Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 19 June 2017
Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes for Prison ContrabandRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A former correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution at Aliceville pleaded guilty today to accepting $5,695 in bribes to smuggle contraband into the prison and lying about it to investigators, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton, and Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Bourbon.
ERIC C. PENDLETON, 54, of Montgomery, entered his guilty pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala to accepting a bribe in return for violating his official duty as a federal correctional officer, and to making false statements to agents of the FBI and the DOJ-OIG. Pendleton is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 18.
As a federal correctional officer, Pendleton was a public official. He worked at the women’s prison from about January 2014 to August 2015. Beginning about September 2014, Pendleton worked as a federal materials handler supervisor in the prison commissary and laundry, overseeing inmates assigned to work in those facilities, according to the charges and Pendleton’s plea.
During that time, Pendleton reached an agreement with an inmate to bring requested items, including prohibited items such as cigarettes, into the prison in return for payment. Pendleton arranged for payment by providing inmates with prepaid credit card numbers and instructing them to have friends or family members load money onto the cards, according to the court documents. Pendleton also told inmates they could pay him by having friends or family send money orders to a Tuscaloosa County address. Pendleton owned the home at that address, but relatives lived there.
Pendleton deposited many of the money orders into his bank account, some bearing the name of the inmate for whom the payment was made in the “memo” line, according to court documents.
When agents interviewed Pendleton in September 2015, he falsely denied smuggling contraband into the prison or providing credit card numbers or an address to inmates so they could have payments sent to him.
The FBI and DOJ-OIG investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Xavier O. Carter Sr. is prosecuting.
###
Farmerville man pleads guilty to possessing a sawed-off shotgunRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Farmerville man pleaded guilty last week to possessing a sawed-off shotgun in his car.
Juama Tremel Palmer, 33, of Farmerville, La., pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of possession of an unregistered shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, a Farmerville police officer conducted a traffic stop on Palmer’s vehicle on October 9, 2016 after receiving information that he was distributing narcotics. While searching the vehicle, the officer found a 12 gauge sawed-off shotgun and a loaded .22 caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number in the car. Additionally, the officer found $1,090, a pair of digital scales and a blue pill bottle containing several pills in Palmer’s pockets. Also found in the car were 13 grams of suspected marijuana and 11 small baggies containing more than 3 grams of crack cocaine.
Shotguns with an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel less than 18 inches in length must be registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Anderson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of the seized items and a $10,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of September 27, 2017.
This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.
The ATF and Farmerville Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Paul Gillespie and Earl M. Campbell are prosecuting the case.
Everett Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Everett man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with selling a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Brian Segura, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for May 2018.
As part of larger gang-related conspiracy, Segura conspired with an 18th Street Gang member to deal firearms to a cooperating witness (CW). On May 5, 2016, Segura and the 18th Street Gang member met the CW in a Revere parking lot and sold the CW a semi-automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number.
Segura is the 12th defendant to plead guilty of the 66 alleged gang members/associates from the Greater Boston area who were charged in June 2016 with federal firearm and drug offenses. According to court documents, the defendants, who are leaders, members, and associates of the 18th Street Gang, East Side Money Gang and the Boylston Gang, were responsible for fueling a gun and drug pipeline across a number of cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts. Specifically, the gangs created alliances in order to traffic weapons and drugs, including cocaine, crack, and heroin supplied through a Brockton-based drug network. During the course of the investigation, over 70 firearms were seized.
The charges provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Maura Healey, Attorney General of Massachusetts; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley, made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also acknowledges the assistance of the Suffolk and Middlesex County Sheriff Departments and the Malden, Revere and Everett Police Departments. Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Easton Man Sentenced to 1½ Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Zane Wetzel, 31, of Easton, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 1½ years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. Wetzel pleaded guilty on December 28, 2016.
According to court records, on about May 14, 2015, Wetzel possessed image and video files depicting child pornography. Some of these files, which he had purposely sought out and downloaded from the internet, depicted the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children under the age of 12.
At sentencing, Judge Woodcock said of the minors depicted: “these young girls from around the world, who have been subjected to this abuse, are somebody’s daughters.” The judge went on to tell the defendant that his offense “is a serious crime that merits a significant penalty.”
The investigation was conducted by the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
East Windsor Woman Sentenced to 30 Months for Committing Crimes after Sentencing for Prior OffenseRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALIYAH THERESA JULIATE DAVIS, also known as Theresa Juliate Sutherland, 36, of East Windsor, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing multiple federal offenses while awaiting incarceration after a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 17, 2014, DAVIS, who was then known as Theresa Sutherland, was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for engaging in a fraud and identity theft scheme at an insurance company where she was employed. As part of her sentence, DAVIS was ordered to pay total restitution of $400,000 to the victim insurance company and three previous employers that she defrauded.
Beginning in January 2015, DAVIS, through her attorney, made five separate motions to postpone her prison report date based on her claims of a diagnosis of terminal cancer and heart conditions. In association with her court motions, DAVIS submitted letters from various medical professionals detailing her claimed medical conditions. DAVIS created the letters and forged the medical professionals’ signatures. DAVIS’s prison report dates were continued based on these fraudulent submissions.
In March 2015, DAVIS changed her name from Theresa Juliate Sutherland to ALIYAH THERESA JULIATE DAVIS. DAVIS subsequently received a new Social Security number and Connecticut driver’s license under her new identity.
On April 19, 2016, DAVIS submitted an application for a U.S. passport at the U.S. Postal Service facility on Weston Street in Hartford. On the application where it states “Have you ever applied for or been issued a U.S. Passport Book or Passport Card?” DAVIS marked an “X” in the “No” box. In 2007, DAVIS applied for and received a U.S. passport when she was known as Theresa Juliate Sutherland.
At various times between December 2014 and September 2016, DAVIS was employed at a local insurance company and local hospitals. From May 28, 2016 to September 10, 2016, while she was employed at an insurance company and then a hospital under her new identity, DAVIS received $9,808 in unemployment compensation from the State of Connecticut under her previous identity.
On December 12, 2016, DAVIS pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of knowingly making a false statement on a passport application, one count of making a false statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Judge Arterton ordered DAVIS to begin serving her sentence after she completes her previous 51-month sentence.
DAVIS has been detained since September 17, 2016.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, Connecticut Department of Labor and East Windsor Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Drug Courier Sentenced After Arrest in Kansas with 117 Pounds of CocaineRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A drug courier from California who was stopped on the highway with 117 pounds of cocaine was sentenced Monday to three years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Marco Antonio Aispuro, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was arrested Oct. 21, 2016, after the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped him on eastbound I-70 in Wabaunsee County. A search of his vehicle turned up 117 pounds of cocaine hidden in a rear quarter panel and a spare tire.
Beall commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas Highway Patrol and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs for their work on the case.
Detroit heroin dealer sentenced to federal prison for drug crimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit drug dealer was sentenced today to a year and nine months in federal prison for a heroin crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Romeo Devon Marbury, 29, previously pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin.
Marbury admitted that on February 4, 2016, members of the DEA Task Force used a confidential informant to make a controlled acquisition of a free sample of approximately five grams of heroin near the Family Dollar on 5th Avenue in Huntington. Marbury additionally admitted that he provided the free sample of drugs to secure future sales. Marbury further admitted that he participated in additional sales of heroin to the confidential informant on February 24, March 3, and March 16, 2016, either by personally distributing the heroin or arranging for another individual to distribute the heroin.
The DEA Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey is in charge of the prosecution. Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
This case was brought as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
- Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
Detroit felon pleads guilty to federal gun crimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man pleaded guilty today a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Deandre Lamar Harris, 31, entered his guilty plea to being a felon in possession of ammunition.
On January 18, 2014, members of the West Virginia State Police conducted a search at 345 Sixth Avenue in Huntington, a residence used by Harris. The search was conducted after law enforcement received information that a stolen firearm been taken there to pay a drug debt to another individual. Law enforcement located Harris in the residence, along with two other individuals, one of whom was alleged to have received the firearm. At the time of the search, Harris was in possession of several rounds of .25 caliber ammunition. Harris was prohibited from possessing ammunition under federal law because of felony convictions in 2007 in Cabell County Circuit Court for malicious wounding and for attempt to commit a felony.
Harris faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 2, 2017.
The West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey is handling the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking with existing local programs targeting gun crime.
- Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
Deputy Attorney General Recognizes Northern District of Iowa ProsecutorRead the Press Release
Anthony Morfitt, Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Iowa, was one of 179 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson at the 33rd Director’s Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 16, 2017, in Washington D.C.
