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Friday 23 June 2017
Owners of New York Flower Business Plead Guilty to Obstructing the IRSRead the Press Release
The co-owners of a Great Neck, New York flower business, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the internal revenue laws, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to documents filed with the court, Adrian Benitez, 39, and Jose Ramirez, 44, co-owned and operated Metro Floral Decorators. Between 2007 and 2012, they obstructed the internal revenue laws by diverting more than $1 million in sales to their personal bank accounts instead of depositing the funds into the business bank account. They directed customers to pay in cash, checks payable to cash or checks payable to them personally. Benitez and Ramirez concealed these funds from their return preparer and filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) false individual income tax returns that did not report the money they diverted. They also did not report the full gross receipts on the firm’s corporate tax returns. Benitez admitted to causing a tax loss of approximately $227,729 and Ramirez admitted to causing a tax loss of approximately $235,805.
A sentencing date has not been scheduled before U.S. District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano. Benitez and Ramirez each face a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Brittney Campbell 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.
Orleans Woman Charged with Stealing Deceased Spouse’s Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Orleans woman was arrested today for stealing her deceased husband’s Social Security benefits.
Susan Condon, 64, was charged with one count of theft of public funds and one count of making false statements.
According to the indictment, Condon served as the representative payee for her husband in his receipt of Social Security benefits. Her husband passed away in April 2004, but she continued to receive his Social Security benefits each month. In January 2015, Condon falsely reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she used all of the funds she received as her husband’s representative payee for her husband’s benefit. She did not inform the SSA that her husband had died more than 10 years earlier. From the time of her husband’s death in April 2004 through February 2017, Condon received approximately $198,511 in Social Security benefits.
The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Adam Schneider, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Orland Woman Sentenced to 16 Months for Embezzling $142,000Read the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Carolyn J. Saunders, 57, of Orland, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 16 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for embezzlement from a health care practice. She was also ordered to pay full restitution to the victims of her crime. She pleaded guilty on September 16, 2016.
According to court records, from November 2011 until April 2015, Saunders, while employed as a financial administrator for Coastal Eye Care, PA and Coastal Eye Surgery Center, LLC, embezzled over $142,000 by stealing cash from the practices’ bank deposits.
At sentencing, Judge Woodcock noted that her criminal actions were aggravated by her spreading of falsehoods about her former employer after being fired for the thefts. Judge Woodcock found these defamatory actions to be “deplorable and egregious,” and concluded that the defendant stole money because she was “fundamentally dishonest.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Ellsworth Police Department.
New York City Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Heroin and Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Dorsey Hunt, 25, of the Bronx, was sentenced Thursday in United States District Court in Rutland to 84 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine. U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford also ordered that Hunt serve four years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. The court ordered Hunt to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on August 1 to begin serving his sentence.
Hunt, who was known as “Jah,” pleaded to an indictment charging him with conspiring with Michael Brockenbaugh (also known as “JD”), Felicia Livingston (also known as “Snoop”), Maurice Nix (also known as “Mo”), Michael Villanueva (also known as “Unc”), and others, to distribute heroin and crack cocaine from 2013 to September 2015. Court records indicate this conspiracy focused much of its activity in and around Malletts Bay Avenue, in Winooski.
Villanueva has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. The prosecution is still pending against Brockenbaugh, Livingston, and Nix, all of whom remain presumed innocent unless and until they are convicted following a trial or a plea.
This was Hunt’s first criminal conviction.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Vermont State Police, the Burlington Police Department, the South Burlington Police Department, and the Winooski Police Department.
Hunt is represented by Brooks McArthur, of Burlington. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher.
New London Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking, Role in 2012 HomicideRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that OSCAR VALENTIN, also known as “Tato,” 43, of New London, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 201 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics, and for his role in the September 2012 homicide of Javier Reyes of New London.
According to court documents and statements made in court, VALENTIN operated and managed a narcotics distribution enterprise at the “Green Garages,” a series of garage bays located as 12/14 Walker Street in New London. In the summer of 2011, VALENTIN was the intended victim of a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by former members of his enterprise in an attempt to take over narcotics distribution at the Green Garages. In September 2012, VALENTIN hired Nestor Pagan, also known as “Ernie” and “Naeem Medina,” to assault Javier Reyes. Pagan then hired Jose Rosado, Jr., also known as “Gugie,” and Andrew Aviles, also known as “P.A.” and “Papo,” to carry out the assault of Reyes in exchange for cash.
On the evening of September 12, 2012, Reyes, 36, was stabbed multiple times outside of his apartment at 187 Huntington Street in New London, and died a short time later. He also had blunt force trauma to the back of his head.
Video surveillance at the time of the attack showed Rosado, carrying a baseball bat, and another individual, creeping toward Reyes and then running away from him about 15 seconds later.
The investigation revealed that Rosado hit Reyes with the bat, knocking him to the ground. Aviles then stabbed Reyes multiple times.
On May 2, 2016, a federal jury found Valentin guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, but could not reach a verdict on charges against Valentin and Pagan related to the assault of Javier Reyes. As part of a commitment by the government not to seek a sentence of more than 235 months of imprisonment, VALENTIN subsequently agreed that the government could prove that the murder of Javier Reyes was related to VALENTIN’s drug trafficking enterprise.
On August 11, 2016, Pagan pleaded guilty in state court to one count of conspiracy to commit assault first degree-aided by others. On August 23, 2016, he was sentenced to 17 years of incarceration. On that same date, the federal charges against him related to the assault of Reyes were dismissed. On March 7, 2017, as part of an unrelated case, Pagan pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. When he is sentenced on the firearm charge, as a result of a binding plea agreement, he will be sentenced to a 10-year concurrent sentence.
On July 22, 2014, Rosado pleaded guilty to one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, and aiding and abetting the same. On February 15, 2017, he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
On January 22, 2015, Aviles pleaded guilty to violating the Travel Act by using a facility in interstate commerce, namely a cellular telephone, with the intent to commit a crime of violence in furtherance of an unlawful activity, and thereafter committed the crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2017.
This matter has been investigated by the New London Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police’s Eastern District Major Crime Squad, the Connecticut Department of Correction, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service and the New London State’s Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Sarah Karwan, and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Paul Narducci.
Ms-13 Member Sentenced to 160 Months in Prison for Racketeering-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Elizabeth Morse
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4877
Greenbelt, Maryland – On June 22, 2017, an MS-13 gang member was sentenced to 160 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring and attempting to murder on behalf of the gang.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Schenning of the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief James Tom Kemp of the Greenbelt Police Department; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks made the announcement.
“Transnational criminal organizations like MS-13 cannot continue to devastate our communities and our children. They must be stopped. Today’s sentencing sends a warning to all gang and cartel members: we are coming for you,” said Attorney General Sessions. “This outcome shows how strong cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement can help us win the fight against violent gangs. I applaud the efforts of the fine Assistant U.S. Attorneys and all the dedicated men and women who brought this violent criminal to justice.”
Celvin Eulice Ramos-Meija, aka “Cadejo,” 21, of Columbia, Maryland, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte of the District of Maryland. Ramos-Mejia previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering.
MS-13 is an international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the U.S., operate throughout the U.S., including in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Frederick County, Maryland. Members engage in racketeering activity including murder, extortion, robberies, obstruction of justice and other crimes. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
According to his plea agreement, Ramos-Mejia admitted that for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in MS-13, he conspired with other MS-13 members to murder a victim that he and his co-conspirators had identified as a “chavala.”
Specifically, the Ramos-Mejia admitted that on June 6, 2016, he and other members and associates of MS-13 approached the victim in Greenbelt, Maryland. Ramos-Mejia admitted that he made an MS-13 sign in the face of the victim, and that he and his co-conspirators then began to attack the victim. According to the plea agreement, the victim survived the attack, but sustained multiple stab wounds and injuries, including lacerations to his abdomen, liver and diaphragm. The victim was hospitalized for 10 days as a result of the attack.
HSI Baltimore, the Greenbelt Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Lindsay Eyler Kaplan of the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
Monterey Park Woman Arrested on Federal Charges after Allegedly Injecting Foreign Substance into Woman for Buttocks EnhancementRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement authorities have arrested a Monterey Park woman on federal charges of injecting a currently unknown substance – possibly silicone – into a woman’s buttocks during cosmetic procedures that caused so much damage the woman needed a major operation to correct the problem.
Ana Bertha Diaz Hernandez, 47, was taken into custody late yesterday afternoon by special agents with the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations and investigators with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Investigation, Health Quality Investigation Unit, Operation Safe Medicine Unit (formerly known as the California Medical Board).
The arrest followed the filing yesterday of a criminal complaint charging Diaz with three felony offenses – receipt of an adulterated and misbranded medical device, smuggling, and misbranding prescription drugs.
According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, a victim identified as “I.T.”, filed a complaint with the California Medical Board after seeking treatments from Diaz to enhance her buttocks. I.T. stated that the product Diaz had injected into her buttocks had migrated to her “back, hips and legs,” the affidavit states. I.T. explained that she had to have surgery and was ultimately hospitalized due to the injections administered by Diaz.
During a series of treatments that cost thousands of dollars, Diaz explained to I.T. that she was injecting a “natural product,” at points claiming the injections were “lamb’s fat.”
However, after a series of treatments, I.T. began to suffer pain and sought the assistance of a doctor in Colombia who specialized in reversing cosmetic procedures. The victim underwent a major surgery to remove the substance injected into her buttocks, and she will need further medical procedures, according to the affidavit.
According to the complaint, the FDA has never approved the use of silicone for the purpose of body contouring, even when administered by a medical doctor.
