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28 September 2017
New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NH– Steven Tucker, 31, of New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in the District of New Hampshire today to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
According to the plea agreement, from 2013 to 2014, the defendant recruited a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts, provided a location for the commercial sex acts, arranged her transportation to perform commercial sex acts, paid for internet advertisements for the commercial sex acts, and collected a portion of the cash proceeds from the minor’s commercial sex acts.
“Sex trafficking is a heinous crime that often times preys on the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “Combatting sex trafficking is one of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice, and we will continue to hold traffickers accountable and to seek justice on behalf of sex trafficking victims.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office in New Hampshire is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley. “I am proud of the work that the members of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force do each day to combat the scourge of human trafficking using a multidisciplinary approach. This successful prosecution is an example of the Task Force’s ongoing efforts to seek justice for victims of sex trafficking crimes.”
Tucker was charged in a three-count indictment returned on January 25, 2016 with sex trafficking of a minor, operation of a prostitution enterprise, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. He faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life in prison. The sentencing is scheduled for January 5, 2018. As part of the plea agreement, Tucker will also be ordered to pay restitution to the minor victim, in an amount to be determined at the time of sentencing.
This prosecution is the result of the joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire and the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
The Task Force is funded by a grant from the United States Department of Justice. Its goals are to ensure that comprehensive and specialized services are made available to victims of human trafficking through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, and that perpetrators of sex trafficking and forced labor are investigated and prosecuted.
The core team members of the Task Force are the Manchester Police Department, Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold Huftalen and District of New Hampshire and Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
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Native of Mexico Charged with Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Abel Montero-Mendoza, 32, of Oxford, PA, was charged today by Indictment with illegal reentry after deportation, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment alleges that on or about November 3, 2014, Montero-Mendoza, an alien, and native and citizen of Mexico, was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States on or about September 17, 2005 and June 15, 2010.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of twenty years.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bea Witzleben.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Native of Guatemala Charged with Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Deodoro Suchite-Garcia, a/k/a “Teodoro Susachete-Garcia,” of Philadelphia, PA, was charged today by Indictment with illegal reentry after deportation, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment alleges that on or about August 25, 2017, Suchite-Garcia, an alien, and native and citizen of Guatemala, was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States on or about February 2, 2011, April 29, 2011, December 17, 2014, March 24, 2015, June 3, 2016, and July 22, 2016.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of two years.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ERO”), and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melanie B. Wilmoth.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Native of Dominican Republic Charged with Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Ricardo Medrano Damas, a/k/a "Ricardo Medrano Damaso," a/k/a "Armando Villalongo-
Reyes," of the Dominican Republic, was charged today by Indictment with illegal reentry after deportation, announced Acting united states Attomey Louis D. Lappen. The indictment alleges that on or about August 28,2017, Medrano Damas, an alien, and native and citizen of the
Dominican Republic, was found in the United States after having been deported from the United
States on or about May 30, 2003, December 1, 2010, April 4,2012, and June 21, 2016.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of twenty years.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and
Removal Operations ("ERO"), and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attomey Paul
Gray.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Narcotics Raid Leads to Convicted Felon Being Sentenced in Federal Court for the Illegal Possession of a Loaded Machine GunRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that United States District Court Judge William H. Steele sentenced Derrick Lashawn Ward on September 26, 2017 to serve a term of imprisonment of 46 months followed by 3 years of supervised release for illegally possessing a Masterpiece, .9 mm machine gun, with a loaded 30 round magazine. The defendant possessed the weapon in Grand Bay, Alabama on February 17, 2017 in violation of 18 USC § 922(g)(1). The defendant entered a guilty plea before the Court on June 16, 2017.
On the date of incident, Deputies of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence based on narcotics activity that had occurred at the location. During the search of the residence, investigators located the loaded firearm in the defendant’s bedroom, along with crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Narcotics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence J. Bullard for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Moore County Man Charged in Fourteen-Count Dogfighting IndictmentRead the Press Release
Today a federal magistrate judge unsealed a superseding indictment charging Brexton Redell Lloyd, 54, of Eagle Springs, with one count of conspiracy and thirteen counts of violating the animal fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, announced Acting United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
The charges returned today pertain to pit bull-type dogs allegedly kept by Lloyd at his residence in Eagle Springs. The Defendant allegedly possessed and trained the dogs for fighting ventures and conspiring to commit these acts throughout the United States. The dogs were seized by federal authorities in a search warrant executed in March 2017.
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog-fighting “victories.” To date, approximately one hundred dogs have been rescued as part of Operation Grand Champion, and either surrendered or forfeited to the government.
The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison to knowingly sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver, or receive any animal, including dogs, for purposes of having the animal participate in an animal fighting venture. Under federal law, an animal fighting venture means “any event, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment.”
This part of Operation Grand Champion was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in coordination with the Department of Justice, with assistance from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney JoAnna G. McFadden of the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Erica Pencak of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division. The Humane Society of the United States assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.
An indictment is an allegation based upon a finding of probable cause by a grand jury. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. The investigation is ongoing.
Moore County Man Charged in Fourteen-Count Dogfighting IndictmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Today a federal magistrate judge unsealed a superseding indictment charging Brexton Redell Lloyd, 54, of Eagle Springs, with one count of conspiracy and thirteen counts of violating the animal fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, announced Acting United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
The charges returned today pertain to pit bull-type dogs allegedly kept by Lloyd at his residence in Eagle Springs. The Defendant allegedly possessed and trained the dogs for fighting ventures and conspiring to commit these acts in the Middle District of North Carolina and elsewhere throughout the United States. The dogs were seized by federal authorities in a search warrant executed in March 2017.
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog-fighting “victories.” To date, approximately one hundred dogs have been rescued as part of Operation Grand Champion, and either surrendered or forfeited to the government.
The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison to knowingly sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver, or receive any animal, including dogs, for purposes of having the animal participate in an animal fighting venture. Under federal law, an animal fighting venture means “any event, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment.”
This part of Operation Grand Champion was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in coordination with the Department of Justice, with assistance from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney JoAnna G. McFadden of the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Erica Pencak of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division. The Humane Society of the United States assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.
An indictment is an allegation based upon a finding of probable cause by a grand jury. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. The investigation is ongoing.
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Monongalia County woman pleads guilty to drug distribution chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Dellslow, West Virginia woman has admitted to a drug distribution charge, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Hollie Jo Exline, age 22, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” Exline admitted to using a phone to distribute and assist in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. The crime occurred in Monongalia County in February 2017.
Exline faces 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 case 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.
Moldovan Man Sentenced for Illegal Transportation of AlienRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Constantin Chiriac, age 42, and a citizen of Moldova, was sentenced today to time served (128 days in jail) for transporting an alien within the United States.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Chief Patrol Agent John C. Pfeifer, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Chiriac pled guilty on July 17, 2017. He admitted that on May 23, 2017, while on the Akwesasne reservation near Hogansburg, New York, he picked up a Hungarian citizen who had just crossed the border illegally from Canada. Chiriac was driving the Hungarian citizen away from the border area when Border Patrol Agents stopped him. Chiriac admitted that he intended to transport the Hungarian citizen away from the border area and to Brooklyn, New York. At the time of his crime, Chiriac was in the United States on a visitor (tourist) visa. Co-defendant Kanento Boots was convicted of the same charge and sentenced to time served (111 days in jail) on September 11, 2017.
The smuggled Hungarian citizen, Zsolt Mihaly, pled guilty on June 6 to illegal entry into the United States, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to 36 days in jail.
Following his sentence, Chiriac was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Midwest City Woman Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling over $600,000 from Local EmployerRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – TAMI LEE JOHNSON, of Midwest City, Oklahoma, formerly known as Tami L. Davis, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison today for check forgery, in connection with $624,265.01 of embezzlement from a local real estate management company, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On April 25, 2017, Johnson was charged by information with one count of forging a security. From January 2012 until August 2015, she was the bookkeeper and office manager at Edmond real estate management company Worx Property Management. As part of her job, she had access to her employer’s bank accounts. On May 23, 2017, she pled guilty to preparing an unauthorized company check to herself in February 2014 in the amount of $2,226.00. She admitted that she did not have her employer’s permission to issue the check and that she forged the signature of her boss and then cashed the check for herself. As part of her plea, Johnson admitted that she embezzled funds from her former employer from January 2012 through August 2015 and that the total loss to the real estate management company from her embezzlement scheme was $624,265.01.
At sentencing today, United States District Court Judge Robin J. Cauthron sentenced Johnson to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $622,765.01 in restitution to the victim. Reference is made to the information and other public filings for further information.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney K. McKenzie Anderson.
Middlesex County, New Jersey, Man Charged in Hacking and Illegal Wiretapping SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for alleged computer hacking and wiretapping of his former company’s email server, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Jian Yang Zhang, a/k/a “Kevin Zhang,” 37, of Edison, New Jersey, is charged complaint with one count of unauthorized access of a protected computer and one count of interception of electronic communications. He is scheduled to appear later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Zhang and his family were part owners of a New Jersey-based company (Company 1) that imported and supplied products to dollar stores, discount stores, and wholesalers across the United States. After a dispute among the owners in 2015 Zhang and his family agreed to sell their interest in Company 1 to the other owners. While negotiating the buyout, Zhang, who served as the email administrator for the company, created a hidden sub-user account within the Company 1 email server account. When Zhang left Company 1 in February 2015, he provided the login credentials for the email server to the remaining owners, who then changed the password. However, Zhang did not disclose that he had created the hidden sub-user account. On numerous occasions over the next 14 months, Zhang accessed the Company 1 email server without authorization and set various employee email accounts to forward to outside email accounts that he controlled.
Both charges carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, Newark Division, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty to RICO Conspiracy Involving Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of MS-13’s Enfermos Criminales Salvatrucha (ECS) clique in Chelsea, Mass., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to RICO conspiracy involving the attempted murder of a rival gang member.
