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27 July 2017
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Duane A. Evans announced that SAUL RODRIGUEZ-AVILES, age 47, was charged today in a one-count Indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien previously convicted of an aggravated felony.
According to the indictment, RODRIGUEZ-AVILES reentered the United States after he was previously deported on July 16, 2015.
If convicted, RODRIGUEZ-AVILES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
Acting U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Three Banks Including One in RindgeRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley today announced that Vincent Torraco, 26, of Athol, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to three bank robberies, including one in Rindge, New Hampshire.
According to court documents and statements made during Torraco’s plea hearing, Torraco robbed TD bank branches in Gardner, Massachusetts, on September 16, 2016, in Rindge, on September 23, 2016, and in Winchester, Connecticut, on September 24, 2016. In each robbery, Torraco passed a note to a bank teller demanding money. In at least two of the robberies, the notes included warnings not to include dye packs with the money. Torraco was identified as the robber in each instance through bank security images, which revealed distinctive clothing and physical characteristics common to Torraco, and in one case a fingerprint on the demand note.
Torraco’s sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2017. He has been detained since his arrest in North Carolina on September 27, 2016 and will remain detained pending sentencing.
This investigation of this matter was overseen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and conducted by the Rindge (N.H.) Police Department, the Gardner (Massachusetts) Police Department, the Winchester (Connecticut) Police Department and the Huntersville (North Carolina) Police Department. The prosecution of the case is being coordinated with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Massachusetts and Connecticut, the Middle District (Massachusetts) Attorney’s Office, and the Litchfield County (Connecticut) State’s Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Morse.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty in Stolen Identity Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
A Temple Hills, Maryland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiring to file fraudulent claims for tax refunds, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false personation, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the Indictment and information provided to the court, Anthony Ferguson participated in a stolen identity refund fraud conspiracy from January 2012 through May 2016. Ferguson and his co-conspirators obtained personal identifying information from several sources and used those identities to file tax returns and obtain fraudulent refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In 2016, Ferguson pretended to be an employee of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and sent text messages to a witness in an attempt to obtain the details of an ongoing criminal investigation into his conduct.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23 before U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiring to file false refund claims, 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, three years in prison for false personation and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. Ferguson also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald, Sean Green and Jack Morgan 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.
Marion man sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for armed bank robberiesRead the Press Release
A Marion man was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for robbing two banks in Marion last summer.
A jury convicted Ronald R. Myles, Jr., 35, earlier this year of robbing two Commercial Savings Bank branches in June 2016. U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary sentenced Myles to 222 months in prison.
Myles wore a ski mask, pointed a firearm at bank employees and threatened them during the robberies, according to trial testimony and court documents.
Myles served eight years in state prison for two previous robberies, according to court documents.
Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey said: "I am grateful for the efforts of my office, the Marion City Police Department, the FBI, the citizens who provided information to assist with the investigation, and also the U.S. Attorney's Office. Ultimatley the cooperation of all of these agencies and individuals assisted with the arrest and conviction of Mr. Myles who is no longer a threat to our community or others on behalf of everyones efforts."
“Any time we can take a dangerous criminal out of our community is a positive step in making Marion a better place to live,” Marion Police Chief William Collins said. “Law enforcement from the city, county and on a federal level work well together on major crimes as is evidenced in this case.”
“This prison sentence removes a dangerous person from the streets of Marion,” Acting U.S. Attorney David Sierleja said. “The FBI and Marion Police Department demonstrated once again that they work together to make our communities safer.”
“Ronald R. Myles, Jr. put the life of a bank teller and customer in jeopardy when he used a deadly weapon during the commission of the bank robberies,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony. “It is defendants like Mr. Myles that the FBI and our local partners will not tolerate and who will be held accountable for such violent acts.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Marion Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracey Ballard Tangeman and Thomas P. Weldon.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Daniel Rogers, 30, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime..
According to court documents and statements made in court, shortly after midnight on October 3, 2016, Manchester Police conducted a traffic stop on a car driven by Rogers at the intersection of Granite Street and Commercial Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. Police determined that there were outstanding warrants for both Rogers and the passenger in the vehicle, and both of them were arrested. Police obtained a warrant to search the vehicle, which resulted in the seizure of four firearms, including two rifles that were previously reported stolen, along with approximately 37 grams of fentanyl, 25 grams of crack cocaine, and 21 grams of powder cocaine. Rogers was previously convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2017.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stopping drug distribution and the violence associated with drug dealing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Armed drug dealers present a serious risk to public safety and we will be aggressive in our efforts to get guns out of the hands of criminals. I commend the law enforcement officers in this case for their work protecting our community.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shane Kelbley.
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Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Robbing the University of Maryland Inn and Conference CenterRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Jamal Ulysses Green, age 24, of Bowie, Maryland, to 16 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for commercial robbery and using, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Chief David B. Mitchell of the University of Maryland Police Department; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks.
According to his plea agreement, on September 6, 2016, Green and a co-conspirator robbed the University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center (UMUC). Green, who was armed and was not wearing a mask, approached a security guard and advised the guard that he was making a delivery to UMUC. The guard followed Green to the loading dock, where Green grabbed the security guard. The security guard fought back. During the altercation Green fired his gun, but did not strike the guard.
Shortly after that, Green’s co-conspirator, wearing a mask and brandishing a handgun, entered the security office of UMUC demanding money and ordering the occupants to the ground. During this time, the security guard involved in the physical altercation with Green on the loading dock returned to the Security Office. As the security guard returned to the Security Office, the co-conspirator appeared in the doorway and fired his gun at the security guard, striking the security guard in the upper left arm, with the bullet going through his/her arm, and lodging next to the security guard’s spine. The injury to the security guard required emergency medical attention. A few seconds later, Green entered the security office. Green and his co-conspirator took three safes from the security office, and fled the area.
Prince George’s County Police Department’s (PGPD) K-9 Unit and Air One helicopter unit responded to 911 emergency calls, and performed a search for the two suspects. Several hours later, a K-9 unit tracked to a wood line directly across the street from the UMUC loading dock. PGPD K-9 found Green in the woods adjacent to the wood line, hiding in overgrown shrubs and trees. Green matched the physical description of the unmasked person seen in the UMUC security video, and was wearing clothing similar in color as one of the suspects who committed the robbery.
Two of the safes taken from the UMUC Security Office were located in the immediate vicinity of where Green was hiding. A third, larger safe, that Green was seen on video carrying out of the security office, was found near the loading dock area concealed amongst trees, next to a.40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The pistol had a magazine in it, and was loaded with seven rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. The caliber of the firearm was the same as the shell casing found by the loading dock where the security guard was involved in the physical altercation with Green. A forensic analysis of the magazine recovered from the firearm revealed a fingerprint that matched Green’s fingerprint.
Green was arrested and subsequently charged in Prince George’s County District Court with several criminal offenses. Green was detained, at the Prince George’s County Correctional Center (PGCCC). By PGCCC policy, any calls made to or from inmates are recorded. Prior to any conversation, the inmate and the person calling the inmate are advised that the conversation is being recorded. On September 7, 2016, Green made a recorded call to an unidentified male during which he admitted that he fired his gun, but did not hit anybody.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI, the University of Maryland Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Nicolas A. Mitchell, who prosecuted the case.
MS-13 Member Sentenced for RICO Conspiracy Involving Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of MS-13’s Eastside Loco Salvatrucha (ESLS) clique in Chelsea was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Efrain Yanes Vasquez, a/k/a “Caballo,” 35, a Salvadorian national residing in Chelsea and Pittsfield, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. On April 27, 2017, Yanes Vasquez pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
After a three-year investigation, Yanes Vasquez was one of 61 defendants named in a superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches or “cliques” operate throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence against rival gang members to gain promotions and to maintain membership and discipline within the group. Specifically, MS-13 members are required to attack and murder rival gang members whenever possible.
During the investigation, several cooperating witnesses identified Yanes Vasquez as a widely-respected “homeboy,” or full member in MS-13’s ESLS clique. Federal agents recorded an ESLS clique meeting during which Yanes Vasquez urged his fellow clique members to assault a garage owner with a firearm. Yanes Vasquez also participated in “protection details” where, in exchange for cash, he “protected” what he believed to be multi-kilogram cocaine shipments. In fact, agents watched as Yanes Vasquez and other MS-13 members picked up cocaine from an undercover police officer and delivered it to another undercover police officer. When Yanes Vasquez was arrested in Pittsfield, on Sept. 15, 2016, agents seized a loaded .45 caliber handgun, a bag containing 28 loose rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, a box containing 50 packaged rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, and two altered social security cards from his residence.
Yanes Vasquez is the 10th defendant to be sentenced in this case.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Truco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that on July 27, 2017, Olga A. Alfonso, 44, of Lincoln, was sentenced to 10 years (120 months) in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more actual methamphetamine on April 25, 2016. Following the prison term, Alfonso will serve five years on supervised release.
