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Friday 25 August 2017
Hitchita Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that JIMMIE JOHN LIKOWSKI, age 48, of Hitchita, Oklahoma, pled guilty to FELON IN POSSESSION OF FIREARM AND AMMUNITION, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about May 21, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, JIMMIE JOHN LIKOWSKI, a/k/a Jimmy John Likowski, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney John David Luton represented the United States.
Ft. Thompson Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Ft. Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on August 21, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Matthew Long Crow, age 39, was sentenced to 120 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Long Crow was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 12, 2016. He pled guilty on May 24, 2017.
The conviction stems from an incident occurring between March 10, 2016, and March 19, 2016, when Long Crow assaulted his girlfriend, and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Long Crow was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Four indicted for distributing heroin in North GeorgiaRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Michelle Dawn Dorsey, Nigel Alan Waddell, and Tyler Josiah Matthews have been arraigned on federal charges of trafficking in heroin. A fourth defendant, Derrik Omar Frazier, was arraigned on July 20, 2017.
“The indictment brought against these defendants is the result of a two-year, joint federal-state investigation by law enforcement to take down a significant heroin distribution network operating between communities in North Georgia and the Atlanta area,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “Heroin and fentanyl are poisoning our communities, and the overdoses and deaths are climbing in truly alarming numbers. Our office, along with state and local law enforcement agencies, are taking a strong stance against those who deal heroin and opiates.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: Dorsey, Waddell, Matthews and Frazier allegedly conspired to distribute heroin in North Georgia. Dorsey and Waddell sold quantities of heroin in White and Habersham Counties. They obtained the heroin primarily from Frazier. Matthews worked for Dorsey and was responsible for transporting heroin from Frazier’s residence in Stone Mountain, Georgia, to Dorsey’s residence in Demorest, also in Georgia.
Two heroin users allegedly overdosed on heroin they obtained from Dorsey, but they were revived after being administered Naloxone by emergency medical personnel in White County in one instance and Habersham County in the other. Naloxone is used to treat narcotic overdoses as it can reverse the effects of an overdose in most cases. Both overdose victims likely would have died, but for the life saving measures taken by medical professionals.
The overdose victims in this case were transported to medical facilities by friends who were also in possession of heroin. However, those individuals have not been charged with any offense. Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law protects individuals from arrest, prosecution, and conviction of certain drug offenses if the evidence of their drug crime results from the individuals seeking medical assistance for someone thought to be suffering from a drug overdose. The defendants named in this indictment were not present at the time of the overdoses nor did they seek medical assistance for the victims. In keeping with the spirit of Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) want the public to trust that those seeking to provide aid to overdose victims will not be targeted for investigation and/or prosecution.
On July 20, 2017, in conjunction with Frazier’s arrest at his residence in Stone Mountain, agents with the ARDEO and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office executed a search warrant. The agents seized one ounce of heroin, one ounce of methamphetamine, one ounce of cocaine, and a cache of firearms.
Michelle Dawn Dorsey, 45, of Demorest, Georgia, Nigel Alan Waddell, 28, of Cornelia, Georgia, and Tyler Josiah Matthews, 26, of Cleveland, Georgia, were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Clay Fuller. Dorsey, Waddell, Matthews and Derrik Omar Frazier, 42, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, were indicted by a federal grand jury on July 12, 2017.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. Each defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove each defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office. The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office is a multi-agency unit that consists of the following Sheriff’s Offices: White County, Lumpkin County, Towns County, Banks County, Habersham County, Stephens County, Rabun County and Franklin County, along with the Cleveland Police Department, Lavonia Police Department, the Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, the Department of Public Safety,, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William L. McKinnon, Jr. and Nicholas Hartigan are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Four Charged in Large Scale Heroin/Fentanyl Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Yarmouthport brothers, a Dominican national, and a Boston man were charged with running a large-scale heroin and fentanyl trafficking operation in Boston and on Cape Cod. Hundreds of fentanyl pills designed to look like oxycodone pills were allegedly trafficked by the defendants.
Alex Fraga, 25, the proprietor of Scottie’s Pizza in Hyannis, was charged with one count of possession of fentanyl/heroin with intent to distribute and two counts of attempted possession of fentanyl/heroin with intent to distribute. Kevin Fraga, 24, was charged with one count of possession of fentanyl/heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute and two counts of attempted possession of fentanyl/heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute. They were both arrested on Aug. 17, 2017.
Jose Solivan, 40, a/k/a Kevin Nunez, a Dominican national residing in Boston, and James Ramirez, 55, of Boston, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. Both men were arrested on Aug. 22, 2017. At his initial appearance, Solivan told the court that his real name was Kevin Nunez.
According to court documents, law enforcement conducted a long-term wiretap investigation into narcotics trafficking on Cape Cod. Through these wiretaps, investigators learned that Ramirez, together with others, including Solivan, was supplying the Fraga brothers with large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine for further distribution. Ramirez delivered the drugs to the Fraga brothers in Hyannis using vehicles specially outfitted with “hides” to conceal the drugs from law enforcement.
“Large-scale narcotics trafficking in Massachusetts is destroying lives and entire communities,” said Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb." This was an important investigation that led investigators from Boston to Cape Cod and removed suspected deadly fentanyl-laced pills from the streets. Those pills would have put lives at risk. My office remains committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to stem the tide of drugs that is flooding our neighborhoods.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling large-scale drug trafficking organizations like this one,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “It is alleged that this organization was responsible for distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl and heroin throughout the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. As we all know, fentanyl and heroin are causing deaths across the Commonwealth in record numbers and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue those who distribute these poisons in order to profit and destroy people’s lives and wreak havoc in our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, state and federal law enforcement efforts in the Bay State and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek and bring to justice anyone who engages in these crimes.”
“I commend our state troopers and members of our partner agencies who worked diligently to collect evidence that led to these charges,” said Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police. “This outcome will have a positive impact on the flow of dangerous opioids and opiates on the Cape.”
It is alleged that in June and July 2017, investigators made three controlled purchases from Ramirez. Each transaction included the purchase of 100 fentanyl pills designed to look like oxycodone pills. Each 100 pack of pills contained approximately 10 grams of fentanyl. It is further alleged that wiretaps from early July through Aug. 22, 2017, show consistent drug trafficking activity by Ramirez, who worked with Solivan to distribute narcotics. Specifically, on July 8, 2017, Ramirez delivered a kilogram of narcotics and fentanyl pills to Kevin Fraga on Cape Cod.
It is alleged that Ramirez and Kevin Fraga met in Hyannis on Aug. 16, 2017. After their meeting, investigators stopped Kevin Fraga’s vehicle for a traffic violation. Investigators then obtained federal search warrants for Fraga’s vehicle, a hotel room at the Best Western in Hyannis, the Fragas’ residence in Yarmouthport, and a Winnebago owned by Kevin Fraga. During a search of the Winnebago, investigators seized three kilograms of heroin, fentanyl pills, and a firearm; during the search of the hotel room, investigators seized approximately 59 grams of cocaine, approximately 87 grams of a fentanyl/heroin mixture, and a digital scale; during the search of the Fragas’ home, investigators seized approximately 30 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture as well as another digital scale; and during the search of Kevin Fraga’s vehicle, investigators seized approximately 165 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, 136 grams of fentanyl, 200 fentanyl pills packaged to look like oxycodone, another 25-gram bag of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, and a stack of U.S. dollars. Investigators further recovered more than 1,200 fentanyl pills from Ramirez’s residence and over 50 grams of heroin from Solivan. The drug contents are suspected pending final laboratory analysis.
All of the charges against the Fraga brothers, Ramirez and Solivan carry a potential sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years to life 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; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe made the announcement today. The investigation was led by the DEA Cape Cod Resident Office and the Massachusetts State Police - Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Brewster, Harwich, Sandwich, Mashpee, Chatham, Yarmouth, and Barnstable Police Departments and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on August 21, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Gordon Bagola, age 62, was sentenced to 24 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bagola was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 15, 2017. He pled guilty on June 1, 2017.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on July 31, 2016, when Bagola stabbed his son in the back with a knife, and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Bagola was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former political candidate sentenced to prison for stealing federal fundsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Kevin Edwards, a former political candidate and nightclub owner, has been sentenced to two years, three months in federal prison for stealing federal funds administered by the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA).
“Edwards stole over $600,000 in grant funds intended to train unemployed Atlanta citizens,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “He chose to steal money rather than training employees for long term employment. The federal government lost valuable grant funds, and those seeking job training were cheated out of an opportunity to obtain job skills.”
“The U.S. Department of Labor entrusted Edwards to provide training services to those in Atlanta affected by unemployment. Rather than provide valuable on-the-job training, Edwards victimized workers by assigning them odd jobs such as cleaning, and paid them far less than he reported. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who steal training grant money from Department of Labor programs,” said Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the indictment, and other information presented in court: AWDA’s On-the-Job Training Program was funded with grants from the U.S. Department of Labor. The purpose of the OJT program is to increase employment by encouraging companies to hire employees that need additional job skills that the employer is willing to provide in exchange for wage reimbursement. The ultimate goal of the OJT program is for the employer to hire the participant at the end of the OJT contract period.
Edwards, a former budget analyst with the City of Atlanta, political candidate and nightclub owner, owned or controlled three companies in Atlanta between 2010 and 2012. During this three-year period, the three companies owned or controlled by Edwards received approximately $649,000 in OJT funds from the AWDA.
He also falsely represented to AWDA that his companies, Cronus Development, LLC (Cronus), CGE Construction and Consulting, Inc. (CGE), and The Elite Academy and Learning Center (Elite), would hire and train employees with the goal of full-time employment. Instead, Edwards failed to provide training programs, submitted forged and fraudulent wage reimbursement requests for employees that never worked for his companies, and paid workers only a fraction of the salary reported to AWDA. More specifically, instead of receiving training, OJT employees for CGE and Cronus reported that they did odd jobs, including cleaning up properties, yard work and working at one of Edwards’ nightclubs. Despite these shortcomings, Edwards received full payments from AWDA through the OJT program.
Kevin Edwards, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven C. Jones to two years, three months in federal prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $489,710.43. On December 13, 2016, Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Brown prosecuted the criminal case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Summersville Bank Officer Sentenced for $151,000 Fraud, ID Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Summersville, Mo., bank officer was sentenced in federal court today for a $151,000 fraud scheme in which he took out loans for himself by stealing the identity information of bank customers.
Keith Ray Smith, 44, of Summersville, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to of two years and one day in federal prison without parole. The court will issue an order for Smith to pay restitution to the bank.