Domingo Tizol, a/k/a “Chapin,” 23, a Guatemalan national who resided in Chelsea, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and admitted responsibility for the attempted murder of a rival 18th Street gang member in Chelsea in May 2015. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Jan. 4, 2018. Tizol is the 17th defendant to plead guilty in this case.
On May 26, 2015, Tizol and, allegedly, Bryan Galicia-Barillas, a/k/a “Chucky,” another MS-13 member, repeatedly stabbed an 18th Street gang member on Bellingham Street in Chelsea. The victim survived the attack.
After a three-year investigation, Tizol was one of 61 defendants named in a January 2016 superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. According to court documents, MS-13 was identified as a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches or “cliques” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the group. Specifically, MS-13 members are required to attack and murder gang rivals whenever possible.
The RICO conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. According to the terms of the plea agreement, the parties will recommend that Tizol be sentenced to 10 years in prison. Tizol will also be subject to deportation upon the 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; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations and the remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
MS-13 East Coast Program Leader Charged with RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The alleged leader of the MS-13’s East Coast Program was charged in an indictment unsealed today in federal court in Boston in connection with his role as one of the El Salvador-based leaders of MS-13’s East Coast Program.
Edwin Manica Flores, a/k/a “Sugar,” a/k/a “Chugar,” a/k/a “Shugar,” 35, of El Salvador and Everett, Mass., was indicted on conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. Manica Flores is allegedly a member of MS-13’s Everett Loco Salvatrucha clique and one of the El Salvador-based leaders of MS-13’s East Coast Program. The charges are the result of an ongoing investigation into the criminal activities of leaders, members, and associates of the criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, or “MS-13.”
According to court documents, MS-13’s East Coast Program included so-called MS-13 “cliques” in Boston, Mass.; Houston, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. The East Coast Program, like other MS-13 programs, is alleged to have an organizational structure established by MS-13’s incarcerated leadership in El Salvador to facilitate the communication of orders and information from MS-13 leadership to cliques operating in the U.S. and to facilitate the transfer of money from cliques to MS-13 leadership in El Salvador.
In December 2015, while he was in El Salvador, Manica Flores was secretly recorded by law enforcement during a conference call with the U.S.-based leaders of MS-13’s East Coast Program who were attending a leadership meeting in Richmond, Va. During that meeting, which included East Coast Program leaders from Boston, Mass.; Houston, Texas; Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; and Virginia, Manica Flores allegedly provided direction to the group on behalf of MS-13 leadership in El Salvador about working together in a united fashion, recruiting new members and making money to send to MS-13 leadership in El Salvador.
It is further alleged that most of the MS-13 cliques in Massachusetts, including the Everett Loco Salvatrucha; Molinos Loco Salvatrucha; East Boston Loco Salvatrucha; Trece Loco Salvatrucha; and Enfermos Criminales Salvatrucha, belonged to MS-13’s East Coast Program, and that these cliques worked both independently and cooperatively to engage in criminal activity. Such activity included drug distribution, robbery, and extortion, to obtain money for themselves and for MS-13 leadership in El Salvador, and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement. The indictment alleges that these cliques held meetings to collect dues from individual MS-13 members, a portion of which was then transmitted back to MS-13 leadership in El Salvador, usually by wire transfer.
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison; three years of supervised release; and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Truco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon, made the announcement.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Longmont Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
DENVER – Jerald S. Williams, age 73, of Longmont, Colorado was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel to serve 60 months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, the United States Attorney’s Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation announced. Following his sentence, Williams was ordered to serve 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered by Judge Daniel to pay restitution in the amount of $427,581 to the IRS. Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 10, 2016 and pled guilty on June 20, 2017. He was sentenced on September 19, 2017.
According to the indictment and plea agreement, Williams, with others known and unknown to the grand jury, generated substantial income from the interstate transportation and distribution of controlled substances, specifically marijuana and cocaine. Williams and co-conspirators E.G. worked to conceal this income by structuring cash deposits into the Colorado Fire Service business bank account, which Williams controlled. Between January 2010 and July 2014, Williams and E.G. conducted structured deposits into various bank accounts totaling approximately $858,495 to avoid the banks filing currency transaction reports.
Williams and E.G. used the deposited funds to purchase assets with cashier’s checks, including a house in Tucson, Arizona, along with a pool and other improvements for the house, and a recreational vehicle and trailer. Williams also paid for personal expenditures such as vacations, jewelry and travel with cash. Many of these transactions were conducted through Williams’ business, Colorado Fire Services, in order to conceal the receipt and expenditure of income. Williams filed federal income tax returns for the 2010 through 2013 tax years, knowing these tax returns did not reflect all of the income Williams earned in each tax year.
Additionally, when served with a grand jury subpoena for records related to Colorado Fire Service in 2014, Williams obstructed the grand jury by concealing and failing to produce records in his possession regarding Colorado Fire Services.
“All income is taxable whether the source is legal or illegal,” said Steven Osborne, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office. “This sentence is a direct result of the combined efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS – Criminal Investigation in combating violations of Federal law and serves as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar fraudulent actions."
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Longmont Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim R. Neff.
Long Island Convenience Store Owner and Clerks Arrested for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A four-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Central Islip, New York, charging Osman Ak, Murat Ak and Mehmet Akpinar, with drug trafficking conspiracy and substantive acts of drug trafficking in connection with their sale of controlled substances from 2013 through 2015 at Eyup Gas & Convenience Store, Inc. d/b/a VS Food Mart, in Medford, New York, owned by Osman Ak. The defendants were arrested this morning and their initial appearances are scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke.
The charges were announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and George Beach, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP).
“As alleged, the defendants sold K2 over the counter of a convenience store, putting the community at risk to the dangers associated with this synthetic hallucinogen and its unpredictable side-effects,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to hold traffickers like the Aks and Akpinar accountable for their actions, which threaten public safety.”
Ms. Rohde extended her grateful appreciation to the DEA and the NYSP for their assistance in this case.
“Known on the streets as K2 or synthetic marijuana, this dangerous drug can cause brain damage, hallucinations, seizures and death,” stated Special Agent-in-Charge Hunt. “Parents should be forewarned that synthetic cannabinoid traffickers package their poison to resemble legal goods, which in this case, it is alleged that the defendants brazenly peddled to users in their convenience store.”
“The strong partnership the State Police has with both federal and local law enforcement agencies is key to combatting the distribution of illegal synthetic drugs in New York State,” stated NYSP Superintendent Beach. “These drugs are lethal with unpredictable side effects, yet are marketed and sold as apparently legal substances in colorful packages that appeal to young people. As these arrests show, New York State and its law enforcement partners do not tolerate those who seek to traffic illicit and harmful synthetic drugs.”
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the drug trafficking conspiracy charge, as well as on the drug trafficking charges. The United States is also pursuing forfeiture of the convenience store where the alleged activity took place.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Madeline O’Connor are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
OSMAN AK
Holbrook, New York
Age: 45MURAT AK
Holbrook, New York
Age: 35MEHMET AKPINAR
Nesconset, New York
Age: 51E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-527 ( DRH )
Leader of Scranton Drug Ring Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Heroin and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on September 27, 2017, United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Jeffrey Guzman, age 26, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to 96 months’ imprisonment for being the head of a heroin and cocaine trafficking organization that operated from late 2015 until April 2016.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Guzman pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute in excess of 100 grams of heroin, 40 grams of crack cocaine, as well as additional amounts of fentanyl, cocaine base and marijuana. This amount of controlled substances equates to more than 30,000 individual doses. Additionally, Guzman possessed two loaded firearms, a .380 semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm handgun, in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.
Guzman was indicted by a grand jury on April 12, 2016, and a superseding indictment was filed on October 25, 2016. Guzman pleaded guilty pursuant to a written plea agreement on May 26, 2017.
The federal investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre Police Departments, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gotlob and Sean Camoni prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Lawsuit Filed Against Defense Contractors over Alleged False ClaimRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – The United States filed a civil fraud lawsuit today against Babu (Bob) Metgud and Shubhada (Sue) Kalyani, of Moorestown, New Jersey, and four companies, Shubhada Industries, d/b/a Shubhada, Inc., Metcon Aerospace & Defense, d/b/a Metcon Industries, NRI Capital Corporation, and The Innovation Technology & Enterprise Development Center, Inc. The complaint, announced by Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen, alleges that the defendants engaged in a scheme to overcharge the military for spare vehicle parts.
According to the complaint, Shubhada Industries described itself as a manufacturer to the Defense Logistics Agency and agreed to manufacture two light assemblies, a type of turn signal for munitions vehicles. But instead of manufacturing these assemblies, Shubhada Industries allegedly purchased them from someone else for $1,351.62, charged the military $73,842.00 for the same items—a 5400 percent markup—and pocketed the difference. The complaint alleges that when the government asked Metgud about the price, he made false statements describing Shubhada Industries’ non-existent manufacturing process and encouraged the military to buy more of the items. Kalyani likewise allegedly made false statements to conceal the company’s actual role as a dealer instead of a manufacturer.
The complaint additionally names as defendants Metcon Industries, the entity through which Metgud purchased the light assemblies, and two other alleged alter egos of Shubhada Industries.
“This case is another example of the commitment of our office to hold accountable those who cheat the government by charging excessive fees for their products,” said Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. “We will continue to use our resources to ensure that those who do business with the government are truthful and transparent in their dealings and treat our taxpayers fairly.”
The United States filed the lawsuit under the False Claims Act. Under the False Claims Act, a person who causes false or fraudulent claims to be submitted to the government for payment is liable for three times the government’s damages, plus civil penalties for each false claim. The complaint contains allegations only, and not findings of liability.
The allegations arose from an investigation led by the United States Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Macko handles the matter.
