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28 July 2017
Former Government Contractor Sentenced to 60 Months for His Participation in Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A former owner of a government contracting company that serviced the Military Sealift Command (MSC) was sentenced to 60 months in prison, and to pay a $15,000 fine, for his participation in a bribery conspiracy from approximately 1999 to 2014, in which he provided a contracting official at MSC with almost $3 million in bribes. Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.
U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen today sentenced Joseph P. Allen, 56, of Panama City, Florida, following his guilty plea on April 19, to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
According to the statement of facts included in Allen’s guilty plea, Allen conspired with a government contracting official, Scott B. Miserendino, Sr., 58, formerly of Stafford, Virginia, to use Miserendino’s position at MSC to enrich themselves through bribery. Specifically, beginning in about 1999, Miserendino used his position and influence at MSC to facilitate and expand Allen’s company’s commission agreement with a third-party telecommunications company that sold maritime satellite services to MSC. Unknown to MSC or the telecommunications company, throughout the scheme, Allen paid half of the commissions he received from that telecommunications company to Miserendino as bribes.
For his role in the scheme, Miserendino was charged in a five-count indictment on May 4, with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services mail fraud, one count of bribery, and three counts of honest services mail fraud. His trial is currently scheduled for October 31, before U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. The charges and allegations against Miserendino contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Norfolk offices of the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Sean F. Mulryne and Molly Gaston of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Haynie of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Former GSA Official and Husband Sentenced for Nepotism SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former senior official with the General Services Administration and her husband were sentenced today to 18 months and 1 year in prison, respectively, for engaging in a nepotism hiring scheme.
Helen Renee Ballard (aka Renee Ballard), 52, and Robert S. Ballard (aka Steve Ballard), 56, both of Brandywine, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements on March 23. Renee Ballard was the Director of the Central Office Contracting Division of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) from May 2006 to May 2011 and worked for GSA until 2016. From 2010 through July 2014, Renee Ballard and her husband, Steve Ballard, engaged in a scheme to enrich themselves by obtaining employment with federal contractors and the U.S. government through false and misleading statements concerning Steve Ballard’s relation, education, and qualifications. As part of the more than $200,000 scheme, Renee and Steve Ballard fraudulently induced a federal contractor to hire Steve Ballard. The Arlington based contractor then placed Steve Ballard on a federal contract awarded by GSA and supervised by Renee Ballard. Later, Renee Ballard attempted to hire Steve Ballard for a federal civil service position within GSA under her supervision.
In addition, Renee and Steve Ballard caused over 139 false employment applications to be submitted to federal agencies, including the FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. State Department, U.S. Transportation and Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Internal Revenue Service. These applications falsely misrepresented Steve Ballard’s education and qualifications, including that he had earned or taken classes toward a master’s degree and was certified in government contracting at Levels I, II, and III. In order to corroborate these false representations, Renee and Steve Ballard obtained and submitted fake certification documents. Furthermore, the Ballards sent Steve Ballard’s false resume to the Executive Office of the President in an attempt to obtain employment there. Subsequently, Steve Ballard submitted false applications to at least six different private contractors who worked, at times on-site, with the federal agencies, including GSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Co-conspirator Donna C. Hughes, 32, of Lanham, Maryland, who served as a contracting officer at GSA and reported directly to Renee Ballard, pleaded guilty on April 21 in case 1:17-cr-66. Hughes was sentenced today to 1 year of probation for her role in the conspiracy.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General, GSA, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Uzo Asonye and Katherine Wong 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 are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-136.
Former Eielson Airman Sentenced for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
Fairbanks, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Stephen Wyzatecki, 25, formerly an Airman stationed at Eielson Air Force Base, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline to 38 months in prison, to be followed by an eight-year term of supervised release, for possessing child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and arguments made at today’s sentencing, on four occasions between November 2015 and April 2016, law enforcement agents identified the defendant’s computer offering files of child pornography through the internet. Law enforcement agents searched the defendant’s residence on Eielson Air Force Base on Oct. 12, 2016. Located on the defendant’s computer were 895 images and 69 videos of child pornography. Among the files possessed by the defendant were videos of prepubescent girls being sexually assaulted, and pictures of the genitalia of children as young as five years old.
When questioned by law enforcement agents, the defendant admitted to searching for and downloading child pornography. The defendant admitted that his use of the file-sharing network to download images of child pornography had been ongoing for approximately one year, that he viewed images weekly, and that the last time he had viewed child pornography was two days before the search.
In pronouncing his sentence, Judge Beistline commented that the images downloaded by the defendant were “graphic and involved numerous young girls” being filmed while they were being sexually assaulted. Judge Beistline noted that every time an image is viewed, the victim shown in that image is “re-victimized.” With his sentence, Judge Beistline sought to protect the children who are molested in order to feed the online marketplace of child pornography. “In Alaska, and throughout the country,” said Judge Beistline, “we just want to protect our children.”
The case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets/Crimes Against Children/Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children through sex trafficking, as well as to identify and recover victims. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing Project Safe Childhood (PSC) initiative which was launched to increase federal prosecutions of sexual predators of children, and to reduce the number of internet crimes against children including child pornography trafficking. As a part of PSC, the United States Attorney’s Office has teamed with state and local agencies and organizations to increase law enforcement presence on the Internet, and to educate the public about safe internet use,
thereby reducing the risk that children might fall prey to online sexual predators. For additional information on the PSC initiative, please go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.
Former Deputy Sentenced to 240 Months in Federal Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Kevin Wayne Taylor (40), a resident of Phenix City, Alabama and former Lee County Deputy Sheriff, was sentenced on Thursday, July 27, 2017 to 240 months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced A. Clark Morris, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) arrested Taylor on these charges in August 2016 following an investigation that began when a 10-year-old victim reported that he had inappropriately touched her and taken pictures of her genital area with a cell phone. After receiving the report, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office immediately forwarded it to the SBI who executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence and seized several computer devices. Some of the devices contained images and videos of child sexual abuse. Evidence indicates that Taylor had been collecting these images for approximately eleven years. When learning of the evidence in this case, Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones promptly terminated Taylor’s employment.
The cell phone used to take pictures of the child victim was not located during the search. Taylor told law enforcement that he had lost the phone and it was damaged. Prior to the investigation, Taylor had applied for a position as a School Resource Officer.
Following his 20-year prison sentence, Taylor will be subject to supervised release for the remainder of his life. Taylor remains in the custody of the United States Marshals pending placement by the Bureau of Prisons.
“Kevin Taylor was a child predator disguised as a law enforcement officer who was charged with protecting our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris. “Taylor not only failed to protect our community, but infected our community by preying on children. I thank the agents and prosecutors in this case for their hard work in obtaining such a strong sentence. This prosecution should send a message to others that the protection of our children will always be a priority, and those that victimize our children will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
“No matter who you are, ALEA will pursue criminals that target children,” stated Alabama’s Secretary of Law Enforcement Hal Taylor. “While the vast majority of our law enforcement serve with honor and integrity, those officers that break the law will be treated like every other criminal we investigate.”
Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones stated, “My office will continue its work to identify threats to the community and we will not tolerate anything but professional conduct from those who serve in our ranks. When matters such as this are brought to our attention, we will take swift action and assist agencies in any way possible to ensure these types of crimes are dealt with properly.”
This case was investigated by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Hollie Worley Reed and Curtis Ivy, Jr., prosecuted the case.
Former Chief Accounting Officer Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The former Chief Accounting Officer for a Memphis business conglomerate was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
Jim Tyson "Ty" Jenkins, 46, pleaded guilty in April to mail fraud. According to information presented in court at the time of his guilty plea, Jenkins, the former Chief Accounting Officer for Blake Enterprises, defrauded Blake and an affiliate company, Reliable Finance, of approximately $1.1 million between 2011 and March 2017. Jenkins carried out the fraud by authorizing loans against the cash values of life insurance policies issued by Voya Financial and owned by the Reliable Finance retirement plan.
In addition to his duties as CAO, Jenkins was administrator for Reliable’s retirement plan. Jenkins contacted Voya and requested loans against the policies. Voya mailed loan proceeds checks to Reliable. Jenkins deposited the checks to Reliable bank accounts at First Tennessee Bank and InSouth Bank. Jenkins, who was authorized to transact business on the accounts, thereafter stole the funds by writing checks payable to himself, depositing them to his personal account at Regions Bank, and using the funds for his personal benefit.
On July 28, 2017, the Honorable John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Jenkins to 33 months in federal prison. As part of his sentence, Jenkins was also ordered to pay $999,020.82 in restitution and serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Carroll L. Andre III prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
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Florida Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Using Stolen IDs to File Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Broward County, Florida tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to conspiring to file and filing fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida.
According to documents filed with the court, Frantz Petit-Dos, 41, owned two tax preparation businesses in Lauderhill, Florida: Imperial Taxation and Multi-Services Corp. and Aleluya Universal Accounting Services Inc., with Luczor Fertilien, 39, and David Joseph, 37. From approximately 2010 through 2016, Petit-Dos, Fertilien and Joseph filed fraudulent returns for their clients seeking refunds to which the clients were not entitled, by reporting fictitious business income, fraudulent education and fuel tax credits and claiming deceased individuals as dependents. They also filed returns in the names of individuals whose identities had been stolen. Petit-Dos did not report the illegal proceeds he received from this scheme on his personal tax returns and admitted to causing a tax loss of more than $550,000. On July 14, Fertilien and Joseph pleaded guilty to their involvement in this scheme.
