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26 September 2017
FCI-Berlin Inmate Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Another Inmate with A Box CutterRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Audie Cruz-De Los Santos, 40, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Berlin, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today to assaulting another inmate with a box cutter.
According to statements made during the change of plea hearing and documents filed with the court, Cruz-De Los Santos assaulted another inmate from behind and slashed the neck of the inmate using a box cutter. The video surveillance system at FCI-Berlin captured Cruz-De Los Santos placing an object in a recycling container located within the unit where the assault took place. Prison staff retrieved a blood stained box cutter from the container immediately after the assault. The assaulted inmate was treated at Androscoggin Valley Hospital and then transferred to Dartmouth Hitchcock for surgery to treat the wound.
Sentencing has been scheduled for is January 18, 2018.
The case was investigated by the staff at the Federal Bureau of Prisons and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.
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Eagle Butte Man Sentenced on Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance was sentenced on September 18, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Jeremiah Little Wounded, age 37, was sentenced to 6 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,000, and a mandatory special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Little Wounded was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 9, 2016. He pled guilty on June 27, 2017.
Little Wounded admitted that on July 7, 2016, he knowingly and intentionally distributed a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, to another individual for $100.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Narcotics Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.
Little Wounded was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Dupree Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mission, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on September 19, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Alyce Marie Morrison, age 34, was sentenced to 95 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, forfeiture of $80 in U.S. currency, a firearm and ammunition, and a mandatory special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Morrison was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 15, 2017. She pled guilty on June 27, 2017.
Morrison admitted that between July 1, 2016, and March 15, 2017, she knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in the District of South Dakota.
Morrison received distributable quantities of methamphetamine and distributed some of the methamphetamine in South Dakota. The individuals who provided Morrison with the methamphetamine knew that she intended to engage in further distribution. Morrison admitted that it was reasonably foreseeable to her that more than 500 grams of methamphetamine would be distributed during the course of the conspiracy.
On November 16, 2016, in Dupree, Morrison sold 1.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $175 and fronted that informant another gram of methamphetamine.
On January 14, 2017, Morrison was stopped by tribal law enforcement in Eagle Butte. In her possession, she had $80 in U.S. currency, 6.68 grams of methamphetamine, and a loaded firearm. Those items were seized by law enforcement and forfeited.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.
Morrison was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry after DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Rafael Tejeda, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 19, 2017. Tejeda was previously deported from the United States in April 2013. In May 2017, federal agents in Boston encountered Tejeda and found him to be illegally present in the United States.
Tejeda faces a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Heroin, Cocaine ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a heroin distribution conspiracy operating in and around Waltham.
Richard R. Fernandez, 23, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, pleaded guilty to eight counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Jan. 2, 2018. In March 2017, Fernandez was arrested along with three others, Jose C. Torres, Angel G. Rivera Serrano, and Luis Humberto Arias Lara.
Fernandez and the three other defendants distributed heroin in and around Waltham over the course of several months. Each of the defendants allegedly sold drugs to an undercover investigator. On March 30, 2016, law enforcement executed federal search warrants at two residences and two alleged stash houses where they seized approximately $200,000 in cash and approximately 1.5 kilograms of narcotics.
In August 2017, Arias Lara was sentenced to five months in prison. In September 2017, Rivera Serrano was sentenced to 10 months in prison. Torres pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 27, 2017.
The charges each provide for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts, made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by members of the Suburban Middlesex County Drug Task Force, which is composed of the Waltham, Watertown, Newton, Arlington, Belmont, Weston and Lexington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda Hooker of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
District Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Armed Robbery in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Anthony Williams, 23, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a six-year prison term after earlier pleading guilty to robbing a man at gunpoint in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Williams pled guilty in July 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of armed robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early evening of Jan. 4, 2017, Williams and an accomplice approached the victim, who was walking in the 2300 block of Lincoln Road NE. Williams pointed a firearm at the victim’s head and said, “If you want your life, don’t move.” The victim raised his hands above his head, but Williams nonetheless struck him on the right side of his face with either the handgun or a fist. At the direction of Williams, the accomplice removed items from the victim’s pockets, including his cellphone and wallet, containing cash and credit cards. Williams and his accomplice then fled the area.
Subsequent investigation determined that Williams had been at the location of the armed robbery. In addition, the victim later reported that one of his stolen credit cards had been used fraudulently at fast-food restaurants and 7-Eleven stores, and the 7-Eleven video surveillance footage depicted an individual matching Williams’s description.
On Jan. 9, 2017, two witnesses identified Williams as the person recorded in the 7-Eleven video surveillance footage. In addition, one of the witnesses stated that Williams had a dark-colored firearm. That same day, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to a residence in the 1300 block of W Street SE in an attempt to locate Williams. Police found him in one of the bedrooms, underneath a bed. In the same room, police also located a green jacket with fur around the collar that appeared to be the same jacket worn by the person in the 7-Eleven video. In the pocket of the green jacket, law enforcement located a fully loaded Glock .45-caliber magazine that Williams acknowledged belonged to him. Williams was arrested and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Goodwin. Finally, she commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivien Cockburn, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charges for Two Shootings in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Randy Sparrow, 31, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from two separate shootings that occurred in Southeast Washington within a 48-hour period last summer, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Sparrow pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm based on a prior conviction for a crime of violence and one count of felony assault on a police officer while armed. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of eight years in prison, consisting of two consecutive statutory mandatory minimum terms in prison. The Honorable Marisa Demeo scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2017.
According to the government’s evidence, the first of the two shootings took place on July 8, 2017. At approximately 2:35 a.m., Sparrow, who was driving a green and black Ford Crown Victoria, chased the victim, who was driving a separate car, through various locations in Southeast Washington. As Sparrow pursued the victim, he shot at him multiple times with a firearm, striking him once in the left arm. Sparrow and the victim had met in jail approximately six or seven years ago and were with two different groups inside the jail that did not get along. Sparrow was convicted of armed robbery in 2004.
The second shooting took place on July 10, 2017. At approximately 2:05 a.m., in the 1900 block of Savannah Street SE, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) came into contact with Sparrow during the stop and subsequent arrest of an individual that Sparrow referred to as his “little brother.” After Sparrow became upset and tried to interfere, MPD officers placed him in handcuffs, which were later removed. At approximately 2:20 a.m., four of the MPD officers left the location in an unmarked police vehicle and drove eastbound on Savannah Street SE. Sparrow followed them in a green and black Ford Crown Victoria and fired multiple shots at the officers with a firearm, striking their vehicle at least once. Sparrow then made a U-turn and fled in the opposite direction. He ran a red light, hit another vehicle at the intersection of Stanton Road SE and Alabama Avenue SE, and crashed into a tree in front of a school in the 3200 block of Stanton Road SE. Sparrow fled the vehicle and block on foot, leaving behind a Glock 19, 9mm handgun. He was arrested later that morning.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Witness Security Specialists Debra Cannon and Tanya Via. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Two New Jersey Companies and Two Individuals to Stop Distribution of Unapproved and Misbranded DrugsRead the Press Release
Two companies in New Jersey and two individuals have been enjoined from distributing their unapproved injectable skin whitening drugs and other drugs in violation of federal law, the Department of Justice announced today.
The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Flawless Beauty LLC of Ocean Township and Asbury Park, New Jersey; RDG Imports LLC of Asbury Park, New Jersey; and Jack H. Gindi and Susana B. Boleche. The injunction permanently enjoins the defendants from distributing unapproved and misbranded drugs in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). In addition, the injunction requires the defendants to recall and destroy all of their unapproved injectable skin whitening drugs.
The Department filed a complaint in the District of New Jersey on Sept. 14, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As detailed in the complaint, the defendants import, process, pack, label, hold, and/or distribute a variety of unapproved drugs, including unapproved prescription drugs, in violation of the FDCA. Specifically, the complaint alleged that the defendants sold a number of skin whitening drugs, including injectable drugs, despite the absence of FDA approval or a sufficient showing that these products were safe and effective.
“The Department of Justice is committed to enforcing federal consumer protection laws,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work diligently with the FDA to ensure that companies and individuals follow the laws designed to protect American consumers.”
As noted in the complaint, the vast majority of the defendants’ products are marketed with skin whitening claims. According to the complaint, some of defendants’ products contain unsubstantiated therapeutic claims. For example, some of the products were promoted with claims such as “contribute to good liver function” and “clinically treat degenerative brain & liver diseases including Parkinsons.” The complaint alleged that the defendants introduce new drugs, or cause them to be introduced, into interstate commerce in violation of the law.