On April 25, 2016, Lancaster County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a report of a traffic accident on l-80 west of downtown Lincoln. Upon arrival at the scene of the accident, deputies were told the driver of a car involved in the accident had run from the scene. Witnesses described the driver as a female wearing a large green backpack. Deputies located the driver, Olga Alfonso, a short distance away. The backpack was found abandoned in some weeds. Inside the backpack, deputies found a Social Security card in Alfonso’s name, three baggies of methamphetamine containing at least 240 grams of pure methamphetamine and a digital scale with methamphetamine residue.
This case was investigated by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department and the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Leader of Cocaine and Ecstasy Smuggling Ring Sentenced to 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
The Canadian organizer of a 2005 attempt to smuggle 41 kilos of cocaine into Canada was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 13 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and ecstasy, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. KEVIN DONALD KERFOOT, 53, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada was indicted in July 2006, nine months after his co-conspirators were arrested in the Bellingham area as they tried to move 41 kilos of cocaine up I-5 and onto a boat for transit to Canada. The person who was going to ferry the cocaine to Canada, brought more than seven kilos of the drug MDMA or ‘ecstasy’ into the U.S. for distribution via KERFOOT’s drug network. KERFOOT fought extradition from Canada for years. After exhausting the extradition process in the Canadian court system, he was transferred to the Western District of Washington and pleaded guilty in April 2017. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly said KERFOOT, “was involved with a tremendous amount of drugs.”
“This defendant tried to avoid facing the music by getting people to lie during his Canadian extradition proceedings,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Perhaps he thought he could fight a war of attrition – but this office and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding leaders of drug trafficking organizations responsible for the poison they spread both here and in Canada.”
According to records filed in the case, a confidential source alerted agents that a large load of cocaine was traveling towards the border in October 2005. Acting on the information, a Washington State Trooper identified a suspicious vehicle driving erratically. After stopping the vehicle, a narcotics K-9 alerted to the presence of cocaine in the vehicle and officers discovered the 41 kilos of cocaine. Agents worked to arrest other members of the smuggling ring, including the captain of a boat waiting at the Bellingham marina, and two other men who were waiting to pick up and distribute the ecstasy the boat had brought down from Canada. KERFOOT was the person in charge of the smuggling operation.
The other members of the smuggling ring were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six-and-a-half years to just over three years. All have since been released after serving their sentences.
As KERFOOT fought extradition from Canada, he convinced at least one member of the crime ring to change his statement to law enforcement. Last August, just as his appeals were running out, one of the members of the ring was attacked in a brazen daylight shooting and suffered seven to eight gunshot wounds as he sat in his car. The witness survived and reported to Canadian law enforcement that KERFOOT was behind the targeted attack. The shooter is currently awaiting trial in Canada.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from the Washington State Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi, with assistance from the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs (OIA).
Last Defendant Sentenced in Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Sixto Rivera Bustillos, 44, of Garland, Texas, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle for his role in a heroin distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Bustillos was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in September 2016 to one count of possession with intent to distribute and the distribution of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. Bustillos has been in custody since his arrest in June 2016.
Bustillos was charged along with six others with various offenses related to a heroin distribution conspiracy. Of the seven charged, all pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to the following:
Rene Rodriguez, 31, of Dallas, 108 months
Marcus Stokes, 31, of Plano, 70 months
Daniel Rojo, 32, of Allen, 60 months
Brittany Anders, 32, of Rowlett, 51 months
Jancs Fraire, aka “Jesus Luis Friar,” “Jesus Fraire,” and “Jay,” 19, of Dallas, 20 months
Yovani Loyd Rodriguez, 23, of Dallas, 10 months
According to plea documents filed in Bustillos’ case, on April 27, 2016 Anders and Bustillos met an individual in a McDonalds restaurant bathroom in Garland, Texas and exchanged one-half ounce of heroin for $820.On June 2, 2016, DEA agents went to Bustillos and Anders’ home with federal arrest warrants for both Bustillos and Anders. The agents conducted a protective sweep of the home, and upon entering Bustillo’s bedroom smelled raw marijuana emanating from an open duffel bag on the bed. Agents seized the bag containing marijuana, other controlled substances and a firearm.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Allen Police Department and Rockwall Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam prosecuted.
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Lancaster Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to 170 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Gabriel Reyes, aka “Payaso,” 33, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn to 170 months in federal prison for the distribution of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Reyes pleaded guilty in February 2017 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. He has been in custody since the time of his arrest in September 2016.
According to documents filed in the case, on September 21, 2016 Reyes sold an ounce of heroin from his residence in Lancaster, Texas in exchange for $1,050. On September 28, 2016 law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at the residence of Reyes. Agents found over 100 grams of heroin, approximately $92,700, drug paraphernalia, and three firearms.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and Lancaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam was in charge of the prosecution.
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Little Rock Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fort Smith, Arkansas – Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Terrance Quartez Jarrett, aka Boopie, age 34, of Little Rock, was sentenced last week to 180 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, on counts of Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana. The Honorable P.K. Holmes III presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court records, in May of 2016, officers with the Fort Smith Police Department (FSPD) received information that Terrance Jarrett , a/k/a Boopie, had been selling narcotics out of his residence. On May 17, 2016, a parole search was conducted at Jarrett’s residence. During the search, Officers located approximately 104 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 223 grams of marijuana and three firearms.
Jarrett was named in a federal indictment in June of 2016. In January of 2017, a jury found Jarrett guilty of Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana.
The Fort Smith Police Department investigated this case with the assistance of Arkansas Department of Community Correction Probation and Parole and the Department of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney’s Candace Taylor and Aaron Jennen prosecuted the case for the United States.
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Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Jamaican National Sentenced for Making False Statements at the BorderRead 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 LaTanya Notice, 42, of Mount Vernon, NY, who was convicted of making false statements to federal officers, was sentenced to one year probation by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque, who handled the case, stated that on January 23, 2013, the defendant, a Jamaican citizen with legal permanent resident status in the United States, attempted to cross into the United States from Canada at the Peace Bridge with a man in possession of a valid United States Passport. Notice claimed that her traveling companion was her brother and they were returning to their home in New York City. Standard database checks revealed that the man was in fact Horace Tajah, an aggravated felon from Jamaica. In 2010, Tajah, who was the defendant’s husband at the time, was convicted in the Southern District of New York of drug, gun, and conspiracy to commit murder charges. Tajah was sentenced to 72 months in prison, deported to Jamaica on December 28, 2012, and banned from the United States for life.
In June 2017, Horace Tajah, who was convicted of reentering the United States after a conviction for an aggravated felony, was sentenced to time served (four years).
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
Jamaican Man Convicted of Transporting and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Anthony Carl Spence (45, Jamaica) guilty of transporting and possessing child pornography. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison; his sentencing hearing is October 12, 2017.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 6, 2017, Spence arrived at the Orlando International Airport from Jamaica with a smartphone. During a routine border search of the phone, agents located a video depicting an adult male sexually abusing a toddler. Later, agents located a second video that depicted a child between the ages of seven and nine engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During an interview with law enforcement, Spence admitted that he had shared the videos with multiple people in Jamaica but claimed that he thought he had deleted the videos before he came to the United States.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
Indiana Man Admits Role in Dark Net Weapons Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. - An Indiana man today admitted transporting weapons to New Jersey in connection with illegal firearms trafficking and sales activity he conducted on an underground, internet based marketplace known as Alphabay, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Benjamin Donald Brunni, 19, of Greensburg, Indiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Trenton federal court to an information charging him one count of transporting and selling firearms without a license.
Co-defendant Nicholas Michael Albertson, 20, of Columbus, Indiana, pleaded guilty to the same offense on July 14, 2017. The arrests of Brunni and Albertson stemmed from a larger law enforcement operation initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that targeted illegal activities conducted through the dark net since 2013.
“This case highlights the danger posed by dark net marketplaces that offer one-stop anonymous shopping for criminal services,” Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick said. “A brief series of online communications was all it took to negotiate an $7,550 illicit firearms purchase and send Brunni and Albertson from Indiana to New Jersey to deliver an arsenal of assault rifles and untraceable handguns. Thankfully, a sophisticated undercover operation intercepted the guns and put these two out of business.”
“This guilty plea serves as a stern warning about the consequences awaiting arms traffickers who think the dark net is a safe haven to conduct illegal activities,” said Debra Parker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Newark. “HSI will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold criminals who use anonymous internet software for illegal activities accountable for their actions.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning in April 2013, HSI special agents conducted an undercover investigation of illicit sales activity on various dark net internet platforms. During the course of the investigation, Alphabay was identified as a website that provided a platform for vendors and buyers to conduct anonymous online transactions involving the sale of a variety of illegal goods, including firearms, ammunition, explosives, narcotics, and counterfeit items.
Unlike mainstream e-commerce websites, Alphabay was only accessible via the “Tor” network, which enabled its users to conceal their identities and physical locations. Although Tor has known legitimate uses, it is also used by cybercriminals seeking anonymity during illicit online activities.
During the course of the investigation, HSI agents learned that Brunni maintained a profile on Alphabay in which he expressed interest in the sale and purchase of firearms and ammunition. For approximately one month, Brunni negotiated with an undercover officer, whom he believed was an international purchaser of firearms, for the sale of numerous semi-automatic handguns and rifles.
