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21 July 2017
Venezuelan Sentenced to 16 Months of Time Served following Guilty Plea to Participating in UPMC Employee Data HackRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A citizen of Venezuela pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to time served for conspiring to defraud the United States, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Maritza Maxima Soler Nodarse pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2014, Soler Nodarse conspired with others to file approximately 935 false form 1040 tax returns using identities belonging to hundreds of UMPC employees whose personal information was stolen in an intrusion into UPMC’s database in Pittsburgh in 2014. Nodarse and others obtained illegal tax refunds in the form of Amazon.com gift cards which they used to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars of electronic merchandise at Amazon.com and have shipped to locations in Venezuela where Nodarse and others lived. Approximately $156,000 in merchandise was ordered by and shipped to Nodarse. Nodarse was arrested in Colombia in March, 2015, and then extradited to the U.S. to face criminal charges in November, 2016.
According to the terms of her plea, Judge Hornak sentenced Soler-Nodarse to a “time served” sentence, which represented approximately 16 months incarceration. She also agreed to be immediately deported back to Venezuela.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Maritz Maxima Soler Nodarse.
Two Philadelphia Men and Four Vermonters Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Heroin and Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that a federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment yesterday charging six defendants with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including Michael Leslie, aka “Bear,” age 40, of Philadelphia, PA; Marvin Tyrone Crawford, aka “Ty,” age 40, of Philadelphia, PA; Pamela Yandow, aka “Pam,” age 45 of St. Albans, VT; Tannar Yandow, age 20, of St. Albans, VT; Donna Larose, age 56, of St. Albans, VT; and Larnell Cunningham, age 39, of New York, NY.
According to Court documents, the United States alleges that during the conspiracy, Leslie, Crawford, Pamela Yandow, Tannar Yandow, and Larose distributed controlled substances in Franklin County, Vermont. Leslie and Crawford would obtain cocaine and heroin from outside Vermont, and transport the drugs into Vermont by automobile with the assistance of coconspirators. The group used Facebook’s Messenger application to communicate with customers to arrange transactions, and communicate with each other about their drug activities.
Court documents outline the history of the case. On February 9, 2017, Larose was arrested by New York State Police in Fort Ann, NY for criminal possession of a controlled substance. New York State Police encountered Larose during a traffic stop. A search of her vehicle after impoundment resulted in the seizure of approximately 250 grams of suspected powder cocaine, and miscellaneous paperwork bearing the name of Leslie.
On May 23, 2017, a St. Albans Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop of a Chevrolet Impala operated by Cunningham. After obtaining a warrant, the officer searched the vehicle and discovered approximately 130 grams of suspected cocaine base in a Tang drink mix container that had a hidden compartment. Officers also seized a small digital scale, numerous small clear plastic baggies, four cellular telephones, and documents bearing Leslie’s name. Prior to and after May 23, 2017, law enforcement observed Leslie operating the Impala. On May 23, 2017, Cunningham was charged by Criminal Complaint. Cunningham appeared before United States Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy on May 25, 2017, and was subsequently detained pending trial.
On May 24, 2017, an individual assisting law enforcement conducted a purchase of suspected cocaine base from Crawford. During this encounter, Crawford discussed the seizure of cocaine base from Cunningham, and stated “he was supposed to be coming to see me.”
On July 17, 2017, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives obtained a search warrant for 49 Troy Street, Apartment #1, in Richford, VT. While executing the search warrant, agents encountered Leslie and Crawford at the residence, and both were placed under arrest. Leslie was found in possession of $8,378 of U.S. currency. Agents also seized drug paraphernalia from the residence, including a small digital scale, small empty wax bags, and kitchen utensils believed to contain trace amounts of controlled substances. Agents also located Yandow on July 18, 2017, and placed her under arrest.
On July 18, 2017, Leslie, Crawford, and Pamela Yandow appeared before United States District Court Judge William K. Sessions, and were ordered detained pending detention hearings. Tannar Yandow was also arrested on July 18, 2017, and charged by Criminal Complaint on July 19, 2017. Tannar Yandow appeared before United States District Judge Christina Reiss, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty. If Leslie, Crawford, or Pamela Yandow are convicted, they face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, and a maximum possible term of imprisonment of life. If Tannar Yandow, Larose, or Cunningham are convicted, they face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, and a maximum possible term of imprisonment of forty years.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Leslie is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq. Crawford is represented by Marianne Kampmann, Esq. Pamela Yandow is represented by Michael Straub, Esq. Tannar Yandow is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. Cunningham is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender David McColgin, Esq. Larose has not yet appeared in court. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the St. Albans Police Department.