The complaint alleged that defendants’ unapproved new and misbranded drugs present serious public health risks, especially defendants’ purportedly sterile injectable skin whitening drugs. Intravenous and intramuscular administration of drugs creates many risks, including nerve or blood vessel damage, blood-borne infection, superficial skin infection, cellulitis, abscess formation and toxic systemic reactions.
The complaint alleged that in addition to distributing unapproved drugs, some of the defendants’ drugs were misbranded because they contained labeling that is false or misleading. In particular, the complaint alleged that the labeling suggests or implies FDA approval or endorsement, when no such FDA approval for any of these products existed. The complaint further alleged that some of defendants’ unapproved drugs are misbranded because they bear inadequate directions for use, are unsafe prescription drugs, and are prescription drugs that fail to bear ‘Rx’ on their labels.
Products referenced in the complaint include Relumins Advanced Glutathione and New Relumins Advanced Glutathione 3500 mg; Tatiomax Glutathione Collagen Whitening; and Laennec Human Placenta Whitening; Relumins Advanced Oral Whitening & Antiaging Stack; Authentic Relumins Advanced White Stem Cell Therapy All In One Day Lotion; Authentic Relumins Advance Whitening Facial Cream With TA Stem Cell & Placenta; Relumins Medicated Professional Acne & Dark Spot Fighting Set; Natural Pearl Whitening Lotion; Authentic Kustie Beauty Slimming Activated Hot Cream; Authentic Mosbeau Placenta White Clarifying Toner; Gluta PowerPeel Soap; Relumins Advance White-Whitening Deodorant Roll-On and Sante Barley Fusion.
In conjunction with the filing of the complaint, the defendants agreed to settle the case and to be bound by a permanent injunction. The injunction requires defendants to stop importing, receiving, manufacturing, preparing, processing, packing, labeling, holding, and/or distributing any unapproved drugs, including their injectable skin whitening drugs, unless and until defendants comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the permanent injunction.
In addition, within 20 days after the district court’s order, the defendants are required to recall and destroy, under FDA supervision and to FDA’s satisfaction, all unapproved injectable skin whitening drugs.
“Distributing unapproved drugs and mislabeling them to give the impression that they have been approved by the FDA is a practice that cannot be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick, District of New Jersey. “This decree ensures that these products will be removed from the marketplace and that the defendants will not be allowed to distribute them until they bring the products into compliance with the law.”
The government is represented by Trial Attorney Mary M. Englehart of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Labruna of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Sonia Nath of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel’s Food and Drug Division.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj.
Department of Justice awards grant to Lake Charles District Attorney’s Office to fight opioid epidemicRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that $400,000 will go to the Lake Charles District Attorney’s Office to combat the opioid drug epidemic by funding a drug court.
The Office of Justice Programs awarded the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Lake Charles $400,000 for Fiscal Year 2017 to enhance funding for adult drug courts and veteran treatment courts. The grant program furthers the Department of Justice’s aim to reduce opioid abuse and support law enforcement officers, as well as other justice partners, by providing resources and tools that support prevention of future crime by offenders with addictions.
Of the $59 million total awarded to various agencies around the country, 22.2 million will go to 53 jurisdictions to support the drug and veterans treatment courts. About $24 million of the $59 million in federal grants will be awarded to 50 cities, counties and public health departments to provide financial and technical assistance to state, local and tribal governments to create comprehensive diversion and alternatives to incarceration for those impacted by the opioid epidemic. These funds, awarded under the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program, also included funds from the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. An additional $3.1 million will be awarded by the National Institute of Justice for research and evaluation on drugs and crime. The research priorities are heroin and other opioids and synthetic drugs.
The Department is also awarding more than $9.5 million under several Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant programs, including the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Grant Program and the Family Drug Court Statewide System Reform Implementation Program. These programs help jurisdictions build effective family drug treatment courts and ensure current juvenile drug treatment courts follow established guidelines.
Specific sites and funds awarded can be found online at: go.usa.gov/xRJWE.
“Today, we are facing the deadliest drug crisis in American history,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “These trends are shocking and the numbers tell us a lot, but they aren’t just numbers. They represent moms and dads, brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends. And make no mistake, combatting this poison is a top priority for President Trump and his administration, and you can be sure that we are taking action to address it. Today we are announcing that we will be awarding millions in federal grants to help law enforcement and public health agencies address prescription drug and opioid abuse. This is an urgent problem, and we are making it a top priority.”
“I want to congratulate the Lake Charles District Attorney’s Office for being awarded this grant,” Van Hook stated. “It will be used to improve the lives of those addicted to drugs and will help reduce the demand for illegal drugs in this district. It is with programs like this in conjunction with law enforcement efforts that we can fight the scourge of opioid abuse.”
Finally, read more about the importance of these programs in a new blog by OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Alan R. Hanson online at go.usa.gov/xRJBp.
The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Acting Assistant Attorney General Alan R. Hanson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART). More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Department of Justice Files Statement of Interest in Defense of Campus Free SpeechRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today filed a Statement of Interest in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski.
The lawsuit was filed by students at Georgia Gwinnett College to challenge a school policy that limited student expressive activity to two small “free-speech zones” that totaled 0.0015% of the campus. Additionally, these students were required to obtain prior authorization from campus officials, to limit their expressive activity to a specified date and time, and to comply with the Student Code of Conduct’s prohibition of speech that “disturbs the…comfort of person(s).
The Justice Department primarily argues that the plaintiffs’ allegations have adequately represented violations of their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The Justice Department argues the college’s speech policies were not content-neutral, established an impermissible heckler’s veto, and were not narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government interest.
In filing the Statement of Interest, Attorney General Jeff Sessions provided the following statement:
“A national recommitment to free speech on campus and to ensuring First Amendment rights is long overdue. Which is why, starting today, the Department of Justice will do its part in this struggle. We will enforce federal law, defend free speech, and protect students’ free expression.”
Delphos man charged with child pornography crimeRead the Press Release
A Delphos man was charged via criminal information with possession of child pornography, said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.
Vernon Murray, 67, possessed and had access to numerous digital files containing images of children being sexually abused and exploited. This took place between 2009 and 2015, according to the criminal information.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alissa M. Sterling following an investigation by the FBI.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Culpeper Man Pleads Guilty to Charges of Commercial Sex with a Minor and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Fielding Smith Daniel, 53, of Culpeper, Virginia pleaded guilty yesterday to two charges involving the sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, in August 2016, Daniel met a young girl on a sugar daddy website. The girl, who was 14 years old, arranged to meet with Daniel for the purpose of having sex for money. Shortly after midnight on August 11, 2016, Daniel picked the girl up from her grandmother’s house in his 2016 BMW and drove her to a Motel 6, where they engaged in sex. Although they had negotiated a rate of $200, Daniel only provided the girl with $100. On August 23, 2016, he again arranged to have sex with the minor girl for $140 and drove her to a different hotel, where they again had intercourse.
In early September 2016, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of Daniel’s residence in Culpeper, which is in the Western District of Virginia. Law enforcement recovered numerous electronic devices, which were subsequently examined. In addition to evidence of conversations with the 14-year-old girl, hundreds of sexually explicit online communications with women were recovered. Among those chats were two 2016 conversations involving girls who indicated to Daniel that they were minors and in high school. One of those girls, who was 17 at the time, produced pictures and videos of child pornography at Daniel’s request and sent them to his online account. These pictures and videos were recovered from at least one of Daniel’s electronic devices.
Daniel entered guilty pleas to both commercial sex with a minor and causing a minor to produce child pornography.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after the pleas were accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Daniel will be sentenced on January 19, 2018 in Alexandria by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay V. Prabhu and Whitney Dougherty Russell are prosecuting the case.
Significant support for the investigation was received from the Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office; the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Virginia, the Eastern District of New York, and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-110 and 1:17-mj-145.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Bobby Joe Drakeford, JR., age 27, of Wallace, SC, pled guilty in federal court in Florence, to Felon in Possession of a Firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g) and 924(a)(2). United States District Judge Bryan Harwell of Florence accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on January 5, 2017, deputies with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle involved in an attempted sale of suspected stolen firearms. After deputies attempted to make a stop on the vehicle, Drakeford, who was driving the vehicle, failed to stop, and a vehicle chase ensued. During the vehicle chase, Drakeford ran a stop sign, slammed the driver side of his car into the passenger side of a deputy’s patrol vehicle, struck a metal light pole, and caused his vehicle to roll into a parked car after exiting the vehicle and fleeing on foot. During the foot chase, a deputy observed Drakeford throw a small pistol over a fence and then climb over the fence. Eventually, Drakeford succumbed to verbal commands to stop, and deputies were able to detain Drakeford and recover the pistol he had thrown over the fence. The evidence presented also established that prior to his possession of the firearm, Drakeford had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty Defendant can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or ten years imprisonment.