Ultimately, Brunni agreed to sell 10 firearms to the undercover officer, including eight Glock-model semi-automatic handguns with obliterated serial numbers and two semi-automatic rifles for $7,550. Brunni also agreed to transport the weapons from his home in Indiana to New Jersey to complete the transaction.
On Sept. 9, 2016, Brunni and Albertson traveled to the meeting spot at a truck stop in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and were subsequently arrested. Law enforcement agents recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson Model 5906 S-A Pistol in the vicinity of the Mercedes driver’s seat, as well as three Glock Model 22 Pistols, one Glock Model 17 Gen 4 Pistol, one Glock Model 20 Pistol, one Glock Model 26 Gen 4 Pistol, one Glock Model 30 Pistol, one Glock Model 34 Pistol, one Rugar AR-556 assault rifle, and one Anderson Mfg. AM-15 assault rifle. The serial numbers from each of the Glock handguns were obliterated and unrecognizable.
The unlicensed sale and weapons transportation charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing for Brunni and Albertson is scheduled for Nov. 28, 2017 and Nov. 13, 2017, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Debra Parker in Newark, Homeland Security Investigations Indianapolis, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Resident Agent in Charge Gary Woolf, officers of the N.J. State Police under the direction of Col. Joseph R. Fuentes, and officers of the Greenfield Police Department, Indiana, under the direction of Chief Jeff Rasche, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis C. Carletta of the U.S. Attorney's Office's National Security Unit in Newark.
Defense Counsel: Brunni: Brian J. Neary Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Albertson: Assistant Federal Public Defender Carol Gillen Esq., NewarkIllegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Rodrigo Hernandez-Garcia, age 32, an illegal alien from Mexico who was living in Bay St. Louis, pled guilty on July 26, 2017, before Chief District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced Acting U. S. Attorney Harold Brittain.
Hernandez-Garcia will be sentenced on October 24, 2017 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces deportation as a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
INTERPOL Washington Addresses Biometrics ConferenceRead the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington INTERPOL Washington Assistant Director Royce Walters addresses the audience at the Biometrics for Government & Law Enforcement International Conference.On July 26, 2017, INTERPOL Washington--the U.S. National Central Bureau--participated in the Biometrics for Government & Law Enforcement International Conference. Held in Arlington, Virginia, the three-day event brought together industry experts from various fields, including high level U.S. government officials, directors of security agencies, heads of acquisition, and biometric program managers, to discuss the challenges and best practices they have encountered with shaping national and global security.
INTERPOL Washington Assistant Director Royce Walters addressed the session called, “Leveraging Voice, Face and Physical Behavioral Biometrics to Enhance Security Layers.” He provided an overview of INTERPOL Washington, including its mission and participation in various information sharing initiatives.
Border points are critical locations for preserving national security and INTERPOL has a number of tools to support these efforts, including INTERPOL’s database of Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD). Walters explained the origins of SLTD which became operational in July of 2002, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. SLTD helps INTERPOL member countries secure their borders and protect their citizens from terrorists and other dangerous criminals who travel freely using stolen, lost, revoked, and forged travel documents. The SLTD database is a searchable repository of visas and passports reported as lost or stolen.
INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) and law enforcement agencies submit information about stolen and lost travel documents directly into the SLTD database via INTERPOL’s secure global police-to-police communications system, I-24/7. Law enforcement officials use the SLTD database to screen the passports of individuals who are travelling internationally in order to rapidly ascertain the status of the individual and passport in question.
Walters emphasized the important role that individual countries play in the success of the SLTD. The database is only as strong as the information entered and the consistency of its use.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General, INTERPOL Washington serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.Hundreds of MS-13 Gang Members Charged by Salvadoran Government During Visit by Attorney General SessionsRead the Press Release
During their meeting in San Salvador this morning, Attorney General Jeff Sessions congratulated Attorney General Douglas Menéndez on their announcement that Salvadoran prosecutors today charged 113 MS-13 gang members in El Salvador. In addition, 593 gang members were charged yesterday, including many MS-13 members.
On February 9, 2017, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking to dismantle and eradicate transnational gangs threatening the safety of our communities. Pursuant to that order, Attorney General Sessions has made dismantling transnational gangs like MS-13 a priority. Today’s announcement comes as a result of the meeting the Attorneys General held in March of this year in Washington, D.C.
Earlier this year, members of the MS-13’s Peajes Locos Salvatruchas Clique, occupying territory in the La Paz Department of the country, allegedly committed several high profile murders including the killings of three victims from the LGBT community who were believed to have committed extortions without authorization from MS-13. The alleged shooter in these high profile murders fled to the United States and is now in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings. ICE agents in El Salvador are coordinating with their counterparts in the United States to ensure that he is quickly removed and brought back to El Salvador to face charges.
The investigation into this MS-13 clique is being handled by Salvadoran gang prosecutors who were trained and mentored by FBI and State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law advisors, Justice Department embedded Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT) prosecutors, and police officers from the HIT Team. In addition, FBI and OPDAT teams worked with Salvadoran prosecutors to fund and arrange for essential witnesses to the murders to be transported to El Salvador for court proceedings.
Hudson County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Masterminding Fake ID Website and Participating in ‘SIRF’ SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for his role in two separate conspiracies: one to create and operate a website that sold high-quality, custom-made fake identification documents, some of which were later used to commit financial crimes, and a second to fraudulently obtain tax refund checks, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Ricardo Rosario, 34, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with authentication features and conspiracy to submit false claims to the U.S. Government. Judge Linares imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From October 2012 through August 2014, Rosario, with the assistance of Abraham Corcino, 34, of Jersey City, and Alexis Scott Carthens, 38, of Newark, sold fake driver’s licenses over the Internet, running a website that was available at “fakeidstore.com” and “fakedlstore.com.” A number of the fake driver’s licenses sold by Rosario and other conspirators were used in connection with “cash out” schemes, where stolen credit card information, usually obtained through hacking or ATM skimming operations, was encoded on to counterfeit credit cards and used to steal cash from victims’ accounts.
Rosario created and ran the website. Corcino and Carthens assisted him by creating and mailing the fake driver’s licenses purchased through the website. Corcino also maintained an Instagram account to promote the website. The website sold fake New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin driver’s licenses, and the website boasted that the licenses had “scannable barcodes” and “real” holographic overlays. The price for each fake driver’s license was approximately $150, but the website offered bulk pricing for orders of 10 or more.
The website allowed its users to pay by bitcoin, a cryptographic-based digital currency, or MoneyPak, a type of prepaid payment card that could be purchased at retail stores. The “FAQ” section of the website indicated that orders would be received approximately one to two days after payment was received and described the website’s policy with respect to returns: “No Refunds. No snitching.”
In the Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) conspiracy, Rosario assisted Carthens, who obtained stolen personally identifiable information (PII) primarily in the form of lab testing request forms that he purchased from another individual. Rosario provided Carthens with email accounts and drop addresses used in furtherance of the scheme. The email accounts were used to register accounts for online tax filing services and prepaid card accounts used to apply for and receive the tax refunds. The drop addresses were used to physically receive the refunds in the form of prepaid debit cards.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Linares sentenced Rosario to three years of supervised release and ordered forfeiture of $232,660 and restitution of $121,922.
Corcino was sentenced on April 17, 2017, to three years of probation. Carthens pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 25, 2016, and is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 28, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge James V. Buthorn, and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Intrater of the Economic Crimes Unit and Barbara Ward, Acting Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Brian Neary Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Illegal Re-entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Miguel Angel Mauricio-Ramirez, age 35, and a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced today to time served (24 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas P. Brophy, Acting Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
As part of his guilty plea, Mauricio-Ramirez admitted that he is a citizen of Guatemala, and that he illegally returned to the United States after he was removed to Guatemala, under the name Esvin Cano, on January 8, 2007.
On July 3, 2017, Mauricio-Ramirez was arrested by ICE officers in Kinderhook, New York.
Following the sentencing, Mauricio-Ramirez was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Greer Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Sean Patrick Oswell, age 52, of Greer, South Carolina was sentenced today in federal court in Greenville, South Carolina, for Production of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain, of Anderson, sentenced Oswell to 262 months imprisonment, followed by a life term of supervised release, including sex offender registration, sex offender counseling, and polygraph requirements.
Evidence presented at the change of plea and sentencing hearings established that law enforcement located images of child pornography of a very young child in Australia. Law enforcement worked backward, eventually locating the distributor of those images, Sean Patrick Oswell. Investigation revealed that Oswell not only distributed those images, but he had actually created them, taking pictures of the prepubescent child, whose identity is protected, and sexually exploiting the child.
The case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. The Child Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, Cherokee, & Union provided forensic evaluation in the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
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Georgia Man Sentenced on Gun 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 Eric Hubbard, 34, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 18 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that on June 19, 2014, the defendant was walking down Genesee Street and was approached by a pair of Buffalo Police Officers. After refusing to show identification, the officers patted Hubbard down and detected a gun. A search revealed a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and 13 rounds of ammunition. The defendant subsequently stated to the arresting officers that the gun was “his girl’s” and that he was carrying it to protect himself.