“Injections of silicone for body contouring purposes, especially deep tissue injections into the buttocks of the large amounts of silicone that would be required to achieve visible buttocks augmentation and enhancement, present serious risks and dangers,” the affidavit states. “Included among the risks of such injections are the potential of injection into a blood vessel resulting in embolism, migration of injected silicone to other bodily regions and resultant interference with organs and bodily systems, serious sepsis infection and infection-related disorders, silicone-filled scar tissue formations (“granulomas”), necrosis, skin discoloration, immune system hyperactivity and related adverse systemic conditions, disfigurement, discomfort, and pain.”
Diaz is expected to make her first court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If she is convicted of the three charges in the complaint, Diaz would face a statutory maximum sentence of 26 years in federal prison.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph O. Johns, Chief of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Amanda M. Bettinelli of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section.
Mexican Citizen Arrested with Fraudulent immigration DocumentsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Victorico Catarino Ramirez, a citizen of Mexico, was charged today with possessing fraudulent immigration documents.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and James C. Spero, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Ramirez appeared today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.
If convicted of possessing fraudulent immigration documents, Ramirez faces up to 10 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by HSI, Immigration Customs and Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
McKeesport Man Pleads Guilty in FBI Investigation into Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to charges of fraud conspiracy; mail fraud; wire fraud; trafficking or using unauthorized access devices aggregating $1,000 or more (attempt); and possession of 15 or more access devices, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Daniel K. Miller, 53, of McKeesport, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to five counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around June 2010, to on or about September 17, 2010, co-conspirators falsely represented to be employees of companies in order to arrange and cause the unauthorized purchases of merchandise, and thereafter directing its shipment to individuals (re-shippers), like Miller, who would re-ship the merchandise to co-conspirators overseas or would sell the products online and transfer the proceeds to co-conspirators overseas. On or about September 10, 2010, Miller attempted to traffic in and use an unauthorized credit card in the amount of $2,213.44. On or about September 17, 2010, Miller possessed 15 or more unauthorized credit cards.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for October 20, 2017 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Miller.
Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – An armed drug dealer who was convicted of drug and firearm offenses was sentenced today to 10 years and 10 months in prison.
Trenton R. Birchette, 34, of Surry County, was convicted by a federal jury on March 24. According to the evidence presented at trial, Birchette was arrested on an outstanding warrant during a traffic stop on Dec. 28, 2015. At the time of his arrest, detectives found a handgun, ammunition, and digital scale in the area immediately accessible to Birchette. A search of Birchette’s person following his arrest led detectives to believe that Birchette had something concealed between his buttocks. In recorded jail calls made later that evening, Birchette told a woman that he had drugs concealed in his rectum. Birchette said he planned to have another inmate bring the drugs to her and directed her to give them to her son for distribution on his behalf. Detectives discovered these calls and obtained a search warrant for Birchette’s person. On the way to the hospital, Birchette removed from his buttocks a plastic bag containing over six grams of individually packaged rocks of crack cocaine. Birchette hid the bag in between the seat cushions of the vehicle in which he was transported. Detectives discovered the bag one day later on the floorboard immediately behind where Birchette had been seated. In a jail call made that same day, Birchette told the same woman that authorities had taken him to the hospital and recovered everything the two had previously discussed. Before Dec. 28, 2015, Birchette had been convicted of four felony offenses, including two prior cocaine offenses. Birchette was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine, using a telephone in furtherance of drug distribution, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin C. Gratton and Brian J. Samuels prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-57.
MS-13 Clique Leader Agrees to Plead Guilty to Rico Conspiracy, Drug Trafficking and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The leader of MS-13’s East Boston Loco Salvatrucha clique agreed to plead guilty today in federal court in Boston to RICO conspiracy involving an aggravated assault, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Santos Portillo Andrade, a/k/a “Flaco,” 33, of Revere, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and admitted responsibility for an aggravated assault on an individual he believed was a rival gang member in Malden in December 2008. Portillo also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV deferred accepting the defendant’s plea agreement until sentencing, which is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2017. If the court accepts the plea agreement, Portillo will be sentenced to 10 years in prison and four years of supervised release.
After a three-year investigation, Portillo was one of 61 defendants named in a January 2016 superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. He is the 15th defendant to plead guilty in the case.
Portillo was the leader of the East Boston Loco Salvatrucha clique of MS-13. According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches or “cliques” operate throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence against rival gang members to gain promotions and maintain membership and discipline within the group. Specifically, MS-13 members are required to attack and murder rival gang members whenever possible.
The RICO conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The drug trafficking conspiracy charge provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $5 million. The possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking charge provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison to be served consecutively to any sentence imposed on counts two (RICO conspiracy) and five (conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine), three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Truco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Fraudulent Credit Card Scheme Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
June 23, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.justice.gov/usao/md
Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
(410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – On June 23, 2017, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Hussain Abdullah, age 39 of Forestville, Maryland, to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, related to a scheme to use victims’ stolen identity information to obtain credit. The conspirators used the fraudulent credit cards to obtain money and merchandise. In addition, Abdullah was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $225,588.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Ebert of the United States Secret Service, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Abdullah obtained and helped obtain the personal identifying information (PII) of others, without their knowledge or consent. From October 2014 through July 2016, Abdullah used the victim’s stolen personal information to create fake driver’s licenses in the names of the victims. As part of the conspiracy, Abdullah provided over 30 fake driver’s licenses to co-defendants Shazad Khan, Patricia Lynn Hiter, James Edward Foster, and others, and directed them to use the victims’ personal information to open instant credit cards in the victims’ names. Khan, Hiter, Foster, Shivers, and others used the fraudulent driver’s licenses to apply for credit at retail stores, and used the credit cards they obtained to purchase merchandise, including electronics and jewelry, and gift cards.
On September 30, 2016, Abdullah was arrested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and law enforcement seized a backpack and suitcase belonging to Abdullah. Inside the suitcase law enforcement recovered a .45/.410 caliber handgun, which Abdullah had transported to Pennsylvania from Maryland a few days earlier. Abdullah was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a previous felony conviction.
Investigation showed that the handgun had previously been reported stolen during a residential robbery in Virginia. On October 1, 2016, law enforcement executed a search at Abdullah’s residence in Baltimore. During the search, law enforcement recovered a thumb drive containing approximately 799 documents bearing suspected victim names, including credit reporting information relating to those victims, and approximately 187 identification card templates bearing the photographs of 36 different suspects. A search of Abdullah’s suitcase recovered blank identification card stocks containing Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. holograms. Abdullah’s fingerprints were found on the card stock. Finally, law enforcement also recovered a phone with additional victim names, and a laptop computer containing the names of 32 victims.
The total loss to the card issuers was over $225,000, and the names of at least 65 victims – most of them Maryland residents - were used at retail stores without their permission. In addition, law enforcement has identified approximately 1,000 suspected victims based on their investigation of this scheme.
James Edward Foster, age 61, of Woodbridge, Virginia, previously plead guilty to the wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $100,180.44. Patricia Lynn Hiter, age 51, of Lawrenceville, Georgia also plead guilty to the wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $51,454.44.
Bland Shivers, age 50, of New Bern, North Carolina, previously plead guilty to the wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $18, 984.92.
Shazad Khan, age 56, of Baltimore, Maryland also has plead guilty and will be sentenced July 31, 2017. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft.
The Maryland Identity Theft Working Group has been working since 2006 to foster cooperation among local, state, federal, and institutional fraud investigators and to promote effective prosecution of identity theft schemes by both state and federal prosecutors. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Working Group, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to work with financial institutions and businesses to address identity fraud, identify those who compromise personal identity information, and protect citizens from identity theft.
Today’s sentencing is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the U.S. Secret Service National Capitol Region Multi-Agency Task Force, the Montgomery County Police Department and Prince George’s County Police Department for their investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arun G. Rao who prosecuted the case.
Lake County Resident Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Manufacture Marijuana in Rockford WarehouseRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Lake County man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala for his role in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana.
JUSTIN T. PAGLUSCH, 35, of Ingleside, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
On Oct. 6, 2015, a federal grand jury in Rockford charged Paglusch and six other individuals with conspiring to manufacture, possess and distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. The indictment alleged that between Jan. 2, 2013, and Jan. 6, 2015, the defendants conspired to illegally grow and store marijuana in a warehouse at 1916 11th Street in Rockford. The warehouse was destroyed by fire on Jan. 6, 2015.
Paglusch pleaded guilty to the charge on March 3, 2017. He stated in a plea agreement that in November 2014, Paglusch’s cousin, Jeremiah N. Clement, 39, formerly of Des Plaines, asked Paglusch to work with others in a marijuana growing operation at the warehouse. Paglusch agreed, and during the time of the conspiracy he lived at the warehouse. When Paglusch arrived at the warehouse in November 2014, over 1,000 marijuana plants growing on the fourth floor in the warehouse were almost ready to be harvested. There was also a smaller room on the fourth floor of the warehouse that housed the baby or "clone" marijuana plants.
As stated in the plea agreement, Paglusch and Clement, along with three other co-defendants, started harvesting the crop of finished marijuana plants in December 2014. The harvested marijuana was weighed and packaged into one pound amounts and vacuum sealed. The processed marijuana was stored in a vault at the warehouse, which had a combination lock. Paglusch admitted that during the period of the conspiracy, he was aware that Clement kept a .357 Ruger revolver at the warehouse.
The sentencing was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Celinez Nunez, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Derek Bergsten, Chief of the Rockford Fire Department; and Anthony Scarpelli, Chief of the Skokie Police Department. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit and the Rockford Police Department Narcotics Unit assisted in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Pedersen.
