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6 October 2017
Addiction Treatment Centers Settle ADA ComplaintRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas-based operator of addiction treatment centers has agreed to pay $25,000 to settle allegations it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.
Valley Hope Association of Norton, Kan., which operates sixteen addiction treatment centers in seven states, signed the agreement with the Justice Department. The agreement resolves allegations that Valley Hope offered its residential treatment services on a less than equal basis to individuals with HIV/AIDS.
After an investigation, it was alleged that Valley Hope had a policy or practice that individuals with HIV/AIDS were required to stay in separate rooms during residential treatment unless they revealed their HIV/AIDS status to their potential roommate. Furthermore, Valley Hope had a policy or practice that prevented individuals with HIV/AIDS from engaging in certain work activities around the residential facility.
Under the agreement, Valley Hope is required to adopt measures to ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully and equally enjoy the various goods, services, facilities, and accommodations provided at Valley Hope treatment centers. Valley Hope will adopt and implement a formal non-discrimination policy that will be posted in each facility and on its website and provide mandatory annual training on title III of the ADA to Valley Hope’s employees and contractors. Under the settlement, Valley Hope will also pay $20,000.00 to the complainant and a $5,000 civil penalty.
For more information on the ADA and HIV, visit http://www.ada.gov/aids . Those interested in finding out more about these settlements or the obligations of public accommodations under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov . ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected]
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces the Court’s Unsealing of Charges Against Three Men Arrested for Participating in International Plot to Carry Out Terrorist Attacks in New York City for Isis in the Summer of 2016Read the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Dana J. Boente, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Danny Kennedy, the Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office of the FBI, Calvin A. Shivers, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Denver Field Office of the FBI, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced the Court’s unsealing of federal terrorism charges against three men alleged to have plotted attacks on New York City during the summer of 2016 in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”), which were thwarted by law enforcement. All three men have been arrested, and one has pled guilty.
The defendants are: ABDULRAHMAN EL BAHNASAWY, a 19-year-old Canadian citizen; TALHA HAROON, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Pakistan; and RUSSELL SALIC, a 37-year-old Philippine citizen. Communicating through Internet messaging applications, these three men allegedly plotted to conduct bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan in 2016, all in the name of ISIS (the “NYC Attacks”). EL BAHNASAWY purchased bomb-making materials and helped secure a cabin within driving distance of New York City to use for building the explosive devices and staging the NYC Attacks. HAROON allegedly made plans to travel from Pakistan to New York City to join EL BAHNASAWY in carrying out the attacks, and traveled within Pakistan to meet with explosives experts in furtherance of the plot. And as EL BAHNASAWY and HAROON prepared to execute the NYC Attacks, SALIC allegedly wired money from the Philippines to the United States to help fund the terrorist operation.
- The planned attacks included detonating bombs in Times Square and the New York City subway system, and shooting civilians at specific concert venues.
- Law enforcement – the FBI and the NYPD – successfully thwarted this terrorist plot. An undercover FBI agent (the “UC”) convinced the defendants that the UC was an ISIS supporter prepared to carry out the attacks with them.
- EL BAHNASAWY, who has been in custody since he was arrested by the FBI in May 2016, pled guilty to terrorism offenses and is awaiting sentencing.
- HAROON and SALIC have been arrested in foreign countries by foreign authorities in connection with these charges and it is the hope and expectation of this Office and U.S. law enforcement that they will be extradited to the United States to face justice in a United States court.
On May 21, 2016, EL BAHNASAWY was arrested in New Jersey, after traveling to the United States from Canada in preparation for carrying out the NYC Attacks. HAROON was arrested in Pakistan in or about September 2016, and SALIC was arrested in the Philippines in or about April 2017. EL BAHNASAWY pled guilty on October 13, 2016, to a seven-count Superseding Information before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. Today, the Court unsealed the Superseding Information and EL BAHNASAWY’s guilty plea, as well as the Complaint and Indictment previously filed against EL BAHNASAWY.[1] The Court also unsealed today the five-count Complaint charging TALHA HAROON (the “Haroon Complaint”), and the seven-count Complaint charging RUSSELL SALIC (the “Salic Complaint”), based on their alleged participation with EL BAHNASAWY in the plot to carry out the NYC Attacks.
According to the allegations in the Haroon Complaint and the Salic Complaint[2]; the Complaint, Indictment, and Superseding Information filed against EL BAHNASAWY; and the transcript of EL BAHNASAWY’s guilty plea[3]:
In the spring of 2016, EL BAHNASAWY and HAROON were plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in New York City in support of ISIS during the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan (which ran from approximately June 5 to July 5 in 2016). In the course of their preparations, EL BAHNASAWY and HAROON communicated, via electronic messaging applications accessible on cellphones, with a certain individual posing as an ISIS supporter who was, unbeknownst to them, the UC.
EL BAHNASAWY and HAROON declared their allegiance to ISIS in electronic communications with the UC, and expressed their intention of carrying out Paris- and Brussels-like terrorist attacks on behalf of ISIS in New York City. EL BAHNASAWY explained to the UC that he was in contact with an ISIS affiliate about obtaining official sanction of the planned attacks by the Khorasan Province, a branch of ISIS active in Pakistan. HAROON, who was based in Pakistan and was introduced to the UC by EL BAHNASAWY, informed the UC that he was in contact with ISIS associates within the Khorasan Province, and that “khurasan dawla [ISIS] has o[u]r back.” EL BAHNASAWY stated to the UC that “[t]hese Americans need an attack,” that he aspired to “create the next 9/11,” and that he planned to “com[e] to new York at around may 22” from Canada. HAROON stated that he intended to fly from Pakistan to New York City to carry out the NYC Attacks with EL BAHNASAWY, and hoped to “cause great destruction to the filthy kuffars[4] by our hands.”[5]
EL BAHNASAWY and HAROON identified multiple locations and events in and around New York City as targets of the planned attacks, including the New York City subway system, Times Square, and certain concert venues. For example, on May 1, 2016, EL BAHNASAWY sent the UC multiple images of maps of the New York City subway system containing markings that depicted plans for attacking the subway system, including by identifying the subway lines in which explosives would be detonated as part of the NYC Attacks. On May 12, 2016, EL BAHNASAWY sent the UC an image of Times Square and stated: “[W]e seriously need a car bomb at times square. . Look at these crowds of people!” That same day, EL BAHNASAWY also expressed his desire to “shoot up concerts cuz they kill a lot of people.” EL BAHNASAWY described the plan to attack concerts as follows: “[W]e just walk in with guns in our hands. That’s how the Paris guys did it.”
On May 5, 2016, HAROON expressed to the UC that the subway was a “perfect” target, that they should shoot as many passengers on the train as possible, including “women or kids,” and that “when we run out of bullets we let the vests go off.” That same day, HAROON discussed with the UC the necessary supplies for making explosive devices for use in the NYC Attacks. On May 9, 2016, HAROON stated to the UC: “NY Needs to fall. It’s a must.”
During May 2016, EL BAHNASAWY, while in Canada, purchased an array of bomb-making materials for use in the NYC Attacks, including approximately 40 pounds of hydrogen peroxide (the “Hydrogen Peroxide”) – which is a primary ingredient in TATP (triacetone triperoxide), a powerful explosive commonly used in improvised explosive devices. EL BAHNASAWY also purchased, among other things, batteries, Christmas lights, thermometers, and aluminum foil for use in constructing explosive devices to carry out the NYC Attacks.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, based on HAROON’s communications with the UC, HAROON traveled to a certain city to meet with an explosives expert for the purpose of obtaining additional information to be used in building bombs for the planned NYC Attacks. HAROON advised that they would need “perming cords” (i.e., detonator cords) for constructing the improvised explosive devices, and conveyed his expectation that EL BAHNASAWY was acquiring “all that’s needed.” HAROON repeatedly expressed his commitment to travel to New York City as soon as feasible to carry out the planned attacks in support of ISIS, and described the steps that he had taken to renew the necessary travel documents to enable him to exit Pakistan and travel to the United States for the purpose of carrying out the NYC Attacks.
In early May 2016, EL BAHNASAWY informed the UC that EL BAHNASAWY had been communicating with SALIC – who was known to EL BAHNASAWY as “Abu Khalid” and “the doctor” – about providing additional funding for the NYC Attacks. EL BAHNASAWY further informed the UC that SALIC was a trusted ISIS supporter who had provided funding in support of ISIS on prior occasions. EL BAHNASAWY advised that SALIC would send approximately $500 to help fund the NYC Attacks, and that the money sent by SALIC would be used to acquire additional ammunition and bomb-making materials for carrying out the attacks. EL BAHNASAWY informed the UC that he had sent the UC’s account information to SALIC so that SALIC could transfer money to the United States in support of the NYC Attacks, and EL BAHNASAWY provided the UC with SALIC’s contact information on an electronic messaging application, to enable SALIC to execute the planned money transfer.
Shortly thereafter, SALIC, using the alias “Abu Khalid,” began messaging with the UC. SALIC informed the UC that he had been in contact with EL BAHNASAWY, and that SALIC was prepared to transfer money to the United States to help fund the NYC Attacks. SALIC, who allegedly maintained an active pro-ISIS social media presence, also conveyed that he had previously sent money to multiple other countries in support of ISIS, and expressed his allegiance to ISIS. For example, on May 9, 2016, SALIC informed the UC that he was “desperate” to travel to Syria to join ISIS. SALIC also expressed his belief that he could safely send money to support the NYC Attacks from the Philippines, where he claimed to be at the time, without attracting law enforcement scrutiny, stating: “[I]ts not strict here. Unli[k]e in Aus [Australia] or Uk [the United Kingdom] even liking FB [Facebook] status will put[] u in jail . . . Terrorists from all over the world usually come here as a breeding ground for terrorists . . . hahahaha . . . But no worry here in Philippines. They dont care bout IS [ISIS]..loll[.] Only in west.”
On May 11, 2016, SALIC sent approximately $423 from the Philippines to the UC to help fund the planned NYC Attacks. SALIC also informed the UC that he intended to continue sending additional money in support of ISIS in the future, stating: “In Sha Allah once we have the blessings again we will distribute again.”
As described above, EL BAHNASAWY acquired an array of bomb-making materials for use in carrying out the NYC Attacks. In mid-May 2016, EL BAHNASAWY shipped those bomb-making materials, including the Hydrogen Peroxide, to the UC in the United States. EL BAHNASAWY planned to build the explosive devices and prepare for the NYC Attacks with HAROON and the UC at a rural cabin within driving distance of New York City. EL BAHNASAWY helped to secure such a cabin for a period beginning in late May 2016, when he planned to arrive in the New York City area. EL BAHNASAWY informed the UC that the cabin would need to contain a refrigerator for purposes of making the explosives, and that EL BAHNASAWY wanted to “practise shooting” at the cabin site if it was not “too close to people.”
On May 12, 2016, when the UC sent SALIC a photograph of the Hydrogen Peroxide that EL BAHNASAWY had purchased for use in the NYC Attacks, SALIC reiterated his support for the planned attacks, and SALIC also conveyed that if he was unable to travel to Syria to join ISIS, he might carry out an attack himself. During subsequent communications with the UC, SALIC described New York City as “the capital of Kufr [Kuffar],” and stated that “[i]t would be a great pleasure if we can slaughter” people in New York City. SALIC further conveyed to the UC that he would be praying to Allah for the success of the operation when the planned attacks were imminent.
On May 20, 2016, HAROON conveyed to the UC that Times Square was “a perfect spot to hit them,” and suggested that the plan could include “[d]rive by or we surround the whole street and trap them and kill as many as possible.” In the course of his communications with the UC, HAROON also stated: “I wanna kill . . . them in thousands”; and “we have to make a ocean out of their blood[.] Leave no one standing.” HAROON reiterated his intention of traveling to New York City, and discussed attempting to execute the attacks as soon as Memorial Day (i.e., May 30, 2016), stating that “that’s a day that will change history” and that the attacks “will scar them for life knowing the soldiers of Allah are everywhere and ready.”
On May 21, 2016, EL BAHNASAWY traveled from Canada to the New York City area, in preparation for staging and ultimately carrying out the NYC Attacks with HAROON. In coordination with Canadian law enforcement, U.S. law enforcement closely monitored EL BAHNASAWY’s travel to the United States on May 21, 2016, and EL BAHNASAWY was arrested by the FBI that night in Cranford, New Jersey. HAROON was subsequently arrested in Pakistan based on the charges in the Haroon Complaint, and SALIC was subsequently arrested in the Philippines based on the charges in the Salic Complaint.