As a result of two prior convictions in the State of Michigan, the first in 2002 for breaking and entering, and the second in 2003 for attempting to break and enter and assaulting or resisting a police officer, the defendant is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Ashan Benedict, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
Four Vendors to Pa-Liquor Control Board Agree to Pay over $9 Million in Monetary PenaltiesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that four vendors to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board have entered non-prosecution agreements with the government requiring the payment of over $9 million in monetary penalties for their involvement in previously providing things of value to officials at the PA-LCB.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the four companies that have entered into the agreements are:
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Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Pennsylvania, LLC, which is successor company to Southern Wine and Spirits of Pennsylvania, LLC, and wholly owned by Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Miami, Florida;
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Breakthru Beverage Pennsylvania, LLC, which is the successor company to Capital Wine and Spirits, LLC, and wholly owned by Breakthru Beverage Group, Inc. of New York, New York;
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White Rock Distilleries, Inc., which formerly was headquartered in Lewiston, Maine; and
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Pio Imports, LLC, which is headquartered in North Wales, Pennsylvania.
Each of these companies agreed to pay substantial monetary penalties, implement compliance measures and refrain from engaging in similar activities in the future. The government agreed not to prosecute the companies nor any of their employees who gave things of value to officials of the PA-LCB. U.S. Attorney Brandler noted several factors that informed these resolutions, including the cooperation of the businesses in the government’s investigation, the merits of the individual cases, as well as the historic nature of the conduct which was discontinued in 2012 when the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission initiated its investigation into this matter.
Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Pennsylvania agreed to pay $5 million in monetary penalties for their employees role in providing cash, all-expenses paid trips, tickets to shows and sporting events, entertainment and other things of value to officials at the PA-LCB from 2000 to 2012. Attached to their agreement is a statement of facts outlining the conduct of Southern’s employees.
White Rock Distilleries agreed to pay $2 million in monetary penalties for their employees role in providing cash, all-expenses paid trips, and other things of value to officials at the PA-LCB from 2000-2011. Attached to their agreement is a statement of facts outlining the conduct of White Rock’s employees.
Breakthru Beverage Pennsylvania, which until recently operated as Capital Wine & Spirits, LLC, agreed to pay $2 million in monetary penalties for their employees’ role in providing gift cards, tickets, meals, and entertainment to officials at the PA-LCB between 2007-2012. Attached to their agreement is a statement of facts outlining the conduct of Capital’s employees.
Pio Imports, LLC, agreed to pay $200,000 in monetary penalties for their employee’s role in providing gift cards to officials at the PA-LCB between 2007-2012. Attached to their agreement is a statement of facts outlining the conduct of Pio’s employees.
“Although the history between these organizations and the PA-LCB is clearly disturbing, it is in the interests of justice to expose this history and hold the organizations responsible. The monetary penalties imposed on these successor organizations more than disgorges the financial benefits received and discourages future misconduct by those in the industry,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandler.
In September 2015, James Short – the former Director of the Marketing for the PA-LCB - entered a guilty plea to honest services fraud. The charges are based upon Short’s receiving numerous benefits from White Rock and Capital Wine and Spirits over a ten-year period of time. No date has been scheduled yet for Short’s sentencing.
These matters were investigated by the Harrisburg Office of the FBI and handled by Senior Litigation Counsel Michael A. Consiglio. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI were also assisted by the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission.
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Four Inland Empire Individuals Charged in Tax Fraud and Identity Theft Scheme Claiming Nearly $2 Million in Fraudulent Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities on Monday and Tuesday arrested three defendants charged with participating in a tax fraud scheme that used stolen identities to file at least 527 fraudulent federal income tax returns claiming more than $1.9 million in fraudulent tax refunds with the Internal Revenue Service.
The 41-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on July 12th and unsealed yesterday and charges the defendants with conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, filing false claims against the government, theft of government property, wire fraud, possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, possession of an identification document with intent to defraud the United States, aggravated identity theft, and criminal forfeiture. The Indictment also names a fourth defendant, Raymond Salazar, 53, of Los Angeles who remains at large.
The three defendants taken into custody on Monday and Tuesday are:
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Charlene Castrejon, 58, of Hemet, California;
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Rebecca Mona Sandoval, 33 of San Jacinto, California; and
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Robert Manuel Gamboa, Jr., known as Paul Timothy Garcia, 29, of Highland, California.
At their initial court appearances this week in the United States Courthouse in Riverside, Castrejon and Sandoval were released on bond and Gamboa remains in federal custody pending his detention hearing on July 28.
The indictment alleges that Castrejon, Salazar, and Sandoval prepared fraudulent federal income tax returns in the names of identity theft victims with false income, dependent, earned income credit, education credit and child tax credit information. As a result of the false information, the returns claimed fraudulent tax refunds. The tax returns were filed without the knowledge or consent of the identity theft victims.
The Indictment further alleges that the refund payments were either mailed to addresses or deposited directly into taxpayer debit card accounts that Castrejon, Salazar, and Sandoval controlled. Gamboa worked with the other defendants by depositing the refund checks into the accounts that he and the others controlled.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of wire fraud, each defendant will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In addition, each count of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison.
This week’s arrests are part of an ongoing investigation being conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Throughout the operation, IRS CI and HSI received substantial assistance from the FBI Safe Streets San Bernardino Gang Impact Team.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julius J. Nam from the Riverside Branch Office.
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Founder and Leader of “Bmb” Street Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NICO BURRELL, a/k/a “Zico Nico,” pled guilty today to racketeering conspiracy in connection with his leadership of the “Big Money Bosses” gang (“BMB”), a violent street gang founded by BURRELL that operated primarily on White Plains Road from 215th Street to 233rd Street in the Bronx.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “For far too long, under the leadership of Nico Burrell, the BMB street gang has terrorized citizens of the Bronx through violence, robberies, and drug dealing. With Burrell’s guilty plea today, the community around White Plains Road is safer.”
According to the Indictment and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during the plea proceedings:
BURRELL was a founder and leader of BMB, a subset of the “Young Bosses,” or “YBz” street gang, which operated throughout New York City. Between 2007 and 2016, members and associates of BMB committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members in the Bronx—including murders, attempted murders, and armed robberies—and sold crack cocaine and marijuana. As part of his leadership of BMB, BURRELL attempted to shoot a rival gang member on February 11, 2009, but hit an innocent bystander instead. BURRELL also sold significant amounts of oxycodone and, during pretrial detention in this case, assaulted a witness.
BURRELL was arrested in this case as a result of a multi-year investigation by the New York City Police Department’s Bronx Gang Squad (the “Bronx Gang Squad”), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Violent Gang Unit (“HSI”), the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and the Joint Firearms Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) into gang violence in the Northern Bronx. On April 27, 2016, the Indictment was unsealed, charging 63 members and associates of BMB with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, narcotics distribution, and/or firearms charges. To date, 55 of these defendants have pled guilty.
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BURRELL, 25, of the Bronx, New York, was arrested on April 27, 2016. BURRELL pled guilty today to one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the NYPD’s Bronx Gang Squad, HSI, DEA, and ATF.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Maimin, Micah W.J. Smith, Hagan Scotten, Jessica Feinstein, and Drew Skinner are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Supervisor at Portland, Oregon-Area Manufacturing Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Product Certification Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a former supervisor at an aluminum extrusion manufacturing company in the Portland, Oregon, area pleaded guilty for his role in a decade-long scheme involving the fraudulent certification of mechanical properties for parts manufactured by his former employer.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Executive Officer Renee Juhans of the NASA Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Loren ‘Renn’ Cannon of the FBI’s Portland Division, Special Agent in Charge Chris Hendrickson of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Western Field Office and Special Agent in Charge John Khin of DCIS’s Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
Dennis Balius, 60, of Portland, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernández of the District of Oregon. Sentencing has been scheduled for November 30 before Judge Hernández.
As part of his guilty plea, Balius admitted that, as a lab supervisor at a Portland-area aluminum extrusion manufacturing facility, he trained and directed lab technicians – who conducted testing on aluminum extrusions – to falsify mechanical properties test results for extrusions that failed to meet industry specifications. Balius admitted that from the time he became a lab supervisor in or about 2003 through the end of his employment in 2015, he routinely falsified and instructed lab technicians to falsify test results to ensure the company’s unreliable and inconsistent production practices would not prevent aluminum extrusions from being shipped to customers. Balius admitted that he made, or directed lab technicians to make, alterations to failing test results if the shipping department asked him to rush an order because ensuring on-time delivery of aluminum helped him and other employees receive bonuses.
Balius further admitted that his former employer determined that he and the lab technicians altered the mechanical properties of aluminum extrusions over 4,000 times, allowing the manufacturing company to gross over $6.8 million in total sales based on altered test results.