Petit-Dos is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 before U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy count and a maximum sentence of three years in prison on the false return count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Fertilien and Joseph are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Greenberg thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Karadbil and Assistant Chief Greg Tortella of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Florida Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Using Stolen IDS to File Fradulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Broward County, Florida tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to conspiring to file and filing fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to documents filed with the court, Frantz Petit-Dos, 41, owned two tax preparation businesses in Lauderhill, Florida: Imperial Taxation and Multi-Services Corp. and Aleluya Universal Accounting Services Inc., with Luczor Fertilien, 39, and David Joseph, 37. From approximately 2010 through 2016, Petit-Dos, Fertilien and Joseph filed fraudulent returns for their clients seeking refunds to which the clients were not entitled, by reporting fictitious business income, fraudulent education and fuel tax credits and claiming deceased individuals as dependents. They also filed returns in the names of individuals whose identities had been stolen. Petit-Dos did not report the illegal proceeds he received from this scheme on his personal tax returns and admitted to causing a tax loss of more than $550,000. On July 14, Fertilien and Joseph pleaded guilty to their involvement in this scheme.
Petit-Dos is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 before U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy count and a maximum sentence of three years in prison on the false return count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Fertilien and Joseph are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22.
Acting U.S. Attorney Greenberg and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Karadbil and Assistant Chief Greg Tortella of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Fifth Defendant Sentenced for Violent Crime Spree Last SummerRead the Press Release
Charlottesville, VIRGINIA – A fifth individual involved in a series of armed robberies last summer in Albemarle and Greene counties was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Demetrius Steppe, 20, of Ruckersville, Va., was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison. Steppe previously pled guilty to two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Steppe was sentenced for his involvement in three armed robberies. The first of these robberies occurred on June 8, 2016 when Steppe, Terence Tyree and Kentavia Jones robbed the Papa John’s Pizza establishment in Greene County. The second robbery occurred on June 12, 2016 when Steppe and Isaiah Wilson robbed the 7-11 convenience store in Albemarle County. In this robbery, used an assault rifle to intimidate and threaten the store clerk. The third robbery occurred on June 17, 2016 when and Tyree returned to the Papa John’s Pizza establishment in Greene County for a second time. During each of these robberies, the defendants – while dressed in all black and wearing masks and gloves – brandished firearms at the clerks and demanded money and cell phones.
In total, these four defendants, as well as Jaquarius Johnson and Chelsea Scott, were responsible for five armed robberies of commercial establishments throughout June and July 2016. The targets were comprised of convenience stores and pizza restaurants in Albemarle and Greene Counties. addition, defendants Terence Tyree, Jaquarius Johnson and Kentavia Jones were responsible for a violent home invasion in Albemarle County occurring on July 18, 2016. separate hearings earlier this week, Terence Tyree, Kentavia Jones, Jaquarius Johnson and Isaiah Wilson were sentenced to federal prison time for their respective roles in the above robberies and the home invasion. For their respective conduct, Tyree, was sentenced to 360 months, Jones was sentenced to 225 months, Johnson was sentenced to 126 months and Wilson was sentenced to 68 months.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Albemarle County Police Department and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Albemarle County and Greene County Commonwealth Attorneys Offices. Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald M. Huber and Christopher Kavanaugh prosecuted the case for the United States.
Federal, State and Local Effort Yields 19 Indictments for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Federal Drug Charges with Three Additional Cases PendingRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced today 19 indictments charging 22 defendants with illegal possession of firearms and use of firearms during violent crimes.
"At the ‘Fed Up’ press conference, held earlier this week, local, state and federal agencies pledged to exhaust every available resource to bring criminals to justice. These indictments represent our stated commitment to aggressively pursue people who illegally possess firearms. Our community is ‘Fed Up’ with mindless violence and we will work tirelessly to ensure safer communities for all of our citizens," said Lawrence Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney, Western District of Tennessee.
These cases were collective investigative efforts of the Safe Streets Task Force, which includes the Memphis Police Department; Shelby County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Task Force includes the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office; Memphis Police Department; the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. These organizations all work jointly to address gun-related crimes through aggressive investigation and prosecution. The PSN Task Force meets weekly to examine every gun crime committed in Shelby County as well as gun crimes from other counties submitted by the ATF.
The charges and allegations in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Gun Prosecutions up 23 Percent After Sessions MemoRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that, following the memorandum from Attorney General Sessions to prioritize firearm prosecutions, the number of defendants charged with unlawful possession of a firearm increased nearly 23 percent in the second quarter of 2017 (2,637) from the same time period in 2016 (2,149).
“Violent crime is on the rise in many parts of this country, with 27 of our biggest 35 cities in the country coping with rising homicide rates,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Law abiding people in some of these communities are living in fear, as they see families torn apart and young lives cut short by gangs and drug traffickers. Following President Trump’s Executive Order to focus on reducing crime, I directed federal prosecutors to prioritize taking illegal guns off of our streets, and as a result, we are now prosecuting hundreds more firearms defendants. In the first three months since the memo went into effect, charges of unlawful possession of a gun – mostly by previously convicted felons – are up by 23 percent. That sends a clear message to criminals all over this country that if you carry a gun illegally, you will be held accountable. I am grateful to the many federal prosecutors and agents who are working hard every day to make America safe again.”
In February, immediately after the swearing-in of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, President Trump signed an Executive Order that directs the Attorney General to seek to reduce crime and to set up the Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety. The Task Force has provided Sessions with recommendations on a rolling basis. In March, based on these recommendations, Attorney General Sessions sent a memorandum to Department of Justice prosecutors, ordering them to prioritize firearms offenses.
In the three months immediately following the Attorney General’s memo – April, May and June – the number of defendants charged with unlawful possession of a firearm (18 U.S.C. 922) increased by nearly 23 percent compared to those charged over the same time period in 2016. The number of defendants charged with the crime of using a firearm in a crime of violence or drug trafficking (18 U.S.C. 924), increased by 10 percent.
Based on data from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA), in Fiscal Year 2016 (starting October 1), 11,656 defendants were charged with firearms offenses under 18 U.S.C. 922 or 924. EOUSA projects that in Fiscal Year 2017, the Department is on pace to charge 12,626 defendants with these firearms crimes. That would be the most federal firearms cases since 2005. It would also be an increase of eight percent from Fiscal Year 2016, 20 percent from 2015, and an increase of 23 percent from 2014.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Multiple Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted three men on gun charges connected to an April burglary at a Tarrant pawnshop, announced acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Gerido.
A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges GABRIEL NATHANIEL POWELL, 18, of Center Point, with stealing 17 guns from Scott’s Jewelry and Pawn, a licensed firearms dealer, on April 5, and with selling or trading the 17 stolen guns. The indictment lists the firearms as three Century Arms model NPAPM70 rifles, one Leader Arms model AR 12 shotgun, one Sig Sauer model 716 rifle, six .40-caliber Glock pistols, one .45-caliber Glock pistol, three 9mm Glock pistols and two 10mm Glock pistols.
In separate indictments, the grand jury charged RYAN ARTHUR JOHNSON, 23, and REGINALD LAMAR BONNER, 37, both of Birmingham, with possessing stolen firearms on April 5. Johnson’s indictment charges him with possessing a stolen 10mm Glock model 20 Gen4 pistol. Bonner’s indictment charges him with possessing two stolen Glock handguns, one a 9mm pistol and one a 10mm pistol.
Bonner’s indictment also charges him as a convicted felon in possession of firearms for the two Glock pistols. According to the indictment, Bonner has the following prior convictions: possession of a controlled substance, Jefferson County District Court, 2008; possession of a controlled substance by fraud, Jefferson County Circuit Court, 2009; third-degree burglary and possession of burglar’s tools, Jefferson County Circuit Court, 2011.
The grand jury indicted five other men, in separate indictments, as convicted felons in possession of firearms. Those charges are as follows:
CHASTAN DACE MORROW, 34, of Arab, for possessing a Hi-Point .380 handgun on Oct. 16, 2015, in Marshall County, after being convicted in Humphreys County, Tenn., in 2006, for initiating the manufacture of methamphetamine, and for second-degree assault in Cullman County in 2007.
ANTOINE DORMAN, 29, of Oxford, for possessing a Hunter Arms 20-gauge double-barrel shotgun on Aug. 16, 2016, in Calhoun County, after being convicted of third-degree burglary and third-degree robbery in Calhoun County Circuit Court in 2008, and of third- and second-degree burglary and first-degree receiving stolen property in 2009, also in Calhoun County Circuit Court.
DONTERIO NAVELL KEITH, 27, of Talladega, for possessing a Davis Industries .380-caliber pistol on Jan. 1, 2017, in Talladega County, after being convicted in Talladega County Circuit Court of second-degree receiving stolen property in 2011 and of third-degree burglary in 2012, and being convicted in Clay County Circuit Court of third-degree and first-degree theft of property in 2014.
LOGAN MILAM, 22, of Childersburg, for possessing a Rohm .22-caliber revolver after being convicted of third-degree burglary and second-degree unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance in Talladega County Circuit Court in 2016.
MICHAEL JUSTIN PARKER, 30, of Lincoln, for possessing a Taurus 9mm pistol after being convicted in Talladega County Circuit Court of second-degree unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance in both 2012 and 2009.
The maximum penalty for stealing weapons from a licensed firearms dealer is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for possessing a stolen firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
ATF investigated the cases, which the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Fairfield Man for Avondale CarjackingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Fairfield man for an armed car-jacking in Birmingham’s Avondale community in March, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David W. Archey.
A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges MANUEL ALI TOWNS, 28, with taking a Nissan Altima from an individual on March 14 by force, violence and intimidation, and with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm. The indictment identifies the victim of the carjacking by the initials, B.M.D.
The indictment’s second count charges Towns with discharging a firearm during the carjacking.
The maximum penalty for carjacking is 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalty for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence is a minimum of 10 years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed for the crime. The charge carries a maximum $250,000 fine.
The FBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Simpson is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts 10 Men for Illegally Returning to U.S. After DeportationRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted 10 men for being in the United States illegally after previous deportation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Ray Parmer.
Of the 10 indicted for illegal re-entry after deportation or removal, six had been removed from the country following a felony conviction.
Those six are ARMANDO ISRAEL ESCOBAR-JACKES, 39, MARGARITO MARTINEZ-MARTINEZ, 29, NESTOR DANIEL MORALES-GUTIERREZ, 39, SILVINO SANTOS-GARCIA, 39, and JESUS VELASQUEZ-GARCIA, 32, all Mexican nationals, and JULIO GASPAR-RODRIGUEZ, 38, a Guatemalan national.