On April 17, 2017, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements on a loan application and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Smith was employed as the bank loan officer and compliance officer at Community Bank (now Security Bank of the Ozarks) in Summersville. Smith admitted that he took out numerous loans in the names of several bank customers without their authorization. Smith submitted loan applications for varying amounts, totaling $81,040, between 2015 and June 2016. Smith admitted that he used the personal identification information of bank customers, including their bank account information and Social Security numbers, to falsely submit the loan applications.
Smith approved the loan applications for funding, then transferred the monies to his personal bank account and spent the monies to either gamble or pay for personal expenses.
In addition, Smith admitted that he had used his mother’s and brother’s personal information to apply for approximately $70,000 in loans without their knowledge or approval in 2010 and 2011. Smith approved the loans and deposited the proceeds from the fake bank loans into his personal bank account to pay for his gambling addiction. Smith agreed to repay all the money owed in 2012, and his mother and brother agreed to resubmit new loan documents that would take the place of the original false loan documents. Smith’s mother and brother told agents they allowed the new loan applications to be created because they did not want him to get into trouble.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FDIC – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of the Inspector General and the FBI.
Former Social Security Administrative Law Judge Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Role in $550 Million Social Security Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former social security administrative law judge (ALJ) was sentenced today to four years in prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $550 million in federal disability payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for thousands of claimants.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General’s (SSA-OIG) Philadelphia Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Amy S. Hess of the FBI’s Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Tracey D. Montaño of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Nashville Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Atlanta Regional Office made the announcement.
David Black Daugherty, 81, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves of the Eastern District of Kentucky, who also ordered Daugherty to pay restitution of over $93 million to the SSA and HHS. Daugherty pleaded guilty in May 2017 to two counts of receiving illegal gratuities.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, beginning in 2004, Daugherty, as an ALJ assigned to the SSA’s Huntington, W. Va., hearing office, sought out pending disability cases in which Kentucky attorney Eric Christopher Conn represented claimants and reassigned those cases to himself. Daugherty then contacted Conn and identified the cases he intended to decide the following month and further solicited Conn to provide medical documentation supporting either physical or mental disability determinations. Without exception, Daugherty awarded disability benefits to individuals represented by Conn – in some instances, without first holding a hearing. As a result of Daugherty’s awarding disability benefits to claimants represented by Conn, Conn paid Daugherty an average of approximately $8,000 per month in cash, until approximately April 2011. All told, Daugherty received more than $609,000 in cash from Conn for deciding approximately 3,149 cases.
As a result of the scheme, Conn, Daugherty, and their co-conspirators obligated the SSA to pay more than $550 million in lifetime benefits to claimants based upon cases Daugherty approved for which he received payment from Conn.
Daugherty was indicted last year, along with Conn and Alfred Bradley Adkins, a clinical psychologist. The defendants were charged with conspiracy, fraud, false statements, money laundering and other related offenses in connection with the scheme.
Conn pleaded guilty on March 24, to a two-count information charging him with theft of government money and paying illegal gratuities, and was sentenced in absentia on July 14 to 12 years in prison. Conn absconded from court ordered-electronic monitoring on June 2, and is considered a fugitive. He remains under indictment. On June 12, Adkins was convicted after a jury trial of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements. Adkins is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22.
The SSA-OIG, FBI, IRS-CI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorney Dustin M. Davis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Trial Attorney Elizabeth G. Wright of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case, with previous co-counsel including Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford of the Western District of Missouri and Investigative Counsel Kristen M. Warden of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General.
Former School Janitor in Hancock County Indicted on Child Sexual Exploitation, Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Frank Marion Stout, Jr., who worked as a custodian at Warsaw High School, is scheduled to appear in federal court on Sept. 5, for arraignment on child sexual exploitation and child pornography charges. This week, a grand jury returned its indictment against Stout, 45, of Elvaston, Ill., and charged him with two counts of sexual exploitation of minors, and with receiving and possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that the offenses occurred from 2015 through July 2017.
Stout was arrested on July 26, and previously charged in a criminal complaint with receiving child pornography. During a detention hearing on Aug. 8, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow, in Rock Island, Stout was ordered released on a $250,000 bond.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith DeCarlo. The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through the ICE HSI toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423). This tip line is staffed around-the-clock by investigators.
If convicted, the statutory minimum penalty for each count of sexual exploitation of minors (two counts charged) is 15 years to 30 years in prison. The statutory minimum penalty for receiving child pornography is five years and up to 20 years in prison. For possession of child pornography, the penalty is up to 20 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former Postal Employee Convicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Workers' Compensation BenefitsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced a federal court convicted Deborah Joy Durand of False Statements to Obtain Federal Employees’ Compensation Benefits, Wire Fraud, False Claims Relating to Workers’ Compensation Benefits, and Theft of Government Property. U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided over the 3-day trial.
At trial, the government presented evidence that Durand had a back injury from her job at the Post Office. She had back surgery and was unable to work for a period of time. Instead of returning to work when capable, Durand lied to her doctors, embellished her symptoms, and ultimately obtained total disability. Agents from the Post Office conducted surveillance and saw that Durand was feeding horses, lifting hay bales, jogging in the mornings, clearing land, running chainsaws, removing stumps from fallen trees, building fences, mowing the lawn every week, riding horses twice a week, and many other physically challenging activities.
All total, Durand received over $693,403.63 based on her claims for workers’ compensation. Of that amount, she received $268, 892.18 for wages, despite having the ability to work at least a desk job at the Post Office.
In order to further prove the case, undercover federal agents called Durand and told her she won a free kayaking trip. During the ruse kayaking trip, Durand paddled approximately 30 miles in open ocean water over a three-day period. During the trip, Durand hiked, lifted heavy objects, and karate-kicked and judo-chopped an object held by an undercover federal agent. All of these activities were captured on video.
Two months after the kayaking trip, agents conducted a follow-up appointment with Durand to identify if she could work for the Post Office. Durand had no idea that the appointment was an undercover operation. During the interview, Durand claimed she could not sit or stand for long, and she was “totally sedentary.” She even claimed she was unable to work in any capacity.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Executive Special Agent in Charge Joanne Yarbrough said, “The majority of Postal Service employees are dedicated, hardworking, and trustworthy professionals who would never consider engaging in criminal conduct. However, when attempts to defraud the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program arise, those acts will not be tolerated, and they will be vigorously investigated by the USPS Office of Inspector General. The Workers’ Compensation Program is designed to ensure that individuals injured during the performance of their duties receive appropriate medical care and compensation. The conviction in this case is a result of the commitment between the United States Attorney’s Office, and the USPS Office of Inspector General, to ensure the integrity of the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program, and to hold those accountable for defrauding the program.”
Sentencing is set for November 30, 2017, at 1:30 p.m., at the Missouri River Courthouse, in Great Falls, Montana.
Former Postal Carrier Sentenced for Bribery, Drug Distribution and Delay of MailRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-305BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Briana Fugate, 27, of Cheektowaga, N.Y., who was convicted of bribery, distribution of marijuana, and delay of mail, was sentenced to 12 months by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wei Xiang, who handled the case, stated that Fugate accepted bribes to help deliver what she believed to be drug shipments from the west coast, and that, as she learned to recognize drug parcels, she opened some and sold their contents herself. Fugate was a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service and had worked out of the Central Park Station Post Office in the City of Buffalo. The defendant was arrested following an undercover operation in 2015, when she distributed a pound of stolen marijuana out of her mail truck, while working her postal route. After law enforcement agents arrested Fugate, they discovered over 1,500 pieces of mail in her car that had not been delivered. Fugate was on probation for a state larceny conviction during this conduct.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen; the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski; the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Monica Weyler, Eastern Area Field Office, Philadelphia, PA; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Former Minister of Mines for the Republic of Guinea Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Receiving and Laundering $8.5 Million in Bribes from Chinese CompaniesRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Kenneth A. Blanco, the Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, announced that MAHMOUD THIAM was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to seven years in prison by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, for his scheme to launder $8.5 million in bribes that THIAM received from senior representatives of a Chinese conglomerate. THIAM received the bribes in exchange for using his official position as Minister of Mines for the Republic of Guinea to facilitate the award to the Chinese conglomerate of exclusive and highly valuable investment rights in various sectors of the Guinean economy. THIAM was found guilty on May 3, 2017, following a seven-day trial, of two counts of money laundering.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As a unanimous jury found at trial, Thiam abused his position as Guinea’s Minister of Mines to take millions in bribes from a Chinese conglomerate, and then launder that money through the American financial system. Enriching himself at the expense of one Africa’s poorest countries, Thiam used some of the Chinese bribe money to pay his children’s Manhattan private school tuition and to buy a $3.75 million estate in Dutchess County. Today’s sentence shows that if you send your crime proceeds to New York, whether from drug dealing, tax evasion or international bribery, you may very well find yourself at the front end of a long federal prison term.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco said: “Mahmoud Thiam engaged in a corrupt scheme to benefit himself at the expense of the people of Guinea. Corruption is a cancer on society that destabilizes institutions, inhibits fair and free competition, and imposes significant burdens on ordinary law-abiding people just trying to live their everyday lives. Today’s sentence sends a strong message to corrupt individuals like Thiam that if they attempt to use the U.S. financial system to hide their bribe money they will be investigated, held accountable, and punished.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and the evidence admitted at trial:
MAHMOUD THIAM, a United States citizen who was Minister of Mines and Geology of the Republic of Guinea in 2009 and 2010, engaged in a scheme to accept bribes from senior representatives of a Chinese conglomerate and to launder that money into the United States and elsewhere. In exchange for these multimillion-dollar bribe payments, THIAM used his position as Minister of Mines to facilitate the award to the Chinese conglomerate of exclusive and highly valuable investment rights in a wide range of sectors of the Guinean economy, including near-total control of Guinea’s significant mining sector.
In order to receive the bribes covertly, THIAM opened a bank account in Hong Kong (the “Hong Kong Account”) and misreported his occupation to the Hong Kong bank to conceal his status as a public official in Guinea. Upon receiving the bribes, THIAM transferred millions of dollars in bribe proceeds from the Hong Kong Account to, among others, THIAM’s bank accounts in the United States; a Malaysian company that facilitated and concealed THIAM’s purchase of a $3,750,000 estate in Dutchess County, New York; private preparatory schools in Manhattan attended by THIAM’s children; and at least one other West African public official.
To further conceal the unlawful source of the bribery proceeds that THIAM transferred from the Hong Kong Account to banks in the United States, THIAM lied to two banks based in Manhattan and on tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service regarding the bribe payments, his position as a foreign public official, and the source of the funds in the Hong Kong Account. In total, THIAM received approximately $8.5 million in bribes from the Chinese conglomerate.
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In addition to the prison term, THIAM, 50, of Manhattan, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $8.5 million.