This case was investigated by the NASA Office of Inspector General, the FBI’s Portland office and DCIS. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Thomas B.W. Hall and Trial Attorneys Jennifer G. Ballanytyne and Emily C. Scruggs of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
Former Soldier Sentenced for Child Abuse at Fort RileyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A former Army soldier was sentenced Thursday to 17 years in federal prison for child abuse, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Eugene Cleaver, 30, Bonham, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred while he was stationed at Fort Riley where he lived with four minor females and their parents. He received free room and board in exchange for caring for the children and the house. After the children were removed from their parents’ home and placed in foster care, investigators learned that Cleaver had molested the children and warned them not to say a word or he would get into trouble.
Beall commended the U.S. Army, Criminal Investigation Division, the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney.
Former Postal Employee Convicted at Trial in Scheme to Defraud Worker’s Compensation Program Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Tonya Evans, 52, a former U.S. Postal Service employee, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 21 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $98,888.73 in restitution for participating in a scheme to defraud the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Worker’s Compensation Program (OWCP), announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Evans and co-defendant, McArthur Baker, 69, both of Dallas, were each convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay on one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. with respect to claims and one count of false statements or fraud to obtain federal employees’ compensation. Baker was sentenced in March 2017 to 21 months in federal prison.
The government presented evidence at trial that Baker and Evans engaged in a scheme to receive kickbacks in exchange for their completion of falsified medical documentation that was used by co-conspirators to defraud DOL’s OWCP. The government presented further evidence that Baker also falsified forms related to travel he purportedly made for medical services, and as a result, received funds from DOL to which he was not entitled.
Evans began working for the U.S. Postal Service in November 1985; she worked as a clerk primarily with the parcel post distribution machine. She filed disability claims in August 2001, August 2003, and August 2008 claiming that she suffered from various injuries. As a result of these claims, Evans was placed on worker’s compensation in 2001. She received more than $340,000 in worker’s compensation payments. In March 2010, she applied for disability retirement that was approved in October 2011.
Baker began working for the U.S. Postal Service in 1982; he was assigned to work as a mail handler equipment operator. Between 1984 and 2007, Baker filed eight different claims for disability, claiming he suffered from various injuries. As a result of these claims, Baker stopped working in approximately December 2007. He never returned to work but continued to receive disability compensation from December 2007 until at least October 2009. He received more than $68,000 in worker’s compensation payments. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service in October 2009 but he continued to receive disability medical care paid for through DOL, and he continues to be eligible for disability medical care.
Convicted co-conspirator, Larry Washington, was a licensed professional counselor and ran several businesses known as AAA Mental Health, LLC, Mind Spa, Inc., Solutions Health and Rehabilitation, and Convergence Emergence Diversion. Through these businesses, Washington purportedly provided patients with counseling, pain management, chiropractic services, physical therapy, and massage services. His patients were former postal and Veterans Administration employees who had suffered on-the-job injuries and were eligible to receive medical services and worker’s compensation related to those injuries. Earlier this year, Washington pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and was sentenced in May 2016 to 78 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $7.7 million in restitution.
To maintain and enhance his billings with OWCP, Washington asked claimants, including Baker and Evans, to falsify medical documentation, called “mood inventories,” that indicated they had received services on days they had not. Baker and Evans completed numerous mood inventory forms that contained false information about the days on which Baker and Evans received treatment from Washington or someone working for Washington. Baker and Evans received approximately $100 for each form they completed.
Over the course of the fraud, Baker received a total of at least $3,000 from Washington; Evans received at least $6,000.
As a result of Baker’s falsified documentation, Washington was able to fraudulently bill $105,125 from OWCP. As a result of Evans’ falsified documentation, Washington was able to bill $202,438 from OWCP.
In addition to Baker and Evans, 20 claimants, four doctors or medical providers, a senior claims examiner at DOL, a claims representative, a Postal employee detailed to the Postal Service Health Resource Management Office, and a medical provider’s employee were charged and convicted in the scheme.
In total, the defendants were able to collectively fraudulently bill the federal government through the OWCP for more than $9.5 million and receive more than $8.7 million in government payments based on their fraudulent billing. The DOL made approximately $11.4 million in payments to these claimants for their compensation and medical services.
The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, with assistance from Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General/Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl, Nicole Dana and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Bray prosecuted.
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Former Leader of New York Chapter of “United Gamefowl Breeders Association” Charged with Animal Welfare Offense for Cockfighting VentureRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Bethanne M. Dinkins, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (“USDA-OIG”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that THOMAS CARRANO self-surrendered today in connection with an indictment charging him with conspiring to possess, sell, and transport roosters for purposes of participation in animal fights around the United States. The defendant was arraigned today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker and the case has been assigned to the Honorable Deborah A. Batts.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, Thomas Carrano masqueraded as a gamefowl enthusiast, going so far as to become the leader of an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting birds. But in fact, as alleged, Carrano was heavily involved in the cruel ‘sport’ of cockfighting. Thanks to the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the NYPD, Carrano’s alleged inhumane practices are over.”
Special Agent-in-Charge Dinkins said: “The provisions of the Animal Welfare Act were designed to protect animals from being used in illegal fighting ventures, which often entail other forms of criminal activity involving drugs, firearms and gambling. Together with the Department of Justice, animal fighting is an investigative priority for USDA-OIG, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and assist in the criminal prosecution of those who participate in animal fighting ventures.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Cockfighting is an activity in which two roosters are put forward to fight one another for sport and entertainment. The roosters typically have metal spurs, known as gaffs, or plastic spurs, known as “postiza,” affixed to their legs for use in the fight. The fights between roosters are ended when one rooster is dead or refuses to continue to fight. If not killed during the fight, the losing rooster is typically killed afterwards. Roosters involved in cockfighting will often be mutilated in preparation for fights, typically by cutting off the rooster’s comb and wattle and shaping the rooster’s spur.
From January 2012 up June 2017, THOMAS CARRANO, a member and former leader of the New York chapter of the United Gamefowl Breeders Association (“NYUGBA”), conspired with others—including a co-conspirator in the Bronx, New York—to buy, sell, transport, and receive roosters for cockfighting. CARRANO used two social media accounts—one in his own name, and one in the NYUGBA’s name —to communicate with co-conspirators, including members of the NYUGBA and others that were located in the Southern District of New York. In a 2014 newsletter to its members, the NYUGBA stated that “We DO NOT promote cockfighting in any way.” Yet in messages sent through these social media accounts, CARRANO discussed breeding and training roosters for cockfighting, the sale and purchase of gaffs and postizas for cockfighting, and CARRANO’s personal participation in cockfighting.
On May 23, 2017, law enforcement personnel executed a search warrant at CARRANO’s gamefowl farm in Ontario, New York. During the search, law enforcement officers discovered, among other things, gaffs, postizas, shears for dubbing roosters, a rooster sparring dummy, a specialized ladder used to train fighting roosters, steroids, and videos of roosters being trained for cockfights. In addition, law enforcement officers recovered approximately 104 chickens, including 19 adult roosters and 12 adolescent roosters. More than three-quarters of the male birds had their comb, wattles, and/or earlobes removed. In addition, more than a third of the roosters had at least one of their natural spurs altered.
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CARRANO, 44, of Ontario, New York, is charged with one count of conspiring to sell, possess, and transport animals for purposes of participating in an animal fight, which carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the USDA-OIG and NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Investigations Squad, and thanked them for their ongoing support and assistance with the case. Mr. Kim also thanked the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for their assistance in this case.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alison G. Moe and Michael C. McGinnis are in charge of the case.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama- Today, Johntarance Henriquis McCray (23), a former Alabama Corrections Officer from Hope Hull, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for smuggling multiple drugs into a state correctional facility, announced A. Clark Morris, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. At the time of the offense, McCray was a prison guard at Draper Correctional Facility in Elmore County.
In addition to the four and half year prison sentence, McCray will also be subject to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In October 2015, McCray’s superiors at Draper received information that he was smuggling drugs into the prison. When McCray reported for his shift on October 15, 2015, his supervising officers confronted and searched him. During the search, they found two large bundles hidden in McCray’s underwear that contained six different controlled substances: crack cocaine, powder cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, Xanax, and Suboxone. When McCray’s vehicle was searched, officers found a duffle bag containing additional drugs, a loaded 9 mm handgun, and over $400 in cash.
McCray had been with the Alabama Department of Corrections for approximately nine months before committing this crime.
“Correctional officers are there to maintain order and ensure prisoner safety,” stated Acting U.S Attorney Morris. “Corrupt guards who sneak drugs into prison are not only putting the safety of inmates at risk, they are also jeopardizing the safety of their fellow officers. The U.S Attorney’s Office recognizes that most correctional officers serve with honor and integrity. However, my office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute those that abuse their position.”
"Law enforcement has to be held to a higher standard,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Lasky. “Our Department of Corrections partners are working hard to stop this kind of behavior and the FBI will use every resource available to assist in this struggle."
“The Alabama Department of Corrections is served by committed and dedicated law enforcement professionals who put their lives on the line each and every day while keeping the public safe, and it’s unfortunate that a small percentage choose to compromise their integrity for personal gain,” said Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn. “Our partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies is important to public safety, and we appreciate the assistance we received throughout the investigation.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Alabama Department of Corrections Investigations and Intelligence Division investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bradley Bodiford.