The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cheraw Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office handled the case.
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Connecticut Man Charged with Defrauding Overseas Private Investment Corporation of over $1 MillionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Bridgeport, Connecticut, man was arrested this morning on charges that he and others defrauded the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) of over $1 million and laundered most of the funds through various bank accounts in Liberia and the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
William Garrison Jackson, 55, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Jackson appeared this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge William I. Garfinkel in Bridgeport federal court and was released on $100,000 secured bond. He will make his initial appearance in New Jersey federal court on Oct. 4, 2017.
According to the complaint:
OPIC is a U.S. government agency that provides loans to U.S.-based companies in order to encourage investment in overseas business projects. To qualify for a loan, the U.S. business, also called the “U.S. Sponsor,” has to own at least 25 percent of the overseas project.
In 2010, Jackson, along with two other people identified in the complaint as “Individual 1” and “Individual 2,” formed a limited liability company in New Jersey called NuStrata Logistics LLC (NSL-US). NSL-US was the “parent company” of NuStrata Logistics Liberia Inc. (NSL-L), a licensed and registered Liberian company. For the purposes of the OPIC loan, NSL-US was the U.S. sponsor of NSL-L.
NSL-US and NSL-L were created to operate an urban public transportation bus service in Liberia, branded “The Lizard Bus.” In 2010, Jackson, Individual 1, and Individual 2 established a pilot program in order to measure The Lizard Bus’s potential in the Monrovia, Liberia, market.
To obtain a loan from OPIC, Jackson and Individual 1 submitted documents to OPIC with materially fraudulent representations, including false financial documents that over-inflated their assets and claimed that NSL-US’s investors, along with the principals, had a combined liquid net worth of over $2 million, and a fraudulent disbursement request advising OPIC that NSL-L would use $560,000 to pay for the purchase of buses and transshipping costs.
On Sept. 4, 2013, based on the false representations by Jackson and his conspirators, OPIC made a loan disbursement of $1,059,266 by international wire transfer to NSL-L’s Ecobank bank account in Liberia. However, on Sept. 6, 2013, Jackson and Individual 1 had $700,000 wired from NSL-L’s account to NSL-US’s Bank of America account in the United States. That money was then transferred to another bank account and ultimately dispersed to Jackson, Individual 1 and their families in violation of the OPIC loan agreement.
Meanwhile, NSL-L made one interest payment to OPIC in January 2014 and subsequently defaulted on the loan. The Lizard Bus ceased operations in April 2014 due, in part, to lack of funds.
The conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $500,000 fine.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Schofield, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Debra Parker in Newark, IRS- Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
City of Atlanta’s former Chief Procurement Officer Adam Smith pleads guilty to taking bribesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Adam L. Smith, the former Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Atlanta, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to accept more than $30,000 in bribe payments from a vendor who obtained millions of dollars in city contracts.
“Great trust was placed in Smith as Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Atlanta, and he abused his position to serve his own financial interests,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn. “Public corruption offenses, like Smith’s, can erode the confidence that the people have in government.”
“The guilty plea in federal court of former City of Atlanta Procurement Officer Adams will ensure that he is held accountable for his greed based criminal conduct as he now awaits sentencing. It is hoped that this case serves as notice to others that similar such conduct among public officials will not be condoned and that there are severe consequences should that notice go unheeded,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“Public service is a public trust, requiring employees to obey laws and ethical principles above private gain. Smith abused his public trust to enrich himself at a cost to the taxpayers,” said James E. Dorsey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We will continue to work with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in making these public corruption investigations a priority.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: From 2003 to February 21, 2017, Smith served as the Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Atlanta, Georgia. As the Chief Procurement Officer, Smith oversaw the City of Atlanta’s purchasing activities and its expenditure of billions of dollars in public money for projects.
The information refers to a vendor who was an executive with a construction firm in Atlanta, Georgia, but does not identify them by name. During Smith’s tenure as the Chief Procurement Officer, Atlanta awarded contracts worth millions of dollars to Vendor’s firm and joint venture projects of which Vendor was a partner.
From at least 2015 to January 2017, Smith met privately with Vendor on multiple occasions, frequently at local restaurants. During these meetings, Smith and Vendor discussed Atlanta procurement projects, bids, and solicitations. Often at the time of these meetings, Vendor was actively seeking contracts, projects, and work with Atlanta.
After most of these meetings, Vendor and Smith met in the restaurant’s bathroom, where Vendor paid Smith approximately $1,000 in cash. In return for the bribe payments, Vendor expected Smith to use his position and power as Atlanta’s Chief Procurement Officer to assist Vendor with contracting/procurement with Atlanta and to furnish Vendor with future benefits and favors when needed.
Given his position, Smith was required to sign annually a financial disclosure statement certifying that he had not received more than $5,000 in annual income from any corporation, partnership, proprietorship, or other business entity other than Atlanta. Additionally, under Atlanta’s Procurement Code, Smith also had to “make a written determination as to the existence” of any “personal or organizational conflicts of interest exist” between vendors and Atlanta before awarding a vendor a solicited contract. Similarly, Atlanta’s Procurement Code mandated that Smith “certify to the city council” that the winning vendors had disclosed to Atlanta any “organizational and personal relationships” and that the “award of the contract [was] appropriate.”
Furthermore, in exchange for those cash payments:
- Smith met with Vendor on a regular basis;
- Smith provided Vendor with information and counsel regarding Atlanta’s procurement processes (among other information);
- When Vendor’s firm or joint venture became the successful bidder on an Atlanta contract or Request for Proposal, Smith approved and submitted the award of such procurement projects or bids to Atlanta’s mayor and city council for final authorization;
- Smith never disclosed his ongoing financial relationship with Vendor and/or Vendor’s firm on his Financial Disclosure Statements to Atlanta; and
- Smith never advised Atlanta’s City Council that the Vendor’s firm or joint venture had failed to disclose its organizational and personal relationships with him.
In total, from at least 2015 to January 2017, Vendor paid Smith more than $30,000 in cash.
Adam L. Smith, 53, Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiratorial bribery. Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis, Kurt R. Erskine, and Jill E. Steinberg are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Cherry Creek Woman Found Guilty of Concealing Person from ArrestRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Cherry Creek, South Dakota, woman was found guilty of Concealing a Person from Arrest by a federal jury in Pierre, South Dakota, on September 14, 2017. A Cherry Creek, South Dakota, man was acquitted of the same charge.
September Waloke, age 51, and Everett Condon, age 55, were indicted by a federal grand jury on November 9, 2016. The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges stemmed from a series of events that occurred between October 19, 2016, and October 20, 2016, at which time Tyson LeCompte, a/k/a Tyson Garreaux, had an active warrant out for his arrest. The jury found that Waloke harbored and concealed LaCompte during the time period so as to prevent his discovery and arrest. The jury acquitted Condon of the charges.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case. Waloke was released on conditions pending sentencing, the date of which has not been set.
Cheektowaga Man Sentenced on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jason Yelder, 35, of Cheektowaga, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to 20 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that on March 20, 2016, Yelder was arrested for driving with a suspended license. His vehicle was searched by Hamburg Police and more than 23 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and large amounts of U.S. currency were seized. Yelder was advised of his rights, waived his rights, and admitted to police that he was going to sell the methamphetamine to another co-coonspirator.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gregory Wickett; the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Askey; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.
Blasdell Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jose Cisneros, 31, of Blasdell, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to 108 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that in August 2015, the Blasdell Police Department alerted the FBI about a 13 year-old female engaging in sexually explicit conversations using the Kik application and text messages with an individual later identified as Cisneros. During their communications, the defendant and the girl exchanged graphic photos.
During an interview with the FBI, the mother of Cisneros’s two children told agents that she found a phone belonging to the defendant, which contained a sexual text conversation. The woman confronted Cisneros, which resulted in an argument that led to police responding to the residence.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Adam S. Cohen, and the Blasdell Police Department, under the direction of Lieutenant Joseph Gramaglia.
Battle Creek Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Matthew John Andaluz, 44, of Battle Creek, Michigan was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. In addition to the prison term, Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker imposed a 10-year term of supervised release that will commence once Andaluz is released from imprisonment. Andaluz will also be required to register as a sexual offender.
Andaluz pled guilty on June 7, 2017, and admitted that he had taken pornographic photographs of a ten-year-old child at his home in Calhoun County. He then circulated the images to others on the Internet. Copies of these images have been found in numerous other state and federal investigations throughout the United States. Federal agents traced these images back to Andaluz’s home late last year. Andaluz sexually abused the child repeatedly over a three-year period, created pictures of the abuse, and then distributed the pictures to others. The victim spoke at sentencing. She described the utter devastation that Andaluz caused to her life. She felt that she lost everything: her childhood, loved ones, and her home. She expressed her extraordinary pain, uncertainty, and anguish. The victim feared that she might never graduate from high school or ever be happy.
