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14 August 2017
Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Making Arrangements to Send Tractor-Trailers Loaded with Narcotics from Sinaloa, Mexico Destined for San Diego, CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam L. Braverman (619) 546-6717 and Fred A. Sheppard (619) 546-8237
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 14, 2017
On the day scheduled for his trial, Jesus Manuel Salazar-Nunez entered a guilty plea before United States District Court Judge Dana M. Sabraw to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to import methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin into the United States from a place outside thereof, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960 and 963.
Jesus Manuel Salazar-Nunez was charged in a sealed indictment on September 15, 2015. A sealed arrest warrant was issued that same day. Salazar-Nunez was arrested the following day when he flew into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from Guadalajara, Mexico.
In 2015, Drug Enforcement Administration agents intercepted the communications of the defendant and others making arrangements for tractor-trailers to travel from Sinaloa, Mexico to Baja California, Mexico, carrying hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin among canned food and drinks, frozen shrimp and vegetable boxes and other household goods. Once they arrived at a Tijuana warehouse, the narcotics were unloaded, distributed to couriers and smuggled into San Diego, California. connection with the entry of his guilty plea, Salazar-Nunez admitted to making arrangements for four tractor-trailers that were seized by Mexican law enforcement, including: a tractor-trailer stopped on March 28, 2015, with a total of approximately 285 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3 kilograms of heroin and 11 kilograms of cocaine; two tractor-trailers stopped on April 28, 2015, with a total of approximately 422 kilograms of methamphetamine, 38 kilograms of heroin and 4 kilograms of cocaine; and a tractor-trailer stopped on August 21, 2015, with approximately 165 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Salazar-Nunez is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9 before Judge Sabraw.
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
DEFENDANT Criminal Case No. 15-CR-2380-DMS
Jesus Manuel Salazar-Nunez Age: 35
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960 and 963.
Penalties: Mandatory Minimum 10 years and Maximum Life in Prison, $10,000,000 fine, $100 Special Assessment, Supervised Release up to Life
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations
Customs and Border Protection Office of Border Patrol
San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center
Homeland Security Investigations
Internal Revenue Service
Driver who Fled Border Patrol and Crashed While Transporting Unauthorized Immigrants Sentenced to 48 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Heesch (619) 546-9442
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 14, 2017
SAN DIEGO – Miguel Angel Tejada-Loaiza was sentenced in federal court today to 48 months in prison for transporting unauthorized immigrants and in the process fleeing U.S. Border Patrol Agents and crashing his vehicle into a guard rail.
Tejada-Loaiza, himself a Mexican citizen without status in the United States, drove six other unauthorized immigrants near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after the group had unlawfully entered the United States. Two passengers were ejected from the vehicle and were hospitalized for several weeks with serious injuries.
On April 23, 2017, U.S. Border Patrol Agents spotted a Ford Expedition vehicle parked in an area where a seismic intrusion device had detected movement. An agent heard yelling coming from the vehicle and saw the driver, Tejada-Loaiza, signaling for people to enter the vehicle. Agents followed the Expedition in a marked Border Patrol unit and tried to pull the vehicle over. Tejada-Loaiza abruptly turned onto a north-bound road and sped up, failing to yield to the agents. Tejada-Loaiza reached speeds of approximately 75 miles per hour.
Tejada-Loaiza suddenly made a sharp turn, colliding with the end of the guardrail. The vehicle slid down an embankment, ejecting two passengers. One suffered major injuries that required emergency back surgery; he was on a ventilator in the hospital for over three weeks. The other was an unaccompanied minor who suffered lacerations on his face and body.
Tejada-Loaiza pleaded guilty to Illegal Transportation of Aliens for Financial Gain on May 23, 2017. In his plea, he acknowledged he knew he was in violation of immigration laws when he transported the six unauthorized immigrants in the vehicle. Tejada-Loaiza admitted the individuals he transported were paying others as much as $5,000 to be smuggled into the United States and transported illegally.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns focused on the “callous” nature of Tejada-Loaiza’s decisions and noted that of the alien smuggling cases he has seen over the years, “this case is at the very aggravated end of the spectrum.”
“Smuggling endangers not only those being transported illegally, but the general motoring public,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alana W. Robinson. “Smugglers commodify human beings, prioritizing profits over public safety. Our office will vigorously prosecute individuals who capitalize on the illegal smuggling of people into and within the United States.”
“The circumstances surrounding this case are tragic, and once again demonstrate the disregard for human life displayed by these smugglers,” said Chief Patrol Agent Richard A. Barlow, U.S. Border Patrol. “We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their hard work and dedication to punish the individuals who endanger the lives of so many people.”
DEFENDANT Case Number: 17CR1298-LAB
Miguel Angel Tejada-Loaiza Age: 21 Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Illegal Transportation of Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii); Maximum Penalty: 10 years in prison.
AGENCY
U.S. Border Patrol
Detroit man sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for involvement in heroin conspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man was sentenced today to 17 and a half years in federal prison for his role in a heroin conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Mark Steven Bush, Jr., 30, of Detroit, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Between November 2014 and June 8, 2016, Bush led a conspiracy with other individuals who either sold heroin for him, rented and purchased cars in their name for him, stored heroin and guns for him, or transferred proceeds of drug trafficking for him. During the conspiracy, those selling drugs for Bush would receive heroin on consignment or “front.” Bush would later receive proceeds from the sales. Bush enlisted the aid of others who permitted Bush to title cars in their names in exchange for payments of heroin. These individuals also provided transportation for Bush and those selling heroin on Bush’s behalf. Bush utilized another individual who made trips to Detroit to deliver money and transport heroin and oxymorphone pills back to Huntington on Bush’s behalf or on the behalf of individuals working with Bush. Bush also stored and distributed heroin at various residences in the Huntington area. In a search at 729 Oxford Drive on May 23, 2016, approximately 85 grams of heroin and four firearms were seized, all of which Bush admitted he possessed. As part of the plea agreement, Bush also admitted to the other drug trafficking activity charged in the indictment.
At today’s hearing, the Court found that Bush was responsible for the distribution of up to 10 kilograms of heroin in the Huntington area. The Court further found that Bush possessed firearms during the conspiracy, and that he served as a leader and organizer of at least five other participants.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution. The sentence was imposed by Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
This prosecution is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Council Bluffs Resident Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On August 11, 2017, Shawn Sidney Beu, 38, from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced heather Jean Reekrby United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 240 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel.
Beu pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on April 4, 2017. The guilty plea resulted from an investigation that began with a tip received by the Department of Homeland Security from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a cloud storage facility used by Beu contained child pornography. A search warrant served on Beu’s residence located numerous computer devices that contained images of child pornography; some of these images were determined to have been created by Beu in his residence. In addition to federal charges, Beu was convicted in Pottawattamie County District Court of several counts of sexual exploitation of a minor as a result of this investigation.
The Council Bluffs Police Department and Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected].
Colombian National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian national was sentenced on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017, in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Elkin Dario Macias Villa, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who immediately sentenced Macias Villa to time served and one year of supervised release. Macias Villa will be subject to deportation upon completion of state court proceedings for a drug trafficking charge.
Macias Elkin was encountered in Boston on May 17, 2017, after having been previously deported from the United States in March 2004.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine J. Wichers of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Cleveland Doctor Sentenced in Hospice Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – Robert H. Norman, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi; Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced that:
Dr. Nathaniel Brown, 62, of Cleveland, Mississippi, was sentenced Thursday, August 10, 2017 before United States District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. in Oxford, Mississippi. Dr. Brown was sentenced to serve thirty-nine (39) months in federal prison followed by three (3) years supervised release and ordered to pay $1,941,254 in restitution to the Medicare program.
In January, Dr. Brown pled guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1347 & 1349. Brown admitted to referring patients who were not hospice appropriate to Milestone Hospice and Sandanna Hospice which led to $1,941,254 in Medicare payments to Milestone and Sandanna. Brown also admitted to receiving $47,750 in payments by check from the hospice owner in addition to cash payments.
Dr. Brown is a corrupt doctor who participated in a hospice scam to exploit patients and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “The verdict today should send a clear message to dishonest medical professionals who abuse our health care system - they will be caught and face significant criminal charges.”
“Joint investigations continue to be indispensable in the fight against fraud in healthcare benefit programs,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “We will continue to work with our federal and state partners in this ongoing battle to protect the resources needed to serve our most vulnerable citizens.”
"It is important the Medicare fund is properly guarded against inappropriate billing by health care providers, and patients are receiving those services billed to Medicare,” said Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi. “The FBI will continue to take a strong stance against individuals who engage in health care fraud.”
This case was investigated jointly by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Clay Dabbs and Clay Joyner.
Charleston drug dealer sentenced to over five years in federal prison for heroin chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston heroin dealer was sentenced today to five years and three months in federal prison for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Albert Bowman, Jr., 40, previously pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin.
Bowman admitted that on July 5, 2016, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The controlled purchase took place inside Bowman’s residence on Russell Street in Charleston. Officers also executed a search warrant at the residence and located cash, additional drugs, and firearms. Bowman additionally admitted that he had distributed over 130 grams of heroin in the months leading up to the search warrant. As part of the plea agreement, Bowman also admitted to evidence of the other drug trafficking conduct charged in the indictment.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is responsible for the prosecution. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence.
This case was brought as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Canadian man charged with production of child pornography after meeting teen at Rocky River parkRead the Press Release
A Canadian man arrested at a park in Rocky River was charged in federal court with production of child pornography.