The Northern District of Iowa was one of 35 districts represented at the ceremony which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
In his prepared remarks, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein told the awardees, “These 179 award recipients embody the best of the Department of Justice . . . . Today’s honorees have earned the esteem of their colleagues. But most importantly, you have earned the gratitude of your fellow citizens — whose communities you have made safer, whose lives you have improved, and whose trust you have rewarded.”
Morfitt was recognized for his outstanding efforts in the prosecution of violent crime in Indian Country. In the past several years, Morfitt successfully prosecuted two cases arising out of three murders that happened within six weeks of each other in a tribal community of less than 2000 people. Morfitt ably and sensitively handled the presentation of medical and cultural evidence to rebut an insanity defense at the trial of one of those cases. Morfitt’s work has significantly increased the safety of the tribal community.
“Through his outstanding work, Assistant United States Attorney Morfitt helped secure justice following three tragic murders,” said Acting United States Attorney Sean Berry. “I am happy that Tony’s excellent work has been recognized through this well-deserved and prestigious award.”
EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Department of Justice awards Lafayette assistant U.S. attorneys for work on Williamson bribery caseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C., – Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Robert C. Abendroth of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Louisiana were two of 179 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Director Monty Wilkinson at the 33rd Director’s Awards Ceremony last week in Washington, D.C.
The Western District of Louisiana was one of 35 districts represented at the ceremony, which was held Friday in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
“These 179 award recipients embody the best of the Department of Justice. Today’s honorees have earned the esteem of their colleagues,” Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein told the awardees in prepared remarks. “But most importantly, you have earned the gratitude of your fellow citizens — whose communities you have made safer, whose lives you have improved and whose trust you have rewarded.”
“I want to congratulate Luke and Robert for their efforts in ending an illegal pay-for-plea program that circumvented, undermined and damaged the justice system in Lafayette Parish,” Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook stated. “It took years of work, collaboration with many agencies and great effort to bring this case to a conclusion.”
Walker and Abendroth were recognized for their prosecution of U.S. v. Robert Williams et al. Their efforts led to the conviction of six defendants who devised a scheme to enrich themselves by administering a court authorized Operating While Intoxicated program from March 2008 to February 2012 through the Lafayette District Attorney’s Office. In return for a fee, fake documentation would be submitted to the court showing they had completed the required programs when they had not. The fees would then be paid as kickbacks to those participating in the conspiracy. Local private investigator Robert Williamson, three Lafayette District Attorney’s Office employees and two community services program employees were convicted in the case.
Dallas Man Sentenced to 54 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Gilberto Gomez, 37, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to 652 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Gomez was convicted in March 2017, following a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey, on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Gomez has been in custody since his arrest in March 2016.
Co-conspirator Felix Cantu, 30, pled guilty in March 2017 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sentencing is set for July 24, 2017.
“Prosecuting armed drug traffickers, like Gilberto Gomez, will continue to be a top priority of our office,” said U.S. Attorney Parker.
The government presented evidence at trial that beginning in November 17, 2015 until March 1, 2016 Gomez and Cantu operated a drug distribution enterprise from Gomez’s residence on Palacios Avenue in West Dallas. After a four-month long investigation, DEA and the Dallas Police Department executed a search warrant on the residence and recovered more than $37,000 in cash and over $40,000 worth of narcotics. To protect his drugs, Gomez installed three-inch steel coverings for the windows and a coded-entry metal gate in the hallway leading to the master bedroom. Gomez travelled to California every two weeks to purchase marijuana. He concealed the newly purchased marijuana in hidden compartments of vehicles and shipped them back to Texas on open-air tractor-trailers. In an effort to keep drugs off the streets in that neighborhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking an order to forfeit the house since it was used for the criminal activity.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Dallas Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachael Jones and P.J. Meitl prosecuted.
# # #
Convicted Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Andre T. Dupree, 26, of Warren, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Providence to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Dupree was arrested by Newport Police in March 2017, after loaded semi-automatic firearm was seized from him during a routine motor vehicle traffic stop.
Dupree’s guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., is announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Newport Police Chief Gary T. Silva.
According to information presented to the court, on March 24, 2017, a Newport police officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. Dupree was a front seat passenger in the vehicle. At the time of the traffic stop, Dupree was in possession of a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a bag containing 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
According to Rhode Island state court records, Andre Dupree was convicted in 2012 on two counts of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 4 months incarceration to be followed by 5 years and 8 months probation.
Dupree, who is detained in federal custody, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on August 31, 2017 .
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch thanks the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance in the preparation of this matter for prosecution.
###
Columbia Gang Member Sentenced on Federal Firearm and Ammunition ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Aaryon Brian Dowdy, a/k/a “Trouble,” age 27, of Columbia, South Carolina was sentenced today after earlier pleading guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a), and 924(e). Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Dowdy to 75 months imprisonment with 3 years of federal supervised release to follow.
Evidence presented at the earlier change of plea hearing established that on January 3, 2014, Dowdy and another individual were involved in an altercation inside a convenience store on Farrow Road in Columbia. Evidence showed that during the altercation, Dowdy pulled a handgun and shot the other individual in the face. Dowdy then fled the scene. The incident was captured on videotape. The Columbia Police Department issued state warrants of attempted murder and possession of a firearm during a violent crime (those state charges remain pending and Mr. Dowdy is innocent until proven guilty).
Dowdy was apprehended in Orangeburg on January 14, 2014. At the time of his state arrest on January 14, 2014, Dowdy had a loaded .357 caliber handgun in his possession. The investigation revealed that the handgun was the same handgun used in the January 3, 2014, incident. Dowdy is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and/or ammunition based upon his prior state convictions for burglary 2nd degree (2 separate offenses) and attempted burglary 2nd degree.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Columbia Police Department, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
#####
Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Raul Guadalupe Monjardin-Iribe was sentenced today to 175 months (14 years, 7 months) in prison for his part in a conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Edward J. Davila, U.S. District Court Judge, following a guilty plea entered in December of last year.
Raul Monjardin-Iribe, 36, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty on December 20, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The defendant entered a guilty plea without a written agreement. In pleading guilty, he admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine in the Northern District of California between January 2015 and September 2015. He further admitted that, on or about May 23, 2015, he distributed one kilogram of cocaine to a co-conspirator. Monjardin-Iribe, who was living in the San Jose area at the time of the offense, was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 8, 2015. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A)(viii); and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). Monjardin-Iribe pleaded guilty to both counts in the indictment.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Davila sentenced Monjardin-Iribe to a 5-year period of supervised release. The defendant has been in custody since his arrest on September 19, 2015, and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chinhayi Cadet is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney. This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Charleston felon sentenced to federal prison for gun crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman was sentenced today to four years in federal prison and ordered to pay a fine of $2,500 for a gun charge, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Tiffany Shaffer, 28, previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Shaffer admitted that on January 9, 2017, she sold crystal methamphetamine at her residence to a confidential informant working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Shaffer also admitted that during the controlled buy, she displayed a North American Arms .22 magnum pistol to the confidential informant. On January 16, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shaffer’s house. During the search, officers found two additional firearms that had been in Shaffer’s possession. Shaffer was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2012 conviction in Kanawha County Circuit Court for conspiracy to operate a clandestine drug laboratory.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is responsible for the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking with existing local programs targeting gun crime. This case is also being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
- Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
Buffalo Business Owner Indicted on Tax Fraud Charges and for Harboring Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a 15 count indictment charging Todd Cameron, 46, of East Amherst, NY, with filing false tax returns and transporting and harboring illegal aliens. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trini E. Ross and Stephanie Lamarque, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between June 2012 and December 2015, Cameron operated the Buffalo Remodeling & Construction Co. of W.N.Y. and Buffalo Roofing Co. For the tax years 2013, 2014, and 2015, the defendant failed accurately to report income generated from his businesses to the Internal Revenue Service.
In addition, between July 2015 and December 2015, Cameron is accused of transporting and harboring six illegal aliens for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. According to a previously filed complaint, the defendant paid for the illegal aliens to be transported from the State of Maryland here to the Western District of New York to work for his roofing business. Cameron then paid to house the illegal aliens, first at a local hotel and then in a house owned by a business of the defendant.
The defendant was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and released on bond.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent- in-Charge, and Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James C. Spero.The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Brighton Heights Man Sentenced for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Brighton Heights resident has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of 151 months to be followed by 3 years of supervised release on his conviction of Bank Robbery, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Boe Keenan, 34.
According to the information presented to the court, after an investigation, Keenan was arrested for robbing First National Bank in Wexford on June 30, 2015. The loss to the bank was $1,725.00.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Song commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northern Regional Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Keenan.