Law School Dropout Arrested for Impersonating New York Attorney and Defrauding Clients Who Paid for Immigration ServicesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Lynwood woman who dropped out of law school – but who later allegedly stole the identity and bar license number of a New York attorney – surrendered herself last night on federal charges that accuse her of filing immigration petitions on behalf of foreign nationals who believed she was a legitimate lawyer.
Jessica Godoy Ramos, 36, was taken into custody pursuant to a criminal complaint that charges her with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ramos is expected to make her initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court.
According to the criminal complaint, Ramos accepted thousands of dollars from several dozen aliens who sought her services in an attempt to obtain legal status in the United States. The complaint affidavit alleges that Ramos filed immigration petitions on the behalf of some aliens, but in other cases she never performed any services for her clients. In at least one instance, Ramos created counterfeit immigration parole documents which a client was able to use to enter the United States.
According to the complaint, Ramos’ clients initially believed she was a legitimate immigration attorney, but several became suspicious when Ramos directed them to appear at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices for interviews – but they did not have any scheduled appointments.
“The crimes alleged in this case victimized dozens of immigrants who were attempting to realize the American dream by paying someone they thought was a lawyer,” said Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown. “This type of scam, which unfortunately targets new immigrants too often, undermines our immigration system and can shatter dreams of obtaining legal status to remain in the United States.”
"Unscrupulous immigration practitioners not only exploit the trust of their often-unwitting victims, but by filing fraudulent immigration applications they create a security vulnerability and potentially rob deserving immigrants of benefits they rightfully deserve,” said Joseph Macias, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Los Angeles. “As these charges makes clear, HSI, in collaboration with its federal partners, is committed to targeting such scams and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.”
Federal authorities began investigating Ramos in February after the HSI-led Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force received a tip from USCIS about five of Ramos’ clients who went to USCIS offices in downtown Los Angeles expecting to pick up their non-existent “Green Cards.”
“People who wish to file for benefits with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have a right to proper representation,” said USCIS Los Angeles District Director Donna Campagnolo. “This case is a good example of all agencies involved working together to ensure that the integrity of the program is preserved and individuals are able to retain proper representation to aide them through the process.”
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If she were to be convicted, Ramos would face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the mail fraud count and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years for the aggravated identity theft charge.
During the investigation into Ramos, HSI received substantial assistance from USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate and the San Gabriel Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section.
Last Defendant Sentenced in Dallas-based Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — The last of 16 defendants charged and convicted in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that operated in the Dallas area has been sentenced, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Tommy Rodriguez, 36, of Dallas, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn yesterday to serve 180 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
“There is a high cost to choosing drug trafficking as an occupation,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “The combined efforts of this office and our law enforcement partners will keep it that way.”
Other defendants charged and convicted in the case have been sentenced as follows:
Eduardo Zavala-Ruiz, aka “Gold Coins,” “Primo,” “Lalo,” “Lalin,” 240 months
Zachary Whiteside, aka “Sharkey,” “Shark,” “Zach,” 214 ½ months
Jose Mario Chavez-Bravo, aka “Rafael Lua-Maguna,” “Mickey,” 200 months
Nicole Leedy, aka “Nicky,” 188 months
Christopher Michael Eller, aka “Chris,” 135 months
Rafael Hurtado, aka “Rafi,” “Ralphie,” 135 months
Kyle Travis Kamp, 135 months
Manuel Eguia, aka “Twenty,” 108 months
Frank Allen Lonero, aka “Frankie,” 90 months
Richard Islas, aka “Gordo,” 87 months
Rene San-Miguel, 63 months
Monica Maldonado-Pena, 51 months
Albert Lee Longoria, 48 months
Francisco Millan-Madrid, 48 months
Kirstin Perviance, 48 months
Karla Julissa Jimenez, 21 months
One defendant remains a fugitive.
According to documents filed in the case, in 2014, the above-listed defendants conspired together and with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine in the Dallas area.
The North Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy prosecuted.
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Justice Department Sues Guam’s Government for Racial and National Origin Discrimination in Violation of the Fair Housing ActRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today filed a lawsuit alleging that the Government of Guam, as well as the Chamorro Land Trust Commission and its Administrative Director, have violated the federal Fair Housing Act by discriminating against non-Chamorros in the enforcement and implementation of Guam’s Chamorro Land Trust Act. “Chamorro” is a term often used to refer to descendants of the indigenous people of Guam.
“The Fair Housing Act prohibits states and territories of the United States from discriminating because of race or national origin in the provision of housing and housing-related benefits and services,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The complaint filed today seeks to ensure that any land program implemented by Guam complies with these principles and does not unlawfully limit the availability of housing opportunities based on a person’s race or national origin.”
Part of the Government of Guam, the Chamorro Land Trust Commission holds and administers approximately 20,000 acres, or 15% of Guam’s total land area. As part of its mission to administer this land, the Commission grants 99-year residential leases for one-acre tracts, at a cost of one dollar per year. Only “native Chamorros,” however, are eligible for these leases. Additionally, the Commission makes numerous housing-related benefits available exclusively to Chamorro lease holders, including below-market-rate loans. Among those harmed by this policy are non-Chamorro spouses of Chamorro beneficiaries. As alleged in the complaint, for example, one African-American man was evicted from the home he and his wife built on land administered by the trust after his wife, who was Chamorro, passed away.
Guam’s approximate demographics, based on Census 2010 data, are: Chamorro 37.3% (plus an additional 6.1% who identify as two or more races/ethnic origins including Chamorro); Filipino 26.3%; Native Hawaiian and non-Chamorro Pacific Islander 12.0%; non-Filipino Asian 5.9%; White 7.1%; and Black or African American 1.0%.
The complaint seeks a court order that would (1) declare that the Chamorro Land Trust Act and its implementing regulations are invalid to the extent that they require or permit any action that would be a discriminatory housing practice under the Fair Housing Act, (2) prohibit the defendants from discriminating on the basis of race and national origin in providing residential land leases and other real estate-related benefits under the Chamorro Land Trust Act, (3) award monetary damages for any persons harmed by the defendants’ discriminatory conduct, and (4) require the defendants to pay civil penalties. Any individuals who have information relevant to this case are encouraged to contact the Civil Rights Division at 1-800-896-7743, Option 8.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination may call the Justice Department at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at [email protected], or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or through its website at www.hud.gov.
The case is being jointly handled by the Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct. The allegations must still be proven in federal court.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Crop Production Services Alleging Discrimination Against U.S. WorkersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Crop Production Services Inc. (Crop Production), headquartered in Loveland, Colorado, for allegedly discriminating against U.S. workers in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The complaint alleges that in 2016, Crop Production discriminated against at least three United States citizens by refusing to employ them as seasonal technicians in El Campo, Texas, because Crop Production preferred to hire temporary foreign workers under the H-2A visa program. According to the department’s complaint, Crop Production imposed more burdensome requirements on U.S. citizens than it did on H-2A visa workers to discourage U.S. citizens from working at the facility. For instance, the complaint alleges that whereas U.S. citizens had to complete a background check and a drug test before being permitted to start work, H-2A workers were allowed to begin working without completing them and, in some cases, never completed them. The complaint also alleges that Crop Production refused to consider a limited-English proficient U.S. citizen for employment but hired H-2A workers who could not speak English. Ultimately, all of Crop Production’s 15 available seasonal technician jobs in 2016 went to H-2A workers instead of U.S. workers.
Under the INA, it is unlawful for employers to intentionally discriminate against U.S. workers because of their citizenship status or to otherwise favor the employment of temporary foreign workers over available, qualified U.S. workers. In addition, the H-2A visa program requires employers to recruit and hire available, qualified U.S. workers before hiring temporary foreign workers.
“In the spirit of President Trump’s Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American, the Department of Justice will not tolerate employers who discriminate against U.S. workers because of a desire to hire temporary foreign visa holders,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “The Justice Department will enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to protect U.S. workers as they are the very backbone of our communities and our economy. Where there is a job available, U.S. workers should have a chance at it before we bring in workers from abroad.”
The United States’ complaint seeks back pay on behalf of the workers, civil penalties, and other remedial relief to correct and prevent discrimination. The workers have also filed their own private suit, and are represented by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. Both suits were filed in the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, a specialized administrative court that Congress created to resolve such claims.
The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits, among other things, citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.
This case is part of the Division’s Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, an initiative aimed at targeting, investigating, and bringing enforcement actions against companies that discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of foreign visa workers.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to: different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
James Derrick Robertson Pled Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that James Derrick Robertson, age 53, of Demopolis, Alabama pled guilty to a violation of 18 USC Section 2252A(a)(2), Receipt of Child Pornography, which carries a penalty of at least five years up to 20 years and Obstruction of Justice in violation of 18 USC Section1519, which carries a penalty of up to twenty years. Sentencing is set for December 20, 2017, before Judge Callie V. S. Granade.
This case was investigated by the Demopolis Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
J.A. McDonald, Inc. and Owner Eric Boyden Pay $270,000 to Settle Allegations of False Claims Act Violations Arising from Bridge ConstructionRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced today that general contractor J.A. McDonald, Inc. (“JAM”), headquartered in Lyndon Center, Vermont, and JAM owner and president, Eric Boyden, have paid $270,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that JAM violated the federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, and the Vermont False Claims Act, 32 V.S.A. 631, by knowingly causing the State of Vermont to present false claims for payment to the United States in connection with the federally-funded construction of a two-span bridge on Vermont Route 116 in Bristol, Vermont.
More specifically, the settlement resolves allegations that JAM employees intentionally altered critical bridge components such that the bridge no longer conformed to specified safety standards, and that JAM employees took affirmative steps to conceal such alterations from the Vermont Agency of Transportation (“VTrans”). As a result of the alleged cover-up, VTrans unwittingly paid JAM for deficient bridge work and in turn presented a number of false claims to the Federal Highway Administration (“FHWA”) for the reimbursement of the federal share of amounts paid to JAM.
In cooperation with federal and state authorities, JAM has since replaced the allegedly-deficient bridge components at its own cost and under the supervision of VTrans inspectors. JAM has also terminated its employment of two employees who allegedly directed the foregoing scheme.