Kalamazoo Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Possessing A Firearm as A FelonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Forty-one-year-old Lamont Duane Dixon, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was sentenced to 180 months in prison, following his conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon. Under the federal Armed Career Criminal Act, Dixon was subject to a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence due to three prior felony convictions under Michigan law for manufacture/delivery of less than 50 grams of a narcotic drug.
In announcing the sentence, the Honorable Janet T. Neff, United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan, stated that "all gun offenses are serious, to one extent or another." The Court continued that the defendant’s personal history of addiction, drug dealing, and violent behavior compounded the seriousness of his offense. The Court underscored the need for the sentence to adequately punish the defendant and to promote respect for the law.
Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge commented that "Federal law provides a 15-year mandatory-minimum sentence for felons in possession of firearms specifically for defendants like Mr. Dixon—chronic, ‘career’ criminals who continue, time and again, to commit serious drug offenses or violent felonies and then pick up a firearm. The many sentences such defendants have received in the past for their multiple felony convictions simply have not done enough to deter them from committing more crimes and picking up firearms. These types of prosecutions are integral to our Office’s mission to pursue justice and ensure public safety."
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) work closely with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety to identify priority offenders, like Dixon, whose prior convictions, history of violence, or involvement in group violence, warrant federal prosecution. "Instead of becoming a productive member of society, Mr. Dixon continued to put innocent lives in danger by engaging in illegal activity," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker. "ATF will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to get violent criminals off the streets and behind bars."
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Zell prosecuted the case.
END
June Grand JuryRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 38 indictments charging 43 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Breck C. Beck, Jr., age 21, of Omaha, is charged with felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on or about December 15, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* James Burrus, age 26, is charged with distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine on or about May 12, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Erlin Francisco Carrazco-Mendoza, age 35, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about November 3, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Kortney Cunegin, age 31, of Omaha, is charged with felon in possession of a firearm on or about January 7, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Eugene Michael Frazier, Sr., a/k/a Eugene Frazier-Green, a/k/a Cubby, age 26, of Winnebago, is charged with Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender on or about January 29, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Nathan Jandreau, age 32, and Korina Freemont, age 40, of Omaha, are charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about November 1, 2015, and continuing to on or about April 26, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Jandreau with felon in possession of a firearm on or about April 21, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III of the Indictment charges Freemont with felon in possession of a firearm on or about April 21, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* David Garcia-Colimote, age 35, of Lexington, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about May 29, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jhovani Gomez-Garcia, age 32, of Columbus, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about June 13, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Trevon Green, age 19, of Omaha, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with distribution of less than 50 kilograms of marijuana on or about January 7, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 2 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Green with use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Curtis Holmes, Jr., age 25, of Omaha, is charged with distribution of a mixture containing crack cocaine on or about October 27, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Gerardo Infante Aranda, age 27, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about March 10, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Sidney Jackson, age 26, of Omaha, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with distribution of less than 50 kilograms of marijuana or about November 10, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 2 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Jackson with use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III of the Indictment the defendant with felon in possession of a firearm on or about December 6, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Creighton Jones, age 24, of Omaha, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with distribution of a mixture containing crack cocaine or about March 14, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Jones with use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III of the Indictment charges the defendant with felon in possession of a firearm on or about March 14, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Loren Williams, age 26, is charged with transferring a firearm to a prohibited person on or about May 16, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Rodney Lillard, age 32, of Omaha, is charged with felon in possession of a firearm on or about May 30, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Luis Lorenzo-Urbina, age 30, of Omaha, is charged with illegal alien in possession of a firearm on or about May 23, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Francisca Lugo, age 58, of Kearney, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about June 9, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Daniel Martinez Brito, age 47, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about May 15, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jose Martinez Roman, age 28, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 15, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Cary McCarty, age 27, of Lincoln, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Counts I, II and III of the Indictment charge the defendant with felon in possession of a firearm on or about November 8, 2016, May 18, 2011, on or about November 29, 2016, and on or about January 18, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Londy Montepeque, age 37, of Omaha, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with illegal reentry after deportation on or about May 23, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Montepeque with false representation of a social security number on or about April 6, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III of the Indictment charges Montepeque with false representation of U.S. Citizenship on or about April 6, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Count IV of the Indictment charges the defendant with misuse of a Social Security Card knowing that the document was not issued lawfully for his use on or about April 6, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jose De Jesus Nava-Leanos, a/k/a Jose Blanco-Campos, a/k/a Jose Alvarez-Gutierres, age 58, of Mullen, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about May 16, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Lynell Noble, Jr., age 24, is charged with transferring a firearm to a prohibited person on or about December 8, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Pedro Orozco-Montes, age 35, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 25, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Desiderio Pablo-Pablo, age 32, of Lexington, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 14, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Michael Perez-Barrios, age 26, of Grand Island, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about May 19, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Otto Rene Pojoy-Garcia, age 38, of Crete, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about May 13, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jaime Ramos, age 33, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine beginning on or about July, 2016, and continuing to on or about November 4, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Ramos with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about November 6, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Andres Ramos Ramos, age 29, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about May 31, The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Terrance Robinson, age 20, of Omaha, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with distribution of less than 50 kilograms of marijuana on or about November 17, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 2 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Robinson with use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Diana Rodriguez-Lopez, age 23, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Counts I and II of the Indictment charge the defendant with distribution of a mixture containing cocaine on or about October 25, 2016 and on or about November 8, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count
* Wilson Secadia-Garcia, age 33, of Lincoln, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about May 22, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Secadia-Garcia with failure to register as a sex offender beginning on or about December 30, 2015, and continuing to on or about May 22, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Traynell D. Toney, age 24, of Omaha, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Counts I and II of the Indictment charge the defendant with bank robbery on or about June 2, 2017 and on or about June 9, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Blanca Avila De Vega, age 43, of Phoenix; Melissa Vega, age 19, of Phoenix; Alejandro Buendia-Ramirez, age 33, of Omaha; Carlos Alberto Valquier, age 19, of Omaha; and Alfredo Valquier, age 21, of Omaha, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine beginning on or about March 1, 2016, and continuing to on or about June 7, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The indictment also alleges any and all property constituting or derived from any proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as a result of the violation alleged in the indictment and any property used to commit the offense should be forfeited to the United States.
* Domingo Velasquez-Domingo, age 36, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 6, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Kendall Williams, age 22, is charged with transferring a firearm to a prohibited person on or about April 12, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Irene E. Worman, age 62, of Red Cloud, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with theft of government funds beginning in or around November, 2010, and continuing until in or around April, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II-IV of the Indictment charge Worman with allegedly making false statements for use in determining Supplemental Security Income Payments on or about December 2, 2014, on or about September 10, 2015, and on or about November 30, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Domingo Velasquez-Domingo, age 36, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 6, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.* Kendall Williams, age 22, is charged with transferring a firearm to a prohibited person on or about April 12, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Irene E. Worman, age 62, of Red Cloud, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with theft of government funds beginning in or around November, 2010, and continuing until in or around April, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II-IV of the Indictment charge Worman with allegedly making false statements for use in determining Supplemental Security Income Payments on or about December 2, 2014, on or about September 10, 2015, and on or about November 30, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
Jason Loera Sentenced to 97 Months for Conviction on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division announced that Jason Loera was sentenced this afternoon in federal court for his conviction on a child pornography charge. Loera, 48, a former political consultant and resident of Albuquerque, N.M., who recently resided in Los Angeles, Calif., until his remand into federal custody in Oct. 2016, was sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for receiving a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Loera will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
The FBI arrested Loera in Los Angeles in June 2013, on an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. The indictment charged Loera with two counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. According to the indictment, Loera committed these offenses in in Bernalillo County, N.M.
The indictment against Loera subsequently was superseded twice, most recently on March 8, 2016. The six-count second superseding indictment charged Loera with three counts of receiving child pornography and three counts of possessing child pornography. It alleged that Loera received child pornography on three occasions between March 31, 2010 and April 15, 2010, and that he possessed child pornography on a laptop computer and two CDs on Nov. 20, 2012.
“This case is another example of the law enforcement community’s commitment to identifying, locating and prosecuting predators who exploit children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney. “Prosecuting those who possess child pornography is crucial to destabilizing this black market and undermining the normalization of child sexual abuse.”
“The FBI is committed to fighting the sexual exploitation of children,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “A key part of that effort is the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory, which brings together highly trained FBI and task force officers to track down digital clues. We will continue to work with our partners to uncover those who engage in child pornography and make sure they are no longer able to victimize innocent children.”
On April 22, 2016, Loera entered a guilty plea to Count 3 of the second superseding indictment charging him with receiving child pornography on April 15, 2010. In his plea agreement, Loera admitted using his laptop computer to download from the internet an electronic file that he knew contained child pornography. The file contained 45 images of a prepubescent girl, many of which showed the girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Loera also admitted that when the FBI searched his residence on Nov. 20, 2012, he knowingly possessed child pornography on his laptop computer and two CDs. Loera admitted that he had more than 600 images of child pornography, some of which depicted violence.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque Division of the FBI and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristopher N. Houghton prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Hyattsville, Maryland Woman Convicted of Mail and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Elizabeth Morse
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Ana Maritza Gomez, age 44, of Hyattsville, Maryland, today on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and five counts of mail fraud arising from a scheme to defraud victims through a foreclosure rescue fraud scam.
Two co-defendants, Rene De Jesus De Leon, age 48, and Pedrina Rodriguez Bonilla, age 38, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, have also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for their involvement in the same scheme.
