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Tuesday 27 June 2017
Local Man Gets Lengthy Sentence for Capital One Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 24 year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction in the armed robbery of a Capital One Bank and for using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. A Houston federal jury convicted Trent Davis on Jan. 25, 2017, following two days of trial and approximately an hour of deliberation.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner handed Davis a sentence of 20 years for the bank robbery plus an additional seven consecutive years for the firearms charge as well as another two consecutive years for violating conditions of supervised release for a previous bank robbery conviction. Following his 29-year-prison sentence, Davis will also serve five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hittner noted that the sentence was a reflection of the seriousness of the offense, the violence and physical threat to the victims, that Davis was a repeat bank robber and is an absolute menace to the community.
On April 26, 2016, Davis and co-defendant Derrick Muhammad, 29, of Houston, robbed the Capital One Bank located at 1514 West Sam Houston South in Houston. The men entered the facility, at which time Davis jumped the counter, pointed a pink gun at the teller and demanded he open the vault. Upon fleeing the bank, two dye packs exploded within the bag holding the money which was then thrown from the car. A witness in a nearby building saw the two masked men exiting the bank and photographed the vehicle as the dye pack exploded.
Davis used his sister’s car during the robbery. During trial, an FBI chemist testified that a substance found in that vehicle had chemicals found only in dye packs.
The lead teller, on the date of the robbery, told the jury how he was forced to empty the vault at gunpoint. He testified that the robbers were wearing hoodies and that one of them used a pink gun in the robbery.
Davis was apprehended approximately a month after the robbery in possession of a pink gun that had been painted black.
Two witnesses testified about jail house conversations they had with Davis and claimed Davis confessed to the crime, that he used his sister’s car and about the pink gun being painted. The jury also heard from Muhammad who testified about the details of the robbery. He previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced May 26, 2017, to 108 months in prison.
Davis will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation, which included agents and officers of the FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia Moyer and Jill Stotts prosecuted the case.
Kennebunk Man Sentenced to 2½ Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Justin Riggall, 37, of Kennebunk, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 2½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of firearms by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Riggall pleaded guilty on February 15, 2017.
Court records reveal that on February 9, 2016, the defendant handled two pistols being purchased by a girlfriend at the Kittery Trading Post. On February 22, 2016, the defendant was arrested in Biddeford after police officers encountered him driving his truck in a residential neighborhood at about 30 mph with his girlfriend leaning out of the open passenger’s side door. Both pistols, one of which was loaded, and several shell casings were found in the vehicle.
The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms as the result of a 2012 conviction in Maine for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence involving his former spouse.
The investigation was conducted by the Biddeford Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
KCK Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm Following Police ChaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Kan., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today following a 46-block-long police chase for illegally possessing a firearm.
Simon L. Smith, 29, of Kansas City, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Smith on June 21, 2017.
The indictment alleges that Smith, a convicted felon, was in possession of a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun on June 20, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Kansas City, Mo., police officers were dispatched to the intersection of 31st Street and Prospect on the evening of June 19, 2017, in regards to gunshots being captured by the Shotspotter system. When officers arrived, they saw multiple gunshot holes in the glass on the corner bus stop, in a business, and a parked vehicle. A victim at the scene told officers that a Chevrolet Equinox, occupied by three males, had pulled into the parking lot and passed in front of him. The Equinox drove past, then circled back through the parking lot. One of the occupants got out of the vehicle, the victim said, pointed a silver handgun, and fired several rounds at him. The victim ducked for cover and the Equinox fled north on Prospect. Officers recovered two bullet fragments and six spent 9mm shell casings.
At about 11:34 a.m. the following day, a police officer in an unmarked surveillance vehicle saw the Chevrolet Equinox circling in an apartment complex in the area of 93rd Street and Indiana. The officer followed the Equinox until uniformed officers in marked patrol vehicles could pull it over. Officers turned on their lights and sirens, the affidavit says, but the Equinox did not pull over.
Smith, the driver of the vehicle, led police on a car chase that ended approximately 46 blocks north from where it originated, and stopped because both driver’s side tires were deflated by officers using tire deflation devices.
When Smith’s vehicle came to a stop on Truman Road, the affidavit says, he immediately fled on foot southbound on Montgall. An officer who pursued Smith on foot saw he was carrying a handgun, which he allegedly threw away. Smith was apprehended and officers found the loaded handgun, the affidavit says, which had been reported as one of two firearms stolen from a residential burglary earlier this month.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Smith has prior felony convictions for burglary and for possessing a weapon at a correctional facility.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Jeremiah Johnson Sentenced Following Guilty Plea to Carjacking and Use of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Jeremiah Johnson was sentenced to 157 months imprisonment. Johnson’s sentencing followed entry of a February 2017 guilty plea to a charge of carjacking and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a ten year statutorily required sentence for the use of the firearm, with that sentence to run consecutively to a 37 month sentence for the carjacking offense.
During the September 4, 2016, the victim’s 2013 Chevrolet Camaro was stolen from him at gunpoint. During the course of the carjacking an AK-47 type semi-automatic assault rifle was discharged.
Carjacking is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 2119. Discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii), which provides for a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years. Johnson’s imprisonment will be followed by a five (5) year term of supervised release.This case arose from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Street Task Force and the Mobile Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Bordenkircher of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
International Shipping Executives Indicted for Colluding on Bids and RatesRead the Press Release
An indictment of three shipping executives was unsealed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, the Department of Justice announced today.
Anders Boman, Arild Iversen, and Kai Kraass have been charged with participating in a long-running conspiracy to allocate certain customers and routes, rig bids, and fix prices for the sale of international ocean shipments of roll-on, roll-off cargo to and from the United States and elsewhere, including the Port of Baltimore. A federal grand jury returned the indictment in November 2016.
Boman, a citizen of Sweden, and Iversen, a Norwegian citizen, are former executives of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics AS (WWL). Kraass, a German citizen, is a current WWL executive. Including the charges announced today, eleven executives have been charged in the investigation to date. Four have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to serve prison terms. Others remain international fugitives. WWL has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to pay a $98.9 million fine. Three other companies have also pleaded guilty, resulting in total collective criminal fines over $230 million.
The indictment alleges that Boman, Iversen, and Kraass conspired with their competitors to allocate certain customers and routes for the shipment of cars and trucks, as well as construction and agricultural equipment. The defendants accomplished their scheme by, among other things, attending meetings in Baltimore County and elsewhere during which they agreed not to compete against each other, by refraining from bidding or by agreeing on the prices they would bid for certain customers and routes. In addition, Boman, Iversen, and Kraass agreed with competitors to fix, stabilize, and maintain rates charged to customers of international ocean shipping services. The customers affected by the conspiracy included U.S. companies.
“The indictment unsealed today is yet another step in the Division’s efforts to restore competition in the shipping industry,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Andrew Finch of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “WWL has pleaded guilty. Now we are working to ensure that its executives who conspired to suppress competition at the expense of American consumers will be held accountable.”
“These indictments are the continuation of a long-term effort by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office to secure our nation’s economy against collusion in the shipping industry, to ensure competition in the market place and to protect US companies from these deceptive practices.” said Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson.
Today’s announcement is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, bid rigging, and other anticompetitive conduct in the international roll-on, roll-off ocean shipping industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section and the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, along with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Internal Affairs, Washington Field Office/Special Investigations Unit. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section at 202-307-6694, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office at 410-265-8080.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Dario Pineda Garcia, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 11 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In April 2017, Pineda Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
In November 2016, law enforcement encountered Pineda Garcia in Chelsea and determined him to be unlawfully present in the United States. Pineda Garcia had been deported in April 2007.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing CrackRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT JONES, also known as “Y.O.,” 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department that targeted a drug trafficking organization operating in Hartford’s North End that was distributing crack and powder cocaine. The investigation revealed that David Gil-Grande, of Manchester, received shipments of cocaine, secreted in sealed coffee cans, from Puerto Rico. He then supplied the cocaine to Anthony Shelton, also known as “Pretty,” Gerard Brown, also known as “Goldie,” and others, who converted much of the cocaine into crack and distributed both forms of the drug in the area of Barbour Street in Hartford.
The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Shelton supplied crack cocaine to JONES who then sold the drug to his own customers.
Twenty individuals were charged as a result of the investigation.
JONES has been detained since his arrest on February 2, 2016. On February 15, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
JONES’s criminal history includes multiple drug-related convictions, a firearms offense, escape from custody, and multiple domestic violence incidents. He was on state probation while he engaged in the criminal conduct that resulted in this federal prosecution. He also has survived three separate shooting incidents since 2007.