Joseph B. Haggerty, 49, was scheduled to be in court Monday afternoon.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Austin, Texas, received a tip that Haggerty had been soliciting nude images from children. Haggerty was scheduled to fly to Cleveland from Toronto on Thursday. HSI agents in Cleveland followed him upon his arrival in Ohio to Linden Park in Rocky River, where he met a minor female, according to a criminal affidavit.
Haggerty had a reservation at the Days Inn on Lake Avenue in Lakewood. He was carrying a bag with clothing, 12 condoms, a stuffed animal and a package of baby pacifiers, according to the affidavit.
The minor he met in Rocky River told agents she met Haggerty on Kik in December 2016 and they subsequently communicated via Skype. She said the calls would last hours and Haggerty would direct her to strip naked and engage in sexually explicit conduct, according to the affidavit.
The girl told her relatives she was going on a camping trip for the weekend but actually planned to go the Lakewood hotel with Haggerty, according to the affidavit.
HSI agents contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit, which executed search warrants at Haggerty’s home. They found nude images of the Ohio minor, contact information for the child in Texas, as well as evidence of an estimated five other potential victims.
“This defendant victimized at least one child and possibly many more,” Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja said. “This case is another stark reminder to parents that they need to know who their children are communicating with on social media and in real life.”
“Through our partnerships with state, local, federal and international law enforcement agencies, HSI will continue to vigorously investigate child exploitation cases like this one to ensure that special agents continue to serve as a powerful barrier between predators and children," said Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge of HSI’s Detroit Office, which includes Ohio.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by HSI’s Cleveland and Austin offices, with assistance from the Rocky River Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McDonough.
A charge is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Canadian 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 Lawrence Hong, 21, of Canada, who was convicted of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Felicetta, who handled the case, stated that on January 21, 2017, the defendant presented himself for inspection as a non-immigrant visitor to the United States from Canada at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. Hong was traveling alone in a 2016 Volkswagen that had an Ontario registration. The defendant told the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer performing the primary inspection that he was going to Buffalo to shop for a few hours at the mall and that he had nothing to declare. Despite his professed planned shopping trip, defendant had no explanation for the presence of his pet dog in the vehicle with him nor could the defendant provide details of what he intended to do with the dog while he was shopping.
Hong was referred for a secondary inspection during which a CBP officer ran a narcotics detection K-9 dog on the defendant’s vehicle. The officer opened the driver's side door of the vehicle and discovered a 9 mm handgun. During a full inspection the vehicle, $1,122.00 in cash as well as a piece of paper containing Xanax pills, hypodermic needles, and elastic bands were discovered.
Also during the secondary inspection, Hong told an officer that he was going to Ohio to purchase another firearm. The defendant also told the officer that the firearm discovered in his vehicle was previously purchased in the United States and illegally smuggled into Canada. Hong further admitted that he was a heroin addict who was undergoing methadone treatment.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
Canadian Man Arrested for Attepting to Ship Live Snakes Through the MailRead 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 Chaoyi Le, 28, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempt to export and send from the United States, seven live ball pythons and three live albino western hog-nosed snakes, contrary to United States laws and regulations. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that on February 28, 2014, the defendant had an encounter with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel in Chicago, IL while traveling from Toronto, Ontario to Shanghai, China. Le was found to be in possession of 55 live reptiles, many afforded protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). CITES is a treaty providing protection to fish, wildlife, and plants that may become imperiled due to the demands of international markets. The live reptiles possessed by the defendant included 19 ball pythons, eight surinam horned frogs, two tiger leg tree frogs, four red eye tree frogs, five crested geckos, four giant day geckos, a fisher chameleon, and 10 Jackson’s chameleons. Le was charged at that time by Violation Notice and paid a $5,000 fine.
The defendant was subsequently stopped on April 22, 2014, while entering Canada from the United States. At that time, he had three live albino western hog-nosed snakes hidden within his socks. Le, who indicated that he intended to mail the reptiles to China, failed to report for his appearance in federal court in September of 2014. However, on August 11, 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was notified that Le had boarded a flight from Shanghai, China, bound for Los Angeles, California. The defendant was arrested upon landing in California.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the direction of Honora Gordon, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region: and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski of the Boston Division.
Le made an initial appearance today in the Central District of California and will be returned to the Western District of New York at a later date.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.California Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead 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 Steven Bennett, 47 of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering before Senior U.S. District William M. Skretny. The charges carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2012, and January 18, 2013, the defendant conspired with others to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and over 500 grams of cocaine. Bennett had the illegal narcotics shipped from California to Buffalo. The drugs would then be distributed in the Buffalo area. During that time frame, the Drug Enforcement Agency utilized and eavesdropping warrant to intercept phone calls between Bennett and his co-conspirators.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 29, 2017, at 10:00 a.m., before Judge Skretny.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking 2 Minor GirlsRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON PRAWL, also known as “Boots,” 29, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 151 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking two minors to engage in sex.
According to court documents and statements made in court, PRAWL recruited, harbored and transported two minor victims to engage in commercial acts. In the summer of 2015, PRAWL began promoting a 17-year-old female to engage in prostitution. PRAWL arranged prostitution appointments for the victim that were priced at $60 for 10 minutes, $100 for 30 minutes, $150 to $200 for an hour, and $500 or more for longer than an hour. PRAWL kept all of the money that the victim earned.
Beginning in approximately December 2015, a second 17-year-old victim began to see prostitution clients at PRAWL’s residence. PRAWL used the website Backpage.com to advertise the minor victim’s services, and the victim saw approximately four clients a day for approximately 30 days. PRAWL took approximately $20 from each appointment, as well as money for gas and other expenses when he would drive the minor victim to appointments away from his residence.
The investigation revealed that PRAWL attempted to recruit a third minor into prostitution.
Judge Shea ordered PRAWL to pay restitution of $10,080 to the first minor victim and $2,500 to the second minor victim.
PRAWL has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on March 9, 2016. On May 9, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
This matter was investigated by the Connecticut Human Trafficking Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut State Police, Bridgeport Police Department and Milford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarala V. Nagala and David E. Novick.
Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Heroin to Monroe Overdose VictimRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CAREEM BENTLEY, also known as “C-Lows,” 34, of Bridgeport, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of distribution of heroin.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 23, 2016, Monroe Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Monroe on a report of a suspected drug overdose. At the scene, responders encountered an unresponsive 37-year-old male lying on the floor. The male was pronounced deceased. Investigators seized the victim’s cellphone, multiple folds of suspected heroin, and other items, and subsequently concluded that the victim purchased heroin from BENTLEY in the late evening of November 22, 2016.
BENTLEY was arrested on a criminal complaint on April 26, 2017, and is currently detained. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford on November 3, 2017, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and Monroe Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton, Milford, Monroe and Fairfield Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Bloods Gang Members Indicted for Racketeering, Attempted Murder, Assault and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A 14-count superseding indictment was unsealed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, charging members and associates of the Bloods street gang based in Roosevelt, Long Island with racketeering, conspiracy to murder rival gang members, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, three gang-related attempted murders, attempted robbery and related firearms counts. The indictment was returned under seal by a federal grand jury sitting in Central Islip, New York on August 8, 2017, and relates to the gang’s activities in and around Roosevelt beginning in 2008. The superseding indictment adds three new defendants, Jermaine Green, Johnny Green and Tysaan Robinson. Jermaine Green and Johnny Green, who are brothers, were arrested this morning in Roosevelt. Tysaan Robinson was already in state custody. The defendant Tyshawn Jackson is a fugitive.
The charges were announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Madeline Singas, Nassau County District Attorney, and Patrick J. Ryder, Acting Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD).
According to court filings, between 2008 and 2016, the defendants, along with other members and associates of the Bloods street gang, carried on a violent gang war against the Crips within Roosevelt, New York. Armed with an arsenal of weapons, including AK-47s, rifles and handguns, the Bloods engaged in dozens of shootings, targeting members of the rival Crips on the residential streets of Roosevelt. The indictment charges the defendants with several of the shootings, including three attempted murders on residential streets in broad daylight. To fund their activities, the defendants engaged in robberies and widespread narcotics trafficking, including dealing crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana, throughout Nassau County.
In a related investigation, between 2014 and 2017, the Office successfully prosecuted 20 members of the Rollin’ 60s Crips, the chief rival of the Bloods in Roosevelt, for offenses including racketeering, murder, robbery, witness tampering, drug trafficking and related firearm offenses. The leader and founder of the Rollin’ 60s Crips, Raphael Osborne, received three life sentences plus 135 years following his conviction after a five-week trial in 2016.
“As alleged, the actions of these gang members jeopardized the safety of the Roosevelt community, putting dozens of lives at risk. We will continue to work diligently to dismantle criminal organizations like the Bloods to provide safe communities for the people on Long Island,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. Ms. Rohde thanked the FBI Long Island Gang Task Force, NCPD Gang Investigations Squad and Nassau County District Attorney’s Office Special Operations Bureau for their assistance in the ongoing investigation. The FBI Long Island Gang Task Force also includes the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, Rockville Center Police Department, Suffolk County Probation Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Hempstead Police Department, New York State Police and Homeland Security Investigations.
“Gangs and their turf wars do more than just impact the gang members, their actions degrade and demoralize the communities where they operate,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “No one deserves to live in a world where they fear the drug dealers on the corner, and anticipate the next barrage of bullets flying by their windows at night. The FBI Long Island Gang Task Force and our law enforcement partners have had a long standing commitment to eradicating these dangerous criminals and their associates since 2003, and we won’t stop even when they attempt to rebuild after we take out their leadership.”