Mr. Kim praised and thanked the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its outstanding investigative work. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in this matter. The Office is grateful to the government of Guinea for providing substantial assistance in gathering evidence during this investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Elisha J. Kobre and Christopher J. DiMase and Trial Attorney Lorinda I. Laryea of the Fraud Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Miami-Dade Police Department Officer Sentenced to Four Years for Unlawfully Exporting FirearmsRead the Press Release
Former Miami-Dade Police Department Officer Michael Freshko, 48, was sentenced to four years in prison today, by U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully export firearms from the United States to the Dominican Republic, on flights from Miami International Airport.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Juan J. Perez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), made the announcement.
According to the court record, after receiving firearms from a co-conspirator Freshko used his official position as a MDPD officer to transport the firearms past the passenger screening area and into the portion of Miami International Airport that housed the departure gates. Freshko thereafter would deliver the firearms to a co-conspirator, who in turn would store the firearms within carry-on baggage. Next, a co-conspirator would travel to the Dominican Republic aboard a commercial flight, with the firearms within carry-on baggage. After arriving in the Dominican Republic, a co-conspirator would deliver the firearms to an associate.
Freshko further admitted that one or more firearms were smuggled in this manner on October 5, 2012, and multiple firearms were smuggled on December 7, 2012. Freshko also admitted that he and his co-conspirators smuggled six firearms from Miami International Airport to the Dominican Republic. The smuggled firearms consisted of four Glock .9 mm pistols, one Sig Sauer .9 mm pistol, and one Sig Sauer 5.56 rifle.
The case was investigated by law enforcement officers in South Florida and New Jersey. Mr. Greenberg thanked the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force; the MDPD Professional Compliance Bureau; the FBI Newark Division-Franklin Township Resident Agency; the Drug Enforcement Administration Newark Division-Patterson Post of Duty; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Davis.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Investment Advisor Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Stealing More Than $600K from ClientsRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AARON J. JOHNSON, 37, of Haddam, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding clients of his investment business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, JOHNSON was President and Chief Investment Officer of J. Capital Advisors, and was a registered investment advisor until October 21, 2013, when his and J. Capital Advisors’ registration was revoked by the State of Connecticut
In approximately April 2010, JOHNSON became a registered investment advisor with Trade PMR, a Florida company that provides brokerage and custody services for registered investment advisors. Almost immediately, JOHNSON began skimming excessive and unearned fees from client accounts. JOHNSON would submit a request to Trade PMR for fees for a particular client supposedly earned during a particular time period, and Trade PMR would, in turn, arrange for those fees to be deducted from the client’s account and deposited into a J. Capital Advisors’ sundry account over which JOHNSON maintained exclusive control. By December 2012, when Trade PMR terminated its relationship with JOHNSON, JOHNSON had taken a total of $619,231.09 in excessive fees from 19 victim clients.
JOHNSON also attempted to obstruct, delay and prevent the discovery of the full scope of his scheme by falsely claiming to one of his victims and to investigators with the State of Connecticut Department of Banking that fees taken from that victim’s account were due to a “glitch” in his billing system. JOHNSON submitted falsified documentation to Trade PMR including bogus account statements for clients, and letters of authorization that JOHNSON forged purporting to allow him to take fees from client accounts. JOHNSON also submitted a falsified account statement to Department of Banking investigators in an attempt to show that he had funds with which to pay restitution.
Judge Meyer ordered JOHNSON to pay full restitution to his victims.
JOHNSON was arrested on February 17, 2016. On February 23, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.
JOHNSON, who is released on a $250,000 bond, was ordered to report to prison on October 2, 2017.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the State of Connecticut Department of Banking, Securities and Business Investments Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan L. Wines.
Former Guinean Minister of Mines Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Receiving and Laundering $8.5 Million in Bribes from China International Fund and China SonangolRead the Press Release
A former Minister of Mines and Geology of the Republic of Guinea was sentenced today to seven years in prison, and three years of supervised release, for laundering bribes paid to him by executives of China Sonangol International Ltd. (China Sonangol) and China International Fund, SA (CIF).
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim of the Southern District of New York, Assistant Director Stephen E. Richardson of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.
Mahmoud Thiam, 50, of New York, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote of the Southern District of New York. Thiam was convicted on May 3, after a seven-day trial of one count of transacting in criminally derived property and one count of money laundering.
“Mahmoud Thiam engaged in a corrupt scheme to benefit himself at the expense of the people of Guinea,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “Corruption is a cancer on society that destabilizes institutions, inhibits fair and free competition, and imposes significant burdens on ordinary law-abiding people just trying to live their everyday lives. Today’s sentence sends a strong message to corrupt individuals like Thiam that if they attempt to use the U.S. financial system to hide their bribe money they will be investigated, held accountable, and punished.”
“As a unanimous jury found at trial, Thiam abused his position as Guinea’s Minister of Mines to take millions in bribes from a Chinese conglomerate, and then launder that money through the American financial system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kim. “Enriching himself at the expense of one Africa’s poorest countries, Thiam used some of the Chinese bribe money to pay his children’s Manhattan private school tuition and to buy a $3.75 million estate in Dutchess County. Today’s sentence shows that if you send your crime proceeds to New York, whether from drug dealing, tax evasion or international bribery, you may very well find yourself at the front end of long federal prison term.”
"Thiam abused his official position, but the outcome shows that no one is above the law," said Assistant Director Stephen E. Richardson. "The FBI will not stand by while individuals attempt to live by their own rules and use the United States as a safe haven for their ill-gotten gains. I would like to applaud the dedicated investigators and prosecutors who have worked to hold those who have committed these crimes accountable for their illegal actions.”
“Today’s sentencing should remind the public that no matter who you are, or how much money you have, you’re not immune from prosecution. The FBI will continue to use all resources at our disposal to uncover crimes of this nature and expose them for what they really are,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney
According to evidence presented at trial, China Sonangol, CIF and their subsidiaries signed a series of agreements with Guinea that gave them lucrative mining rights in Guinea. In exchange for bribes paid by executives of China Sonangol and CIF, Thiam used his position as Minister of Mines to influence the Guinean government’s decision to enter into those agreements while serving as Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Geology from 2009 to 2010. The evidence further showed that Thiam participated in a scheme to launder the bribe payments from 2009 to 2011, during which time China Sonangol and CIF paid him $8.5 million through a bank account in Hong Kong. Thiam then transferred approximately $3.9 million to bank accounts in the U.S. and used the money to pay for luxury goods and other expenses. To conceal the bribe payments, Thiam falsely claimed to banks in Hong Kong and the U.S. that he was employed as a consultant and that the money was income from the sale of land that he earned before he was a minister.
The trial evidence showed that the purpose of the bribes was to obtain substantial rights and interests in natural resources in Guinea, including the right to be the first and strategic shareholder with Guinea of a national mining company into which Guinea had to, among other things, transfer all of its stakes in various mining projects and future mining permits or concessions that the government decided to develop on its own. China Sonangol and CIF, through their subsidiaries, also obtained exclusive and valuable rights to conduct business operations in a broad range of sectors of the Guinean economy, including mining.
The FBI’s International Corruption Squads in New York City and Los Angeles investigated the case. Trial Attorney Lorinda Laryea of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elisha Kobre and Christopher DiMase of the Southern District of New York prosecuted the case. Fraud Section Assistant Chief Tarek Helou and Trial Attorney Sarah Edwards, and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Parker previously investigated the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in this matter.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all matters relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”). Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Former Bookkeeper and Associate Arrested for Embezzling More Than $1 Million Dollars from Fresno BusinessRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A Fresno bookkeeper and her associate were arrested today for their roles in embezzling over $1 million from a Fresno business, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On Thursday, a federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment against Brandi Marshall, 41, and Daniel Barrios Jr., 37, charging them with conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering.
According to court documents, Marshall was employed as the company’s bookkeeper between October 2014 and March 2016 and was responsible for, among other things, receiving and depositing payment checks from customers to pay their invoices. During that time, she and Barrios misappropriated more than 100 checks and fraudulently deposited them into Barrios’s personal bank account. Marshall and Barrios used money derived from the fraudulently deposited checks for personal purchases, including more than $35,000 to purchase and accessorize a 2016 Ford Mustang GT, and more than $25,000 for a 2012 Dodge Challenger. Marshall created fictitious entries in the company’s computer accounting application to attempt to conceal the embezzlement. Together, Marshall and Barrios embezzled more than $1 million dollars.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Marshall and Barrios face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each of the wire fraud and bank fraud charges, and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to launder money. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former A.B.I.A. Baggage Handler Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing FirearmsRead the Press Release
This morning, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks sentenced Ja’Quan Johnson, a 26-year-old baggage handler at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA), to 18 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for stealing items from checked baggage, including a .40 caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol, announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division, and Austin Police Chief Brian Manley.
On June 7, 2017, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of theft from an interstate shipment and one count of possession of a stolen firearm. By pleading guilty, Johnson admitted that between November 29, 2016, and February 2, 2017, he stole seven handguns from inside passenger bags at ABIA.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Transportation Security Administration and the Austin Police Department’s Aviation Division conducted this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Gregg N. Sofer prosecuted this case for the Government.
Folcroft Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Internet Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
Jeffrey Keagle, 49 of, Folcroft, PA was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for his conviction for distribution, receipt, and possession of a collection of more than 75,000 images and videos of children being sexually assaulted and abused, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
This was Keagle’s first arrest. In addition to the 20 year term of incarceration, District Court Judge Eduardo Robreno also imposed a 20 year term of supervised release, $45,000 in restitution payments to the victims, $400 in special assessments, and forfeiture of all of Keagle’s computer and electronic equipment used in these offenses.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Florida Men Plead Guilty to Credit Card Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Jose Castillo Febles, 30, of Doral, Florida pleaded guilty today; and Juan Carlos Febles, 52, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Court records show that between November 2015 and June 2016, the defendants and others used stolen credit and debit card numbers to purchase merchandise. In late May 2016, as part of the conspiracy, the defendants and others traveled to Maine. On May 29, 2016, Jose Castillo Febles purchased over $500 of merchandise at a Portland Walgreens using a stolen card number belonging to a victim from Auburn. On June 15, 2016, after a co-conspirator, Yaisder Herrera Gargallo, purchased merchandise at another Portland Walgreens using a stolen card number, store personnel notified the police and provided a license plate number. On June 16, 2016, Juan Carlos Febles purchased over $700 of merchandise at an Augusta Home Depot using a stolen card number belonging to a victim from Vassalboro.
On June 18, 2016, a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped the vehicle in which the defendants and Herrera Gargallo were traveling. The stop led to their arrest and the discovery of merchandise, numerous fraudulent credit cards, and a laptop computer. The laptop was later found to contain credit card numbers and related data.