According to the separate indictments filed in U.S. District Court, the men were removed from the United States as follows:
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Escobar-Jackes in 2007, 2008, 2009, twice in 2011 and, subsequent to a felony conviction, in 2012. He most recently was found in Jefferson County on May 25.
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Martinez-Martinez in 2014 following an aggravated felony conviction. Found in Tuscaloosa County on June 11.
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Morales-Gutierrez in 2009 following a felony conviction. Found in Jackson County on June 19.
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Santos-Garcia in 2015 following a felony conviction. Found in Madison County on July 12.
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Velasquez-Garcia, twice in 2012, one following a felony conviction. Found in Shelby County on July 5.
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Gaspar-Rodriguez in 2001 and, following an aggravated felony conviction, in 2010 and 2011. Found in Jackson County on June 22.
The four other defendants indicted for re-entry after previous removal are WILMER ESEQUIAS DIAZ-DELEON, 34, LEONARDO LUNA, 31, TIMOTEO MONTEJO-SANCHEZ, 40, and CLEIDER ALEX ROJAS-ROULRO, 32, all Mexican nationals.
According to their separate indictments, each previously was removed from the country as follows:
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Diaz-Deleon in 2013. He most recently was found in Morgan County on June 30.
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Luna in 2016 and three times in 2012. Found in Blount County on June 25.
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Montejo-Sanchez four times in 2011. Found in Jefferson County on July 14.
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Rojas-Roulro in 2016. Found in Marshall County on June 10.
ICE investigated the cases, which the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Federal Court Shuts Down Long Island Tax Return PreparersRead the Press Release
A federal court in New York permanently enjoined Elias Linares, Margea Zaldivar, and their businesses Taxes La Universal Corp., Universal Taxes & Staffing Corp. and Taxes La Universal II Corp., from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. Linares and Zaldivar agreed to a civil injunction order entered against them, which requires them and their businesses to cease tax return preparation and notify current and former clients of the injunction.
According to the government’s complaint, Linares and Zaldivar, through their businesses located in Freeport and Roosevelt, New York, routinely prepared federal tax returns for customers that contained false or erroneous claims for education tax credits, fuel tax credits and the Earned Income Tax Credit. For example, the complaint alleges that Linares and Zaldivar falsely claimed education tax credits, including listing the Department of Education as an educational institution at which their customers incurred fictitious educational expenses. During the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) investigation of Linares, Zaldivar, and their businesses, the IRS sent questionnaires to their customers whose returns contained suspicious items, according to the complaint. One of these customers dropped off the IRS’s questionnaire at Taxes La Universal and picked it up when it was completed, according to the complaint. This questionnaire stated that the customer attended a local community college, and during an interview with the IRS, this customer stated that this information was not true, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that these types of return preparer misconduct allowed Linares and Zaldivar to understate their customers’ tax liabilities and claim undeserved refunds. As alleged in the complaint, IRS examinations of 51 returns prepared by Linares, Zaldivar, or their businesses show that all 51 contained false or erroneous claims resulting in a collective tax deficiency of over $479,000.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS's Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2017. The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a tax preparer. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Edmond Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $454,000 from Metro Employer and Signing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – KAY ANN LOCKE, of Edmond, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and signing a false federal income tax return, in connection with a $454,000 embezzlement from Delta Promotions Team Corporation, a metro company, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On July 14, 2017, Locke was charged by information with one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false federal income tax return. From 2005 until April 2016, Locke worked as a bookkeeper at Delta Promotions Team Corporation in Oklahoma City. As part of her job, Locke could access bank accounts of her employer and use a Delta Promotions credit card for authorized purchases. Today, Locke pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud by using her employer’s credit card for an unauthorized purchase in December 2015 for her personal benefit. As part of her plea, Locke further admitted that she embezzled funds from her former employer from around 2010 through April 2016, and stipulated that the total loss to Delta Promotions from her embezzlement scheme was $454,824.69.
In addition to pleading guilty to wire fraud, Locke pleaded guilty to signing a false tax return. She admitted that on March 15, 2016, she signed a personal federal tax return for the 2015 calendar year that she knew was false because it reported only $29,337 in total income. At today’s plea hearing, Locke admitted that she omitted on the 2015 return more than $120,000 of embezzled income for that year from Delta Promotions. As part of her plea, Locke further admitted that she owes $97,843 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for taxes owed from 2010 through 2015.
At sentencing, Locke faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count, plus three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Locke also faces up to three years in prison on the tax count, in addition to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Locke will be sentenced in approximately 90 days. Reference is made to the information and other public filings for further information.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations and United States Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris M. Stephens.
Dunkirk Man Sentenced on Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Javier Pagan, Jr., 32, of Dunkirk, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that between 2013 and June 10, 2015, law enforcement officers have been investigating a drug trafficking organization led by defendants David Jesus Pagan and Rafael Burgos, Jr. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the defendants distributed multiple kilograms of cocaine throughout the Dunkirk area.
Javier Pagan was arrested in June of 2013 along with David Jesus Pagan, Burgos, Samuel Hernandez as well as Alvin Torres, Jr. and Angel Pierluissi. Search warrants were executed at the time of the arrests at six properties which resulted in the recovery of more than seven kilograms of cocaine and approximately $175,000 in cash as well as an AR-15 assault rifle with a 30 round magazine.
All defendants have been convicted in this case.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Office, the Dunkirk Police Department, under the direction of Chief David C. Ortolano, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Joseph A. Gerace, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy S. Whitcomb, and the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Patrick Swanson.
Dover Men Federally Indicted for Stealing Twenty Firearms from Dover Pawn ShopRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a federal grand jury charged Dennell Harrison, 43, and Taron Walker, 32, both of Dover, Delaware, with stealing and conspiring to steal firearms from Capital Pawn, a federally licensed firearms dealer, and with being felons illegally in possession of firearms. The maximum penalties for these charges are ten years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.
According to the Indictment, Harrison and Walker broke through an exterior wall of Capital Pawn on the evening of November 21, 2016, and stole 20 firearms, including handguns, a shotgun, and semi-automatic rifles.
Acting U.S. Attorney Weiss offered the following statement, “Removing illegal guns from the street continues to be a top priority for the United States Department of Justice in our battle against violent crime. Those who look to traffic in firearms will face severe consequences.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Dover Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are investigating and Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham L. Robinson of the District of Delaware is prosecuting the case. Should anyone have information about any of the missing guns, please contact 1-888-ATF-TIPS.
Dominican National Sentenced for Heroin and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a heroin and fentanyl trafficking organization operating primarily in Southeastern Massachusetts.
Eric Matos, 37, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 121 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Matos, who has previously been deported, will be deported again upon completion of his sentence. On March 8, 2017, Matos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
In October 2015, Matos was arrested and charged along with 24 others in connection with a heroin trafficking ring operating in southeastern Massachusetts; an April 2016 superseding indictment brought the number of defendants charged in the case to 26. These charges are the result of a 15-month investigation into heroin and fentanyl trafficking in Taunton and surrounding communities.
Matos supplied at least 200 grams of heroin and at least 296 grams of fentanyl to the drug operation led by co-defendant Dedwin Cruz-Rivera and his brothers Francis Gonsalez-Romero and Manuel Romero-Gonsalez. Matos supplied other heroin and fentanyl dealers as well.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Kanwit of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Couple Sent to Prison for Scheme to Steal HUD Funds Intended for the Cotton Plant Housing AuthorityRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Patrick C. Harris, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Tracey D. Montaño, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division, and Phyllis G. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)—Office of Inspector General, announced today that Chief United States District Judge Brian S. Miller sentenced Rhonda Williams, 50, and her husband, Gary Williams, 59, both of Des Arc, Arkansas, to prison for their role in a scheme to steal money intended for use by the Cotton Plant Housing Authority.
On September 2, 2016, Rhonda Williams and Gary Williams appeared before Judge Miller and pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and money laundering. Today, Judge Miller sentenced Rhonda Williams to 37 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In the same hearing, Judge Miller sentenced Gary Williams to 24 months of federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Williams were jointly ordered to pay restitution of $732,177.80 and to forfeit $145,000 in cash seized from their home, the money in four bank accounts, a boat, and an SUV.
“These defendants took public money that was meant to provide affordable housing to a low income population, and instead used it for their own personal gain,” Harris said. “This case is an example of how our office will continue working tirelessly to protect the public and eliminate this unacceptable fraud, waste, and abuse.”
The Cotton Plant Housing Authority received its annual operating funds from HUD in the form of an annual distribution. Rhonda Williams served as the Executive Director of the Housing Authority and Gary Williams was the Housing Authority’s Maintenance Supervisor.
From January 31, 2001 to December 31, 2014, the Williams conspired and executed a scheme where they used false and fraudulent pretenses to receive funds that were intended for use by the Housing Authority. As part of the conspiracy, the Williams lied about the reasons for the payment of Housing Authority money, and solicited and accepted bribes and kickback payments from Housing Authority contractors. In addition, the Williams caused the Housing Authority to pay for their personal expenses on their Housing Authority credit cards, and took Housing Authority equipment and materials and used them in the construction of their personal residence.
“IRS-Criminal Investigation remains committed to its pursuit of individuals who engage in corruption at the expense of hardworking Americans,” Montaño said. “As employees of the Cotton Plant Housing Authority, Rhonda and Gary Williams’ actions violated public trust by using their position to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers. Today’s sentence demonstrates the government’s determination to ensure that trust is not broken.”
This investigation was conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, the HUD - Office of Inspector General, and the Benton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Cameron McCree and Edward Walker prosecuted the case for the United States.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sharing Images of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man who shared dozens of images of child pornography was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison.