“For nearly a decade these alleged Bloods members terrorized the residents of Roosevelt as they fought a violent gang war against their rivals,” DA Singas said. “With this indictment, and continued focus and cooperation in law enforcement, we will break up these gangs and make our streets safer. I thank the U.S Attorney's Office, the FBI and Nassau County Police Department for their hard work in this investigation.”
“The recent indictments of these Blood gang members sends a direct message that there will be zero tolerance of their activities that place our residents at risk and create their criminal enterprise,” stated NCPD Acting Commissioner Ryder. “I would like to congratulate all of the agencies and personnel involved with this multi-jurisdictional investigation for a job well done."
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Gary R. Brown at the federal courthouse in Central Islip. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Michael Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
ALLAZEEM CARTER
Age: 29
Hempstead, New York
JERMAINE GREEN
Age: 26
Roosevelt, New York
JOHNNY GREEN
Age: 23
Roosevelt, New York
TYSHAWN JACKSON
Age: 25
Roosevelt, New York
DONALDSON JOSEPH
Age: 27
Hempstead, New York
TYSAAN ROBINSON
Age: 26
Freeport, New York
DAQUAN WAGNER
Age: 29
Roosevelt, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-106 (S-1) (JFB)
Bay Area Man Sentenced to Prison for Participating in Mortgage Fraud Scheme Involving Sacramento HouseRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Mahendra Prasad, 55, of Fremont, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $328,000 in restitution for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On May 22, 2017, Prasad pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud affecting a financial institution. According to court documents, in 2006, Prasad caused loan application packages that contained false statements to be submitted to a mortgage lender in order to buy a property in Sacramento. The false statements included statements concerning Prasad’s employer, income, and purported intention to occupy the property as his primary residence. Following his fraudulent purchase, Prasad, with the assistance of others, rented the property as Section 8 housing and collected rents. Prasad did not reside in or occupy the property as his primary residence.
In 2013, Prasad applied to a bank to sell the property to another person at a loss to the bank. He falsely claimed to the bank that the “short” sale was an “arm’s length” transaction, and that neither he nor the buyer were related by commercial enterprise. Prasad’s conduct caused a loss to a financial institution of approximately $328,000.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal III and Christopher D. Baker are prosecuting the case.
Co-defendants Jyoteshna Karan, Praveen Singh, Sunita Singh and Nani Isaac are scheduled for a jury trial in U.S. District Court in Fresno, on Monday, December 11, 2017. The charges against the four remaining defendants are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Bakersfield Man Sentenced for Structuring over $4.2 M in Proceeds of Synthetic Drug SalesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Ramsey Jeries Farraj, 41, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for conspiring with his former business partner, Majed Bashir “Mike” Akroush, 49, also of Bakersfield, to structure $4,204,965 obtained from the sale of smokeable synthetic drugs, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Smokable synthetic cannabinoids are commonly known as K-2 or spice. They are sometimes marketed as incense or potpourri but contain powerful hallucinogenic chemicals. Consumption of smokable synthetic cannabinoids can lead to illness or even death.
Farraj’s sentence follows his guilty plea in May. According to court documents, Farraj and Akroush obtained synthetic cannabinoids from Haitham Eid Habash, aka Eddie Habash, 54, of Hawthorne, and Zaid Elodat, 30, of Lawndale, and sold the drugs over the internet through their online businesses Blue Whale and World of Incense. They deposited over $4.2 million in proceeds in amounts under $10,000 into various bank accounts they maintained in order to avoid filing a currency transaction report, or CTR, that is required for amounts over $10,000.
In sentencing Farraj, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd ordered the forfeiture of over $5 million seized from various bank accounts, seven properties, a 1962 Chevrolet Impala, one Rolex watch, and the domain names and websites utilized to conduct the illicit drug sales.
The case is part of a nationwide synthetic drug takedown in connection with Project Synergy Phase III that targeted the synthetic designer drug industry, including wholesalers, money launderers and other criminal facilitators. In connection with this case, federal law enforcement officers arrested and charged Farraj, along with Akroush, Habash, and Elodat, and executed 12 search warrants in Bakersfield and the Los Angeles area. Over 1,000 pounds of synthetic drugs, nearly a half a million dollars in cash and four firearms were seized.
Elodat previously pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing later this year. The charges against Akroush and Habash are pending; they are scheduled to appear in federal court in Fresno for a status conference on September 25. If convicted, they face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. As to Akroush and Habash, the charges are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the California Highway Patrol, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the Kern County Probation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Bakersfield Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen A. Escobar, Grant B. Rabenn, and Jeffrey A. Spivak are prosecuting the case.
This case was also designated an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case. The OCDETF program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Ashland City Woman Facing Federal Charges for Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
Samantha Jean Thompson, 39, of Ashland City, Tenn. was arrested by FBI agents this morning, after being indicted by a federal grand jury last week on charges of bank fraud, wire fraud and identity theft, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the indictment, between May 2014 and October 2016, Thompson was employed as the office manager and bookkeeper of Builder's Supply Source, Inc., a cabinetry supply company in Nashville, Tenn. The indictment alleges that Thompson used her position to make fraudulent charges to American Express credit cards issued to company employees, utilizing the mobile payment application Square, Inc. Thompson renamed her account with Square to closely resemble the name of a legitimate vendor and then used Square to process cash transfers to her personal bank account. During this execution of this scheme, Thompson made fraudulent transfers 289 times that totaled more than $500,000.
If convicted, Thompson faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Siji Moore is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead 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 Shane Grafman, 33, of Phoenix, AZ, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and money laundering conspiracy, was sentenced to 108 months by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that in April 2009, Shane Grafman and co-defendant Jordan Ali began assisting one another in their drug distribution businesses. The defendants obtained the narcotics in the State of Arizona, and then utilized several methods to send the marijuana and cocaine to the Buffalo area, including cars, trucks, shipping crates, and United States Postal Service parcels. Grafman also utilized private jets to travel from Arizona to Buffalo to pick-up his drug proceeds.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately $1,000,000 in United States currency, including $671,385 from a hidden compartment within a Honda Ridgeline driven by Grafman.
A total of six defendants were arrested and convicted in this case.
Today’s sentencing is the culmination of investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James D. Robnett; United States Postal Service Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam Cohen; Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda; Erie County Sheriff's Department, under the direction of Sheriff Tim Howard; Niagara Frontier Transit Authority, under the direction of Chief George Gast; Tempe, Arizona Police Department; Apache County, Arizona Sheriff's Department; and the Oklahoma State Police.
Allentown Man Who Headed-Up A Large-Scale Heroin and Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Robert Estes, age 41, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 11, 2017, to 20 years’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for his role in a heroin and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that operated in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, during 2016.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Estes previously pleaded guilty and admitted to being a manager and supervisor of the conspiracy that was responsible for distributing between one and three kilograms of heroin (which is equivalent to between 40,000 and 120,000 retail bags of heroin), and between 350 and 500 grams of methamphetamine, in the Carbon County area during early 2016 through June 2016.
Judge Mannion also ordered Estes to serve four years on supervised release following his prison sentence.
Estes was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2016, as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police, and Allentown Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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12 August 2017
Singapore Executives Sentenced for Fraud in International Navy Corruption ScandalRead the Press Release
Two former executives of foreign defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) were sentenced on Friday for conspiring to submit bogus claims and invoices to the U.S. Navy in an effort to win contracts and overcharge the U.S. Navy by tens of millions of dollars as part of a years-long corruption and fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Alana W. Robinson of the Southern District of California, Director Andrew L. Traver of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Director Dermot F. O’Reilly of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) made the announcement.
Neil Peterson, 39, and Linda Raja, 44, both of Singapore, were sentenced to 70 and 46 months, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino of the Southern District of California. Both worked as chief deputies for GDMA, which was owned by Leonard Glenn Francis. Peterson served as the vice president for global operations for GDMA and Raja served as GDMA’s general manager for Singapore, Australia and the Pacific Isles.
Both defendants were arrested by authorities in Singapore at the request of the U.S. government and were extradited on Oct. 28, 2016. They each pleaded guilty in May 2017 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims.
According to admissions made as part of Peterson’s and Raja’s plea agreements, they and other members of GDMA’s management team created and submitted fraudulent bids that were either entirely fictitious, contained falsified prices supposedly from actual businesses, or fraudulently stated that the business shown on the letterhead could not provide the items or services requested. In this manner, Peterson, Raja and other members of GDMA’s core management team could ensure that GDMA’s quote would be selected by the U.S. Navy as the supposed low bidder. GDMA could thus control and inflate the prices charged to the U.S. Navy without any true, competitive bidding, as required, they admitted.
Peterson and Raja admitted that they and other members of the GDMA management team knowingly created and approved fictitious port authorities with fraudulently inflated port tariff rates, and approved the presentation of such fraudulent documents to the U.S. Navy. GDMA thus charged inflated prices to the U.S. Navy, rather than what GDMA actually paid to the bona fide port authorities.
For example, Peterson and Raja admitted that for the visit of the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, in or about October 2012, under the direction of Peterson and other members of GDMA's core management team, false documents and inflated invoices were presented to the U.S. Navy. The full amount billed to the U.S. Navy for this visit was $1,232,858, of which approximately $877,413 was fraudulently inflated, Peterson and Raja admitted.
Peterson and Raja admitted that losses to the U.S. Navy exceeded $34,800,000 as a result of this scheme.