Gil-Grande, Shelton and Brown have pleaded guilty to related charges. On January 31, 2017, Gil-Grande was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment. Shelton and Brown await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Four Nashville Men Sentenced in Driver License Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Four local men were sentenced yesterday on federal bribery charges stemming from the fraudulent issuance of Tennessee driver license permits, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Walton Michael Wand, 52, of Antioch, Tennessee, formerly employed by the Tennessee Department of Safety as a license examiner at the Hart Lane station in Nashville, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and fined $7,500. Wand used his position as a state employee to solicit and accept bribes in exchange for issuing driver’s licenses to unqualified individuals. He was found guilty in March 2017 by a federal jury, after a two-week trial. Wand issued at least 21 fraudulent drivers’ license permits, charging $250 for each. Many of the applicants were unable to pass the written examination.
Three co-defendants were also sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Faransis Romany Faltas, 41, was sentenced to 12 months of probation, and fined $400; Nourrdine Abidi, 50, was sentenced to time served and fined $250; and Youssef Aziz Abdelmalak, 40, received a sentence of time served.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie N. Toussaint and Ryan R. Raybould prosecuted the case.
Former Oneida County Resident Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Dale J. Sexton, 48, formerly of Barneveld, New York, was sentenced today in federal court in Syracuse to 33 months in prison in connection with his previous guilty pleas to filing a false income tax return and to obstructing and impeding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in its administration of the internal revenue laws, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and James D. Robnett, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office. Sexton’s sentence also requires him to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $502,639. Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue, who presided over the case, also ordered Sexton to spend one year on supervised release after completion of his 33-month prison sentence.
Sexton, who most recently resided in Bradenton, Florida, previously admitted in federal court that he failed to report to the IRS more than $1.5 million in income he earned between 2005 and 2008, that he engaged in complicated financial transactions involving numerous bank accounts in the United States and Costa Rica in order to mask and disguise his income and expenses, and that he made false statements to an IRS Revenue Officer in Utica, New York. Sexton also admitted that he filed a false 2008 tax return, claiming that he earned no income that year when he actually earned more than $200,000.
“IRS agents spent years tracing more than 100 bank accounts and tens of thousands of individual financial transactions to piece together Sexton’s fraud scheme. Unfortunately, today’s sentence cannot undo the financial harm suffered by Sexton’s victims, who paid a terrible price for the defendant’s greed in amassing income improperly and failing to report it to the IRS,” said U.S. Attorney Hartunian.
According to the plea agreement signed by Sexton, the unreported income related to Sexton’s ownership of multiple commercial real estate businesses in Florida involved in constructing, among other things, commercial “flex” warehouse units. Sexton financed the projects by obtaining loans from banks and investments from private investors. Sexton admitted in the plea agreement that he failed to repay much of the loan money and that he never intended to repay any of the private investors. Several victims filed statements with the Court describing the financially devastating consequences they faced after Sexton defrauded them in order to fund his luxurious lifestyle.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Former Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration Pleads Guilty to Stealing Fraud ProceedsRead the Press Release
A former special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) pleaded guilty today to stealing fraud proceeds that she had been assigned to recover on behalf of fraud victims, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Michael P. Tompkins of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Artemis Papadakis, 57, of Richmond, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt of the Southern District of California to an information charging her with theft by a government official. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 11 before U.S. District Judge John A. Houston.
According to the plea agreement, Papadakis admitted that she was stationed by the DEA in Nicosia, Cyprus, between 2008 and 2014. While in Cyprus, Papadakis was assigned to help the U.S. Government recover the proceeds of an American fraud scheme that had been frozen in the banking system in northern Cyprus. When Papadakis was transferred from Cyprus to San Francisco in June 2014, the funds had not yet been recovered. Papadakis admitted that she was told not to pursue the matter regarding the funds following her transfer. But when she was in Cyprus in October 2015 on personal business, Papadakis took possession of $310,000 of the funds without notifying anyone at the DEA or in the U.S. Government that she had done so.
According to the plea agreement, Papadakis mailed approximately $230,000 of those funds from Cyprus to her home address in California and later took possession of an additional $20,000 of those funds from a third party when he visited her in the U.S. Papadakis admitted that she hid the $250,000 in her flower pots at her home in California, and did not disclose to anyone at the DEA or in the U.S. Government that she had taken possession of the fraud proceeds. Papadakis further admitted that on or about Feb. 22, 2016, she surrendered the $250,000 to the U.S. government under the false cover story that she had just received it via an unexpected package from Cyprus.
The Justice Department’s OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Jonathan Kravis and Molly Gaston of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
Essex County, New Jersey, Man Gets 108 Months in Prison for Crack-Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Irvington, New Jersey, man who distributed multiple kilograms of crack-cocaine and powder cocaine was sentenced today to 108 months in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Antonio Bivens, a/k/a “Mo,” 44, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack-cocaine. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Bivens was a member of a drug trafficking organization supervised by Kenneth Hammond, a/k/a “Saleem,” 49, also of Irvington. Bivens distributed multiple kilograms of crack-cocaine and powder cocaine out of two residences owned by Hammond in Irvington. In November 2015, law enforcement officers raided the residences and seized approximately two kilograms of crack-cocaine and 12 kilograms of powder cocaine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Bivens to four years of supervised release. Hammond previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced on June 21, 2017 to 108 months in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry A. Kamar and Elaine K. Lou of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Brian Neary Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Elkhart Man Sentenced to 125 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Acting United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced that Jeffrey Wilson, 29, of Elkhart, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for bank robbery.
Wilson was sentenced to 125 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, on November 16, 2016, Wilson and two accomplices robbed a bank in Mishawaka. Wearing masks and gloves, they used a rifle and a handgun to threaten both bank employees and customers while they stuffed cash into backpacks. Police caught the robbers at a house in Elkhart a short time later. One of the accomplices, Lamont Hawkins, was already sentenced in May, 2017 to 117 months imprisonment for his role in this robbery. The other accomplice, David Woods, has pled guilty and is currently scheduled for sentencing on August 2.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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Elementary School Principal Pleads Guilty to Accessing with Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jeffrey Richard Goss, 56, of Tulsa, pled guilty to Accessing with Intent to View Child Pornography, announced Loretta F. Radford, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. United States District Court Judge Claire V. Eagan will sentence Goss on September 28, 2017.
According to documents filed in the case, on November 12, 2015, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents conducted an undercover operation in an internet chatroom. While in the chatroom, HSI agents observed Goss and other individuals watching child pornography that was being streamed. Some of the children in the videos were under the age of 12.
Goss, an elementary school principal, admitted he accessed the internet chatroom on November 12, 2015, and viewed child pornography. Goss faces a maximum sentence of twenty years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release up to life following a sentence of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Neal C. Hong.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry after DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Juan Antonio Colon, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Colon will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.
On Nov. 9, 2016, after a motor vehicle stop in Roxbury, law enforcement officers arrested Colon for possession of Oxycodone, giving a false name, and operating with a suspended registration. Despite Colon’s altered fingerprints, federal agents were able to positively identify him using their comparative fingerprint analysis tool. Further investigation revealed that Colon was previously deported from the United States in May 2009 and July 2013.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Weinreb’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Derry Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley, announced that David Morel, Jr., 31, of Derry, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for the District of New Hampshire for possessing child pornography.
According to court records and statements in court, the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Derry Police Department developed information linking online images of child pornography to Morel’s residence in Derry, New Hampshire. In April 2016, a search warrant was executed on Morel’s computer, which was found to contain numerous videos depicting young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Morel, who pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on December 21, 2016, will be placed on supervised release for ten years after he completes his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Derry Police Department, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations Manchester and the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Helen Fitzgibbon and Shane Kelbley.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Denver Business Owner Indicted for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
DENVER – Christopher Paul Kelly, age 49, of Denver, Colorado was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on June 7, 2017 on the charge of tax evasion, Acting United States Attorney Bob Troyer and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Steven Osborne announced. The indictment remained sealed until Kelly made his initial appearance today, June 27, 2017 in U.S. District Court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge, where he was read his rights and advised of the charges pending against him.
According to the indictment, from July 2007 through the middle of 2015, Kelly held ownership interests in various merchant card service companies which sold vendors the ability to accept credit card payments. These ownership interests caused Kelly to earn taxable income which generated income tax due of $195,916 in 2006, $285,414 in 2007, and $16,766 in 2012. Kelly received his prepared 2006 tax return from his accountant on July 16, 2007 but did not file it until October 2012. Kelly filed his 2007 tax return in March 2012 and his 2012 tax return in 2013.
Instead of paying his outstanding tax liabilities, between 2008 and 2015, Kelly purchased or leased expensive automobiles and rented expensive homes as his personal residence. In 2008, Kelly caused J.L. to purchase a Mercedes automobile in J.L.’s name for $80,346.19 which Kelly paid for and used personally. Between 2011 and 2013, Kelly received residuals from Company S of $102,978 through his company Mile High Merchant Group.
In 2012, Mile High Merchant Group became a “dba” of Imax Business Solutions Denver LLC (IMAX) and Kelly became a member of IMAX with a 48% ownership interest. On January 1, 2012, Kelly sent a letter to Company S stating Kelly and Mile High Merchant Group were “transferring and assigning all liabilities and assets to Imax Business solutions LLC and [K.T.] who is the sole managing member.” In 2012 and 2013, Company S continued to do business with Kelly through IMAX and paid residuals of approximately $184,406 and $137,043, respectively.