Bradford County Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Transporting 47 Stolen Firearms and Conspiring to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that United States District Judge A. Richard Caputo sentenced Jared S. Miller, age 28, of Sayre, Pennsylvania, to 84 months of imprisonment, after he pleaded guilty to transporting 47 stolen firearms and to conspiring to distribute heroin.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Miller admitted to conspiring with Aaron Vanderpool to transport 47 firearms from Pennsylvania to New York, after Vanderpool burglarized Fulmer’s Sporting Goods, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Wysox, Pennsylvania, on May 24, 2015. Miller admitted that he and Vanderpool traded the firearms in New York for heroin and cash, and distributed the heroin in Pennsylvania. Only three of the 48 total firearms stolen from Fulmer’s Sporting Goods have been recovered by law enforcement.
Miller also admitted to trafficking heroin in Pennsylvania from June 2012 through June 2015. In his plea agreement, he stipulated to trafficking between 400 and 700 grams of heroin, which is the equivalent of 16,000 to 28,000 potentially fatal doses of heroin.
As part of his sentence, Miller was ordered to pay $27,383.75 to the victims of his crimes.
Miller’s co-conspirator, Vanderpool, previously was sentenced to 77 months of incarceration for his role in the offenses. Two other individuals have been charged in relation to the Fulmer’s Sporting Goods burglary. Luis Mercado was charged in April 2017 and has entered a plea agreement to firearms and heroin trafficking offenses. Jose Espinosa was charged in April 2017 with firearms and heroin trafficking offenses, and awaits arraignment.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and by the Pennsylvania State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
This case also was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
# # #
Bernard J. Mendoza Sentenced to Prison in Ice Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, Acting United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant BERNARD J. MENDOZA, age 33, from Yigo, was sentenced today in District Court to a 37-month term of imprisonment for attempted possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release following imprisonment, in addition to a mandatory $100 assessment fee. Federal law provides that defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On September 19, 2016, MENDOZA entered a guilty plea to an Indictment that charged Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). The investigation revealed that MENDOZA had over 56 grams of methamphetamine and 56 grams of marijuana shipped by FedEx to his place of employment in Guam from the state of Colorado. Forensic examination revealed that the methamphetamine was 98% pure.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency. The case was prosecuted by Rosetta San Nicolas, an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Guam.
Ardmore Man Convicted of Child Sex Trafficking for Role as CustomerRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – CURTIS ALLEN ANTHONY, 50, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was convicted today by a federal jury on one count of child sex trafficking and one count of conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking based on his role as a customer who used two children for commercial sex in October 2014, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. After the jury announced its verdict, Anthony was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending his sentencing.
In January 2016, a federal grand jury charged Anthony in a superseding indictment with child sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking. Anthony was charged for his role as a customer who obtained juvenile females for commercial sex in October 2014.
Today, after hearing three days of trial evidence, a jury returned guilty verdicts against Anthony on both counts. The jury heard that in October 2014, two juvenile females and an adult female were under the control of two adult male pimps, Maurice Johnson and Hiram Mitchell. The jury also heard that Tonya Gum, known as Carmen, operated at least twenty phone numbers listed in the escort section of the Oklahoma City Yellow Pages. The trial evidence showed that the pimps would drive the girls to the appointments, where sex acts would occur. The pimps and Gum split the money.
The jury heard that on October 24, 2014, Anthony called one of Gum’s phone lines and scheduled an appointment at an industrial building he owned in Edmond, Oklahoma. The evidence showed that the pimps delivered a 14-year-old victim to that building and left her alone with Anthony. When he could not locate his wallet to pay her, Anthony drove her to a convenience store to use an ATM but still could not get money, so the pimp drove away with the victim and a 15-year-old victim. The jury heard that Anthony then called one of the girls back directly, told her he found his money, and asked them to return. The jury heard that both victims went into Anthony’s building, where Anthony paid them to take off their clothes and have sex.
In December 2015, a defendant charged in the same original indictment, Russell D. Ehrens, was acquitted at trial of child sex trafficking. After that acquittal, the U.S. Attorney’s Office took Anthony’s case to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which held that mistake of age is no defense to child sex trafficking when the defendant is alleged to have encountered a child victim personally, as Anthony is alleged to have done. Based on that law, the jury was required to determine whether Anthony had a reasonable opportunity to observe the juvenile victims, not whether he knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that they were under the age of 18.
Maurice Johnson and Hiram Mitchell previously pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking. Tonya Gum and Trung N. Duong, a customer co-defendant of Anthony, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking. Mitchell is currently serving a prison term of ten years. Johnson, Gum, and Duong await sentencing.
At sentencing, Anthony faces up to life imprisonment, including a mandatory minimum of ten years of imprisonment, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000.00 fine, in addition to paying restitution to the victims. His sentencing will be set by the court at a future date.
These convictions are the result of an investigation conducted by United States Department of Homeland Security and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys McKenzie Anderson and David Petermann.
Appointments of Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney GeneralRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein today announced that Robert K. Hur will serve as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and James A. Crowell IV will be the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney General.
“Robert Hur and James Crowell have served with distinction in a variety of roles in the Department of Justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. “Their experience and judgment will advance our efforts to deter crime, promote the rule of law, and ensure equal justice for everyone.”
ROBERT K. HUR
Hur previously was a law firm partner in Washington, D.C., where he represented clients in criminal and regulatory enforcement actions before the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and other federal agencies, as well as related civil litigation. Hur also served as Hiring Partner for the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. From 2003 to 2005, he served at Main Justice as Special Assistant and later Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division, where he handled counterterrorism, corporate fraud, and appellate matters.
Hur also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland from 2007 to 2014, where he prosecuted complex financial and regulatory offenses, including financial institutions fraud, criminal violations of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, mortgage fraud, tax offenses, and public corruption as well as intellectual property-related matters involving electronic surveillance, computer network intrusions, and theft of intellectual property. Hur received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award for superior performance and excellence as a lawyer.
Hur began his legal career as a law clerk for the late William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States, and Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Hur received his A.B. from Harvard College and his J.D. from Stanford Law School.
JAMES A. CROWELL IV
Before joining the Deputy Attorney General's office, Crowell was the Criminal Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, where he oversaw the work of over 85 Assistant U.S. Attorneys involved in criminal prosecutions, including national security, violent crime, fraud and corruption, cybercrime, narcotics, asset forfeiture, and money laundering, as well as the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Project Safe Child, Project Safe Neighborhoods, and related anti-crime programs. Crowell also served as the Chief of the Southern Division. Crowell has worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maryland since 2007, when he began as an Assistant United States Attorney.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, from 2003 to 2007, Crowell was a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, the office that oversees the federal effort to combat corruption through the prosecution of officials and employees at all levels of government. Crowell is the recipient of numerous law enforcement awards, including all three of the Department of Defense’s highest civilian awards, recognizing his effort to combat contract fraud and corruption involving military contracts. For his prosecution of public corruption cases, Crowell received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award for superior performance and excellence as a lawyer.
Crowell began his career with the Department through the Attorney General’s Honors program as a Trial Attorney in the Antitrust Division’s Criminal Section in 2001, following his clerkship with Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Crowell received his B.A. from Hampden-Sydney College and his J.D. from Boston University School of Law. Crowell has also served in the United States Army Reserve since 1994.
Andover Nanny Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $100,000 from EmployerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Andover woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to stealing more than $100,000 from her employer.
Stacy Fortunato, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf who scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2017.
While employed as a nanny from November 2014 to February 2016, Fortunato’s employer provided her with a credit card to make purchases solely related to her work duties. Instead, Fortunato made unauthorized charges and cash withdrawals using the credit card on more than 800 occasions, totaling approximately $120,626. To conceal what she had done, Fortunato made unauthorized electronic payments from her employer’s bank account to her employer’s credit card account. Fortunato also wrote checks for her own personal benefit on her employer’s bank account, forging her employer’s signature to the checks before cashing them. In total, Fortunato defrauded her employer of about $134,000.
The bank fraud statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The wire fraud statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 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 Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Kenneth Webb, 50, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an aggravated identity theft charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Webb and his codefendants Amelia Cordova, 34, and Bridget Jessica Sanchez, 35, both of Albuquerque were charged in a five-count indictment filed on Oct. 25, 2016, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and receipt of stolen mail. The indictment was superseded on April 26, 2017, and charged the three defendants with participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud from Jan. 2015 through Feb. 2016. The superseding indictment also charged each of the three defendants with committing aggravated identity theft on the following dates: Cordova on Feb. 13, 2016; Sanchez on Jan. 19, 2015; and Webb on June 2, 2015. It also charged Cordova and Sanchez with theft or receipt of stolen mail on July 20, 2015. According to the superseding indictment, the defendants committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Webb pled guilty to an aggravated identity theft charge and admitted that he conspired with his codefendants to defraud financial institutions, including First Financial Credit Union, Kirtland Federal Credit Union, Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union, Bank of America and Bank of the West. He also admitted that in furtherance of that conspiracy, they possessed mail and other information, including bank account, debit card and credit card numbers belonging to others, that had been stolen from a post office, mail receptacle, or mail carrier. In entering the guilty plea, Webb further admitted that between June 2, 2015 and June 19, 2015, he possessed and used bank account information of other individuals. Webb also admitted that on July 20, 2015, he possessed counterfeit checks, counterfeit New Mexico state identification cards and other identification that belonged to other individuals.