So far, 17 of 27 defendants charged in the U.S. Navy bribery and fraud scandal have pleaded guilty. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The DCIS, NCIS and the Defense Contract Audit Agency are investigating. Assistant Chief Brian R. Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher and Patrick Hovakimian of the Southern District of California and are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter.
Joint Statement from United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Civil Rights DivisionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle has released the following statement in conjunction with the FBI and DOJ’s Civil Rights Division:
“The Richmond FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia have opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances of the deadly vehicular incident that occurred earlier Saturday morning. The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence and will ensure that the investigation is conducted in a fair, thorough and impartial manner. As this is an ongoing investigation we are not able to comment further at this time.”
11 August 2017
Yuba County Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Earnest Marshall Badman, 31, of Marysville, pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in January 2016 and February 2016, Badman executed a scheme to defraud banks by using credit cards and checks and identification documents of others obtained from stolen mail and burglaries.
On February 9, 2016, Badman was arrested after a high speed chase in a stolen vehicle in Colusa County. The vehicle pursuit ended in the backyard of an Arbuckle home. Badman attempted to flee on foot but was arrested. At the time of his arrest, Badman possessed burglary tools, credit cards in the names of others, and stolen mail. He possessed the mail and identity information of over 40 victims and over 15 different access devices and credit cards for fraudulent use.
This case is the product of an investigation of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Yuba County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, Butte County Sheriff’s Office, and the Yuba County Probation Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Badman is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on November 3, 2017. Badman faces a minimum mandatory penalty of two years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Woman Charged for Defrauding Donors of over $50,000 by Misrepresenting That She Had Terminal CancerRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Emil Califano, Chief of the Village of Ardsley Police Department, announced today charges against VEDOUTIE HOOBRAJ, a/k/a “Shivonie Deokaran,” for allegedly engaging in a scheme to defraud donors through false representations that she had been diagnosed with terminal leukemia and needed money to pay for her treatments. HOOBRAJ was arrested in Orlando, Florida this morning and will be presented before a Magistrate Judge in the Middle District of Florida.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Vedoutie Hoobraj allegedly concocted an elaborate story about having cancer when she did not, using GoFundMe pages and accepting money raised by a local high school, all supposedly to fund her medical care. Hoobraj even falsified medical records for donors to conceal the fraud. I commend our law enforcement partners for thwarting this allegedly brazen fraud.”
Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Vedoutie Hoobraj went to great lengths to hide behind her self-fabricated cancer diagnosis. Not only did she allegedly allow the people of her community to hold fundraisers on her behalf, including a local high school football team, but sat idly by as they showered her and her family with their love, money, and unwavering support. To further aggravate the matter, as alleged, she actively peddled her story in an effort to make more money; falsely claimed that she received treatment from legitimate doctors and hospitals; and produced fake test results to support her claims. Hoobraj's alleged crime is not only an injustice to those who were kind enough to help her, but also to those who do truly need the support of their communities and may now be met with suspicion because of Hoobraj’s alleged behavior.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
Beginning in at least about October 2014 and through at least March 2016, in Westchester County, New York, and elsewhere, HOOBRAJ engaged in a scheme that solicited donations through fraudulent representations that she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and needed money for living and medical expenses.
HOOBRAJ obtained donations from donors through checks and fund transfers to two GoFundMe fundraising websites set up in October 2014 and August 2015 on her behalf. The GoFundMe websites represented, among other things, that HOOBRAJ was diagnosed with leukemia and given eighteen months to live, and that HOOBRAJ’s family was suffering financial burdens from her chemotherapy treatments and other medical and living expenses. HOOBRAJ publicized the sites in online posts and emails, among other means.
As alleged in the Complaint, HOOBRAJ received in excess of $50,000 in donations from over 300 individuals in Ardsley, New York, and elsewhere based on these and other related misrepresentations. Between October 2014 and December 2015, HOOBRAJ transferred a total of approximately $32,600 from an Ohio bank account operated by GoFundMe’s payment processor vendor to HOOBRAJ’s bank account in New York. In or about November 2015, HOOBRAJ deposited two donation checks totaling $16,274 from the Student Activity Fund of Ardsley High School, in Ardsley, New York, representing proceeds of a fundraising event organized in part by a donor (“Individual-1”). HOOBRAJ also deposited other donation checks.
In an interview with a detective at the Ardsley Police Department on or about January 20, 2016, HOOBRAJ stated, among other things, that she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer by a specified doctor at Sloan Kettering Medical Center who died in an earthquake in Nepal in April 2015, was currently being treated by another specified doctor, and had also gone to “Mount Kisco Medical Center” and “Bronx Lebanon Hospital” for treatments. However, as alleged in the Complaint, HOOBRAJ had never been treated by these doctors and medical centers.
In or about March 2016, in an effort to prove that she had cancer, HOOBRAJ used the online messaging platform Facebook Messenger to send Individual-1 a screenshot of HOOBRAJ’s purported laboratory tests from a January 29, 2016, examination at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, New York (“Jacobi”). The results presented by HOOBRAJ appeared to indicate that her hemoglobin, platelet counts, and red blood cell counts were all outside the stated normal ranges. Records obtained from Jacobi as part of this investigation, however, revealed that the document sent by HOOBRAJ was a forgery, and that the actual medical record previously provided by Jacobi to HOOBRAJ stated, “Your labs turned out to show no abnormalities.”
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VEDOUTIE HOOBRAJ, a/k/a “Shivonie Deokaran,” 38, of Orlando, Florida, has been charged in the Complaint with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the FBI and the Ardsley Police Department. Mr. Kim also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Williamsport Man Charged with Possession of A Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Joseph Santore Coleman, Jr., age 36, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 10, 2017, by a federal grand jury for possession of a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol after being convicted for a felony offense.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Coleman possessed a Bryco Arms, Jennings Nine, 9mm semi- automatic pistol on May 7, 2014.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecution has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel.
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.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Waterloo Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Wayne J. Jones, II, 38, from Waterloo, Iowa, has been charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and unlawful drug user. The charge is contained in an Indictment filed August 9, 2017, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that, on or about April 12, 2017, Jones possessed a 9mm handgun, 10 rounds of hollow point ammunition, and 49 rounds of 20 gauge shotgun ammunition.
If convicted, Jones faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Jones is currently in custody in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, completing service of a sentence imposed there in July of this year based upon his prior violation of terms of probation imposed in that County in 2002 following Jones’ convictions for battery and disorderly conduct.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard L. Murphy and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-02058-LRR.
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Washington man sentenced to eight years in prison for traveling across the country with teen to engage her in commercial sexRead the Press Release
A Washington man was sentenced to eight years in prison for transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.
Tyrell L. Moss, 33, knowingly transported a child identified as T.C. for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Moss transported T.C. from Washington state to Beachwood by way of California, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and Illinois, with the intent that T.C. would engage in commercial sex acts, according to court documents.
This took place between September and October 14, 2016, according to court documents.
The case was investigated as part of Operation Cross Country by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, Cleveland Division of Police, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Adult Parole Authority and Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
Virginia man sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for role in conspiracy to commit armed robberyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Virginia man, Jamaa I. Johnson, 36, of Wytheville, was sentenced today to over 19 years in federal prison after being convicted by a federal jury, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Johnson was convicted after a nearly three week jury trial in January 2015 for his role in a conspiracy to commit armed home invasions of drug dealers. Johnson and his co-defendant, Darrell Gillespie, were both found guilty of conspiracies to commit armed robbery and to use firearms in crimes of violence, as well as obstruction of justice charges.
The conspiracy involved armed robberies dating back to the fall of 2011 in Pittsburgh. Johnson’s co-defendant, Darrell E. Gillespie, who is still awaiting sentencing, joined by others involved in the conspiracy, traveled to Pittsburgh to rob a drug dealer. After the robbery, the men came back to Charleston to split up marijuana stolen in the robbery. Over the next four months, Johnson, Gillespie, or their co-conspirators, participated in six more robberies in West Virginia and Virginia. All involved firearms, and during a January 18, 2012, robbery in Charleston, the victim was shot in the leg and stabbed.
Johnson was also found guilty of witness tampering for attempting to use his ex-girlfriend to craft a false alibi. His ex-girlfriend testified at trial that Johnson sent her a letter requesting her to “please get this prepared” and “I need you to really remember that trip you took to see me.” He was referring to a fake trip to Richmond, but it was confirmed that trip never happened, and that she drove him instead to Charleston on January 18, 2012, the day of the robbery, so he could destroy evidence.
Gillespie faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Charleston Police Department, and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica D. Coleman and Meredith George Thomas are in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence and presided over the trial.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office indicts former Avoyelles Correctional Center warden, wife on fraud chargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that the former warden for the Avoyelles Correctional Center and his wife were indicted for fraud.
Nathan Burl Cain II, 50, and Tonia Bandy Cain, 42, both of Moreauville, La., were indicted by a federal grand jury on 18 charges. Count one charges conspiracy to commit wire fraud and counts two through 18 charge wire fraud. According to the indictment, Nathan Cain was the warden of Avoyelles Correctional Center located in Cottonport, La., and Tonia Cain served as the manager of the business office of the facility. They are accused of using Louisiana Department of Corrections credit cards to purchase items for personal use while misrepresenting that the items were bought for official use between December of 2012 and January 2016. The defendants are also accused of structuring purchases.
The defendants face up to 20 years in prison, five years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine per count, and forfeiture in the amount of $152,364.69. An arraignment date has not been set.