* * *
The chart below reflects: (i) the charges in the Superseding Information to which EL BAHNASAWY, 19, of Mississauga, Canada, pled guilty; (ii) the charges in the Haroon Complaint filed against HAROON, 19, a U.S. citizen residing in Pakistan; and (iii) the charges in the Salic Complaint filed against SALIC, 37, of the Philippines.
CHARGE
STATUTE
DEFENDANTS CHARGED (COUNT)
MAXIMUM PENALTY
Conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction
18 U.S.C. § 2332a
EL BAHNASAWY (1)
HAROON (1)
SALIC (1)
Life in prison
Conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries
18 U.S.C. § 2332b
EL BAHNASAWY (2)
HAROON (2)
SALIC (2)
Life in prison
Conspiracy to bomb a place of public use and public transportation system
18 U.S.C. § 2332f
EL BAHNASAWY (3)
HAROON (3)
SALIC (3)
Life in prison
Conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists
18 U.S.C. § 2339A
EL BAHNASAWY (4)
HAROON (4)
SALIC (4)
15 years in prison
Attempted provision and provision of material support and resources to terrorists
18 U.S.C. § 2339A
EL BAHNASAWY (5)
SALIC (5)
15 years in prison
Conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, i.e., ISIS
18 U.S.C. § 2339B
EL BAHNASAWY (6)
HAROON (5)
SALIC (6)
20 years in prison
Attempted provision and provision of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, i.e., ISIS
18 U.S.C. § 2339B
EL BAHNASAWY (7)
SALIC (7)
20 years in prison
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
As noted above, EL BAHNASAWY was arrested in New Jersey on May 21, 2016, and has remained in custody since that date. On October 13, 2016, EL BAHNASAWY pled guilty to the seven-count Superseding Information. EL BAHNASAWY is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2017. HAROON was arrested in September 2016 in Pakistan in connection with the charges in the Haroon Complaint, and proceedings for his extradition to the United States are currently pending in Pakistan. SALIC was arrested in April 2017 in the Philippines in connection with the charges in the Salic Complaint, and proceedings for his extradition to the United States are currently pending in the Philippines.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD, and the FBI’s Los Angeles and Denver Field Offices. Mr. Kim also thanked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in Canada, Pakistan, and the Philippines, the New York State Police, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George D. Turner and Negar Tekeei are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Larry Schneider of the Counterterrorism Section.
The charges contained in the Haroon Complaint and the Salic Complaint are merely accusations, and HAROON and SALIC are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] Certain portions of the transcript of EL BAHNASAWY’s guilty plea remain sealed pursuant to judicial order. Those portions have been redacted from the version of the transcript unsealed today.
[2] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Haroon Complaint and the Salic Complaint, and the descriptions of the allegations against HAROON and SALIC in those charging documents set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and should be treated as allegations. EL BAHNASAWY has pled guilty, so as to him, the descriptions are not merely allegations.
[3] The Complaint, Indictment, and Superseding Information filed against EL BAHNASAWY refer to HAROON as “CC-1” and to SALIC as “CC-2.” The Haroon Complaint refers to EL BAHNASAWY as “CC-1” and to SALIC as “CC-2.” The Salic Complaint refers to EL BAHNASAWY as “CC-1” and to HAROON as “CC-2.”
[4] “Kuffar” generally means “disbelievers.”
[5] Unless otherwise indicated, the communications quoted herein have not been altered to correct for grammatical, spelling, or other errors that exist in the original communications.
79th Defendant Pleads Guilty and Three More are Sentenced on 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, 79 of the 103 defendants charged as the result of this investigation have entered guilty pleas and 44 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, another defendant entered a guilty plea and three other defendants were sentenced on guilty pleas previously entered.
Albuquerque resident Richard Cortez, 37, entered a guilty plea on Oct. 2, 2017, to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Cortez and co-defendants Guajira Maya Lovato, 44, and Daniel Loya, 31, were charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine between July 21, 2016 and Aug. 9, 2016, and with distributing methamphetamine on July 21, 2016. On Oct. 2, 2017, Cortez pled guilty to the distribution charge and admitted distributing 45 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent on July 21, 2016. At sentencing, Cortez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He remains detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. Cortez’s co-defendants have entered guilty pleas to methamphetamine trafficking charges and are awaiting sentencing hearings.
Also this week the following three Albuquerque residents were sentenced for their convictions on drug trafficking and firearms offenses:
- Carlos Vasquez, 47, was sentenced on Oct. 3, 2017, to 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release;
- Candace Tapia also was sentenced on Oct. 3, 2017, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; and
- Brandon Jason Hunt, 28, was sentenced on Oct 5, 2017, to a year and a day in prison, which he has already served, followed by three years of supervised release.
Vasquez was charged in a three-count indictment filed on June 14, 2016, with distributing cocaine and methamphetamine on May 26, 2016 and with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on June 1, 2016. Vasquez was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of aggravated battery on a household member, attempted armed robbery, and abandonment or abuse of a child. On May 19, 2017, Vasquez pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and admitted that on May 26, 2016, he sold methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement. Vasquez also admitted that on June 1, 2016, he sold a firearm and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement agent. Vasquez acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
Candace Tapia and her co-defendants Gaspar Leal, 47, Bernadette Aurora Tapia, 49, and Brandon Candelaria, 22, were charged by indictment on July 12, 2016, with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine on June 8, 2016, in Bernalillo County. On June 1, 2017, Candace Tapia pled guilty to an information charging her with distribution of methamphetamine and admitted that on June 8, 2016, she distributed methamphetamine to another person. Bernadette Aurora Tapia pled guilty on Dec. 13, 2016, and was sentenced on April 7, 2017. Lael has entered a plea of not guilty and is pending trial. The charges against Candelaria have been dismissed.
Hunt was arrested in Oct. 2016, on an indictment charging him with distributing cocaine on May 5, 2016, and June 1, 2016, and with being a felon in possession of a firearm on May 19, 2016. Hunt was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempt to commit an aggravated burglary. According to the indictment, Hunt committed the offenses in Rio Arriba County, N.M. On July 6, 2017, Hunt pled guilty to distributing cocaine and admitted that on May 5, 2016, he distributed cocaine to an undercover law enforcement agent.
Twenty-one 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. Two defendants are fugitives and the charges against two defendants have been dismissed.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano Torrez is prosecuting Cortez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez prosecuted Vasquez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting Candace Tapia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley prosecuted Hunt.
20-Pound Meth Seizure Leads to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Federal charges have been filed against three people after investigators seized 20 pounds of methamphetamine from a house in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
The following defendants were charged in federal court Thursday with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine:
Sheila M. Best, 53, Basehor, Kan.
Karen Ortega, 40, Kansas City, Kan.
Marlon Gutierrez, 38, Kansas City, Kan.
A search warrant served at a house in the 3000 block of North 34th Street in Kansas City, Kan., turned up 20 pounds of methamphetamine, more than a pound of heroin and more than $23,000 in cash.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
5 October 2017
Worcester Man Indicted for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was charged today in federal court in Worcester with distributing methamphetamine.
Adam Germano, 36, was indicted on one count of distributing methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Germano was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in March 2017, and has been in custody since then.
According to court documents, in January 2017, a U.S. Postal Inspector intercepted a package containing approximately five pounds of methamphetamine that was shipped from Las Vegas to Worcester. Fingerprint analysis revealed Germano’s fingerprints on the internal packaging within the shipment. Correspondence obtained by law enforcement showed that after the drugs were seized, Germano suspected that someone had stolen his package. In an online message, Germano speculated that he had been robbed of 108,000 – presumably, a reference to $108,000 worth of lost methamphetamine.
Court documents also allege that after the package was intercepted, Germano sought to obtain another source of supply for methamphetamine. In addition, on March 23, 2017, law enforcement officers in Concord, N.H., stopped a vehicle Germano was driving and recovered methamphetamine and a handgun hidden near the engine of the vehicle.
The charges provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $10 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; and Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. The Merrimack and Concord, N.H., police departments provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely of Weinreb’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Woman Who Embezzled more than $2 Million from Everett Battery Company Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A 34-year employee of an Everett, Washington battery company was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison, three years of supervised release, and $2,427,478 in restitution for embezzling from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. JUDITH HUTCHINSON, 65, of Everett, pleaded guilty in May 2017, admitting that over the last seven years, while employed as bookkeeper and controller for All Battery Sales and Services, Inc., she used company money to pay her personal expenses, including charges for expensive jewelry, vacation rentals and cruises, clothes, furniture, and other items. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly told her, “you essentially stole from this company $2.4 million… You were buying jewelry, high-end clothing, a Porsche and a Corvette… I’m very troubled by that.”
According to records filed in the case, HUTCHINSON used her trusted position at the company to use company money to pay her personal credit card bills. HUTCHINSON regularly spent more than $2,000 a day on online shopping, and made large purchases such as a vacation rental for a Colorado ski condo, and other expensive vacations for her extended family. HUTCHINSON hid her embezzlement from the family owned business by creating false and fraudulent entries in All Battery’s cost reports by inflating costs incurred by other sectors of All Battery’s business to hide the transfers made to pay her personal credit card balances.
In victim statements provided to the court, other employees and managers recounted how the company had struggled during the period of the embezzlement. Employees went without raises, purchases were delayed, work hours were trimmed so that the company could continue with a positive cash flow. The office manager noted that while the staff endured a wage freeze and limits on overtime, HUTCHINSON continued to steal and spend company money for her own benefit. The embezzlement was finally discovered by a co-worker and the company reported it to law enforcement in August 2016.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Diggs.
Winchester Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Conspiracy to Distribute Multiple Kilograms of HeroinRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Ross Gould, 30, formerly of Winchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute over a kilogram of heroin.
Court documents and statements in court showed that beginning in 2011 and continuing through mid-March 2015, Gould distributed quantities of heroin throughout the Keene, New Hampshire, area. Investigators determined that Gould initially sold gram quantities of heroin, but later started selling larger quantities of heroin to individuals in Keene and the surrounding towns. From mid-2014 through Gould’s arrest in March of 2015, Gould’s drug trafficking increased substantially. He obtained approximately two kilograms of heroin every four or five weeks from a heroin source in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Gould used a drug courier to obtain the heroin from the source and transport the drugs back to the Keene area where the drugs were distributed by Gould and other drug couriers.
After the lengthy investigation, Gould was arrested in March, 2015. A search of Gould’s Winchester residence resulted in the seizure of approximately five grams of heroin, $11,000 cash and 14 firearms. A subsequent search of a safe that Gould kept at another residence resulted in the seizure of 1.7 kilograms of heroin, 392 grams of cocaine and a small quantity of miscellaneous pills.
Three of Gould’s drug couriers have been sentenced to federal prison as a result of their participation in this drug trafficking organization. Jamie Hilow, 29, formerly of Winchester, is serving an 11-year prison sentence. Hilow’s wife, Jaclyn Hilow, 31, also formerly of Winchester, is serving a 10-year prison sentence. Jason Daigle, 40, formerly of Nelson, is serving an eight-year prison sentence.
Two of Gould’s sources from Lawrence also have been convicted on drug trafficking charges. Jonathan Cruz-Marte, 34, was sentenced to 55 months in prison and Felix Portes, 56, was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to target individuals who are distributing illegal drugs in New Hampshire,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “While those who suffer from addiction need access to treatment, those who seek to profit from the distribution of heroin and other deadly drugs will be prosecuted aggressively. I commend the work of the law enforcement officers who worked together during this long-term investigation to disrupt and dismantle a major drug trafficking organization that was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of heroin in the Keene area.”
“HSI is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to pursue and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that distribute narcotics on the streets and spread violence in our communities,” said Matthew Etre of HSI Boston. “I commend the outstanding collaborative effort by all of the agencies involved in this investigation.”
Gould’s sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2018.
This investigation was the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The investigation was conducted by the: (1) Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; (2) New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force; (3) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; (4) New Hampshire State Police; (5) Keene, New Hampshire Police Department; (6) Richmond, New Hampshire Police Department; and (7) Salem, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis is prosecuting the case.