On June 15, 2017, Cordova and Sanchez each pled guilty to similar charges. In their plea agreements, Cordova and Sanchez admitted to participating in the conspiracy along with Webb to defraud financial institutions, and using numbers for bank accounts, credit cards and debit cards found in stolen mail to make purchases, and forging signatures of others in making those purchases. Cordova and Sanchez also admitted using bank account numbers and bank routing numbers contained in stolen mail to make counterfeit personal checks, which they used to make purchases.
In entering her guilty plea, Cordova admitted that between Feb. 13 and 21, 2016, she used credit card number information from two different people to commit bank fraud.
In entering her guilty plea, Sanchez admitted that on Jan. 19, 2015 and between June 15 and 24, 2015, she used bank account information belonging to another person to commit bank fraud. Sanchez also admitted using credit card number information of another person on Feb. 10, 20, and 21, 2016.
At sentencing, Webb, Cordova and Sanchez each face a mandatory penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 each. Cordova and Sanchez are currently scheduled for sentencing hearings on Sept. 13, 2017. A sentencing hearing for Webb has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated the U.S. Postal Service and the Albuquerque Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe.
Abilene Men Receive Hefty Federal Prison Sentences for Sexual Exploiting a 12-Year-Old FemaleRead the Press Release
ABILENE, Texas — Two Abilene, Texas, men, who each pleaded guilty in February 2017 to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, were sentenced today to hefty federal prison sentences, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Terrell Orlando Kinchen, 20, and Troy Lee Applin, Jr., 23, were both sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 240 months each in federal prison.
“What these men did to this 12-year old girl is shocking and despicable,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “The total depravity displayed by these defendants justifies these sentences.”
According to plea documents filed in the case, between January 1, 2016, and July 7, 2016, Kinchen knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced, a 12-year-old female, Jane Doe 1, to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Kinchen did so for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct to mail, ship, or transport to others.
Kinchen and Applin met at Kinchen’s apartment. After arriving at the apartment, Applin used an Apple iPhone, to produce a video of “Jane Doe 1” engaging in sexual explicit conduct with Kinchen. Applin also used the cellular telephone to make a video recording of “Jane Doe 1” engaging in sexual explicit conduct with him in the bathroom of the apartment. After the videos were recorded, they were transmitted over the internet by Snapchat and Facebook. “Jane Doe 1” was twelve years of age at the time.
The cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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 sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Abilene Police Department and Traffick911 investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Juanita Fielden was in charge of the prosecutions.
# # #
Saturday 17 June 2017
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Alexander Kudla (“Kudla”) was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard G. Andrews to a three-year term of probation after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud for his theft of over $22,000 from a disabled veteran.
Accordingly to publicly filed documents and statements made in court, Kudla, age 40, of Millville, New Jersey, was previously a licensed practical nurse at the Wilmington Veterans Affairs Medical Center (“VAMC”). A VAMC patient requested help withdrawing funds from an ATM due to the patient’s physical limitations. Kudla abused his position at the VAMC as well as the trust of the victim by withdrawing funds from the victim’s bank account for Kudla’s personal use on over 40 occasions between February 2015 and July 2015. As part of his sentence, the District Court ordered Kudla to pay full restitution of $22,320 to the victim, with $4,000 due immediately.
Kudla is no longer employed with the VAMC or with the Department of Veterans Affairs. “We take allegations of employee misconduct very seriously, especially when those allegations are related to the welfare of our Veterans. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case and we will continue to be vigilant, ensuring Veterans receive care and treatment in a safe and caring environment,” said Vince Kane, director of the Wilmington VA Medical Center.
“It is particularly painful when an employee entrusted by VA to care for veterans abuses that trust for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Donna L. Neves, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. “It's why VA OIG pursues cases like this, so veterans can feel safe in all aspects of their care.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “I want to thank the Veterans Affairs Police Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General for their efforts throughout the investigation and prosecution of this case. The act of secretly withdrawing his patient’s funds for Defendant’s own personal use is completely at odds with the important position with which he was entrusted. Such crimes will be investigated by our partner agencies and prosecuted by our office.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Veterans Affairs Police Service. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Whitney Cloud.
Friday 16 June 2017
“Real Time”: Spartanburg Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Fred Deshawn Edwards, age 22, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison today by United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks. Edwards previously entered a guilty plea in federal court on February 6, 2017, for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a prohibited person.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on November 1, 2016, during a search of his residence by law enforcement, officers recovered four firearms and ammunition. Due to his prior criminal history and record, Edwards is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Edwards was arrested federally as a part of “Operation Real-Time.” The goal of this program is to identify individuals for federal prosecution with significant criminal histories who continue to possess firearms in the Upstate community.
In addition to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Real Time’s core partners include the Greenville Police Department, the Anderson Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, United States Probation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office.
Since August of 2015, the initiative has resulted in the expedited federal prosecution of some 115 defendants and seizure of over 130 firearms as well as assorted ammunition from prohibited persons.
U.S. Attorney Drake commended the partnership between the state and federal agencies that led to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office adopting the case. “We work best when we work together. This ‘real time’ identification of high risk offenders is smart policing, and we welcome the opportunity to work alongside our state chiefs and sheriffs in taking violent repeat offenders out of our communities.”
The Spartanburg Police Department, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen in the Greenville U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
#####
Webster Men Sentenced for Taking, Killing, and Possessing Migratory BirdsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that two Webster, South Dakota, men charged with Taking, Killing, and Possessing Migratory Birds pled guilty to and were sentenced on May 31, 2017, by William D. Gerdes, U.S. Magistrate Judge.
Brant Nelson, age 66 and Kirk Nelson, age 63, were sentenced to 36 months of probation, $10,850.00 joint and several restitution, $500 fine, and the loss of hunting privileges for 3 years.
The conviction stems from an incident that took place in the spring of 2016, when the Nelsons shot and killed over 200 pelicans and double-crested cormorants. Both species are migratory birds that are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and cannot be lawfully hunted or killed under any circumstances. The Nelsons shot the birds from their property that borders a small lake in Day County.
The investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Clapper.
Virginia Resident Sentenced in West Palm Beach to Nine Years in Prison for Defrauding His Employer and the United States GovernmentRead the Press Release
Brian Charles Tolley, 32, of Bedford, Virginia, was sentenced today to 9 years in prison, after having been previously convicted at trial in West Palm Beach, Florida of wire fraud, identity theft, aggravated identity theft, possession of counterfeit government seals with the intent to defraud, money laundering, making and subscribing false federal income tax returns, and failing to file federal income tax returns.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office; Brian A. Hauck, Special Agent-in-Charge, North Central Fraud Field Office, United States Army Criminal Investigation Command; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Special Agent in Charge Wendell W. Palmer, United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Procurement Fraud Detachment Southeast, made the announcement.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra sentenced Tolley to 108 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered the defendant to pay $2,344,439 in restitution. In addition, Tolley was ordered to forfeit real estate in Bedford, Virginia, a 2011 Buick Enclave, and a 2011 Lincoln Navigator.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the forfeiture hearing, and sentencing, Tolley was employed by PartsBase, Inc., which is located in Boca Raton, Florida, as Vice President from 2001 through 2001, as Chief Information Officer from 2001 through January 2014, and President from 2010 until January 2014. Between June 2007 and September 2013, Tolley submitted to PartsBase forged documentation from various branches of the U.S. military and other government agencies. These documents purported to acknowledge Tolley’s orders of procurement data on PartsBase’s behalf, and purported to be signed by real federal employees. Tolley then requested reimbursement from PartsBase for charges he had purportedly incurred from the government agencies. In total, PartsBase paid Tolley approximately $1.7 million in reimbursements based on this fraudulent scheme. Tolley used the money he procured from the fraudulent scheme to purchase the 2011 Buick Enclave, the 2011 Lincoln Navigator, the real estate in Bedford, Virginia and other items. In addition, Tolley failed to report the proceeds of his fraud scheme as income on the federal income tax returns he filed for tax years 2007 through 2011. Tolley failed to file returns for tax years 2012 or 2013.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of DCIS, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command Major Procurement Fraud Unit, IRS-CI, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Procurement Fraud Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Osborne and Mark Dispoto.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Van Nuys Man Named in Federal Fraud Indictment Alleging $7 Million Foreclosure-Delay Scam Targeting Struggling HomeownersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The alleged mastermind of a foreclosure-avoidance scam that targeted distressed homeowners has been arrested on federal charges that he orchestrated a bankruptcy fraud scheme that brought in more than $7 million from victims.