The FBI and the Louisiana Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David J. Ayo are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two Sentenced for Crack Distribution and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Concord, N.H.—John J. Farley, Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, announced that Victor Alvarado, 29, was sentenced to 64 months in prison and Brandin Melendez, 33, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine base, or “crack,” in Manchester in 2016 and for firearms crimes.
According to court documents and statements made at the sentencing hearing, on several occasions in July and August 2016, Alvarado and Melendez sold crack cocaine to an individual working with investigators. On each occasion, Alvarado would arrange the deals and provide the narcotics while Melendez would take the payment. On August 30, 2016, Alvarado and Melendez also sold the same individual a sawed off shotgun.
In December 2016, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Alvarado and Melendez and investigators obtained search warrants to search their residences. At Alvarado’s residence, investigators recovered three firearms, including a stolen AR-15 model weapon with a high capacity, 30-round magazine.
In April 2017, Alvarado and Melendez each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Alvarado, who was a previously convicted felon, also pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of a firearm.
In addition to their prison sentences, Alvarado and Melendez were ordered to serve three years of supervised release when they are released from custody.
This case was investigated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. Other and state and local authorities involved in the investigation included the Manchester Police Department, the Hudson Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Nashua Police Department, and the New Hampshire Department of Corrections Probation and Parole. Investigators also received the invaluable assistance of DEA-NH/HIDTA. Assistance was also provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.
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Two Riviera Beach Men Charged with Stealing Sea Turtle EggsRead the Press Release
Two Riviera Beach men were arrested and charged with stealing sea turtle eggs from a St. Lucie County beach.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Andrew Aloise, Resident Agent in Charge Florida, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); and Major Olin Rondeau, South A Regional Commander, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) made the announcement.
Carl Lawrence Cobb, 60, of Riviera Beach, is charged by indictment with two counts of transporting sea turtle eggs for the purpose of sale, in violation of the Lacey Act, Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(a)(1) and 3373(d)(1)(B), and two counts of violating the Endangered Species Act by possessing the eggs, in violation of Title 16, Sections 1538(a)(1)(G) and 1540(b)(1). Raymond Saunders, 50, also of Riviera Beach, is charged by indictment with one count of transporting sea turtle eggs for the purpose of sale and one count of violating the Endangered Species Act by possessing the eggs. If convicted of their respective charges, the defendants face up to five years in prison for each Lacey Act violation and up to twelve months in prison for the Endangered Species Act violations.
According to the court record, on May 5, 2017, a concerned citizen reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that a man was disturbing sea turtle nests on North Hutchinson Island. A law enforcement investigation revealed that Cobb had removed over 200 eggs from two sea turtle nests. On May 24, 2017, law enforcement officials observed Cobb and Saunders remove approximately 469 sea turtle eggs from nests on North Hutchinson Island. Cobb and Saunders were arrested as they were transporting the eggs to Palm Beach County. The recovered eggs were relocated by marine biologists in the hope that some of them will yield hatchlings.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of USFWS and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Butler and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel E. Funk.
An indictment is only an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Two Federal Inmates Charged with Possession of WeaponsRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dion Antwain Kinnear, age 29, and Kristian Torres, age 31, both prisoners at United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg (USP Lewisburg), were indicted separately on August 10, 2017, by a federal grand jury for possessing weapons in prison.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictments allege that Kinnear was found in possession of an improvised “shank” during a search conducted on May 27, 2017. Torres was found in possession of multiple “shanks” on June 15, 2017.
The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan VanFleet is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Both defendants are facing a maximum of five years of incarceration and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Two Albuquerque Residents Sentenced and Another Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Arising Out of ATF-Led Operation Targeting Drug Trafficking and Firearms Crime in Bernalillo CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – In Aug. 2016, a multi-agency investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) concluded with the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. To date, 69 of the 104 defendants charged as the result of this investigation have entered guilty pleas and 33 of them have been sentenced.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
This week, two Albuquerque residents who were charged as the result of the investigation were sentenced in federal court. Jesse James Davis, 40, was sentenced on Aug. 10, 2017, to 135 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Richard Lucero, 37, who was charged in two indictments, also was sentenced on Aug. 10, 2017, to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Another Albuquerque resident, Anthony Barela, 34, pled guilty on Aug. 3, 2017, to a methamphetamine charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Davis and his co-defendant, Joshua Bright, 32, were indicted on June 30, 2016, with conspiracy and distributing methamphetamine on June 6, 2016. Bright also was charged with distributing methamphetamine on June 14, 2016. On Feb. 17, 2017, Davis pled guilty to distributing methamphetamine, and admitted selling 115 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent on June 6, 2016. Bright has entered a plea of not guilty to the indictment and is pending trial.
Lucero and co-defendant Benjamin Marquez, 42, were charged with methamphetamine and heroin trafficking offenses in a five-count indictment filed in July 2016. The indictment charged the two men with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from May 6, 2016 through June 1, 2016, and distributing methamphetamine in May and June 2016. Marquez pled guilty on May 1, 2017, and is pending sentencing. A second indictment charged Lucero and co-defendants Waldo Nahle, 35, and Abel Perea, 29, with firearms and methamphetamine trafficking offenses. Lucero pled guilty to both indictments on Jan. 5, 2017, and admitted distributing methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent on May 6, 2016 and July 13, 2016. Perea pled guilty on Dec. 27, 2016, and is pending sentencing. Nahle has entered a plea of not guilty to the indictment and is pending trial.
Barela and co-defendants Guajira Maya Lovato, 44, Janet Bowman, 40, and Juan Jose Rivas, 33, were charged by indictment in July 2016, with a methamphetamine trafficking offense. The indictment later was superseded to add a fifth defendant, Maria Citlaly Beltran-Ahumada, 37, and another methamphetamine trafficking charge. The superseding indictment charged the five defendants with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from June 21, 2016 through Aug. 9, 2016, and with distributing methamphetamine on June 22, 2016. On Aug. 3, 2017, Barela pled guilty to an information charging him with distributing methamphetamine. Lovato and Rivas each pled guilty on July 27, 2017, and are pending sentencing hearings. Beltran Ahumada pled guilty on June 9, 2017, and was sentenced on June 26, 2017 to time served. Bowman has entered a plea of not guilty and is pending trial.
Thirty of the defendants charged as the result of the ATF investigation have entered not guilty pleas to the charges against them. Charges in indictments are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. The case against Davis was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo; the case against Lucero was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez; and the case against Barela is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano Torrez.
Twelve Members of the Conservative Vice Lords/Concrete Cartel Street Gang Were Indicted for Federal Racketeering (RICO), Business and Pharmacy Robberies, and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Twelve members of the Conservative Vice Lords/Concrete Cartel Street Gang, a nation-wide street gang with its origin and home base in Chicago, Illinois, were charged in a federal indictment for Racketeering (RICO), business and pharmacy robberies and drug trafficking. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the indictment today.
The indictment alleges that the Concrete Cartel and its members operate mainly in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee and North Mississippi. Its leadership consists of a regional/southern leader, a state-wide leader, a city-wide leader and community/division leaders in the areas of (Whitehaven, Orange Mound, East Memphis, South Memphis and North Memphis). Within the organization/street gang, there are different areas of responsibilities or roles: Ministers of Command, Chief Violators, Chiefs of Security, Chief Enforcers, Ministers of Literature, Lieutenants and foot soldiers. Members rise to these positions through acts of violence, including but not limited to: shootings, robbing, and drug and human trafficking. The Concrete Cartel encourages robbing businesses, mainly pharmacies, to take opioids and other Schedule II controlled substances to enrich themselves and the membership.
Davante Turner, William Pinkney, Markease Alexander, Nernest Nesby, Lashawn Shannon, Tondwin Lewis, Arterrious McCalleum, Travon Jones, Rickey Bell, Ariq Eric Rayford, Clemeko Dewayne Starks Jr., and Darnell Trevon Jordan are charged with committing multiple acts of business robberies while using firearms. The indictment alleges that on occasion the Concrete Cartel robbed pharmacies and would later distribute and sell the stolen opioids or controlled substances on the streets of Memphis and elsewhere. Along with the RICO charge, the defendants were also indicted for their participation in the following business robberies, using firearms:
On July 18, 2015, Davante Turner and others robbed CVS Pharmacy at 786 N. Germantown Parkway, Memphis, Tennessee. During this robbery, Turner and others took the following drugs: Oxycodone, Fentanyl and Methylphenidate.
On February 15, 2016, Ariq Eric Rayford, Clemeko Dewaye Starks Jr., and Darnell Trevon Jordan robbed Walgreens Pharmacy at 4653 Elvis Presley Blvd., Memphis, Tennessee. Rayford, Starks Jr., and Jordan attempted to take Roxicodone drugs.
On April 30, 2016,
Travon Jones, Nernest Nesby and Arterrious McCalleum robbed Mojo Vapors at 6522 Quince, Memphis, Tennessee; Exxon Mobil Gas Station at 6021 Mt. Moriah, Memphis, Tennessee; and CVS Pharmacy at 6620 Winchester Road, Memphis, Tennessee.
On May 1, 2016,
Travon Jones, Nernest Nesby and Arterrious McCalleum robbed Circle K at 7195 Winchester Road, Memphis, Tennessee, and Exxon at 6455 E. Shelby Drive, Memphis, Tennessee.
On July 22, 2016, Markease Alexander and others robbed CVS Pharmacy at 786 N. Germantown Parkway, Memphis, Tennessee. During the robbery, Alexander and others took the following drugs: Oxycodone, Oxymorphine and Oxymorphone. Lashawn Shannon distributed the drugs for Alexander and others.