Two Broward County Residents Charged Federally for Being Felons in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Two Broward County residents have been charged federally with being felons in possession of firearms.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Peter J. Forcelli, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) announced that the federal arrests of the three individuals stem from a large-scale investigation into narcotics and illicit firearms sales in Broward County.
Marc Randall, 37, and Jonathan Newman, 27, both of Deerfield Beach, were each charged in separate criminal complaints with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g) (Case Nos. 17-6287-Valle and 17-6288, respectively). If convicted, the defendants each face a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Newman was also charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). If convicted of the drug offense, Newman faces a maximum statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.
According to court documents, including the criminal complaints, ATF engaged in a series of recorded firearms purchases from defendants Randall and Newman. On March 27, 2017, Randall sold a 9mm pistol to a confidential informant. Randall has three Broward County convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
On February 27, 2017, Newman sold a .38 caliber revolver and crack cocaine to a confidential informant. On June 8, 2017, Newman sold the same informant a .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol. Newman has been convicted of several felonies, including delivery of cocaine.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ATF and BSO. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita White.
A criminal complaint is a formal charging document notifying the defendant of the charges. All persons charged by complaint are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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.
Two Baltimore Police Detectives Plead Guilty to Committing Armed Robberies in Racketeering CaseRead the Press Release
JULY 21, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact AUSA Vickie LeDuc
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4912
Baltimore, Maryland – Baltimore Police Department detectives Evodio Calles Hendrix, age 32, of Randallstown, Maryland, and Maurice Kilpatrick Ward, age 36, of Middle River, Maryland, pled guilty today in federal court to charges of racketeering conspiracy.
The guilty pleas were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to their plea agreements, Hendrix admitted to participating in three robberies from March to August 2016. Ward admitted to participating in four robberies from February through August 2016. Hendrix and Ward also admitted that they were armed with their Baltimore Police Department service firearms during the robberies. Individual victims of the robberies were physically restrained, and the defendants wrote false incident reports and other documents in order to conceal their criminal conduct and otherwise obstruct justice.
For example, on February 17, 2016, Ward and one of his co-defendants stole $500 from an arrestee. Ward then authored a false Baltimore Police Department incident report to conceal the robbery.
Hendrix and Ward admitted that on March 22, 2016, they and two of their co-defendants stole more than $200,000 from a safe they found in the basement of a house they were searching. The four co-defendants then divided the money, and Hendrix and Ward received $20,000 each.
Similarly, on June 24, 2016, while executing a search warrant in a home, Hendrix stole money and later gave a portion to Ward. On August 24, 2016, Hendrix stole money from an arrestee and then gave a portion of the cash to Ward.
Hendrix and Ward also admitted that they and their co-defendants routinely submitted false individual overtime reports, defrauding the Baltimore Police Department and the public. Ward, Hendrix and their co-conspirators falsely certified that they worked their entire regularly assigned shifts, or overtime hours, when they did not. Hendrix and Ward also admitted that they submitted false overtime reports on behalf of their co-defendants, at their co-defendants’ direction, and that their co-defendants submitted false overtime reports on their behalf in return.
Hendrix and Ward admitted that the practice at the police department’s Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF) was that if some of the GTTF members made a gun arrest, all members of the GTTF, regardless of whether they had actually participated in the arrest, would submit individual overtime reports, as if they did, and receive salary and overtime. The GTTF was a specialized unit within the Operational Investigation Division of the Baltimore Police Department, whose members were to track and trace recovered firearms in order to identify and suppress the possession, purchasing, and trafficking of illegal firearms within Baltimore City, and assist with the investigation and prosecution of firearms-related offenses.