When the IRS contacted Kelly regarding the outstanding tax liabilities, Kelly made false statements to the IRS Revenue Officer attempting to collect the debt. After the IRS levied Kelly’s U.S. Bank account, Kelly stopped making deposits into the account and allowed it to become overdrawn. Instead, Kelly used a bank account controlled by his girlfriend, M.A., to deposit much of his income and pay many of his personal expenses. Kelly also cashed out the entire value of his life insurance account and withdrew the balance of his 401(k) account, removing the IRS’ ability to place a levy on these assets.
Kelly is charged with one count of tax evasion which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pegeen Rhyne.
The charges contained in the Indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense Contractor Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for $53 Million Procurement Fraud and Illegal Gratuities SchemeRead the Press Release
JUNE 27, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – On June 27, 2017, U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis sentenced Andrew Bennett, age 37, of Tampa, Florida to 30 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy and for paying illegal gratuities to a government official, in connection with the award of more than $53 million in federal government contracts. Judge Garbis also ordered Bennett to pay forfeiture and restitution in the amount of $500,000.00
Co-conspirator John Wilkerson, age 51, of Moultrie, Georgia was previously sentenced to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. James T. Shank, who was separately charged and has pled guilty, was a Program Manager at the United States Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI); Special Agent in Charge Robert Craig, Special Agent in Charge, Robert E. Craig Jr, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and U.S. Small Business Administration Acting Inspector General Mike Ware.
According to Bennett’s plea agreement, he was a program manager for Advanced C4 Solutions, or AC4S, from 2005 until 2011. AC4S was an information technology company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. In 2011, Bennett left AC4S and went to work for Co-conspirator Wilkerson at Superior Communications Solutions, Inc. (SCSI). According to co-conspirator Shank’s indictment, from August 28, 2006 until he retired on June 30, 2011, Shank was employed as a Program Manager at the United States Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center. Shank worked with agencies within the Department of Defense to procure telecommunications equipment, software, and related services. According to his plea agreement, Wilkerson was a Department of Defense Account Manager for Iron Bow Technologies, LLC (Iron Bow), which provided IT consulting and other services to government and industry customers. Wilkerson was also part-owner and operated Superior Communications Solutions, Inc. (SCSI).
From September 2009 through August 2012 Bennett conspired with Wilkerson, to give them and the companies they worked for and/or owned an unfair competitive advantage in obtaining government contracts. Court documents state that Wilkerson offered, and Shank accepted, employment with SCSI while Shank was still a government employee and while he was taking official actions that benefited Wilkerson. In addition, Wilkerson paid Shank $86,000 in the year after Shank retired from government service, funneling the payment through two other companies in order to conceal the source of the funds.
According to Bennett’s plea agreement, Shank improperly shared information with Bennett and Wilkerson, and worked with them to structure the government contracts so as to give their companies an unfair advantage over other potential bidders.
For example, according to Bennett’s indictment, Bennett and Wilkerson developed a request for proposal (RFP) for DO27, a contract to supply labor services for an Air Force technology project, including for overall project management services, so that AC4S would win the contract. On June 10, 2010, DO27 was awarded to AC4S in the amount of $18,332,738.10. Wilkerson provided Bennett with a quote for labor for the installation of specific technology on behalf of SCSI that was less than the quote he had previously submitted on behalf of Iron Bow as their sales representative. After SCSI was selected as a subcontractor on DO27, it subcontracted with Iron Bow to provide most of the labor SCSI was supposed to provide under DO27 for the installation of the technology. Wilkerson was able to earn income from the work Iron Bow employees were doing by having SCSI act as a middleman and charging a mark-up on Iron Bow’s work. Bennett and Wilkerson then directed an SCSI employee to create false invoices supposedly documenting the hours SCSI employees spent working on DO27, which were submitted to AC4S and paid by the United States government. SCSI received $6,794,432.98 on DO27 out of the $18 million AC4S received for providing labor for the project.
In February 2011, Bennett left AC4S and went to work for Wilkerson at SCSI. According to the plea agreement, Bennett received a $500,000 bonus when he joined SCSI, which was paid for by profit Wilkerson had earned on the Air Force contracts.
By March 2011, the Air Force project was incomplete and there were numerous contract disputes related to the project. Shank was directed not to take any other action related to the project without the approval of a senior manager. Nevertheless, in April 2011, Shank accepted more than $3.7 million worth of invoices that benefited SCSI without informing the senior manager. In May, 2011, after Shank accepted employment with SCSI, but was still working for SPAWAR, he allegedly approved more than $1.1 million worth of invoices that benefitted SCSI and Wilkerson.
The National Procurement Fraud Task Force was formed in October 2006 to promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of procurement fraud associated with the increase in government contracting activity for national security and other government programs. The Procurement Fraud Task Force includes the United States Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, the U.S. Inspectors General community and a number of other federal law enforcement agencies. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Task Force, demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to helping ensure the integrity of the government procurement process.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning thanked Air Force OSI, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Philip A. Selden, who are prosecuting the case.
Defendant sentenced to two years for mailing hoax anthrax threatsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Travis Ball has been sentenced to two years in prison for mailing hoax anthrax threats. Ball sent letters to the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“LDS”) threatening harm to members of each organization.
“Ball’s threatening letters, which contained a substance he claimed was anthrax, were meant to instill fear in the recipients and diverted critical resources from actual emergencies,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “This hoax and the defendant’s subsequent prosecution serve as a reminder that we take threats seriously, and will use every resource available to protect the citizens of this district.”
“The sentencing in federal court of Mr. Ball to two years in a federal prison is commensurate with the wasted resources and concern generated by his hate filled hoax anthrax letter campaign while already incarcerated on a prior arson conviction. While Mr. Ball’s criminal conduct clearly illustrates his lack of concern and compassion for others, it also illustrates an unwillingness to be rehabilitated,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“Any type of criminal activity perpetrated from behind the walls of our facilities will not be tolerated, and we are grateful to our Federal partners for their assistance in bringing this case to a close,” said GDC Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 7, 2016, while incarcerated in Coffee Correctional Facility in Nicholls, Georgia, Ball mailed letters that were later received by the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“LDS”) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The letters stated, “have some anthrax” and contained a granular substance. The letter to the State Bar of Georgia threatened to kill all lawyers while the letter to the LDS Church threatened to kill Mormons and burn their churches. At the time he mailed the letters, Ball was in state custody for a prior arson conviction.
Travis Ball, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. on June 23, 2017 to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,704. Ball was convicted of these charges on March 1, 2017, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Department of Corrections, Criminal Investigation Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolee Porter is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Defendant sentenced to Federal Prison for trafficking 59 pounds of “Ice”Read the Press Release
ATLANTA - Rigoberto Fernandez-Gonzalez, a/k/a Juan Garcia, has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 59 pounds of methamphetamine, or “ice,” and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
“This defendant sought to unleash an enormous quantity of narcotics into the community without regard for the damage it would have caused,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “Thanks to the swift actions of law enforcement, he was stopped in his tracks.”
“This investigation is evidence of ATF’s commitment to combating firearms crimes and drug trafficking. ATF’s Frontline strategy utilizes every available resource to make our communities safer places to live,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Wayne Dixie.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: In early 2016, law enforcement learned that Rigoberto Fernandez-Gonzalez was involved in manufacturing methamphetamine. On March 8, 2016, officers with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at a residence in Fairburn, Georgia. Law enforcement suspected that Fernandez-Gonzalez used this location as a clandestine laboratory for the conversion of liquid methamphetamine to crystalline form. Inside the home, officers discovered a makeshift laboratory, consisting of a single propane burner and large pot, along with various chemicals, car batteries, digital scales, plastic containers, and three to four gallons of liquid methamphetamine – all materials commonly used in the conversion of methamphetamine.
When officers arrived, they found Fernandez-Gonzalez actively converting liquid methamphetamine. He had already converted a massive quantity to crystalline form as well. Officers seized 59 pounds of “ice,” later determined to be 99% pure. In addition, officers recovered two loaded firearms, at least one of which was stolen.
Rigoberto Fernandez-Gonzalez, a/k/a Juan Garcia, 47, a Mexican national, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark H. Cohen, to 22 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In addition, the Court ordered Fernandez-Gonzalez to be turned over to Immigration officials for removal proceedings, after serving his custodial sentence, and ordered forfeiture of the recovered firearms and ammunition. He was sentenced on June 20, 2017. Fernandez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense on March 27, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly K. Connors prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA - On June 26, 2017, James Richard Robbinsheather Jean Reekr, age 53, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 33 months in prison for failing to comply with the sex offender registry requirements, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Robbins will serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
On February 21, 2017, Robbins pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the sex offender registry. Robbins admitted he was required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act due to a prior third degree sexual abuse conviction in 1998. On or about October 2015, and continuing until September 21, 2016, Robbins moved from Illinois to Iowa and failed to register his address as required.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Iowa Human Services, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation - the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Muscatine Police Department, and United States Marshals Service 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].