Former Coral Springs Resident Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
A former Coral Springs resident was sentenced to 87 months in prison for possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, possession of device-making equipment, and aggravated identity theft.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), and Tony Pustizzi, Chief, Coral Springs Police Department, made the announcement.
In January 2017, Terrance Beron Sills, 28, pled guilty to one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, one count of possession of device-making equipment, and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas sentenced Sills to a total of 87 months in prison. The sentence consisted of 63 months in prison for possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices and possession of device-making equipment, followed by a consecutive sentence of 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft. This sentence will run consecutive to a sentence of 18 months in prison, previously imposed on Sills by Senior U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
According to court documents, members of the Coral Springs Police Department discovered hundreds of printed pages containing personally identifiable information (PII) of other people, including driver’s license information, hospital records, and credit reports, in Sills’ apartment while responding to a reported domestic disturbance. When detectives subsequently executed a search warrant on the apartment, they discovered PII for more than 600 individuals. Additionally, detectives found a printer, embosser, and magnetic stripe writer/reader used to make counterfeit credit cards or identifications. Several weeks later, Sills was stopped by Ft. Lauderdale Police Department officers driving a car the trunk of which contained additional PII, blank plastic cards, and counterfeit driver’s licenses.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the USSS and Coral Springs Police Department, including the work of the Task Force Officers. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss.
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.
Former Army Staff Sergeant Sentenced in Illegal Kickbacks SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced Cordera Hill (27, Tampa) to 24 months in federal prison for conspiracy and offering to pay and paying illegal kickbacks in connection with a federal health care benefit program. The Court also ordered Hill to forfeit more than $43,830.70, the proceeds traceable to his criminal conduct.
According to evidence presented at trial, in October 2014, Hill, a former member of the United States Army, agreed to become a sales representative for Centurion Compounding, Inc., a marketing firm in Wesley Chapel that utilized sales representatives as independent contractors to market compounded medications, including creams for pain and scars, to TRICARE beneficiaries. These creams had very high reimbursement rates, ranging from approximately $4,000 to $17,000 for a one-month supply. Centurion focused its promotional efforts on TRICARE beneficiaries because they knew TRICARE would pay claims for these compounded creams.
Hill paid, and conspired to pay, TRICARE beneficiaries to go to clinics at, among other places, a cosmetics store in a strip mall. Hill also paid for beneficiaries to fly to Tampa from Colorado and Hawaii for the purpose of visiting clinics to obtain compounding creams. The beneficiaries, who had access to free healthcare on base, would visit the cosmetics store after hours and on weekends to obtain prescriptions. Many of the beneficiaries did not need the creams and discarded them in the trash. Hill received $43,830.70 in commission payments from Centurion for referring TRICARE beneficiaries to doctors to obtain the creams. TRICARE paid out $728,909.82 for claims submitted on behalf of patients that Hill had recruited.
This case was investigated by the Department of Defense, Criminal Investigative Service; the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, Major Procurement Fraud Unit; the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel, Megan Kistler, Charles D. Schmitz, Simon Eth, and Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.
Federal Law Enforcement Seizes Large Amounts of Cocaine, Heroin and Fentanyl; More Than a Dozen Defendants ChargedRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — More than a dozen individuals are facing federal narcotics charges for their alleged roles in distributing cocaine, heroin and fentanyl on Chicago’s Northwest Side and western suburbs.
The federal investigation spanned more than two years and resulted in the seizures of approximately 52 kilograms of cocaine, 45 kilograms of heroin, more than 13 kilograms of fentanyl, and a pound of methamphetamines. Authorities used extensive undercover surveillance to uncover the alleged criminal activities. The probe was jointly led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and conducted under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Chicago Strike Force.
Thirteen defendants are charged with various narcotics offenses in federal court in Chicago. Five of the defendants were arrested Wednesday, while five others were arrested earlier this year. Three defendants are considered fugitives and are being sought by law enforcement.
The charges were announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Dennis A. Wichern, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Berwyn Police Department; Illinois State Police; DuPage County Metropolitan Enforcement Group; LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office; Downers Grove Police Department, and Peru, Ill., Police Department.
Authorities since 2015 have been investigating drug trafficking activities on the city’s Northwest Side and western suburbs, according to criminal complaints and affidavits filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The investigation uncovered numerous illegal drug transactions, including the distribution of three kilograms of cocaine on a street in Melrose Park, and the distribution of five kilograms of fentanyl at a gas station in Aurora.
The investigation revealed that AURELIO ABREGO, 45, of Chicago, and JOSE MIGUEL PEREZ, 54, of Chicago, worked together to obtain wholesale quantities of cocaine and heroin from others, and distributed the drugs to wholesale customers. The pair received the drugs from, among others, JAVIER MORENO, 49, of Chicago, and RICHARD ALVARADO, 28, of Chicago, for distribution to Abrego’s and Perez’s customers, the complaints state. FERNELLY LLANOS, 51, of Chicago, and PEDRO SAAVEDRA-FITZ, 28, of Chicago, served as brokers, supplying smaller distribution quantities of the narcotics to wholesale customers on credit – a practice known as “fronting” – and collected proceeds after the customers sold the narcotics, the charges state. The complaints identify one of the wholesale customers as FERNANDO GOMEZ, 30, of Schiller Park.
The complaint describes several drug transactions on the Northwest Side of Chicago. On July 17, 2015, Abrego and Perez distributed a kilogram of heroin to a customer of Saavedra-Fitz, the complaint states. At the time, a kilogram of heroin retailed in the Chicago area for approximately $49,000 to $54,000, the complaint states. On Sept. 29, 2015, Abrego allegedly distributed a kilogram of heroin to Llanos during a meeting in an alley in the Belmont Gardens neighborhood of Chicago. Authorities later seized the heroin after Llanos distributed it to another individual, according to the charges.
Abrego, Perez, Alvarado, Gomez and Llanos were arrested Wednesday on charges of drug distribution. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason scheduled detention hearings for July 28, 2017, Aug. 1, 2017, and Aug. 2, 2017.
Four defendants were charged in May: RICARDO CASTANEDA, 31, of Peru, Ill.; SANTOS GODINA, 32, of West Brooklyn, Ill.; EUGENE ALEXANDER, 44, of Bensenville; and JENNIFER REPPIN, 33, of Peru, Ill. They are awaiting trial on drug distribution charges.
One defendant, CARLOS FUENTES, 40, of Riverside, was charged in an indictment with drug distribution. Fuentes, who remains in federal custody since his arrest in January, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Saavedra-Fitz and Moreno are considered fugitives, as is ROLANDO ESTRADA, 41, of Elmwood Park. The three are facing drug distribution charges and are being sought by law enforcement.
The investigation was conducted under the umbrella of the OCDETF program, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of OCDETF is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations.
The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The government has been represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Pruitt, Matthew Kutcher, John Mitchell and Patrick Otlewski.
Fort Smith Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fort Smith , Arkansas – Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Gerardo Olivares, age 31, of Fort Smith, Arkansas was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge P. K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court records, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were able to purchase multiple ounces of methamphetamine (135.0 grams of actual methamphetamine) on several different occasions throughout the months of April and June of 2014 from Olivares in the Fort Smith Arkansas area.
Olivares was indicted October 2015 and plead guilty March 2017.
Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case, the Fort Smith Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Candace Taylor prosecuted the case for the United States.
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Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Everett Man Sentenced for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Everett man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for armed bank robbery and firearms offenses.
Joseph G. Rachal, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 101 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On April 27, 2017, Rachal was convicted by a federal jury of armed bank robbery, using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Nov. 19, 2015, Rachal entered a branch of the TD Bank in Brighton, removed a black semi-automatic handgun, pointed it at the tellers and ordered them to turn over cash from the drawers. Rachal exited the bank with $2,397. When law enforcement arrived minutes later, they observed Rachal hiding behind a parked SUV one block from the bank. When the officers approached the vehicle and identified themselves as police, Rachal ran away carrying a black nylon bag. When officers caught Rachal, they searched his bag and found an active scanner tuned to a Boston Police radio frequency, a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol with one chambered round and a magazine containing 14 additional rounds, an additional magazine containing 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and $2,397.
Bank surveillance cameras captured images of the robbery, and the items recovered from the bag Rachal was carrying were consistent with the items observed on the video.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Brookline Police Chief Daniel C. O’Leary; Sharon Police Chief Tilden S. Kaufman; and Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald made the announcement today. The investigation was conducted with the assistance of the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Essex County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 45 months in prison for robbing a Valley National bank in Belleville, New Jersey, in April 2016, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Donald Myer, 60, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to an information charging him with one count of bank robbery. Judge Linares imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Myer admitted that during the robbery, he passed a note to a bank employee in which demanded money and threatened that he would use a gun.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Linares sentenced Myer to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $1,000 in restitution.
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 leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Belleville, Kearny, and Port Authority police departments for their contributions to the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Allende of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for TheftRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Theft from Indian Tribal Organization was sentenced on July 24, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Shanon LeCompte, a/k/a Shanon Morgan, age 41, was sentenced to 2 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $1,805.97, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
LeCompte was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 19, 2017. She pled guilty on May 2, 2017.