In its sentencing memorandum, the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued in favor of the thirty-year sentence. "Children are amongst the most vulnerable of victims, and [the victim in this case] was particularly vulnerable to the defendant . . . . The child will bear the emotional and psychological scars from the defendant’s abuse and exploitation her entire life. A 30-year sentence is needed to reflect the gravity and seriousness of the defendant’s crimes, to promote respect for the law, and to justly punish the defendant."
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Lewis prosecuted the case.
END
Barnstable Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Barnstable man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a firearm.
Matthew Monroe, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2016, Monroe pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On March 11, 2016, Monroe sold an IMI Uzi Model A, semi-automatic rifle to a cooperating witness for $800 at a hotel in Hyannis. The transaction was recorded by law enforcement. Monroe was convicted of breaking and entering in 2013, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm in 2016.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe; and Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric S. Rosen of Weinreb’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Allentown Man Charged in Aiding the Preparation of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Jose Frias, 57, of Allentown, PA was charged today by Indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and with aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 32 years’ incarceration, $2,500,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $1,000, plus restitution and forfeiture.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Rue.
17 1/2 Year Sentence Imposed on Leader of Mexico-Based Heroin RingRead the Press Release
Jorge Andres Lopez Montiel a/k/a Arturo Jiminez-Lopez a/k/a “Jimmy”, 27, of Nashville, Tenn. and Nayarit, Mexico, a Mexican citizen who had been previously deported from the United States, was sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison for leading a heroin-trafficking conspiracy from Mexico, announced Donald Q. Cochran, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“This prison sentence reflects the commitment of our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners in bringing major drug traffickers to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate and prosecute those whose illegal drug trafficking continues to fuel the opioid epidemic facing this nation.”
Montiel pleaded guilty in May 2017 to possessing heroin with intent to distribute and conspiring to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. According to court documents, Montiel was arrested in September 2009 and was in possession of approximately one-half pound of heroin, a firearm and approximately $20,000 in cash. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2009 but was deported to Mexico before he could be taken into federal custody on these charges. After Montiel was deported to Mexico, he continued to distribute heroin and later methamphetamine, through a network of distributors acting at his direction, who transferred the proceeds of the drug sales to Mexico, often through wire transfers.
Beginning in mid-2013, the Specialized Investigations Division of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department used undercover officers and confidential informants to repeatedly order heroin from Montiel through calls to Mexico. Montiel sent various co-conspirators to deliver the heroin and the transactions often occurred in restrooms at retail stores. As a result of this investigations, 22 persons were arrested on local charges, and approximately 14 pounds of heroin and one and one-half pounds of methamphetamine was seized.
On March 31, 2015, a confidential informant obtained about one pound of high-purity methamphetamine through contact with Montiel. MNPD officers then obtained a search warrant to search the residence where that transaction occurred. Officers executed the search warrant on April 1, 2015, and were met by gunfire as they entered the residence. Matthew McKervey, 26, of Nashville, was charged with firearm and drug offenses and is currently awaiting trial.
Montiel was arrested on May 30, 2016, as he illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico, and eventually pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking offenses in this case.
In addition to Montiel, four others were charged with federal offenses; Matthew McKervey, 28; Brian Goforth, 44; Daniel Alcala, 29; and David Becerra-Ruiz, 42, all of Nashville. Goforth’s case is pending and Becerra-Ruiz was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison. Matthew McKervey and Daniel Alcala are pending trial on federal charges and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department – Specialized Investigations Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy.
25 September 2017
York Man Sentenced to 57 Months’ Imprisonment for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Ryan Warnick, age 37, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 19, 2017, to 57 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge William J. Caldwell for his part in the armed robbery of PNC Bank.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Warnick assisted his accomplice, Derek Bowman, age, 33, of York, in the armed robbery of PNC Bank, East Market Street, York, on January 9, 2016. Warnick drove Bowman to the PNC Bank where Bowman entered the bank with a sawed-off shotgun, pointed the shotgun at a bank employee, and demanded money from her drawer. Bowman stole approximately $3,000, and fled the scene in Warnick’s vehicle. Bowman was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police the next day and was found to be in possession of money and heroin. The shotgun was later recovered by Springettsbury Township Police in Warnick’s possession.
Judge Caldwell sentenced Bowman to 141 months’ imprisonment on February 15, 2017.
This matter was investigated by the Springettsbury Township Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Schinnour 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.
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Washington Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on September 19, named James Roosevelt Leach, 45, of Washington, Pennsylvania.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on or about December 14, 2016, Leach, a felon previously convicted of rape, robbery and aggravated assault in Washington County, Pennsylvania, unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits an individual with a felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime. Troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Utah Chiropractor Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion and Obstructing the IRSRead the Press Release
An Orem, Utah former chiropractor, who also owned a health care products business, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for tax evasion and corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the internal revenue laws, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney John W. Huber for the District of Utah.
Louis Hansen, 65, was convicted following a jury trial in July. According to documents submitted to the court and evidence presented at trial, Hansen attempted to evade the payment of his federal income taxes for the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010. For the years 2005, 2006 and 2010, Hansen filed a tax return reporting that he owed taxes, but did not fully pay the amounts due. For 2007, Hansen’s return was audited and additional taxes assessed. In March 2012, Hansen sent a check to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amount of $342,699 that was drawn on a closed bank account held in the name of another individual, and claimed that the check paid off his tax debt. Hansen then sent a signed letter to the revenue officer assigned to collect his unpaid taxes, claiming that he had paid the taxes owed. A few months later, Hansen sent 10 additional checks all in the amount of $425,000, to at least six IRS locations, all drawn on another closed account in the name of a different individual, claiming to pay the back taxes due.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups sentenced Hansen to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $342,699.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Huber thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Sundwall and Assistant Chief Andrew Kameros of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Undocumented Alien Residing in Houston Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison in Liquid Meth CaseRead the Press Release
In Del Rio today, United States District Judge Alia Moses sentenced 33–year-old Adrian Pineda-Orozco, an undocumented alien residing in Houston, to 50 years in federal prison for his role in scheme to smuggle over 43 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine into the United States announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio Division.
On January 20, 2017, jurors convicted Pineda-Orozco of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine. Prior to trial, Pineda-Orozco’s co-defendants, 21-year-old Marcelo Guzman and 22–year-old Cyndy Palma, both of Houston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Testimony during trial revealed that the defendant orchestrated a statewide methamphetamine importation and distribution scheme, with prior deliveries to Houston and Dallas. On December 18, 2015, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry discovered 15 plastic bottles containing liquid methamphetamine inside a vehicle being driven by Guzman and Palma. Guzman told officers that he was supposed to deliver the methamphetamine to an individual in Houston. HSI agents executed a controlled delivery of the methamphetamine. Upon arriving at the meeting location, authorities discovered Pineda-Orozco waiting for them. After the agents identified themselves, Pineda-Orozco got back into his vehicle and fled the scene narrowly missing an HSI agent in the process. Pineda-Orozco led authorities on a high-speed chase through residential neighborhoods. The pursuit continued until spike strips disabled his vehicle. No one was injured as a result of the pursuit. Pineda-Orozco was arrested.
Pineda-Orozco has remained in custody since his arrest. Guzman and Palma also remain in federal custody. On July 10, 2017, Judge Moses sentenced Guzman to 144 months in federal prison following by five years of supervised release. On June 5, 2017, Judge Moses sentenced Palma to 168 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release and ordered that Palma pay a $1,500 fine.
“The heavy sentenced imposed on Orozco sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for trafficking in narcotics,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, HSI San Antonio. “HSI will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to bring narcotic traffickers to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by HSI together with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Houston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Harle and Amy Hail prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Charges Pharmacy Tech for Tampering with OpioidsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – The U.S. Attorney’s Office today charged the former lead technician at a central Alabama pharmacy with tampering with vials of opioid painkillers used in the compounding of intravenous fluid bags intended for hospice and homecare patients. U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton and Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Special Agent in Charge Justin D. Green announced the charge.
Prosecutors filed a one-count information charging JOHNATHON WILLIAM CLICK with tampering with consumer products in reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death or bodily injury, and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to that risk. Between December 2014 and September 2016, Click, 30, of Bessemer, removed morphine sulfate and hydromorphone hydrochloride from vials intended for use in mixing IV bags. Click replaced the drugs with another liquid, knowing the diluted vials would be dispensed to patients, according to the charge.