Davenport Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA - On June 26, 2017, James Richard Robbinsheather Jean Reekr, age 53, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 33 months in prison for failing to comply with the sex offender registry requirements, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Robbins will serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
On February 21, 2017, Robbins pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the sex offender registry. Robbins admitted he was required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act due to a prior third degree sexual abuse conviction in 1998. On or about October 2015, and continuing until September 21, 2016, Robbins moved from Illinois to Iowa and failed to register his address as required.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Iowa Human Services, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation - the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Muscatine Police Department, and United States Marshals Service 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].
Cushing Woman Sentenced to 46 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that MYSTIQUE PATRICIA MOUCKA, age 36, of Cushing, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment, and 3 years of supervised release for POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
The Information alleged that on or about December 6, 2014, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable James H. Payne, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the nonparoleable sentence will be served.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Hammer represented the United States.
Cookeville Man Pleads Guilty to Counterfeiting CurrencyRead the Press Release
Chadwin Greenwood, 33, of Cookeville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court, to manufacturing counterfeit currency, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Greenwood was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2017.
According to the court documents, Greenwood manufactured counterfeit currency by converting legitimate ten-dollar bills to counterfeit fifty-dollar bills. Greenwood admitted that he passed approximately $21,760 in counterfeit currency in the Middle District of Tennessee and elsewhere, before being apprehended while attempting to pass a counterfeit $50 dollar bill at a Family Dollar Store in Livingston, Tenn.
Greenwood faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on September 29, 2017.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service with valuable assistance from the Livingston Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Raybould is prosecuting the case.
Connie Forrest Pleads Guilty to Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Connie Forrest, 56, of Pittsford, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge of Social Security fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss released Forrest on conditions pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for October 20.
On June 12, 2017, the United States Attorney filed a criminal information against Forrest and she pleaded guilty to that charge today. According to the information and court records, beginning in about 1994, Forrest became disabled and began receiving monthly Supplemental Security Income benefits from the Social Security Administration. The SSI program provides stipends to low-income individuals who are 65-years-old or older; are blind; or are disabled. Applicants for SSI have to certify that their income and assets are below threshold levels, and are under a continuous duty to inform the Social Security Administration of changes in their financial circumstances that could affect their eligibility for continued SSI benefits.
In court today, Forrest admitted that, between about 2009 and early 2016, she concealed from SSA the fact that she maintained employment as a nurse aide, and earned substantial income (which the Government asserted was more than $470,000) from that employment. As a result of Forrest’s deception, SSA paid her more than $79,000 in SSI benefits that she was not entitled to receive.
Forrest faces up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Her actual sentence will be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General of the SSA.
Forrest is represented by Peter Langrock. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Clarion Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited a child was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison.
Skyler Wyatt, age 26, from Clarion, Iowa, received the sentence after a January 25, 2017 guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. At the plea hearing, Wyatt admitted that, in 2016, he knowingly used a child to produce child pornography.
Wyatt was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wyatt was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and Wyatt must also serve a seven-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 16-3045.
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Camp Verde Man Sentenced to 38 Months for Two Domestic Violence OffensesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Yesterday, Michael Randolph Garcia, 26, of Camp Verde, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to concurrent terms of 38 months and 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On March 22, 2017, Garcia had previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault by strangling or suffocating, arising out of two separate cases.
On or about July 5, 2013, Garcia, a member of the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians, assaulted a victim with a golf club. As a result, the victim, a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, suffered bodily injury.
On or between Feb. 7 and Feb. 8, 2016, Garcia assaulted a different victim, also a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, in front of a young child.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yavapai-Apache Nation Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Christina Covault, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-16-8058-PCT-DJH; CR-16-8196-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2017-057_Garcia
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
California Resident Pleads Guilty to Stealing Homeless Individuals’ IDs and Using Them to Seek Fraudulent Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
A California resident pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to file false claims for tax refunds, submitting false claims for tax refunds, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch for the Northern District of California.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Diep Vo aka Nancy Vo, 74, conspired with codefendant Trong Nguyen aka John Nguyen, to use the IDs of homeless and unemployed individuals in the San Jose, California area to file fraudulent claims for refunds with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Vo went to homeless shelters and halfway houses and falsely represented to individuals that she could get them money from a government program designed to assist people who had not worked in previous years. Vo convinced people to write down their names and social security numbers and to sign blank income tax returns. Vo and Nguyen then falsified the signed returns including bogus income and income tax withheld amounts and sought fraudulent refunds from the IRS. Vo and Nguyen directed the refund checks to private mailboxes they controlled. Nguyen previously pleaded guilty to submitting and conspiring to submit false claims for refund.
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 14. Vo faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on each count of conspiring to file false claims and submitting false claims for refund, 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. Vo also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Nguyen is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Stretch thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Newman and Trial Attorney Gregory Bernstein of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
California Methamphetamine Dealer Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Meth-in-the-Mail ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ERNESTO MORENO, age 26, of San Fernando, California, pled guilty yesterday to one count of a methamphetamine drug conspiracy that included the shipping of methamphetamine from California into Louisiana via the United States Postal Service.
According to court documents, in September 2014, agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating possible mailings of methamphetamine into the Eastern District of Louisiana. Investigators determined that MORENO was the source of methamphetamine for over eighteen narcotic packages that were shipped into Louisiana with the aid of co-conspirators.
Meanwhile, an investigation in Nashville, Tennessee, revealed that MORENO was directly shipping numerous packages of methamphetamine into the Middle District of Tennessee.
MORENO faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release after the term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a mandatory special assessment of $100 for the count to which he pled guilty. U.S. District Court Judge Kurt Engelhardt will sentence MORENO on September 13, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the Santa Monica Police Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys James S. C. Baehr, Ryan McLaren, and Matthew Payne are in charge of the prosecution.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy announced today that Maikel Gonzalez, 20, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Burgasser, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2015, and September 28, 2015, the defendant conspired with Daniel Molina Rios, Orlando Rios, Jose Andujar, Luis Montanez, and others to distribute heroin on the West Side of Buffalo. The investigation utilized undercover purchases conducted by the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) and the Buffalo Police Department.
Gonzalez was a street-level distributors or “runner” in a heroin trafficking ring operated by Daniel Molina-Rios. The organization acquired heroin from the New York City area for distribution in Buffalo but also had an alternate heroin source locally.
A total of 14 defendants have been indicted in connection with this case, and Gonzalez is the sixth to be convicted. Charges are pending against the remaining defendants. 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.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Major David Krause and Lieutenant Kevin Reyes, CNET West Commander; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentencing on October 2, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Bronx “YGz” Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 33 Years in Prison for Murdering an Innocent Bystander and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TERRANCE WILLIAMS, a/k/a “TA,” was sentenced this afternoon in Manhattan federal court to a prison term of 399 months for his crimes as a member of the “Young Gunnaz” or “YGz” gang, including the murder of Curtis Smith on June 3, 2011, in the Bronx. WILLIAMS was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, before whom he previously pled guilty.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “In broad daylight, Terrance Williams shot and killed Curtis Smith, a 23-year-old man, ending the life of an innocent bystander who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. We hope that the victim’s family finds justice, and a measure of solace, in this prosecution and today’s sentence. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue aggressively to prosecute those who bring violence to our communities.”
According to the charging and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during WILLIAMS’s guilty plea and sentencing proceedings and other court proceedings in this case:
WILLIAMS was a member of the Bronx-based street gang known as the YGz. From at least 2005 to 2016, members and associates of the YGz enriched themselves by committing robberies and by selling drugs, such as crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, and committing acts of violence, including the murder of rival gang members, rival drug traffickers, and innocent bystanders. As part of his involvement in the YGz gang, WILLIAMS participated in numerous acts of violence, as well as crack cocaine distribution, in the South Bronx.
In particular, on July 3, 2011, WILLIAMS shot a rival gang member in the stomach and arm, in broad daylight, in front of a bodega on the corner of 158th Street and Park Avenue while numerous bystanders were outside for cookouts and celebrations leading up to the 4th of July holiday. Moments later, while WILLIAMS was fleeing from the area, he fired gunshots at a group of bystanders, including Curtis Smith. WILLIAMS shot Smith in the head, and Smith died several days later.
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WILLIAMS, 24, of the Bronx, is the third defendant to be sentenced this year by Judge Caproni for participation in a YGz-related murder. Judge Caproni sentenced WILLIAMS’s co-defendant Anthony Scott, a/k/a “Tyson,” to 23 years in prison primarily for Scott’s role in shooting and killing Darrel Ledgister on June 27, 2009, in the South Bronx during an attempted robbery. Judge Caproni also sentenced WILLIAMS’s co-defendants Paul Gilbert, a/k/a “2Fly Tay,” to more than 30 years in prison primarily for Gilbert’s role in the murder of Cody Dubose on September 27, 2014, near the Taft Houses in Manhattan during an attempted robbery.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York City Police Department in the investigation of this case. He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their support in this case.