On November 1, 2016, Markease Alexander, Ricky Bell and others robbed CVS Pharmacy at 2115 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. Bell, Alexander and others took the following drugs: Oxycodone and Acetaminophen, Dextroamphetamine, Oxycodone, Methylphenidate, Lisdexamfetamine and Oxycodone Hydrochloride.
On July 5, 2017, Davante Levert Turner, Tondwin Lewis and William Pinkney robbed CVS Pharmacy at 6620 Winchester Road, Memphis, Tennessee. Turner, Lewis and Pinkney attempted to take Roxicodone drugs.
The indictment is the result of an extensive investigation which began in 2015 by federal, state and local law enforcement officials into the Conservative Vice Lords/Concrete Cartel. This investigation entailed the recovery or seizures of thousands of opioids or controlled substances before the defendants distributed the drugs on the streets.
Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney, Western District of Tennessee, said, "Today’s indictment serves to demonstrate the commitment of our office and our law enforcement partners to curtail the onslaught of business robberies and to eradicate the violent criminal element from the Western District of Tennessee. As we have previously stated, gang activity will not be tolerated."
"Gangs will not run our city. We will continue to weed out the criminal elements that surround gang motivated crimes, and we will fully support our state and federal partners in prosecuting criminals to the fullest extent of the law" said Michael Rallings, Director, Memphis Police Department.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Street Task Force and the Multi-Agency Gang Unit of the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Whitmore is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Three More Indicted for Armed Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that three more defendants have been indicted for their roles in a three-months-long conspiracy that included at least 27 armed robberies, culminating in the armed robbery of a Walgreens in Blue Springs, Mo., in which a suspect was fatally shot by law enforcement officers.
Kevin Thompson-Randell, also known as “Kilo Ali,” 22, and Demetrius Nelson, 24, both of Kansas City, Mo., and Frank Garner, Jr., also known as “Fonzi,” 23, of Grandview, Mo., were charged in a 36-count second superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017. That indictment was unsealed and made public today; all of the defendants have been arrested.
The second superseding indictment replaces a superseding indictment that was returned on Aug. 10, 2016, and includes additional charges.
The second superseding indictment contains the original charges against Shannon R. Thomas, 27, of Shawnee, Kan., and Deonte J. Collins-Abbott, 22, and Parrise K. Black, also known as “Kilo,” 25, both of Grandview. Thomas, Collins-Abbott and Black have been in federal custody without bond since their arrests.
The federal indictment alleges that all six co-defendants participated in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed robberies between Jan. 2 and March 24, 2016. According to court documents, conspirators participated in at least 27 armed robberies over a period of less than three months; 17 of those robberies are charged in the indictment.
New Charges Added in the Second Superseding Indictment
In addition to three new co-defendants, the second superseding indictment also contains new charges related to six additional armed robberies.
Thompson-Randell and Thomas are charged together in one count of armed robbery of Moonlight Adult Boutique, 8801 E. Truman Rd., Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 29, 2016. They are also charged together in one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Nelson and Thomas are charged together in four counts of armed robbery. They allegedly robbed Valero Express, 1331 E. Bannister Rd., Kansas City, Mo., on March 9, 2016; Sonic, 4520 Blue Parkway, Kansas City, Mo., on March 9, 2016; World of Wine and Spirits, 1722 W. 39th St., Kansas City, Mo., on March 10, 2016; and Phillips 66, 1509 W. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo., on March 10, 2016. They are also charged together in four counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of those crimes.
Thomas is charged with one count of armed robbery of Conoco, 4656 Prospect Ave., Kansas City, Mo., on March 15, 2016, and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to that crime of violence. According to court documents, a victim was shot during this robbery.
Garner and Thomas are charged together in one count of armed robbery of a Conoco station, 4516 E. 39th St., Kansas City, Mo., on March 15, 2016. They are also charged together in one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. (Thomas was previously charged alone with the Conoco robbery.)
Fatal Shooting During Walgreen’s Robbery
Thomas and Collins-Abbott are charged together with the armed robbery of the Walgreens located at 9th and Duncan in Blue Springs on March 24, 2016. They are also charged together with possessing and brandishing a firearm in relation to that crime. Thomas is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Thomas allegedly possessed a Springfield Armory semi-automatic pistol.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance that day on Thomas and Collins-Abbott as part of the investigation into a series of armed robberies at area businesses.
On March 24, 2016, according to the affidavit, Thomas, Collins-Abbot and Jermon Seals of Shawnee, Kan., confronted a Walgreens employee outside the business and forced the employee inside at gunpoint. Once inside, the affidavit says, one of the robbers placed a firearm to the back of the employee’s head and took money from the front register. The other two robbers went over the pharmacy counter and took prescription grade cough syrup at gunpoint from the pharmacist. They left the business but were confronted by law enforcement officers as they were walking back to the vehicle. They failed to comply with the officers’ commands, according to the affidavit, and turned towards the officers, pointing a gun in their direction. Officers returned fire and Seals was struck in the exchange. Collins-Abbott and Thomas were apprehended by officers after a short foot pursuit.
Previous Charges Continued in the Second Superseding Indictment
Thomas and Collins-Abbott also are charged together in one count of armed robbery of Phillips 66, 8111 E. 87th St., Raytown, Mo., on March 2, 2016. They are also charged together in one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of that crime of violdence.
Thomas and Black are charged together in one count of armed robbery of Shell, 3786 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo., on March 20, 2016, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of that crime of violence.
Collins-Abbot and Black are charged together in two counts of armed robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in relation to those crimes. They allegedly robbed QuikTrip, 16501 E. U.S. 40 Hwy., Independence, Mo., on Feb. 3, 2016; and Pour Boys, 2601 Chouteau, North Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 3, 2016.
Thomas also is charged with one count of armed robbery of Midwest Title Loan, 330 W. 85th St., Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 19, 2016, and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to that crime of violence.
Collins-Abbott also is charged with five counts of armed robbery and five counts of possessing and brandishing a firearm in relation to those crimes. Collins-Abbott allegedly robbed Worlds Liquor and Tobacco, 1901 NE Russell Rd., Kansas City, Mo., on March 7, 2016; Conoco, 4516 E. 39th St., Kansas City, Mo., on March 8, 2016; and Dollar General, 5100 Blue Ridge Cutoff, Kansas City, Mo., on March 21, 2016.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Caine and David Raskin. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the North Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Three Cuban Nationals Charged with Access Device Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the Indictment of three Cuban nationals, charging them all with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and two defendants with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
YUSNIEL HERNANDEZ PEREZ, age 32; YADIER ALUIJAS FERNANDEZ, age 30; and HENRY DAVID MARTINEZ, age 21, Cuban nationals who resided in the State of Texas, were charged yesterday with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. PEREZ and FERNANDEZ are both charged with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the Indictment, the three defendants traveled to Jefferson Parish in the same car on July 24, 2017. They are all alleged to have used counterfeit cards to make purchases at a local merchant. On that same day, FERNANDEZ is alleged to have hidden approximately 45 counterfeit access devices in a sock hidden on his person. For his part, defendant PEREZ is alleged to have hidden approximately twelve cards in his shoe.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the Indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilty of the defendant must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of the charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, PEREZ, FERNANDEZ and MARTINEZ face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. If convicted of the charges of access device fraud, PEREZ and FERNANDEZ face a statutory maximum of ten years in prison. If convicted of the charges of aggravated identity theft, PEREZ and FERNANDEZ face a consecutive mandatory term of two years in prison. Each defendant also faces substantial monetary penalties, supervised release, and restitution upon conviction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans commended Special Agents of the United States Secret Service and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, who investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden Brockett is in charge of the prosecution.
Ten Defendants Plead Guilty in $1 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that 10 defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to a $1 million conspiracy to distribute at least 30 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Travis Lee Bethel, 46, of Urbana, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert E. Larson today to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and a related money-laundering conspiracy.
Kenneth Bryant Lake, 56, of Strafford, Mo.; Jake Ian Nixon, 20, and Scott Bryan Sands, 52, both of Springfield, Mo.; and Jerry Lee Brown, 43, of Lebanon, Mo.; also pleaded guilty this week to the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies. Nixon also pleaded guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Kara Rene Baze, 23, of Springfield; Breann Nicole Hall, 25, of Ozark, Mo.; Tara L. Harken, 45, of Marion, Ill.; and Cindy Ann Nevatt, 63, of Gulf Shores, Ala.; each pleaded guilty this week to crossing state lines in aid of racketeering enterprises.
Michelle Vanne Gray, 50, of Springfield, pleaded guilty on Aug. 2, 2017, to maintaining drug-involved premises.
Investigators with the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration identified Lake as the original head of the organization coordinating vehicle transport shipments of methamphetamine to Springfield for distribution, as well as shipments of cash drug proceeds out of the area. Lake and Sands also coordinated shipments of methamphetamine and drug proceeds by mail and parcel service to and from the Springfield area.
Lake, Bethel, Sands and Brown admitted their involvement in distributing more than five kilograms of methamphetamine and collecting drug proceeds for the methamphetamine that was delivered.
Bethel also provided co-conspirators with salvage title vehicles, which were traded for methamphetamine and/or paid for with drug proceeds. Bethel assisted in repairing the vehicles, again paid for with the proceeds of drug-trafficking.
Nixon admitted his involvement in the distribution of more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. On July 15, 2015, Nixon was arrested by Springfield police officers for possession of approximately three ounces of methamphetamine and a .32-caliber handgun. Nixon had been purchasing quarter-pound quantities of methamphetamine in Springfield every other day for $3,400.