“As exemplified by this settlement, contractors who cut corners on taxpayer-funded projects will face serious consequences,” said Acting United States Attorney Eugenia A.P. Cowles. “We will not hesitate to aggressively pursue and hold accountable those who knowingly or recklessly bill the government for faulty goods or services, particularly where public safety is a concern.”
“This investigation demonstrates how to not conduct business on public infrastructure projects in the United States. The Office of Inspector General is committed to investigating fraudulent acts and the individuals who commit them,” said Todd Damiani, regional Special Agent-in-Charge of the United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“OIG”). “We encourage anyone who may have information about fraud affecting taxpayer dollars on public transportation projects to come forward and report it. The OIG is committed to working with our Federal, State and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to hold accountable those who engage in fraudulent activities.”
“The message is that we will work with our federal partners to uphold the integrity of the federal-aid highway construction program,” said Vermont Secretary of Transportation Joe Flynn. “Those who attempt to hide defective work will be held accountable. I am pleased that McDonald’s senior management cooperated with the investigation.”
Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement entered into by the United States, the State of Vermont, JAM, and Boyden, the settlement constitutes neither an admission of liability by JAM or Boyden nor a concession by the United States or the State of Vermont that the claims asserted are not well founded. The claims settled in this matter are allegations only; there has been no judicial determination of liability.
This matter was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the OIG, with assistance from the FHWA, VTrans, and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Ben Weathers-Lowin handled the matter on behalf of the United States. VTrans was represented by Vermont Assistant Attorney Generals John K. Dunleavy and Toni Hamburg Clithero, and JAM and Boyden were represented by John T. Sartore of the firm Paul Frank + Collins P.C.
International Cybercriminal Sentenced to 30 Months’ Imprisonment for “Grandparent Scams”Read the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Hani Kabbara, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced by United States District Judge Margo K. Brodie to 30 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Kabbara was originally arrested and charged in August 2016, after traveling to the United States from Canada, and pleaded guilty in April 2017. In addition, as part of the sentence the court ordered Kabbara to pay $8,000 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and James Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office (IRS-CI).
“As part of an international cybercrime scheme, Kabbara and his co-conspirators deceived elderly victims in the United States by, for example, falsely claiming that a grandchild was in jail and needed money for bail,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “Today’s sentence sends the message that predators like Kabbara, even those who hide behind the anonymity of the internet and online monikers, will be brought to justice for their criminal acts.”
“Kabbara believed he was safe from U.S. laws in Canada and devised a series of schemes using social engineering and the services of other cybercriminals to rob innocent elderly victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Today’s sentencing shows that international cybercriminals are never beyond the reach of U.S. authorities who are engaged with their international law enforcement partners.”
“Today’s announcement highlights IRS Special Agents’ intense focus on the pursuit of identity thieves and cyber criminals,” stated IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge Robnett. “Kabbara took part in an elaborate scheme driven by greed and a blatant disregard for the damage inflicted on innocent victims. Rest assured that those involved in this criminal behavior will be held fully accountable.”
As alleged in the indictment and described in court filings, between February 2014 and August 2016, the defendant ran a sophisticated scheme that used social engineering and overseas call centers to steal from unsuspecting, elderly victims in the United States. Kabbara and his co-conspirators used various threats and deceit to demand payment from his victims, for example, telling them that a grandchild had been arrested and the victim needed to send money immediately in order for the grandchild to be released from jail. Kabbara and his co-conspirators demanded money in the form of MoneyPaks, which are vouchers that can be loaded with cash and then used to fund prepaid debit cards. The defendant sold the MoneyPaks in online criminal forums and, with his co-conspirators, transferred the funds onto prepaid debit cards, which themselves were obtained using stolen identities and were later cashed at ATM machines. The defendant and his network of co-conspirators communicated with each other anonymously in cyberspace through dark web forums and encrypted chat applications, then used a crew of “workers,” in the New York area to withdraw funds from the debit cards, consolidate the cash and send it back to the defendant in Canada.
In connection with his guilty plea, the defendant also admitted to attempting to participate in a massive tax refund fraud using stolen personally identifiable information of millions of victims, and to his participation in a 2011 global cyber heist in which he and his co-conspirators used hacked account information to drain ATMs around the world of more than $10 million.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security & Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Una A. Dean is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
HANI KABBARA
Age: 32
Nationality: Canadian
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-472 (MKB)
Indictment Charges California Man with Fentanyl Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment yesterday charging OMAR VILLARREAL, 26, of La Puente, California, with fentanyl trafficking offenses.
As alleged in court documents, on December 21, 2016, law enforcement officers stopped a tractor trailer in Route 34 in Derby. A search of the cab of the tractor trailer revealed a box that contained 25 kilograms of fentanyl. The driver of the vehicle, Erick Crespo-Escalante, was placed under arrest. The investigation revealed that Crespo-Escalante was delivering the shipment of fentanyl to a location in Waterbury.
It is alleged that VILLARREAL traveled to Connecticut from October to November 2016 and coordinated the transportation and delivery of the fentanyl shipment with Crespo-Escalante.
The indictment charges VILLARREAL with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, a controlled substance, and one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl. Both offenses carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The indictment also charges VILLARREAL with one count of traveling in interstate commerce to promote an unlawful activity, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
VILLARREAL has been detained since his arrest on May 15, 2017.
On April 4, 2017, Crespo-Escalante pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, fentanyl. He awaits sentencing.
As to VILLARREAL, U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Spector.
Holdenville Man Sentenced to 36 Months Probation for Delay or Destruction of MailRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that MIKEL DWAYNE MEEK, age 48, of Holdenville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 3 years probation for DELAY OR DESTRUCTION OF MAIL BY POSTAL EMPLOYEE, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703.
The Indictment alleged that on or about November 22, 2016 in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, a United States Postal Service employee, did willfully, knowingly and unlawfully secrete, destroy, detain and open a package entrusted to him and which came into his possession to be conveyed by mail, while performing his assigned duties as an employee of the United States Postal Service.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney John David Luton represented the United States.
Heroin Dealer Admits to Federal Charges in Connection to the Overdose Death of a Farmers Branch WomanRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Nancy Pineda, 28, of Farmers Branch, Texas, appeared in federal court, this week, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez and pleaded guilty to her role in selling the heroin that caused a young woman’s overdose death at a McDonald’s restaurant in Farmers Branch in June 2016, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Pineda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Pineda has been in custody since the time of her arrest in October 2016. Sentencing is scheduled for January 11, 2018.
Three other men, charged in the same case, also appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramirez and U.S. Magistrate Judge Stickney and pleaded guilty to their roles in the trafficking of illegal narcotics. Rogelio Bernal, 20, and Steven Gomez, 19, both of Dallas, Texas, and Zakariah Michael Wolf, 29, of Greenville, Texas, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. They will remain in custody pending sentencing, which is also set for January 11, 2018.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of not more than 20 years in prison and a fine up to $1,000,000.
According to the factual resume filed in Pineda’s case, in June 2016 Pineda sold user quantities of heroin out of a vehicle in the Dallas area. Specifically, on June 8, 2016, Pineda travelled by car to a restaurant in Dallas to sell $20 worth of heroin to co-defendant Anthony Jaramillo. Jaramillo then delivered the heroin to an individual identified as M.H. On that same day, M.H. died at a McDonalds restaurant in Farmers Branch, Texas, after injecting the heroin she purchased from Jaramillo.
According to factual resumes filed in the case, beginning in 2016 until March 9, 2017, Bernal, and Gomez conspired to distribute illegal narcotics to customers in the Dallas area, as well as others who would travel from other cities to obtain drugs from them, including Wolf. Wolf would purchase heroin from Bernal or Gomez, then distribute that heroin and other illegal narcotics in the Greenville, TX, area.
A search warrant executed on March 9, 2017 at the residence of Bernal and Gomez revealed a number of weapons, 490 grams crack cocaine, and 2,036 grams of methamphetamine.
The Farmers Branch Police Department, Greenville Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance from the Grand Prairie Police Department and Dallas Police Department. Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Myria Boehm are prosecuting.
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Henry Jeremy Lewis Sentenced Following Guilty Plea to a Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Henry Jeremy Lewis of Mobile was sentenced to six months imprisonment. Lewis’ sentencing followed entry of a June 2017 guilty plea to a charge of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Lewis was previously convicted of Possession of a Stolen Firearm in 2012 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
Lewis’ guilty plea included his admission that on December 28, 2016, he was observed riding his bicycle through the parking garage at the Social Security Administration. Lewis stopped near one of the stairways and removed a pistol from his jacket, then wrapped it in something and returned it to his jacket. The Security Officers then contacted 911 and requested that the Mobile Police Department respond. When Mobile Police Officers responded they saw Lewis at the corner of Dauphin Street and Bayou Street. As Officers approached, they ordered him to stop. After a brief foot chase and resistance, Officers restrained Lewis. As he was taken to the ground a Hi-Point, .380 caliber pistol, fell out of his jacket.
Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, in this instance a convicted felon, is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 922(g)(1). Lewis’ imprisonment will be followed by a three (3) year term of supervised release.This case arose from an investigation by the Mobile Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Protective Service. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Gorham Woman Sentenced to Three Months for Federal Program FraudRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Jamie Hussey, 35, of Gorham, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to three months in prison and one year of supervised release for federal program fraud. She was also ordered to pay $92,877 in restitution.
Court records show that between February 2014 and September 2016, the defendant embezzled money from the South Portland Housing Authority (SPHA), an agency that that administers public housing units and that receives federal benefits each year under programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). While employed as the SPHA Resident Services Coordinator for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS), the defendant illegally caused 48 checks to be issued in the names of FSS program participants and deposited into her personal bank account.
The case was investigated by HUD-Office of the Inspector General and the South Portland Police Department.