The conviction was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Rene Febles of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Cary A. Rubenstein of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG); Chief Henry P. Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Postal Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to evidence presented at the six-day trial, from at least late 2011 to August 2015, Gomez and her co-conspirators claimed that they could help homeowners who wanted to modify their mortgage loans and prevent foreclosure of their homes. The conspirators sold the victims on a “principal reduction” program that included an upfront fee, typically between $3,000 and monthly payments for 10 to 15 years. Gomez and her co-conspirators told the victims to make monthly payments to the conspirators and to companies they controlled, in lieu of to the homeowners’ lenders, as part of the conspirators program. The companies controlled by Gomez’s co-conspirators were named Marketing Multiservices LLC and Innovative Solutions Services LLC.
According to the indictment and court documents, the conspirators mailed monthly invoices to the homeowner victims that falsely indicated that the “principal balance” was being paid down. Some of the victims paid Gomez in person each month at her residence; or some of the victims deposited their payments directly into bank accounts controlled by Gomez’s co-conspirators. The conspirators told the victims not to open any mail from their lenders and instead provide it to the conspirators. The conspirators did not, however, negotiate with lenders of behalf of the homeowners. Many of the victims lost their homes.
Sentencing for Ana Maritza Gomez is scheduled for October 12, 2017 , at 10:00 a.m. Sentencing for Rene De Leon is scheduled for September 7, 2017, at 1:00 p.m., and Pedrina Bonilla is scheduled for sentencing on September 7, 2017, at 10:00 a.m.
Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for each count.
The Maryland Mortgage Fraud Task Force was established to unify the agencies that regulate and investigate mortgage fraud and promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of mortgage fraud schemes. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Task Force, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to protect consumers from fraud and promote the integrity of the credit markets. Information about mortgage fraud prosecutions is available http://www.justice.gov/usao-md/financial-fraud-and-identity-theft.
Today’s announcement is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FHFA-OIG, HUD-OIG, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Police Departments, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kristi N. O’Malley and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman, who are prosecuted the case.
Head of Nonprofit Mental Health Clinic Found Guilty of Fraud Against ClinicRead the Press Release
Philadelphia – Today, a federal jury found Renee Tartaglione, 61, of Philadelphia, PA, guilty on all counts of conspiracy, fraud, and theft from a nonprofit clinic that provided mental health services to persons eligible under Medicaid. Tartaglione defrauded the Juniata Community Mental Health Clinic (JCMHC) by misappropriating funds of the clinic. Tartaglione was also convicted of falsifying her federal income tax returns by underreporting her income for tax years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012.
According to the evidence presented at trial, between 2007 and 2015, Tartaglione, as President of JCMHC’s Board of Directors, defrauded and stole money from JCMHC through a series of actions designed to benefit her personally at the expense of the clinic. Tartaglione purchased the building on 3rd Street in Philadelphia that housed the clinic and then raised the rent repeatedly; causing the clinic’s rent for the 3rd Street building to increase from $4,500 per month to $25,000 per month.
Additionally, as of 2010, Tartaglione’s company, Norris Hancock LLC, acquired an interest in a building on 5th Street, and Tartaglione began to cause the clinic to spend money to fix up that building. Then, in December 2012, Tartaglione leased that building to JCMHC under a lease that called for rent of $35,000 per month for the first two years, and $75,000 per month for the next three years. The rent Tartaglione charged the nonprofit clinic at both buildings was substantially in excess of the market rent.
None of the JCMHC rent increases or the lease agreements were approved by JCMHC’s Board of Directors. Tartaglione and her co-conspirators created false and fictitious documents in an attempt to make the transactions appear legitimate.
Tartaglione’s crimes against the Juniata Mental Health Clinic are unfortunate examples of how those in control of non-profits can abuse them for their personal enrichment,” said Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. “Her fraudulent scheme did serious damage to the community she was supposed to serve -- denying mental health services to economically disadvantaged people.”
“Nonprofit work is generally understood to be personally fulfilling – not financially enriching,” said Harpster. “The defendant disagreed. She brazenly diverted, for her own use, money meant to improve mental health care for the underprivileged and underserved. While doing so, she shortchanged her community, and stole from U.S. taxpayers. The FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those misappropriating federal government funds.”
"IRS Criminal Investigation provides financial investigative expertise in our work with our law enforcement partners. Today's verdict demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust," said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent In Charge Gregory Floyd. "Renee Tartaglione made a conscious decision to deceive and benefit personally at the expense of others, and she is now a convicted felon as a result. Today's guilty verdict should send a clear message to those contemplating a similar crime."
“Non-profit entities are supposed to protect our truly disadvantaged. When members of our City are in their most trying times, they turn to organizations like Juniata Community Mental Health, and other contractors of the City’s Community Behavioral Health, for honest and compassionate assistance,” said Amy Kurland, Philadelphia Inspector General. “Theft within our City’s non-profit sector is profoundly harmful because it victimizes those who have already been victimized. That is why my office will forever be committed to protecting the integrity of charitable services within Philadelphia – and we are very grateful to have partners like the USAO and FBI who are equally committed to that mission.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Bea Witzleben and Trial Attorney Peter N. Halpern of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
Former St. Louis County Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Federal Theft ChargeRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Alvin Wilson, St. Louis, MO, admitted to stealing from an organization that receives federal funds.
According to his plea agreement, from 2012 through December 31, 2016, Wilson was employed as a security officer for the St. Louis Public Library. The Library received funds from the federal government through a grant program. At the same time, Wilson was employed as a Deputy Sheriff for the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. Wilson’s duty hours at the Library were typically from 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 8:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Wilson falsely reported hours worked at the Library and received payment from the Library based on the falsely reported work hours. He repeatedly and regularly left his duty post at the Library for significant intervals of time in the middle of his duty hours to handle work assignments for the Sheriff’s Office. Wilson falsely reported his work hours at the Library in that he claimed entitlement to pay for hours when he well knew that he was not working at the Library, but instead was working at the Sheriff’s Office or was at home. With his plea, Wilson agreed that the loss to the Library exceeds $95,000.00.
Judge Rodney Sippel, who accepted Wilson’s guilty plea, set a sentencing date of September 22, 2017.
Theft from an organization that receives federal funds carries a maximum penalty of not more than 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000 or both. Restitution is also mandatory. In determining the actual sentence, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Reginald Harris is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Florida Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to Register in VirginiaRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Florida man, who previously pled guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison yesterday, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle and Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced.
Christopher Matthew Marsh, 40, of Wytheville, VA, formerly of Tallahassee, FL, pled guilty earlier this year in District Court to failing to register as a sex offender, in violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Marsh was sentenced yesterday to serve 30 months in federal prison, to run consecutively to a 30 month sentence imposed in state court in Florida for failing to comply with sexual predator reporting requirements in that state.
According to evidence presented by Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Kerney-Quillen when Marsh pled guilty, Marsh had been previously convicted of an attempted capital sexual offense in Florida in 1997, which required him to register as a sex offender for life under SORNA. Marsh complied, to some extent, with provisions of SORNA following his release from prison until June 2016 when probation officers in Florida received notification that his GPS monitor strap had been cut off, resulting in the issuance of a warrant for his arrest. Marsh was subsequently located at a motel in Wytheville, VA, where he had resided in August 2016. A review of the Virginia Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act revealed that Marsh had not registered as a sex offender in Virginia.
The United States Marshal’s Service conducted the investigation of the case. Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States.
Five Individuals Convicted in $23 Million Boiler Room Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a federal jury in Miami convicted Charles K. Topping, 40, of North Bay Village, Anita Sgarro, 54, of Marina Del Ray, Charles David Smigrod, 69, of Coconut Grove, Matthew William Wheeler, 33, of Miami, and James Wayne Long, 60, of Miramar, for their roles in two telephone sales room (“boiler room”) fraud schemes that targeted investors throughout the nation and defrauded over 700 victims out of $23 million. The fraud schemes operated out of Miami Lakes, Florida, and Marina Del Ray, California. Eight other co-conspirators who were involved in the fraud schemes previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Benjamin Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Following a two-month trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke, a jury convicted Topping, Sgarro, Smigrod, Wheeler, and Long of multiple counts of mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in a conspiracy that operated from as early as 2009 until about August 2015.
According to the court record, from April 2009 to August 2015, Topping, Sgarro, Smigrod and Wheeler, along with their co-conspirators Craig Sizer, Keith Houlihan, Miguel (“Mike”) Mesa, Jack Willard Sini, Juan M. Perez Ortega, Martin Miller, Jason David Hershberger, and Shawna Leigh Lynch used false and fraudulent claims to solicit investors throughout the United States to buy shares of stock in Sanomedics International Holdings, Inc. (“Sanomedics”), a company that sold non-contact infrared thermometers for home healthcare and for dogs.
The evidence at trial showed that the sales agents used sales pitches that included several materially false statements, including that: stock sales did not include commissions or fees; sales agents were compensated with stock or paid by the hour; the stock could be sold after six months; the sales agents worked directly for Sanomedics; stock purchases were safe and secure; and famous and wealthy individuals, such as former CEOs of Apple Inc., PepsiCo, and IVAX Corp., and the “Dog Whisperer,” were either heavily invested in the company or were company representatives. In truth, the co-conspirator sales agents worked for Mesa and Sgarro in two boiler rooms, not for Sanomedics. Investors were never able to sell their stock. Approximately 90% of investor proceeds were misappropriated by the co-conspirators to cover commissions and fees. The co-conspirator sales agents were not paid by the hour and did not receive stock options, but were in fact paid hefty commissions. Additionally, there were no actual endorsements by celebrities or wealthy individuals. The investors relied on the fraudulent statements. As a result of the scheme, the co-conspirators defrauded over 700 people out of approximately $21 million.