Nixon was arrested four more times between Jan. 18 and June 9, 2016, for possessing methamphetamine. On three of those occasions, Nixon was also in possession of a firearm.
Brown distributed methamphetamine to numerous people and recruited one of his family members to assist with transporting methamphetamine into the Springfield area.
Conspirators sent shipments of methamphetamine via U.S. Postal Service parcels to Gray’s residence. Gray admitted that she accepted at least three packages at her residence with the agreement to store the packages there until co-conspirators retrieved the packages from her residence. Gray was aware that the packages contained methamphetamine.
Baze, Hall, Harken and Nevatt each admitted that she facilitated the drug-trafficking conspiracy by traveling across state lines. Each of them also admitted that she moved and stored property purchased with drug proceeds or used in the money-laundering and drug-tracking conspiracies, stored drug proceeds, and rented and paid for rooms, cars, or other facilities used in the conspiracies.
Under the terms of their plea agreements, Lake, Bethel, Nixon, Sands and Brown must forfeit to the government up to $1,060,070, which represents the proceeds of drug trafficking based on a conservative average street price of $1,000 per ounce of 90 percent pure methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 30 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Under federal statutes, Bethel is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Lake, Sands and Brown are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Nixon is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Gray is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Baze, Hall, Harken and Nevatt are each subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole.
The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Seven Indicted for Drug Conspiracy in Scotland Neck, N.C.Read the Press Release
WILMINGTON The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina John Stuart Bruce announced today that alleged members and associates of the Sex, Money, Murder (SMM) Scotland Neck-area Bloods street gang, have been indicted for conspiring to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute heroin.
The 15-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on June 27, 2017. The indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute heroin; distribution and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and aiding and abetting; possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin; distribution of a quantity of heroin; and felon in possession of a firearm.
The defendants include:
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MARKELL DESETTAN WIGGINS, aka Kell, aka Killa, 31;
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BO’NEKA SARELL McDANIEL, 27;
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REGINALD SAVAGE, aka Whimp, 46;
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COLLIN LEE WHITAKER JR., aka BJ, 23;
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KEVIN DWAYNE CARSWELL, aka K Rock, 30;
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DANTEE BROWN, aka Tay, 35;
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SHANTA VENITA HINES, 27.
With the exception of HINES, who was released on pretrial conditions, all of the defendants charged in the indictment are in custody pending trial.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tar River Regional Drug Task Force, a multi-agency task force; North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement; Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office; Halifax County Sheriff’s Office; Pinetops Police Department; Scotland Neck Police Department; Tarboro Police Department; Rocky Mount Police Department; and Nash County Sheriff’s Office. The federal prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Dena King.
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Santa Fe Man Sentenced for Conviction on Federal False Statements ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Arthur Herlihy, 68, of Santa Fe, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to three years of supervised release for his conviction on making a false statement to a bank. Herlihy was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
Herlihy and co-defendant Bruce Beckner, 54, a U.S. citizen currently residing in Honduras, were charged in a five-count indictment filed on June 24, 2015. The indictment alleged that in 2007, Beckner recruited Herlihy to join him in developing a business plan and securing financing to renovate a truck stop in Deming, N.M. The indictment further alleged fraudulent conduct in the operation of the truck stop, including making false statements to a bank for the purpose of obtaining a business loan.
On Feb. 3, 2017, Herlihy pled guilty to an information charging him with making a false statement to a bank. In entering the guilty plea, Herlihy acknowledged that he previously was employed by a truck stop business in Deming that was owned by several limited liability companies. Herlihy admitted that in February 2010, while employed by the truck stop business, he signed several documents in connection with a loan transaction with 1st New Mexico Bank, including a commercial security agreement that identified the truck stop’s liquor license as part of the collateral for the loan. Herlihy obtained the loan knowing that the truck stop business did not own the liquor license outright, but still owed money to the seller of the license from a transaction that occurred in December 2008. Herlihy made a false statement to the bank when he represented that the liquor license was free and clear of any liens or lawsuits. Herlihy acknowledged that this constituted a false statement to 1st New Mexico Bank because he intended to influence the bank to extend a loan to the truck stop business.
Beckner has yet to be arrested and is considered a fugitive. Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are only accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Investigations Division of the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Sullivan.
Santa Ana Pueblo Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Federal Rape ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Anthony Montoya, 33, an enrolled member of the Santa Ana Pueblo who resides in Bernalillo, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 168 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for his conviction on sexual abuse charges. Montoya will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Montoya was arrested on June 20, 2016, on an indictment charging him with sexually abusing two women in Aug. 2014, and sexually abusing a third woman on April 30, 2016. According to the indictment, the victims were physically incapable of declining to participate in the sexual acts. According to the indictment, Montoya committed the crimes on the Santa Ana Pueblo in Sandoval County, N.M.
On March 20, 2017, Montoya pled guilty to two counts of sexual abuse and admitted sexually abusing one woman on Aug. 16, 2014, and sexually abusing another woman on April 30, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, the Santa Ana Pueblo Tribal Police Department and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle prosecuted the case.
The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 5.5 Years in Prison for Illegally Manufacturing and Selling Assault RiflesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Luis Cortez-Garcia, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to five and a half years in prison by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. for unlawful manufacturing and sales of firearms, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On December 9, 2016, Judge Burrell sentenced Luis Cortez-Garcia’s brother and co‑defendant Emiliano Cortez‑Garcia to six years in prison for unlawful manufacturing and dealing in firearms, possession of a machine gun, and possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to court records, Cortez-Garcia ran a firearm parts business called LCG AR‑15 Parts and Custom Accessories on Florin Road in Sacramento. Through this business, he sold AR-15-style firearms that were manufactured in the metal shop at the rear of the business. Cortez-Garcia did not have a license to manufacture or sell firearms and as an illegal alien and a felon, Cortez-Garcia was prohibited from possessing firearms.
During the investigation, undercover agents and at least one convicted felon purchased manufactured-to-order assault weapons from the defendants. These firearms did not have any manufacturer markings or serial numbers, making them untraceable should they be involved in criminal activity. During a search of the business on October 9, 2013, law enforcement officers seized 312 guns, including multiple fully automatic assault rifles, illegal short-barreled rifles, and silencers.
Most firearm parts are not subject to regulation by ATF and can be bought and sold without reporting the sales and without requiring a background check. According to court documents, the defendants and others involved in the scheme sold the parts necessary to assemble a firearm. The parts included a metal casting of an incomplete lower receiver called a “blank,” which is not considered a firearm by ATF. The blank is eventually converted into a lower receiver using a drill press or automated machine that creates the precise shape and space necessary for the lower receiver to accept the parts that will allow the firing of a projectile. These parts (e.g., the hammer, bolt or breechblock, and firing mechanism) are the internal mechanical parts that combine with a trigger, firing pin, and other parts to form a functioning firearm. Once the blank is milled into a completed lower receiver, it is considered a firearm by statute even if there is no barrel, handle, or trigger, and it is subject to federal regulation.
According to court records, once a customer purchased the firearm parts including a blank lower receiver, the customer was directed to Emiliano Cortez-Garcia who operated the metal shop at the business. Once Emiliano Cortez-Garcia had completed machining the lower receiver, he or Luis Cortez-Garcia would assemble the completed AR-15. Customers paid cash to receive a complete firearm that bore no serial number. No ATF paperwork or background checks were completed. During the course of the investigation, ATF conducted seven undercover purchases of AR-15 firearms.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Firearms with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
Putnam County Man Arrested and Charged with Transporting and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a grand jury has returned an indictment charging Ryan Elton Devore (30, Satsuma) with one count of transporting and two counts of possessing child pornography. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 60 years, in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint and information presented in court, on July 18, 2017, federal agents and local officers executed a search warrant at Devore’s residence in connection with a child exploitation investigation involving online users of a file sharing program. Agents recovered a custom-built computer tower and a cellphone that belonged to Devore. A preview of the devices revealed that they contained numerous depictions of child pornography. Shortly after, agents located videos of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct that had been arranged and maintained in several folders on the computer, at which time Devore was arrested.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Public Corruption Indictment Returned for Bribery of Former Bibb County School District Superintendent Romain DallemandRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, G. F. Peterman, III, announced that an indictment was unsealed today charging:
1. Cliffard Whitby, age 54, Forsyth, Georgia:
- Conspiracy to Pay a Bribe to an Agent of an Organization Receiving Federal Funds;
- Five (5) Counts of Paying a Bribe to an Agent of an Organization Receiving Federal Funds; and
- Conspiracy to Launder the Proceeds of Unlawful Activity
2. Harold Knowles, age 69, Tallahassee, Florida:
- Conspiracy to Pay a Bribe to an Agent of an Organization Receiving Federal Funds;
- Paying a Bribe to an Agent of an Organization Receiving Federal Funds;
- Offering to Pay a Bribe to an Agent of an Organization Receiving Federal Funds; and
- Conspiracy to Launder the Proceeds of Unlawful Activity
3. Central Georgia Partnership for Individual and Community Development, Macon, Georgia:
- Conspiracy to Launder the Proceeds of Unlawful Activity
4. Positiventures Initiative, LLC, Macon, Georgia:
- Conspiracy to Launder the Proceeds of Unlawful Activity
Mr. Whitby was arrested this morning and he is scheduled to make his initial appearance in the United States District Court in Macon this afternoon.
Mr. Knowles was arrested this morning and he is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Florida this afternoon.