LeCompte was employed by the Oriental Express in Eagle Butte in 2014 and 2015. While employed at Oriental Express, the defendant was given the business’ Personal Identification Number that allowed her to charge merchandise to Oriental Express’ account at the Lakota Thrifty Mart grocery store in Eagle Butte. LeCompte left her position at the Oriental Express and was later hired as an Assistant Manager at the Lakota Thrifty Mart, a business owned by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
The conviction stems from incidents between May 31, 2016, and October 22, 2016, when LeCompte used the Oriental Express’ Personal Identification Number to charge over $1,800.00 in merchandise at the Lakota Thrifty Mart for her own use.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
LeCompte was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation and Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on July 26, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Allen Garreau, age 33, was sentenced to 42 months in custody, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100 for the Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation count. Garreau was sentenced to 18 months in custody, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100 for the Assault on a Federal Officer count.
Garreau was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 19, 2016. He pled guilty on April 17, 2017.On July 11, 2016, Garreau went to the apartment of Michelle Black Tail to spend time with their son. Black Tail Deer allowed Garreau inside of the apartment but he began making sexual advances towards her, which she rebuffed. Garreau became angry and assaulted Black Tail Deer. Garreau grabbed Black Tail Deer by the hair, threw her to the floor, kicked her, punched her in the face, and then began to strangle her. Black Tail Deer lost consciousness. Garreau stayed at the apartment all night. The next morning, he attempted to prevent her from going to work. Black Tail Deer was able to get away from Garreau when a co-worker came to the apartment to pick her up for work.
Black Tail Deer was taken to the hospital and the police were called. After taking a report from her, Officers with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Police Department went to the apartment to make contact with Garreau. Garreau refused to open the door for the officers, and a maintenance worker had to unlock the apartment. Once inside, the officers found Garreau sitting on a bed in one of the bedrooms. He had a blanket pulled up over him and he had his arms around two small children. The officers made repeated requests for him to put the children down, to get up, and to walk out, but Garreau refused. When one of the officers attempted to approach Garreau, he told the officer that he needed to back up. The officer asked Garreau if he had anything or anything dangerous in his hands. Garreau told the officer words to the effect of “come find out.”
After several minutes of talking, Garreau stood up, showed his hands, and walked towards the officers. As the officers attempted to take him into custody, Garreau began to struggle with them. The officers were eventually able to take Garreau into custody.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Garreau was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Manuel Bienvenido Pimentel-Pimentel, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to time served, one year of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation. On June 21, 2017, Pimentel-Pimentel pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
In May 2017, federal agents discovered Pimentel-Pimentel in Billerica and determined that he was illegally present in the United States. He had been previously deported in August 2010.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to distributing heroin.
Luis Humberto Arias Lara, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Aug. 9, 2017.
On two occasions in September 2016 and January 2017, Arias Lara distributed heroin to an undercover officer in Waltham.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Arias Lara 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.
United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suburban Middlesex County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miranda Hooker and Susan Winkler of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
District of Columbia Woman Sentenced to Prison for Her Role in Scheme that Used Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Seek Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
A District of Columbia woman was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in income tax refunds, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips for the District of Columbia; Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Lappin of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office; Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Tarkara Cooper, 34, was convicted by a jury on Feb. 17 for conspiring to commit theft of government funds and defraud the United States and theft of public money. Two of her co-defendants, Tony Bryant, 55, and his son, Brian Bryant, 29, both of Clinton, Md., were also convicted at trial and are awaiting sentencing.
Cooper was part of a massive sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved a network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. Conspirators fraudulently claimed refunds for tax years 2005 through 2012, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of, and refunds were issued to, willing participants in the scheme. The returns filed listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. According to court documents, the overall case involved the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought at least $42 million in refunds.
Conspirators played various roles in the scheme: stealing identifying information; allowing their personal identifying information to be used; creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns; allowing their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; cashing the refund checks; providing bank accounts into which the refund checks were deposited and forging endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks. The false returns typically reported inflated or fictitious income from a sole proprietorship and claimed phony dependents to generate an Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes. To date, approximately two dozen participants in this scheme have pleaded guilty.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from approximately April 2010 through June 2012, Cooper and the Bryants participated in claiming $4,959,310 in fraudulent refunds, of which the IRS paid out approximately $2,285,717. Cooper agreed to allow her residence to be used for the delivery of tax refund checks, and was paid by a co-conspirator when she provided the tax refund checks to him. The Bryants deposited refund checks fraudulently obtained by others into accounts that they controlled.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ordered Cooper to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $1,926,958.14 in restitution to the IRS. She also ordered a forfeiture money judgment of $16,750.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Lappin, Inspector in Charge Wemyss and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended the special agents who conducted the investigation and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein; Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb; Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi, Aisha Keys, and Donna Galindo; former Paralegal Specialist Julie Dailey; Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal; Investigative Analysts William Hamann and Zachary McMenamin, and Victim/Witness Advocate Tonya Jones. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who worked on the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorney Kimberly G. Ang of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
District of Columbia Woman Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Her Role in Scheme That Used Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Seek Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia woman was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in income tax refunds, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Lappin of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office; Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Tarkara Cooper, 34, was convicted by a jury on Feb. 17, 2017, for conspiring to commit theft of government funds and defraud the United States and theft of public money. Two of her co-defendants, Tony Bryant, 55, and his son, Brian Bryant, 29, both of Clinton, Md., were also convicted at trial and are awaiting sentencing.
Cooper was part of a massive sophisticated stolen identity refund fraud scheme that involved a network of more than 130 people, many of whom were receiving public assistance. Conspirators fraudulently claimed refunds for tax years 2005 through 2012, often in the names of people whose identities had been stolen, including the elderly, people in assisted living facilities, drug addicts and incarcerated prisoners. Returns were also filed in the names of, and refunds were issued to, willing participants in the scheme. The returns filed listed more than 400 “taxpayer” addresses located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. According to court documents, the overall case involved the filing of at least 12,000 fraudulent federal income tax returns that sought at least $42 million in refunds.
Conspirators played various roles in the scheme: stealing identifying information; allowing their personal identifying information to be used; creating and mailing fraudulent federal tax returns; allowing their addresses to be used for receipt of the refund checks; cashing the refund checks; providing bank accounts into which the refund checks were deposited and forging endorsements of identity theft victims on the refund checks. The false returns typically reported inflated or fictitious income from a sole proprietorship and claimed phony dependents to generate an Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit for working families with low to moderate incomes. To date, approximately two dozen participants in this scheme have pleaded guilty.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from approximately April 2010 through June 2012, Cooper and the Bryants participated in claiming $4,959,310 in fraudulent refunds, of which the IRS paid out approximately $2,285,717. Cooper agreed to allow her residence to be used for the delivery of tax refund checks, and was paid by a co-conspirator when she provided the tax refund checks to him. The Bryants deposited refund checks fraudulently obtained by others into accounts that they controlled.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ordered Cooper to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $1,926,958 in restitution to the IRS. She also ordered a forfeiture money judgment of $16,750.
U.S. Attorney Phillips, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg, Special Agent in Charge Lappin, Inspector in Charge Wemyss, and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended the special agents who conducted the investigation and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Schornstein; Assistant U.S. Attorney Chrisellen Kolb; Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi, Aisha Keys, and Donna Galindo; former Paralegal Specialist Julie Dailey; Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal; Investigative Analysts William Hamann and Zachary McMenamin, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Trial Attorneys Jeffrey B. Bender, Thomas F. Koelbl, and Jessica Moran of the Tax Division, who worked on the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Chubin Epstein and Michelle Bradford of the District of Columbia’s Fraud and Public Corruption Section and Trial Attorney Kimberly G. Ang of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who assisted with forfeiture issues.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Tennessee Company and Its CEO to Stop Distribution of Unapproved and Misbranded DrugsRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Crown Laboratories Inc. and the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Bedard, to stop the distribution of unapproved and misbranded drugs, the Department of Justice announced today. The products at issue include urea creams and lotions intended to treat a variety of skin ailments.
The Department filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Tennessee on March 1, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The complaint alleged that the defendants violated the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by, among other things, introducing unapproved and misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Specifically, the complaint alleges that defendants sold a series of dermatological creams, despite the absence of FDA approval or a sufficient showing that these products were safe and effective.
“The public has a right to assume that drugs in the marketplace are safe, effective, have obtained proper approvals, and are labeled with the information necessary to allow for proper use,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Where drug manufacturers violate these fundamental requirements, the Department of Justice will continue to work aggressively with the FDA to ensure that the pharmaceutical industry follows the rules. Doing so is necessary to protect American consumers.”
As detailed in the complaint, Crown manufactures a variety of prescription and OTC drugs including prescription urea cream and lotion. The products referenced in the complaint include Rea Lo (Urea 40 percent) Cream, Rea Lo (Urea 40 percent) Lotion, Rea Lo 39 (Urea 39 percent) Cream, Dermasorb XM Complete Kit (Urea 39 persent cream and moisturizer), and Sodium Sulfacetamide 10 percent and Sulfur 5 percent (Sodium Sulfacetamide).