Gangster Disciple Sentenced to 12 ½ Years for Selling Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A Jackson man has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in January 2016, the Jackson Police Department Special Operations Division (Jackson Madison County Metro Narcotics and JPD Gang Enforcement Unit) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, initiated an undercover investigation of 34-year-old Terrence Whiteside. The defendant, whose nickname is "Trouble," was a known member of the Gangster Disciples street gang.
Between January 2016 and February 2016, law enforcement did three controlled buys of cocaine base (crack) from Whiteside. They purchased a total of 29.45 grams of crack cocaine. On May 11, 2016, a search warrant was executed at a residence in Jackson, Tennessee. Officers also had an active arrest warrant for Whiteside at the time for the prior narcotic purchases. At the home, they found 6.9 grams of crack and 52.9 grams of marijuana. They also located Gangster Disciple documentation, including the gang’s by-laws. Officers seized four vehicles, three televisions, digital scales, 11 cell phones and $963 in cash. Whiteside was on parole for two prior state felony narcotic convictions at the time he was selling the crack and at the time of the search warrant.
While imposing the 151-month sentence, U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen also ordered Whiteside to serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
The case was investigated by Jackson Madison County Metro Narcotics Unit, Jackson Police Department Gang Enforcement Unit, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth C. Boswell prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Former Oakland Resident Sentenced to 81 Months in Prison for Selling Methamphetamine and for Failing to Appear in CourtRead the Press Release
OAKLAND- Reine Fleur Silverlight was sentenced today to 81 months in prison for participating in a methamphetamine distribution scheme and for absconding during her federal court proceedings, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers following Silverlight’s guilty pleas in which she admitted to committing the crimes.
On July 13, 2017, Silverlight, 44, formerly of Oakland, pleaded guilty to federal charges. According to the plea agreement, Silverlight admitted that between September 10, 2011, and November 5, 2011, she possessed 170.9 grams of 98.8% pure methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the drugs to others in exchange for cash, and she used a mobile telephone to facilitate the drug distribution. A federal grand jury indicted Silverlight on March 22, 2012, charging her with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
Silverlight further admitted that after receiving pretrial release, she absconded and intentionally failed to appear for her court hearings. On July 6, 2017, Silverlight was charged in a Superseding Information with using a communications facility to facilitate narcotics trafficking, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843, and to failing to appear after pre-trial release from custody, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 3146(a)(1). She was arrested on August 11, 2015, in Canton, Ohio, and has remained in state custody since then. Pursuant to her plea agreement, she pleaded guilty to both charges in the federal Superseding Information.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant will begin serving the sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Bazu is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Julissa Rey and Noble Hughes. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA.
Former Investment Advisor Indicted for Fraud and PerjuryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former investment advisor was arrested today and charged with deceiving and manipulating his former clients concerning the management of their retirement savings as well as lying to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Richard G. Cody, 43, of Jacksonville, Fla., was arrested today in Florida on an indictment out of the U.S. District Court in Boston charging him with one count of violating the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 and two counts of making a false declaration in a court proceeding. Cody is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Oct. 12, 2017.
The indictment alleges that from May 2005 to August 2016, Cody acted as an investment advisor and managed the retirement savings of three victims, including two in Massachusetts. Cody falsely assured the victims that their retirement savings were secure, when in fact he knew they were not. Contrary to his fraudulent assurances, by 2014 the total value of their retirement savings had substantially diminished, and the retirement savings of two victims were entirely gone. In order to conceal these losses, Cody allegedly provided the victims with fraudulent account statements and tax documents. In addition, Cody failed to inform his victims that regulators had suspended him in 2013 from acting as investment advisor.
According to the indictment, Cody lied to the SEC during a March 2017 sworn deposition in connection with a civil enforcement action the SEC had filed against him in December 2016. Cody allegedly made false declarations regarding fraudulent documents that he denied giving to two victims of the scheme.
The charges of violating the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 and making a false declaration in a court proceeding each provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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 Weinreb and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney’s Office gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Harrisburg Police Corporal Admits Stealing Government FundsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former Harrisburg Police official pleaded guilty in federal court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania to charges of conversion of government property and theft from programs receiving government funds, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Sean D. Cornick, 45, of Harrisburg, Pa., pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge John E. Jones, III.
In connection with the guilty plea, the United States presented information to the Court that on October 23, 2016, Cornick took $400 in government funds that he was not authorized to receive. Additional information described that Cornick stole government funds totaling $22,346.93 between October 15, 2015 and October 27, 2016. The Court was advised that at the time of the offenses, Cornick served as the Corporal and supervisor of the Organized Crime and Vice Unit of the Harrisburg Police Department.
Judge Jones scheduled a Presentence Conference for January 29, 2018, at 10:45 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 11 years in prison, a fine of $350,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Harrisburg Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cornick.
Former Chiropractor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Lengthy Tax Fraud Scheme After Being Arrested in Panama and Returned to the United StatesRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – Acting United States Attorney Corey Amundson announced today that STEVEN F. ANGLE, age 61, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick to two years in federal prison for filing false tax returns and obstruction of the Internal Revenue laws. ANGLE was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $129,000 and a fine of $50,000.
ANGLE owned and operated Chiropractic Nutrition Clinic located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for approximately 20 years. ANGLE provided chiropractic services to clients and was paid primarily by health insurance companies and law firms. From 2005 through 2009 and again from 2011 through 2013, ANGLE filed false federal income tax returns in which he reported no income or far less income than he actually earned. In 2011, for instance, ANGLE reported only $26 in total income. In 2012, he reported zero dollars in total income, although he actually earned at least $108,000 that year. Throughout all of the false tax returns, ANGLE consistently represented that he owed no taxes, and he filed fraudulent 1099-MISC forms that had been altered to reflect no income, when, in fact, ANGLE was earning substantial income from his business.
ANGLE was indicted by a federal grand jury in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in June of 2016. By that time, ANGLE was living in Panama. In late 2016, ANGLE was arrested by Panamanian authorities and deported to Florida. In January of 2017, ANGLE made his initial appearance in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, at which time he was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals and ordered to be transferred to Baton Rouge to face the charges pending here.
Acting U.S. Attorney Amundson stated, “Tax fraud is a serious crime that deprives valuable government programs out of needed resources and hurts all honest taxpayers. We will continue to work closely with IRS-CI and the FBI to aggressively pursue those who would cheat our tax system.”
This investigation was handled by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the United States Marshals Service. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Brady Casey and Rene Salomon.
Former Bemidji Assistant Principal Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the guilty plea of BRANDON MARK BJERKNES, 35, for coercion and enticement of a minor and production of child pornography. BJERKNES, who was charged and taken into custody on May 30, 2017, pleaded guilty today before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn.
“Brandon Bjerknes repeatedly victimized vulnerable young girls and boys, many of whom he personally knew because of his former role as Assistant Principal of Bemidji Middle School,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Munoz-Kaphing. “Due to a vigilant parent who initially reported disturbing social media messages, and the dedicated efforts of the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Bjerknes’ predatory actions were stopped.”
“This disturbing case is an example of why investigators must continue to identify and bring to justice those who would prey on children, and why parents must keep a watchful eye for predators lurking online,” said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans.
“The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office is very pleased to learn that Brandon M. Bjerknes has pleaded guilty to the two felony counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and production of child pornography. Our hope now is that the victims and their families can begin the process of healing and finding closure,” said Ernie Beitel, Chief Deputy Sheriff of the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, since 2006, BJERKNES was employed by the Bemidji Area Schools and, beginning in 2014, served as the Assistant Principal of Bemidji Middle School until his resignation in April 2017. While holding the position of Assistant Principal, BJERKNES posed as a 13-15-year-old male named “Brett Larson,” and used various social media profiles on Facebook and Snapchat with “decoy photographs” to contact minor females and males in middle and high school. Using the alias profiles, BJERKNES directed the minor victims to send him sexually explicit photographs. BJERKNES also used the alias profiles to engage in sexually explicit conversations with the minor victims. Some of the minor victims BJERKNES contacted on social media were students at Bemidji Middle School.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on March 20, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at BJERKNES’ Bemidji residence. Officers seized a number of electronic devices including BJERKNES’ personal iPhone and work iPhone, multiple iPads, computers and external hard drives. The social media accounts and the electronic devices contained multiple sexually explicit photos and videos of multiple known minor victims. Law enforcement identified evidence that BJERKNES used the alias social media accounts to contact more than 50 minor victims.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Munoz-Kaphing.
Defendant Information:
BRANDON MARK BJERKNES, 35
Bemidji, Minn.
Convicted:
- Coercion and enticement of a minor, 1 count
- Production of child pornography, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Former Bank Teller Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Stealing More Than $185,000 from Homeless CustomerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former bank teller pled guilty today to stealing more than $185,000 from a longtime customer of the bank, a homeless man, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Phelon Davis, 29, of District Heights, Md., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to interstate transportation of stolen property. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Davis faces a likely range of 18 to 30 months in prison and a potential fine. The plea agreement calls for Davis to pay $185,440 in restitution and an equal amount in a forfeiture money judgment. Davis will be sentenced at a later date by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the plea hearing, Davis worked in 2014 as a teller at a national bank in Washington, D.C. One of the bank’s longtime customers, who was homeless and earned money as a street vendor, maintained more than one account with the bank. However, by October 2014, his accounts had gone dormant due to a lack of activity.
In October 2014, the customer attempted to deposit thousands of dollars into one of his accounts. Because he lacked identification and the accounts had gone into dormant status, Davis instructed the customer where to go to obtain identification documents and a Social Security card. In reviewing the customer’s accounts, Davis noticed that the customer had a surprisingly large balance. As a result, Davis devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain the customer’s money.
Later that month, Davis used the identification means of the customer to fraudulently open a new account in the customer’s name. He forged the customer’s signature on the application and had an ATM card issued for the newly opened account. Over the next two years, without the customer’s knowledge, Davis logged into the customer’s accounts online and transferred money between the accounts. All told, from approximately Oct. 22, 2014 through Oct. 26, 2016, Davis used ATMs on 144 occasions to withdraw $185,440 from the customer’s accounts. The customer, meanwhile, did not receive bank statements during this time, did not use e-mail, and did not have access to a computer.