Also, from approximately August 2014 to August 2105, Topping, Smigrod, Wheeler and Long, along with Sizer, Mesa, Sini, Perez, and Miller used a fraud scheme, similar to the one described above, to sell shares of stock in Fun Cool Free (“FCF”), a company that claimed to own a smartphone gaming portfolio with over 500 gaming applications. Mesa oversaw the boiler room that was utilized to facilitate the fraudulent scheme. The co-conspirators used false claims, including assertions that they worked directly for the company and that FCF was partners with Apple Computers, to defraud over 70 other investors out of $1.5 million.
Mr. Greenberg commends the investigative efforts of the FBI in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz, and Trial Attorneys Ryan D. Tansey and Kevin B. Hart from the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Five Baltimore Men Plead Guilty Under Federal Gun StatutesRead the Press Release
June 23, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.justice.gov/usao/md
Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – Five men pleaded guilty this week, 4 on Baltimore City gun cases and one Anne Arundel County gun case. The guilty pleas were announced today by Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning.
The United States Attorney’s Office continues in its efforts to address the gun violence plaguing Baltimore area by using Federal Statutes prohibiting felons from possessing firearms.
Five defendants, listed below, pleaded guilty in 5 separate cases in United States District Court this week.
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Robert Butler, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland
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Ryan King, age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland
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Demonte T. Jones, age 25, of Brooklyn, Maryland
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Calvin Thompson, age 38, of Baltimore, Maryland
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Craig Tucker, age 30, of Baltimore, Maryland
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning said that the United States Attorney’s Office, through its Exile Program, will continue to pursue felons with guns who constitute a clear and present danger to the safety and welfare of the citizens of Baltimore. These guilty pleas reflect the ongoing commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office to address violent crime in the City of Baltimore and the District of Maryland.
Sentence proceedings for the five are pending. All five defendants continue to be detained.
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Fernandina Beach Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Wesley Eugene Parker (25, Fernandina Beach) today pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine. Due to his multiple prior felony convictions for drug offenses, he faces an enhanced maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on December 28, 2016, and again less than two weeks later, Parker sold powder cocaine to a confidential informant. When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the home where Parker was living, they recovered firearms, ammunition, and illegal drugs, including marijuana and cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Fairfield Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. sentenced Michael Anthony Holmes, 25, of Fairfield, today to 15 years and eight months in prison for sex trafficking a minor, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from July 16, 2014, until September 4, 2015, Holmes recruited a 15-year-old runaway girl to engage in commercial sex acts with men for his financial benefit. Holmes transported her to multiple locations and collected the money that she earned. In July 2014, police officers found the girl and returned her to her mother. Nonetheless, Holmes continued to pressure the victim work for him, even while he was incarcerated on other charges. He wrote to her from jail and threatened that “there would be consequences” if she did not continue to make money for him.
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI Solano County Violent Crime Task Force composed of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol, the Solano County Sheriff's Office, the Fairfield Police Department and the Vallejo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith prosecuted the case.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Eagle Butte Woman Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Brianna High Elk, age 23, was indicted on June 14, 2017. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 16, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on April 16, 2017, High Elk unlawfully assaulted a female victim with shod feed, causing serious bodily injury.
The charges are merely accusations and High Elk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
High Elk was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Eagle Butte Men Charged with Multiple CountsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that two Eagle Butte, South Dakota, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for First Degree Burglary, Assault with Intent to Commit Murder, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Robbery.
Bevan Bordeaux, age 30, was indicted on June 14, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 19, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
Payton Bartlett, age 18, was indicted on June 14, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 20, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $400 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on April 18, 2017, Bordeaux and Bartlett broke into someone’s home and stole money, as well as assaulted the owner of the home with shod feet and a knife. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
The charges are merely accusations and Bordeaux and Bartlett are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Bordeaux and Bartlett were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Eagle Butte Man Indicted on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Elliot Robert Blue Coat, age 40, was indicted on June 14, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 15, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $1,000,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $400 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between April 1, 2014, and June 14, 2017, Blue Coat knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in South Dakota.
The charges are merely accusations and Blue Coat is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Narcotics Division and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan is prosecuting the case.
Blue Coat was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Pete Knight, age 54, was indicted on June 14, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 16, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on May 8, 2017, Knight forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, and interfered with the Ziebach County Sheriff, as well as officers from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, while they were engaged in the performance of their official duties and said conduct involved physical contact with the Sheriff.
The charges are merely accusations and Knight is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Knight was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Matthew Dupris, age 29, was indicted on June 14, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 16, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 8 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on May 25, 2017, Dupris forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, and interfered with an officer with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, while the officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties.
The charge is merely an accusation and Dupris is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Dupris was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Department of Justice Files Statement of Interest Siding with Texas in SB4 LitigationRead the Press Release
Today the Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in City of El Cenizo, Texas, et. al vs. Texas, et. al, commonly known as the SB4 litigation.
The lawsuit was filed by several cities trying to block Texas’s SB4 law, which prohibits localities in Texas from implementing or maintaining policies that prevent local officials from sharing immigration-related information with the federal government. Additionally, SB4 directs local officials in Texas to cooperate with immigration detainer requests issued by the federal government under federal law.
The Department primarily argues that SB4 is not preempted by the Supremacy Clause, it is not inconsistent with the Tenth Amendment, and it does not violate the Fourth Amendment.
In filing the Statement of Interest, Attorney General Sessions provided the following statement:
“President Trump has made a commitment to keep America safe and to ensure cooperation with federal immigration laws. Texas has admirably followed his lead by mandating state-wide cooperation with federal immigration laws that require the removal of illegal aliens who have committed crimes.
“The Department of Justice fully supports Texas’s effort and is participating in this lawsuit because of the strong federal interest in facilitating the state and local cooperation that is critical in enforcing our nation’s immigration laws.”
Dallas man sentenced to 95 months in prison for methamphetamine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a man from Dallas was sentenced Thursday to 95 months in prison for conspiring with two other Dallas residents to distribute methamphetamine in the Shreveport/Bossier City area.
Robert Marcus Montes, 38, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to the February 22, 2017 guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified co-defendants Humberto Vega, 37, and Dawn Nicole Martinez, 34, both of Dallas, planning to distribute methamphetamine in the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Agents observed the defendants visiting a Shreveport Casino on September 11, 2016 with Montes. They were later arrested, and Montes’ car was searched. Agents found approximately 331 grams of methamphetamine inside a shoe box in the car’s trunk.
Vega and Martinez were sentenced on the conspiracy charge on April 26, 2017 to 87 months and 70 months in prison respectively. They were also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
The DEA and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Covington Man Indicted for Possessing and Making SilencersRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROBERT LYONS, age 32, of Covington, was charged with federal firearms violations in a recently unsealed two-count Indictment.
According to the Indictment, LYONS possessed firearm silencers in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861(d) on March 3, 2017. On a date unknown but prior to March 3, 2017, Lyons knowingly made firearm silencers in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861(f).
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, LYONS faces, as to each count, a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of $10,000, three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni is in charge of the prosecution.
Corbin Man Charged in Murder-For-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – William Timothy Sutton, 55, of Corbin, Ky., has been indicted on several charges relating to a murder-for-hire scheme.
On Thursday, a federal Grand Jury sitting in London returned the indictment charging Sutton with four counts of using the mail or a facility of interstate commerce, with the intent that four individuals be murdered in exchange for a promise and agreement to pay another to commit the murders.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart L. Lowrey, Special Agent in Charge, ATF; and Richard W. Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announce the indictment.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the ATF and the Kentucky State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sam Dotson.
Sutton’s appearance before the United States District Court has not yet been set.
An indictment is an allegation only. All defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial, at which the government must prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Colorado Podiatrist Sentenced to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A Fort Collins podiatrist was sentenced to serve six (6) months in prison and pay a $20,000 fine for fraudulently billing Medicare for routine foot care services, announced Acting United States Attorney John Green.
According to court filings, Dr. Michael Thomas, age 55, pleaded guilty to eight counts of health care fraud arising from a scheme to bill Medicare for toenail trimming, which is not covered by Medicare, as if it were nail debridement, which is a more serious procedure that may be covered if certain clinical criteria are met. As part of the scheme, Thomas created medical records that falsely reported clinical evidence which would justify Medicare coverage for nail debridement even though Thomas did not properly examine the beneficiary and did not find the reported clinical evidence. Thomas also fraudulently submitted nail debridement claims to Medicare when he only trimmed the beneficiary’s toenails, and when he did not provide any service at all to the beneficiary. Thomas employed this scheme to defraud Medicare for at least five years from December 2011 through November 2016.
In addition to the prison sentence and fine, Thomas must pay $40,460 in restitution to Medicare and complete 2 years of supervised release at the end of his prison term.
"Health care fraud is a serious crime that deserves time behind bars," said Acting U.S. Attorney John Green. "Even the short prison sentence imposed here sends a clear message to health care providers that stealing from American taxpayers will not be tolerated."
Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City Region, stated, "In order to protect our Medicare and Medicaid programs from unscrupulous health care providers, our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who overbill our programs for services they did not provide to our beneficiaries."
The sentence was imposed on June 22 in Cheyenne by the Honorable Alan Johnson, United States District Court Judge for the District of Wyoming.
This case was investigated by special agents from the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.
Colorado Man Charged with Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Littleton, Colorado, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Anthony One Star, Jr., a/k/a Tony One Star, age 29, was indicted on May 16, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 22, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 8 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about March 22, 2017, One Star assaulted a federal law enforcement officer.
The charge is merely an accusation and One Star is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
One Star was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Brockton Man Sentenced for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in federal court in Boston for trafficking fentanyl.