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for Hendrix on February 20, 2018 at 2:00 p.m., and for Ward on February 21, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Derek E. Hines, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Two Appear in Court for Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A South Texas woman and a former Rockport man have appeared in federal court following their arrests for sex trafficking of a nine-year-old girl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
A grand jury indicted David Keith Wills, 64, now of North Potomac, Maryland, along with Maria Candelaria Losoya, 55, of Brownsville, on June 28, 2017. They were arrested July 14. Today and yesterday, Losoya and Wills made their respective appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice B. Ellington. At the hearings, the court heard testimony that Wills and Losoya started sexually assaulting a nine-year-old victim in Brownsville in 2012. Wills later moved to Rockport. After that time, the court heard that Losoya traveled with the victim from Brownsville to Rockport so that Wills could continue the abuse in exchange for money, according to the allegations.
Wills was permitted release upon posting a $5 million bond. Losoya’s conditions of release are pending.
The indictment alleges that between Sept. 1, 2012, and April 7, 2015, Wills and Losoya trafficked a minor under the age of 14 for commercial sex using force, fraud or coercion. If convicted, both face a minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, both also face a maximum term of life on supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Rangers and police departments in Brownsville and Rockport conducted the investigation.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law
Three Former Police Officers and A Police Officer Charged with Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 20, 2017, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against four defendants charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, brandishing firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The FBI is in charge of the investigation.
The indictment alleges that on or about September 6, 2013, in the District of Puerto Rico the defendants Manuel Grego-López, José A. López-Sierra, and Christian Valles-Collazo, former police officers and Police Officer Alex Candelaria-Jurado did knowingly and intentionally, combine, conspire, and agree with each other and with diverse other persons known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit an offense against the United States, that is, robbery. The defendants robbed more than five kilograms of cocaine from an individual in the presence of his family.
The defendants used an official vehicle and an unmarked vehicle to commit the robbery. They also used their service firearms and represented to have a search warrant and to be acting in an official capacity in order to gain control over the victims. Subsequently, the defendants sold the cocaine they had robbed for personal financial gain.
“Law enforcement officers who use their badges to commit criminal acts disregard their oath to protect and promote the rule of law,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “These defendants acted like the same drug traffickers they were supposed to arrest and investigate, and they chose to become criminals themselves. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively prosecute individuals who abuse their power to commit federal offenses.”
FBI will continue to dedicate significant resources to ensure that any law enforcement officer who violates their oath and disgraces their badge will be apprehended and dealt with as the criminals they have become. Along with our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Puerto Rico Police Department, we will do everything in our power to protect the proud history of this department, and to honor the long list of women and men who have dedicated their lives to the service of the people of Puerto Rico." Douglas A. Leff - FBI SAC
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor O. Acevedo-Hernández and Max J. Pérez-Bouret are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted the defendants face a minimum sentence of 17 years, and up to life in prison. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Tampa Woman Indicted on Tax Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the arrest and unsealing of an indictment charging Samika Garcia with five counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with income tax fraud. If convicted on the wire fraud counts, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count, with an additional two-year consecutive sentence for each aggravated identity theft charge.
Garcia was indicted on July 6, 2017, made her initial appearance in federal court yesterday, and was released on bond.
According to the indictment, Garcia electronically filed false and unauthorized tax returns in the names of others claiming fraudulent tax refunds that were deposited on debit cards in those person’s names. In doing so, she unlawfully used those individuals’ personally identifying information (PII), which she tracked using detailed ledgers.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
Standing Rock Woman Pleads Guilty to MurderRead the Press Release
States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that Desarae Makes Him First, age 26, of Standing Rock, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on July 20, 2017, and pled guilty to a Superseding Information that charged her with Second Degree Murder.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in custody, a $250,000 fine, a period of supervised release of 5 years. If Makes Him First is found to have violated a condition of supervised release, she may be incarcerated for an additional term of up to 5 years on any such revocation. A fine of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and restitution may also be ordered.
The charge stems from an incident between October 11, 2016, and October 12, 2016, when Makes Him First unlawfully aided and abetted in the murder of her daughter, who was five years old at the time of her death.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for October 30, 2017. Makes Him First was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Settlement with Aurora Health Care, Inc. Regarding Allegations of Violations of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that the United States has settled two claims that Aurora Health Care, Inc. (“Aurora”) discriminated against patients with human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”) in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Aurora operates a health care system that includes 15 hospitals, more than 150 medical clinics, an extensive laboratory system, and 70 pharmacies throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, such as healthcare providers, from discriminating against people with disabilities, including HIV. The Government’s determination of the facts pertaining to both complaints are set forth in the attached Settlement Agreement.