Davis used the stolen money for his personal benefit, including funding a down payment on his residence, paying off personal debt, and paying for vacations in Jamaica, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge Vale commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator Shannon Alexis, Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman, who is prosecuting the matter.
Former Bank President Indicted for Stealing from His Own BankRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – On September 26, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted David Harris Lavine, age 58, of Rockville, Maryland, on charges of theft of bank funds by a bank officer and bank fraud and Lavine and Charles L. Tobias, age 56, Potomac, Maryland for conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and tax evasion.
The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Lappin of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Assistant Inspector General Gerald Maye of the Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.
From March 2010 until January 2011, David Harris Lavine was the Acting President of CFG Community Bank. From January 2011 until August 2011, Lavine was president of the bank affiliate, Capital Financial Ventures, LLC. According to the indictment, Lavine, while acting President, diverted $100,000 of bank funds to his own benefit. The indictment also charges that while president of the bank affiliate, Lavine devised a scheme to defraud CFG Community Bank, a state member bank supervised by the Federal Reserve Board, through the re-finance of bank-owned mortgage loans and the diversion of loan proceeds to his personal benefit and the benefit of a friend.
According to court documents, Lavine used his position at Capital Financial Ventures to pose as the CEO/President of CFG Community Bank. For example, Lavine invited the borrowers of two loans with balances totaling over $7.5 million, to refinance those loans with other financial institutions for a lower mortgage and pay off CFG Community Bank. At Lavine's direction, the settlement company sent the mortgage loan payoff not to CFG Community Bank but to another company so that Lavine could divert in excess of $775,000. Lavine created false correspondence with the loan borrowers to provide to CFG Community Bank to conceal the diversion from CFG Community Bank.
According to the indictment, Lavine and Tobias owned Capital T Partners Brookfield, LLC, a Maryland limited liability corporation. In the fall 2011, Lavine and Tobias decided to realize a profit from a group of non-performing mortgages by fraudulently "donating" some of the mortgages to a charity as an in-kind donation and thereby receiving a valuable tax deduction for Capital T Partners Brookfield which would pass through to their personal income tax returns. Lavine is also charged with tax evasion for two years for failing to report the monies he received through the bank offenses and using the fraudulent charitable contribution as a deduction. Tobias is charged with tax evasion for failing to report income and also using the fraudulent charitable deduction.
The maximum possible penalties for the bank offenses are thirty years in prison and/or a $1 million fine per count and 5 years in prison and /or $250,000 per count for the tax charges.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the IRS, FBI, the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and SSA-IG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Joyce K. McDonald who is prosecuting the case.
Food Stamp Fraudsters Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory A. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced today that Milwaukee residents Kanwar Gill (age: 67) , Raviinder Gill (age: 27), and George Nance (age: 59) have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for wire fraud based on a scheme to traffic benefits issued by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, and by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Kanwar Gill was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, Raviinder Gill was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment, and George Nance was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
Between 2013 and 2015, the defendants operated a convenience store called Quick N EZ, located at 3076 N. 27th Street in Milwaukee. Quick N EZ was authorized to participate in the SNAP and WIC programs, pursuant to which Quick N EZ could exchange SNAP and WIC benefits for qualifying food items. Soon after it opened, however, Quick N EZ began exchanging SNAP and WIC benefits for cash. Kanwar Gill, Raviinder Gill, and George Nance each agreed to provide cash to benefit-recipients in exchange for roughly twice the amount in benefits. For example, the store would take $100 worth of benefits from a customer, the store would give the customer $50 in cash, and the store would then obtain the full $100 reimbursement for the benefits from the U.S. Government.
Quick N EZ far exceeded other stores of similar size in the Milwaukee County area in average redemptions of SNAP and WIC benefits. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General and Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services conducted undercover compliance buys at Quick N EZ, confirming that the store was exchanging SNAP and WIC benefits for cash. The United States Department of Agriculture calculated that between 2013 and 2015, Quick N EZ redeemed approximately $1,245,529.72 in SNAP and WIC benefits to which it was not entitled.
A grand jury indicted Kanwar Gill, Raviinder Gill, and George Nance on November 22, 2016, charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and SNAP fraud. All three defendants pleaded guilty. On September 6, 2017, the Honorable J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced Kanwar Gill to 15 months’ imprisonment. On September 7, 2017, Judge Stadtmueller sentenced George Nance to 18 months’ imprisonment. Finally, on September 27, 2017, Judge Stadtmueller sentenced Raviinder Gill to 20 months’ imprisonment. Kanwar and Raviinder Gill have also forfeited tens of thousands of dollars to the United States, and have been ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,245,529.72.
This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Taibleson.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
Fernandina Beach Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Selling CocaineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida– U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger today sentenced Wesley Eugene Parker (25, Fernandina Beach) to 15 years in federal prison for distributing cocaine. He pleaded guilty on May 22, 2017.
According to court documents, on December 28, 2016, and again on January 10, 2017, Parker sold powder cocaine to a confidential informant. The sales took place at Parker’s home in Fernandina Beach. On January 26, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at that home and recovered firearms, ammunition, and illegal drugs, including marijuana and cocaine. This is Parker’s sixth adult conviction for selling cocaine.
On August 16, 2017, in a related case, Frank Malik Drummond (21, Fernandina Beach) was sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and for distributing cocaine from the same location as Parker.
These cases were investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Felon from Raton Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Mark William Elliot, 46, of Raton, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. Elliot entered the guilty plea under a conditional plea agreement that permits him to withdraw his guilty plea if he is successful in challenging a court order denying his motion to suppress evidence seized from him when he was arrested, which included a firearm and ammunition.
Elliot was arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on March 25, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the indictment, Elliot was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of five counts of receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, tampering with evidence, forgery and shooting at an occupied building.
According to court documents, on March 25, 2016, Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officers found Elliot asleep on the sidewalk next to his motorcycle, which was illegally parked in the road next to a stop sign. After waking Elliot, the officers observed a bulge in Elliot’s right front pocket. When the officers realized there was a firearm in Elliot’s pocket, Elliot attempted to flee, ran into an APD officer, and was arrested. APD officers recovered a loaded firearm and ammunition, approximately 18 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia from Elliot’s jacket during a search incident to his arrest.
During today’s proceedings, Elliot pled guilty conditionally to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Elliot admitted possessing a loaded firearm in his right front pocket during an interaction with APD officers on March 25, 2016. Elliot acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition on March 25, 2016, because of his status as a convicted felon.
At sentencing, Elliot faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and APD and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo.
Federal and State Law Enforcement Agencies Target Methamphetamine Traffickers and ProducersRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK –Interstate methamphetamine traffickers and local producers face federal and state charges in a series of cases that resulted in the arrests of 31 people in September.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt of the New York Division, Postal Inspector in Charge Shelly Binkowski, New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II and Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin.
30 of the charged defendants are residents of Broome, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Tioga Counties, and one defendant is a resident of Arizona.
“Whether produced locally or brought here from other states and countries, methamphetamine wreaks havoc on our communities. It destroys the health of those who use it, and its addicts often commit other crimes. Thanks to the outstanding cooperation among our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, 31 people have been charged with peddling this poison and possessing pseudoephedrine knowing it would be used to make methamphetamine. We will continue to work together to arrest and convict those who traffic in this deadly drug,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.
DEA Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt stated, “Recently, methamphetamine abuse has been overshadowed by opioid abuse in the press, but it is nonetheless just as deadly and addictive. DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to increasing awareness of the dangers associated with methamphetamine use; and these investigations demonstrate our collective efforts to rid Upstate New York of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs.”
Postal Inspector in Charge Shelly Binkowski stated, “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to keep methamphetamine producers and traffickers out of our communities. The arrest of these individuals demonstrates our commitment to keeping these and other highly addictive drugs from destroying lives.”
New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “These arrests are a direct result of the combined efforts of Federal, state, and local law enforcement to rid New York of local and interstate methamphetamine heroin trafficking operations. This sends a strong message to drug dealers throughout the country that New York State will not tolerate drugs in its communities. These efforts will ultimately rid our communities of methamphetamine and its associated dangers.”
The charges resulting from three independent investigations are summarized below.
September 19, 2017 Pseudoephedrine Arrests
On September 19, 2017, the DEA and New York State Police arrested the following nine people who had been charged with possessing pseudoephedrine, an over-the-counter drug, knowing that it would be used to make methamphetamine:
Brett Clifton, 19, Lyons Falls, NY
Leann Evans, 28, Rome, NY
Mark Myers, 54, Blossvale, NY
Brittany DeKay, 37, Blossvale, NY
Michael Hoke, 37, Utica, NY
Scott Leisner, 48, Sylvan Beach, NY
Alyssa Moleski, 21, Cicero, NY
Joseph Palladino, 48, Carthage, NY
James Mayhew, 39, Watertown, NY
On September 26, 2017, a tenth person, Zachary Mazur, 29, Utica, NY, was arrested.
If convicted, these defendants face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and terms of supervised release of up to three years.
September 20, 2017 Operation Hail Storm Arrests
On September 20, 2017, as part of “Operation Hailstorm,” an investigation targeting interstate and local methamphetamine trafficking, the DEA, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the New York State Police, and the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Drug Task Force arrested the following nine people who had been charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine:
Alonzo Lamar Harris, a/k/a “L” 42, of Youngstown, Arizona
Charles Green, a/k/a “C” 42, of Endicott, New York
Akuan Johnson, a/k/a “Bleek” 38, of Binghamton, New York
Vincent Harrell, a/k/a “VI” 39, of Endicott, New York
Kenneth Wilson, a/k/a “KB” 46, of Endicott, New York
Rachel Millard, a/k/a “R” 30, of Endicott, New York
Jolene Barrett, 41, of Johnson City, New York
Misti Evans, 37, of Endicott, New York
Amanda Kamp, 37, of Deposit, New York
On September 26, 2017, a tenth person, Jerome Bell, 35, of Binghamton, New York was arrested. If convicted, all of the defendants, except Amanda Kamp, face sentences of at least ten years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. If convicted, Johnson, Harrell, Wilson, and Bell could face enhanced penalties because of their prior convictions. If convicted, Kamp faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life.