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Wichita Woman Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft CaseRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita woman pleaded guilty Thursday to federal identity theft charges, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Chanel K. Wiseman, 29, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of identity theft. In her plea, she admitted she was arrested in September 2016 in a stolen car in a parking lot at a Walmart store in Goodard, Kan. In the car, investigators found stolen mail, authentic and fraudulent driver’s licenses, student identification cards, Social Security cards, credit and debit cards and checks.
According to court records, when investigators searched Wiseman’s hotel room they found a laminated menu listing identity theft services including fake IDs, fraudulent vehicle paperwork and forged checks. Beside each item was a detailed “non-negotiable” price ranging from $20 to $1,500. They also found computers, printers and counterfeit documents.
Sentencing is set for Dec. 21. She faces a penalty of not less than two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Beall commended the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.
Westchester Hedge Fund Manager Arrested for Running A Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that MICHAEL SCRONIC, a hedge fund manager in Westchester County, was arrested this morning and charged with securities fraud and wire fraud arising out of his execution of a $19 million Ponzi scheme through the Scronic Macro Fund. SCRONIC will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith in White Plains federal court later today.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Michael Scronic allegedly stole more than $19 million from investors by lying about the performance of his investment fund, and then spent much of that money on his own lavish lifestyle. Hedge fund managers who lie to their investors and steal their money, as Scronic is alleged to have done, will always be in our sights as targets for federal prosecution.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Scronic’s alleged get-rich-quick scheme was, in fact, a plan to deceive investors, luring them into a false sense of security about their investments by overselling the reliability and success of the fund. The FBI will continue to identify and investigate those who defraud investors. We ask anyone who has information related to investor fraud submit a tip at https://tips.fbi.gov/.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in White Plains federal court:
SCRONIC, a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Chicago’s business school, raised more than $19 million from 45 investors in the Scronic Macro Fund (the “Fund”) from April 2010 to the present. SCRONIC told investors that the Fund had positive returns in all but one of the 22 quarters from January 2012 through June 2017, with the highest reported quarterly return being 13.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014. In reality, the Fund lost money in 28 out of 29 quarters of its operation, with a total net loss of about $15.7 million before commissions. The Fund’s only positive quarter was its first quarter of operation in 2010.
As a result of these trading losses, the total assets SCRONIC claimed the Fund had in each quarter far exceeded its actual assets. For example, SCRONIC sent account statements to investors that together showed total fund assets of $21.7 million as of June 30, 2017. On that date, the combined balance of SCRONIC’s brokerage and bank accounts was $102,376.
In addition to losing money on trades, SCRONIC used investor money for personal expenses. His personal expenditures averaged more than $500,000 a year since January 2012 and included monthly rent of $12,275 on his primary residence in Westchester, mortgage payments on a vacation home in Stratton, Vermont, fees for multiple beach and country clubs, including a $30,000 payment to the Stratton Mountain Club in July 2017, and miscellaneous items charged to credit cards in amounts averaging more than $15,000 a month.
In recent months, SCRONIC has been unable to pay redemptions requested by existing Fund investors. Between June and August of this year, four Fund investors requested redemptions totaling about $1.5 million. SCRONIC has not had sufficient funds on hand to pay these redemptions. He instead has told these investors that the Fund would pay redemptions only at quarter end, that he was too busy and preoccupied with a relative’s medical condition to pay redemptions, and that he was unavailable to pay redemptions because he was on vacation. In some cases, SCRONIC ignored redemption requests.
* * *
SCRONIC, 46, of Westchester County, New York, is charged with one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Kim also thanked the Securities & Exchange Commission for its assistance in the investigation.
In a related case, the Securities & Exchange Commission brought a civil action today against SCRONIC in U.S. District Court in White Plains.
The criminal case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney James McMahon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Loss are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
West Monroe man sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a West Monroe man was sentenced Wednesday to 151 months in prison for receiving child pornography.
John D. Owen, 30, of West Monroe, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of receiving child pornography. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to the June 1, 2017 guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified the defendant as possessing child pornography. Agents conducted a search of his residence on September 22, 2016 and found five videos of child pornography on his cell phone and 38 images of child pornography on a computer.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.
Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Monroe FBI office number is (318) 387-0773.
The FBI, Swiss Cybercrime Coordination Unit and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.
Wallingford Woman Indicted for Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Wallingford, Ky. woman was indicted today for engaging in crop insurance fraud.
A federal grand jury in Lexington returned an indictment charging 62-year-old Debra Muse with one count of conspiring to violate federal law and 27 counts of making false statements to influence the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (“FCIC”) and companies the FCIC reinsures.
The indictment alleges that Muse, a crop insurance agent that contracted with Rural Community Insurance Services (“RCIS”), agreed with tobacco farmers to make false statements and reports to the FCIC and companies the FCIC reinsures, in order to submit false claims for crop insurance indemnity payments. These false documents included false sales bills from Clays Tobacco Warehouse, where Muse also worked seasonally, and falsified tobacco grading reports. According to the indictment, for crop year 2014, the FCIC, through RCIS, paid out nearly $170,000 in indemnity payments to Muse’s clients, as a result of these false claims for crop damage that her clients’ tobacco crop did not suffer in the way reported to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Karen Citizen-Wilcox, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Amy Hess, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Tracey D. Montano, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; and Dwayne Depp, Director, Kentucky Department of Insurance Fraud Investigation Division, jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and Kentucky Department of Insurance. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn M. Anderson and Erin M. Roth.
A date for Muse to appear in court has not yet been scheduled. For the conspiracy charge, Muse faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. For each charge of making false statements to the FCIC, she faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney’s Office indicts 16 for firearms offenses in north LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that 16 defendants have been indicted in separate cases for firearms offenses.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Louisiana. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Today’s indictments are part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
“Addressing violent crime is a priority of the Department of Justice,” said Van Hook. “By consistently identifying the leading violent offenders in our communities and employing all available tools to hold them accountable, we will combat violent crime and make our communities safer. These indictments show our commitment to working aggressively toward this goal.”
Those indicted include:
Deontre D. Caldwell, 30, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Terrence Terze Cochran, 19, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Bryan D. Gates Jr., 18, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Alvin Kincerely Law Jr., 30, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Jeremy Moro, 40, of Minden, La., one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Ivory C. Myles, 28, of Shreveport, one count of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of kidnapping, one count of transportation for purpose of committing criminal sexual activity, and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Tramarciea Jovan Ruffins, 24, of Shreveport, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Xavier Breonte Strickland, 28, of Shreveport, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Christopher De’Lanio Taylor, 30, of Homer, La., one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Jason Brian Wallace, 33, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The indictments of six other individuals remain sealed pending their arrest by law enforcement.
The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office, ATF, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Shreveport Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation and arrest of these individuals.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook is available for interview today by appointment. Call Henri LeJeune at 337-262-6618 or Lisa Langley at 318-676-3600 to schedule an interview.
U.S. Attorney’s Office indicts 11 for drug conspiracy in Winn ParishRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that 11 defendants were indicted for a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in the Winn Parish area.
Those named in the 13-count indictment are:
Cristina Daniela Santos, 25, of Inglewood, Calif.
Ladarrius James Street, 34, of Winnfield, La.
Dexter Jerome Sapp, 38, of Winnfield, La
Destiney Hamilton, 32, of Winnfield, La.
Kendrick Lamont Davenport, 43 of Winnfield, La.
Stephen Duncan Jr., 25, of Winnfield, La.
Delano C. Hall, 48, of Winnfield, La.
Michael Deangelo Hall, 32, of Winnfield, La.
Jeremy Laraun Mamon, 35, of Winnfield, La.
Rafael M. Powell, 34, of Atlanta, La.
Xavier Deandre Powell, 28, of Atlanta, La.
According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from October 2015 to October 2017 in the Winn Parish area.
For a list of counts the defendants face, see graphic below:
Counts* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Santos * * * Street ** Sapp * * * * Hamilton * Davenport * Duncan * * Delano Hall * * Michael Hall * Mamon * * * Rafael Powell * Xavier Powell * * * **Count One is conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Counts 2-5 and 7-13 are distribution of methamphetamine, and Count Six is possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The defendants each face between 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, and forfeiture of seized property. They also face at least four years of supervised release.
The FBI Central Louisiana Safe Streets Gang Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service Violent Offender Task Force of Alexandria and Shreveport, DEA Task Force of Shreveport, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana National Guard Counter Drug Unit, Louisiana Probation and Parole, Winn Parish Sheriff’s Department, Winn Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the Hawthorne, Calif., Police Department participated in the investigation. Assistant U. S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney, County Prosecutor Announce Attorney Designated as Part of Anti-Violence InitiativeRead the Press Release
Today, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” one of the Department’s signature programs to reduce violent crime.
In the Southern District of Ohio, U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced a partnership to enhance an anti-violence initiative in Columbus.
The strategy includes a committed focus from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to work collaboratively to identify those individuals who consistently use firearms to commit crimes, who habitually possess illegal firearms, and who present a clear threat to the safety of the community.
The same initiative was implemented in Cincinnati in February 2016 and has resulted in prosecuting more than 50 habitual offenders with federal gun charges.
“Over the last year and a half, the Southern District of Ohio has been on the cutting edge in developing a comprehensive, proactive approach to reducing violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “The Department’s reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods should provide us with additional support to strengthen our efforts.”
In Franklin County, Assistant Prosecutor Jason Manning was sworn in today as a federal Special Assistant United States Attorney, in order to increase the capacity for federal gun and violence cases and to further the collaboration between federal and county authorities in effectively prosecuting the most violent offenders.
“I am grateful for the partnership with Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien,” Glassman said. “Working closely together with our state and local partners is crucial to effective reduction of violent crime in our communities in the Southern District of Ohio.”
Federally, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon can result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Offenders who possess a firearm after having been convicted of three violent felonies, moreover, face between 15 years and life in prison.
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Two Lewisburg defendants plead guilty to federal oxymorphone crimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Two Lewisburg defendants pleaded guilty today to federal drug crimes, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Joshua Adam Smith, 35, entered his guilty plea to distribution of oxymorphone. Jessica Nicole Honaker, 26, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of oxymorphone.
Smith admitted on November 6, 2016, he distributed oxymorphone to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. Honaker admitted that on November 17, 2016, she distributed oxymorphone to a confidential informant to complete a drug deal that Smith had arranged. Both of the drug deals took place at a residence on Battle Hill Drive in Lewisburg. As part of their plea agreements, Smith and Honaker took responsibility for all of the drug trafficking activity charged in the indictment.
Smith and Honaker each face up to 20 years in federal prison when they are sentenced on January 24, 2018.
The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney John File is handling the prosecution. The plea hearings were held before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
This case is being prosecuted under the Greenbrier Valley Heroin and Pill Initiative, part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Three Men Plead Guilty to Illegally Trafficking American EelsRead the Press Release
William Sheldon, Timothy Lewis, and Charles Good appeared today in federal court in Portland, Maine, where each pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act by trafficking juvenile American eels (also known as “elvers” or “glass eels”). Sheldon and Lewis had each been separately indicted by a Grand Jury in March 2017 for conspiring to smuggle elvers and violate the Lacey Act. Good pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with aiding and abetting the illegal transport of elvers in violation of the Lacey Act.
Historically, Japanese and European eels were harvested and sold as food in East Asia As overfishing has led to a decline in the population of these eels, harvesters have turned to the American eel to fill the void resulting from the decreased number of Japanese and European eels.
American elvers are exported to East Asia, where they are raised to adult size and sold for food. Harvesters and exporters of American eels can sell elvers to East Asia for more than $2000 per pound. Because of the threat of overfishing, elver harvesting is prohibited in the United States in all but two states: Maine and South Carolina. Both states heavily regulate elver fisheries, requiring that individuals be licensed and report all quantities of harvested eels to state authorities.
Today’s guilty pleas were the result of “Operation Broken Glass,” a multi-state U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) investigation into the illegal trafficking of American eels. To date, the investigation has resulted in 18 guilty pleas in Maine, Virginia, and South Carolina. Combined, these 18 defendants have admitted to illegally trafficking more than $4.5 million worth of elvers. The offenses in these case are felonies under the Lacey Act, each carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ incarceration, a fine of up to $250,000 or up to twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, or both.