This case is being handled by this Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Samson Enzer, Gina M. Castellano, and Andrew C. Adams are in charge of the prosecution.
Brentwood Doctor and Wife Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
Dr. Jeff McCoy, Jr., 70, and Andra McCoy, 68, both of Brentwood, Tennessee, were each sentenced today to serve 36 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith for the Middle District of Tennessee and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. The McCoys each pleaded guilty on March 3, 2017, to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States.
According to documents filed with the court, from 2002 through 2014, Jeff and Andra McCoy conspired to defraud the IRS by impeding the collection of their income taxes. The McCoys filed 2003 through 2007 income tax returns with the IRS on which they claimed fake income tax withholding amounts and sought more than $2 million in fraudulent refunds. They submitted false documents to the IRS and placed their assets in the names of nominees and in nominee bank accounts. For example, they established a bank account for a purported nonprofit business and directed Jeff McCoy’s employer to deposit his income into the nominee account. In addition to seeking fraudulent refunds, the McCoys also failed to pay more than $500,000 in taxes owed for tax years 2001 through 2008, despite earning more than $2 million during that time.
In addition to the prison term imposed, they were ordered to pay $913,595 in back taxes and serve three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Jaworski and Trial Attorney Alexander Effendi prosecuted the case.
Brazilian National Arrested for Stealing Money from Bank ATMs in LynnRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston with making unauthorized withdrawals from ATMs at three banks in Lynn using “cloned” debit cards.
Helisson Benazi de Souza, 37, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, was charged with one count of access device fraud. U.S District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal ordered de Souza detained following an initial appearance in federal court.
According to court documents, between approximately noon and 1:30 pm on May 25, 2017, de Souza withdrew over $6,000 from ATMs at three banks in Lynn from accounts that did not belong to him. Law enforcement immediately apprehended de Souza, arrested him, and impounded his rental car. Inside the car police found thousands of dollars in cash, all in $20 bills. They also found over 200 gift cards with small stickers on them. Using a magnetic strip reader, federal agents read the magnetic strip data on the gift cards, which revealed that 15 of the cards matched debit cards associated with valid JPMorgan Chase bank accounts from which unauthorized withdrawals had been made at the three Lynn banks between approximately noon and 1:30 pm on May 25, 2017. When questioned, de Souza admitted to using the cards to withdraw money from ATMs and that the stickers on the cards contained the PINS of the individual cardholders.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Lynn Police Chief Michael A. Mageary made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Boise Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ronald Lallatin, 60, of Boise, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 60 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, and a $5,100 special assessment, for possession of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Lallatin pleaded guilty on March 1, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, in June of 2016, agents with the Department of Homeland Security served a search warrant on Lallatin’s residence in Boise, Idaho, based upon evidence that a computer at the residence had accessed and downloaded a video containing child pornography. Lallatin was present at the residence, and admitted to agents that they would find “child porn” on his computer, as he had viewed images of child pornography for at least the past five years. A laptop computer and nine electronic storage devices belonging to Lallatin were seized. When agents examined the devices, they discovered 6,484 still images and 937 videos containing child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors, images showing sadistic and masochistic conduct with minors, and images of the sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler.
Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Lallatin to forfeit the computer and electronic storage devices used in the commission of the charged offense, and to pay a total of $6,000 in restitution to victims depicted in the images he possessed. As a result of his conviction, Lallatin will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by The Department of Homeland Security, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Belgrade Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
HELENA – Michael Edward Copenhaver, 28, of Belgrade, Montana, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and three years supervised release for possession of stolen firearms. U.S. District Court Judge Sam E. Haddon presided over the sentencing.
In court documents, federal prosecutor Bryan Whittaker wrote that August 2016 Copenhaver burglarized Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply in Bozeman. Copenhaver broke into the store in the middle of the night wearing dark clothing, a ski-mask or hat, gloves, and carrying an orange backpack. Copenhaver forced his way into the store by breaking a door and the gun cabinets in order to gain access to the store’s firearms. He then stole 18 semi-automatic pistols and put them in his backpack. As he climbed over the security fence when he was leaving the store, one of the firearms fell out of his backpack. He later burned all of the clothing that he was wearing at the time of the burglary.
Several days later, Copenhaver burglarized a private residence in Montana City. The owners of the residence had recently posted their home for sale. The owners had been out of the house that morning. When they were out, Copenhaver broke into the home through a back patio door and stole 16 firearms and other items such as jewelry, a World War I and World War II knife collection, and binoculars.
Several days after the home burglary, the Blackfoot Idaho Police Department (“BPD”) officers were dispatched to the State of Idaho Probation Office in Blackfoot, Idaho for a report of a suspicious vehicle. It was reported that the male subject was asleep or unconscious inside the vehicle and was not responsive. Upon arrival, officers asked the individual to get out of the car. When Copenhaver exited the vehicle, he stated that he had been “wanting to talk to you guys.” Copenhaver told officers that he needed help and said that methamphetamine was taking over his life. He told officers that the guns inside his vehicle were stolen and he felt like a “dirt bag” for the things he had been doing lately. He further said that he had committed a burglary at a gun store in Bozeman, Montana and broke into a house near Helena, Montana and stole more firearms from a private residence.
Copenhaver further described for the officers a burglary he had committed in Idaho Falls the previous day where he had stolen some firearms and then traveled south to Blackfoot where he arrived sometime around midnight. After buying gas, he began to look for a place to “crash” in a nearby parking lot. Copenhaver said that he saw the probation and parole parking lot, but had no idea what the building was. He chose the building because it had other cars parked there and there were fewer lights. Copenhaver fell asleep in his car. He said that when he woke up the next morning there was someone wearing a parole agent shirt talking on the phone regarding “guns and a meth pipe” visible in the vehicle. Copenhaver said it was “just his luck” that he had fallen asleep in a probation and parole parking lot.
Copenhaver also told officers that he was on this way to Las Vegas and California where he was planning on trading the firearms for methamphetamine. He claimed that he could get over 20 pounds of methamphetamine. He also had methamphetamine on his person when he was arrested and he reported that he was using methamphetamine when he committed the burglaries.
“Investigating gun store thefts is a top priority for ATF, and we will not rest until we reverse the tide of stolen guns entering our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Debora Livingston. “These guns were destined for crime and violence, but they were intercepted by sharp officers who noticed something out of the ordinary. Thanks to Montana ATF agents, Blackfoot Police Department, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, communities around the country are safer.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan R. Whittaker and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Bozeman Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Blackfoot City Police Department and the State of Idaho Probation Office.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Participates in Quintet Meeting of Attorneys GeneralRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, for the annual Meeting of the Quintet of Attorneys General and Five Country Ministerial of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The focus of the Quintet meeting was on matters of common concern, including cybercrime, encryption, and countering violent extremism.
“I am very excited by the spirit and determination of our allies to take aggressive action to confront the terrorist threats. Increased collaboration, cooperation, and communication is essential to the fight against terrorism and transnational criminal organizations,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “This meeting of the Quintet of Attorneys General provides the setting for our closest allies with similar legal systems to discuss the steps we are taking to combat new avenues of radicalization, which is crucial to the safety and security of nations with shared values.”
Recent attacks in Europe emphasize the growing threat posed by ISIS’ radicalization of foreign terrorist fighters. It is essential that we use every lawful tool to prevent as many attacks as possible and to defeat these terrorist organizations. The Quintet ultimately seeks to improve methods to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from inspiring, radicalizing, financing, and recruiting individuals to commit acts of violence.
The Quintet also focused on the human trafficking crisis, a crime which the Department of Justice has increasingly encountered being committed by transnational criminal organizations. The Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit within the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division works closely with our foreign partners to investigate and prosecute these organizations that are also involved in money laundering and visa fraud.
20 Gary Individuals Indicted on Federal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - Acting United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced federal drug conspiracy charges against 20 individuals all residing in Gary, Indiana. Named in the indictment are:
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Antonio Walton, a/k/a “Buck”, age 40 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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Yahtzee Harris, a/k/a “Black”, age 38 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of being a felon in possession of a firearm
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1 count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime
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5 counts of distribution of crack cocaine
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Claude Tate, age 49 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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2 counts of distribution of crack cocaine
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Dujuana Dubose, age 44 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of distribution of crack cocaine
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John Tyson, age 55 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of distribution of crack cocaine
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Kevin Hatter, age 28 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of distribution of crack cocaine
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Christopher Green, a/k/a “Unc”, age 43 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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2 counts of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of being a felon in possession of a firearm
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1 count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime
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Telisha French, a/k/a “TiTi”, age 43 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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Keana Porter, age 33 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime
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Janice Walton, age 66 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine
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Ben Hickman, Jr, age 46 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine
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Charles Gould, a/k/a “Mooney”, age 34 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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Courtney Crouch, age 23 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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David Mackey, age 43 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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Emmanuel French, a/k/a “E”, age 30 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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Leroy Elmore, age 64 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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Richard Smith, age 45 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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Robert Blue, age 51 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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Rosalind Cherry, age 62 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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1 count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine
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Termaine Ervin, age 33 was charged with:
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1 count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine
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According to documents in this case, the above individuals were charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. In addition to the conspiracy charges, some were charged with a substantive charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and firearms violations. Four firearms were seized as a result of these arrests. This indictment is part of the ongoing effort by local and federal law enforcement to remove criminal organizations from the streets of northwest Indiana.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Gang Response Investigative Team with the assistance of Gary and Hobart Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas R. Mahoney.