In conjunction with the information, prosecutors also filed a plea agreement with Click in U.S. District Court. According to the plea agreement, Click worked at Birmingham-based ContinuumRx of Central Alabama. CRX primarily distributes IV bags containing morphine and hydromorphone for palliative care. Click, as the lead pharmacy technician, prepared the vast majority of CRX’s IV bags until the company ended his employment in September 2016.
“This defendant was willing to subject terminal cancer patients to intolerable pain in order to feed his own addiction,” Town said. “This is one more aspect of the epidemic problem America has with abuse of prescription opioids. It also is a testament to law enforcement’s commitment to fight the illegal diversion of these drugs. In this case, people who desperately needed the prescribed drugs for their intended purpose of controlling intense and prolonged pain instead suffered at the hands of a man who knew the misery he could cause.
“It is disappointing when assumed professionals, like pharmacy technicians, are engaged in the diversion of controlled substances,” Hamilton said. “Anyone who can deliberately deny medication to legitimate patients and violate their duties as a professional will be held accountable for allowing these good medicines to get into the wrong hands. The charge and plea agreement in this case are the result of DEA’s continued commitment to work with our law enforcement partners and hold accountable those who participate in illegally diverting controlled substances in our communities,” Hamilton said.
“FDA is fully committed to the vigorous criminal investigation and prosecution of any individual who threatens the safety and security of the U.S. drug supply,” Green said. “The plea agreement in this case sends a clear signal that this kind of illicit tampering activity will not be tolerated.”
According to the plea agreement, Click diverted quantities of morphine and hydromorphone from CRX’s locked inventory by surreptitiously removing vials, withdrawing drugs from the vials and replacing the withdrawn amount with saline or sterile water. He subsequently would return the adulterated and diluted vials to the inventory, undetected, and later used those vials to compound IV bags that were distributed and administered to homecare and hospice patients. CRX’s primary customers are Alacare Home Health & Hospice, New Beacon Hospice, Lakeview Homecare & Hospice, Comfort Care Hospice and Kindred Hospice.
Former patients or family members of patients treated at any of those homecare or hospice providers between December 2014 and September 2016 may receive updates on the case by visiting the U.S. Attorney’s Office website at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/us-v-johnathon-william-click or calling the toll-free number: 1-866-480-8230.
The maximum penalty for tampering with consumer products is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Click must appear before a federal judge to formally enter a guilty plea.
DEA, FDA and the Alabama Board of Pharmacy investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib is prosecuting.
Two Pharmaceutical Employees Admit Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting State Health Benefits ProgramsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Two Burlington County, New Jersey, men today admitted defrauding New Jersey state health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick and New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced.
Judd Holt, 42, a pharmaceutical sales representative from Marlton, New Jersey, and George Gavras, 36, a pharmaceutical sales representative from Moorestown, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to separate informations charging them with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Compounded medications are supposed to be specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient.
From January 2015 through April 2016, Holt and Gavras served as recruiters in the conspiracy and persuaded individuals in New Jersey to obtain very expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications from an out-of-state pharmacy, identified in the informations as the “Compounding Pharmacy.” The conspirators learned that certain compound medication prescriptions – including pain, scar, antifungal, and libido creams, as well as vitamin combinations – were reimbursed for thousands of dollars for a one-month supply.
The conspirators also learned that some New Jersey state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, municipal police officers, and state troopers, had insurance coverage for these particular compound medications. An entity referred to in the informations as the “Pharmacy Benefits Administrator” provided pharmacy benefit management services for the State Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified state and local government employees, retirees, and eligible dependents, and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified local education employees, retirees, and eligible dependents. The Pharmacy Benefits Administrator would pay prescription drug claims and then bill the State of New Jersey for the amounts paid.
The conspirators recruited public employees and other individuals covered by the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator to fraudulently obtain compounded medications from the Compounding Pharmacy without any evaluation by a medical professional that they were medically necessary. In return, the pharmacy paid one of Holt and Gavras’ conspirators a percentage of each prescription filled and paid by the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator, which was then distributed to other members of the conspiracy.
Once they had recruited an employee covered by the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator, Holt and Gavras would obtain the employee’s insurance information and fill out a Compounding Pharmacy prescription form. They would select the compounded medications that paid the most without regard to their medical necessity.
Holt and Gavras would then get the prescriptions signed by doctors and other qualified health professionals who never saw the patients or evaluated whether the patients had a medical necessity for the compounded medication. The prescriptions were then faxed to Compounding Pharmacy, which filled the prescriptions and billed the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator.
According to the informations, the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator paid Compounding Pharmacy over $50 million for compounded medications mailed to individuals in New Jersey.
As part of the plea agreements, Holt must forfeit $95,574.49 in criminal proceeds he received for his role in the scheme and pay restitution of at least $769,762.53. Gavras agreed to forfeit $204,002.02 and pay restitution of at least $679,368.53.
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2018.
Six other conspirators – Matthew Tedesco, Robert Bessey, Michael Pepper, Thomas Hodnett, Steven Urbanski, and John Gaffney – pleaded guilty in August and September 2017 and await sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen in Newark, and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka in New York, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. He also thanked the Division of Pensions and Financial Transactions in the State Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Attorney General Porrino and Division Chief Eileen Schlindwein Den Bleyker, for its assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. David Walk, Jr. and Jacqueline M. Carle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Defense counsel:
Holt: Rocco C. Cipparone Jr. Esq., Haddon Heights, New Jersey
Gavras: Robert N. Agre Esq., Haddonfield, New JerseyTwo Men Charged with Stealing 36 Firearms from Anchorage Gun DealerRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that two men have been charged with stealing 36 firearms from an Anchorage gun dealer, EDC Alaska, during a Sept. 7, 2017, burglary on Northern Lights Blvd. that was captured on multiple surveillance systems.
Seth Kaufman, 31, and Christopher Kratsas-Derr, 27, are charged with theft of firearms from a licensed dealer. Kaufman is also charged with possessing some of the stolen firearms a few days later, on Sept. 11, 2017.
A complaint filed in the case alleges that police received a report of a burglary of EDC Alaska at 6:51 AM on Sept. 7, 2017. Thirty-six firearms had been stolen by two individuals who backed up a black pickup in front of the business, made entry, and left with three dozen guns. Surveillance video showed that one of the burglars was wearing grey/black shoes with white trim, while the other wore grey sweatpants and brown ankle boots with white trim.
EDC Alaska’s owners recalled a suspicious customer from days before. After reviewing the video of that interaction, police were able to identify the suspicious customer as Kaufman.
According to the complaint affidavit, police subsequently received a tip indicating that Kaufman and “Chris” committed the burglary, and that they had subsequently offered the guns for sale while staying at Microtel. Review of prior arrest information revealed that Kaufman and Christopher Kratsas-Derr were arrested together for a different theft crime on June 2, 2017, yet neither was in custody during the Sept. 11, 2017, burglary of EDC Alaska.
The complaints against Kaufman and Kratsas-Derr also note that on Sept. 11, 2017, APD officers made contact with Kaufman at Motel 6 in Anchorage. Kaufman was apprehended after fleeing out the second story window of room 209. Near that same window, law enforcement agents found four of the firearms stolen from EDC Alaska, along with grey/black shoes with white bottom trim.
Law enforcement officers also reviewed surveillance footage from Microtel, which showed an individual wearing grey sweatpants and brown ankle boots with white trim. That individual was subsequently identified as Christopher Kratsas-Derr.
Both Kaufman and Kratsas-Derr have been arrested and were initially charged with multiple crimes by the State of Alaska. Kratsas-Derr’s arraignment on the federal indictment is set for 9:30 AM on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, while Kaufman’s is set for 11:30 AM the same day.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the charges listed in the complaint. Additionally, defendants can also be required to pay restitution to the victims in this case. Under the federal sentencing statutes, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation that led to the charges in this case.
ATF advises that most of the firearms stolen from EDC Alaska have not been recovered. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the remaining firearms are encouraged to call 1-888-ATF-TIPS.
Charges contained in a complaint or indictment are merely allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Topeka Man Sentenced in RobberyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Topeka man who took part in a robbery while wearing a monitoring device was sentenced Monday to 36 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Christopher Allen Bush, 26, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting a commercial robbery. In his plea, Bush admitted he picked up co-defendant Marsoleno Devon Ryland after Ryland robbed Casey’s General Store at 600 S.E. Rice Road.
At the time of the robbery, Bush was wearing a monitoring device because he was on post-release supervision in a criminal case in state district court. Data from the GPS device verified that Bush picked up Ryland just south of Casey’s General Store and drove him to the 2300 block S.E. Bellview, where police located the two men shortly after the robbery.