Operation Broken Glass was conducted by the USFWS and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section in collaboration with the Maine Marine Patrol, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police, Virginia Marine Resources Commission Police, USFWS Refuge Law Enforcement, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Law Enforcement, New York State Environmental Conservation Police, New Hampshire Fish and Game Division of Law Enforcement, Maryland Natural Resources Police, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Yarmouth, Massachusetts Division of Natural Resources, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Police Department and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
The government is represented by Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorneys Cassandra Barnum and Shane Waller.
Three 18th Street Gang Members/Associates Plead Guilty to Gun Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Thee members/associates of the 18th Street Gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with illegal, street-level gun trafficking.
Oscar Oliva, a/k/a “Droopy, 26, of East Boston; Ralph Bonano, 23, of East Boston; and Dennis Pleites Ramos, 23, of Chelsea, pleaded guilty to engaging in the business of dealing with firearms without a license. Oliva also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for January 2018.
In 2015 and 2016, a federal investigation identified a network of street gangs, which had created alliances to traffick weapons and drugs throughout Massachusetts and generate violence against rival gang members. Based on the investigation, 53 defendants were indicted in June 2016 on federal firearm and drug charges, including defendants who are allegedly leaders, members, and associates of the 18th Street Gang, the East Side Money Gang and the Boylston Street Gang. These gangs operated primarily in the East Boston, Boston, Chelsea, Brockton, Malden, Revere and Everett areas. During the course of the investigation, over 70 firearms, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin and fentanyl were seized.
Oliva was a leader in the 18th Street gang, a multi-national criminal organization that operates throughout the United States, and was involved in a large conspiracy to deal in firearms in the Greater Boston area. Oliva was personally involved in at least 12 firearms deals involving at least 13 firearms to a cooperating witness. In total, the cooperating witness was able to obtain over 30 firearms from the conspiracy during the investigation, including assault rifles, shotguns, and handguns – several of which had obliterated serial numbers. Bonano and Pleites Ramos were involved with selling handguns in the Greater Boston area. In addition to the firearms trafficking, Oliva also sold cocaine base (crack cocaine) to a cooperating witness.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal of the District of Massachusetts; Maura Healey, Attorney General of Massachusetts; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley, made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also acknowledges the assistance of the Suffolk and Middlesex County Sheriff Departments and the Malden, Revere and Everett Police Departments.
State Legislator Micky Ray Hammon Pleads Guilty to Mail FraudRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – State Representative Micky Ray Hammon, 60 years old, of Decatur, Alabama, pleaded guilty on Monday, September 25, 2017 to devising a scheme to commit mail fraud, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Hammon has represented the Fourth District in the Alabama House of Representatives since 2003. Until earlier this year, Hammon served as the House of Representative’s majority leader.
According to court documents, Hammon, through his mail fraud scheme, used campaign money to pay his own personal expenses. Specifically, in 2013, Hammon created a principal campaign committee through the Secretary of States Office. This principal campaign committee allowed Hammon to begin raising money for his reelection campaign. Alabama law strictly limits the ways that Hammon’s campaign could use that money. Generally speaking, the campaign could use donations only to support Hammon’s reelection or legislative work. He was not supposed to use the money for his own personal expenses. After registering with the Secretary of State, Hammon’s campaign raised money from various donors. Some of these donors mailed their donations to Hammon’s campaign office.
Upon receiving a campaign donation check, Hammon would endorse the check and deposit it into his campaign’s bank account. Hammon would then write a check drawn on the campaign account to himself. After doing so, Hammon would deposit that check into his own personal bank account and use the money to pay for his own personal expenses.
In the coming months, United States District Myron H. Thompson will sentence Hammon. At sentencing, Hammon faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, as well as monetary penalties.
“Self-dealing by elected officials erodes society’s confidence in its governmental institutions,” stated Untied States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. “Self-dealing is precisely what occurred here. Those who donated to Representative Hammon’s campaign expected that the campaign would use those resources lawfully and to foster an informative public debate. Instead, Representative Hammon placed those funds into his own personal piggy bank. I am proud of my office’s efforts to root out this corruption and I am most grateful for the tireless work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, which investigated this case. I hope that this prosecution will, in some small way, restore Alabamians’ trust in their state legislature.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross is prosecuting the case.
St. Joseph Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm Following Standoff with OfficersRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a St. Joseph, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a firearm following a 11-hour standoff with law enforcement officers.
Terrance T. Brown, 40, of St. Joseph, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Brown on Sept. 18, 2017.
The indictment alleges that Brown, having been convicted of a felony, was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol on Sept. 13, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Brown was arrested following a 11-hour standoff at his residence on Sept. 13, 2017. Officers with the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department established a perimeter around the residence. After several minutes, three individuals (including a juvenile) came out of the residence, but Brown – who was armed with a handgun – remained inside. Officers with the Special Response Team used portable cameras to locate Brown in the attic of the residence. Eventually, Brown surrendered to officers and was arrested as he left the residence. The loaded Ruger 9mm pistol with an extended magazine was found during a search of the attic. Officers also found an empty box of Smith & Wesson .40-caliber ammunition.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Brown has a prior federal conviction in the District of Kansas for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Brown has two prior felony convictions for robbery in Wyandotte County, Kan., as well as prior felony convictions for aggravated assault and criminal possession of a firearm. Brown is currently under supervision by Missouri Probation and Parole for felony drug possession in Jackson County, Mo.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department and the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
St. Albans man sentenced to nine years in federal prison for methamphetamine crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A St. Albans man was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Jeremiah Joe Johnson, 40, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Johnson admitted that on April 30, 2017, he traveled to Charleston from Atlanta with approximately 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine. Agents with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team were monitoring Johnson’s travels using a GPS tracker and surveillance. Johnson also admitted that he stopped at the Bigley Avenue Go-Mart in Charleston, where an officer saw a passenger with Johnson attempt to hide a meth pipe from view. A drug dog on the scene gave a positive indication for the presence of narcotics, and a subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered the methamphetamine in a bag in the back seat. Johnson additionally admitted that he had obtained the drugs from a source in Georgia, and that he intended to distribute the drugs. Johnson further admitted to several other encounters with law enforcement while he was in possession of dealer amounts of methamphetamine.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, the West Virginia State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Springfield Man Charged with Distributing Child Pornography through Online Chat GroupRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man who managed an online chat group to share child pornography was arrested and charged in federal court today.
Anthony Cotter, 30, of Springfield, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo. Cotter remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.
Today’s complaint alleges that Cotter received and distributed child pornography over the Internet between March 13 and Oct. 5, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, Cotter was a group administrator for a very active online chat group of 50 members who shared images and videos of child pornography with each other. Cotter also told investigators that he had been sexually abusing a minor female and taking photographs of her in various states of nudity.
The investigation began on March 9, 2017, when federal agents assisted the New York State Police with a child exploitation investigation that resulted in the arrest and prosecution of a member of Cotter’s chat group. Investigators reviewed communications that occurred in the group, including Cotter’s involvement as he monitored other users and warned them to follow the rules of the chat group. Cotter actively encouraged other users to post child pornography, the affidavit says, and posted several video files to the chat room himself.
According to the affidavit, members of the chat group were receiving and distributing videos and images of child pornography that depicted children from infants to approximately 12 years old. The images and videos depicted various types of sexual abuse to the children perpetrated by adult males and adult females; some of the images and videos depicted bondage and bestiality involving the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12.
Investigators also identified Cotter as the source of a Skype account that was being used to distribute images and videos of child pornography, the affidavit says. Multiple cyber tips related to the account were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Officers executed a search warrant at Cotter’s residence earlier today, and arrested Cotter.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Seven Previously Deported Aliens Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that seven previously deported aliens were indicted separately on October 4, 2017, by a federal grand jury with illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Jose Alvarez-Lemus, age 37, of Honduras, was previously deported from the United States to Honduras in June 2008. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after June 2008, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Placido Hernandez-Hernandez, age 47, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in September 1997. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after September 1997, and was found in the United States in York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Sulpicio Bello-Guerrero, age 64, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in December 2008. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after December 2008, and was found in the United States in York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Calixto Roblero-Ortiz, age 34, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2009 and May 2010. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after May 2010, and was found in the United States in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Sigifredo Sandoval-Arteaga, age 43, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in August 2013. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after August 2013, and was found in the United States in York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Wilmar Renoj-Chan, age 40, of Guatemala, was previously deported from the United States to Guatemala in April 2011. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after April 2011, and was found in the United States in Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Under federal law, Alvarez-Lemus, Hernandez-Hernandez, Bello-Guerrero, Roblero-Ortiz, Sandoval-Arteaga, and Renoj-Chan face a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
Luis Saldana-Figueroa, age 33, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico on three occasions, March 2011, September 2013, and January 2014. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after January 2014, and was found in the United States in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers. In January 2013, he was convicted in the Middle District of Pennsylvania of illegal reentry by a previously deported alien, an offense which subjects him to enhanced penalties in the current case.
Because of Saldana-Figueroa’s previous conviction, under federal law he faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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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Sentencings for September 29 - October 5, 2017Read the Press Release
Ryan Christopher Fagan, 36, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 5, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Fagan was arrested in Platte County, Wyoming. He received 41 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $250.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Miguel Martinez-Morales, 35, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 5, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Martinez-Morales was arrested in Campbell County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jose Alberto Acuna, 31, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 3, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Acuna was arrested in Green River, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $900.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Dylan Thomas Blackburn, 20, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 3, 2017, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Blackburn was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received 21 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $11,862.63 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Ronald Detro Winder, 51, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 2, 2017, for being a felon in possession of firearms. Winder was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 36 months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Lennace Louis Miller, 28, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 2, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He received 51 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Crawford Daniel Oldman, 28, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on September 29, 2017, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Oldman was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received 18 months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. Restitution in this matter will be determined at a later date. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Salvadoran national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to a federal immigration crime.
Salvador Portillo-Diaz, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2018.
Portillo-Diaz was previously deported on March 18, 2006, and again on May 24, 2011. Federal agents in Boston reencountered Portillo-Diaz in June 2017, at the Suffolk County House of Correction, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
Portillo-Diaz faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. 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 and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Sacramento Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Obtain Mail by FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Norman Thompson, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay $38,086.75 in restitution for conspiring to obtain mail by fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from October 2016 through May 2017, Thompson conspired with his co-defendants, Joshua Yadon and Latomba Bishop, to obtain credit cards, checks, credit reports, and merchandise in other peoples’ names using the victims’ stolen personal identifying information. The conspirators then filed fraudulent mail forwarding requests and vacation holds with the U.S. Postal Service to divert those items from the victims’ true addresses into the conspirators’ possession.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy J. Kelley prosecuted the case.
Charges are pending against Johsua Yadon and Latomba Bishop. The charges are only allegations; these individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Purported Psychic Pleads Guilty to Evading TaxesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A south Florida woman, who purported to be a psychic, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to impeding the Internal Revenue Service by hiding more than $3.5 million of income that she was paid by an elderly Martha’s Vineyard woman.
Sally Ann Johnson, a/k/a Angela Johnson, a/k/a Angelia Johnson, a/k/a Sally Reed, 41, pleaded guilty to attempting to interfere with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 17, 2018.
Johnson owned and operated various businesses, including Flatiron Psychic, Psychic Match, Inc., and Psychic Spiritual Salon, Inc., all of which purported to offer “psychic readings,” “spiritual cleansing & strengthening,” and “meditation & healing.” From 2007 to 2014, Johnson was paid over $3.5 million by an elderly woman living on Martha’s Vineyard to purportedly perform spiritual cleansing and healing services to rid the woman of demons through repeated exorcisms. Rather than reporting her income to the IRS and paying taxes on it, Johnson took steps to conceal it. Specifically, Johnson used an alias and directed the woman to send payments to at least three different bank accounts with which Johnson was associated, including an account in another person’s name. Johnson then withdrew large portions of the woman’s payments from the accounts in cash. In addition, Johnson accrued substantial charges on a credit card held in the name of the elderly woman, who ultimately paid the credit card bills, thereby concealing from the IRS the true extent of Johnson’s income. Neither Johnson nor any of the businesses she operated filed a tax return or paid taxes on the income she received from the woman.
As part of a plea agreement with the government, Johnson agreed to repay $3,567,300 to the Martha’s Vineyard woman and to pay restitution to the IRS for the taxes she avoided from 2007 to 2014.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. The Chilmark Police Department provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra S. Bower and Brian A. Pérez-Daple of Weinreb’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Providence Woman Sentenced for Role in Taunton Heroin RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Providence, R.I., woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for her role in a Taunton-based heroin trafficking operation.