Edson Gomes, 20, a/k/a “E,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 71 months in prison and three years of supervised release. During the period of supervised release, Gomes is prohibited from associating with his co-conspirators and certain Brockton gang members. He is also prohibited from being in the City of Brockton.
In January 2017, Gomes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. In April 2016, Gomes was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint along with Luis DaCosta and Gilvan Monteiro. In May 2016, they and four others were indicted on drug and firearm-related charges.
On numerous occasions between December 2015 to March 2016, Gomes and his co-defendants sold fentanyl in the Brockton area, and shared several of the same customers. In instances where Monteiro was out of fentanyl, he would direct his customers to purchase from Gomes. On Feb. 10, 2016, Gomes conducted a drug deal with co-defendant Gabriel Nieves, and then mistakenly left his gun in Nieves’ car. Law enforcement seized the firearm when Nieves was stopped and arrested. Five days later, Gomes tried to obtain a replacement gun.
According to court documents, Gomes has a violent criminal history. At age 15 he was charged with assault and battery, and at age 17 he was arrested twice on drug possession charges. Gomes currently has three pending cases against him.
DaCosta was sentenced to 106 months in federal prison in May 2017. Monteiro pleaded guilty in federal court in January 2017 and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2017.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn A. MacKinlay and Timothy Moran of Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Avery, Texas Man Sentenced for 2015 Northeast Texas Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A 50 year old Avery, Texas man was sentenced to federal prison for crimes he committed in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Bobby Wayne Lance was sentenced to a total of 1054 months today during a sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder, III.
According to information presented in court, Lance robbed a Bowie County convenience store, a Lamar County movie theater and a Franklin County bank in a crime spree that spread over several days in November 2015. After Lance was identified as a suspect, deputies from multiple jurisdictions, along with the FBI, searched Lance’s home, where they recovered two bags of cash containing “bait bills” that had been photocopied by the bank to be used in the event of a robbery. In addition to the money, the search also led to the discovery of a loaded revolver, recovered from a shed behind Lance’s home. In his truck, officers found receipts for over $73,000 for past due bills that had been paid in the days between the thefts.
Lance was convicted of violating the Hobbs Act for the robbery of the Movies 8 in Paris, Texas on November 8, 2015 and the robbery of the Carter RV Convenience Store in Dekalb, Texas on November 14, 2015. He was also convicted of bank robbery for the hold-up of the First National Bank in Mount Vernon, Texas on November 17, 2015 and a carjacking that occurred that same date in relation to the bank robbery. He was also convicted of four counts of use or carrying of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in relation to all the robberies.
“This is a great day for the citizens of this community,” said Brit Featherston, Acting U.S. Attorney, “Lance thought he was a real life Clyde Barrow, minus the “Bonnie.” This very appropriate and just sentence, of over eighty-seven years, will insure that Lance will never harm another person in our community.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Paris Police Department, Texarkana, Texas Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Red River County Sheriff’s Office, Bowie County Sheriff and the Texas Rangers. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker, Robert Wells, and Jonathan Ross.
Anchorage Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Deputy U.S. Marshal with a Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that an Anchorage man was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in federal prison for assaulting a Deputy U.S. Marshal with a deadly and dangerous weapon while the Deputy was engaged in his official duties.
Leigaga Selau Amituanai, aka: “G,” 27, of Anchorage, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to 41 months, followed by three years of supervised release and 120 hours of community service. On Feb. 14, 2017, Amituanai pled guilty to Count 1 of the Superseding Indictment, which charged him with assault on a federal officer with a dangerous and deadly weapon.
According to court documents filed in this case, on the morning of Feb. 11, 2016, the Deputy U.S. Marshal was on duty, conducting surveillance in an unmarked United States Marshals Service (USMS) vehicle in a business parking lot near Mountain View Drive and North Park Street in Anchorage. Shortly before 10:30 a.m., Amituanai and co-defendant Sulu Faamolemole, aka “Chase,” pulled into the parking lot driving a stolen brown Toyota pickup truck. After spotting the Deputy U.S. Marshal’s vehicle and noting its darkly tinted windows and the fact it was running, they slowly approached his vehicle, staring and gesturing aggressively at the Deputy.
When the pickup truck crossed directly in front of the Deputy U.S. Marshal’s vehicle, Amituanai pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and pointed it at the Deputy to intimidate him, all while maintaining eye contact with the Deputy. Amituanai and Faamolemole passed the Deputy, and turned west onto Mountain View Drive.
When APD officers and the Deputy U.S. Marshal tried to pull over Amituanai and Faamolemole in the Red Apple parking lot a short time later, Amituanai and Faamolemole attempted to elude officers, driving down an embankment onto the Glenn Highway exit ramp at Bragaw Street before leading law enforcement on a high speed chase down Bragaw Street and into a residential neighborhood. A sawed-off shotgun was found next to Amituanai’s seat. In addition, multiple shotgun shells, a loaded pistol, burglary tools, multiple sets of car keys, and other evidence of criminal activity were recovered from the vehicle. The investigation revealed that Amituanai was encountered by the Anchorage Police Department twice in stolen vehicles the month prior to assaulting the Deputy on Feb. 11, 2016.
In sentencing Amituanai, Judge Gleason stated the defendant’s crime was one “that, as a community, we cannot . . . tolerate.” Judge Gleason specifically found that Amituanai believed that the person in the Deputy’s unmarked vehicle was likely a law enforcement officer, and that fact made his crime even more serious. The Judge also found that in early 2016 Amituanai was “out of control in terms of criminal behavior,” noting the defendant was arrested in a stolen vehicle, with a sawed-off shotgun, and burglary tools.
“Protection of law enforcement officers as they diligently perform their duties is an essential responsibility of the Department of Justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Schroder. “Every day, all across the country, law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of this nation from violent crime. We will continue to hold responsible those who threaten our law enforcement professionals.”
“It is not within a law enforcement officer’s routine duties to be threatened with lethal force, nor should it ever be,” said Robert Heun, United States Marshal for the District of Alaska. “While it happens all too often, it must never be considered the norm or simply a part of the job. Such assaults are not only upon the individual officer, but upon the greater law abiding citizenry that he or she represents.”
Faamolemole is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Gleason in Courtroom 3.
The United States Marshal Service (USMS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) conducted the investigation in this case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 120 Years for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography Depicting Two ToddlersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Yesterday afternoon, U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson imposed sentence on Michael Dameon Blackburn, 31, of Albuquerque, N.M., for his conviction for producing, distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography depicting two toddlers. Judge Johnson sentenced Blackburn to 120 years of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered Blackburn to register as a sex offender. The Judge also ordered Blackburn to pay $430,800.00 in restitution to the two children who were victims of his criminal conduct.
Blackburn’s sentence was announced Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Tex., Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, III, and Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden, Jr.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney said, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made it a priority to prosecute those who exploit young, vulnerable children. While there are never any winners in these cases, we hope that the knowledge that Blackburn will spend the rest of his life in prison where he can never harm them or any other child will bring a measure of solace to the two young children he so terribly exploited.”
“HSI will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners, as it did in this case, to keep our children safe and our communities strong against these heinous crimes and criminals,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Rodriguez. “This is our message to those who prey on children: we will find you, we will bring you to justice, and we will make you answer for your despicable crimes.”
“The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is committed to collaborating with federal agencies to proactively investigate crimes against children, and that commitment is reaffirmed when, as in this case, we are able to rescue young victims from the sexual predators who exploit them,” said Bernalillo County Sheriff Gonzales. “Let this case serve as a warning to those who prey on children, we are dedicated to identifying you and holding you accountable for your repulsive crimes.”
“We must do the utmost to ensure those who prey on innocent children are punished to the full extent of the law. It is a privilege to work alongside our law enforcement partners and hold these worst of the worst criminals accountable,” said Albuquerque Police Chief Eden.
HSI special agents arrested Blackburn in Dec. 2013, on a criminal complaint charging him with producing and distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in Bernalillo County, N.M., between March 2013 and Dec. 2013. In Jan. 2014, a federal grand jury filed a five-count indictment charging Blackburn was distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography, and two counts of producing child pornography. The indictment alleged that Blackburn committed all five offenses in Bernalillo County between Jan. 2013 and Dec. 2013.
The investigation leading to the charges against Blackburn began on Nov. 15, 2013, when HSI in Albuquerque received information from the HSI Cyber Crimes Center about a pornographic image of a young child victim who might be in the Albuquerque area. HSI’s investigative efforts identified a residence in northeast Albuquerque as a possible location for the person who may have distributed the pornographic image of the young child victim.
Court filings indicate that on Dec. 17, 2013, law enforcement officers conducted a welfare check at the residence and made contact with Blackburn and two children – a girl and a boy, both two years of age – who were left in Blackburn’s care while their parents were out of town. The officers learned that Blackburn had been sexually molesting the toddlers from at least March 2013 through Dec. 2013, and taking photographs and making videos of the toddlers while he molested them. They also learned that Blackburn emailed the pornographic images and videos of the toddlers to others. The two young victims were immediately removed from the residence and put into protective custody.
Blackburn entered a guilty plea on March 14, 2016, to all five counts of the indictment. In his plea agreement, Blackburn admitted distributing a video of a female toddler being forced to perform a sexual act on an adult male. He also admitted receiving a video of a male toddler being forced to perform a sexual act with an adult male, and possessing a pornographic image of a female toddler. Blackburn also acknowledged producing pornographic images of a female toddler and a male toddler.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of HSI, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the Albuquerque Police Department, all members of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Shammara Henderson prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The Operation also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 82 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Attorney General Sessions Announces Creation of National Public Safety Partnership to Combat Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – As the Department of Justice continues its efforts to fulfill President Trump’s commitment to reducing violent crime in America, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today that 12 cities are joining the Department’s newly organized National Public Safety Partnership (PSP). The announcement came during the opening session of a national summit organized by the Attorney General’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. The summit convened federal, state and local law enforcement to discuss how to support and replicate successful local violent crime reduction efforts.