Michael “Mickey” Henschel, 68, of Van Nuys, was arrested Wednesday morning by federal agents with the FBI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). Henschel was arrested pursuant to an 11-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on June 8.
During a court hearing this afternoon, Henschel was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the indictment unsealed after his arrest, Henschel owned a Van Nuys-based company he operated under several names, including Valueline. Henschel and several co-conspirators marketed illegal foreclosure- and eviction-delay services to homeowners who had defaulted on their mortgages and renters who were facing eviction. As part of the scheme, Henschel and the others allegedly convinced homeowners to sign fake grant deeds that purported to show the homeowners had conveyed an interest in their properties to fictional third parties.
Henschel and his co-conspirators allegedly filed bankruptcies in the names of fictional persons and entities to trigger the automatic stay provision of the Bankruptcy Code, which meant that foreclosure sales were stalled.
Henschel allegedly delayed evictions in a similar way, filing fraudulent documents in state eviction actions and sending similar documents to sheriff’s offices.
Henschel allegedly charged some homeowners large fees before agreeing to clear title to their properties, in addition to the monthly fees paid for the illegal services. During the course of the scheme, from October 2010 through July 2013, Henschel and his co-conspirators collected more than $7 million, according to the indictment.
The indictment charges Henschel with one count of conspiracy, eight counts of bankruptcy fraud and two counts of wire fraud.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Following his arrest on Wednesday, Henschel was arraigned on the indictment. He entered a not guilty plea, and a trial was scheduled for August 8.
If he is convicted of the charges in the indictment, Henschel would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of the conspiracy bankruptcy fraud counts. The two wire fraud counts carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years.
The case against Henschel is the result of an investigation by the FBI and FHFA-OIG, which received assistance from the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the United States Trustee’s Office for the Central District of California.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section.
U.S. Attorney Invited to Attend National Summit on Crime Reduction and Public SafetyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — The U.S. Department of Justice will hold the National Summit on Crime Reduction and Public Safety on June 20-21, 2017 in Bethesda, Maryland. The Summit will gather representatives from federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, victim and community advocacy groups, and academia to discuss how to best support and replicate successful local violent crime reduction efforts. Speakers will include Vice President of the United States Michael Pence, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
U.S. Attorney John Parker, Grand Prairie Police Chief Steve Dye, and Dallas Police Assistant Chief Paul Stokes will participate in discussions on a variety of topics related to violent crime reduction efforts.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity to listen to our local law enforcement partners and explore how we in the federal sector can further enhance our existing collaboration to reduce crime,” said U.S. Attorney Parker.
In February, the Attorney General established the Department’s Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. This internal working group is identifying ways that the federal government can best support crime reduction work across the country.
# # #
Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys Receive Director’s AwardsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051WASHINGTON – Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Joseph M. Tripi and Michael S. Cerrone of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York were two of 179 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson at the 33rd Director’s Awards Ceremony today in Washington D.C.
AUSA Tripi, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Section, was honored for leading a Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force comprised of federal, state, and local agencies to combat gang violence in Buffalo, NY, and its suburbs. During an investigation and prosecution that lasted six years, several RICO conspiracy/murder indictments were returned against 47 members and associates of the 10th Street Gang and 20 members and associates of the rival 7th Street Gang. All 67 charged gang members were convicted by plea or trial. These prosecutions solved 10 gang-related murders, dozens of additional shootings, and led to complete dismantling of the 10th and 7th Street gangs. AUSA Tripi also led an investigation that resulted in return of a RICO Conspiracy indictment charging and convicting four members of the Bloods Gang with kidnappings and robberies of rival drug dealers, and another RICO conspiracy/murder indictment charging 16 members of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club gang with acts of violence including murder.
AUSA Cerrone was honored for his outstanding work representing the Federal Government in civil litigation. In the last year, because of AUSA Cerrone’s aggressive and persuasive research and writing skills, he received nine favorable decisions from the District Court granting dispositive motions in FOIA, employment discrimination, and Bivens matters, and two favorable decisions from the Second Circuit in medical malpractice and Bivens matters. In addition, because of AUSA Cerrone’s aggressive and creative litigation skills, he settled four cases on very favorable terms in tort, medical, malpractice, employment discrimination, and ACE matters.
“The Western District of New York is fortunate and privileged to have more than 50 dedicated and outstanding Assistant United States Attorneys working on behalf of the American people,” said Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. “Joseph Tripi and Michael Cerrone exemplify the commitment to excellence deeply rooted in this Office. Both Mr. Tripi and Mr. Cerrone are richly deserving of these honors and I know that each of them also recognize that a victory for one is a victory for our entire office. As the saying goes—‘the strength of the team is each individual member, and the strength of each member is the team.’”
In his prepared remarks, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein stated, “These 179 award recipients embody the best of the Department of Justice. Today’s honorees have earned the esteem of their colleagues. But most importantly, you have earned the gratitude of your fellow citizens — whose communities you have made safer, whose lives you have improved, and whose trust you have rewarded. ”
The Western District of New York was one of 35 districts represented at the ceremony, which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
Twenty-Three Alleged Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Federal Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal indictment was unsealed today charging 23 alleged members and associates of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG), including some of its most senior leaders, in a conspiracy involving racketeering, murder, robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault, among other charges.
While the indictment was returned by a grand jury in Las Vegas, earlier today, federal, state and local law enforcement officials arrested individuals in Hawaii and across Southern California and Nevada, including in the Las Vegas metro area and in Reno.
Acting Assistant Attorney Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre of the District of Nevada; Acting Executive Associate Director Derek N. Benner for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); Special Agent in Charge Jill A. Snyder of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) San Francisco Field Division; Sheriff Joseph Lombardo for Clark County, Nevada; and District Attorney Christopher Hicks for Washoe County, Nevada, made the announcement.
“Today, the rule of law dealt a serious blow to the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, a so-called ‘brotherhood’ responsible for drug addiction, death and mayhem in multiple locations, including California, Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon and Nevada,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “Today’s coordinated takedown of this biker organization’s leadership is a victory for all of us who respect and love our country, and a testament to the bravery and dedication of federal, state and local law enforcement men and women who to keep our communities safe.”
“Today’s indictment charges members and associates of a violent outlaw motorcycle gang with committing racketeering, murder, robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault and other violent crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Myhre. “These charges are the result of the outstanding work of multiple state, local and federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in our joint effort to combat crime and to address the dangerous threats facing our communities today.”
“These arrests and indictments are the culmination of a far-reaching, meticulous, long-term probe involving HSI and multiple other law enforcement agencies aimed at dealing a crippling blow to one of this country’s most ruthless and violent criminal gangs,” said Acting Executive Associate Director Benner. “Members of this organization wrongly believed themselves to be above the law and immune from justice, but as today’s enforcement actions make abundantly clear, they should not have underestimated our collective resolve.”
“The Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang is a criminal organization which engages in acts of violence. Those acts, which included kidnapping and murder, threaten the safety of the communities in which the Vagos operate,” said Special Agent in Charge Snyder. “At ATF, our mission is to reduce violent crime within our communities and as a result of today’s arrests our neighborhoods are a safer place.”
“My department remains steadfast in its commitment to work in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle violent crime and gang activities in Clark County, Nevada,” said Sheriff Lombardo. “This RICO indictment represents a critical step toward dismantling this violent organization and clearly signals that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and our law enforcement partners have an unwavering commitment to hold those individuals accountable who insist on creating an atmosphere of violence and fear in our communities.”
The 12-count superseding indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to participate in the affairs of the Vagos OMG, a transnational gang with approximately 87 or more chapters in at least seven countries, on four continents, and approximately 75 chapters in the U.S., including approximately 54 chapters in Nevada and California. The indictment alleges that the Vagos OMG is a highly organized criminal organization which adheres to a hierarchical chain of command, and whose members conspired to enrich the gang; to preserve, protect and enhance the power of the gang; and to keep victims in fear of the gang through acts and threats of violence. Among other crimes, the indictment charges eight Vagos OMG leaders and members, including Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez, aka “Romeo,” for the September 23, 2011 murder of a member of the rival Hells Angels gang at the Nugget Hotel and Casino in Sparks, Nevada.