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Monday 26 June 2017
Yukon Woman Admits to Stealing $467,352 from Oklahoma Operating Engineers Welfare PlanRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – SUSAN MICHELLE TYSON, 50, of Yukon, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton to wire fraud relating to her theft of $467,352.43 from the Oklahoma Operating Engineers Welfare Plan ("the Plan"), announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On June 12, 2017, the United States Attorney filed an Information charging Tyson with devising a wire fraud scheme to steal from the Plan, which provides health and welfare benefits to eligible participants and their dependents pursuant to collective bargaining agreements with Local Union 627 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Tyson worked in Oklahoma City as a bookkeeper for Zenith American Solutions, Inc., which managed the Plan’s assets. Her responsibilities included receiving bills from vendors that provided services to the Plan and paying the bills by initiating cash transfers from the Plan’s accounts to the vendors’ accounts. According to the Information, between July 11, 2014, and January 20, 2017, Tyson transferred cash from the Plan’s operating account to her personal bank accounts approximately 33 times. She submitted duplicate invoices to the Plan to make it appear that the transfers were legitimate. She used the proceeds for her personal benefit, including attempting to make a down payment on a house.
At sentencing, Tyson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. As part of her plea agreement, she has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $467,352.43. Sentencing will be set by the Court at a future date.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Hale and William Farrior prosecuted the case.
Wichita Man Used Stolen Identities to Take Out Car LoansRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges of using stolen identities to obtain car loans, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Reu Charles Chamberlain, 30, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted he used a stolen identity at Eddy’s Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Wichita to qualify for a $48,902 loan to buy a 2016 Dodge Challenger. At Midway Motors in Wichita, he used a stolen identity to qualify for a $44,746 loan to buy a 2015 Dodge Challenger.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 11. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count, a fine up to $250,000 and restitution. Beall commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Warren Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Shooting a Protected SealRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Joseph A. Martin, 54, of Warren, Maine, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison to three days imprisonment and a $1,000 fine for taking a federally-protected marine mammal.
According to court records, on October 10, 2016, the defendant was acting as captain of a fishing vessel. Off the coast of Acadia National Park, multiple protected seals began to approach the defendant’s fishing vessel. The defendant retrieved his rifle and began to shoot at the seals in the ocean. After the shooting, one seal could be seen floating in the water with a dark liquid surrounding its body. "Federal law provides great protection to the marine mammals that live in our waters," said James Landon, Director, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Law Enforcement (“OLE”). "OLE is dedicated to enforcing those laws and seeing that those who violate them are held accountable for their illegal actions."
The investigation was conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement.
Two Virginia residents indicted on identity theft chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Virginia residents are named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Elkins, West Virginia on June 20, 2017, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Ajarhi Roberts, also known as Wayne Roberts , age 24, of Stephens City, Virginia, and Angela Roberts, age 41, of Stephenson, Virginia, were named in a 36-count indictment, charging them with identity theft, aggravated identity theft, producing false identity documents, and bank fraud.
Angela Roberts was employed by WVU Medicine University Healthcare in Martinsburg, West Virginia. It is alleged in the indictment that Angela Roberts would access her employer’s patient database to obtain names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, and driver’s license numbers. She then allegedly shared that information with Ajarhi Roberts, who is accused of opening credit card and other financial accounts in the patients’ names.
The crimes are alleged to have occurred from March 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017 in Berkeley County, West Virginia and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Sentenced for Growing Marijuana at Prehistoric Site in the Sequoia National ForestRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced two men today for conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana in connection with a large-scale cultivation operation that impacted a prehistoric site, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Juan Carlos Lopez, 32, of Flagstaff, Arizona was sentenced to five years in prison, and Javier Garcia-Castaneda (Garcia), 38, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison. Lopez was ordered to pay $5,930 in restitution, and Garcia was ordered to pay $5,233 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the damage to public land and natural resources caused by their cultivation activities.
The sentences were imposed following their guilty pleas in April. According to court documents, the men conspired with each other and Rafael Torres-Armenta (Torres), 30; and Carlos Piedra-Murillo (Piedra), 30, both of Michoacán, Mexico, to cultivate marijuana in the Domeland Wilderness. The Domeland Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area about 55 miles northeast of Bakersfield and is known for its many granite domes and unique geologic formations. Law enforcement officers seized over 8,000 marijuana plants, 17 pounds of processed marijuana, a .22‑caliber rifle, a pellet rifle, and hundreds of rounds of .22‑caliber ammunition.
Piedra previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and was sentenced earlier this month to serve two years and one month in prison. Torres previously pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on July 10, 2017.
The marijuana cultivation operation caused extensive environmental damage. It covered about 10 acres and was within the burned area of the 2000 Manter Fire. Some of the new vegetation and trees that sprouted after the fire had been cut and trimmed to make room for the marijuana plants. Water was diverted from a tributary stream of Trout Creek, a major tributary to the Kern River. Fertilizer and pesticides, including illegal carbofuran and zinc phosphide, highly toxic pesticides from Mexico, were found at the site. Large piles of trash were found near the campsite. The moving of soil to accommodate a basin around each marijuana plant caused extensive damage to a large prehistoric Tűbatulabal archaeological site. Holes were dug in the middle of the archaeological site and artifacts were found scattered on the surface among the marijuana plants.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.
Two Ocean County, New Jersey, Couples Charged with Conspiring to Steal Government FundsRead the Press Release
Arrests Part of Joint State and Federal Effort to Prosecute Public Assistance Fraud
TRENTON, N.J. – Two couples from Lakewood, New Jersey, were arrested this morning on charges that they failed to report their sizable incomes in order to fraudulently collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in public assistance benefits, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Rachel Sorotzkin, 32, and Mordechai Sorotzkin, 35, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to steal government funds. Yocheved Nussbaum, 40, and Shimon Nussbaum, 42, also of Lakewood, are charged in a separate complaint with one count of conspiring to steal government funds. The Sorotzkins and the Nussbaums, all of Lakewood, are expected to make their appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Arpert in Trenton federal court.
According to the complaints:
From 2011 through 2014, Rachel and Mordechai Sorotzkin applied for and received Medicaid health insurance benefits for themselves and their children. After being approved for Medicaid benefits in August of 2011, the Sorotzkins received significant windfalls – including a lump sum payment of $1 million from Rachel Sorotzkin’s business in April of 2013 – which they failed to report to Medicaid officials. Despite earning in excess of $1 million in each of the 2012 and 2013 calendar years, the Sorotzkins continued to use their Medicaid cards, ultimately defrauding the government of approximately $96,000 in taxpayer-funded medical care.
In a separate scheme, Yocheved and Shimon Nussbaum applied for and received public benefits for themselves and their children from 2011 through 2014, despite their significant income. In the years prior to and during the conspiracy, the Nussbaums created a variety of companies that were nominally run by relatives but were actually controlled by the Nussbaums. They opened various bank accounts in the names of these companies and used funds from these accounts to cover personal expenses.
In applying for Medicaid, Section 8 housing, and SNAP food benefits, the Nussbaums grossly underreporting their true income by failing to include the income from these business accounts. Despite annual income of up to as high as approximately $1.8 million in 2013, the Nussbaums continued to receive taxpayer-funded health, housing and food benefits through August of 2014, ultimately defrauding the government of approximately $178,000.
The conspiracy counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
In related arrests also carried out this morning, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office is charging four additional people at the state level for allegedly defrauding public assistance programs. Mordechai Breskin, 37, and Jocheved Breskin, 35, of Lakewood, are charged with 2nd degree theft by deception for wrongfully collecting approximately $585,662 in Medicaid, SNAP, HUD and SSI benefits between January 2009 through December 2014. Zalmen Sorotzkin, 39, and Tzipporah Sorotzkin, 35, of Lakewood, are charged with 2nd degree theft by deception for wrongfully collecting approximately $338,642 in Medicaid, SNAP, HUD and SSI benefits between January 2009 and April 2014.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato; the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller, under the direction of State Comptroller Philip James Degnan; the New Jersey Department of the Treasury – Office of Criminal Investigation; under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charles Giblin; the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John Grasso; the Lakewood Police Department; and criminal investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s arrests.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly S. Lorber of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
Two Members of the “Gangster Disciple” Gang Sentenced to a Total of More than 500 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Two members of the violent "Gangster Disciples" street gang were sentenced to federal prison. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.