Co-defendant Ryland is set for sentencing Oct. 23.
Beall commended the FBI, the Topeka Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Third Bandido Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Connection with the Murder of Hells Angel Anthony Benesh in 2006Read the Press Release
In San Antonio today, 40-year-old Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Organization (OMO) San Antonio Centro Chapter Sergeant at Arms Jesse James Benavidez pleaded guilty to a federal charge in connection with the murder of Hells Angel Anthony Benesh in 2006 announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Will Glaspy, Houston Division; Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw; Austin Police Chief Brian Manley; and, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.
Appearing before United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth S. Chestney, Benavidez pleaded guilty to one count of Aiding and Abetting Using and Discharging a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, specifically Murder in Aid of Racketeering.
Court records allege that Benesh was attempting to start a Texas Chapter of the Hell’s Angels OMO in Austin, Texas in 2006. Members of the Bandidos OMO warned Benesh to cease his activities and recruitment, which Benesh ignored. Benavidez and others then murdered Benesh on March 18, 2006, outside an Austin restaurant to protect the power, reputation and territory of the Bandidos enterprise. On Friday, September 22, 2017, Bandidos National Sergeant at Arms Johnny Romo and Bandidos Centro Chapter Member Robert Romo pleaded guilty to related federal charges for their roles in the incident.
Benavidez, who remains in federal custody, faces up to life in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 28, 2018, before Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra in San Antonio. Johnny Romo and Robert Romo also remain in federal custody. Their sentencings are scheduled for May 14, 2018, and May 21, 2018, respectively, before Judge Ezra.
The FBI, DEA and Texas DPS together with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Austin Police Department, New Braunfels Police Department, Seguin Police Department, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, Atascosa County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office are conducting this ongoing investigation.
Texas man admits to firearm chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A Houston, Texas man has admitted to an illegal firearm charge, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Corey Letroit Joseph Riggs, age 40, pled guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Riggs, who was previously convicted of felonies in the Circuit Court of Harris County, Texas, was in possession of .40 caliber Glock pistol. The crime occurred April 2017 in Ohio County.
He faces up to ten years in prison and a fine 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 Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Supplier of Marijuana Cultivation Operation in the Sequoia National Forest Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Sair Maldonado-Soto (Maldonado), 22, of Perris, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute, and manufacturing marijuana in connection with two separate large-scale marijuana cultivation operations in Kern County in the Sequoia National Forest, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Maldonado also agreed to pay restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the damage to public land and natural resources caused by the marijuana cultivation activities.
According to court documents, Maldonado and co-defendant Coral Herrera, 21, also of Perris, were linked to grow sites in the Lucas Creek drainage and an area known as the Box 6 site after a four-month investigation. The investigation revealed that they were supplying material, equipment, and personnel to the grow sites, which consisted of 10,396 marijuana plants. The marijuana cultivation operations caused extensive damage to the land and natural resources. Harmful pesticides and fertilizers, miles of plastic irrigation lines, and large amounts of trash were found at both sites. Native trees and vegetation were also removed to make room for the marijuana plants.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Southern Tri‑County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, California Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Fontana Police Department, and Victorville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Maldonado is scheduled for sentencing on December 18, 2017. He faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, along with a possible maximum $5 million fine. Herrera previously entered a guilty plea and is scheduled for sentencing on December 4. Codefendant Toledo-Villa previously entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to five years in prison. Codefendant Cardenas-Suastegui has requested a jury trial, which is set for November 7. The charges are only allegations; Cardenas-Suastegui is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Stonnie Sullivan Permanently Barred from Buying and Selling LivestockRead the Press Release
Paid $31,200 in civil penalties
Agreed to indefinite prohibition from engaging in business for which registration and bonding is required under the Packers and Stockyards Act
Agreed to pay debt to Tennessee livestock market
WASHINGTON - On Aug. 31, 2017, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, acting on behalf of USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), settled a civil contempt case against Stonnie Sullivan, of Glasgow, Ky.
Agreed Order to Pay Civil Penalty
On Apr. 11, 2017, Sullivan agreed to pay $16,200 in civil penalties to the United States for violations of the Packers and Stockyards (P&S) Act and non-compliance with the terms of a Jan. 2012 Consent Decree. He also committed to pay outstanding penalties imposed by the 2012 Consent Decree. The U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky (the Court) entered the agreed order to pay civil penalty on Apr. 24, 2017. Sullivan subsequently paid all the penalties, totaling $31,200. He also filed an application for registration and a $75,000 bond. However, he needed a $90,000 bond to fully comply.
Agreed Order of Permanent Injunction
On May 30, 2017, a judge for the Court verbally ordered Defendant Sullivan not to buy livestock without first filing adequate bond. Sullivan continued buying livestock in apparent defiance of the order. The judge scheduled a criminal contempt trial.
On Aug. 18, 2017, in lieu of trial, Defendant Sullivan admitted that he disobeyed the Court’s verbal order. The parties entered an agreed order of permanent injunction with the Court on the same day. It bars Sullivan, and any others acting in concert or participation with him for such purpose, indefinitely, from engaging in business in any capacity requiring registration and bonding under the P&S Act and regulations. Any future violations of the P&S Act or this agreed order by Sullivan and others acting in concert or participation with him, may result in further penalties.
On Aug. 27, 2017, Defendant Sullivan’s $75,000 bond terminated due to claim activity. Sullivan has not filed replacement bond coverage with GIPSA.
Order on Motion for Civil Contempt
On Aug. 31, 2017, the Court declined to penalize Defendant Sullivan for the criminal contempt charge. Due to the agreed permanent injunction, the Court also denied the United States civil contempt motion as moot. However, the United States may refile its motion if Sullivan does not comply with the permanent injunction.
Agreed Order to Pay Debt
The parties entered another agreed order with the Court on Aug. 31, 2017. In it, Defendant Sullivan agreed to compensate a Tennessee market $8,808.37, within one year. This amount represents the deficiency between the market’s expected recovery against Sullivan’s $75,000.00 bond and his total debt of $83,808.37.
Randall Jones, Acting Administrator of GIPSA, said, “This settlement benefits the industry in two ways. It ensures that Defendant Sullivan pays his obligation and it also deters Sullivan and others from violating the P&S Act and putting livestock sellers at risk.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Corinne E. Keel and Jessica R. C. Malloy, in consultation with Attorney Elizabeth M. Kruman, USDA’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC). GIPSA’s Eastern Regional Office conducted the investigation, which OGC referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for civil enforcement.
The P&S Act is a fair trade practice and payment protection law. It promotes fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat, and poultry industries.
Southern District of Ohio to be Awarded $2.9 Million in Grant Funding Focused on Fighting Opioid ScourgeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced Friday $58.8 million will be designated to strengthen drug court programs and address the opioid epidemic nationwide. United States Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman announced this includes $2.9 million in grant awards for the Southern District of Ohio.
Specifically, the Supreme Court of Ohio will be awarded $1 million for Data-driven Responses to Prescription Drug Misuse and approximately $700,000 for the Family Drug Court Statewide System Reform Implementation Program.
Approximately $400,000 in Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program funding each will be awarded to Franklin County and Hamilton County.
The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy will receive approximately $400,000 for the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Implementation and Enhancement Projects.
“The opioid-abuse crisis – both across the country and especially in this district – is one of the most significant public-safety and public-health issues of our lifetime,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The Department of Justice recognizes that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. Prevention and treatment are equally important in making our communities safer, and that is what this funding focuses on.”
In total nationwide, about $24 million in federal grants will be awarded to 50 cities, counties and public health departments to provide financial and technical assistance to state, local and tribal governments to create comprehensive diversion and alternatives to incarceration programs for those impacted by the opioid epidemic.
These funds, awarded under the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program, also included funds from the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. This program helps regulatory, law enforcement, and public health agencies address prescription drug and opioid misuse; reduce crime; and save lives.
An additional $3.1 million will be awarded by the National Institute of Justice for research and evaluation on drugs and crime. The research priorities are heroin and other opioids and synthetic drugs.
The Department is also awarding more than $22.2 million to 53 jurisdictions to support the implementation and enhancement of adult drug courts and Veterans Treatment Courts, which serve as “one-stop-shops” to link veterans with services, benefits and program providers.
Specific sites and funds awarded can be found online at: https://go.usa.gov/xRJWE.
The Department is also awarding more than $9.5 million under several Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant programs, including the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Grant Program and the Family Drug Court Statewide System Reform Implementation Program. These programs helps jurisdictions build effective family drug treatment courts.