Under the settlement agreement, Aurora will pay $30,000 to Complainant No. 1 and $15,000 to the spouse of Complainant No. 2. Aurora will also pay a civil penalty to the United States in the amount of $15,000. In addition, Aurora has reviewed and revised, as appropriate, its existing non-discrimination and infection disease policies (including those found on its main webpage). Aurora has conducted and will conduct additional training on the ADA, and report to the Government any alleged violations of the ADA along with a complete copy of Aurora’s response to the complaint.
For more information on the ADA, HIV discrimination, and this settlement, visit www.ada.gov/aids. Those interested in finding out more about the obligations of healthcare providers under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
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Santa Fe County Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Brandon Maestas, 32, of Nambe, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by using and carrying firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Maestas was arrested on March 4, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with violating federal drug trafficking and firearms laws. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers found approximately 150 grams of cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and multiple firearms and ammunition while executing a state search warrant at Maestas’ residence in Nambe, N.M.
Maestas was indicted on March 23, 2016, and charged with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The indictment, which was superseded on April 11, 2017, charged Maestas with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, maintaining a residence for the purpose of drug trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the superseding indictment, Maestas committed the crimes on Feb. 19, 2016, in Santa Fe County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Maestas pled guilty to Count 4 of the superseding indictment charging him with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Maestas admitted that on Feb. 19, 2016, he possessed four pistols and multiple rounds of ammunition in relation to a drug trafficking crime, specifically possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
At sentencing, Maestas faces a mandatory penalty of five years in federal prison. Maestas remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the HIDTA Region III Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Letitia C. Simms is prosecuting the case.
The HIDTA – High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area – Program is a program of the White House Office National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that facilitates cooperation among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to foster intelligence sharing and to support the execution of effective enforcement operations aimed at dismantling drug trafficking organization in critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. The HIDTA Region III Narcotics Task Force is comprised of the New Mexico State Police, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Fe Police Department.
Sanford Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. sentenced Steven A. Morrill (54, Sanford) to 20 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for attempting to entice a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity. The Court also ordered him to forfeit a cellphone that had been used in furtherance of the commission of the offense.
Morrill was found guilty on April 18, 2017, after a jury trial.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, between November 8, 2016, and November 17, 2017, Morrill engaged in communications with a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who was acting in an undercover capacity as the father of two minors, 9 and 11 years old. Morrill expressed his intent to engage both minors in illicit sexual activity, and he traveled to a location in Lake Mary to meet the children. As a result, Morrill was arrested and confessed to the crime.
During the sentencing hearing, the judge found that Morrill had engaged in a pattern of prohibited sexual conduct against minors and emphasized the seriousness of Morrill’s intended offense.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
San Angelo Man Sentenced to 168 Months in Federal Prison on Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas —Shaundel Rey Windom, 39, of San Angelo, Texas, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 168 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in March 2017 to one count of transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
According to documents filed in the case, Windom set up a Dropbox account on two separate occasions and uploaded several images and videos of child pornography. At the time Windom transported the files he knew the nature of the files and he knew that the files contained minor children under the age of eighteen.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy was in charge of the prosecution.
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Rutland Man Sentenced to More than Eleven Years for Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Jaiden Paige, 37, of Rutland, was sentenced Tuesday in United States District Court in Burlington to 139 months of imprisonment following his guilty pleas to charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and distribution of heroin. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that Paige forfeit more than $8,000, and serve five years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. Paige had been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his February 2016 arrest.
Paige, whose previous name was Danny Coombs, pleaded to an Information charging him with conspiring with Kwasi Asante (also of Rutland) and others, to distribute heroin from 2014 to February 2016. Court records indicate that Paige and Asante operated a construction company and paid at least one of their employees in heroin. Court records also indicate Paige and Asante utilized others to test the heroin the defendants would consider acquiring for re-distribution in Vermont.
Asante has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
This was Paige’s second federal felony conviction. He had also been convicted of felonies in New York and Vermont state courts.