The Gangster Disciples are a violent criminal gang which began in the Chicago, Illinois area. In the 1970’s, the leaders of two different Chicago-based gangs, the Black Disciples and the Supreme Gangsters, aligned their respective groups and created the Gangster Disciples.
Once united, the Gangster Disciples began recruiting heavily in Chicago, within Illinois jails and prisons, and throughout the United States. By the mid-1980’s, the group had spread throughout the Midwestern and Eastern United States. The Gangster Disciples are active in approximately 35 states including Tennessee.
According to information presented at sentencing, on June 21, 2014, Florence Anthony, a member of the Gangster Disciples, got into an altercation with a group of individuals at the Hillview Apartments located in Memphis, Tennessee. Anthony reported the confrontation to her Gangster Disciples chain-of-command. Based on Anthony’s report, the Gangster Disciples chain-of-command issued orders to retaliate against those responsible for the attack on Anthony and her children.
At approximately 10:30 p.m., Erik Reese and four other members of the Gangster Disciples returned to the Hillview Apartments to retaliate against what were identified as rival gang members. Each individual was armed with firearms and proceeded on foot through the apartments shooting four juveniles and one adult male. All five victims survived, but some sustained serious bodily injuries.
On March 8, 2017, seven members of the Gangster Disciples pled guilty to committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity.
On June 22, 2017, Senior District Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Florence Anthony to 135 months in federal prison, along with 3 years’ supervised release. Erik Reese was sentenced to 382 months imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, Police Departments for Memphis, Bartlett and Germantown; Sheriff’s Offices for Tipton, Desoto and Shelby; and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry Kitchen and,Michelle Kimbril-Parks, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow, prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Two Members of the “Gangster Disciple” Gang Sentenced to a Total of More than 500 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Two members of the violent "Gangster Disciples" street gang were sentenced to federal prison. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.
The Gangster Disciples are a violent criminal gang which began in the Chicago, Illinois area. In the 1970’s, the leaders of two different Chicago-based gangs, the Black Disciples and the Supreme Gangsters, aligned their respective groups and created the Gangster Disciples.
Once united, the Gangster Disciples began recruiting heavily in Chicago, within Illinois jails and prisons, and throughout the United States. By the mid-1980’s, the group had spread throughout the Midwestern and Eastern United States. The Gangster Disciples are active in approximately 35 states including Tennessee.
According to information presented at sentencing, on June 21, 2014, Florence Anthony, a member of the Gangster Disciples, got into an altercation with a group of individuals at the Hillview Apartments located in Memphis, Tennessee. Anthony reported the confrontation to her Gangster Disciples chain-of-command. Based on Anthony’s report, the Gangster Disciples chain-of-command issued orders to retaliate against those responsible for the attack on Anthony and her children.
At approximately 10:30 p.m., Erik Reese and four other members of the Gangster Disciples returned to the Hillview Apartments to retaliate against what were identified as rival gang members. Each individual was armed with firearms and proceeded on foot through the apartments shooting four juveniles and one adult male. All five victims survived, but some sustained serious bodily injuries.
On March 8, 2017, seven members of the Gangster Disciples pled guilty to committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity.
On June 22, 2017, Senior District Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Florence Anthony to 135 months in federal prison, along with 3 years’ supervised release. Erik Reese was sentenced to 382 months imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, Police Departments for Memphis, Bartlett and Germantown; Sheriff’s Offices for Tipton, Desoto and Shelby; and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry Kitchen and,Michelle Kimbril-Parks, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow, prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Two Marshall County residents and an Ohio man indicted on cocaine distribution chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Marshall County residents and an Ohio man are named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Wheeling, West Virginia on June 6, 2017, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Sodonna M. Nuce, age 39, of Moundsville, West Virginia was charged with one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine Base” and three counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Base.”
Edward L. Haynes, age 44, of South Euclid, Ohio is charged with one count of “Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine Base” and one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base.”
Justin L. Nash, age 32, of Moundsville, West Virginia is charged with one count of “Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine Base,” one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base,” and one count of “Possess With Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base.”
The crimes are alleged to have occurred from October 2015 to June 2017 in Marshall County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, is investigating.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Illegal Aliens and One United States Citizen Plead Guilty to Selling Identification Documents and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Two illegal aliens and a United States citizen who sold real identification documents belonging to United States citizens pled guilty this week in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Ari Hernandez-Chacon, age 47, a native and citizen of Mexico illegally residing in Columbus Junction, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to transfer identification documents and one count of aggravated identity theft. In a plea agreement, Hernandez-Chacon admitted that on February 25, 2016, he sold three real Social Security cards and three real birth certificates to an undercover agent, knowing that the documents belonged to United States citizens. Hernandez-Chacon admitted that the identity documents he sold belonged to real people who had no arrest records to avoid problems for the person using the stolen identities.
Magali Marroquin-Garcia, age 37, a native and citizen of Mexico illegally residing in Columbus Junction, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession with intent to transfer identification documents and one count of aggravated identity theft. In a plea agreement, Marroquin-Garcia admitted that on May 12, 2016, she sold three real Social Security cards and three real birth certificates to an undercover agent, knowing that the documents belonged to United States citizens.
Elba Torres, age 56, a United States citizen from Bettendorf, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to transfer identification documents and one count of aggravated identity theft. In a plea agreement, Torres admitted that between June 2015 and March 2017, she conspired with Hernandez-Chacon and Marroquin-Garcia to unlawfully sell Social Security cards she knew belonged to United States citizens. Torres sold an undercover agent identification documents, including Social Security cards and birth certificates, on September 1, 2016, September 16, 2016, and November 29, 2016.
Sentencings before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after presentence reports are prepared. Hernandez-Chacon and Marroquin-Garcia remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Torres remains free on bond previously set. Hernandez-Chacon, Marroquin-Garcia, and Torres each face a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of identification documents count and a mandatory sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment to be served consecutively on the aggravated identity theft count. They each also face a $500,000 fine, $200 in special assessments, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-10.
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Two Henry County Felons in Possession of Weapons Sentenced to 149 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Jeffrey Whitehead and Keenan Kendall were sentenced to 149 months in federal prison for being felons in possession of firearms. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney, announced the sentences today.
According to information presented in court, on January 5, 2016, members of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the Springville, TN., home of Jeffrey Whitehead, 29, because of suspected marijuana distribution from the home. Upon execution of the warrant, Whitehead, who was present, told the officer that he had marijuana in the house and a few firearms. Whitehead told officers that he knew he was not allowed to be in possession of any firearms. A search of the home and Whitehead’s truck revealed 45.4 pounds of marijuana, $4,500 in cash, and digital scales, along with 6 firearms.
On January 27, 2017, officers with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the home of Keenan Kendall, 40, on suspicion of marijuana distribution. A search of the home in Paris, TN., revealed two sets of digital scales, marijuana and a loaded firearm.
On June 22, 2107, the Honorable J. Daniel Breen sentenced both Whitehead and Kendall. Whitehead received a sentence of more than 7 years in federal prison and 3 years supervised release. Kendall was sentenced to nearly 5 years in federal prison and received a total of 3 years supervised release.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Henry County Sheriff’s Office; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who have all worked jointly to address gun-related crimes through aggressive investigation and prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Eskridge prosecuted these cases on the government’s behalf.
Two Doctors and Clinic Owners sentenced for operating Pill Mills in Metro AtlantaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - A pain clinic owner, an office manager who was also the wife of the owner, and two doctors have been sentenced for illegally prescribing painkillers to known addicts and drug dealers at three pain clinics in metropolitan Atlanta. Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo, as well as Dr. Nevorn Askari and Dr. William Richardson, were sentenced to terms in prison between four and 12 years for federal drug and money laundering charges for their respective roles in operating the AMARC “pill mills.”
“The roots of our current heroin and fentanyl crisis are found in the opiate abuse epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Like many other states, Georgia continues to experience the devastating toll of this epidemic on its citizens. Yet, these defendants willingly exploited desperate drug addicts by feeding their addictions in order to turn a profit.”
“These drug traffickers, dressed in white lab coats, can no longer cause damage to those addicted to pain medicine. These rogue “medical field” employees will now have plenty of time to reflect on the damages they have caused while serving their sentences in federal prison. DEA and our state and local partners remain committed to keeping our communities safe,” said Dan Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Atlanta Field Division.