From August 2012 to September 2014, DONALD BOWEN used an electronic file-sharing network to trade the pornographic images with others via the Internet. In September 2014, Bowen granted access to his password-protected folder to an individual with whom he was chatting online. Unbeknownst to Bowen, the individual was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. The officer downloaded 39 images of child pornography from Bowen’s folder. The images viewed by the officer included young children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
A subsequent forensics search of Bowen’s computer revealed more than 4,000 videos and 6,000 images of child pornography.
Bowen, 54, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to one count of transportation of child pornography. Bowen’s prior conviction for a misdemeanor offense related to child abuse triggered the mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imposed by U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle.
The sentence was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and James M. Gibbons, special agent-in-charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago.
“Defendant used his computer to share images of child pornography with others and, in doing so, continued the cycle of exploitation,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Pozolo argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The public needs to be protected from individuals like the defendant.”
In addition to trading the pornographic images, Bowen admitted in a plea agreement that he possessed images of child pornography on various electronic devices, including a cellular phone and 15 optical discs. Bowen also admitted possessing a three-ring binder with a white cover that contained hundreds of printed photographs depicting child pornography.
Chairman of a Macau Real Estate Development Company Convicted on All Counts for Role in Scheme to Bribe United Nations Ambassadors to Build a Multi-Billion Dollar Conference CenterRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a federal jury convicted the chairman of a real estate development company for his role in a scheme to bribe United Nations ambassadors to obtain support to build a conference center in Macau that would host, among other events, the annual United Nations Global South-South Development Expo.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim of the Southern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office and Chief Don Fort of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
After a four week trial, Ng Lap Seng, a/k/a “David Ng,” 69, of Macau, China, was convicted of two counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, one count of paying bribes and gratuities, one count of money laundering and two counts of conspiracy. No sentencing date has been set.
“The defendant’s corrupt activities were all the more egregious and shameful as he tried to hide his bribes as philanthropy,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “Corruption is a disease that has a corrosive effect on the rule of law everywhere and harms good people throughout the world. The Department is steadfast in its mission to aggressively investigate and prosecute bribery in all its forms, and vigorously protect the rule of law.”
“In his unbridled pursuit of even greater personal fortune, billionaire Ng Lap Seng corrupted the highest levels of the United Nations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kim. “Through bribes and no show jobs, Ng turned leaders of the league of nations into his private band of profiteers. Ng’s journey from a Macau real estate mogul to convicted felon should serve as a cautionary tale to all tempted to follow his path. If you bring corruption to New York – whether to the State Capitol in Albany or to the halls of the U.N. General Assembly – your journey may very well end in a Manhattan federal courtroom, with a unanimous jury announcing your guilt.”
“Ng’s bribery scheme began at the intersection where business and intergovernmental matters overlap,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney, Jr. He may have thought this was a good place to start, but it’s doubtful this was the ending he had in mind. This case is nothing more than an example of corruption in its purest form, and we’ve proven once again that no individual or organization is powerful enough to be immune from prosecution.”
“Today’s conviction is a result of untangling a global labyrinth of complex financial transactions used by Ng to facilitate bribes to foreign officials,” said Chief Fort. “IRS-CI has become a trusted leader in pursuit of those who use corruption as their business model to circumvent the law. CI is committed to maintaining fair competition, free of corrupt practices, through a dynamic synthesis of global teamwork and our robust financial investigative talents.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Ng, the chairman of the Sun Kian Ip Group, conspired with and paid bribes to Francis Lorenzo, a former UN Ambassador from the Dominican Republic, and John W. Ashe, the late former Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN and the 68th President of the UN General Assembly (“UNGA”). With the assistance of Jeff C. Yin, an accountant and co-conspirator who worked with Ng and others and previously pleaded guilty, Ng orchestrated a scheme with the principal objective of obtaining the formal support of the UN for a multi-billion dollar facility that Ng hoped to build in Macau using the Sun Kian Ip Group (the “Macau Conference Center”). Ng wanted the Macau Conference Center to serve as a location for meetings, discussions, forums, and other events associated with the UN. In particular, he wanted it to serve as the permanent home of the annual “Global South-South Development Expo,” which is run by the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, and is hosted in a different country or city every year.
The trial evidence further showed that Ng bribed Ambassador Ashe and Ambassador Lorenzo (together, the “Ambassadors”) in exchange for their agreement to use their official positions to advance Ng’s interest in obtaining formal UN support for the Macau Conference Center. As the evidence demonstrated at trial, Ng paid the Ambassadors in a variety of forms. For example, Ng appointed Ambassador Lorenzo as the President of South-South News, a New York-based organization — funded by Ng — which described itself as a media platform dedicated to advancing the implementation of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, a set of philanthropic goals. Ng provided bribe payments to Ambassador Lorenzo through South-South News by transmitting payments from Macau to a company in the Dominican Republic affiliated with Ambassador Lorenzo’s brother (the “Dominican Company”). Through South-South News, Ng also made payments to Ambassador Ashe, including to Ambassador Ashe’s wife, who was paid in her capacity as a “consultant” to South-South News, and to an account that Ambassador Ashe had established, purportedly to raise money for his role as President of UNGA. Ng also provided bribes through cash and wire payments to the Ambassadors.
According to the trial evidence, one of the actions that the Ambassadors took in exchange for bribe payments, to advance Ng’s objectives, was to submit an official document to the then-UN Secretary-General in support of the Macau Conference Center (the “UN Document”). The UN Document claimed that there was a need to build the Macau Conference Center to support the UN’s global development goals. Ambassador Ashe, aided by Ambassador Lorenzo, initially submitted the UN Document to the UNGA in or about late February 2012. More than a year later, at Ng’s behest, the Ambassadors revised the UN Document to refer specifically to Ng’s company, the Sun Kian Ip Group, as a partner in the Macau Conference Center project. The UN Document requested that the Secretary-General circulate the UN Document “as a document of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly,” under a specific item of the official UNGA agenda. The Secretary-General followed this request, thereby making the UN Document an official part of the UNGA record.
Five other defendants have been charged in this matter. Co-conspirators Lorenzo, Yin and Heidi Hong Piao have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Shiwei Yan has pleaded and was sentenced to 20 months in prison. Co-defendant Ashe passed away in 2016 and the charges against him were dismissed.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI. Trial Attorney David A. Last of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Richenthal, Janis M. Echenberg and Douglas S. Zolkind of the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Car Lot Owner Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Area BanksRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The United States charged a Memphis man for committing bank fraud against various banks in the Memphis and West Tennessee area. Lawrence J. Laurenzi, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the plea today.
According to the charging instrument, from December 2011 through February 2014, Baron Marshall owned Southwind Auto Sales ("Southwind"). Marshall and unknown co-conspirators, not charged, participated in a deceptive scheme to defraud Shelby County Federal Credit Union, Regions Bank and Bank of Fayette County ("Banks") by applying for loans for associates to purchase luxury vehicles from Southwind.
Marshall would receive the funds from the Banks and then refused to produce vehicle titles to the Banks, and in some instances, released bank liens. As a result of the scheme, the banks collectively suffered a loss of over $244,000.
Marshall pled guilty to one count of bank fraud during the referenced time period. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The sentencing hearing will be held on October 6, 2017.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon Keith Griffin is prosecuting the case on the government’s behalf.
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Canadian Defendant Returned from Poland to Face Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Acting Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Panagiota Loukisas, 56, of North York, Ontario, Canada, was successfully returned from Poland and arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. In July 2015, the defendant was named in a five count indictment charging bank fraud. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, the defendant opened bank accounts at five banks in Niagara Falls, N.Y. in November 2014. Loukisas deposited checks drawn on a Canadian bank account held by her company, PM Global Consulting Services, into these five accounts. The defendant then withdrew significant sums of money from the Niagara Falls bank accounts before the checks were returned to the banks for insufficient funds. Loukisas is accused of fraudulently depositing non-sufficient fund checks valued at more than $83,000 and withdrawing more than $52,000 from the accounts before the scheme was discovered.
The defendant was arraigned and is being held pending a detention hearing on August 7, 2017.
The charges are the culmination of an investigation by Special Agents of the Immigration & 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.
California man sentenced to seven years in federal prison for role in methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A California man was sentenced yesterday to seven years in federal prison for a methamphetamine crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Edgar Zendejas Bedoy, 35, of El Centro, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.
Bedoy admitted that beginning in December 2011 and continuing into 2012, he conspired with Gary Liberty to send packages of methamphetamine and marijuana from California to an individual in Sissonville for distribution. The individual was actually a confidential informant cooperating with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Through discussions with the informant, Gary Liberty agreed to arrange methamphetamine and marijuana deals for Bedoy with the informant. Liberty negotiated the price of the drugs for Bedoy with the informant, and the two then agreed to ship the packages containing methamphetamine and marijuana from California to the informant in West Virginia. Bedoy admitted to shipping 472 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 12 kilograms of marijuana to West Virginia for distribution. Liberty was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is responsible for the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
This prosecution is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of 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.
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Buffalo Man Sentenced on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Shawn Lebrecht, 35, of Olean, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who is handling the case, stated that in early August 2016, an undercover law enforcement officer began communicating online with the defendant. Lebrecht sent the officer several images of child pornography. On August 25, 2016, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s East Green Street residence. During the search, officers recovered a laptop computer. A forensic analysis determined the laptop contained over 300 images of child pornography. Some of the images depicted pre-pubescent children and violence.
Today’s plea is the culmination of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero
Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2017, at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
Buffalo Man Sentenced on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that David Young, 50, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that on February 2, 2015, Cheektowaga Police officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle the defendant was driving. Young advised the officer that the vehicle was a rental vehicle while producing the rental agreement. However, the defendant was not listed as an authorized driver of the vehicle. As a result, he was asked to exit the vehicle. While doing so, the officer noticed a syringe in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
Young was arrested and the vehicle was searched. During this search, the officer recovered approximately 325 gross grams of methamphetamine in the trunk as well as a FedEx shipping label address for 79 North Ogden, Young’s residence.