Kerem Mendez-Luz, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to five months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2017, Mendez-Luz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
After a lengthy investigation, Mendez-Luz and 11 co-conspirators were arrested and charged in July 2015 for their roles in a drug trafficking organization, led by Eddyberto Mejia Ramos, that sold heroin throughout the Taunton area. Mejia Ramos purchased large quantities of heroin from several wholesale suppliers, including Saul Sanchez Rolon. On at least three occasions, Mendez-Luz delivered heroin to, or collected drug proceeds from, Mejia-Ramos at the direction of Sanchez Rolon. Mejia Ramos and his mid-level associates then distributed the heroin to lower level distributors and customers.
Mendez-Luz is the last of the 12 defendants involved in the conspiracy to be sentenced. In August 2016, Mejia Ramos was sentenced to 90 months in prison; and in January 2017, Sanchez Rolon was sentenced to 108 months in prison.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Taunton Police Chief Edward J. Walsh; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Heinrich of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Prince George’s County Man Charged Federally for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – Jayron Khalil Foster, age 21, of Riverdale, Maryland, was charged by federal criminal complaint on April 26, 2017 with production of child pornography. The complaint was unsealed today.
The complaint was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Henry P. Stawinksi III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, between at least August 2016 through January 2017, Foster allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a 7-year-old female, in order to produce visual depictions documenting the abuse. In April 2017, Maryland State Police (MSP) began investigating ten Cyber tips that were sent to the MSP Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in reference to possible child pornography. On April 25, 2017, investigators executed a search warrant at Foster’s residence and seized a hard drive, which contained numerous images and videos depicting Foster engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the minor victim.
If convicted, Foster faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison for each count of production of child pornography. Foster is currently detained in Prince George’s County on related state charges.
A complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended HSI, Maryland State Police, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Prince George’s County Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O’Connell Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case.
Prepared Remarks by Acting U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson Addressing Anti-Violent Crime EffortsRead the Press Release
INTRODUCTION
GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS COREY AMUNDSON. I AM THE ACTING UNITED STATES ATTORNEY FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA. I SERVE AS THE CHIEF FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL IN THIS DISTRICT.
I AM JOINED TODAY BY SENIOR OFFICIALS WITH THE ATF, FBI, DEA, HSI, THE ORGANIZED CRIME AND GANG SECTION OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THE U.S. MARSHAL’S SERVICE, THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE EAST BATON ROUGE SHERIFF’S OFFICE, THE LOUISIANA STATE POLICE, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, AND THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.
WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS (1) THE VIOLENT CRIME PROBLEM IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH AND (2) SPECIFIC ACTIONS WE ARE AND WILL BE TAKING TO ADDRESS IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR MANY ELECTED AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE GOVENOR, AND MANY OTHERS. I GREATLY APPRECIATE THEIR ENGAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP, SUPPORT, AND EFFORTS ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
WE ARE ALL UNIFED BY THE COMMON GOAL OF A SAFE AND SECURE COMMUNITY FREE FROM VIOLENCE. WE ARE ALSO ALL DISTURBED TO LEARN THAT VIOLENT CRIME IS ON THE RISE IN BATON ROUGE.
VIOLENT CRIME PROBLEM
WHEN DISCUSSING VIOLENT CRIME, WE MUST FIRST KEEP IN MIND SOME CONTEXT. OVERALL, CRIME RATES IN BATON ROUGE REMAIN NEAR HISTORIC LOWS. IN THE PAST FOUR DECADES, WE HAVE WON GREAT VICTORIES AGAINST CRIME. THIS HAPPENED UNDER LEADERSHIP FROM BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES.
IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASE IN OUR VIOLENT CRIME RATE, LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS CAME TOGETHER IN APPROXIMATELY 2012/2013 TO IMPLEMENT THE BATON ROUGE AREA VIOLENCE ELIMINATION PROJECT, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BRAVE. WE SAW THE POSITIVE IMPACT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. VIOLENT CRIME DROPPED FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
IN THE PAST YEAR, THIS PROGRESS HAS STOPPED. GROUP VIOLENCE, DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HAVE FUELED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HOMICIDES AND VIOLENCE. WHILE THOSE RATES REMAIN LOWER THAN BEFORE BRAVE, OUR CURRENT SITUATION IS UNACCEPTABLE.
THE STATISTICS ARE MORE THAN STATISTICS. THEY ARE REPRESENT REAL VICTIMS AND FAMILIES. TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR OF VIOLENCE BREAKING OUT AROUND THEM. TOO MANY DECENT AND HARD WORKING PEOPLE ARE LIVING AS HOSTAGES IN THEIR OWN HOMES. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. WE CANNOT AND WILL NOT SIT BACK AND ALLOW THIS INCREASE TO CONTINUE. EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD IN THIS CITY DESERVES TO BE SAFE IN THEIR HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
STEPS TO ATTACK THE VIOLENT CRIME PROBLEM
BEFORE SAYING WHAT WE WILL BE DOING, LET ME FIRST SAY WHAT WE WON’T BE DOING. WE WON’T PANIC AND ASSUME EVERTHING BEING DONE IS WRONG. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE WORKING.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THOSE ASPECTS OF BRAVE THAT HAVE PROVEN SUCCESSFUL. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO ABANDON SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES BECAUSE OF ISSUES WHOLLY UNRELATED TO THE MERITS OF THOSE STRATEGIES.
WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE CRIME STRATEGIES UNIT AND THE VIOLENT CRIME UNIT, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE ENHANCED OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO SUCCESSFULLY IDENTIFY AND PURSUE THE MOST VIOLENT OFFENDERS.
NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT OTHER STEPS WE ARE AND WILL BE TAKING:
GROUP VIOLENCE, DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE THE THREE MAIN DRIVERS OF HOMICIDE AND VIOLENT CRIME RATES IN OUR AREA. SO, WE ARE TAKING A COMBINATION OF ENFORCEMENT AND PREVENTION ACTIONS AIMED AT THOSE DRIVERS.
- CREATE A U.S. ATTORNEY-LED VIOLENT CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES STRIKE FORCE TO IDENTIFY AND ATTACK THE MOST VIOLENT GROUPS IN OUR AREA.
- ACCELERATE OUR ALREADY ENHANCED FOCUS ON FEDERAL GUN PROSECUTIONS.
- PURUSE DRUG TRAFFICKERS (NOT MERE USERS) USING MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES PROVIDED BY CONGRESS.
- FUND THE STATE’S PRISONER REENTRY PROGRAM
- FUND THE CITY’S BODY CAMERA INITIATIVE
- FUND LOCAL LAW ENFORCMENT AGENCIES WHO ARE FIGHTING VIOLENT CRIME
- FUND THE STATE CRIME LAB
- FUND DRUG TREATMENT
- FUND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS
- CREATE PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY POLICING, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS, AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY’S INVOLVEMENT IN ANTI-VIOLENCE EFFORTS.
FIRST, TO ATTACK THE GROUP BASED VIOLENT CRIME, WE ARE CREATING A VIOLENT CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES STRIKE FORCE LED BY OUR OFFICE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL THE AGENCIES REPRESNTED HERE TODAY, AS WELL AS THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE.
USING OUR COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE, THE STRIKE FORCE WILL IDENTIFY THE MOST VIOLENT GROUPS IN OUR AREA. A TEAM CONSISTING OF FEDERAL PROSECUTORS AND FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AGENTS WILL THEN BE SOLELY DEDICATED TO EACH GROUP.
AS WE SPEAK, MORE THAN 50 MEMBERS OF THE STRIKE FORCE ARE IN ANOTHER ROOM UNDERGOING JOINT TRAINING. WE INTEND TO UTILIZE ANY AND ALL LEGAL MEANS AT OUR DISPOSAL TO PURSUE THESE GROUPS. WE WILL EMPLOY TRADECRAFT AND STRATEGIES SUCCESSFULLY USED BY FEDERAL PROSECUTORS IN OTHER CITIES WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. AND WE WILL DO THIS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ORGANIZED CRIME AND GANG SECTION OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. THE RESULTS WILL NOT COME OVERNIGHT. THIS IS A LONG-TERM EFFORT DESIGNED TO BRING MAXIMUM RESULTS OVER THE LONG HAUL.
WE INTEND TO SEEK IMMEDIATE DETENTION OF THOSE ARRESTED AND SEVERE SENTENCES FOR THOSE CONVICTED. THERE IS NO PAROLE IN THE FEDERAL SYSTEM AND SENTENCES CAN OFTEN SERVED IN FEDERAL PRISONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF LAW ENFORCMENT IS DETERRENCE. THAT IS WHAT WE SEEK. FILLING PRISONS IS NOT OUR GOAL. OUR GOAL IS TO PREVENT CRIME. SO, IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME, WE NEED TO KEEP VIOLENT OFFENDERS BEHIND BARS, SO THEY CANNOT DO ANY MORE HARM, AND SO OTHERS WILL BE DETERRED FROM FOLLOWING IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS.
SECOND, WE ARE ACCELERATING A PREVIOUSLY UNDISCLOSED FEDERAL GUN PROSECUTION INITIATIVE WITH ATF, BRPD, AND EBRSO CALLED OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR. THIS INITIATIVE HAS RESULTED IN THE PROSECUTION OF APPROXIMATELY 50 DEFENDANTS, MANY WITH VIOLENT HISTORY, WITH SENTENCES UP TO 15 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON.
EARLIER TODAY, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LEADERS IN WASHINGTON ANNOUNCED THAT PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD – A LONGTIME FEDERAL GUN INITIATIVE – WILL AGAIN BE PRIORITZED IN RECOGNITION OF ITS POSITIVE IMPACT ON VIOLENT CRIME.
THIRD, TO ATTACK THE DRUG TRAFFICKING FUELING OUR HOMICIDE AND VIOLENT CRIMES RATES, WE WILL AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE TRAFFICKERS – THOSE WHO WRECK LIVES AND FEED OFF ADDICTION -- WITH THE MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES PROVIDED BY CONGRESS. I WANT TO EMPHASIS THAT I AM TALKING ABOUT TRAFFICKERS – NOT MERE USERS.
SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT WE SHOULD BE MORE PERMISSIVE AND TOLERANT ABOUT DRUG ABUSE. I THINK WE SHOULD BE MORE HONEST ABOUT THE CLEAR AND PRESENT THREAT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
OPIOID DRUGS, IN PARTICULAR, ARE CAUSING UNPRECEDENTED DESTRUCTION, WITH 90 AMERICAS DYING EVERY DAY FROM AN OPIOID-RELATED OVERDOSE. ABOUT 4 PEOPLE WILL OVERDOSE AND DIE WHILE WE SIT HERE THIS MORNING. WE MUST AND WILL AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE THOSE WHO TRAFFIC THIS POISION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING ALL THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL EFFORTS ON THIS FRONT, INCLUDING SHERIFF GAUTREAUX’S DELTA DRUG TASK FORCE.
FOURTH, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO FUND STATE AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME. JUST LAST MONTH, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO AGENCIES IN BATON ROUGE
- $750K FOR THE IMPLEMENTION OF BRPD’S BODY-WORN CAMERA POLICY
- $3.8 MILLION TO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WHO RESPONDED TO THE AUGUST 2016 FLOODING
- $2.4 MILLION TO COMBAT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND ASSIST VICTIMS
- $91K TO RESPOND TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
- $2.8M FOR DATA COLLECTION, MANAGEMENT, AND ANALYSIS
- $1,050,000 FOR PRISONER REENTRY PROGRAMS
- $400k FOR DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS
- $400K FOR FORENSIC SCIENCE, INCLUDING DNA ANAYLSIS
FIFTH, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SELECTED BATON ROUGE AS ONE OF TWELVE CITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERSHIP. TOMORROW, MANY OF US HERE WILL BE MEETING WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS TO FINALIZE PROGRAMS TO:
(1) MAXIMUM THE ABILITY OF RESOURCE-STRAPPED DEPARTMENTS TO IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY POLICING CONCEPTS.
(2) IMPROVE OUR COLLECTIVE ABILITY TO COLLECT, ANALYZE, AND SHARE DATA.
(3) INCREASE THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN VIOLENT CRIME PREVENTION.