Both men face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge. Both men also face a mandatory sentence of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge, to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the conspiracy charge. They will be sentenced after the completion of presentence investigation reports by the U.S. Probation Office. Co-defendant Yaisder Herrera Gargallo pleaded guilty to the same charges on June 19, 2017, and awaits sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Portland Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Seventh Ward Heroin and Firearm ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that STERLING PIPKINS, a/k/a “Shoe,” age 32, of New Orleans, was sentenced yesterday after previously pleading guilty to federal narcotics charges. PIPKINS had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced PIPKINS to 72 months of imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, PIPKINS was a central figure in a conspiracy to sell heroin in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward, specifically the intersection of Frenchmen and North Villere Streets. DARRELL LEWIS was the leader of the group. KEVIN WALKER, CARL LEWIS, and PIPKINS served as street-level dealers, selling heroin to both other heroin dealers and users. Members of the conspiracy also kept and maintained firearms in furtherance of drug dealing.
PIPKINS committed the instant offense while he was supervised release for a prior federal conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon. On May 4, 2017, U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk revoked PIPKINS’ supervised release and sentenced him to 24 months of imprisonment to be served consecutively with the sentence issued by Judge Barbier.
PIPKINS was the final member of this conspiracy to be sentenced. The conspiracy included eleven others who have already been sentenced, including DARRYL LEWIS, KEVIN WALKER, DARRYL LEWIS, CARL LEWIS, MICHAEL MCQUITTY, TYRONE HUDSON, IRVIN WATSON, CONQUISTADORE MARTIN, NICHIREN RADCLIFFE, DEMOINDE ROWLEY, and NERIMANE BOUCHAMA.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. Assistance was provided by the DEA New Orleans Field Division, the New Orleans Police Department, the Major Crimes Task Force, the FBI Kansas City Division (Jefferson City Resident Office), and the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Payne, Shirin Hakimzadeh, and Andre Lagarde were in charge of prosecution.
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Clayton John Shinn, age 27, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Canaan, Waymart, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to assault on August 24, 2017, before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Shinn pleaded guilty to intentionally assaulting another inmate on October 4, 2016, by repeatedly striking, punching and kicking the inmate, resulting in serious bodily injury.
Shinn and co-defendant, Jeffrey Lynn Mattox, age 33, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton on January 17, 2017. Mattox’s case is still pending.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski is prosecuting the case.
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 the crime is imprisonment for 10 years, 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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East Wareham Man Sentenced for Role in Drug and Money Laundering RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An East Wareham man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for drug charges.
Evan Lopes, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three years of probation. On May 23, 2017, Lopes pleaded guilty to possession of Methylone with intent to distribute. Lopes was the last of four Cape Cod co-defendants to plead guilty to drug and money laundering charges and the third to be sentenced.
On Jan. 15, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lopes’ residence where they recovered two kilograms of Methylone from a woodpile on the property. Lopes stashed the drugs for co-defendant David Landry, who, from 2010 to 2014, led a drug and money laundering ring on Cape Cod. Landry was arrested by state authorities in September 2014, but continued to communicate with and direct his drug associates from prison. Landry asked Lopes to store the Methylone at his house in preparation for transferring it to another associate who would sell it for $40,000.
From May 2014 to January 2015, Landry and another co-defendant, Justin Groom, conspired to manufacture and distribute marijuana. Landry, along with his mother, Diane Johnson, and Groom conspired to launder the drug proceeds in order to disguise the nature of the funds and continue their drug trafficking activities. Landry, a convicted felon, was also found guilty of the constructive possession of a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Landry and Groom were sentenced in March 2017 to 78 months in prison and two years of probation, respectively. Johnson pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy on May 17, 2017, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 2, 2017.
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; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald; Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Heinrich of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Doddridge County man sentenced for illegal possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
CLARSKBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Greenwood, West Virginia man was sentenced today to 81 months incarceration for illegal possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Thomas Charles Goodwine, 23, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in April 2017. Goodwine, having been convicted of two felonies in Pennsylvania, admitted to having in his possession a 9mm caliber pistol. The crime occurred in January 2016 in Harrison County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
District Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Clifton Johnson, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 21 years in prison on charges stemming from the slaying of a man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Johnson was found guilty by a jury in May 2017 of second-degree murder while armed and a related weapons offense. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Following his prison term, Johnson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Nov. 23, 2015, the victim, Dewayne Grandson, and his girlfriend stopped at a Chinese restaurant in the 2500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, where Mr. Grandson ran into the defendant by happenstance. After a brief exchange, Johnson motioned for Mr. Grandson to come outside. Once outside, Johnson shot Mr. Grandson multiple times. Mr. Grandson, who was also armed, was able to fire one shot and hit Johnson in the torso. Mr. Grandson, 24, died from his injuries.
Following the shooting, Johnson fled the scene. An off-duty officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) stopped him shortly thereafter. The murder weapon was found in the defendant’s flight path.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Liaison and Operations Manager Linda McDonald; Paralegal Specialist Debra Joyner; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Anisha Bhatia, and Joshua Ellen; former Litigation Technology Specialist Aneela Bhatia; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators M. Laverne Perry and Katina Adams-Washington, and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan.
Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke and Richard Barker, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping and Sexually Assaulting Intoxicated StrangerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Saul Castillo, 20, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to kidnapping and sexually abusing an intoxicated stranger in the stairwell of his apartment building in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips.
Castillo pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of kidnapping and second-degree sexual abuse. After completing any term of incarceration imposed by the court, Castillo will be subject to deportation proceedings, lifetime registration as a sex offender, and a period of supervised release. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff ordered that Castillo be detained pending sentencing on Nov. 3, 2017.
According to the government’s evidence, Castillo found the victim in the early morning hours of May 7, 2017 on a sidewalk near Lafayette Square in downtown Washington. She was extremely intoxicated, unable to walk, and told Castillo that she wanted to go to her home. Castillo hailed a passing taxi and brought her back to his apartment building in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW.
Once inside, the victim refused to enter Castillo’s fourth-floor apartment and repeated that she wanted to go home. On multiple occasions, she fell and laid down on the hallway floor due to her intoxication. She tried to push Castillo away and return to the elevator to leave the building, but Castillo blocked her and pulled her back toward his apartment. Because of the commotion this was causing in the hallway, Castillo lifted her and carried her to the fourth- floor staircase, where Castillo sexually assaulted her. His conduct inside the building was captured on building surveillance cameras, and Castillo was arrested on May 12, 2017.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris and Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa West and J. Matt Williams, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Developer Sentenced for Embezzling from A Bankruptcy EstateRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich today sentenced Clark D. East (59, Sugarland, TX) to 30 months in federal prison for embezzlement from a bankruptcy estate. He pleaded guilty on April 3, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, East obtained a loan from Stearns Bank, a member bank of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Minneapolis, to develop a property located at 3700 Ulmerton Road Plaza in Clearwater. He subsequently defaulted on the loan and Stearns Bank obtained approval to sell the property at foreclosure on March 27, 2012. The day before the scheduled foreclosure sale, East filed for bankruptcy protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court through his company, 3700 Ulmerton Road, LLC. During the bankruptcy proceedings, East was ordered to sell the property and to remit $1.2 million in sales proceeds to Stearns Bank. Rather than repaying the bank, East embezzled approximately $800,000 of proceeds that were part of the bankruptcy estate and due to Stearns Bank.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General. The Office of the U.S. Trustee for the Middle District of Florida (Tampa Division) also provided substantial assistance. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant.
Costa Rican Defendant Appears in Federal Court to Face Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Costa Rica made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh this afternoon to face multiple charges involving conspiracy to import prescription drugs from India for distribution, without prescriptions, to consumers throughout the United States, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The five-count indictment, returned on October 13, 2015, charged Costa Rican Ramiro Navarro Quesada, 42, with three counts of mail fraud and one count each of conspiracy to misbrand and smuggle Schedule II and Schedule IV and erectile dysfunction drugs and money laundering. Quesada was arrested in Madrid, Spain, earlier this year. He was extradited to the United States yesterday.
According to the indictment, 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 by co-defendants Sylvia and Miguel Cruz. The latter two then mailed the drugs to U.S. consumers who had ordered them through the Costa Rican website. The consumers were falsely led to believe that the drugs were “FDA approved,” that the counterfeit drugs were genuine Adderall and Viagra, and that it was legitimate to distribute such drugs without prescriptions.
"Ordering prescription drugs online from illegal websites can lead to dangerous consequences for U.S. consumers. Such websites, while they may look professional and legitimate, often sell drugs that have not been checked for safety or effectiveness," said Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations' Metro Washington Field Office. "We will continue to pursue and bring to justice criminals who operate outside of FDA's oversight and place the public's health at risk."
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the mail fraud and money laundering counts, and 5 years on the conspiracy count; as well as a $250,000 fine on each count except money laundering, which carries a potential fine of $500,000. 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 Shardul 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 leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison for Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NOLAN CASON, age 26, of New Orleans, was sentenced yesterday after previously pleading guilty to two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced CASON to 41 months of confinement, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
According to court documents, Officers of the New Orleans Police Department arrested CASON on August 8, 2014 for possessing a semi-automatic firearm with an attached extended magazine containing 20 live rounds. On May 3, 2015, Louisiana State Police Troopers arrested CASBON for possessing two semi-automatic handguns, a 50-round magazine containing 22 live bullets, and a 30-round magazine containing 24 live bullets. CASON was prohibited from possessing these firearms because he had been convicted previously of possession of cocaine in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police for their work in this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carboni and Matthew R. Payne were in charge of the prosecution.
Concord Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Jessica Lord, 36, of Concord, pleaded guilty to drug distribution and conspiracy charges, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.
According to court documents and statements made during Lord’s plea hearing, an undercover Concord police detective bought 30 milligram pills containing oxycodone from Lord on five separate occasions in June and July 2016. During the transactions, Lord stated that she got the pills from Patrick J. Brooks, III, of Boscawen. On July 20, Lord was on her way to a sixth transaction with the undercover detective, when Concord police officers stopped her car. At the time of the stop, Lord possessed more 30 mg oxycodone pills. In addition, the execution of a search warrant at Brooks’ home the same day yielded nearly two thousand 30 mg oxycodone pills and approximately $20,000 in cash. The cash recovered from Brooks’ home included currency that the Concord police detective had used to buy oxycodone in an undercover transactions with Lord a week earlier.
United States District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro accepted Lord’s guilty plea and scheduled her sentencing for November 30, 2017. Lord faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both. The court will impose her actual sentence based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Brooks previously pleaded guilty to drug and conspiracy charges and was sentenced by 51 months in prison.
This matter was investigated by the Concord Police Department with important support from the Boscawen Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.