Today’s sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Cross-Country Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Rashawn Dewer, 37, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wei Xiang, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant organized a conspiracy that transported kilograms of cocaine from Texas to Buffalo and cash proceeds from Buffalo to Texas. Law enforcement agencies in multiple jurisdictions, including the State of Louisiana, made multiple seizures such as:
• On August 16, 2014, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle in the vicinity of Covington, Louisiana, that was traveling from Buffalo to Texas. Inside a hidden compartment in the vehicle was approximately $330,020. This money originated from the defendant, was being transported at the defendant’s direction, and was payment for cocaine.
• On January 20, 2016, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle in the area of Lake Charles, Louisiana that was traveling to Texas. Inside a hidden compartment in the vehicle was over $275,000. This money originated from the defendant and was being transported at the defendant’s direction.
• On February 22, 2016, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle driven by a co-conspirator in the area of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Seized from inside the vehicle was approximately $798,021. At the time, the co-conspirator resided in Sugarland, Texas. After arrest, the co-conspirator asked an associate to call a telephone number that was subscribed to a second co-conspirator, who resided in Buffalo, to say, “I’m not going to make it.” On the money wrappings, one latent fingerprint was developed and found to match known prints from the defendant.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2017, at 9:30am before Judge Wolford.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Hayward Tarver, 38, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, before U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charges carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that on September 27, 2013, Buffalo Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence at 66 Connelly Avenue in Buffalo. During the search, officers recovered approximately 166 grams of crack cocaine, $6,000 in U.S. currency, a digital scale, and packaging materials used to distribute the cocaine.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 15, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.
Brazilian National Charged with Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Brazilian national was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with a federal immigration crime.
Josilei DeCastro, a/k/a Marcos Santos, a/k/a Marcos Augusto Dos Santos, 37, was charged with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers discovered DeCastro in Billerica on Dec. 9, 2016, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. DeCastro was previously deported on July 17, 2000.
DeCastro faces a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Baton Rouge Resident Convicted of Stealing Federal Dollars in Fraudulent Social Security Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – Acting United States Attorney Corey R. Amundson announced that LUCILLE WILLIAMS, age 54, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick to stealing funds of a Federal agency, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. During the guilty plea hearing yesterday, WILLIAMS admitted that as the authorized payee for Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits to her mother, she continued to collect SSA benefits after her mother’s death. As part of her scheme to steal SSA benefits, WILLIAMS submitted reports to the SSA falsely stating that her mother was still alive and that she used the benefit payments for the care and support of her deceased mother. WILLIAMS admitted that, as a result of her fraudulent scheme, she illegally collected almost $80,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Amundson stated: “Federal benefit fraud continues to be employed by criminals in the United States. When fraudsters steal funds intended for legitimate purposes, their criminal conduct victimizes not only our federal agencies but also all taxpayers. My office works in conjunction with the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General to aggressively identify and prosecute defendants like this who mistakenly believe that their fraudulent conduct will continue indefinitely and undetected.”
Special Agent-in-Charge Robert G. Feldt stated: “The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, will tirelessly investigate and bring to justice those who commit fraud against Social Security Programs.”
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Dallas Field Division of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese
Bank Officer Becomes Fourth Defendant Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Defendant helped three previously-sentenced codefendants fraudulently obtain over $2.1 million from his bank
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A former Vice President of PBI Bank in Lexington was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to helping three other people defraud the bank.
U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves sentenced Joseph Tobin, age 45, for six counts of aiding and abetting bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. Judge Reeves had previously sentenced Daniel Sexton to 109 months, Jonathan Williams to 60 months, and Sheila Flynn to 24 months of imprisonment for their roles in the fraud. Sexton, Williams, and Flynn are currently serving their sentences in federal prisons after pleading guilty.
According to their guilty pleas, Sexton and Williams owned and operated several mobile home businesses in Georgetown, Kentucky. Flynn worked at those businesses as an office manager. Tobin was a Vice President at PBI Bank in Lexington, which was receiving funds through the Troubled Assets Relief Program at the time of the offense.
Sexton, Williams, and Flynn conspired together to obtain various bank loans using false corporate accounting records, false tax records, and false appraisals for assets such as a private plane. They also failed to disclose debts they owed to others in their loan applications. Tobin knew that the loan applications were fraudulent but approved them anyway.
Sexton and Williams also recruited other people to take out loans from PBI Bank then direct the money to them. Tobin approved these loans even though he knew that Sexton and Williams were the true borrowers. Tobin also set up a straw loan for another borrower.
In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Reeves ordered the four defendants to pay restitution to four victimized banks. Sexton and Williams were each ordered to pay over $2.6 million in restitution, Tobin is responsible for $185,001 and Flynn for over $1.4 million.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Amy S. Hess, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Alfred Hogan, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Assets Relief Program, jointly announced the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dmitriy Slavin represented the United States.
Attorney Jonathan Flom Sentenced to 48 Months’ Imprisonment for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Jonathan Flom, an attorney licensed in three states, was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release for money laundering. Today’s sentencing took place before United States District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.
The sentence was announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).
“Attorney Jonathan Flom took advantage of the trust placed in him by virtue of his profession to make easy money for himself,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “Such abuse of trust will be appropriately punished.”
“Flom preyed on the vulnerabilities of victims who were already being cheated out of money, falsely representing himself as someone who was working in their favor,” Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney stated. “He further tried to exploit his role as an attorney to conceal the fraud, but in the end the joke was on him, when it was revealed that an undercover FBI agent had been keeping tabs on his scheme. Today’s sentencing serves as a fine example of how the FBI successfully brings these scams to light.”
On June 24, 2016, following a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted Flom of money laundering. According to previous court filings and the testimony at trial, between December 2013 and April 2014, Flom accepted $141,300 into his bank account from investors whom he believed to be the victims of a securities fraud scheme. He then funneled those monies to a man he believed was orchestrating the fraud scheme, but who in fact was an undercover agent with the FBI—while keeping a 5% fee for himself. At trial, the jury heard that recorded conversations between Flom and the undercover agent in which Flom bragged that the letters of his name stood for “For Love of Money” and provided advice to the undercover agent about how they could use the guise of attorney-client privilege to conceal the fraud from law enforcement.
At trial and at sentencing, the government also presented evidence that between approximately February 2012 and August 2013, Flom knowingly laundered $756,168 in a nearly identical securities fraud scheme with Cecil Franklin Speight. In this scheme, investor-victims who believed they were making legitimate stock purchases were instructed to send money to bank accounts belonging to Flom, knowing he was a lawyer and believing that he was going to transfer funds to the issuers of the securities. In fact, Flom took the investor-victims’ money, kept a percentage for himself and sent the remainder to Speight. The investor-victims received only worthless counterfeit stock certificates.
On February 12, 2016, Speight was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $3.3 million dollars in restitution following his guilty plea to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and securities fraud.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keith D. Edelman, Moira Kim Penza and Jack Dennehy.
The Defendant:
JONATHAN FLOM
Age: 59
South Palm Beach, Florida
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-507 (RRM)
Abilene Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison on Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
ABILENE, Texas — Jonathan Andrew Hydro, 59, of Abilene, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 120 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in April 2017 to one count of receipt of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Hydro was also ordered to pay $5,000.00 in restitution. He has been in custody since the time of his arrest in February 2017.
According to documents filed in the case, on June 17, 2016, Hydro knowingly received, by way of the Internet, seven images which depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At the time Hydro received the images he knew that at least one of the performers in each image was a minor and he knew that the visual depiction was of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The case was 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 case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Abilene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy was in charge of the prosecution.
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2nd West Warwick Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking, Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Robert Wilkins, 26, of West Warwick pleaded guilty today to federal heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Wilkins pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to deliver heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin, conspiracy to deliver 28 grams or more of cocaine base, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine base, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, three counts of delivery of heroin, fifteen counts of delivery of cocaine base, and one count of bank fraud.
A codefendant in this matter, Christian M. Domenech, 23, of West Warwick, pleaded guilty on July 14, 2017, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, to one count each of conspiracy to deliver heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base, three counts of distribution of heroin, fifteen counts of delivery of cocaine base, and one count of bank fraud.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, a three-month investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force into the defendants’ drug trafficking activity included numerous purchases from the defendants of between one gram and seven grams of crack cocaine and heroin for between $80 dollars and $350 dollars. Each transaction was monitored by law enforcement.
Additionally, a Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit investigation determined that beginning in December 2015, the defendants created and deposited bogus checks into bank accounts each established, and withdrew some of those funds. The investigation determined that Christian Domenech deposited a total of $10,000 in bogus checks and withdrew $2,000 in cash. Robert Wilkins deposited a total of $10,000 in bogus checks and withdrew a total of $2,099.55.
On July 12, 2016, FBI Safe Street Task Force agents, with the assistance of the West Warwick Police Department and the DEA, executed a court authorized search of the defendants’ West Warwick residence. Varying quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin was seized, along with approximately $800 in cash. Law enforcement also seized two vehicles.
Robert Wilkins and Christian Domenech, who have been detained in federal custody since their arrest, are scheduled to be sentenced on October 20, 2017.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
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17 Charged with Distributing Cocaine and Crack in Central ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge for the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, today announced the unsealing of two indictments charging a total of 17 individuals with federal narcotics offenses related to the trafficking cocaine and crack cocaine in central Connecticut.
Thirteen of the 17 defendants were arrested on July 26, and three defendants have been incarcerated in state custody. One defendant is currently being sought.
This matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force that has included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of crack cocaine, and seizures of cocaine and cash proceeds. According to statements made in court, it is alleged that Westley Northrup, formerly of Meriden, operated a cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking ring while he was incarcerated in state custody. Northrup conspired with Carlos Roman, of Middletown, to purchase cocaine from suppliers including Omar Rivera, convert some of the cocaine to crack cocaine, and then distribute crack and cocaine through a network of dealers. Further investigation revealed that Rivera, of New Britain, was being supplied by Orlando Quiros, of Suffield, who regularly received packages containing multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico. Quiros’ operation was assisted by individuals who agreed to accept delivery of the packages, and by Steven Riccelli, a U.S. Postal Service employee.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers intercepted and seized approximately $240,000 in cash that Quiros had in a vehicle he was driving from Connecticut to New York.