As noted in the complaint, the various urea based products were sold as products intended to treat a series of dermatological conditions, such as dry, rough skin, xerosis, ichthyosis, skin cracks and fissures, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, keratosis, and calluses. Sodium Sulfacetamide is intended to treat acne vulgaris, acne rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis. As products designed to provide dermatological treatment, these drugs required FDA approval for their intended uses – approval that was lacking for all of these products. Distributing unapproved drugs in interstate commerce is a violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
In conjunction with the filing of the complaint, the defendants agreed to settle the case and to be bound by a permanent injunction. The injunction requires Crown to stop the manufacturing, selling and introducing into interstate commerce any Rea Lo (Urea 40 percent) Cream, Rea Lo (Urea 40 percent) Lotion, Rea Lo 39 (Urea 39 percent) Cream, Dermasorb XM Complete Kit, Sodium Sulfacetamide, or any drug labeled similarly to such drugs and containing the same active ingredient(s), unless and until an application has been filed with the FDA and approved by the agency.
In addition, within 20 days after the district court’s order, the defendants are required, among other things, to give FDA written notice that they are prepared to destroy all Rea Lo (Urea 40 percent) Cream, Rea Lo (Urea 40 percent) Lotion, Rea Lo 39 (Urea 39 percent) Cream, Dermasorb XM Complete Kit, Sodium Sulfacetamide, and any unapproved drug labeled similarly to such drugs and containing the same active ingredient(s).
The government is represented by Trial Attorney Mary M. Englehart of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Susan Williams of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel’s Food and Drug Division.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Des Moines Tax Preparer Convicted of Tax FraudRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – A Des Moines area tax preparer was convicted of preparing and presenting false tax returns, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft following a three-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. On July 26, 2017, a jury found Lony Tap Gatwas, 48, of Ames, Iowa, guilty of four counts of wire fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and seven counts of preparing and presenting false tax returns. Sentencing has been scheduled for December 1, 2017, at 9 a.m., before United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger.
Gatwas was charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by preparing and filing personal income tax returns listing false dependents. During trial, the government presented evidence Gatwas placed his own children, as well as other children, on his clients’ personal income tax returns as dependents, when these children had no relationship to the taxpayers, did not live with the taxpayers, and the taxpayers provided no financial support for the children.
Gatwas falsely inflated his clients’ refunds by thousands of dollars by placing false dependents on his clients’ tax returns. Clients’ testimony established Gatwas charged them an average of $1,500 for each false dependent he put on their return. When his clients were audited, Gatwas instructed at least two of the clients to lie to IRS Revenue Agents about their relationship with the false dependents.
Preparing and presenting a false tax return is punishable by a maximum of three years imprisonment and a maximum $100,000 fine. The crime of wire fraud has a maximum prison term of 20 years and up to a $250,000 fine. Gatwas faces a minimum prison term of two years and up to a $250,000 fine for the crime of aggravated identity theft.
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected].
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana and Money Laudering ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Dashawn Abrams, 27, of Denver, CO, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute marijuana, and money laundering conspiracy before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that between April 2015, and September 2015, the defendant conspired with Damarcus Hennings, Shaquata Hennings, Arthur Clark, Shahana Beaver and Janice Humphrey, to ship, receive, and distribute more than 50 packages containing marijuana from Denver, Colorado to Buffalo, New York. The defendants also conspired to send the cash proceeds from resulting marijuana sales back to their marijuana source of supply in Denver.
Damarcus Hennings, Shaquata Hennings, Shahana Beaver and Janice Humphrey have been convicted. Charges are pending against Arthur Clark. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division.Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2017 before Judge Wolford.
Citizen of the Dominican Republic Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Trafficking HeroinRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that WILMER ANTONIO GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ, 30, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in New York, N.Y., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin. Judge Bryant also ordered GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ to pay a $15,000 fine.
On September 10, 2015, a jury found GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, one kilogram or more of heroin, and one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 100 grams or more of heroin.
Accoring to trial testimony and the evidence disclosed during the trial, this matter stems from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and the Norwalk Police Department into suspected cocaine and heroin distribution by Omar Andrade. In September 2014, Andrade agreed to provide one kilogram of heroin to a DEA Task Force officer acting in an undercover capacity. Andrade, GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ and Joel A. Estrella-Disla, were arrested on September 30, 2014, after they delivered approximately one kilogram of heroin to a pre-arranged location in Norwalk.
GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ has been detained since September 10, 2015. He faces immigration proceedings when he is released from prison.
Andrade and Estrella-Disla each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 grams or more of heroin. On January 6, 2016, Andrade, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment. On March 2, 2016, Estrella-Disla, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Gordon Hall.
Citizen of the Dominican Republic Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the U.S. after DeportationRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that LUIS MANUEL RODRIGUEZ BURGOS, 36, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty yesterday in Bridgeport federal court to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, RODRIGUEZ BURGOS was admitted to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident in 1995. In September 2005, RODRIGUEZ BURGOS was convicted in Arizona of attempted transportation of narcotic drugs for sale and was sentenced to more than three years of imprisonment. In August 2006, he was deported from the U.S. to the Dominican Republic.
In August 2012, local law enforcement encountered RODRIGUEZ BURGOS in New York City and alerted federal immigration authorities. In October 2012, he was again removed to the Dominican Republic.
RODRIGUEZ BURGOS illegally reentered the U.S. and, in October 2015, was arrested in Bridgeport for narcotics offenses. He pleaded guilty in state court to sale of certain illegal drugs and conspiracy, and is currently scheduled to be sentenced on those offenses in October
On this federal immigration offense, RODRIGUEZ BURGOS is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill on October 18, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The case in being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
Chelsea Store Owner Sentenced for Trafficking Counterfeit MerchandiseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking counterfeit merchandise at three retail locations in the Boston area.
Arif Ali Shah, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 months in prison, two years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $145,531. In May 2017, Shah pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods.
From approximately 2005 to February 2015, Shah knowingly sold counterfeit merchandise at three retail stores he owns: Nadia’s in Dorchester; East Boston Wireless in East Boston; and Todo Wireless in Chelsea. Shah sold counterfeit Apple, Samsung, and Speck components at all three retail locations. He also sold a variety of counterfeit apparel and accessories, including Chanel, Michael Kors, Nike, Prada, Timberland, and Uggs. Shah purchased the counterfeit merchandise from foreign and domestic sources and purchased a number of the counterfeit cell phone components from a domestic supplier, Flexqueen, the owner of which was prosecuted in California.
Acting United States Attorney William Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart of Weinreb’s Cybercrime Unit prosecuted the case.
Chairman of Macau-Based Real Estate Development Company Convicted at Trial on All Counts in in Connection with United Nations Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that NG LAP SENG, a/k/a “David Ng,” a/k/a “Wu Liseng” (“NG”), was convicted after a four-week trial on six counts in connection with his multi-year scheme to pay more than $1.3 million in bribes to ambassadors of the United Nations (“UN”).
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “In his unbridled pursuit of even greater personal fortune, billionaire Ng Lap Seng corrupted the highest levels of the United Nations. Through bribes and a no show job, 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.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, and evidence presented at trial, NG, the chairman of the Sun Kian Ip Group (the “Macau Real Estate Development Company”), conspired with and paid bribes to Francis Lorenzo, a former UN Deputy 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 multibillion-dollar facility that NG hoped to build in Macau using the Macau Real Estate Development Company (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.
NG agreed to and did bribe 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 company—funded by NG—which described itself as a media platform dedicated to advancing the implementation of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. NG provided bribe payments to Ambassador Lorenzo through South-South News, as well as, among other things, 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 Ambassador Ashe and Ambassador Lorenzo.
One of the actions that the Ambassadors agreed to take and 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 Macau Real Estate Development Company, 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.
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NG, 69, of Macau, China, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; one count of paying illegal bribes and gratuities; two counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; and one count of money laundering. The conspiracy to commit bribery conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and the bribery conviction carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act convictions each carry a maximum of five years in prison. The conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering convictions each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigating work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Richenthal, Janis M. Echenberg, Douglas S. Zolkind, and Trial Attorney David A. Last of the Fraud Section are in charge of the prosecution.
Canadian Man Sentenced on Drug Charges Following Extradition to United StatesRead 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 Alvin Randhawa, 36, of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, who was convicted of conspiracy to export from the United States into Canada five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced to 87 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that between July 2010 and May 2011, Randhawa conspired with others to smuggle cocaine into Canada from the United States via several international bridges including ones in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Investigators believe that this organization trafficked approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine (approximately $80,000,000 in value) during the course of the conspiracy.
Randhawa was indicted along with Gursharan Singh and Harinder Dhaliwal, all three have been convicted. Also charged and convicted in the conspiracy were Ravinder Arora, Michael Bagri and Parminder Sidhu.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly; Officers from the United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations; the Peel Regional Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jennifer Evans; the Canada Border Services Agency, under the direction of Rick Comerford, Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region; and the Toronto Police, under the direction of Chief William Blair.