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Columbus Regional Health Employees Sentenced for Wire Fraud & Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, G. F. “Pete” Peterman, III, announces that Carol Adcock, age 57, was sentenced to serve 15 months and Barbara McFerrin, age 55, was sentenced to serve 33 months in federal prison for wire fraud and tax evasion. The sentences were handed down by Chief United States District Court Judge Clay D. Land in Columbus, Georgia, on August 22, 2017.
Ms. Adcock and Ms. McFerrin were employees at Columbus Regional Health in Columbus, Georgia. As the accounts payable manager, Ms. Adcock was responsible for paying all invoices and making entries into the general ledger. Ms. McFerrin also had access to the general ledger as director of corporate finance. Both individuals had hospital-issued credit cards. Employees were not permitted to use company cards for personal use. In 2011, Columbus Regional switched credit card companies and employees were required to surrender their old card. However, Ms. McFerrin and Ms. Adcock kept their cards and began to make unauthorized purchases and using the cards for their personal benefit. From 2011 to 2014, Ms. McFerrin and Ms. Adcock combined spent approximately $1.2 million on car, pet, and pool expenses, as well as utility expenses, school expenses, hotels or rental properties, and medical expenses They also made payments to the United States Treasury to satisfy personal income tax obligations.
"These individuals violated the trust of their former employer and benefited financially. The judgement against Adcock and McFerrin should serve as an example to those who decided to embezzle from their employer. Employers give their employees a lot of trust, when you take advantage of that trust, there will be consequences," IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey said.
“These two individuals, who were respected and trusted enough by their employer to have been promoted to these high positions of responsibility and authority, unfortunately decided to abuse that trust and misuse that responsibility and authority to steal from that very same employer. They certainly deserve the sentences imposed on them as the result,” said United States Attorney Peterman.
In addition to her prison sentence, Ms. Adcock will be required to pay restitution in the amount of $246,829.26 and Ms. McFerrin will be required to pay restitution in the amount of $662,105.81.
This case was investigated by the Columbus Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Crawford Seals prosecuted the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 752-3511.
Brunswick couple sentenced to prison for obstructing federal investigationRead the Press Release
A Brunswick couple was sentenced to prison for obstructing an investigation.
Eric Dentz was sentenced to two years and four months in prison after previously being found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice and tamper with witnesses and failure to file taxes.
Rebecca Dentz was sentenced to one year in prison after being found guilty of destruction, alteration and falsification of records and false statements to federal agents
The Dentz’s repeatedly obstructed an investigation into themselves and their companies Dentz Painting Incorporated and Global Contracting Service,. Eric Dentz threatened agents with physical violence after they attempted to serve subpoenas and obtain documents relevant to the investigation,. Additionally, Rebecca Dentz repeatedly lied to agents about her and Eric Dentz’s involvement with Global and the location of records responsive to the subpoena, according to court documents.
During proceedings held before United States District Chief Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr., Eric and Rebecca Dentz continued to obstruct justice by lying about the status and condition of the records. Specifically, the Dentzs lied by stating that the records sought by the grand jury were destroyed in a flood and later supplied agents and the court with a fake cleaning invoice in an attempt to support their false claims. Further investigation revealed that the invoice had been fabricated at Eric and Rebecca Dentz’s request. The Dentzs also obstructed and delayed the investigation by falsely stating that third parties possessed the records sought by the grand jury when those individuals in fact had no such records, according to court documents.
Eric Dentz also repeatedly failed to file income tax returns with the IRS over several years, according to court documents.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Om Kakani, following an investigation by the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
Biloxi Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Michael Lee, 53, of Biloxi, Mississippi, was sentenced on August 14, 2017, by Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to serve 108 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain and Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer, Jr.
In addition to the prison term, Lee was ordered to pay restitution of $1,000 to a victim and a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.
The investigation revealed that on September 16, 2014, Lee was identified as the individual at a Biloxi address who, through activity with a Peer to Peer file sharing network, knowingly possessed on his computer and hard drive visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Jones and Glenda Haynes.
Berlin Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal Arson CaseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Howard Hoisington, age 34, formerly of Berlin, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court in Burlington to arson and robbery charges stemming from the fatal arson that occurred in Northfield in December 2015. Hoisington, who has been detained since his arrest in December 2015, appeared before Chief Judge Christina Reiss and pled guilty to arson with death resulting and conspiracy to commit robbery.
As described during the change of plea proceedings, in the fall of 2015, Jonathan Zampieri, Howard Hoisington, Tammy Wilder, Kevin Atwood and Kim Hoisington committed a series of robberies of drug dealers in the Washington County area of Vermont. Three of these robberies involved dousing a person selling drugs with gasoline and threatening them with a lighter to rob them of their drugs and cash. The last of these robberies resulted in a fire that destroyed a building in Northfield and killed innocent bystander Brittany Burt.
Also according to court records, on December 14, 2015, Zampieri, Howard, Tammy Wilder, Kim Hoisington and Amanda Wilder drove in Zampieri’s vehicle to pick up Atwood in Montpelier. They all drove to the Cumberland Farms in Northfield where Zampieri filled two mason jars with gasoline. Zampieri, Howard and Atwood then drove to the apartment of Efren Serrano on Union Street in Northfield, Vermont, from whom they had arranged to purchase crack cocaine. Zampieri, Howard and Atwood went to Serrano’s apartment and kicked in the front door. They found Serrano and Serrano’s girlfriend, Brittany Burt, in the bedroom. Serrano and Burt were doused with gasoline and the men demanded Serrano’s drugs. When Serrano did not respond, the men pulled out a lighter. The lighter went off, igniting the gasoline vapors and causing the room to burst into flames. Zampieri, Howard and Atwood fled the building. At some point, Serrano was able to run from the building on fire. Serrano sustained life threatening injuries, but he survived. Brittany Burt could not escape the building. She died on the bedroom floor.
This case was part of the United States Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Initiative, aimed at pursuing federal prosecutions involving the intersection of drug trafficking and violence. Acting United States Attorney Eugenia A. P. Cowles condemned the use of violence to further the illicit drug trade and noted that the United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute those who, like the defendants in this case, disregard human life.
Under federal law, the arson charge carries a potential life sentence, but the plea agreement caps Hoisington’s sentence at twenty-five years in jail. Hoisington’s co-defendants, Jonathan Zampieri, Tammy Wilder, and Richard Hoisington, have all pleaded guilty to various charges. Kimberly Hoisington’s change of plea hearing is scheduled for next week.
The case was investigated by the Vermont State Police, Vermont Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The United States Attorney’s Office worked in partnership with the Washington County State’s Attorney Scott William to investigate and resolve this important matter. Howard Hoisington is represented by Steven Barth and Elizabeth Quinn of the Federal Public Defender’s Office. The United States is represented by Criminal Chief Paul Van de Graaf and AUSA John Boscia.
Benicia Woman Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sherrell Davis, 43, of Benicia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $210,320 in restitution for submitting false claims for tax refunds, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Davis was ordered to surrender to start serving her sentence on October 20, 2017.
According to court documents, from February 2011 through May 2013, Davis repeatedly engaged in tax fraud by submitting over 50 fraudulent claims for tax refunds in the names of other people to the Internal Revenue Service. The tax returns used fraudulent W-2 tax forms listing false wages and false withholdings in order to generate tax refunds to which the people named on the returns were not entitled. The fraudulent returns also claimed tax credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled, including the Earned Income Credit, the American Opportunity Credit, and the Making Work Pay Credit. In furtherance of her tax fraud scheme, Davis took over bank accounts in the name of another person and used those accounts to receive proceeds from the fraud.. In all, Davis submitted fraudulent tax returns seeking over $350,000 in tax refunds, of which at least $210,320 were paid out by the IRS.
“We want everyone who files a tax return to take advantage of the deductions and credits to which they are entitled by law, however, no one is entitled to defraud the United States and the American taxpayers,” said Michael T. Batdorf, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “For approximately three years, Ms. Davis repeatedly filed numerous false income tax returns with the IRS claiming refunds based on false information. IRS CI will continue to aggressively pursue those who file false tax returns to claim refunds to which they are not entitled.”
Attempted tax refund fraud has been a significant problem in recent years, leading to increased efforts by the IRS and IRS Criminal Investigation to combat it. For example, the IRS has estimated that from 2011 through October 2014, it stopped 19 million suspicious returns and blocked more than $63 billion in fraudulent refunds. Many such tax refund fraud schemes depend on the use of stolen identities. For more information about tax-related identity theft, including warning signs, how to reduce your risk, and what to do if you suspect you have become a victim, visit the IRS Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft at https://www.irs.gov/uac/taxpayer-guide-to-identity-theft.
This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hales prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Man Exiled to 126 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4811
Baltimore, Maryland – On August 24, 2017, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Tavon Holmes, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years and 6 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
According to his plea agreement on January 4, 2016, Baltimore City Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, when Holmes ran from the car and into an adjacent alley. Holmes appeared to remove an item from his waistband area and then jumped onto the top of an unhinged basement door. When officers apprehended Holmes, they found, within close proximity, a black semi-automatic Cobra .380 caliber pistol with one round of .380 caliber ammunition in the chamber and a magazine with an additional five rounds of .380 caliber ammunition.
Prior to January 4, 2016, Holmes had been convicted in a court of the state of Maryland of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, and his civil rights had not been restored.
Following his arrest, the government obtained a search warrant for Holmes’ cell phone. Within that cell phone were multiple text messages in or about December 2015 where Holmes and at least one other individual conspired to distribute heroin.
On February 8, 2016, and still while incarcerated on his firearms related charges, Defendant Holmes called an individual and asked that individual to move the location of a “jimmy mac.” The government would have proved that a “jimmy mac” is often a code word for a firearm or narcotics.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the ATF, the Baltimore City Police Department and the DEA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Phil Selden, Aaron Zelinsky, David Metcalf and Mike Hanlon, who prosecuted the case.
Bail Bondsman and Secretary Sentenced for their Role in Bribery Scheme at Orleans Criminal District CourtRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RUFUS JOHNSON, age 68, of New Orleans, was sentenced today. JOHNSON and his secretary, JOSEPHINE SPELLMAN, 57, also of New Orleans, pled guilty in the midst of trial for their roles in operating a long-running and extensive bribery and honest services fraud scheme related to JOHNSON’s bail bonds in New Orleans.
U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced JOHNSON to 74 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Additionally, Judge Lemelle ordered preliminary forfeiture in the amount of $1.2M, forfeiture of the 536-538 Broad Street, and a $600 special assessment. On Wednesday, August 23, 2017, U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced SPELLMAN to 5 years of probation.