“The murder committed by Ernesto Gonzalez in the Nugget Casino was always a part of a larger criminal conspiracy, which has been made even more clear today,” said District Attorney Hicks. “Prosecuting Gonzalez for his actions has been a priority for my office. As such, we welcomed the opportunity to work closely with federal authorities in this RICO investigation that not only seeks to hold Gonzales accountable but the entire involved Vagos criminal enterprise.”
The superseding indictment also alleges that the Vagos OMG is a closed society whose members value allegiance to the gang and its fellow members above all else, do not fear authority, and exhibit a complete disdain for the rules of society. According to the allegations in the indictment, witnesses to the gang’s criminal acts are typically victims of acts of obstruction, intimidation and harassment who are too afraid to approach law enforcement or testify in court proceedings.
The 23 defendants charged for their alleged roles in the federal racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes in aid of racketeering offenses are Pastor Fausto Palafox, a/k/a “Ta Ta,” 53, of Beaumont, Calif.; Albert Lopez, a/k/a “Al,” 39, of Canyon Country, Calif.; Albert Benjamin Perez, a/k/a “Dragon Man,” 57, of Santa Barbara, Calif.; James Patrick Gillespie, a/k/a “Jimbo,” 68, of Granada Hills, Calif.; Andrew Eloy Lozano, a/k/a “Hulk,” 42, of Fontana, Calif.; Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez, a/k/a “Romeo,” of San Francisco; Victor Adam Ramirez, a/k/a “Slick,” 35, of Las Vegas; James Walter Henderson, a/k/a “CJ,” 64, of Henderson, Nev.; Steven Earl Carr, a/k/a “Big Steve,” 43, of Las Vegas; Robert Allen Coleman, a/k/a “Mayhem,” 59, of Las Vegas; Jeremy John Halgat, a/k/a “Maniak,” 39, of North Las Vegas, Nev.; Paul Jeffrey Voll, a/k/a “Shyster,” 52, of Pasadena, Calif.; John Joseph Siemer, a/k/a “Rocky,” 60, of Baldwin Park, Calif.; Bradley Michael Campos, a/k/a “Candy Man,” 50, of Alhambra, Calif.; Cesar Vaquera Morales, a/k/a “C,” 49, of San Jose, Calif.; Diego Chavez Garcia, a/k/a “Boo,” 34, of San Jose, Calif.; Edward Claridan Chelby, a/k/a “Recon,” 57, of Kailua, Hawaii; Johnny Russell Neddenriep, a/k/a “Johnny Bolts,” 51, of Reno, Nev.; Darin Kieth Grieder, a/k/a “Midget,” 48, of Sparks, Nev.; Bert Wayne Davisson, a/k/a “Flash,” 45, of Sparks, Nev.; Mathew Keith Dunlap, a/k/a “Big Mat,” 46, of Sparks, Nev., and John Chrispin Juarez, a/k/a “Quicky,” 69, of Moreno Valley, Calif.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of ICE-HSI; ATF; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department; Washoe County District Attorney’s Office; San Bernardino Police Department; San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; Riverside County Sheriff’s Office; California Department of Justice; San Diego County Sheriff’s Department; Sparks Police Department; Washoe County Sheriff’s Department; Carson City Sheriff’s Department; Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; Reno Police Department; North Las Vegas Police Department; Long Beach Police Department; Montebello Police Department; Henderson Police Department; San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office; Orange County, California District Attorney’s Office; Carson City District Attorney’s Office; and Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Cristina D. Silva of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
Twenty-Three Alleged Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Federal Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal indictment was unsealed today charging 23 alleged members and associates of the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG), including some of its most senior leaders, in a conspiracy involving racketeering, murder, robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault, among other charges.
While the indictment was returned by a grand jury in Las Vegas, earlier today, federal, state and local law enforcement officials arrested individuals in Hawaii and across Southern California and Nevada, including in the Las Vegas metro area and in Reno.
Acting Assistant Attorney Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre of the District of Nevada; Acting Executive Associate Director Derek N. Benner for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); Special Agent in Charge Jill A. Snyder of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) San Francisco Field Division; Sheriff Joseph Lombardo for Clark County, Nevada; and District Attorney Christopher Hicks for Washoe County, Nevada, made the announcement.
“Today, the rule of law dealt a serious blow to the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, a so-called ‘brotherhood’ responsible for drug addiction, death and mayhem in multiple locations, including California, Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon and Nevada,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “Today’s coordinated takedown of this biker organization’s leadership is a victory for all of us who respect and love our country, and a testament to the bravery and dedication of federal, state and local law enforcement men and women who to keep our communities safe.”
“Today’s indictment charges members and associates of a violent outlaw motorcycle gang with committing racketeering, murder, robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault and other violent crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Myhre. “These charges are the result of the outstanding work of multiple state, local and federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in our joint effort to combat crime and to address the dangerous threats facing our communities today.”
“These arrests and indictments are the culmination of a far-reaching, meticulous, long-term probe involving HSI and multiple other law enforcement agencies aimed at dealing a crippling blow to one of this country’s most ruthless and violent criminal gangs,” said Acting Executive Associate Director Benner. “Members of this organization wrongly believed themselves to be above the law and immune from justice, but as today’s enforcement actions make abundantly clear, they should not have underestimated our collective resolve.”
“The Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang is a criminal organization which engages in acts of violence. Those acts, which included kidnapping and murder, threaten the safety of the communities in which the Vagos operate,” said Special Agent in Charge Snyder. “At ATF, our mission is to reduce violent crime within our communities and as a result of today’s arrests our neighborhoods are a safer place.”
“My department remains steadfast in its commitment to work in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle violent crime and gang activities in Clark County, Nevada,” said Sheriff Lombardo. “This RICO indictment represents a critical step toward dismantling this violent organization and clearly signals that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and our law enforcement partners have an unwavering commitment to hold those individuals accountable who insist on creating an atmosphere of violence and fear in our communities.”
The 12-count superseding indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to participate in the affairs of the Vagos OMG, a transnational gang with approximately 87 or more chapters in at least seven countries, on four continents, and approximately 75 chapters in the U.S., including approximately 54 chapters in Nevada and California. The indictment alleges that the Vagos OMG is a highly organized criminal organization which adheres to a hierarchical chain of command, and whose members conspired to enrich the gang; to preserve, protect and enhance the power of the gang; and to keep victims in fear of the gang through acts and threats of violence. Among other crimes, the indictment charges eight Vagos OMG leaders and members, including Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez, aka “Romeo,” for the September 23, 2011 murder of a member of the rival Hells Angels gang at the Nugget Hotel and Casino in Sparks, Nevada.
“The murder committed by Ernesto Gonzalez in the Nugget Casino was always a part of a larger criminal conspiracy, which has been made even more clear today,” said District Attorney Hicks. “Prosecuting Gonzalez for his actions has been a priority for my office. As such, we welcomed the opportunity to work closely with federal authorities in this RICO investigation that not only seeks to hold Gonzales accountable but the entire involved Vagos criminal enterprise.”
The superseding indictment also alleges that the Vagos OMG is a closed society whose members value allegiance to the gang and its fellow members above all else, do not fear authority, and exhibit a complete disdain for the rules of society. According to the allegations in the indictment, witnesses to the gang’s criminal acts are typically victims of acts of obstruction, intimidation and harassment who are too afraid to approach law enforcement or testify in court proceedings.