Specific sites and funds awarded can be found online at: https://go.usa.gov/xRJDf.# # #
South Sudanese National Charged with Assaulting a Deportation Officer During RemovalRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A South Sudanese national was charged today in federal court in Boston with assaulting a deportation officer at the Suffolk County House of Corrections as he was being processed for removal.
Charles Ali, 31, was arrested this morning and charged with assault on a federal officer. Ali appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley, who ordered Ali detained and scheduled a probable cause and detention hearing for Sept. 27, 2017, at 2:00 pm.
According to court documents, on Feb. 16, 2011, Ali was ordered removed from the United States back to the Republic of South Sudan. On Sept. 11, 2017, federal deportation officers arrived at the Suffolk County House of Corrections and informed Ali that he was scheduled for removal that morning and that the officers would be traveling with him. Ali questioned the officers’ authority to remove him and refused to sign removal documents and provide the officers his fingerprints. An altercation ensued, resulting in one of the officers sustaining a broken ankle. A decision was then made to abort the removal proceedings and return Ali to federal immigration custody.
Ali faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Christopher Cronen, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Soldier of Violent Bloods Street Gang Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A soldier of the Sex Money Murder set of the Bloods street gang was sentenced today to 264 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy that involved attempted murder and conspiracy to distribute heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Laquan Reed, 28, a/k/a “Drama,” of Montclair, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to Count Two of a 14-count superseding indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Bloods street gang is organized into subgroups, called “sets,” that operate in specific geographic locations. Sex Money Murder is the set that operates primarily in Essex County, New Jersey. Reed, a ranking member in Sex Money Murder, admitted that from 2007 to 2011 he committed a series of violent crimes to advance the gang’s objectives. He admitted that he conspired with set members to murder a rival gang member on Aug. 3, 2011, identified in the indictment as “Victim 6.” Reed admitted he and others engaged in a shootout in an effort to kill the rival gang member in and around Newark. Reed also admitted conspiring to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin in and around Newark.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Reed to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando V. Fontoura; and the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito, for their roles in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Toscano, Chief, Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division, and Dara Govan of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: James Patton Esq., Livingston, New Jersey
Roswell Woman Sentenced to Ten Years for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jennifer Rene Barela, 48, of Roswell, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for her conviction on a methamphetamine trafficking charge. The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Borak of the El Paso Division of the DEA and Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Self of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector
Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney said that Barela, whose criminal history includes prior felony convictions for methamphetamine trafficking, burglary, forgery and fraud, was prosecuted under a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Barela was arrested in Dec. 2016, and was charged by criminal complaint with possessing heroin and methamphetamine with intent to distribute the drugs in Otero County, N.M. Barela was arrested on Dec. 6, 2016, after U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint south of Alamogordo, N.M., seized approximately 191.08 grams of black tar heroin, a kilogram of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia from the vehicle in which Barela was traveling and from Barela herself.
On July 14, 2017, Barela pled guilty to a felony information charging her with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Barela admitted that on Dec. 6, 2016, Border Patrol agents ordered her out of her vehicle at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on New Mexico Highway 54, and discovered that Barela had approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine concealed on her person. She further admitted that she intended to deliver the methamphetamine to other individuals in exchange for money.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Rosebud Man Indicted on Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
Robert Lee Burnette, age 24, was indicted on August 16, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on September 18, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about July 14, 2017, Burnette threatened two individuals with a knife, and assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with a law enforcement officer employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe while the officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties.
The charges are merely an accusation and Burnette is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Burnette was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Rosebud Man Charged with Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender.
Calvin Gillette, age 26, was indicted on September 12, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on September 19, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Gillette is accused of assaulting his domestic partner on January 31, 2017, when at the time of the assault, Gillette had a final conviction on at least two separate prior occasions in Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court proceedings for offenses that would have been, if subject to federal jurisdiction, an assault against a domestic partner.
The charge is merely an accusation and Gillette is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Nelson is prosecuting the case.
Gillette was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Pharmacy Manager Pleads Guilty to Illegal Prescription Drug Diversion and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A pharmacy manager from Burnsville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty for her role in the fraudulent diversion of prescription drugs and money laundering, the Department of Justice announced today.
Karen Ann Turner, 37, pleaded guilty in the Western District of North Carolina to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Turner was charged in connection with a fraudulent scheme that operated out of pharmacies in Burnsville, North Carolina, and Travelers Rest, South Carolina. As a part of that scheme, Turner bought prescription drugs at lower prices by falsely stating that the drugs would be used to fill patient prescriptions through the pharmacies that she operated. Instead of using the drugs for patient prescriptions, Turner sold them at higher prices to unauthorized drug wholesalers. Some of the prescription drugs that Turner bought and sold were in short supply. Turner laundered the profits of her fraud scheme by transferring them through bank accounts that she controlled. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
“The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting those who fraudulently divert prescription drugs from their authorized and controlled distribution system,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “These fraud schemes increase the risk that patients will receive ineffective or unsafe drugs, and can expose hospitals to exorbitant prices for drugs that are in short supply.”
“We rely on pharmacies to safeguard the integrity of our prescription drug system and to protect public safety. Turner’s financially motivated scheme is particularly troubling because it removed prescription drugs from lawful distribution channels, potentially putting consumers’ health at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose for the Western District of North Carolina.
As part of her guilty plea, Turner admitted that she operated two pharmacies to fraudulently obtain prescription drugs at low prices that were only available to pharmacies that agreed to use the drugs to fill patient prescriptions. Instead of using the drugs to fill prescriptions as she said she would, Turner sold the drugs to drug wholesalers for more than she paid, taking the drugs out of their controlled distribution system.
“When prescription drugs are diverted from the legal supply chain, there is no longer any assurance that the products are safe and effective for their intended uses,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin D. Green of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations’ Miami Field Office. “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder of the FDA’s continued focus on criminals that put profits ahead of the U.S. public health by distributing prescription drugs outside the legitimate supply chain.”
This case is being prosecuted through the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with assistance from FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel. The criminal investigation was conducted by FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc.
Pharmacy Manager Pleads Guilty to Illegal Prescription Drug Diversion and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A pharmacy manager from Burnsville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty for her role in the fraudulent diversion of prescription drugs and money laundering, the Department of Justice announced today.
Karen Ann Turner, 37, pleaded guilty in the Western District of North Carolina to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Turner was charged in connection with a fraudulent scheme that operated out of pharmacies in Burnsville, North Carolina, and Travelers Rest, South Carolina. As a part of that scheme, Turner bought prescription drugs at lower prices by falsely stating that the drugs would be used to fill patient prescriptions through the pharmacies that she operated. Instead of using the drugs for patient prescriptions, Turner sold them at higher prices to unauthorized drug wholesalers. Some of the prescription drugs that Turner bought and sold were in short supply. Turner laundered the profits of her fraud scheme by transferring them through bank accounts that she controlled. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
“The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting those who fraudulently divert prescription drugs from their authorized and controlled distribution system,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “These fraud schemes increase the risk that patients will receive ineffective or unsafe drugs, and can expose hospitals to exorbitant prices for drugs that are in short supply.”
“We rely on pharmacies to safeguard the integrity of our prescription drug system and to protect public safety. Turner’s financially motivated scheme is particularly troubling because it removed prescription drugs from lawful distribution channels, potentially putting consumers’ health at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose for the Western District of North Carolina.
As part of her guilty plea, Turner admitted that she operated two pharmacies to fraudulently obtain prescription drugs at low prices that were only available to pharmacies that agreed to use the drugs to fill patient prescriptions. Instead of using the drugs to fill prescriptions as she said she would, Turner sold the drugs to drug wholesalers for more than she paid, taking the drugs out of their controlled distribution system.
“When prescription drugs are diverted from the legal supply chain, there is no longer any assurance that the products are safe and effective for their intended uses,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin D. Green of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations’ Miami Field Office. “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder of the FDA’s continued focus on criminals that put profits ahead of the U.S. public health by distributing prescription drugs outside the legitimate supply chain.”
This case is being prosecuted through the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with assistance from FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel. The criminal investigation was conducted by FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations.
Owner of One of the Nation’s Largest Commercial Fishing Businesses Sentenced for Falsifying Records & Smuggling Proceeds AbroadRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of one of the largest commercial fishing businesses in the United States was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston for falsifying records to the federal government to evade federal fishing quotas and smuggling a portion of his business’ proceeds to Portugal to avoid U.S. taxation.
Carlos Rafael, 65, of Dartmouth, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release, during which time he is banned from working in the fishing industry. The Court also ordered Rafael to pay a fine of $200,000 and restitution to the U.S. Treasury of $108,929. Rafael may also be subject to forfeiture of a portion of his fishing fleet, but the Court held that issue for further consideration.
