolis Colts player, each of whom were promised 300 backpacks that Richardson failed to deliver, and $4,320 from a Cincinnati Bengals player who was promised 200 backpacks that Richardson failed to deliver. In March 2016, Richardson allegedly took $1,500 from a San Diego Chargers player for athletic shoes that Richardson failed to deliver. Richardson’s fraud scheme resulted in a total loss of approximately $24,780.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.This case is being prosecuted by Criminal Division Chief Gene Porter. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.
Nigerian Citizen Convicted of Defrauding U.S. Victims in Multi-Million Dollar SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 29-year-old Nigerian man who was residing in Houston has pleaded guilty to perpetuating a wire fraud scheme involving various Internet scams, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Idowa Olugbenga Temetan aka David Cole pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud.
From October 2013 until March 2014, Temetan used counterfeit passports to open bank accounts in the greater Houston area. The passports contained photographs of Temetan but utilized the alias of David Cole. He then worked with others to lure victims into sending money into these bank accounts. These funds were obtained through a variety of internet scams, including lottery scams and business investment scams. Checks or wire transfers were then sent from the victims’ bank accounts to accounts Temetan or others controlled. Temetan and his co-conspirators would then use the counterfeit passports to retrieve the fraudulently obtained funds.
Law enforcement has been able to trace at least $4 million to victims, some of whom who reside in Houston, that have been affected by this scheme. Temetan defrauded one victim of $3 million alone. After authorities identified this victim, they were able to trace the accounts into which the monies were being deposited.
Authorities arrested Temetan in Las Vegas, Nevada, while he was withdrawing cash from the account. Upon his arrest, law enforcement also obtained a fraudulent passport he was using under the name of David Cole.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake accepted the guilty plea and has set sentencing for Feb. 2, 2018. At that time, Temetan faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine. Temetan is in custody pending that hearing.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie N. Searle is prosecuting the case.
New Jersey Man Charged with Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Border Patrol Swanton Sector announce that Jose Moreira De Sousa, 51, a naturalized U.S. citizen who lives in Newark, N.J., appeared yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington on a charge that he transported two illegal aliens within the United States. U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy released the defendant on conditions pending his next court hearing in early November.
According to the criminal complaint that was filed yesterday, on the morning of October 17, a concerned citizen notified agents at the Beecher Falls Border Patrol station that a suspicious person driving an Audi with New Jersey license plates was stopped at a cabin on the U.S. –Canadian border. Agents identified the driver as Moreira De Sousa and determined that he had legally entered the United States from Canada earlier that day.
Agents surveilled Moreira De Sousa, who appeared to be alone, in the vicinity of the cabin and followed him to a local restaurant, where he bought coffee and muffins for three persons. He then returned to the cabin. Shortly thereafter, Moreira De Sousa and two other men emerged from the cabin and got into the defendant’s Audi. Agents followed the car as it drove away. When the vehicle pulled to the side of the road, agents approached and determined that Moreira De Sousa was a U.S. citizen and that the two occupants were Portuguese nationals who admitted to illegally walking across the border into the United States, with Moreira De Sousa’s assistance, a few hours before.
“This case highlights our ongoing partnership with the local community,” said U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Pfeifer. “Public safety is everyone’s responsibility, and in this case a concerned citizen observed suspicious activity and took the time to report it.”
The Office of the United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. If convicted, Moreira De Sousa faces up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
The Swanton Sector Border Patrol is responsible for securing the land border between ports of entry in Vermont as well as New Hampshire and northeastern New York. The assistance of citizens is invaluable in helping the U.S. Border Patrol accomplish their border security mission and they welcome community members to help them keep our nation’s borders safe by reporting suspicious activity at 1-800-689-3362.
For more on CBP’s mission at our nation’s ports of entry with CBP officers and along U.S. borders with Border Patrol agents, please visit the Border Security section of the CBP website.
Moreira De Sousa was represented at the hearing by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.New Jersey Corrections Officer Charged with Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A corrections officer with the N.J. Department of Corrections was arrested and charged today with receiving images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Stephen Salamak, 37, of Lodi, New Jersey, was arrested at his home by special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and charged by complaint with one count of receiving child pornography. Salamak made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson. He was released on $125,000 unsecured bond, with home confinement and electronic location monitoring.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Salamak used email to seek and obtain images of child sexual abuse, including images of prepubescent children.
The charge of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of ICE HSI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Debra Parker; and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal, with the investigation leading to today’s charge and arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that TERENCE GARRETT, 46, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a loaded handgun.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement received information that GARRETT was selling heroin out a Shelton Avenue apartment, and that he was in possession of a firearm. On October 13, 2016, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the apartment and seized a .25 caliber pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition. Investigators also seized 12 bags of heroin and a digital scale. GARRETT was arrested at that time.
GARRETT’s criminal history includes 11 felony convictions, including two convictions for possessing a firearm without a permit, and two convictions for carrying a dangerous weapon.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
GARRETT has been detained since his arrest. On April 12, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Jennifer Laraia.