According to the court documents, JOHNSON operated as an unlicensed bail bondsman between 2003 and 2013, accepting money from customers in exchange for getting Orleans Parish Prison inmates released from jail, in violation of state law. To circumvent the prohibition against unlicensed individuals operating as bail bondsmen, JOHNSON, SPELLMAN, and others operated under the licenses and contracts of paid employee bail bondsmen. Certain employees in the Orleans Parish criminal justice system were corruptly paid by JOHNSON, SPELLMAN and other to release inmates on their own recognizance, to provide and alter information in protected computer systems, and to make false certifications on official bond documents. Specifically, JOHNSON, SPELLMAN, and others made cash payments to three deputy clerks in the Clerk’s Office of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in order to obtain documents and information, including sensitive and official-use-only information, from protected computer systems servicing the criminal justice system. This information was valuable to bail bondsmen who were seeking to post bonds for inmates and to address bond forfeitures. At JOHNSON’s request, these clerks also delivered to him official bail bonds that had been typed, signed, and certified by a bond clerk without having been signed by a bondsman. This permitted JOHNSON himself to sign the names of his licensed employee bondsmen to the bail bonds without the knowledge or involvement of the bondsmen.
Additionally, JOHNSON paid bribes and kickbacks to a deputy clerk at Criminal District Court who worked as a deputy at CINTAP. CINTAP is an office located in the Orleans Parish Prison’s Central Lockup where one or two deputy sheriffs on shift received and processed telephone orders from judges and other appropriate elected officials to release pre-trial prison inmates on their own recognizance, or to reduce or otherwise alter inmates’ bail amounts or bail status. Between 2008 and March 2010, JOHNSON often provided names of pre-trial inmates to the deputy clerk, who would then cause the inmates to be released by creating false paperwork and entering false information into the protected Sheriff’s computerized system to make it appear as though a judge had called in to order a recognizance bond. In most cases, these were inmates whose associates or family members had gone to JOHNSON as customers and paid him to bond the inmate out of jail. In exchange, JOHNSON paid the deputy clerk cash for securing the releases. JOHNSON paid the clerk between $6,500 and $15,000, and paid bribes and kickbacks to a variety of public officials totalling approximately $95,000 and $150,000.
After the scheme was unearthed in 2010, JOHNSON perceived that law enforcement agents were investigating his illegal bonding practices. Together with SPELLMAN and others, JOHNSON sought to obstruct the investigation by instructing other persons involved with his bail business to lie to law enforcement should they ask what JOHNSON did there. Employees were told they should say that JOHNSON was merely the janitor, or that his primary role at the office was cleaning up and sweeping, and that he did not sell, solicit, or negotiate bonds, and that he was not the primary operator of the bail bonds business. Several of these individuals subsequently repeated this lie to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. JOHNSON himself lied to FBI agents during an interview on March 20, 2012, and SPELLMAN lied to FBI agents during an interview on December 13, 2012.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Metropolitan Crime Commission. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Harry W. McSherry, Brittany Reed, and Michael B. Redmann were in charge of the prosecution.
August Grand JuryRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 21 indictments charging 24 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Lorenzo Antonio-Martinez, age 27, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about August 14, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Donald R. Bauermeister, Jr., age 44, of Omaha, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute approximately 13 pounds of marijuana beginning on or about November, 2016, and continuing to on or about January 9, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jesse Bustos, age 26, of Bridgeport, Nebraska, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture containing heroin beginning on or about May, 2017, and continuing to on or about July 19, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Brandon Carr, age 31, and Tiera Rowsey-Harris, age 24, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendants with transportation with intent to promote prostitution between on or about June 13, 2017 to on or about June 15, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $5,000 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Carr and Rowsey-Harris with inducement to travel for prostitution between on or about June 13, 2017 to on or about June 16, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $5,000 special assessment. The indictment also alleges any and all property constituting or derived from any proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as a result of the violation alleged in the indictment and any property used to commit the offense should be forfeited to the United States.
* Leonardo Cervantes-Yepez, age 47, of Kearney, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about July 29, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jeffrey Stephen Conrad, age 52, of Elkhorn, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Both counts of the Indictment charge Conrad under the Assimilative Crimes Act with writing bad checks at the Offutt Air Force Base Exchange on or about December 16, 2016 and on or about December 19, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Oscar Contreras-Parada, age 34, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about August 9, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Hermogenes Orellana Del Cid, age 41, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about July 19, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Luis Elias, age 25, of Bellevue, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with possession with intent to deliver a mixture containing methamphetamine on or about June 28, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Count II of the Indictment charges Elias with felon in possession of a firearm on or about June 28, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Steven Rodney Esch and Manuela Fernandez Villegas, a/k/a Nancy Roxas Fernandez and a/k/a Nancy Fernandez Esch , are charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendants with false statement in an Immigration Matter beginning on or about a date unknown to the grand jury and continuing through August 23, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Villegas with False Statement Under Oath in a Matter Relating to Naturalization or Citizenship on or about January 11, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100
assessment. Count III of the Indictment charges Esch with False Statement Under Oath in a Matter Relating to Naturalization or Citizenship on or about January 11, 2011. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 assessment. Count IV of the Indictment charges Esch with Unlawful Procurement of Citizenship or Naturalization on or about January 11, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Felipe Gonzalez-Vasquez, age 31, of Schuyler, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about August 8, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Lester Moore, age 33, of Omaha, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about May 30, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Curtina Morris, age 48, of Macy, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with assault with a dangerous weapon on or about March 14, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Morris with assault resulting in serious bodily injury on or about March 14, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Eric T. Morris, age 34, of Macy, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender on or about August 2, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a life imprisonment, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.* Martha Elisa Pablo Garcia, a/k/a Yesenia Santiago Velez, a/k/a Hermelinda Lopez-Jimenez, of Omaha, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with false representation of a Social Security Number on or about February 29, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Garcia with fraud and misuse of a California Identification Card and a social security card that was not issued lawfully for her use. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jose Fulgencio Ramirez Narvaez, age 45, of Ames, Nebraska, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about July 19, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jose Rodriguez-Tirado, age 28, of Grand Island, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about August 1, The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Paul D. Sellon, age 61, and Sue Ann Sellon, age 54, are charged in a thirteen-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges Paul Sellon with receipt of a Bribe by an Agent of an Organization Receiving Federal Funds between on or about October 2010 and June 2014. The maximum possible if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges the defendants with theft of government money between on or about 2010 and 2014. The maximum possible if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each defendant. Counts III through XII charges the defendants with wire fraud between on or about September 17, 2012 through October 18, 2013. The maximum possible if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or a combination of imprisonment and fines, and a $100 special assessment for each defendant for each count. Count XIII of the Indictment charges Paul and Sue Ann Sellon with making a False Statement to a Department or Agency of the United States on or about May 18, 2015. The maximum possible if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment for each defendant.
* Luis Varela, age 31, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with misuse of a social security number on or about April 29, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Varela with falsely representing himself to be a citizen of the United States. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 3 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III of the Indictment charges the defendant with use of a Social Security Number that was not lawfully issued for his use. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.* Victor Ventura-Granados, age 27, of Bakersfield, California, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine on or about August 9, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Joaquin Zarazua, age 46, of Omaha, is charged with False Representation of a Social Security Number on or about April 25, 2013. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Assisted Living Facility Manager Sentenced to 52 Months in Federal Prison for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4811
Baltimore, Maryland – Salah Eldean Sood, age 35, of Lutherville, Maryland was sentenced to 52 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz. Sood pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme where he stole personally identifiable information from elderly persons who were in his care at Holland Manor Eldercare, an assisted living facility in Towson, Maryland.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Nicholas DiGiulio, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division (SSA).
According to court documents, Sood managed Holland Manor Eldercare in Towson, Maryland. In June 2015, P.J., a resident of Holland Manor, was transported to a local hospital. Baltimore County Fire Department personnel noted that conditions in the facility were unsanitary and that P.J.’s injuries were potentially indicative of a lack of proper care. P.J. died two days later. The State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene revoked Holland Manor’s license to operate on September 25, 2015. On December 3, 2015, Baltimore County Fire Department and Baltimore County Police Department personnel responded to a fire alarm at Holland Manor and located two residents inside the facility without any staff present. An 80 year-old male resident, W.C., informed responders that no caretaker was generally present at the facility overnight. The second resident was restrained in a bed in a second floor bedroom, comatose, and unable to communicate. Responders were initially unable to reach Sood on his cell phone. Sood eventually responded to their calls, but refused to provide to his whereabouts.
Further investigation revealed that from July 2014 to January 2016, Sood opened credit card accounts using the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of three elderly persons who resided at Holland Manor, including P.J. and W.C. Sood submitted the applications electronically, using Holland Manor as the home address. Sood obtained six credit cards in residents’ names, added himself as an authorized user on those accounts, and made over $74,000 in purchases using the accounts.
On August 3, 2016, Sood pleaded guilty in state court to abuse and neglect of a vulnerable victim and operation of an assisted living facility without a license.
The Maryland Identity Theft Working Group has been working since 2006 to foster cooperation among local, state, federal, and institutional fraud investigators and to promote effective prosecution of identity theft schemes by both state and federal prosecutors. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Working Group, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to work with financial institutions and businesses to address identity fraud, identify those who compromise personal identity information, and protect citizens from identity theft.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended SSA OIG, HHS OIG, the Baltimore County Police Department, and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Perry and Roann Nichols, who prosecuted the case.
Assistant US Attorneys from South Carolina Recipients of National ATF Honor Award in Washington Ceremony Yesterday at ATF HeadquartersRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Acting Director Thomas E. Brandon presented the ATF Honor Award to Assistant US Attorney Jamie Schoen, Assistant US Attorney Max Cauthen, and First Assistant US Attorney Lance Crick for their collective and ongoing efforts to partner with local, state, and federal law enforcement to secure communities through the expedited federal arrest, detention, and prosecution of violent, repeat gun offenders in upstate South Carolina, an initiative known as “Operation Real Time.” The awards were presented at the 21st Annual ATF Awards Ceremony yesterday at ATF National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions was the featured speaker for the event and NBC News Justice Department Correspondent Pete Williams presented the awards.
The ATF Honor Award is given to a select few non-ATF government officials who have significantly contributed to ATF’s overall mission through long-standing support and cooperation. Operation Real Time, created by Crick in concert with the Greenville Police Department and ATF/Greenville in August 2015, hinges on constant communication between all levels of law enforcement and state and federal prosecutors, to identify individuals for federal prosecution with significant criminal histories who continue to actively possess firearms in the upstate community.
Working together, this collaborative partnership has been able to identify violent felons with firearms in “real time,” swiftly arrest those individuals on federal charges, and seek detention pending trial or plea--effectively removing armed repeat offenders from the community from point of local arrest. Since its inception, the initiative has resulted in the expedited federal prosecution of over 125 defendants and the seizure of over 160 firearms as well as assorted ammunition from prohibited persons in the upstate. Based on the success of the program, the Real Time model is now being launched in other counties and cities across the state.