In March 2017, Rafael pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit offenses against the United States, 23 counts of false labeling and fish identification, two counts of falsifying federal records, one count of bulk cash smuggling, and one count of tax evasion. He was initially arrested and charged in February 2016.
Rafael, the owner of Carlos Seafood Inc., based in New Bedford, Mass., owned 32 fishing vessels through independent corporate shells and 44 permits, which amounted to one of the largest commercial fishing businesses in the United States.
“Mr. Rafael profited at the expense of other hard-working commercial fishermen by falsifying records so he could keep fishing while they were sidelined,” said Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb. “The Court accurately described Mr. Rafael’s actions as systematic corruption. He will now face the consequences of violating federal laws designed to sustain the New England fishery.”
“The significant sentence imposed by the Court today reflects the profound impact of Mr. Rafael’s long-running criminal scheme,” said Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston. “As a fishing industry leader, Mr. Rafael’s false catch reports and tax evasion scheme gave him an unfair advantage, to the detriment of honest fishermen and our precious ocean resources. IRS-CI is proud of this remarkable investigative team, and the important role our undercover agents played in bringing “the Codfather” to justice.”
“As the Nation’s federal maritime law enforcement agency, the Coast Guard has a critical role in enforcing federal fisheries regulations to protect our precious marine resources, promote sustainable fish stocks, and ensure a level playing field for all the honest fishermen,” said Rear Admiral Steven D. Poulin, Commander, First Coast Guard District. “I am proud of the Coast Guard's partnership with the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to help bring Mr. Rafael’s illegal operations to a halt.”
“Mr. Rafael’s criminal sentence is the result of excellent collaboration among federal partners, and reflects NOAA’s deep commitment to investigate fisheries violations and bring wrongdoers to justice,” said Chris Oliver, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries.
The charges arose out of an undercover investigation in which federal agents posed as organized crime figures interested in buying Carlos Seafood. From 2012 to January 2016, Rafael routinely lied to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) about the quantity and species of fish his boats caught in order to evade federal quotas designed to guarantee the sustainability of certain fish species.
During that period, Rafael misreported to NOAA approximately 782,812 pounds of fish, telling NOAA that the fish was haddock, or some other abundant species subject to high quotas, when in fact the fish was cod, sole, or other species subject to strict quotas. After submitting false records to federal regulators, Rafael sold much of the fish to a wholesale business in New York City in exchange for duffle bags of cash. During meetings with the undercover agents, Rafael said that in his most recent dealings with the New York buyer he received $668,000 in cash. Rafael smuggled at least some of that cash out of the United States to his native Portugal, hiding it there to evade federal taxation on that revenue.
Acting U.S. Attorney Weinreb; IRS-CI SAC Garland; Rear Admiral Poulin; and Assistant Administrator Oliver made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Pampalone, age 34, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for stealing $132,450 from a client.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Boston Division.
Pampalone pled guilty to wire fraud in April 2017. He admitted that in 2013, he stole money that he had promised to hold in escrow for an East Greenbush, New York, man seeking a mortgage. After the client sent him two wires totaling $132,450, Pampalone withdrew the money and used it for personal expenses. In the following months, Pampalone told the client an elaborate, false story about the location of his money.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after Pampalone’s release from prison. Pampalone was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $132,450.
This case was investigated by the USPIS and New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Wayne A. Myers.
New Hampshire Company Sentenced for Trafficking Counterfeit Patriots Playoff T-ShirtsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire company was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for trafficking counterfeit New England Patriots AFC Championship and Super Bowl t-shirts during the 2015 NFL playoffs.
At the sentencing hearing, CK Productions Inc., based in Pelham, N.H., was ordered by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to pay restitution in the amount of $29,405 to the NFL and a fine of $30,000. In April 2017, CK productions pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit goods.
From January through February 2015, CK Productions printed and sold approximately 1,724 counterfeit t-shirts, with a total retail value of approximately $29,405. The playoff t-shirts bore the trademarked words “Patriots” and “Super Bowl” and pictured the Patriots logo.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS LLCActing United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bookbinder, Chief of Weinreb’s Cyber Crime Unit, prosecuted the case.
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery in Osage CityRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Missouri man pleaded guilty Monday to robbing a bank in Osage City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Hunter Lee Prewitt, 28, Mountain Grove, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. He admitted he robbed the Landmark National Bank at 106 South 6th Street in Osage City. Prewitt gave a teller a note saying: “This a robbery. Give me all one hundreds, fifties and twenties.” He left the bank with cash and drove away in a white pickup truck.
Starting with a description of the truck, investigators obtained video surveillance photos and followed Prewitt’s movements including a stop at a gas station in Osage City before the robbery and a pawn shop in Lyndon, Kan. The Missouri Highway Patrol used that information to identify a 2003 Ford F-150 pickup registered to Prewitt. A crime intelligence analyst with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation conducted a search of law enforcement tag readers and he found more information on Prewitt and the truck. Prewitt was arrested outside Springfield, Mo.
Sentencing is set for Dec. 18. Bank robbery carries a penalty of up to 20 years in a federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Beall commended the FBI, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Heart of America Computer Forensics Laboratory and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Time Served for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Silvino Orduna-Cabrera, 40, a Mexican citizen, was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to time served (63 days) for alien smuggling. The defendant pleaded guilty on August 31, 2017. He is subject to deportation.
According to court documents, on July 17, 2017, the defendant dropped off two Mexican citizens who had previously been removed from the United States on the Canadian side of the border with the United States near Norton, Vermont. The defendant then drove into the United States at the Norton Port of Entry. The two Mexican citizens walked across the border illegally and were picked up by the defendant who drove them to Maine. The investigation began the next day when a roadside worker found a passport belonging to one of the Mexican citizens near Norton. The worker gave the passport to a Border Patrol agent assigned to the Beecher Falls, Vermont station which placed an alert regarding a possible smuggling event that led to the Mexican citizens’ arrests in Maine.
U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Pfeifer stated that: “this case is an excellent example of the regular information sharing between the components of the Department of Homeland Security to prevent criminal aliens from entering into and remaining in the United States. The Swanton Sector also appreciates the local citizens and workers that alert agents to potential criminal activity.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Possessing Fraudulent Green CardRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Victorico Catarino Ramirez, age 23, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to time served (98 days in jail) for possessing a fraudulent alien registration receipt card, commonly referred to as a “green card.”
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his guilty plea, Catarino Ramirez admitted that he was never issued a valid green card, that he had purchased the counterfeit green card from an individual in Saratoga Springs, and that he used it to obtain work with various employers in Saratoga Springs. The card bore Catarino Ramirez’s photograph but displayed the immigration number of another person.
Following the sentencing, Catarino Ramirez was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings
This case was investigated by HSI and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — This morning, U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey sentenced Raul Garibay, 25, of Grand Prairie, Texas, to 240 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in March 2017 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a schedule II controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Co-defendants Alfonso Mercado-Cruz, 32, Gerardo Galvan, 28, and Fernando Mora-Martinez, 43, also pleaded guilty to their role in the conspiracy. Judge Godbey sentenced Mora-Martinez to 66 months in prison and Galvan to 70 months in prison. Mercado-Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2017.
According to plea documents filed in Garibay’s case, from January l, 2016 through May 19, 2016, Garibay, along with Galvan, Mercado-Cruz and Mora-Martinez conspired to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendants used a trailer house, equipped with only a stove, in Grand Prairie, Texas, to cook and prepare methamphetamine for distribution.
A search of the trailer house revealed approximately 4 kilograms of methamphetamine in liquid, powder, and crystal form in various stages of processing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Lewisville Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department, and the Dallas Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal is in charge of the prosecution.
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Malden Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden woman pleaded guilty today to collecting over $176,000 in government benefits by providing false information about her family.
Julie Mijal, 40, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft of public money and three counts of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2017.
Mijal has lived in Malden with her children and their father since at least 2003. During that time, Mijal and her children’s father owned a house together and used the same address on their driver’s licenses, tax returns and other records.
During the same years, however, Mijal collected needs-based Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits on behalf of her child by telling the Social Security Administration that her child only lived with her and a sibling, and not with the child’s father. Social Security uses the household’s total income to determine whether someone is eligible for SSI benefits. As a result, Social Security did not count the father’s income when determining whether Mijal’s child was eligible for benefits. Mijal collected $87,053 in SSI benefits that she would not have received if she had reported that her children’s father was also part of the household. In a similar manner, Mijal collected $47,745 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and $41,435 in MassHealth benefits by failing to disclose that her children’s father lived with them.
The charge of theft of public money provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of making a false statement provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Suzanne M. Bump, State Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.