A list of the cities is posted at www.nationalpublicsafetypartnership.org.
“Turning back the recent troubling increase in violent crime in our country is a top priority of the Department of Justice and the Trump Administration, as we work to fulfill the President’s promise to make America safe again,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The Department of Justice will work with American cities suffering from serious violent crime problems. There is no doubt that there are many strategies that are proven to reduce crime. Our new National Public Safety Partnership program will help these communities build up their own capacity to fight crime, by making use of data-driven, evidence-based strategies tailored to specific local concerns, and by drawing upon the expertise and resources of our Department.”
“The partnership of federal, state and local law enforcement in Birmingham has already gained national prominence for our efforts in combating violent crime with the Birmingham Violence Reduction Initiative and as one of the pilot cities of the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice,” said acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey for the Northern District of Alabama. “For us to be included in this National Public Safety Partnership means that we will get additional support from the Department of Justice for our ongoing and future efforts. This is further recognition of the fine work being done by the Birmingham Police Department, the City of Birmingham, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and other agencies working to find innovative solutions to the violent crime problem in Birmingham,” he said.
The Justice Department created PSP and the task force in response to President Trump’s February 9, 2017, Executive Order charging the agency with leading a national effort to combat violent crime. The partnership provides a framework for enhancing federal support of state, local and tribal law enforcement officials and prosecutors as they aggressively investigate and pursue violent criminals, specifically those involved in gun crime, drug trafficking and gang violence.
Twelve sites have been selected to receive this significant assistance:
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Birmingham, Alabama
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Indianapolis, Indiana
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Memphis, Tennessee
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Toledo, Ohio
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Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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Buffalo, New York
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Cincinnati, Ohio
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Houston, Texas
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Jackson, Tennessee
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Kansas City, Missouri
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Lansing, Michigan
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Springfield, Illinois
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We anticipate announcing additional sites this calendar year.
The Justice Department agencies involved in PSP are the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Office of Justice Programs; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Office on Violence Against Women; and the Office of Community Oriented Policing.
For more information about the Department of Justice’s work to reduce violent crime and enhance public safety:
Attorney General Announces Crime Reduction and Public Safety Task Force
Attorney General Sessions Directs Federal Prosecutors to Target Most Significant Violent Offenders
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces New Initiatives to Advance Forensic Science and Help Counter the Rise in Violent Crime
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces New Actions to Support Law Enforcement and Maintain Public Safety in Indian Country
Department of Justice Releases Report Detailing the Prosecutions of Transnational Criminal Organizations and their Subsidiaries
Attorney General Sessions Issues Charging and Sentencing Guidelines to Federal Prosecutors
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'Buckeye Bandit' Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ikechi W. Emeaghara, 27, of Columbus, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 240 months in prison for eight counts of armed bank robbery. Emeaghara is the armed robber dubbed as the “Buckeye Bandit” by law enforcement.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Office; Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; Delaware County Sheriff Russell L. Martin; Ohio State University Police Chief Craig Stone; Worthington Police Chief Jerry L. Strait, Jr.; Upper Arlington Police Chief Tracy Hahn and Gahanna Police Chief Dennis Murphy announced the sentence handed down today by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.
According to court documents, Emeaghara brandished a dangerous weapon and demanded cash from bank teller’s drawers on the following occasions:
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October 31, 2013 at the Wesbanco Bank on South Stygler Road in Gahanna
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November 30, 2013 at the Cooper State Bank on West 5th Avenue in Columbus
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December 6, 2013 at the Wesbanco Bank on South Stygler Road in Gahanna
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July 9, 2014 at the Smart Federal Credit Union on North High Street in Columbus*
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January 12, 2015 at the Cooper State Bank on Sawmill Road in Columbus*
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April 26, 2015 at the Cooper State Bank on Sawmill Road in Columbus*
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March 17, 2016 at the First Merit Bank on East Powell Road in Powell
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October 21, 2016 at the Key Bank on Frantz Road in Columbus (original indictment)
* Denotes armed robbery charges that also include forcing one or more persons to accompany him within the bank.
Emeaghara was indicted by federal grand juries in initial and superseding indictments in November and December 2016. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of armed robbery in March 2017.
Emeaghara was also ordered to pay restitution to the banks and sentenced to five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by law enforcement and Deputy Criminal Chief Gary L. Spartis and Assistant U.S. Attorney Salvador A. Dominguez, who are prosecuting the case.
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Thursday 22 June 2017
Woman Sentenced for Role in Heroin Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for her role in the distribution of heroin to a person who overdosed and died.
Julie Rae Rock, 38, pleaded guilty on March 13. According to court documents, in November 2015, Rock purchased heroin that contained fentanyl from co-defendant Robert Alan Durkee. Rock then gave the heroin to the victim, identified in court documents as E.H., at a hotel in Newport News. The victim almost immediately fell to the ground. Rock left E.H., and his body was recovered later that day by hotel staff. E.H.’s cause of death was determined to be acute combined heroin and fentanyl intoxication.
Durkee was sentenced on June 8 to 20 years in prison for his role in the overdose death.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan M. Cowles and Lisa R. McKeel prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-84.
Wilson City Drug Trafficker Found Guilty of Heroin Distribution That Resulted in A DeathRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that in federal court in New Bern, N.C., United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan presiding, a jury found ELTON WAYNE WALSTON, from Wilson, North Carolina, guilty of one count of distribution of heroin that resulted in the death of a Wilson, N.C. man, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, one count of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, and four counts of distribution of heroin.
In 2015, the Wilson Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Raleigh, North Carolina, identified the defendant as a source of heroin in the Wilson, Greenville, and Nash County areas. Investigation confirmed that the defendant sold heroin on multiple occasions including a sale that led to the death of a Wilson man in March of 2015.
“Heroin and other opioids are a deadly plague across our country. Our office - along with the entire U.S. Department of Justice - is determined to hold accountable those who deal these deadly drugs to enrich themselves. This prosecution is an example of that determination,” said John Stuart Bruce, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
“This guilty verdict is a victory for law enforcement and the citizens of North Carolina. DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing to justice those who prey on individuals who are unfortunately addicted to this poison. Hopefully, this verdict, will bring some comfort to the families impacted by Mr. Walston’s illegal activities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel R. Salter.
The case was investigated by the DEA Raleigh Resident Office, Wilson Police Department, North Carolina State Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations Crime Lab, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). The federal prosecution was handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Boz Zellinger and Assistant United States Attorney Edward D. Gray.
This investigation was part of the Strategic Heroin Initiative, initiated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina in partnership with the Department of Justice's Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Wethersfield Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Stealing $1.7 Million from Computer Software CompanyRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PENNY ROY, 46, of Wethersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing $1.7 million from her former employer, a Connecticut-based computer software company. ROY also failed to pay taxes on the stolen funds.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ROY used her position as the software company’s payroll manager to insert her own bank account information into the profiles of other employees. She then processed fraudulent expense reimbursements and payroll payments in other employees’ names with the payments flowing into her own bank account. In total, ROY stole $1.7 million and was fired after the company discovered her fake payments.
To hide her theft, ROY failed to declare the stolen money on her tax returns, depriving the Internal Revenue Service of over $600,000 in tax revenues. As part of her sentence, ROY was ordered to make full restitution to the software company and the Internal Revenue Service.
On August 21, 2015, ROY pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax charges.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi M. Perry.
West Rutland Man Sentenced to Six Years of Imprisonment for Distribution of Heroin and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Demar Neal (a.k.a. “D”), 31, was sentenced by United States Chief District Court Judge Christina Reiss to a six-year term of imprisonment for conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine in the Rutland area in 2015 and 2016. Neal previously pled guilty to this offense. Neal is originally from the Catskill, New York area, but at the time of his arrest lived on Harrison Avenue in West Rutland, Vermont. Neal has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on June 9, 2016.
The maximum term of imprisonment for this offense is 20 years. In addition to imposing a six-year term of imprisonment, Chief Judge Reiss sentenced Neal to a mandatory four-year term of supervised release, which will begin after Neal serves his prison term. The Court also ordered that Neal forfeit over $16,000 of drug proceeds that law enforcement seized during the course of the investigation. In sentencing Neal, Chief Judge Reiss stated that this was a “serious sentence” that reflected the fact Neal “used [his] skills to do something extremely destructive” to the community.
According to court records, Neal relied on local addicts to distribute his heroin and cocaine base in Rutland County. On June 9, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Neal’s residence on Harrison Avenue in West Rutland and seized $6,800 in currency and approximately 80 grams of heroin and 70 grams of crack cocaine. Several weeks earlier, on March 22, 2016, the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department seized a bag containing approximately 50 grams of heroin and $9,400 in cash hidden under a porch on Thrall Avenue in West Rutland. A concerned citizen at the time described a person matching Neal’s description as the man who hid it there. Neal denied knowledge of the bag when questioned at that time, but after his June 2016 arrest, he admitted to hiding the bag.
This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Perella. The defendant is represented by Michael Desautels Esq. of Burlington.