U.S. Attorney Beth Drake commended the work of Schoen, Cauthen, and Crick in praising the Real Time partnership. “We work best when we work together. This ‘real time’ identification of high risk offenders is smart policing and we welcome the opportunity to work alongside our state chiefs, sheriffs, and solicitors in taking violent repeat offenders out of our communities.”
Pictured above, from left: NBC Correspondent Pete Williams, Acting ATF Director Thomas E. Brandon, First Assistant US Attorney Lance Crick, Assistant US Attorney Jamie Schoen, Assistant US Attorney Max Cauthen, and Associate Deputy Director Ronald D. Turk.
Another Sentenced and Two More Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Arising Out of ATF-Led Operation Targeting Drug Trafficking and Firearms Crime in Bernalillo CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – In Aug. 2016, a multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) concluded with the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 103 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. To date, 74 of the 103 defendants charged as the result of this investigation have entered guilty pleas and 35 of them have been sentenced.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
This week, an Albuquerque resident who charged as the result of the investigation was sentenced in federal court. Jesus Ramirez, 21, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws.
In addition, two more Albuquerque residents entered guilty pleas in federal court this week. Felix Ulibarri, 39, pled guilty on Aug. 22, 2017, to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement that recommends a sentence within the range of 84 to 105 months in federal prison. Joshua Bright, 32, pled guilty today to methamphetamine trafficking offenses under a plea agreement that recommends a sentence within the range of 12 to 15 years in federal prison.
Ramirez and his co-defendants, Jonathan Griego, 28, and Richard Porras, 31, were arrested in Aug. 2016, on separate criminal complaints charging them with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The three subsequently were jointly charged in a nine-count indictment filed on Aug. 9, 2016, with conspiracy and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment also charged Porras with distributing methamphetamine on three occasions, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and Ramirez with possessing methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Jan, 25, 2017, Ramirez pled guilty to carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Ramirez admitted that on Aug. 4, 2016, he carried and used a loaded firearm while distributing methamphetamine and heroin.
Ulibarri was indicted on July 28, 2016, and was charged with distributing methamphetamine on July 11, 2016. The indictment subsequently was superseded on Aug. 9, 2016, to add Leo Lopez, 28, Joseph Sena, 40, and Jennifer Padilla, 39. The superseding indictment charged Ulibarri and Padilla with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in July 2016; Lopez, Sena and Padilla with participating in a different conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in July 2016; Ulibarri with distributing methamphetamine on July 11, 2016; and Sena with distributing methamphetamine on July 26, 2016. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the crimes in Bernalillo County. On Aug. 22, 2017, Ulibarri pled guilty to one count of distributing methamphetamine and admitted that on July 11, 2016, he distributed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Bright and co-defendant Jesse James Davis, 40, were indicted on June 30, 2016, and were charged with conspiracy and distributing methamphetamine on June 6, 2016. Bright also was charged with distributing methamphetamine on June 14, 2016. During today’s proceedings, Bright pled guilty to conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine. In entering the guilty plea, Bright admitted that on June 6, 2016, he sold four bags of methamphetamine weighing approximately 115 grams to an undercover law enforcement agent. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Twenty-six of the defendants who were charged as the result of the ATF investigation have entered not guilty pleas to the charges against them. Charges in indictments are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law. One defendant is a fugitive and the charges against two defendants have been dismissed.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. Ramirez was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers. Ulibarri is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Han, and Bright is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Five Years for Federal Cocaine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Pascual Cerpa-Coy, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 60 months in prison for his conviction on a cocaine trafficking charge. Cerpa-Coy will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence.
Cerpa-Coy was arrested in Jan. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on Jan. 19, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Cerpa-Coy subsequently was indicted on the same charge on Feb. 7, 2017.
According to court documents, Cerpa-Coy was arrested after the Crimes Against Children Unit of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) found approximately one kilogram of cocaine and drug paraphernalia at his residence while executing a state search warrant as part of an investigation into another matter.
On May 25, 2017, Cerpa-Coy entered a guilty plea to the indictment and admitted possessing more than 500 grams of cocaine on Jan. 19, 2017, that he intended to distribute to others.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Provisional Arrest in London of Pakistani National Muhammad Asif Hafeez for Drug-Trafficking on A Massive ScaleRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Raymond Donovan, the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), today announced that MUHAMMAD ASIF HAFEEZ, a/k/a “Sultan,” was provisionally arrested in London pursuant to charges filed in the Southern District of New York, which were unsealed today, based on HAFEEZ’s participation in drug-trafficking activities involving large, and in some instances multi-ton, quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and methamphetamine precursor chemicals. The United States plans to seek HAFEEZ’s extradition from the United Kingdom.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, Muhammad Asif Hafeez, a long-time, priority target of the DEA known as the ‘Sultan,’ trafficked in drugs on a massive and global scale, working with transnational criminal organizations to manufacture and distribute enormous quantities of heroin and methamphetamine around the world and into the United States. From Kenya and Mozambique to London and New York, Hafeez’s alleged drug operation saw no borders or boundaries – until now. Thanks to the unwavering commitment of the DEA and the prosecutors in this Office, the ‘Sultan’ has been caught and will have to face American narcotics charges.”
Special Agent in Charge Raymond Donovan said: “The arrest of Muhammad Asif Hafeez is another win in the fight against global criminals and one of DEA’s priority targets. He has been allegedly linked to a transnational criminal organization responsible for manufacturing and distributing ton quantities of narcotics. Removing criminals like Hafeez benefits not just the citizens of London, but communities worldwide.”
According to the allegations contained in S5 and S7 Superseding Indictments filed in Manhattan federal court charging HAFEEZ and certain of his co-conspirators:
From 2013 through the date of his provisional arrest, HAFEEZ conspired to import methamphetamine into the United States. In connection with this conspiracy, HAFEEZ and certain of his co-conspirators sought to establish a methamphetamine-production facility in Mozambique. But HAFEEZ and his co-conspirators were forced to abandon their plan after law enforcement authorities seized approximately 18 tons of ephedrine from a factory in Solapur, India, including several tons of ephedrine that HAFEEZ and his co-conspirators planned to use as a precursor chemical to manufacture methamphetamine in Mozambique.
HAFEEZ is also charged with participating in a conspiracy with co-defendants Baktash Akasha Abdalla, Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla, Gulam Hussein, and Vijaygiri Anandgiri Goswami to import heroin into the United States. Baktash Akasha Abdalla was the leader of an organized crime family in Kenya (the “Akasha Organization”), which was responsible for the production and distribution of ton quantities of narcotics within Kenya and throughout Africa and maintained a network used to distribute narcotics for importation into the United States. In October 2014, Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla delivered a one-kilogram heroin sample, on behalf of HAFEEZ and the Akasha Organization, to confidential sources acting at the direction of the DEA in Nairobi. In early November 2014, Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla delivered 98 additional kilograms of heroin to the sources.
In November 2014, Baktash Akasha Abdalla, Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla, Hussein, and Goswami were provisionally arrested in Kenya. They arrived in the District for prosecution based on the pending drug-trafficking charges in January 2017.
* * *
HAFEEZ, 58, a Pakistani national residing in, among other places, London, is charged with conspiring to import heroin into the United States; conspiring to import methamphetamine into the United States; and aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin, knowing and intending that it would be imported into the United States. Each charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding efforts of the Special Operations Division of the DEA, Bilateral Investigations Unit. Mr. Kim also thanked the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the London Metropolitan Police Service – Extradition Team, the DEA London Country Office, the DEA Dubai Country Office, the DEA Nairobi Country Office, the DEA Pretoria Country Office, the DEA New Delhi Country Office, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and London Attaché.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III, Patrick Egan, and Amanda L. Houle are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictments charging HAFEEZ, Baktash Akasha Abdalla, Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla, Gulam Hussein, and Vijaygiri Anandgiri Goswami are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Aberdeen Woman Sentenced for False StatementsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Aberdeen, South Dakota, woman convicted of False Statements was sentenced on August 17, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Sherrae Two Hearts, a/k/a Sherrae Twohearts, age 38, was sentenced to time served, 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Two Hearts was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 14, 2017. She pled guilty on May 18, 2017.
The conviction stems from an incident on June 28, 2016, when Two Hearts called the Bureau of Indian Affairs to report that her children were being abused by their guardian and locked in the basement. An investigation was done and the children were observed to be safe, clean, and well fed. Two Hearts admitted to lying to the Special Agent.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
19 Defendants Facing Federal Criminal Charges for Alledgedly Defrauding Bank of America in Bank Card SchemeRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN—Nineteen defendants residing in Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia have been charged by a federal Grand Jury with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and executing a scheme to defraud Bank of America, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), assisted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, and several state law enforcement officers assigned to the FBI’s Grand Rapids Violent Crime and Fugitive Task Force, Muskegon Safe Streets Task Force, and St. Joseph Violent Crime Task Force, began arresting the defendants yesterday.
The 28-count indictment alleges that, since at least November 2015 to December 2015, the defendants conspired with each other to open bank accounts at Bank of America to facilitate the deposit of fraudulent checks. Once a fraudulent check was deposited into an account and the bank temporarily credited the account with funds, the accountholder and others allegedly used a debit card associated with the account to obtain, and attempt to obtain, money and funds belonging to Bank of America. The charges allege that the defendants conducted numerous cash withdrawals at ATM machines and bank branches, and conducted cash advance transactions at FireKeepers Casino near Battle Creek, Michigan, to unlawfully obtain money belonging to the bank. As a result, the defendants allegedly caused a loss of more than $200,000 to Bank of America. Law enforcement refers to this type of bank fraud scheme as "Cracking Cards."
The charges in an indictment, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, are merely accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Tribal Police Department. The criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Zell and Christopher O’Connor.
The FBI requests the public’s assistance in locating the following defendants charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and executing a scheme to defraud a federally-insured financial institution:
Tirell Perry Thomas Jerome Datra Perry Dwayne Edward PerryAnyone with information related to the whereabouts of any of those individuals is encouraged to call the FBI Detroit Office at 313-965-2323.
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18-Month Prison Sentence for Man who Illegally Bought and Smuggled Guns for Members of the Indonesian Secret ServiceRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Audi N. Sumilat, 37, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for participating in a scheme to illegally buy guns that were then smuggled to Indonesia by members of the security detail of the Indonesian President and the Vice President -- also known as the Presidential Guard of the Republic of Indonesia. Sumilat previously pleaded guilty to a charge that he conspired to make false statements in connection with the purchase of export controlled firearms and smuggling them out of the country.