This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Paige is represented by Lamar Enzor. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting a Federal Officer was sentenced on July 17, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Ronald Red Tomahawk, age 31, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Red Tomahawk was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 15, 2017. He pled guilty on April 24, 2017.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in St. Francis, South Dakota, on September 25, 2016, wherein Rosebud Sioux Tribe Police Officers were arresting Red Tomahawk on an outstanding warrant. Red Tomahawk was intoxicated and became violent with the officers as they attempted to place him in wrist restraints.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Red Tomahawk was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rosebud Man Charged for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Anthony Farmer, age 33, was indicted on July 11, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on July 19, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Farmer was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child in June 2010. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. It is alleged that between May 22, 2017, and June 16, 2017, Farmer, a person required to register under the Sex Offender registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a s sex offender.
The charge is merely an accusation and Farmer is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Farmer was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Rapid City Man Charged with Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Colby Dean Hutchinson, age 50, was charged on February 23, 2016. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on July 14, 2017, and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Hutchinson, a previously convicted felon, being in possession of a .357 magnum revolver. The charge is merely an accusation and Hutchinson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Hutchinson was detained pending further hearing. A trial date has not been set.
Rapid City Man Charged for Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with four counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
Chance Garrett Williams, age 27, was charged on June 20, 2017. Williams appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on July 11, 2017, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The penalty upon conviction is 15 to 30 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of 5 years up to lifetime supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Williams sexually exploiting three minor females via his cell phone between January 2012 and January 2017. The charges are merely an accusation and Williams is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins is prosecuting the case.
Williams was detained pending further hearing. A trial date has not been set.
RGV Pharmacy Owner and Marketer Arrested in Connection with Health Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas ‐ The owner of Penitas Family Pharmacy aka Riverside Pharmacy and a marketer employed by the pharmacy have been indicted in connection with a scheme to defraud Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, announced Acting United States Attorney Abe Martinez.
A federal grand jury returned a 16-count sealed indictment against Omar Espericueta and Oscar Elizondo on July 18, 2017. It was unsealed in its entirety this afternoon as Elizondo, 47, of Pharr, turned himself in to authorities. He is expected to make his initial appearance before Judge Peter Ormsby Monday, July 24, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. The owner of the pharmacy - Espericueta, 45, of Mission - was taken into custody Thursday and made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos.
Both are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, the scheme involved submitting more than $1.7 million in fraudulent claims to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas for expensive pain patches and scar creams. The defendants allegedly targeted employers that carry employee health insurance through Blue Cross, such as the City of Mission, City of Pharr, Frontera Produce and Point Isabel Independent School District, among others. Working with contacts at those entities, Elizondo and other marketers offered meals, drinks and promises of “free” prescription pain patches and scar creams to entice employees to turn over their insurance information, according to the indictment. The insurance information and fraudulent prescriptions were then allegedly used to submit fraudulent and medically unnecessary claims to Blue Cross.
Many employees never received any pain patches or scar creams or saw a doctor to obtain a valid prescription, according to the charges. Other employees saw a doctor, but it was a doctor to whom Espericueta was allegedly paying kickbacks in the form of cash, loans and prescription drugs. The indictment further alleges that in some instances, the defendants set up a temporary office for the doctor in a vacant office or a rented recreational vehicle near the restaurant where they solicited employees for the sole purpose of writing fraudulent prescriptions.
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud carry a maximum punishment of 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine upon conviction. A convicted for aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two‐year additional prison term which must be served consecutively to any other prison sentence imposed.
The FBI, Mission Police Department, Texas Department of Insurance – Fraud Unit and Texas Health and Human Services Commission conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Providence Resident Detained on Extortion ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Randy Lutz, 35, of Providence, a former employee of a non-profit medical provider in Providence, was ordered detained in federal custody today on extortion charges. It is alleged that Lutz attempted to extort payment from his former employer in return for property and information belonging to the agency.
Lutz was arrested this afternoon on a federal criminal complaint charging him with one count of interference with commerce by extortion and one count of use of interstate facility (email) to carry out extortion. Lutz made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan.
Randy Lutz’s arrest and initial appearance are announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division.
As part of the on-going investigation into this matter, on July 20, 2017, FBI agents and task force officers executed a court authorized search of Lutz’s residence. During the search, four thumb drives, a laptop computer and cell phone were seized.