The 23 defendants charged for their alleged roles in the federal racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes in aid of racketeering offenses are Pastor Fausto Palafox, a/k/a “Ta Ta,” 53, of Beaumont, Calif.; Albert Lopez, a/k/a “Al,” 39, of Canyon Country, Calif.; Albert Benjamin Perez, a/k/a “Dragon Man,” 57, of Santa Barbara, Calif.; James Patrick Gillespie, a/k/a “Jimbo,” 68, of Granada Hills, Calif.; Andrew Eloy Lozano, a/k/a “Hulk,” 42, of Fontana, Calif.; Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez, a/k/a “Romeo,” of San Francisco; Victor Adam Ramirez, a/k/a “Slick,” 35, of Las Vegas; James Walter Henderson, a/k/a “CJ,” 64, of Henderson, Nev.; Steven Earl Carr, a/k/a “Big Steve,” 43, of Las Vegas; Robert Allen Coleman, a/k/a “Mayhem,” 59, of Las Vegas; Jeremy John Halgat, a/k/a “Maniak,” 39, of North Las Vegas, Nev.; Paul Jeffrey Voll, a/k/a “Shyster,” 52, of Pasadena, Calif.; John Joseph Siemer, a/k/a “Rocky,” 60, of Baldwin Park, Calif.; Bradley Michael Campos, a/k/a “Candy Man,” 50, of Alhambra, Calif.; Cesar Vaquera Morales, a/k/a “C,” 49, of San Jose, Calif.; Diego Chavez Garcia, a/k/a “Boo,” 34, of San Jose, Calif.; Edward Claridan Chelby, a/k/a “Recon,” 57, of Kailua, Hawaii; Johnny Russell Neddenriep, a/k/a “Johnny Bolts,” 51, of Reno, Nev.; Darin Kieth Grieder, a/k/a “Midget,” 48, of Sparks, Nev.; Bert Wayne Davisson, a/k/a “Flash,” 45, of Sparks, Nev.; Mathew Keith Dunlap, a/k/a “Big Mat,” 46, of Sparks, Nev., and John Chrispin Juarez, a/k/a “Quicky,” 69, of Moreno Valley, Calif.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of ICE-HSI; ATF; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department; Washoe County District Attorney’s Office; San Bernardino Police Department; San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; Riverside County Sheriff’s Office; California Department of Justice; San Diego County Sheriff’s Department; Sparks Police Department; Washoe County Sheriff’s Department; Carson City Sheriff’s Department; Douglas County Sheriff’s Office; Reno Police Department; North Las Vegas Police Department; Long Beach Police Department; Montebello Police Department; Henderson Police Department; San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office; Orange County, California District Attorney’s Office; Carson City District Attorney’s Office; and Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Cristina D. Silva of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.###
Statement Regarding the Verdict in the Jeronimo Yanez TrialRead the Press Release
From the outset, this case has been closely monitored by the Department of Justice. An experienced career prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota was cross designated to assist the state prosecution team. We determined that this course of action was the strongest available avenue for a prosecution, given the higher level of intent required under the applicable federal criminal civil rights law. In the wake of today’s verdict, we are assessing whether any additional federal review is justified.
Statement Regarding Closure of Investigation of Former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and First Lady Cylvia HayesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – The investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation into the alleged misuse of former Governor Kitzhaber’s and Ms. Hayes’s positions for their personal benefit has concluded and no federal criminal charges will be sought. The United States will not comment further on this matter.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Dealing HeroinRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for heroin distribution.
Domingo Rosario, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. In February 2017, Rosario pleaded guilty to one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin.
Rosario, who has an extensive violent criminal history, including 2010 and 2014 state convictions for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, sold heroin to a cooperating witness in January 2015.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine A. Wagner of Weinreb's Springfield Office prosecuted the case.
Savannah Pastor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding His ChurchRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA – Corey Megill Brown, 47, the former Pastor of Second African Baptist Church in Savannah, was sentenced today by District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 28 months in prison for defrauding his former church and its parishioners of money for over 6 years. In addition to his prison sentence, Brown was also ordered to pay the Second African Baptist Church $178,140 in restitution. After serving his prison sentence, Brown will be on federal supervised release for 3 years. There is no parole in the federal system.
Brown pled guilty late last year to mail fraud. The evidence presented at Brown’s guilty plea and the sentencing hearings revealed that from 2008 to February 2014, Brown intercepted checks and others moneys sent to the church as tithes and offerings; then deposited the stolen money into an account that only he controlled and that other church leaders did not know existed. Brown opened his shadow bank account under the name “Romans 12 Ministries.” Brown used the stolen tithes and offerings for his own benefit, by withdrawing cash; by writing checks to himself that were deposited in his personal bank accounts; and, by using the debit card tied to the shadow account to make purchases from such places as leather goods stores and lingerie shops.
Acting United States Attorney Durham said, “Brown’s parishioners thought they were offering their hard earned savings so their church could do good works. Little did they know, Brown’s idea of good work was to line his own pockets. Whether you’re an attorney or accountant, a physician or pastor, if you steal from the good folks that trust you the most, then you’ll next serve time at a federal prison.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Charlie Bourne and Scarlett S. Nokes prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For questions, please call (912) 201-2522.
Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to File Tax Returns Using Stolen IDsRead the Press Release
An Allentown, Pennsylvania resident was sentenced to serve 42 months in prison for conspiring to file tax returns using stolen IDs, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
According to the indictment and information presented to the court, Jessenia E. Cordero, 37, operated MJ & Associates and Express Tax Services, both located in Allentown. These businesses provided tax preparation, check cashing, and other services to customers. Cordero and her co-conspirators obtained lists of Puerto Rico residents’ names and social security numbers and used these IDs to file fraudulent tax returns seeking refunds with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The conspirators directed the IRS to mail the refund checks to addresses they controlled or to deposit the refunds onto pre-paid debit cards. Cordero used her businesses to cash fraudulently obtained refund checks totaling approximately $4,316,103.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, Cordero was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,960,070.50 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Lappen commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ignall and Trial Attorney Matthew J. Kluge of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Eric S. Mann, age 33, of Howard, Pennsylvania, pled guilty today to attempting to arrange for a sexual encounter with a minor.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Mann admitted that between May 10, 2016 and August 25, 2016, he exchanged multiple online messages with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old boy. Mann further admitted that the messages were intended to entice the boy into meeting with him for the purpose of having sex. Mann also admitted that on the morning of August 25, 2016, he travelled to a truck stop located in Milesburg, Pennsylvania, in an effort to meet with the boy.
Mann faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2017 before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Mann will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Town of Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss.
Oxford, Indiana Man Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - Acting United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced that Michael R. Bennett, 47, of Oxford, Indiana, was sentenced before District Court Judge Philip P. Simon for wire fraud.
Judge Philip P. Simon sentenced Bennett to 15 months imprisonment followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Bennett was President of the United Auto Workers Local 2317. He used his position as President to embezzle and steal more than $100,000 dollars from the Union over a five-year period.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua P. Kolar.
# # #
Ocala Woman Charged with Theft of Social Security Benefits After Body Found in Lake County BackyardRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the unsealing of an
indictment charging Susan Marie Kort (61, Ocala) with theft of government funds. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Kort that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $35,577.60, which represents the proceeds of the alleged criminal conduct.According to the facts described in open court today, Kort’s elderly father passed away at his Lake County residence in approximately November 2011. After discovering the body, Kort buried her father in the backyard of her Eustis home and did not report the death to authorities. She then used a power of attorney for her father’s financial affairs to withdraw and spend the Social Security Administration (SSA) benefit payments that were being deposited into his bank account. The SSA eventually suspended these benefit payments in December 2013, when they were unable to contact Kort’s father.
When confronted by investigators, Kort admitted to hiding her father’s body and to defrauding the SSA by unlawfully taking his benefit payments. She eventually led investigators to her father’s grave and subsequent DNA testing confirmed the identity of the remains as Kort’s father.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Norwalk Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY SCULLARK, also known as “A.J.” and “Ace,” 31, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 40 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
This matter stems from an investigation headed by the DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Stamford Police Department, Norwalk Police Department and Connecticut State Police. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2016, SCULLARK was intercepted over a wiretap ordering 10 “sleeves” or “bricks” (1000 dosage units) of heroin from Kenneth Brickhouse, also known as “K.E.”
On October 4, 2016, SCULLARK was arrested after he conducted a drug transaction in the parking lot of a Norwalk business. A search of SCULLARK’s person, vehicle and residence revealed approximately 65 bags of heroin, 19 small knotted bags of crack cocaine, $1,695 in cash, and eight cellphones.
SCULLARK has been detained since his arrest.
On October 8, 2013, SCULLARK was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 21 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute crack cocaine. His term of supervised release began on July 23, 2014.
On December 5, 2016, SCULLARK pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and to violating the conditions of his supervise release.
Brickhouse pleaded guilty and, on March 9, 2017, Judge Bolden sentenced him to 10 years of imprisonment.
The DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force includes members from the Bridgeport, Stamford, Stratford, Norwalk, Milford and Trumbull Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Heather Cherry.
Nebraska Man Sentenced for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Alliance, Nebraska, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter was sentenced on June 13, 2017, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Michael L. Ghost, age 24, was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date.
Ghost was charged on February 23, 2016, and pleaded guilty on March 10, 2017. The conviction stems from Ghost driving a vehicle while intoxicated and speeding, causing it to crash, killing a passenger.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Ghost was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Nashua Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Daniel Quinn, 48, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was sentenced to serve 63 months in federal prison for armed bank robbery, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.
According to court records and statements in court, shortly before noon on June 25, 2015, Quinn entered the St. Mary’s Bank in Hudson, New Hampshire wearing a black hat, a mask and gloves, and carrying a knife in his left hand while keeping a brown leather satchel over his left shoulder hanging by his waist on the right side in which it appeared he had a handgun. Quinn forced all of the patrons and employees, other than those behind the teller counters, to line up against a wall while he robbed one of the tellers using the knife. After getting the money from the teller, Quinn took one of the bank employees hostage in order to make his escape. Shortly after Quinn and the hostage left the bank the hostage was able to get away from Quinn and ran back into the bank, while Quinn ran in the opposite direction. Fortunately, the hostage was not physically harmed.