CONCLUSION
WE WILL TRACK OUR EFFORTS AND ADJUST AS NEED. IF SOMETHING ISN’T WORKING, WE WILL SHIFT STRATEGIES. WHAT WE WILL NOT DO IS NOTHING.
WHILE THESE EFFORTS ARE ALL IMPORTANT, THEY ARE BUT ONE PART OF OUR BATTLE AGAINST VIOLENT CRIME. WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. WE ALL NEED TO BE IN THIS TOGETHER.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT PUTTING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN PRISON. IT IS ABOUT SAVING THEM.
EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY. IT MAY BE TO SPEAK UP WHEN YOU WITNESS A CRIME. IT MAY BE TO SUPPORT, FINANCIALLY OR OTHERWISE, PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM. IT MAY BE TO ENGAGE WITH KIDS GOING DOWN THE WRONG PATH – INCLUDING YOUR OWN.
SO, BEFORE ASKING WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING, WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES WHAT MORE WE CAN BE DOING. HOW CAN WE MAKE THINGS BETTER? I AM OPTIMISTIC THAT IF WE CAN DO THIS, WE WILL SUCCEED AND THAT SAFER DAYS LIE AHEAD.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS OUR GREAT CITY AND PARISH.
WE WILL NOW BRIEFLY TAKE SOME LIMITED QUESTIONS.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced in Shooting Death of ManRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Pine Ridge man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter and Discharge of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Thomas Joseph Brewer, age 26, was sentenced on October 3, 2017, to 8 years and 1 month of imprisonment on the manslaughter conviction, and 10 years on the firearm conviction, to run consecutively, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $7,680.13 in restitution.
Brewer was charged on December 20, 2016. The conviction stems from Brewer killing a man by shooting him in the abdomen with a 9mm handgun, after the man confronted him about driving recklessly in front of his house in Pine Ridge in November 2016.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Brewer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Phoenix Man Indicted for Possessing Meth to DistributeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Phoenix, Ariz., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today after being arrested at a local bus station with nearly five kilograms of methamphetamine in his duffle bag.
Jose A. Escajeda, 21, of Phoenix, was charged with possessing methamphetamine to distribute in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Escajeda on Sept. 12, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers contacted Escajeda at a Kansas City, Mo., bus terminal on Sept. 11, 2017. He told officers he was traveling to Minneapolis, Minn., and showed them his bus ticket.
Officers utilized a K-9 for a sniff check of Escajeda’s duffle bag, and the K-9 indicated a positive alert for the odor of narcotics. When officers searched Escajeda’s duffle bag, they found three individually wrapped bundles concealed under clothing inside the bag. The bundles contained a total of 10.2 pounds, or approximately 4,626.72 grams of methamphetamine.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Omaha Nation Tribal Member Convicted of Aggravated Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that George Grant, age 44 of Walthill, Nebraska, was convicted by a federal jury of one count of aggravated sexual abuse. Grant is facing up to fifteen years in prison. The case was heard before Chief United States District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp.
Evidence introduced at trial established that on September 4, 2016, Grant sexually assaulted a female after driving her out to a secluded country road on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation. Grant threatened to use force and, in fact, used force to commit the sexual assault. Sentencing is set for January 8, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Newport, Vermont and New York residents arrested on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Mickayla Peters, 19, of Newport, VT and Kenneth Seales, 40, of New York, were charged yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington with possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. Peters is awaiting sentencing on a July 2017 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base. Peters and Seales appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Conroy and were ordered detained pending hearings next week.
On October 3, 2017, the Northeast Vermont Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations arrested Peters, Seales and Tyler Before, 31, of Vermont, after Peters’s vehicle was stopped by Vermont State Police in Barnet, VT. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of over 100 grams of heroin, 300 grams of cocaine and 2 grams of suspected fentanyl. Before faces state charges for heroin trafficking, transportation into the state, and cocaine possession. He was released on citation and is scheduled to appear in Caledonia County Court in December.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint against Peters and Seales is merely an accusation and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty.
If convicted, Peters and Seales face up to 20 years of imprisonment on the drug charge and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
Peters is represented by Michael Straub. Jean-Claude Charbonneau represents Seales. The prosecutor on the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller.
New York Businessman Charged in Telemarketing-Related Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York businessman was arrested today for overseeing a scheme to forge hundreds of thousands of counterfeit documents containing improperly obtained personal information, which he allegedly sold to his clients, who then allegedly provided this information to telemarketers.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde of the Eastern District of New York, Special Agent in Charge Richard T. Thornton of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office and FBI Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the New York Field Office made the announcement.
William Patrick Nanry, 55, of Pearl River, New York, was charged on Tuesday, October 3, in an indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of identity theft and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Nanry operated a business selling “sweepstakes leads,” which are documents listing the phone numbers and personal information of individuals who have responded to mass mailings notifying recipients that they may have won, or were likely to win, expensive prizes and enormous cash payouts. Such information is highly valued by fraudulent telemarketers, who seek to identify individuals who may be susceptible to questionable pitches.
The indictment alleges that beginning in approximately 2009, Nanry acquired lists of names and contact information for hundreds of thousands of people—primarily senior citizens— and used this information to create fake sweepstakes leads, which he then sold to his clients as authentic. The indictment further alleges that Nanry directed a team of employees and associates to write the personal information of the victims onto the counterfeit sweepstakes forms, even though the victims had not agreed to this use, and even though many of the victims had never responded to a sweepstakes mailing. Nanry allegedly directed these employees and associates to vary their handwriting, to use a large number of pens in varying colors, and to take other actions to make the fake leads appear authentic. According to the indictment, the counterfeit sweepstakes leads were then sold to Nanry’s clients, who provided them to telemarketers, who then contacted the people named in the leads. Many of these fake sweepstakes leads allegedly ended up in the hands of telemarketers who attempted to defraud the victims. Some of the individuals who had their information misused by Nanry were ultimately defrauded by scam telemarketers.
Over the duration of the scheme, Nanry earned over $1.7 million by selling fake sweepstakes leads to his clients, the indictment alleges.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI is investigating this matter. Timothy A. Duree and Tracee Plowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 28 Years Imprisonment for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MATTHEW PERE, age 33, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to production of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced PERE to 336 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Additionally, PERE was ordered to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
According to court documents, PERE victimized eight females between the ages of 12 and 17 years-old he met via the internet and various social media applications. During a search at PERE’S residence, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized his cellular phone and laptop computer that contained images and videos of the victims, including numerous video chat conversations between PERE and the victims in which he recorded them engaging in sexually explicit conduct. After identifying the victims, agents determined that PERE met at least one of the minors and engaged in sexual activity with her, including forcibly choking her, which PERE recorded with his laptop computer. PERE met a second victim when she was approximately fourteen years-old via a messaging application. PERE successfully encouraged her to send him sexually explicit images and videos, and she complied. According to her statement to law enforcement officials, when she refused to continue sending sexually explicit material to PERE, he threatened to send the images she had already taken to her mother if she did not take additional, increasingly graphic sexually explicit images and videos of herself and send them to him.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ginsberg was in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Traffick CocaineRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOPPA JACKSON, age 35, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of powder cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced JOPPA JACKSON to 78 months imprisonment, followed by 8 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, JOPPA JACKSON, along with codefendants CRAIG JAMES, LAZANDY DANIELS, and LEON JACKSON, JR., conspired to distribute cocaine in the New Orleans area. In 2015, JAMES, who is from Houston, traveled to New Orleans multiple times per month in order to deliver multi-kilogram quantities of powder cocaine to his local customers, including JOPPA JACKSON, DANIELS, and LEON JACKSON, JR. JOPPA JACKSON, DANIELS, and LEON JACKSON, JR. then sold the cocaine to users and other drug dealers in the New Orleans area.
JAMES was sentenced to 156 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. LEON JACKSON, JR. was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. DANIELS was convicted by a jury and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon S. Long and Theodore Carter are in charge of the prosecution.
Multi-Agency Investigation Targets Methamphetamine and Firearm Trafficking in Southeastern New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – In spring 2017, federal, state and local agencies joined forces to disrupt and dismantle a criminal organization that allegedly was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and numerous firearms in southeastern New Mexico. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Borak of the El Paso Division of the DEA, Special Agent in Charge John J. Durastanti of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Acting Special Agent in Charge Jack P. Staton of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria, and Commander James McCormick of the HIDTA Region VI Pecos Valley Drug Task Force today announced the results of their investigative efforts, which included the filing of federal drug trafficking and firearms charges against 15 defendants.
The investigation, which was initiated by the DEA, ATF and the HIDTA Region VI Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, initially targeted a methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in southeastern New Mexico that allegedly was supplied by Daniel P. Bruton, 38, of Artesia, N.M., and Marcos A. Martinez, 30, of Roswell, N.M. The investigative team quickly expanded to include HSI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, the New Mexico State Police, the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force, and the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, and the investigative targets expanded to include other alleged drug traffickers in Eddy and Chaves Counties. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. During the investigation, which concluded with a major law enforcement operation yesterday, law enforcement authorities seized more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and 44 firearms.
Based on the investigation, a federal grand jury returned five indictments on Oct. 5, 2017, charging 15 defendants with federal methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses. One of the indictments charges ten individuals, including Bruton and Martinez, who are alleged to be members of the criminal organization that was the original target of the investigation. That 34-count indictment alleges that Bruton, Martinez and their co-defendants conspired to violate the federal narcotics trafficking and firearms laws from May 2017 through Oct. 2017 in Eddy and Chaves Counties and elsewhere in New Mexico. The indictment includes 55 overt acts that discuss the conspiracy’s operations, including the quantities of methamphetamine – ranging from multiple ounces to five pounds – allegedly distributed by the defendants on a routine basis. It also describes the firearms – including assault rifles that allegedly were to be smuggled into Mexico – allegedly used by the defendants in relation to their drug trafficking activities.
In announcing the results of the investigation, Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney said, “This investigation was a coordinated effort to crackdown on drug trafficking in Eddy and Chaves Counties and to improve the quality of life for the good people who live there. It was part of our continuing statewide fight against drug trafficking and the violence that goes hand-in-hand with it. The federal, state and local law enforcement community remains committed to keeping New Mexico’s smaller communities safe from drug trafficking organizations that think they can go unnoticed operating in our smaller cities and towns.”
“Yesterday’s arrests show the value of information sharing and coordination with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to target criminal organizations that are responsible for the drug related violence in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Borak of DEA’s El Paso Division. “By working together to reduce drug trafficking and use across the Nation, we are making our communities safer and our families stronger.”
“The results of this enforcement initiative exceeded our expectations. Our goal is simple: by working together with our law enforcement partners in targeting armed traffickers and trigger pullers keeping them from interacting with the good people of New Mexico," stated Special Agent in Charge John J. Durastanti of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “I wish to acknowledge the leadership of Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and his office as these prosecutions move forward.”
Commander James McCormick of the HIDTA Region VI Pecos Valley Drug Task Force said, “This was a good cooperative investigation that will have a large impact on trafficking methamphetamine and gun violence in our community.”
Twelve of the 15 defendants charged in the five federal indictments are in custody, including seven who were arrested during a major law enforcement operation yesterday. Three defendants have yet to be arrested and are considered fugitives.
Martinez and Jason Cunningham, 37, of Carlsbad made their initial appearances in federal court in Las Cruces this morning. They remain in federal custody pending detention hearings, which are schedule for Oct. 11, 2017, in Las Cruces.
The following defendants made their initial appearances in federal court in Roswell this morning: Daniel P. Bruton, 38, of Artesia, N.M., Sergio Mario Chavez, 33, of Artesia, 33, Kenneth R. Dickerson, 56, of Carlsbad, Isela Hernandez, 25, of Roswell, Joshua A. Masters, 42, of Carlsbad, Timothy G. Tanner, 28, of Carlsbad, Jerry O. Twaddle, 37, of Carlsbad, Ethen G. Watts, 27, of Carlsbad, Linda M. Watts, 28, of Carlsbad, and Randi I. Young, 25, of Carlsbad. They remain in federal custody pending detention hearings, which are currently scheduled for Oct. 11, 2017, in Las Cruces.
Erick Miranda-Santos, 21, of Carlsbad, Robert C. Ponce, 42, of Artesia, and Chelcy Vasquez, 25, of Dexter, N.M., have yet to be arrested and are considered fugitives. Photographs of these defendants are attached and anyone with information on the whereabouts of these fugitives is asked to contact the DEA at 575-526-0700.