On July 26, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately seven kilograms of cocaine, several pounds of marijuana, three firearms, and nearly $100,000 in cash.
“The seizure of seven kilograms of cocaine in this case makes clear that these defendants were significant drug traffickers with multiple sources in Connecticut, as alleged in the indictments,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with the DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our state and local law enforcement partners to shut down these drug pipelines and prosecute those responsible.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling large-scale drug trafficking organizations like this one operating in the central Connecticut area,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ferguson. “This prolific organization was responsible for supplying kilogram quantities of cocaine throughout the state of Connecticut. As we all know, drug trafficking, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, state and federal law enforcement efforts in Connecticut and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek and bring to justice anyone who engages in these crimes.”
“The arrest of these individuals is an example of the commitment of Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners to bring to justice anyone who uses the U.S. Mail to facilitate the transport of illegal drugs, ensuring the safety of the mail, our employees and customers,” said Inspector in Charge Binkowski.
On July 20, 2017, a grand jury in New Haven returned a nine-count indictment charging
WESTLEY NORTHRUP, a.k.a. “Piff,” 29, of Meriden
CARLOS ROMAN, a.k.a. “Frizz,” 37, of Middletown
DENISE HERNANDEZ, a.k.a. “Booty,” 29, of Meriden
RIGOBERTO HERNANDEZ, a.k.a. “Tito,” 36, of Meriden
SHANE BLAKE, 34, of Bristol
OMAR RIVERA, a.k.a. “O,” 34, of New Britain
ANTONIO MIRANDA, a.k.a. “Tone” and “Primo,” 28, of New Britain
CALVIN VAUGHN, a.k.a. “Squeaks,” 34, of Middletown
TURON DAVIS, a.k.a. “Slim,” 39, of Middletown
KASEAN WHITE, a.k.a. “Slay,” 29, of Middletown
DERRICK BRYANT, 26, of MiddletownEach of the defendants in this indictment are charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (“crack”). If convicted of this charge, based on the type and quantity of narcotics charged, Northrup, Roman and Rivera face a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; Denise Hernandez, Rigoberto Hernandez, Blake, Miranda and Kasean White face a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and Vaughn, Davis and Bryant face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The indictment also charges Roman with multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, crack cocaine and/or cocaine, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime.
On July 20, 2017, the grand jury in New Haven returned a three-count indictment charging
ORLANDO QUIROS, a.k.a. “O” and “Gordo,” 40, of Suffield
LEONEL QUIROS, a.k.a. “Haze,” 33, of New Britain
COREY BEST, 32, of Bloomfield
LISETTE PEREZ, 34, of Springfield, Mass.
STEVEN RICCELLI, 42, of Unionville
LUIS ARROYO, 56, of New Britain
OMAR RIVERA, a.k.a. “O,” 34, of New Britain (also charged in the Northrup indictment)Each of the defendants in this indictment are charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted of this charge, with the exception of Rivera, each defendant faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Rivera faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years on this charge.
The indictment also charges Orlando Quiros, Leonel Quiros and Best one count of attempt to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and Orlando Quiros with one count of use of a facility in interstate commerce to distribute the proceed of drug trafficking.
Northrup, Roman and Miranda have been incarcerated in state custody. Kasean White is currently being sought.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Middletown and New Britain Police Departments. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, FBI and the Suffield, Bloomfield and Springfield (Mass.) Police Departments assisted with the arrests.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Gordon Hall.
27 July 2017
Youngstown man indicted for failing to register as sex offenderRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Keith Wilson, 36, of Youngstown, with failing to register as a sex offender, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja and U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott.
The indictment alleges that on or about July 11, 2017, Wilson, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, traveled in interstate commerce and did knowingly fail to register, or update a registration.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the United States Marshal Service. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Wood County woman sentenced for bank robberies in three statesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A Davisville, West Virginia woman was sentenced today to 51 months incarceration for bank robberies spanning three states, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Christine Joy Martin, 31, pled guilty to three counts of “Unarmed Bank Robbery” in April 2017. Martin was sentenced to 51 months incarceration for each count, to run concurrently. Martin was also ordered to pay $7,889.44 in restitution.
Martin admitted to robbing Huntington Bank in Marion County of $2,000 on November 4, 2016. She also admitted to robbing WesBanco Bank in Washington County, Pennsylvania, of $350.00 on December 23, 2016 and admitted to robbing the People’s Bank in Athens County, Ohio of $2,150 on December 27, 2016. Martin has waived venue on the charges in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah W. Montoro prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Morgantown Police Department and the Fairmont Police Department investigated the bank robbery in West Virginia. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Strabane Township Police Department investigated the Pennsylvania robbery. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Athens City Police Department investigated the Ohio robbery.
U. S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal FundsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – Zoraida Velázquez-Bracero plead guilty to an information charging her with theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General was in charge of the investigation.
From June 2005 until July, 2015, Velázquez-Bracero was the Purchasing Director at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, an entity that receives in excess of $10,000.00 in federal funding in a one year period. In this position, Defendant was issued a University corporate credit card for purchasing goods and supplies for the University as well as arranging official travel for University professors. However, in 2008 Defendant started using this corporate credit card for personal expenses not authorized by the University.
Through direct charges and cash advances, Velázquez-Bracero used this corporate credit card to pay for school tuition, household utility bills and other items, and vacations to Disney World, New York City, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Canada, and France. Defendant concealed the use of this corporate credit card by altering and/or creating fictitious credit card statements wherein she hid the charges by increasing the amounts of other legitimate charges to the card, or by deleting the charges altogether before submitting the statement to the finance department for payment.
Although the original limit on this corporate credit card was $80,000.00, Velázquez-Bracero obtained numerous credit limit increases by forging her supervisor’s signature on letters to the credit card company requesting said increases. Defendant knew that she was affecting federal grants when she illegally used this corporate credit card. The total amount of unauthorized charges by Velázquez-Bracero was $655,432.00.
“The defendant misappropriated funds intended to aid University students, for her illegal personal gain,” said US Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “At the U.S. Attorney’s Office we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute financial crimes. This arrest should discourage those who get involved in these types of schemes before it’s too late, because we will continue investigating and prosecuting these offenses.”
“Federal education funds exist to provide students with educational opportunities and help students make their dreams of higher education a reality, it’s not a personal slush fund,” said Yessyka Santana, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Southeast Regional Office. “I’m proud of the work of OIG special agents, our law enforcement partners, and the PCUPR staff for holding Ms. Velázquez accountable for her alleged criminal actions.”
As a result of the guilty plea, the defendant may be sentenced to a term of eight to fourteen months in prison, a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00), and/or a term of supervised release of not more than three (3) years. Assistant United States Attorney Scott H. Anderson is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
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William T. “Billy” Walters Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court for $43 Million Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WILLIAM T. WALTERS, a/k/a “Billy,” was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to commit insider trading from at least 2008 through 2014, principally relating to securities of Dean Foods Company (“Dean Foods” or the “Company”).
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Billy Walters, a legendary sports gambler who mastered playing the odds, refused to play by the rules. As the evidence at trial revealed and as a unanimous jury found, Walters cheated his way to tens of millions in illegal profits, making massive, perfectly timed trades in Dean Foods based on confidential information stolen directly from the boardroom. Making millions in the stock market with a deck stacked in your favor leads to time in a federal penitentiary. For the integrity of our securities markets, that is the blunt lesson our insider trading prosecutions must teach.”
According to the allegations in the charging documents, evidence at trial, and statements made in court proceedings:
From 2008 through 2014, WALTERS and Thomas C. Davis, among others, participated in a scheme to commit insider trading principally related to securities of Dean Foods, a Fortune 500 company that is the largest processor and distributor of fresh milk in the United States. Davis pled guilty to insider trading, perjury, and obstruction of justice charges on May 16, 2016, and cooperated with the investigation.
From 2001 until August 7, 2015, Davis served as a member of the Board of Directors of Dean Foods (the “Board”), and regularly possessed material, nonpublic information about Dean Foods, including about the Company’s financial performance and results, comprising quarterly earnings results; contemplated and actual corporate transactions; and other significant corporate and strategic developments (the “Inside Information”). In furtherance of the scheme, Davis violated his duties of trust and confidence to Dean Foods by providing Inside Information to WALTERS in advance of public announcements. WALTERS, knowing that Davis owed duties of trust and confidence to the Company, used the Inside Information to execute profitable trades in Dean Foods stock. In total, WALTERS’ trading on the basis of Inside Information netted realized and unrealized profits of approximately $32 million and avoided additional losses of approximately $11 million. In return for Davis providing the Inside Information to WALTERS, WALTERS, among other things, provided capital to Davis for joint business ventures and made two loans to Davis for approximately $1 million in total, which Davis largely did not repay.
In furtherance of the scheme, and to avoid detection by law enforcement, WALTERS provided Davis with a prepaid cellular phone to use when passing Inside Information to WALTERS. Moreover, WALTERS further instructed Davis to use code words when discussing the Inside Information, including by referring to Dean Foods as the “Dallas Cowboys.”
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In addition to the prison term, WALTERS, 70, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to one year of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Mr. Kim praised the work of the FBI and the Postal Inspection Service, and thanked the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) for their assistance. He also thanked the Las Vegas offices of the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brooke E. Cucinella, Daniel S. Goldman, and Michael Ferrara are in charge of the prosecution.
Weymouth Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Assault-Style Weapons and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Weymouth man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing assault-style weapons and ammunition.
Robert Nicholas Kurtzer, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 84 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2017, Kurtzer pleaded guilty to possession of assault-style firearms, ammunition, and silencers. According to court documents, Kurtzer was prohibited from possessing ammunition and/or firearms because of a prior state conviction for armed robbery.