Harris, Green, Bell, Johnson, and Millard are also charged with conspiracy to launder drug proceeds and, if convicted, face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
On September 20, 2017, an eleventh defendant, Robert Patton, 39, of Waverly, New York was charged by the Tioga County District Attorney with criminal possession of a controlled substance, second degree.
Law enforcement officers seized approximately 6 pounds of methamphetamine, more than $60,000 of cash, three handguns, and three vehicles.
September 28, 2017 Pseudoephedrine Arrests
Today, the DEA and New York State Police arrested the following 10 people who had been charged with possessing pseudoephedrine, an over-the-counter drug, knowing that it would be used to make methamphetamine:
Arthur LaDuke, 45, North Syracuse, NY
Brittany Peck, 28, Richland, NY
Christine Morey, 32, West Monroe, NY
Donald Burdick, 59, West Monroe, NY
Edward Bennett, 32, Pulaski, NY
Elizabeth Kairis, 22, Cicero, NY
Leann Harrison, 58, West Monroe, NY
Lindsey Creiman, 36, Cicero, NY
Loren Redhead, 30, Pulaski, NY
Mary Jean Pugh, 40, Pulaski, NY
If convicted, these defendants face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
These cases are being investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration-Syracuse Resident Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the New York State Police, the City of Cortland Police Department, the Broome County SIU Drug Task Force, including the Vestal Police Department, Endicott Police Department, Binghamton Police Department, Johnson City Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Broome County Sheriff’s Office, and Tioga County Sherriff’s Office and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carl Eurenius and Nicolas Commandeur and Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Theft of Government Funds and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle, a federal jury convicted Jeffrey Sila, 32, a citizen of Nairobi, Kenya, yesterday on two counts of theft of public funds and one count of aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney John R. Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Sila is to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle on January 11, 2018. The maximum statutory penalty for the identity theft count is a mandatory term of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for the theft of public funds counts are a maximum statutory penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sila has been in custody since the time of his arrest in September 2016.
The government presented evidence at trial that Sila illegally obtained a $76,592.86 United States Treasury check payable to an individual identified as C.S. that had been issued on a federal income tax return filed electronically from Kenya. On August 9, 2016, Sila delivered the treasury check to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation (CI) undercover agent in exchange for $48,000. Sila was arrested on September 11, 2016, at Los Angeles airport as he attempted to board a flight to Nairobi, Kenya. Sila was also convicted of the theft of another treasury refund check that had been issued on an electronically filed return filed in 2012.
The case was investigated by IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Stokes and Sid Mody are prosecuting.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Lawyers and Coal Company VP in Conspiracy to Bribe LegislatorRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted two Birmingham lawyers and an Alabama coal company executive on charges of conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment charges that the three paid a state legislator to take official action favorable to their interests in connection with EPA actions in north Birmingham. U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr., and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Acting Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey announced the indictment.
A six-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges that JOEL IVERSON GILBERT and STEVEN GEORGE McKINNEY, both partners in the Birmingham law firm Balch & Bingham, and DAVID LYNN ROBERSON, vice-president of government and regulatory affairs for Drummond Company, conspired to provide former state Rep. Oliver L. Robinson Jr. with a valuable and confidential consulting contract in exchange for his taking official action favorable to Balch & Bingham and its client, Drummond, regarding an environmental cleanup site in north Birmingham.
"It matters not on which side of the bribe one falls in public corruption. Those who pay and those who receive will be prosecuted to the fullest," Town said. "The work done by this trial team and investigators with the FBI and IRS has been as diligent as it has been exceptional."
“Public corruption tears at the fabric of democracy and undermines the public's trust in government,” Sharp said. “Those who choose to engage in corrupt practices can expect the FBI and our partners will be working to bring you to justice.”
“The allegations against these defendants show personal gain and agendas were placed above the overall health of the citizens who lived and worked in this community,” Dorsey said. “Bribery of political officials is against the law and IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to assist with the ongoing effort to expose everyone involved in this conspiracy.”
The Environmental Protection Agency had designated an area of north Birmingham, including the neighborhoods of Harriman Park, Fairmont and Collegeville, as a Superfund site after finding elevated levels of arsenic, lead and benzo(a)pyrene during soil sampling. In September 2013, EPA notified five companies, including ABC Coke, a division of Drummond, that they could potentially be responsible for the pollution. A company determined to be responsible “could have faced tens of millions of dollars in cleanup costs and fines,” according to the indictment.
Robinson, 57, of Birmingham, pled guilty on Sept. 7 to conspiracy, bribery, and honest services fraud for accepting a valuable contract between Balch & Bingham and his non-profit Oliver Robinson Foundation to influence and reward him for using his elected position to oppose prioritization and expansion of the EPA site, designated the 35th Avenue Superfund Site. At the time, between November 2014 and November 2016, Robinson represented Alabama House District 58, which included citizens of Birmingham, and was vice-chairman of the Jefferson County Legislative Delegation.
In September 2014, EPA proposed adding the 35th Avenue Site to its National Priorities List, signaling that it required priority attention. Placement on the priorities list would have allowed EPA to use the federal Superfund Trust Fund to conduct long-term cleanup at the site, provided the State of Alabama agreed to pay 10 percent of the costs, which could equal millions of dollars, according the charges. EPA also was considering the petition of a Birmingham advocacy group, GASP, to expand the site to the Tarrant and Inglenook neighborhoods.
Gilbert, 45, McKinney, 62, and Roberson, 66, all of Birmingham, employed a strategy between 2014 and 2016 “focused on protecting ABC Coke and Drummond Company from the tremendous potential costs associated with being held responsible for pollution within the affected areas,” according to the indictment. They sought to accomplish that goal by working to prevent placement of the 35th Avenue Site on the National Priorities List or its expansion to Tarrant and Inglenook, according to the indictment.
In addition to the conspiracy count, the indictment charges Gilbert, McKinney, and Roberson with one count of bribery, three counts of honest services wire fraud, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
The bribery count charges that the men agreed to give the lucrative contract and monthly payments to the Oliver Robinson Foundation to influence and reward Robinson for, among other things, using his official position to:
- Publicly pressure and advise the Alabama Environmental Management Commission and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management’s director to take a position for the state that was favorable to Balch & Bingham and Drummond in relation to EPA’s efforts to place the 35th Avenue Site on the NPL and expand it into Tarrant and Inglenook.
- Meet with and advise EPA officials to take a position favorable to Balch & Bingham and Drummond regarding the site listing and expansion.
- Vote as a member of the Alabama House Rules Committee to send a joint resolution, written by Gilbert, to the House floor for consideration with a recommendation for adoption. The resolution urged the state attorney general and ADEM to “combat the EPA’s overreach.”
The honest services wire fraud counts charge Gilbert, McKinney, and Roberson with scheming to defraud Alabama citizens of their intangible right to Robinson’s honest services through bribery. These three counts charge three specific executions of the wire fraud scheme – Balch & Bingham checks for $14,000 on Feb. 17, 2015, $7,000 on April 10, 2015, and $7,000 on June 25, 2015 – that were each deposited into the Oliver Robinson Foundation account at Regions Bank.
The money laundering conspiracy charges the three men with conspiring with each other and Robinson to engage in financial transactions designed to conceal the source and receipt of bribery payments.
According to the indictment, Gilbert, McKinney and Roberson formed a tax-exempt corporation named Alliance for Jobs and Economy and recruited corporations to contribute money to it to help fund opposition to EPA’s actions in north Birmingham. Roberson opened and controlled AJE’s bank account. During 2015 and 2016, Drummond and four other corporations contributed a total of $195,000 to AJE, according to the indictment, and Gilbert and Roberson directed almost all of that money to the Oliver Robinson Foundation. Gilbert and Roberson also directed more than $150,000 from Drummond to the Oliver Robinson Foundation. In total, the Oliver Robinson Foundation received approximately $360,000 under the contract during 2015 and 2016.
As part of the conspiracy, payments from Drummond and AJE to the Oliver Robinson Foundation were routed through Balch & Bingham. According to the charges, the Oliver Robinson Foundation invoiced Balch & Bingham; Balch & Bingham paid the invoices; Balch & Bingham invoiced Drummond or AJE in an identical amount; and Drummond or AJE promptly paid those amounts to Balch & Bingham.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for bribery is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for honest services wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and the maximum penalty for money laundering conspiracy is 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction.
FBI and IRS, Criminal Investigation, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Martin, Robin Beardsley Mark and John B. Ward are prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
El Departamento Presenta una Denuncia contra Crop Production Services Alegando Que Discriminaron A Trabajadores en los EE. UU.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha presentado una denuncia contra Crop Production Services, Inc. (Crop Production), con sede en Loveland, Colorado, por su alegada discriminación contra trabajadores en este país, en contra de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés).
La denuncia alega que en el 2016, Crop Production discriminó al menos a tres ciudadanos estadounidenses al negarse a contratarlos como técnicos estacionales en El Campo, Tejas porque Crop Production prefirió contratar a trabajadores extranjeros temporales bajo el programa de visas H-2A. Según la denuncia del Departamento, Crop Production impuso requisitos más onerosos y exigentes a los ciudadanos estadounidenses a los que impuso a los trabajadores con visas H-2A para desalentar a ciudadanos estadounidenses a trabajar en sus instalaciones. Por ejemplo, la denuncia alega que mientras que los ciudadanos estadounidenses tenían que someterse a una investigación de antecedentes y un ensayo de drogas antes de recibir autorización para trabajar, los trabajadores con visas H-2A pudieron comenzar a trabajar sin completar estos pasos y en algunos casos nunca los completaron. Asimismo, la denuncia alega que Crop Production se negó a considerar a un ciudadano estadounidense con dominio limitado del inglés para un empleo mientras que contrató a trabajadores con visas H-2A que no podían hablar inglés. Al final, de los 15 puestos disponibles en el 2016 para técnicos estacionales, todos fueron adjudicados a trabajadores con visas H-2A en vez de a trabajadores en este país.