The Hudson Police Department responded to the bank within minutes of the robbery. A police canine, which quickly picked up Quinn’s scent, led police to a residential neighborhood close to the bank where Quinn was found hiding in the side yard of a home. Quinn was taken into custody without incident and the leather satchel, which was found within a few feet of Quinn partially covered with leaves, was seized. Inside the satchel, the money from the robbery, the knife, the gloves, the mask and other things related to the robbery were recovered. A BB gun, was also found in the satchel.
In imposing sentence today, United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty told Mr. Quinn that his conduct at the bank that day was an act of terror.
Quinn pleaded guilty on September 13, 2016. After serving his prison sentence, Quinn will be on supervised release for three years.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Hudson, NH Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold H. Huftalen.
###
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 36 Years in Prison for Trafficking Three Minors and Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the sentencing of DEUVONTAY SHELBY CHARLES, 22, to 36 years in prison for sex trafficking three minor girls and for producing and receiving child pornography of two minor girls. CHARLES was indicted on March 7, 2016, and on December 14, 2016, was convicted by a federal jury on 20 of 23 counts.
“Deuvontay Charles repeatedly victimized and abused vulnerable young girls with no remorse or acceptance of responsibility for his crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker. “Today, the court sentenced Charles to thirty-six years in prison and justice has been served for the victims, their families and the community. Importantly, through the dedicated efforts of law enforcement, he cannot harm another girl.”
“This case represents another successful collaborative effort by law enforcement to help victims and lock up bad guys,” said James Stuart, Anoka County Sheriff. “The trafficker’s evil actions are motivated by greed and show his willingness to destroy the lives of others for profit. This crime must continue to be brought into the open, pursued aggressively and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are very happy to continue being a part of that process!”
As proven at trial, a concerned mother reached out to the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office in July 2015 to report that CHARLES was recruiting her 17-year-old daughter to engage in prostitution. In the defendant’s private messages, he described how her daughter could “make money” and promised travel to Las Vegas and that “life will be smooth sailing.” He told her that he would provide condoms and protect her from the “clients.” CHARLES also instructed her to call him “Daddy.”
That initial report led to law enforcement identifying additional juvenile victims. A 14-year-old girl identified that CHARLES had requested sexually-explicit images of her. Between July 2 and July 4, 2015, eight images displaying the child’s genitals were sent online to CHARLES. As proven at trial, CHARLES also sent two pornographic images of an adult female and instructed the 14-year-old victim to send pictures of herself in those similar sexual poses.
Another 14-year-old victim was identified who was trafficked by CHARLES and who CHARLES used to produce sexually-explicit images in July 2015. CHARLES asked the victim to make a video of herself engaged in sexual acts. CHARLES also recruited that victim to engage in prostitution activity for him, asking if she wanted “to make money.” When asked what he meant, CHARLES replied “sex.” Knowing she was only 14 years old, CHARLES responded that while she is “kinda young,” there would be a lot of money to make.
As proven at trial, CHARLES also sent messages to another 17-year-old victim about making “quick money.” On August 21, 2015, CHARLES picked up the victim in Blaine, Minnesota, posted her as an “escort” on backpage.com, and trafficked her through August 26, 2015. CHARLES made her available for commercial sex acts at a hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota, in a room he paid for in cash and registered for under a different name. As proven at trial, CHARLES received money from the victim as a result of the sex acts that he arranged for her.
As proven at trial, when he committed these offenses, CHARLES was a registered sex offender based on a 2014 conviction in Dakota County for soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, the Dakota County Community Corrections, the St. Paul Police Department, and the Apple Valley Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino.
Defendant Information:
DEUVONTAY SHELBY CHARLES, 22
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
- Sex trafficking of a minor, 3 counts
- Sex trafficking by use of force, fraud and coercion, 2 counts
- Production of child pornography, 12 counts
- Receipt of child pornography, 2 counts
- Commission of felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender, 1 count
Sentenced:
-
432 months in prison
-
20 years supervised release
-
Restitution ordered
###
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Members of Camden, New Jersey, Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden, New Jersey, man was sentenced today for his role in a crack cocaine distribution conspiracy, one of three members of a drug trafficking organization sentenced this week, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Tony Wilson, a/k/a “Tony Langston,” a/k/a “Tone,” and a/k/a “H,” 25, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced today to 96 months in prison.
On June 14, 2017, Jason Boyd, a/k/a “Teddy,” a/k/a “Teddy Reek,” and a/k/a “Fatboy,” 37, was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Boyd had previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On June 13, 2017, Derek Stallworth, a/k/a “AK” and a/k/a “A,” 21, of Camden, was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Stallworth had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges for his role in the conspiracy.
All three defendants were sentenced by Judge Simandle in Camden federal court. In addition to their prison terms, they were each sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Wilson, Boyd and Stallworth admitted their respective roles in an organization that sold crack cocaine around the 1100 block of Lansdowne Avenue in Camden. Wilson also admitted that he possessed a .40 caliber handgun in connection with the organization’s drug trafficking activities.
Wilson, Boyd, Stallworth and others were originally charged by complaint on Sept. 9, 2016, following a long-term investigation by the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force. Law enforcement officers seized drugs and recovered two handguns that were kept by members of the conspiracy in connection with the organization’s drug trafficking activities. Investigators also intercepted communications pursuant to court-authorized wiretaps on cellular telephones used by several members of the conspiracy.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief J. Scott Thomson; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes, with the investigation leading to this week’s sentencings.
He also thanked the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, the Cherry Hill Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel:
Wilson: Michael Huff Esq., Mount Ephraim, New Jersey
Boyd: Jose Ongay Esq., Mount Ephraim
Stallworth: Anne C. Singer, Haddonfield, New Jersey
Medical Imaging Provider Sentenced for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A man who owned a medical imaging business was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in federal prison followed by six months home detention for health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today. He was ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution.
Cody Lee West, 39, Paragould, Ark., owner of C & S Imaging, Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. C & S Imaging was a mobile independent diagnostic testing facility that provided ultra sound diagnostic testing to health care providers.
West solicited chiropractors and told them he could provide equipment and an operator at no cost to them. West fraudulently billed Medicare for musculoskeletal exams and Doppler scans that allowed him to receive up to $410 per patient for services that were not ordered by a physician, not medically necessary, not performed or not documented. He also used fraudulent methods to attempt to provide documentation for some of his bills.
Beall commended the Department of Health and Human Services, the Kansas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway for their work on the case.
Man Sentenced for Downloading Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Sterling man who downloaded thousands of child pornography images and videos was sentenced today to five years in prison.
Stephen Thomas Crawford, 30, pleaded guilty on March 29 to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Crawford used a peer-to-peer file sharing network to download thousands of child pornography videos and images, including images and videos depicting pre-pubescent girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel Smith III and Kellen S. Dwyer 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. 1:17-cr-32.
Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty to Stealing Gift Cards from MailRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A former mail carrier in Sheridan County pleaded guilty Friday to stealing mail he was supposed to deliver, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
James N. Stephenson, 25, Hoxie, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred while he was employed at the Post Office in Hoxie, Kan. He stole mail containing cash, gift cards and prepaid debit cards. He said he looked for birthday and anniversary cards that were likely to contain items of value.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 14. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of a year and a day in federal prison. Beall commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Office of Inspector General and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Christopher Rueter, 46, of Lincoln, Nebraska, to 57 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.
On August 8, 2016, while reviewing data for Peer-to-Peer investigations, Investigators of the Lincoln Police Department observed an IP address making known child pornography files available for sharing. Further investigation revealed that an Investigator for the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office had made a previous direct connection with this same IP address and downloaded 549 files, many files depicting child pornography.
Investigation by LPD determined that Time Warner was the Internet Service Provider for the IP address used and the physical location of the user assigned the IP address was defendant’s residence in Lincoln, Nebraska. On August 16, 2016, a search warrant was executed on defendant’s residence. Defendant admitted to using BitTorrent file sharing and downloading child pornography and child erotica. Investigators performed an on-scene preview of defendant’s computer, which revealed multiple child pornography images. Seized from the location were numerous computers, external hard drives, and thumb drive devices. A complete forensic examination was completed on the seized desktop computer. Both child erotica and child pornography files were found along with more than 1500 image files of child pornography, including several image files of prepubescent minors and children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Several of the image files are of minors whose identity has been confirmed by law enforcement.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.