On July 12, 2016, law enforcement officers stopped a pick-up truck, in which Kurtzer was a passenger, for a traffic violation. Kurtzer was carrying a large knife on his hip and a canister of pepper spray. Officers asked Kurtzer if there were any weapons in the vehicle, and Kurtzer replied, “Lots of them.” Kurtzer was searched and found in possession of a 10.5 inch Smith and Wesson fixed blade knife; a canister of Sabre Red O/C spray; one .300 AAC BLK caliber bullet; several .22 caliber long rifle ammunition; and seven .45 caliber Winchester ammunition.
Following Kurtzer’s arrest, officers searched Kurtzer’s Weymouth residence and a secondary storage locker where the following items were seized: two assault rifles (including a Midwest Industries AR15-style assault rifle with an optic scope attached to the top, and an AR15-style assault rifle with unknown manufacturer and a 37mm flare launcher attached to it); a Marlin bolt-action rifle with an obliterated serial number; two handguns (including a .45 caliber pistol; and a Colt MKIV Series 80 pistol, bearing an after-market Punisher logo); numerous weapons parts for use in the assembly of assault rifles and handguns; one firearm silencer; approximately six unfinished, partly assembled firearm silencers; milling machinery used to manufacture handguns and rifles; and approximately 671 rounds of assorted ammunition.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Cannon of Weinreb’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Webster Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Pablo Ulloa, 33, of Webster, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine before U.S. District Court Judge William M. Skretny. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that the Drug Enforcement Administration received a tip regarding the drug trafficking activities of the defendant and his co-defendant Brian Donaldson. On October 27, 2016, Hamburg Police conducted surveillance at a local motel where the defendants were staying. At approximately 9:15 p.m., Donaldson left the motel and was subsequently pulled over in a traffic stop by Hamburg officers. A search of the vehicle recovered a small quantity of methamphetamine, and a lock box which contained a much larger quantity of methamphetamine.
A search was then conducted of the motel room where Donaldson and Ulloa were staying. During that search, officers recovered more containers of methamphetamine, several cellular telephones, drug packaging materials, a scale and pipes.
Donaldson has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division and the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gregory Wickett.Sentencing is scheduled for November 1, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.
Warrenton Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A drug dealer who operated in Fauquier County pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Justin Chrisp, 28, of Warrenton, sold at least half a gram of heroin every day beginning in March 2012. During this time period, at least four of Chrisp’s customers overdosed after using the drugs. Only after medical intervention by law enforcement officers responding to the scenes of these overdoses did several of these customers regain consciousness.
Chrisp pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison when sentenced on October 20. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, and Robert P. Mosier, Fauquier County Sheriff, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tobias D. Tobler is prosecuting 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-163.
Utah Man Charged with Murdering Wife on Cruise Ship in Southeast AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that a Utah man was arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with the murder of his wife onboard the cruise ship Emerald Princess in Southeast Alaska. At the time of the crime, the Emerald Princess was in U.S. Territorial Waters, subjecting the case to federal jurisdiction.
Kenneth Ray Manzanares, 39, of Santa Clara, Utah, was charged by criminal complaint with the murder of his wife, K.M. According to the criminal complaint, on July 25, 2017, Emerald Princess Security and Medical personnel responded to an incident in the cabin occupied by Kenneth and K.M. K.M. was found in the cabin, deceased, and had a severe head wound.
According to the complaint, prior to security officers arriving to the cabin, one of the witnesses, D.H., observed Manzanares grab K.M.’s body and drag her toward the balcony. D.H. then grabbed the ankles of K.M.’s body and pulled her back into the cabin. Soon after, Emerald Princess security entered the cabin and restrained and secured Manzanares.
Manzanares was detained by Security Officers at the scene, and was arrested yesterday, July 26, 2017. Manzanares is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Anchorage today, via video conference from Juneau, July 27, at 2:00 PM before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin F. McCoy.
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Union County, New Jersey, Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man has been arrested and charged in connection with a bank robbery in Bergen County in January 2017, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced today.
Israel Cosme, 36, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of bank robbery. He was originally arrested Jan. 24, 2017 in connection with two bank robberies he allegedly committed in Maryland. He appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 15, 2017, Cosme allegedly robbed a TD Bank in Little Ferry, New Jersey. According to bank employees and video surveillance, a man wearing blue jeans, tan work boots, a gray hooded sweatshirt, and a knit cap entered the bank. The robber approached one of the bank tellers and handed her a note demanding money. The robber then told the bank teller that he was carrying a weapon in his pocket and that he would shoot her if she did not comply with his demands. He then reached over the counter, grabbed the teller by the shirt, and forcibly grabbed money out of her hand. The robber was later identified as Cosme.
When law enforcement apprehended Cosme outside of a hotel room in Maryland and searched his hotel room pursuant to a search warrant, they recovered a pair of blue jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt that resembled the clothing he was wearing during the robbery.
The bank robbery charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the Little Ferry Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ralph Verdi, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: K. Anthony Thomas Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Two indicted in nationwide unclaimed property fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Allen J. Pendergrass and Terrell McQueen have been arraigned on charges of orchestrating a nationwide unclaimed property fraud scheme. They provided asset recovery services for clients, claiming they would recover unclaimed money and assets held by local and state governments for a fee. During that process, they allegedly forged documents, claiming thousands of dollars due to citizens, which they placed into accounts they controlled, never distributing the money owed.
“These defendants are charged with forging power of attorney forms to steal over $100,000 owed to local businesses and residents,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “Citizens should remain vigilant in guarding their personal information as thieves continue to find new and creative ways to use it to perpetuate fraud schemes.”
“The defendants stole individual's identities and received money that was not rightfully theirs,” said James Dorsey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “The IRS will continue to investigate and disrupt these complex financial schemes holding those accountable for their wrongdoing.”
“This investigation involved the meticulous gathering of hard evidence which uncovered a significant financial fraud and identity theft scheme,” said David M. McGinnis, Inspector in Charge, Charlotte Division. “Postal Inspectors will vigorously pursue and bring to justice anyone who commits a crime by utilizing the US Mail system.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the indictment, and other information presented in court: From on or about 2004 until 2014, Pendergrass owned and operated Guishard, Wilburn & Shorts, LLC a company based on College Park, Georgia, that purportedly provided asset recovery services, including recovering unclaimed money and assets held by local and state governments for a fee. During that time, Pendergrass also owned or controlled other companies in Georgia that purported to provide the same services, including Asset Financial Recovery, Inc., Recovery Capital, Attorney Recovery System, National Asset Recovery Agency, Inc., Beacon Asset Recovery Agency, LLC, National Unclaimed Funds, Inc. and Service Pros, Inc.
In 2012, Pendergrass started Asset Financial Recovery, Inc., and was listed as the company’s chief executive officer. McQueen was listed as the chief financial officer. In 2013, Pendergrass and McQueen mailed forged power of attorney forms to the City of Atlanta and fraudulently claimed over $100,000 owed to local businesses and residents. These forms included forged signatures. Pendergrass and McQueen deposited stolen funds into bank accounts they controlled and did not provide the funds to rightful owners. Pendergrass, McQueen, and companies they controlled, perpetuated this fraud scheme across the country.
Allen J. Pendergrass, 60, of Fayetteville, Georgia, and Terrell McQueen, 37, of Fort Worth, Texas, were indicted on June 27, 2017.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Brown is prosecuting the case.
In that this remains an ongoing investigation, anyone with information regarding this matter should contact the United States Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two People Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine, Heroin and Fentanyl in Jefferson CountyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced two men for conspiring to traffic nearly $2 million worth of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in Jefferson County, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced FERLANDO CARMISE MIMS, 19, of Birmingham, to 15 years and one month in prison, and MARAHAI ARDIZO ENRIQUEZ, 25, of Phoenix, Ariz., to four years and nine months in prison. Each of the defendants pleaded guilty to the conspiracy, acknowledging their involvement in the distribution of multiple kilograms of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl between September 2015 and October 2016.
“Overdoses from heroin and fentanyl in Birmingham and across Northern Alabama have become epidemic,” Posey said. “To combat the rising death toll we work closely with DEA and other law enforcement partners to identify the most serious drug-trafficking threats and conduct joint enforcement actions like the one that took down this large-scale opioid distribution organization.”
Two of the nine defendants in the case remain to be sentenced. They are ANTHONY LEVY WARD, 36, of Chelsea, on Sept. 28, and JOSE AGUSTIN GUTIERREZ, 31, of Phoenix, on Nov. 9.
The amount of fentanyl trafficked in the conspiracy was about 4.6 kilograms, or nearly 233,000 user doses of the drug. The total amount of heroin trafficked was about 5 kilograms, or approximately 50,000 user doses.
Enriquez was responsible for trafficking 8.8 kilograms of cocaine and Mims with trafficking one kilogram of heroin.
The DEA investigated the case in conjunction with the Birmingham and Hoover police departments and the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama is prosecuting the case.
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Two Ohio men indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
Two Ohio men were indicted on federal firearms charges, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja.
Indicted are Ronald A. Stevens, 44, of Youngstown, and Christopher Ray Damron, 33, of Sherrodsville.
Both are charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Their case are unrelated.
Damron on March 22, 2017, possessed a Colt, model Mustang Pocketlite, .380 pistol, and ammunition, despite prior convictions in Summit County for rape and attempted intimidation of a witness, according to the indictment.
Stevens possessed Rohm, model RG38, .38 revolver, and ammunition on April 8, 2017, despite a prior felony conviction for attempted felonious assault, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
Both cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer following investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Youngstown Police Department also investigated the Stevens cases while the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office also investigated the Damron case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two Men Found Guilty of Second Degree Murder While Armed in 2007 Slaying in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Reynaud Cook, 33, and Don Hancock, 33, both of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder while armed for the July 2007 slaying of a man in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned July 26, 2017, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for Oct. 20, 2017.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 17, 2007, Cook and Hancock, who were best friends and referred to each other as brothers, were in the Deanwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington. The victim, Nacarto Gladden, who was just three days shy of his 33rd birthday, was also in the neighborhood, in the back of a car parked behind a building in the 4900 block of Quarles Street NE. At about 4:30 a.m., Hancock, armed with a pistol, ripped Mr. Gladden from the back seat of the car and began assaulting him. Then, while Mr. Gladden struggled to disarm Hancock, Cook crept into the parking lot armed with a revolver and shot Mr. Gladden three times at close range.