West Richland Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane– Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Darrin Lee Ruddell, of West Richland, Washington, was sentenced after previously having pled guilty on March 1, 2017, to receipt of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge Edward F. Shea, sentenced Ruddell to an 11-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 30-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison. Ruddell will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, in the fall of 2015, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office received three CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The CyberTips originated with a cloud storage company associated with Verizon Wireless, and contained child pornography images. The cloud storage account at issue was associated with a Verizon Wireless account, which was later determined to belong to Ruddell. Further investigation revealed that Ruddell was employed as a nurse at Kadlec Regional Medical Center.
Officers with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office obtained and executed a search warrant at Ruddell’s residence in West Richland in February of 2016. During the course of the search warrant, officers seized multiple computers, electronic storage devices, and cellular phones, including the cellular phone associated with the Verizon Wireless cloud storage account referenced in the CyberTip.
Forensic examinations were subsequently conducted on the various devices seized from Ruddell’s residence. Thousands of child pornography images were located on the computers, cellular phones and electronic storage devices belonging to Ruddell, including depictions of children who were under the age of twelve.
Acting United States Attorney Harrington said, “The sentence handed down provides just punishment for this offense.” He further stated, “This investigation is yet another example of the dedication of law enforcement officers and their willingness to ferret out those who intend to victimize children through the receipt of child pornography.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
• Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The investigation of this matter was conducted by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Laurel J. Holland, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Virginia Man Arrested and Charged with EspionageRead the Press Release
Kevin Patrick Mallory, 60, of Leesburg, Virginia, made his initial appearance in federal court today on charges that he transmitted Top Secret and Secret documents to an agent of the People’s Republic of China. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Mallory, travelled to Shanghai in March and April 2017 and met with an individual (PRC1), who he believed was working for the People’s Republic of China Intelligence Service (PRCIS).
The announcement was made by Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
“The conduct alleged in this complaint is serious, and these charges should send a message to anyone who would consider violating the public’s trust and compromising our national security by disclosing classified information,” said Mr. Boente.
“Kevin Mallory was previously entrusted with Top Secret clearance and therefore had access to classified information, which he allegedly shared and planned to continue sharing with representatives of a foreign government,” said Mr. Vale. “Furthermore, he allegedly misled investigators in a voluntary interview about sharing of this classified information. The FBI will continue to investigate those individuals who put our national security at risk through unauthorized disclosures of information.”
During a voluntary interview with FBI agents on May 24, Mallory stated that PRC1 represented himself as working for a People’s Republic of China think tank, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS). Since at least 2014, the FBI has assessed that Chinese intelligence officers have used SASS affiliation as cover identities.
Mallory told FBI agents he travelled to Shanghai separately in March and April to meet with PRC1 and PRC1’s boss. After Mallory consented to a review of a device he had been using to communicate with PRC1, FBI viewed a message from Mallory to PRC1 in which Mallory stated that he had blacked out security classification markings on documents transmitted to PRC1. Analysis of the device also revealed a handwritten index describing eight different documents. Four of the eight documents listed in the index were found stored on the device, with three containing classified information pertaining to the same U.S. government agency. One of those documents was classified TOP SECRET, while the remaining two documents were classified SECRET.
Mallory, a self-employed consultant with GlobalEx LLC, is a U.S. citizen who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. He has held numerous positions with various government agencies and several defense contractors. As required for his various government positions, Mallory obtained a Top Secret security clearance, which was active during various assignments during his career. Mallory’s security clearance was terminated in October 2012 when he left government service.
Mallory was arrested this morning and is charged with gathering or delivering defense information to aid a foreign government, and making material false statements. If convicted, Mallory faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial Attorney Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Gibbs for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Victoria Man Charged with Hate Crime in Burning of MosqueRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Victoria, Texas, has returned a three-count superseding indictment against Marq Vincent Perez, 25, for allegedly burning the Victoria Islamic Center on January 28, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez made the announcement along with Acting Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Wheeler II of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI and various state and local law enforcement agencies.
Perez was previously indicted for possession of an unregistered destructive device for an incident that occurred on January 15, 2017. The superseding indictment returned today now charges him with a hate crime – damage to a religious property as well as use of a fire to commit a federal felony in relation to the arson at the mosque.
Perez was initially arrested and charged March 3, 2017, in connection with an attempt to blow up a car with a destructive device. At a detention hearing held the following week, court heard evidence linking Perez to a January 22, 2017, burglary of the Victoria Islamic Center as well as a January 28, 2017, burglary and arson of the same mosque. Perez is in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
If convicted, Perez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the hate crime. He also faces up to 10 years for possessing an unregistered destructive device. If convicted of use of a fire to commit a felony, the penalty is a consecutive and mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. All of the counts also carry a potential $250,000 penalty.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
ATF and FBI conducted the investigation along with the City of Victoria Fire Marshal’s Office, Victoria Fire Department, Victoria Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division and Texas Rangers with assistance of Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office and sheriff’s offices in Victoria and Nueces Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad S. Khandelwal and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Saeed Mody of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Victoria Man Charged with Hate Crime in Burning of MosqueRead the Press Release
VICTORIA, Texas – A federal grand jury in Victoria has returned a three-count superseding indictment against Marq Vincent Perez, 25, for allegedly burning the Victoria Islamic Center on Jan. 28, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez made the announcement along with Acting Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Wheeler II of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI and various state and local law enforcement agencies.
Perez was previously indicted for possession of an unregistered destructive device for an incident that occurred on Jan. 15, 2017. The superseding indictment returned today now charges him with a hate crime – damage to a religious property as well as use of a fire to commit a federal felony in relation to the arson at the mosque.
Perez was initially arrested and charged March 3, 2017, in connection with an attempt to blow up a car with a destructive device. At a detention hearing held the following week, court heard evidence linking Perez to a Jan. 22, 2017, burglary of the Victoria Islamic Center as well as a Jan. 28, 2017, burglary and arson of the same mosque. Perez is in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
If convicted, Perez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the hate crime. He also faces up to 10 years for possessing an unregistered destructive device. If convicted of use of a fire to commit a felony, the penalty is a consecutive and mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. All of the counts also carry a potential $250,00 penalty.
ATF and FBI conducted the investigation along with the City of Victoria Fire Marshal’s Office, Victoria Fire Department, Victoria Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division and Texas Rangers with assistance of Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office and sheriff’s offices in Victoria and Nueces Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad S. Khandelwal and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Saeed Mody of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
U.S. Border Patrol Agent Pleads Guilty to Drug SmugglingRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney David Leshner (619) 546-7921
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 22, 2017
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Border Patrol Agent Noe Lopez pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in federal court today, admitting that he attempted to smuggle methamphetamine and cocaine while on duty in exchange for cash.
In a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew G. Schopler, Lopez pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 (a) (1) and 846. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2017 at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw.
“It’s an audacious thing for an on-duty Border Patrol agent to transport what he believes to be methamphetamine and cocaine in his official vehicle, on behalf of drug traffickers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alana W. Robinson. “While there are a relatively small number of them, corrupt Border Patrol agents are a national security threat, and for that reason they are a very high prosecutorial priority.”
“The U.S. Border Patrol stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission; Honor First is our Motto,” said Chief Patrol Agent Richard A. Barlow of San Diego Sector Border Patrol. “Mr. Lopez’ action is a stain on the agents and employees of the Border Patrol who perform their duties with honor and distinction, working diligently day-to-day to keep our country safe. We do not tolerate corruption within our ranks, and are grateful to the hard work of the Border Corruption Task Force and other agencies that rooted out Mr. Lopez’ atrocious behavior.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric S. Birnbaum said, “The vast majority of public servants who work at the local, state, and federal levels of government are honest and dedicated folks who strive every day to do the right thing for their constituents, their communities, and their country. In the U.S. and abroad, the FBI is doing everything we can to help ensure that the good name of the vast majority of public servants is not besmirched by a corrupt few. This type of corruption at our San Diego borders strikes at the heart of government and erodes public confidence, therefore, the investigation of public corruption is one of FBI’s top criminal priorities.”
According to the plea agreement, in November 2016, Lopez and a confidential source whom Lopez believed to be a drug trafficker agreed to a plan whereby Lopez would retrieve backpacks containing what Lopez believed to be controlled substances from the north side of the United States/Mexico border fence while on duty with the Border Patrol.
Lopez admitted that he agreed to transport the backpacks in his Border Patrol vehicle and deliver them to the source in exchange for thousands of dollars.
On November 30, 2016, Lopez purchased three backpacks that would be used to transport the controlled substances and gave the backpacks to the source. They agreed that on December 6, 2016, Lopez would retrieve a backpack containing six pounds of methamphetamine while on duty with the Border Patrol and deliver the backpack to the source. Lopez told the source where to place the backpack containing methamphetamine on the north side of the United States/Mexico border.
According to Lopez’s admissions in his plea agreement, on December 6, 2016, undercover DEA agents placed a backpack (one of the three backpacks purchased by Lopez) containing six pounds of a substance resembling methamphetamine near the prearranged location. Lopez drove to the location in his Border Patrol vehicle and retrieved the backpack. He returned to the Border Patrol Station and placed the backpack in his personal vehicle. At the conclusion of his Border Patrol work shift, Lopez met the source at a parking lot in Chula Vista, where Lopez gave the source the backpack containing what Lopez believed to be six pounds of methamphetamine.
On December 7, 2016, the source paid Lopez $3,000 for retrieving and delivering the purported methamphetamine.
This scenario was repeated on December 8, 2016, except the backpack purportedly contained seven kilograms of cocaine. On December 9, 2016, the source paid Lopez $7,000 for retrieving and delivering the purported cocaine.
DEFENDANT Case Number 17cr0086
Noe Lopez Age: 37 Chula Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Distribution of Methamphetamine and Cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841 (a) (1) and 846
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
U.S. Border Patrol