“The diversion of dangerous prescription drugs is a public health epidemic that is crippling communities throughout the country,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “It makes matters much worse when the individuals responsible for medical care are also illegally supplying lethal drugs. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to work with our partners to dismantle these deadly drug trafficking organizations and seek justice for the harm caused to the community”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: In May 2009, agents of the Tactical Diversion Squad of the DEA learned that doctors at the AMARC clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, were prescribing pain pills outside the bounds of legitimate medical practice to drug addicts and drug dealers. Subsequently, DEA, working with IRS and officers from other state and local agencies, learned that Godfrey Ilonzo financed and operated at least eight clinics in the Atlanta area under the “AMARC” name, including the pain clinic in Atlanta and two other pain clinics under different names; one in Tyrone, Georgia, and one other in Atlanta.
Bona Ilonzo (Godfrey Ilonzo’s wife) served as the office manager at the main AMARC pain clinic. At various times, Askari and Richardson served as the primary doctors for the AMARC pain clinics. Law enforcement also learned that Rosemary Ofume and Donatus Iriele operated Medicine Center Pharmacy in Atlanta, and illegitimately dispensed pain pills to AMARC customers.
The Ilonzos asked Dr. Askari and Dr. Richardson to prescribe Oxycodone pills and other opiates to addicts and distributors. Many of those customers traveled to the AMARC clinics from counties throughout Georgia and from other states (including Alabama and Ohio). Customers waited for hours at one AMARC pain clinic and paid cash to receive prescriptions for Oxycodone/Hydrocodone, Xanax, and Soma (the “holy trinity”) for resale on the street. Askari and Richardson issued prescriptions for medically inappropriate and potentially lethal combinations of Oxycodone, Alprazolam, Hydrocodone, and other controlled substances without conducting adequate medical examinations. After seeing a patient once, Askari would repeatedly “pre-sign” prescriptions for the same amounts and types of controlled substances without ever seeing the patient again in-person, while falsely indicating in the patient’s file that she had conducted an in-person examination of the patient.
After customers received illegitimate prescriptions from AMARC, clinic staff told customers to fill their prescriptions across the street at a pharmacy operated by Ofume and Iriele. Employees at the AMARC clinics and pharmacy received discounts and special treatment, including free office visits and reduced prices for pills dispensed at the pharmacy.
During the course of the conspiracy, the AMARC clinics generated more than $3 million dollars from unlawful prescriptions. Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo used that money to recruit additional physicians and patients to the AMARC pain clinics, open additional clinics under the “AMARC” name, purchase property, and send their children to expensive private schools.
Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo, Drs. Askari and Richardson, Rosemary Ofume, and Donatus Iriele have all pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial. U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones imposed sentences on the four AMARC defendants as follows:
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Godfrey Ilonzo, 66, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was sentenced on June 14, 2017,
to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Godfrey Ilonzo had pleaded guilty to charges related to a drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy on February 16, 2017.
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Bona Ilonzo, 54, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was sentenced on June 14, 2017, to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Bona Ilonzo had pleaded guilty to charges related to a drug trafficking conspiracy on February 16, 2017;
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Dr. Nevorn Askari, 61, of Monroe, Georgia, was sentenced on June 13, 2017, to five years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Dr. Askari pleaded guilty on February 16, 2017, to her involvement in this drug trafficking conspiracy; and,
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Dr. William Richardson, 63, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on June 13, 2017, to four years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Dr. Richardson pleaded guilty on February 1, 2017, for his involvement in this drug trafficking conspiracy.
Both Dr. Askari and Dr. Richardson voluntarily surrendered their medical licenses to the Georgia Composite Board of Medicine.
As part of their sentences, Judge Jones also ordered Godfrey and Bona Ilonzo to forfeit approximately $20,000 in seized funds, and he entered personal money judgements of $1.5 million against each of them.
On March 24, 2017, after a three-week jury trial, Rosemary Ofume and Donatus Iriele were convicted on federal drug and money laundering charges for illegally dispensing controlled narcotics to AMARC customers. Sentencing for Ofume and Iriele is scheduled for July 20, 2017, before Judge Jones.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Boatright, Cassandra Schansman, and Michael Brown prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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Two Corrections Officers Among Four Charged with Corruption at Jackson County Detention CenterRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center are among four persons charged in a bribery scheme to smuggle contraband cell phones and other items to inmates.
Today’s announcement was made in conjunction with a law enforcement operation at the Jackson County Detention Center, 1300 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo. Approximately 200 law enforcement officers and federal agents participated in the operation at the detention center and the arrests of the four defendants as part of an ongoing investigation.
Andre Lamonte Dickerson, 26, Carlos Laron Hughley, 32, and Janikkia Lashay Carter, 36, all of Kansas City, Mo., and Jalee Caprice Fuller, 29, of Independence, Mo., were charged in a federal criminal complaint that was filed under seal on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. That complaint was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of all four defendants. They remain in federal custody pending their initial court appearance this afternoon. The government will seek to have Dickerson and Hughley detained in federal custody without bond.
Dickerson and Fuller are corrections officers at the Jackson County Detention Center. Hughley is an inmate at the detention center awaiting trial on charges of domestic assault, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and multiple counts of distributing controlled substances. Hughley is purportedly the father of Fuller’s recently born child. Carter is an acquaintance of Fuller and Hughley.
The criminal complaint charges Dickerson, Fuller, Hughley and Carter for their roles in a bribery and contraband smuggling scheme from May 13 to June 3, 2017, in violation of the Travel Act.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, two confidential informants – an inmate at the detention center (identified in court documents as Confidential Informant 1, or C1) and a relative of that inmate (identified in court documents as Confidential Informant 2, or C2) – assisted in the investigation of corrupt corrections officers. The affidavit describes two undercover operations in which C2 paid bribes and provided cell phones and cigarettes, which were smuggled into the detention center by Dickerson and Fuller and delivered to C1.
In one undercover operation, C2 allegedly paid Dickerson $500 on June 2, 2017, to smuggle two packs of contraband cigarettes, a cell phone and a phone charger (with the items provided to Dickerson by C2) into the detention center. At approximately 1 a.m. the following morning, the affidavit says, Dickerson entered C1’s cell and placed the items on his bed. Dickerson allegedly asked C1 if he would be interested in paying him a monthly fee of $2,500 in exchange for being the only inmate on the fifth floor of the detention center to receive contraband cigarettes, narcotics and telephones. Other inmates would then shop through C1 for their contraband, either paying through food or by putting money on C1’s “books.” Dickerson allegedly told C1 to have C2 call him if he was interested.
Another undercover operation had been initiated in May 2017 when Hughley allegedly told C1 that he could get contraband into the detention center. C2 then coordinated with Carter and an unknown individual named “Cuddy,” the affidavit says. C2 allegedly paid Cuddy $300 on May 18, 2017, and provided a cell phone and charger that Fuller was to smuggle into the detention center. According to the affidavit, video footage obtained from the detention center shows Fuller delivering a paper bag through the cell block door hole to C1 on May 23, 2017. The paper bag delivered by Fuller contained the cell phone and 15 Xanax pills.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Deputy U.S. Attorney Gene Porter. It was investigated by the FBI and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the Missouri Department of Corrections, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Jackson County Detention Center.
The Travel Act
The Travel Act makes it a crime to use a facility of interstate commerce (such as telephone calls) with the intent to further unlawful activity. The Travel Act’s definition of “unlawful activity” includes bribery in violation of the laws of a state. Missouri state law makes it a crime for a public servant to solicit or accept a bribe in return for violating a known legal duty. This crime is known under Missouri state law as acceding to corruption, and it is a companion or sister statute to the Missouri state statute that makes it a crime for someone to bribe a public servant. These two Missouri state statutes criminalize bribery conduct involving a public servant, both for the person paying the bribe and for the public servant taking the bribe.
The federal criminal complaint charges each of the defendants with violating the Travel Act by using a facility of interstate commerce (a telephone) to facilitate the promotion of an unlawful activity, that is, acceding to corruption.
Two Bakersfield Men Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Carlos Gerardo Blanco, 27, and Henry Polin Morales III, 21, both of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between November 2014 and December 2015, Blanco conspired with Morales and others to distribute methamphetamine to various drug dealers and users in Kern County and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Blanco and Morales admit they distributed between 1.5 kilograms and 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
According to the plea agreement, on May 6, 2015, Blanco purchased approximately five pounds of crystal methamphetamine in the Los Angeles metropolitan area that he intended to distribute for profit with the help of Morales and other co-conspirators. Agents seized the crystal methamphetamine from Blanco, Morales, and another convicted co-conspirator, Justin Rivera, 22, of Bakersfield, as they attempted to transport the narcotics on a commercial bus bound for Las Cruces, New Mexico.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and task force officers from Kern County Probation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Salvador Morales was earlier convicted in this matter and was sentenced on September 26, 2016, to six years and three months in prison. Jose Alejandro Jacobo, 25, of Bakersfield, was convicted in this matter and sentenced on March 13, 2017, to seven years and eight months in prison. Two other defendants have pleaded guilty to this conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing — Justin Rivera and Carlos Blanco’s wife Josefina Blanco, 25, a Mexican national.
Blanco and Morales are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on October 16, 2017. Blanco faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Morales faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. 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.