Although Cook and Hancock were identified as suspects early in the investigation, they were not charged until 2013, when previously reluctant witnesses provided additional information and identified them as the perpetrators of the murder. Ballistics evidence and DNA also identified Cook and Hancock as the perpetrators of this crime. Both defendants have remained in custody since their arrests in 2013.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Newsham praised the work of the detectives, officers, and crime scene technicians who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Sines, Gary Wheeler, and Elizabeth Danello; Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meredith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite, Stephanie Gilbert, and Sandra Lane; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Security Specialists Katina Adams-Washington and LaJune Thames; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas; Supervisory Criminal Investigator Chris Brophy; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; former Investigative Analyst Larry Grasso, and Interns Raul Rojo and Courtney Lutz.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan and Kimberley C. Nielsen who prosecuted the case at trial.
Two Cartel Members Found Guilty of Murder and Other Charges in Slaying of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and Attempted Murder of ICE Special Agent Victor AvilaRead the Press Release
A federal jury found two Mexican nationals guilty today of murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, and related offenses in the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila on Feb. 15, 2011, in Mexico.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, Acting Director Andrew McCabe of the FBI and Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of ICE made the announcement.
The defendants, Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, aka Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua, aka Zafado, 36, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Jesus Ivan Quezada Piña, aka Loco, 29, of Matamoros, Mexico, are among seven Mexican nationals extradited to the U.S. on federal charges in this case.
“Drug cartels bring death and destruction across our Southern border and sell drugs that take lives all across America,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The work our ICE officers do every day to keep these criminals out of our country and secure our border is heroic and makes all of us safer. Today’s conviction of two cartel members in the horrific murder of ICE agent Jaime Zapata in Mexico is the next step in the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to dismantle the cartels and bring them to justice.”
“Today’s guilty verdicts for those responsible for the murder of ICE Special Agent Jamie Zapata and attempted murder of Special Agent Victor Avila are an important step forward for law enforcement as we continue on the path for justice,” said Acting Director McCabe. “As I’ve said before, an attack against a federal agent serving his or her country remains a top priority for the FBI, and today’s verdict demonstrates that we will not rest until those responsible for this heinous attack and the loss of a colleague have been brought to justice.”
“I applaud today’s verdict and hope that it provides some measure of solace to the victims and their families,” said Acting Director Homan. “Six years after these defendants ambushed and murdered Special Agent Jaime Zapata and seriously wounded Special Agent Victor Avila in Mexico, ICE remains committed to ensuring all those responsible for this cowardly and brutal attack are brought to justice. To that end, we are deeply grateful to the Government of Mexico, the Department of Justice, and all our partners involved in the pursuit and prosecution of these criminals. This serves as a reminder that we will not relent in our mission to ensure the safety and security of Americans, and we are unwavering in our resolve to locate and apprehend those who target the brave men and women of law enforcement, wherever they are. We continue to honor the memory of Special Agent Zapata with our steadfast commitment to eradicate the transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety and security of our nation.”
Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were found guilty of four federal offenses: murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an internationally protected person; and using, carrying and brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death. The verdicts followed a trial that began July 10, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, during which the government presented testimony from 22 witnesses, including Special Agent Avila. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth scheduled a status hearing for August 29. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The defendants both face mandatory life sentences for the murder conviction.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were members of two Los Zetas hit squads, or “estacas,” and were on a mission on the day of the shootings to steal vehicles for use in the cartel’s operations. On the afternoon of Feb. 15, 2011, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were among a group of cartel members who targeted an armored Chevrolet Suburban bearing diplomatic plates and driven by the Special Agents on a busy highway south of San Luis Potosi. Special Agent Zapata and Special Agent Avila were on official business, heading southbound to Mexico City, when the attack took place. During the ambush, the cartel members fired at and into the agents’ vehicle with handguns and semiautomatic assault weapons, including AK-47 and AR-15 type assault rifles. Special Agent Zapata, 32, was fatally shot, and Special Agent Avila then 38, was wounded. Investigators later found approximately 90 shell casings at the scene, according to the trial evidence.
Five other defendants, all Mexican nationals, previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in this case. Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, aka Catracho, 29; Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, aka Cacho, 35; Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka Piolin, 36; and Alfredo Gaston Mendoza Hernandez, aka Camaron, 34, pleaded guilty to federal murder and attempted murder charges between August 2011 and October 2016. The fifth defendant, Francisco Carbajal Flores, aka Dalmata, 42, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents. All five defendants are awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Government of Mexico provided substantial assistance throughout the investigative and prosecution phases of the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. DiLorenzo and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys David Karpel and Karen Seifert of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. Former Assistant Deputy Chief Andrea Goldbarg of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office also served as members of the prosecution team at earlier stages of the litigation. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has provided substantial assistance.
Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, Paralegal Specialist Mac Caille Petursson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Paralegal Specialist Alejandra Arias of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.
Two Cartel Members Found Guilty of Murder and Other Charges in Slaying of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and Attempted Murder of ICE Special Agent Victor AvilaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal jury found two Mexican nationals guilty today of murder of a federal officer, attempted murder of a federal officer, and related offenses in the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila on Feb. 15, 2011, in Mexico.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, Acting Director Andrew McCabe of the FBI and Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of ICE made the announcement.
The defendants, Jose Emanuel Garcia Sota, aka Juan Manuel Maldonado Amezcua, aka Zafado, 36, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Jesus Ivan Quezada Piña, aka Loco, 29, of Matamoros, Mexico, are among seven Mexican nationals extradited to the U.S. on federal charges in this case.
“Drug cartels bring death and destruction across our Southern border and sell drugs that take lives all across America,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The work our ICE officers do every day to keep these criminals out of our country and secure our border is heroic and makes all of us safer. Today’s conviction of two cartel members in the horrific murder of ICE agent Jaime Zapata in Mexico is the next step in the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to dismantle the cartels and bring them to justice.”
“With today’s guilty verdicts, a total of seven members of the violent Mexican drug cartel, Los Zetas, have now been brought to justice for the ruthless ambush that took the life of ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and that injured and could have killed ICE Special Agent Victor Avila,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “The victims of this horrific assault were in Mexico on official business serving our country. The prosecution of these defendants is a testament to the enormous resources devoted to this investigation by law enforcement in the United States and Mexico.”
“Today’s guilty verdicts for those responsible for the murder of ICE Special Agent Jamie Zapata and attempted murder of Special Agent Victor Avila are an important step forward for law enforcement as we continue on the path for justice,” said Acting Director McCabe. “As I’ve said before, an attack against a federal agent serving his or her country remains a top priority for the FBI, and today’s verdict demonstrates that we will not rest until those responsible for this heinous attack and the loss of a colleague have been brought to justice.”
“I applaud today’s verdict and hope that it provides some measure of solace to the victims and their families,” said Acting Director Homan. “Six years after these defendants ambushed and murdered Special Agent Jaime Zapata and seriously wounded Special Agent Victor Avila in Mexico, ICE remains committed to ensuring all those responsible for this cowardly and brutal attack are brought to justice. To that end, we are deeply grateful to the Government of Mexico, the Department of Justice, and all our partners involved in the pursuit and prosecution of these criminals. This serves as a reminder that we will not relent in our mission to ensure the safety and security of Americans, and we are unwavering in our resolve to locate and apprehend those who target the brave men and women of law enforcement, wherever they are. We continue to honor the memory of Special Agent Zapata with our steadfast commitment to eradicate the transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety and security of our nation.”
Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were found guilty of four federal offenses: murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an officer or employee of the United States; attempted murder of an internationally protected person; and using, carrying and brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death. The verdicts followed a trial that began July 10, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, during which the government presented testimony from 22 witnesses, including Special Agent Avila. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth scheduled a status hearing for August 29. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The defendants both face mandatory life sentences for the murder conviction.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were members of two Los Zetas hit squads, or “estacas,” and were on a mission on the day of the shootings to steal vehicles for use in the cartel’s operations. On the afternoon of Feb. 15, 2011, Garcia Sota and Quezada Piña were among a group of cartel members who targeted an armored Chevrolet Suburban bearing diplomatic plates and driven by the Special Agents on a busy highway south of San Luis Potosi. Special Agent Zapata and Special Agent Avila were on official business, heading southbound to Mexico City, when the attack took place. During the ambush, the cartel members fired at and into the agents’ vehicle with handguns and semiautomatic assault weapons, including AK-47 and AR-15 type assault rifles.. Special Agent Zapata, 32, was fatally shot, and Special Agent Avila, then 38, was wounded. Investigators later found approximately 90 shell casings at the scene, according to the trial evidence.
Five other defendants, all Mexican nationals, previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in this case. Ruben Dario Venegas Rivera, aka Catracho, 29; Jose Ismael Nava Villagran, aka Cacho, 35; Julian Zapata Espinoza, aka Piolin, 36; and Alfredo Gaston Mendoza Hernandez, aka Camaron, 34, pleaded guilty to federal murder and attempted murder charges between August 2011 and October 2016. The fifth defendant, Francisco Carbajal Flores, aka Dalmata, 42, pleaded guilty in January 2012 to conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and to being an accessory after the fact to the murder and attempted murder of the ICE agents. All five defendants are awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Government of Mexico provided substantial assistance throughout the investigative and prosecution phases of the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. DiLorenzo and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys David Karpel and Karen Seifert of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section. Former Assistant Deputy Chief Andrea Goldbarg of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office also served as members of the prosecution team at earlier stages of the litigation. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has provided substantial assistance.
Assistance also was provided by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant, Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones, Paralegal Specialist Mac Caille Petursson, and Intern Jake Yelin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Paralegal Specialist Alejandra Arias of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.