“HSI will continue to work jointly with our law enforcement partners in its mission to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that threaten public safety and national security,” said Jack P. Staton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso. “This enforcement operation exemplifies what that collaboration and team work can accomplish to make our communities safer.”
The U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico Conrad E. Candelaria said, “The apprehensions made yesterday illustrate the continued cooperation and vigilance of New Mexico’s law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. There is no doubt that the apprehension of these individuals will prevent further acts of criminal behavior and reduce the harm to our citizens in Southeastern New Mexico.”
These cases were investigated by the DEA, ATF, HSI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, the New Mexico State Police, the HIDTA Region VI Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, the HIDTA Region VI Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force, and the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office. The following agencies participated in yesterday’s law enforcement operation in Carlsbad, Artesia and Roswell: the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Office of Law Enforcement & Security, the HIDTA Region VI Lea County Drug Task Force, the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, the Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Task Force, the Artesia Police Department, the Carlsbad Police Department, the Hobbs Police Department, the Las Cruces Police Department, and the Roswell Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara N. Cobos and Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee L. Camacho of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the cases filed as the result of the investigation.
The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department and Artesia Police Department and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force. The HIDTA Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Roswell Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Chaves County Sherriff’s Office. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Summary of the Federal Charges
Indictment in United States v. Daniel P. Bruton, et al., 17-CR-2690
Count 1 of the Indictment charges the ten defendants with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted on this count, defendants Daniel P. Bruton, Marcos A. Martinez, Jerry. O. Twaddle, Ethen G. Watts, and Isela Hernandez each face a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine. If convicted, defendants Kenneth R. Dickerson, Robert C. Ponce and Erick L. Miranda-Santos each face a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment and a $5 million fine. If convicted, defendants Linda M. Watts and Chelcy A. Vasquez each face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1 million fine.
Counts 2, 3 and 25 charge certain defendants with distributing a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine.
Counts 4 and 5 charge one of the defendants with distributing more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment and a $5 million fine.
Counts 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19, 22, 24, 28, 29 and 32 charge certain defendants with using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for four years and a $250,000 fine.
Counts 8, 16, 18, 23, and 26 charge certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine.
Counts 9 and 20 charge certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine.
Counts 13 and 21 charge certain defendants with being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for ten years and a $250,000 fine.
Counts 15 and 31 charge certain defendants with possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine.
Count 27 charges one defendant with possession of a firearm during an in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for not less than five years, which must be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed and a $250,000 fine.
Count 30 charges certain defendants with distribution of more than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine.
Count 33 charges one defendant with attempt to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance of methamphetamine. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine.
Count 34 charges one defendant with receiving, concealing and facilitating the transportation of four AR-15 assault rifles from the United States. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for ten years and a $250,000 fine.
Charges against Defendants
Daniel P. Bruton, 38, of Artesia, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 6, 8-10, 12, 15 and 24-27 of the indictment. Bruton was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017.
Marcos A. Martinez, 30, of Roswell, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 16, 22, 23, 28-30, 32 and 34 of the indictment. Martinez was arrested on Oct. 1, 2017.
Jerry O. Twaddle, 37, of Carlsbad, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 19, 28 and 31 of the indictment. Twaddle was transferred from state custody into federal custody on Oct. 5, 2017.
Ethen G. Watts, 27, of Carlsbad, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 2, 4-14 and 16-19 of the indictment. Ethen Watts was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017.
Kenneth R. Dickerson, 56, of Carlsbad, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 17 and 18 of the indictment. Dickerson was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017.
Robert C. Ponce, 42, of Carlsbad, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 11, 14, 20 and 21 of the indictment. Ponce has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Erick L. Miranda-Santos, 21, of Artesia, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 22 and 23 of the indictment. Miranda-Santos has yet to be arrested and considered a fugitive.
Linda M. Watts, 28, of Carlsbad, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 through 3 of the indictment. Linda Watts was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017.
Isela Hernandez, 25, of Roswell, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 29 and 30 of the indictment. Hernandez was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017.
Chelcy A. Vasquez, 25, of Dexter, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 32 and 33 of the indictment. Vasquez has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive.
Indictment in United States v. Sergio Mario Chavez, 17-CR-2691
Sergio Mario Chavez, 33, of Artesia, N.M., is charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine on July 18, 2017, in Eddy County, N.M. The statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for is a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine. Chavez was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017.
Indictment in United States v. Jason R. Cunningham, 17-CR-2692
Jason R. Cunningham, 37, of Carlsbad, is charged with distributing a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine on Sept. 27, 2016, in Eddy County, N.M. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine. Cunningham was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017.
Indictment in United States v. Joshua A. Masters, et al., 17-CR-2693
Joshua A. Masters, 42, and Randi I. Young, 25, both of Carlsbad, N.M., are charged with distributing methamphetamine on March 8, 2017, in Eddy County, N.M. Masters also is charged with distributing methamphetamine on Jan. 26, 2017, in Eddy County, N.M. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine. Masters was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017, and Young was transferred from state custody to federal custody on Oct. 5, 2017.
Indictment in United States v. Timothy G. Tanner, 17-CR-2695
Timothy G. Tanner, 28, of Carlsbad, N.M., is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number on June 2, 2016, and possession of more than five grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Aug. 4, 2016, in Eddy County, N.M. Tanner was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior convictions on drug trafficking and evidence tampering offenses. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on the firearms charges is imprisonment for ten years and a $250,000 fine. The statutory penalty for a conviction on the methamphetamine trafficking charge is imprisonment for a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years and a $5 million fine. Tanner is currently in state custody and will be transferred into federal custody to face the federal charges against him.
Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are only accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bruton et al IndictmentMortgage Company President Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Ginnie MaeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The president and founder of a Falmouth mortgage company pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with defrauding the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) out of approximately $2.5 million.
Robert Pena, 68, of Falmouth, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and six counts of wire fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Jan. 5, 2018.
Pena was president and founder of the now-defunct mortgage company, Mortgage Security Inc. (MSI), which contracted with Ginnie Mae, a government-run corporation charged with making housing more affordable by injecting capital into the U.S. housing market. Ginnie Mae guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest to investors in bonds backed by government-sponsored mortgage loans, such as those offered by the Federal Housing Administration and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
MSI contracted with Ginnie Mae to pool eligible residential mortgage loans and then sell Ginnie Mae-backed mortgage bonds to investors. MSI was responsible for servicing the loans in the pools it created, including collecting principal and interest payments from borrowers, as well as loan payoffs, and placing those funds into accounts held in trust by Ginnie Mae, which would ultimately pass them along to investors. Among other things, Ginnie Mae required issuers like MSI to provide regular reports concerning the status of the loans in the pools.
Beginning in 2011, Pena began diverting money that borrowers were sending to MSI. Specifically, Pena deposited high-dollar, loan-payoff checks into bank accounts unknown to Ginnie Mae and then used those funds for personal and business expenses. Pena also diverted borrowers’ escrow funds and mortgage-insurance premiums for his own use. In total, Pena took approximately $2.5 million, which Ginnie Mae then had to pay to the investors whose investments it had guaranteed. Pena also attempted to cover up his scheme by providing false reports to Ginnie Mae about the status of the loans MSI was servicing.
The charging statues provide for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. 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; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General; and the Falmouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian LaMacchia of Weinreb’s Civil Division is prosecuting the case.
Monongalia County woman and Marion County man plead guilty to drug distribution chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Westover, West Virginia woman and a Fairmont, West Virginia man have admitted to drug distribution charges, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Anna May Martin, age 32, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” Martin admitted to using a phone to distribute and assist in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. The crime occurred in Monongalia County in March 2017.
Thomas Keener, II, age 22, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” Keener admitted to using a phone to distribute and assist in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone in Monongalia County in February 2017.
Martin and Keener each face up to four years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Middlesex County, New Jersey, Man Charged with Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A North Brunswick, New Jersey, man who transmitted an image of child sexual abuse to an undercover agent was arrested today and charged with distributing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Richard Scalea, 59, was arrested by agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and charged by criminal complaint with one count of distributing child pornography. He made his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Aug. 31, 2017, Scalea communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer via an online incest chat room. In that chat, Scalea claimed to have sexually abused a minor child who was known to him. Scalea then distributed an image of child pornography to the undercover law enforcement officer. Today, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Scalea’s residence and seized computer devices containing multiple images of child sexual abuse.
Anyone with information regarding possible victims of this activity is urged to contact the FBI in Newark at 973-792-3000.
The charge of distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Murphy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: David Holman Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defenders, Newark
Middleman Who Lied About Being an Agent of a Foreign Official Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in Prison for Role in Foreign Bribery Scheme Involving $800 Million International Real Estate DealRead the Press Release
The middleman in a foreign bribery scheme who falsely held himself out as an agent of a foreign official was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for each count, to run concurrently, for his role in a scheme to bribe a foreign official in the Middle East to land a real estate deal, and to defrauding his co-schemers.
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 and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.
Malcom Harris, 53, of New York City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos of the Southern District of New York. Harris pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering on June 21.
According to admissions made in connection with Harris’s plea, Harris participated in a corrupt scheme to pay bribes to a foreign official in a country in the Middle East in order to facilitate the sale by South Korean construction company Keangnam Enterprises Co., Ltd., (Keangnam) of a commercial building known as Landmark 72 in Hanoi, Vietnam, to the Middle Eastern country’s sovereign wealth fund. According to the indictment, the building sale was valued at $800 million, and purported bribe would total $2.5 million.
In connection with his guilty plea, Harris admitted that, from on or about March 2013 to on or about March 2015, he wrongfully obtained $500,000 from his co-defendants by falsely holding himself out as an agent of a foreign official in text messages and emails. Harris admitted directing the $500,000 to be deposited into an account in the name of Muse Creative Consulting, but which Harris actually controlled. Thereafter, Harris used the illegally obtained money to engage in transactions exceeding $10,000, he admitted.
Harris was charged in a December 2016 indictment along with codefendants Joo Hyun Bahn aka Dennis Bahn (Bahn) and Ban Ki Sang (Ban). According to the indictment, during this time, Ban was a senior executive at Keangnam, and allegedly convinced Keangnam to hire his son Bahn, who worked as a broker at a commercial real estate firm in Manhattan, to secure an investor for Landmark 72.
Bahn and Ban are awaiting trial. The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are only accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI’s International Corruption Squad in New York City investigated the case. In 2015, the FBI formed International Corruption Squads across the country to address national and international implications of foreign corruption. Trial Attorney Dennis R. Kihm of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. Noble of the Southern District of New York are prosecuting 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 FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.
Mexican national pleads guilty to immigration crimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to an immigration crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Victor Guevara-De La Paz, 35, entered his guilty plea to illegally reentering the United States.
Agents of the Department of Homeland Security identified Guevara-De La Paz through surveillance and learned that he was residing in Lewisburg. On May 24, 2017, agents stopped Guevara-De La Paz and confirmed his identity during the traffic stop. Agents also learned through fingerprint comparison that Guevara-De La Paz had twice been removed from the United States. On both occasions, after being removed, Guevara-De La Paz then illegally reentered the United States. Furthermore, Guevara-De La Paz had not formally applied for permission to legally enter the United States.
Guevara-De La Paz faces up to two years in federal prison when he is sentenced on January 24, 2018. He is also subject to removal proceedings at the conclusion of the case.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
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Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a recommitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program first launched in 2001 designed to reduce violent crime across the country. Working with federal, state, and local partners through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa has been prosecuting violent crime and the most serious offenders for the past sixteen years.
United States Attorney Peter Deegan, Jr. and Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman will be available on Friday, October 6, 2017, for interviews regarding Project Safe Neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids. To schedule an interview with Mr. Deegan or Chief Jerman, please contact Tony Morfitt at 319-363-6333.
Branch Chief Tim Duax and Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller will also be available on October 6, 2017, for interviews regarding Project Safe Neighborhoods in Sioux City. To schedule an interview with Mr. Duax please contact him at 712-255-6011. To schedule an interview with Chief Mueller, please contact him at 712-898-4572.