The statutory maximum sentence in federal prison authorized for the bribe conspiracy is five years, for the substantive bribery counts is ten years, and for the money laundering conspiracy is twenty years. The money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum fine of $500,000.00 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. The other charges carry a maximum possible fine of $250,000.00 each.
A copy of the indictment is attached. The indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct. Each person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beth Howard and Danial Bennett are prosecuting the case for the Government with participation and cooperation of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David McLaughlin from the Georgia Office of the Attorney General.
Providence Plan Finance Director Sentenced for Embezzling $742,190Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Charles F. Denno, 67, of East Providence, a former finance director for the Providence Plan, was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison for devising and executing a scheme in which he fraudulently converted $742,190.69 of Providence Plan funds for his personal use.
The Providence Plan is a non-profit educational entity, which receives federal, state and private grant funds, including funds from the United States Department of Education and the Bloomberg Family Foundation. These grant funds are to be used to support educational and other programs for adults and children in Rhode Island. Annually, the federal grant funds awarded to the Providence Plan totaled in excess of four million dollars.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Denno to serve 3 years supervised release and to perform 100 hours of community service upon completion of his term of incarceration. Denno was ordered to pay $630,000 restitution to The Providence Plan. He pleaded guilty on March 22, 2017, to wire fraud.
The Federal Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 33 – 41 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 33 months in prison.
Denno’s sentence is announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; Thomas Utz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
At the time of his guilty plea, Denno admitted to the court that from November 2012 through July 2016, he used his authority to cause the U.S. Department of Education and the Bloomberg Family foundation to deposit funds into Providence Plan bank accounts, and then fraudulently converted funds to his own accounts and personal use. Denno admitted that he fraudulently prepared and issued Providence Plan checks made payable to CMG Enterprises, an entity he owned. The payments issued to CMG and deposited into a CMG bank account were not authorized and contained a forgery of the authorized check signing official at the Providence Plan. Denno subsequently made multiple withdrawals from the CMG bank account in various forms, including credit card payments, check payments and ATM cash withdrawals at Twin River Casino.
The matter, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams, was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.
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Pittsburgh Psychiatrist Sentenced to Prison for Health Care Fraud, Illegally Distributing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH- A Squirrel Hill psychiatrist has been sentenced in federal court to a year and a day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release including 12 months of community confinement, six months of home detention and 500 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution, on charges of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of Oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, and health care fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence on Dr. Kenneth M. Stanko, 68, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Stanko, a medical doctor, illegally distributed a controlled substance, Oxycodone, for cash. Further, Stanko submitted false claims to be submitted to UPMC Health Plan and AETNA for prescriptions which were outside the usual course of practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
Acting U.S. Attorney Song commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration for conducting the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Stanko.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Passing Fake $100 Bills at North Hills Target StoreRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of passing and uttering counterfeit money, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The eight-count indictment, returned on August 8 and unsealed today, named Peter A. Maiolo, Jr., 42, of Pittsburgh, PA.
According to the indictment, on or about July 6, 2015, July 10, 2015, August 2, 2015, August 18, 2015, August 22, 2015, August 25, 2015, August 30, 2015, and September 7, 2015, Maiolo passed counterfeit $100 Federal Reserve Notes at the Mt. Nebo Target store in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 160 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Men Indicted on Heroin Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Tarron Anthony Dennis, age 23, and Warren Jahleel Johnson, age 26, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were indicted on August 10, 2017, by a federal grand jury for multiple drug trafficking crimes.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Johnson and Dennis are members of a conspiracy engaged in heroin distribution in the Williamsport area since December 2016. The indictment also alleges that Dennis sold heroin to an individual on December 9, 2016, that resulted in the death of that individual.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur is prosecuting this matter.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Dennis faces a minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, with a life imprisonment maximum sentence if convicted of this offense. Johnson faces a minimum 10 years’ imprisonment and maximum life sentence for these offenses. The maximum penalty under federal law is life imprisonment, a term of 3 years’ supervised release following imprisonment, and a $1 million dollar fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Pennsylvania Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
An Allentown, Pennsylvania, resident was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for using stolen IDs to file fraudulent tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
According to documents filed with the court, Barbara Gonzalez, 32, worked as a return preparer at MJ & Associates, a business located in Allentown that provided tax preparation, check cashing and other services. Gonzalez conspired with others to obtain IDs of Puerto Rico residents and used them to file tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fraudulently seeking approximately $635,594 in refunds. She directed the IRS to deposit the refunds onto pre-paid debit cards and to mail them to addresses she and her co-conspirators controlled. The fraudulently obtained refund checks were cashed by other co-conspirators, including Jessenia Cordero, who operated MJ & Associates. Cordero was recently sentenced to 42 months in prison.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Judge Edward G. Smith ordered Gonzalez to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $319,610.39 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Lappen commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ignall and Trial Attorney Matthew J. Kluge 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.
Pennsylvania Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
An Allentown, Pennsylvania, resident was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for using stolen IDs to file fraudulent tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to documents filed with the court, Barbara Gonzalez, 32, worked as a return preparer at MJ & Associates, a business located in Allentown that provided tax preparation, check cashing and other services. Gonzalez conspired with others to obtain IDs of Puerto Rico residents and used them to file tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fraudulently seeking approximately $635,594 in refunds. She directed the IRS to deposit the refunds onto pre-paid debit cards and to mail them to addresses she and her co-conspirators controlled. The fraudulently obtained refund checks were cashed by other co-conspirators, including Jessenia Cordero, who operated MJ & Associates. Cordero was recently sentenced to 42 months in prison.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Judge Edward G. Smith ordered Gonzalez to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $319,610.39 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lappen and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ignall and Trial Attorney Matthew J. Kluge of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Palm Harbor Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding More Than 1,000 Companies over FEMA ContractsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell today sentenced Michael Pirolo (48, Palm Harbor) to four years and two months in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $594,000, the proceeds of the criminal conduct. Pirolo pleaded guilty on April 10, 2017.
According to court documents, Pirolo served as the president of Government Contract Registry, Inc. (“GCR”), doing business as FEMA Contract Registration. He employed telemarketers who, during communications with victim-companies, falsely claimed that, for a fee, GCR would “register” the companies with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enable them to receive preference in obtaining contracts from FEMA. The GCR telemarketers’ communications were based on instructions and scripts that they had received from Pirolo. In particular, the telemarketers falsely and fraudulently stated that for a one-time fee of $500, the customer would be registered with FEMA, and that this registration would place the customer on a list of preferred vendors. When the need for a vendor arose, the GCR telemarketer falsely stated that FEMA would bypass the contract acquisition process, contact the registered victim-company, and then offer a no-bid contract. At times, Pirolo also instructed GCR telemarketers to go back to victim-companies that had already paid the $500 one-time fee and seek renewal and payment of another fraudulent $500 fee.
To further the scheme, the GCR telemarketers provided victim-companies with an online GCR form that requested the same information as a form on FEMA’s website. FEMA does not charge a fee to companies to complete its form, which assists the agency with market research and does not “register” companies. Completing this form is not part of the United States government’s contract acquisition process. Once GCR telemarketers received the victim-companies’ information, GCR completed and submitted the online FEMA form that then enabled emails to then be sent from FEMA to the victim-companies, giving the appearance that the companies had been “registered.” The FEMA emails gave GCR the appearance of legitimacy.
Approximately 1,200 victim-companies were misled by this scheme, paying GCR at least $604,500.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam M. Saltzman.
Owner of Home Health Agency Sentenced to 75 Years in Prison for Involvement in $13 Million Medicare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The owner and director of nursing of a Houston home health agency was sentenced today to 75 years in prison for her role in a $13 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region and Special Agent in Charge D. Richard Goss of the Houston Field Office of IRS-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
Marie Neba, 53, of Sugarland, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon of the Southern District of Texas. In November 2016, Neba was convicted after a two-week jury trial of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, one count of payment and receipt of health care kickbacks, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of making health care false statements.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from February 2006 through June 2015, Neba and others conspired to defraud Medicare by submitting over $10 million in false and fraudulent claims for home health services to Medicare through Fiango Home Healthcare Inc., owned by Neba and her husband, Ebong Tilong, 53, also of Sugarland, Texas. The trial evidence showed that using the money that Medicare paid for such fraudulent claims, Neba paid illegal kickbacks to patient recruiters for referring Medicare beneficiaries to Fiango for home health services. Neba also paid illegal kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries for allowing Fiango to bill Medicare using beneficiaries’ Medicare information for home health services that were not medically necessary or not provided, the evidence showed. Neba falsified medical records to make it appear as though the Medicare beneficiaries qualified for and received home health services. Neba also attempted to suborn perjury from a co-defendant in the federal courthouse, the evidence showed.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from February 2006 to June 2015, Neba received more than $13 million from Medicare for home health services that were not medically necessary or not provided to Medicare beneficiaries.
To date, four others have pleaded guilty based on their roles in the fraudulent scheme at Fiango. Nirmal Mazumdar, M.D., the former medical director of Fiango, pleaded guilty to a scheme to commit health care fraud for his role at Fiango. Daisy Carter and Connie Ray Island, two patient recruiters for Fiango, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles at Fiango. On August 11, Island was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Mazumdar and Carter are awaiting sentencing. After the first week of trial, Tilong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, three counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks, three counts of payment and receipt of healthcare kickbacks, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Tilong is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13.
The case was investigated by the IRS-CI, FBI and HHS-OIG under the supervision of the Fraud Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney William S.W. Chang and Senior Trial Attorney Jonathan T. Baum of the Fraud Section.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.