Conforme la INA, es ilegal que los empleadores discriminen de manera intencionada a trabajadores en este país por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía o de otra forma dar preferencia a la hora de contratar a empleados a trabajadores extranjeros temporales en vez de a trabajadores cualificados en este país que están disponibles para trabajar. Además, el programa de visas H‑2A requiere que los empleadores recluten y contraten a trabajadores cualificados y disponibles en este país antes de contratar a trabajadores extranjeros temporales.
«En el espíritu de la orden ejecutiva del Presidente Trump para Buy American and Hire American, el Departamento de Justicia no tolerará a empleadores que discriminen a trabajadores en este país debido a su deseo de contratar a trabajadores extranjeros temporales», declaró el Fiscal General Jeff Sessions. «El Departamento de Justicia hará cumplir la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad para proteger a los trabajadores en este país, ya que representan el pilar de nuestras comunidades y economía. Siempre que haya un trabajo disponible, debemos de darles una oportunidad a los trabajadores en este país antes de comenzar a traer trabajadores de otros países».
La denuncia de los Estados Unidos busca pagos retroactivos en nombre de los trabajadores afectados, sanciones civiles y otras formas de indemnización para corregir y prevenir la discriminación. Asimismo, los trabajadores han presentado su propia denuncia privada y están siendo representados por Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. Ambas denuncias se presentaron ante la Oficina del Oficial Principal de Vistas Administrativas, un tribunal administrativo especializado que el Congreso creó para resolver tales casos.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), que anteriormente se conocía como la Oficina del Consejero Especial para Prácticas Injustas en el Empleo Relacionadas a Inmigración, que pertenece a la División, es responsable de aplicar la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, esta ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; la discriminación en el proceso de verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar; las represalias y la intimidación.
Este caso forma parte de la Iniciativa para la Protección de Trabajadores en los EE. UU., de la División. El objetivo de esta iniciativa es identificar, investigar y denunciar a compañías que discriminan a trabajadores en este país a favor de trabajadores extranjeros con visa.
Para más información sobre protecciones contra la discriminación en el empleo en virtud de las leyes migratorias, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800‑255-7688 (1‑800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); matricúlese para un seminario en línea gratuito; mande un correo electrónico a [email protected] o visite la página web de la IER en inglés o español.
Aquellos postulantes o empleados que creen haber sido sometidos a otros requisitos documentales por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen, o a la discriminación por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión deben llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores para pedir ayuda.
Eagle Grove Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child and ExtortionRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited a child and committed extortion pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Jason Marvets, age 30, from Eagle Grove, Iowa, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of extortion. At the plea hearing, Marvets admitted that, between 2016 and 2017, he persuaded, induced, enticed, or coerced a child to send him sexually explicit depictions of herself. In a plea agreement, he admitted that this child was 11 and 12 years old and that he threatened to distribute depictions of her in order to get more depictions of her. In the plea agreement, he also admitted he obtained sexually explicit depictions from a 15-year-old child and threatened to ruin her life when she did not communicate with him.
Sentencing before Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Marvets remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Marvets faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $5,200 in special assessments, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Michigan State Police.
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.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 17-3034.
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Dominican National Sentenced for Trafficking Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for supplying heroin and fentanyl to traffickers in Taunton and surrounding communities.
Jonathan Ruiz, 33, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. Ruiz will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In June 2017, Ruiz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
In April 2016, Ruiz was arrested and charged in a superseding indictment along with 25 others who had been charged the previous October in connection with a heroin trafficking ring operating primarily in southeastern Massachusetts. Ruiz trafficked in narcotics from Lawrence, supplying distributers in Taunton, Fall River and other locations. The charges are the result of a 15-month investigation into heroin and fentanyl trafficking in Taunton and surrounding communities.
Ruiz and co-defendants, Dedwin Cruz-Rivera, a heroin supplier based in Taunton, Manuel Romero-Gonsalez, a heroin supplier based in Providence, R.I., and Eric Matos, a heroin and fentanyl supplier based in Lawrence, supplied co-conspirators, Oniel Rivera, Cory Nickerson, and Maria Elena Ocasio, among others, with heroin and occasionally fentanyl for distribution. Ruiz also supplied fentanyl and heroin to Cruz-Rivera.
Matos, Ocasio, Nickerson, Rivera, and Romero-Gonsalez all pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. Cruz-Rivera pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 28, 2017.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas E. Kanwit, Karen Beausey, Katherine Ferguson and Ann Taylor of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the cases.
Detention Ordered for El Paso Defendant Charged in Cocaine/Heroin Trafficking IndictmentRead the Press Release
In El Paso this afternoon, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne T. Berton ordered 36 year-old Martin Arody Sanchez Aguirre held without bond pending trial on federal drug trafficking charges. Sanchez Aguirre is one of five individuals indicted earlier this month for trafficking in cocaine and heroin throughout the El Paso area from April 2014 through July 2015 announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Borak, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, El Paso Division.
This multi-year investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization based in Juarez, Mexico. The organization smuggled large quantities of heroin and cocaine from Juarez into El Paso, Texas, and distributed the drugs in various parts of the United States, including Chicago, Illinois. This investigation resulted in the seizure of over forty kilograms of cocaine and over ten kilograms of heroin.
On September 13, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Sanchez Aguirre, 47 year-old Ruben Abbud-Villarreal, 45 year-old Miguel Alonso Olaguez, 26 year-old Jose Guzman, and 33 year-old Jaime Gonzalez-Nava. Count one of the indictment charges all five defendants with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Count two of the indictment charges Gonzalez-Nava and Sanchez Aguirre with conspiracy to import more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Count three of the indictment charges Abbud-Villarreal and Olaguez with possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in October 2014. Count four charges Guzman and Gonzalez-Nava with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. Count five charges Gonzalez-Nava with conspiracy to import heroin. Other members of this drug trafficking conspiracy have previously been federally prosecuted and are currently serving prison terms in the Bureau of Prisons.
All charges call for up to life in federal prison upon conviction. On Tuesday, Judge Anne T. Berton set bond at $35,000 each for Guzman and Olaguez. Abbud-Villarreal remains in custody pending trial. Gonzalez-Nava is in custody in Illinois awaiting transfer to the Western District of Texas. A trial date has yet to be scheduled.
These federal and state charges resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering operations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Department of Justice Awards A $750,000 Grant to Baltimore Police Department Community Collaboration DivisionRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4811
Baltimore, Maryland –The Department of Justice has awarded a $750,000 grant to the Baltimore Police Department Community Collaboration Division to improve supervision strategies that will reduce recidivism rates in Baltimore City announced Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning.
The objectives of the Smart Supervision Program are to improve supervision strategies that will reduce recidivism, promote and increase collaboration among agencies and officials who work in probation, parole, pretrial, law enforcement, treatment, reentry, and related community corrections fields and to develop and implement strategies for the identification, supervision, and treatment of “high-risk/high-needs” supervisees.
Since 2015, The Baltimore Police Department Community Collaboration Division (BPD-CCD) Reentry Program has created partnerships with service providers, local, state, and federal agencies. The mission of the BPD-CCD Reentry Program is to reduce recidivism rates in Baltimore City by providing case management and connecting offenders to service providers.
The Smart Supervision Program seeks to improve the capacity and effectiveness of community supervision agencies to increase parole and probation success rates and reduce the number of crimes committed by those under supervision, which would in turn reduce admissions to prisons and jails and save taxpayer dollars.
The Baltimore Police Department Community Collaboration Division was one of seven awardees across various jurisdictions in the United States. The Community Collaboration Division partnered with the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Division of Parole and Probation and local service providers to expand evidence-based practices and principles to improve the delivery of probation and parole supervision strategies and practices.
“I’m excited that we received this grant based on the work of the Community Collaboration Division,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis. “We have an obligation to focus on those rejoining our community to ensure resources are in place and available in order to put people on the right path for success.”Dauphin County Woman Sentenced to Home-Confinement for Taking Deceased Husband’s Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on September 27, 2017, United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann sentenced Loretta Galloway, age 56, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to six months’ home-confinement and to pay full restitution of $83,874 for unlawfully collecting thousands of dollars in Social Security Benefits that she was not entitled to.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, from June 2010 through February 2015, Galloway collected $83,874 of her deceased husband’s Social Security benefits to pay her bills and other expenses. Galloway was not entitled to these benefits.
Galloway was indicted on January 31, 2017, and pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement on June 8, 2017.
The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Evan Gotlob prosecuted the case.
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Dallas Man Convicted of Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Ronee Damien Williams, 25, of Dallas, Texas was convicted by a federal jury yesterday of multiple firearm and drug offenses following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Williams was convicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm, 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. He faces a penalty of not more than ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession charge and not less than five years and not more than forty years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the drug and firearm possession charges. He has been in custody since the time of his arrest in March 2016. Sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2018.
Co-defendant Jordan Jamichael Mims pleaded guilty in April 2017 to the same charges and was sentenced by Judge Godbey to a total of 120 months in prison.
The government presented evidence that Williams had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. On September 18, 2015, Dallas Police executed a search warrant on a house where Williams and others were selling cocaine, PCP, and marijuana. At the time the search warrant was executed, Williams was inside the house that had multiple firearms, more than 28 grams of cocaine and a large amount of PCP.
The ATF and Dallas Police investigated. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Boyle and Shane Read.
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