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, Sumilat conspired to buy guns in Texas and New Hampshire for members of the Presidential Guard with the understanding that the guns then would be smuggled out of the U.S. Specifically, Sumilat – while on active duty with the U.S. Army – admitted that he and three members of the Presidential Guard came up with the plan in October 2014, when they were all stationed together for training in Fort Benning, Georgia. As part of the plan, in the summer of 2014 and in September and October 2015, Sumilat purchased guns in Georgia and Texas for members of the Indonesian Presidential Guard that they could not lawfully buy in the U.S. themselves. To facilitate those purchases, he falsely certified to the gun dealers that he was the actual buyer of the guns. Sumilat delivered some of the guns to co-conspirators in the New York City area and shipped others to a co-conspirator, Feky R. Sumual, in New Hampshire. Sumual, in turn, delivered the guns and other firearms he illegally purchased to members and representatives of members of the Presidential Guard, who were in the U.S. on official state visits in Washington, D.C., and with the U.N. General Assembly in New York, N.Y. Finally, Sumilat acknowledged that, he understood that the members of the Presidential Guard then would smuggle the illegally purchased guns from the U.S. to Indonesia on the Indonesian president’s official government airplane. The firearms were listed as defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List. To export them legally, an exporter’s license and a license covering the specific guns was required. No such licenses had been issued.
Diplomatic negotiations between the Department of State and the Republic of Indonesia resulted in the recovery and destruction of twenty-three of the illegally purchased and exported firearms.
Acting United States Attorney Farley noted, “Firearms exported illegally can easily end up in the wrong hands. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute international gun trafficking to protect innocents, both American and foreign, from the criminal use of U.S. weapons abroad.” Farley added, “The fact that the guns were bought for, and transferred to, members of another country’s security force presented some unique challenges in the investigation that led to this prosecution. The diligent work of our law enforcement partners allowed them to detect this scheme and develop the evidence needed to shut it down, in spite of those challenges.”
United States District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro, who sentenced Sumilat, also ordered Sumilat to serve two years of supervised release upon completing his prison term.
Sumilat’s co-conspirator, Feky R. Sumual, previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and was also sentenced to 18 months in prison.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in both Manchester, N.H., and in El Paso, Texas, as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, in Manchester, N.H., and the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. The Dover (N.H.) Police Department and the Indonesian National Police provided important support. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse
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11th International Law Enforcement Intellectual Property Crime ConferenceRead the Press Release
The 11th International Law Enforcement Intellectual Property (IP) Crime Conference will take place August 28th-29th, 2017, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, will deliver a keynote speech on the second day of the conference. INTERPOL Washington Director, Wayne Salzgaber, and senior leadership will also attend.
This year’s event is co-hosted by INTERPOL, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (NIPRCC) in partnership with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC).
The event will assemble senior police leaders, government officials, security and industry experts, and private-sector organizations from around the globe. Themed “Uniting Nations for the Next Decade,” the conference enables participants to share best practices and foster stronger relationships in the fight against transnational organized IP crime.
Thursday 24 August 2017
Yakima Man Sentenced to Thirty Years Imprisonment for Soliciting Murder for Hire and Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Yakima – Today, Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. sentenced
Gerardo Maderos Loreto, age 32, of Yakima, Washington, to a thirty-year term of imprisonment for attempting to hire a person to murder his ex-girlfriend, and for attempting to pay for the murder with a pound of methamphetamine.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, in March, 2016, Loreto was serving a state prison sentence for violating a protective order relating to his ex-girlfriend. While in prison Loreto, who is a Norteno gang member, continued to violate the protective order by contacting his ex-girlfriend, more frequently after he learned that she was pregnant with another man’s child. Loreto’s intent towards his ex-girlfriend became more violent, and he attempted to hire someone to kill her. He mailed a letter to an individual from the state prison facility detailing the ex-girlfriend’s name, where to find her, and why he wanted her murdered. In the letter Loreto also explained that he would pay a pound of methamphetamine in return for the murder.
Detectives with the Yakima Police Department Gang Unit obtained the letter before any harm came to the ex-girlfriend. On July 12, 2016, a federal Indictment was filed charging Loreto with use of the mail to commit murder for hire. Loreto was arrested on this charge on the day he completed his state prison sentence. Following his arrest, Loreto was detained at the Yakima County Jail. While there, he continued to use his gang connections to try to hire someone to murder his ex-girlfriend. Law enforcement agents were again able to foil Loreto’s plans before any physical harm came to his ex-girlfriend. A superseding federal Indictment was filed on January 10, 2017, charging Loreto with use of the mail to commit murder for hire, use of a telephone to commit murder for hire, conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and attempt to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
On May 22, 2017, a trial commenced and on May 24, 2017, a jury found Loreto guilty of all the charges.
Joseph H. Harrington said, “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to ensuring the safety of our community and aggressively prosecuting perpetrators of violence against women. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to seek lengthy sentences to remove dangerous gang members from our streets. In this case, the Yakima Police Department Gang Unit and Washington Department of Corrections worked together to identify the Loreto as a threat to public safety. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Yakima Police Department followed through with completing this important investigation in a thorough and professional manner.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Yakima Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Washington Department of Corrections, Yakima County Department of Corrections, and the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab. The case was prosecuted by Benjamin D. Seal, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Woodbury Woman Sentenced to Prison in Labor Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the sentencing of LILI HUANG, 36, for withholding documents as well as enslaving, starving and beating the victim in a forced labor case. HUANG, who pleaded guilty on May 31, 2017, was sentenced today before U.S. District Senior Judge David S. Doty in Minneapolis, Minn.
“With today’s sentencing, Lili Huang must accept the consequences of committing such an egregious crime – not only financial repayment, but also the loss of liberty and property,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory Brooker. “I am grateful for the dedicated work of the ACTeam and our local law enforcement partners for their collaborative efforts in bringing this case to a successful resolution.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to investigating and prosecuting all forms of human trafficking, including forced labor,” said Special Agent in Charge Alex Khu of HSI St. Paul. “Lili Huang’s prison sentence, and the forfeiture of her home and other assets, can never fully restore all that she took from her victim, but it shows that her actions will not be tolerated in our community. HSI is proud of the work accomplished in this case with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Washington County Attorney’s Office and the Woodbury, MN Police Department.”
“In February 2016, the Woodbury Public Safety Department received training on investigating human trafficking cases and identifying trafficking victims. As a result of this critical training, the responding officers quickly recognized that this individual was a victim of human trafficking and were able to access the appropriate help and resources for the victim,” said Woodbury Police Commander Steve Wills. “The Woodbury Police Department and Washington County Attorney’s Office remain committed to putting resources into combatting all forms of human trafficking.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in both state and federal court, on February 25, 2016, HUANG brought the victim (identified as F.L.) from Shanghai, China to her home in Woodbury, Minn. to work as a nanny and housekeeper. Although F.L. had previously worked for the defendant in China where she cooked, cleaned and cared for the defendant’s children, the scope of work and the defendant’s treatment of F.L. was significantly different once she arrived in Minnesota. HUANG forced F.L. to work up to 18 hours a day cooking, cleaning, and providing childcare. HUANG was very demanding about household tasks and became emotionally and physically abusive toward F.L. if she did not do exactly what was asked.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in both state and federal court, on April 23, 2016, due to the repeated physical abuse, F.L. asked HUANG to buy her an airplane ticket so she could return home to China. Instead of buying her a ticket, HUANG took F.L.’s passport and told F.L. that she was not leaving. HUANG continued to physically abuse F.L. by kicking, punching, grabbing F.L. by her hair, and subjecting her to other abuse. F.L. was able to document the physical abuse by using her cell phone to take photographs of the bruises and other injuries. F.L. also hid clumps of her hair under her mattress, which had been grabbed and torn out by the defendant.
On July 13, 2016, F.L. fled the house after HUANG approached her with a large kitchen knife. Just after midnight on July 14, 2016, F.L. was found wandering the streets several miles from the defendant’s home walking in the direction of the airport. F.L., who was visibly shaken and crying, was taken to United Hospital for medical treatment. The victim sustained several bruises and injuries to her face, including two black eyes, significant weight loss, and fractures to her sternum and ribs.
HUANG was also pleaded guilty in Washington County to one felony count of third-degree assault and was sentenced on August 11, 2017.
The District of Minnesota is one of six districts designated through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam), through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Woodbury Police Department, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Laura M. Provinzino and Manda M. Sertich prosecuted this case.
Defendant Information:
LILI HUANG, 36
Woodbury, Minn.
Convicted:
- Unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of forced labor, 1 count
Sentenced:
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12 months and 1 day in prison
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Forfeiture of the defendant’s house
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$95,944.80 in restitution paid to the victim
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$27,344.73 in restitution paid for third-party victim services
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Removal from the United States to China following the defendant’s prison sentence
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Women Sentenced for Conspiracy to Receive Illegal Kickbacks and Misprision of a FelonyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ELEISHA WILLIAMS, age 45, of Harvey, and CAREN BATTTAGLIA, age 50, of New Orleans, were sentenced yesterday for their roles in a $30,052,295 Medicare fraud scheme.
According to court documents, WILLIAMS was a marketer for Abide Home Health Care Services, Inc. (Abide), a Louisiana home health agency owned and operated by LISA CRINEL. WILLIAMS contacted an Abide employee to confirm that the person she fraudulently referred for home health was a Medicare beneficiary. Once it was determined, the referred individual was a Medicare beneficiary, an Abide co-conspirator scheduled a physician visit, usually with an Abide House Doctor – also a co-conspirator – well knowing that the individual referral to Abide was by a Marketer, instead of the beneficiary’s own health care professional. WILLIAMS pled guilty on March 30, 2016, to conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced WILLIAMS to two years probation and a $2,000 fine.
BATTAGLIA was a Licensed Practical Nurse at Abide Home Care Services. BATTAGLIA’s guilty plea on September 8, 2016, involved her care for Medicare beneficiaries and failure to notify officials of the ongoing health care fraud at Abide. BATTAGLIA pled guilty to misprision of a felony. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced BATTAGLIA to a $2,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrice Harris Sullivan, Hayden M. Brockett, Sharan Lieberman and Maria Carboni were in charge of the prosecution.
Wallingford Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl Involved in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DANIEL GUILLEN, 28, of Wallingford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and fentanyl involved in an overdose death last year. This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 31, 2016, the Wallingford Police Department and medical personnel responded to a residence after a report of an untimely death of a 30-year-old male. At the scene, officers seized 12 wax paper folds, eight of which contained a powdery substance. The State of Connecticut Forensics Laboratory subsequently reported that the substance tested positive for the presence of fentanyl and heroin. The investigation revealed that GUILLEN had provided the drugs to the victim shortly before the victim’s death.
GUILLEN has been detained since his arrest on January 19, 2017. On April 19, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, Wallingford Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and State of Connecticut Department of Parole and Community Services. The Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton, Milford, Monroe and Fairfield Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.