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Manchester Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing CrackRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY McKENZIE, 56, of Manchester, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department that targeted a drug trafficking organization operating in Hartford’s North End that was distributing crack and powder cocaine. The investigation revealed that David Gil-Grande, of Manchester, received shipments of cocaine, secreted in sealed coffee cans, from Puerto Rico. He then supplied the cocaine to Anthony Shelton, also known as “Pretty,” Gerard Brown, also known as “Goldie,” and others, who converted much of the cocaine into crack and distributed both forms of the drug in the area of Barbour Street in Hartford.
Shelton and Brown are McKENZIE’s sons. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Shelton and Brown supplied distribution quantities of crack cocaine to McKENZIE, who then sold the drug to his own customers in the Manchester area.
Twenty individuals were charged and convicted as a result of the investigation.
McKENZIE was arrested on February 2, 2016. On December 22, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
McKENZIE’s criminal history spans approximately 40 years and includes multiple convictions and periods of incarceration.
Gil-Grande, Shelton and Brown have pleaded guilty to related charges. On January 31, 2017, Gil-Grande was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment. Shelton and Brown await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a HandgunRead the Press Release
A man who fled the scene of a traffic stop while intoxicated and carrying a loaded pistol in his waistband was sentenced today to 71 months in federal prison.
Darryl Lee Williams, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 25, 2017, guilty plea to possessing a firearm as a felon and domestic violence misdemeanant.
At sentencing, United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade recounted how Williams fled from the police while under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. After apprehending Williams, officers found a loaded 9-millimeter pistol, marijuana, and a half-empty bottle of tequila on his person. Judge Reade also noted Williams’ extensive criminal history, including prior convictions for assaulting police officers.
Williams was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment and a special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Williams is being held in United States Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshal Service, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-25.
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Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Middle District of AlabamaRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Long-time federal prosecutor Louis V. Franklin, Sr., has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Mr. Franklin was nominated by President Donald Trump on June 15, 2017 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 14, 2017. He was sworn in at 11:30am today by Chief United States District Judge W. Keith Watkins.
“Having been with the U. S. Attorney’s Office for 26 years, I am fully aware of the extraordinary work this office does for the Middle District of Alabama,” stated Mr. Franklin. “I am honored to now serve as United States Attorney and I look forward to improving upon the great work the office is doing for the citizens of the Middle District.”
As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Franklin is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Middle District of Alabama which includes Montgomery, Auburn, and Dothan. The U.S Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
Mr. Franklin, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, has served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama for 26 years, including 16 years as Chief of the Criminal Division. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1990 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2001. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Franklin was an associate at Sirote and Permutt, where he defended public and private organizations in State and Federal civil litigation. He began his career as a staff attorney at the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama from 1987 to 1990.
Mr. Franklin received his juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law in 1987, his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in 1981, and a master’s degree from Auburn University at Montgomery in 1983. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar.
Longmeadow Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Report over $2 Million Held in Foreign Bank AccountRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Longmeadow man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield to concealing from the Internal Revenue Service an Irish bank account he held with a balance of over $2 million.
Michael Fitzgerald, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of violating the foreign bank reporting requirements. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 3, 2018.
United States citizens and residents who have a financial interest in a foreign bank account with a value of more than $10,000 must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts with the U.S. Department of the Treasury. From at least 2005 through 2012, Fitzgerald, the owner and operator of a local roofing company, held bank accounts with the Bank of Ireland in the Isle of Man. In 2012, those bank accounts held a combined balance of over $2.3 million.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Fitzgerald has agreed to pay a penalty of $1,115,320, which represents 50 percent of the account balance. 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 and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Long-Haul Trucker Pleads Guilty to Production and Transmission of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Lake Worth resident pled guilty yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Matthewman to production and transmission of child pornography.
Benjamin Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and Jeffrey Katz, Chief, Boynton Beach Police Department (BBPD), made the announcement.
Kevin Scott Mitchell, a/k/a “[email protected],” 62, of Lake Worth, pled guilty yesterday to the Indictment, which charged him with one count of production of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a) and (e), and one count of transmission of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). During the plea hearing, the facts relayed were that Mitchell had sex with the 16-year-old victim since January 2016 at a hotel in Boynton Beach, Florida. He took photographs and videos during the sexual encounters, when his trucking route brought him to South Florida.
In May 2017, the victim, then 17, reported the sexual abuse to law enforcement when Mitchell emailed a threat to release the photos to the victim’s friends and family. When Mitchell later texted to the victim, undercover detectives from the Boynton Beach Police Department responded as the victim. Mitchell proceeded to send child pornography of the victim to the detective. He was apprehended several days later in upstate New York. Found in his possession were digital devices that contained child pornography of the victim.
Mr. Greenburg commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and BBPD. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Schiller.
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.
Justice Department Awards $500,000 Grant to Suffolk County Police for Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction ProgramRead the Press Release
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that as part of several Department of Justice actions to reduce the rising tide of violent crime in America, the Suffolk County Police Department has been awarded a $500,000 grant through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative to reduce gun and gang-related violence in high crime areas. The grant will support enforcement strategies targeting individuals responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime as identified through evidence-based research and analysis, and expand community outreach programs for at-risk youth.
The awarding of the grant was announced by Jeff Sessions, United States Attorney General, Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Timothy D. Sini, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD).
“The Department of Justice today announces the foundation of our plan to reduce crime: prioritizing Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that has been proven to work,” stated Attorney General Sessions. “Let me be clear – Project Safe Neighborhoods is not just one policy idea among many. This is the centerpiece of our crime reduction strategy. Taking what we have learned since the program began in 2001, we have updated it and enhanced it, emphasizing the role of our U.S. Attorneys, the promise of new technologies, and above all, partnership with local communities. With these changes, I believe that this program will be more effective than ever and help us fulfill our mission to make America safer.”
“The Project Safe Neighborhoods grant will strengthen the Suffolk County Police Department’s efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute those offenders responsible for doing the most harm in communities plagued by gang-related violence, as well as support prevention programs for youths who are at risk for gang recruitment,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “This Office is committed to helping communities develop resiliency against gang recruitment so as to diminish gangs, their number and strength, as well as to continuing our prosecutive efforts directed at those who choose the wrong path and engage in gang violence.”
“The Suffolk County Police Department and its law enforcement partners have implemented an extremely aggressive strategy to eradicate MS-13 from our communities,” stated SCPD Commissioner Sini. “This grant will further those efforts. On behalf of Suffolk County, I want to thank the Department of Justice for its continued partnership.”
Crime analysis has identified several street gangs, including MS-13, Bloods, and Crips, which have been responsible for gang and gun crime in “hot spot” communities in Suffolk County. The PSN project has three objectives: utilize “hot spot” policing to coordinate and narrow the focus of intervention strategies in communities identified by the SCPD Criminal Intelligence section including Wyandanch, North Amityville, Central Islip, Brentwood and Huntington Station; target the small number of persons responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime; and provide alternatives to gang and criminal activity through mentoring and truancy programs, including the Brentwood Youth Recovery Initiative that was started in response to the murders of Brentwood High School students Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas on September 13, 2016 allegedly by MS-13 gang members.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs and providing additional tools to these programs. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has partnered with the district attorney’s offices in Queens, Brooklyn, Richmond and Nassau Counties to reduce and prevent gun violence.
The grant is part of a recommitment to PSN announced today by Attorney General Sessions in a memo directing United States Attorneys to implement an enhanced violent crime reduction program that incorporates the lessons learned since the initiative was launched in 2001.
The Attorney General also announced the following Department of Justice initiatives to help reduce violent crime nationwide:
- Additional Assistant United States Attorney Positions to Focus on Violent Crime –The Department is allocating 40 prosecutors to approximately 20 United States Attorney’s Offices to focus on violent crime reduction.
- More Cops on the Streets (COPS Hiring Grants) – As part of our continuing commitment to crime prevention efforts, increased community policing, and the preservation of vital law enforcement jobs, the Department will be awarding approximately $98 million in FY 2017 COPS Hiring Grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
- Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) National Gang Strategic Initiative –The National Gang Strategic Initiative promotes creative enforcement strategies and best practices that will assist in developing investigations of violent criminal groups and gangs into enterprise-level OCDETF prosecutions. Under this initiative, OCDETF provides “seed money” to locally-focused gang investigations, giving state, local, and tribal investigators and prosecutors the resources and tools needed to identify connections between lower-level gangs and national-level drug trafficking organizations.
- Critical Training and Technical Assistance to State and Local Partners –The Department has a vast array of training and technical assistance resources available to state, local and tribal law enforcement, victims groups, and others. To ensure that agencies in need of assistance are able to find the training and materials they need, Office of Justice Programs will make available a Violence Reduction Response Center to serve as a “hot line” to connect people to these resources.
- Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGIC) – The Department has provided grant funding to support a comprehensive approach to identifying the most violent offenders in a jurisdiction, using new technologies such as gunshot detection systems combined with gun crime intelligence from NIBIN, eTrace, and investigative efforts. These FY 2017 grants were awarded to Phoenix, AZ, and Kansas City, MO.
- Expand ATF’s NIBIN Urgent Trace Program – The Department will expand ATF’s NIBIN Urgent Trace Program nationwide by the end of the year. Through this program, any firearm submitted for tracing that is associated with a NIBIN “hit” (which means it can be linked to a shooting incident) will be designated an “urgent” trace and the requestor will get information back about the firearm’s first retail purchaser within 24 hours, instead of five to six business days.
Justice Department Announces Reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Other Actions to Reduce Rising Tide of Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced several Department of Justice actions to reduce the rising tide of violent crime in America. Foremost of those actions is the reinvigoration of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
In announcing this recommitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Attorney General issued a memo directing United States Attorneys to implement an enhanced violent crime reduction program that incorporates the lessons learned since Project Safe Neighborhoods launched in 2001.
In a statement on the program, the Attorney General said:
"According to the FBI, the violent crime rate has risen by nearly seven percent over the past two years, and the homicide rate has risen by more than 20 percent. We cannot be complacent or hope that this is just an anomaly: we have a duty to take action.
“Fortunately, we have a President who understands that and has directed his administration to reduce crime. The Department of Justice today announces the foundation of our plan to reduce crime: prioritizing Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that has been proven to work.
“Let me be clear – Project Safe Neighborhoods is not just one policy idea among many. This is the centerpiece of our crime reduction strategy.
“Taking what we have learned since the program began in 2001, we have updated it and enhanced it, emphasizing the role of our U.S. Attorneys, the promise of new technologies, and above all, partnership with local communities. With these changes, I believe that this program will be more effective than ever and help us fulfill our mission to make America safer."
The Attorney General also announced the following Department of Justice initiatives to help reduce violent crime:
-Additional Assistant United States Attorney Positions to Focus on Violent Crime – The Department is allocating 40 prosecutors to approximately 20 United States Attorney’s Offices to focus on violent crime reduction.
-More Cops on the Streets (COPS Hiring Grants) – As part of our continuing commitment to crime prevention efforts, increased community policing, and the preservation of vital law enforcement jobs, the Department will be awarding approximately $98 million in FY 2017 COPS Hiring Grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
-Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) National Gang Strategic Initiative –The National Gang Strategic Initiative promotes creative enforcement strategies and best practices that will assist in developing investigations of violent criminal groups and gangs into enterprise-level OCDETF prosecutions. Under this initiative, OCDETF provides “seed money” to locally-focused gang investigations, giving state, local, and tribal investigators and prosecutors the resources and tools needed to identify connections between lower-level gangs and national-level drug trafficking organizations.
-Critical Training and Technical Assistance to State and Local Partners –The Department has a vast array of training and technical assistance resources available to state, local and tribal law enforcement, victims groups, and others. To ensure that agencies in need of assistance are able to find the training and materials they need, OJP will make available a Violence Reduction Response Center to serve as a “hot line” to connect people to these resources.
-Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGIC) – The Department has provided grant funding to support a comprehensive approach to identifying the most violent offenders in a jurisdiction, using new technologies such as gunshot detection systems combined with gun crime intelligence from NIBIN, eTrace, and investigative efforts. These FY 2017 grants were awarded to Phoenix, AZ, and Kansas City, MO.
-Expand ATF’s NIBIN Urgent Trace Program – The Department will expand ATF’s NIBIN Urgent Trace Program nationwide by the end of the year. Through this program, any firearm submitted for tracing that is associated with a NIBIN “hit” (which means it can be linked to a shooting incident) will be designated an “urgent” trace and the requestor will get information back about the firearm’s first retail purchaser within 24 hours, instead of 5 to 6 business days.