According to information presented to the court, it is alleged that after the search of Lutz’s residence was completed and members of law enforcement had left the residence, Lutz telephoned an officer of the agency at which he was previously employed and emailed a high-ranking officer at Lifespan to further discuss the matter.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division acknowledge and thank the Providence Police Department for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
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Plattsmouth Man Receives 20 years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert Stuart announced that Cody R. Childers, 21, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, was sentenced Friday in federal court in Omaha for Producing Child Pornography. The Honorable Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Childers to twenty years imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, he will begin a ten-year term of supervised release under the supervision of the United States Probation Office. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Childers used Facebook to friend minor girls in and outside of Nebraska. He would request sexually explicit photographs from the minors. The three girls in Nebraska were between the ages of 13 and 15 when he obtained sexually explicit photos from them. He also directed minors in other states to take and send sexually explicit photos to him.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol. The investigation began as a cybertip from Facebook.
Orthopedist and Former Anesthesiologist Convicted of Drug Conspiracy and Alien Smuggling ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury yesterday found Fred Joseph Turner, M.D. (59, Sarasota) and Rosetta Valerie Cannata (60, Osprey) guilty of one count of conspiring to dispense controlled substances for no legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of medical practice, four counts of dispensing controlled substances, and one count of conspiring to smuggle an alien into the United States. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the controlled substance counts, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the alien smuggling charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Turner and Cannata were indicted on July 23, 2015.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, from March 2011 through July 2015, Turner, an orthopedist, and Cannata, a former anesthesiologist, operated Gulfshore Pain and Wellness Centre, a pain management clinic with offices in Tampa and Punta Gorda. Turner and Cannata rarely conducted physical or diagnostic examinations of their patients and ignored results of patient drug screens when they prescribed excessive amounts of opiates, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and morphine.
During the investigation, several law enforcement officers entered the clinic in undercover capacities as patients. On one occasion, Turner and Cannata asked the undercover agent to smuggle a Hungarian national into the United States. In return, Turner prescribed the agent an increased amount of oxycodone and hydromorphone, and Cannata paid him $5,000 in cash. To justify the increase in prescribed medication, Turner and Cannata instructed the agent to fabricate an injury and walked him through the process of falsifying his patient history.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Taylor G. Stout.
Okreek Woman Sentenced for Assault by Striking, Beating, and WoundingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Okreek, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault by Striking, Beating and Wounding was sentenced on July 19, 2017, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Selena Chief Eagle, age 25, was sentenced to 10 months and 18 days in in custody, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Chief Eagle was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 15, 2017. She pled guilty to a Superseding Information on May 4, 2017.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on January 10, 2017, wherein Chief Eagle assaulted her boyfriend with a knife during a domestic dispute.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Chief Eagle was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Newport News Man Pleads Guilty to Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man pleaded guilty today to robbery and discharging a firearm.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Brian Gale, 54, robbed Ricco’s Pizza in Hampton on the evening of July 3, 2016. Gale entered the store through the rear employee entrance wearing a mask and carrying a firearm. He pushed and ordered employees to the floor and then fired his gun toward the front of the store while demanding money. Gale stole approximately $1,400 from the business before fleeing, leaving the mask he had worn inside the business. As he was fleeing, Gale encountered a delivery driver returning to the store to make additional deliveries. Gale pointed his gun at the driver’s face as he ran past. The driver and the store’s owner followed Gale to the area behind the store and watched as he fled into a nearby residential neighborhood. Before entering the neighborhood, Gale looked back and fired his gun a second time. As Gale crossed into the neighborhood, he dropped his cell phone, which was later used to identify him. Gale was also identified through DNA testing of the mask found inside Ricco’s Pizza.
Gale pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum possible term of life in prison when sentenced on November 8. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin C. Gratton is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:17-cr-47.
Mother-Daughter Duo Found Guilty of Scheme to Defraud IRSRead the Press Release
On June 19, 2017, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Maribel Nunez, 58, and Madeline Rosario, 25, both of Philadelphia, PA, on charges relating to a scheme to steal fraudulently issued tax refund checks for their own use. Nunez and her daughter, Rosario, were each found guilty of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and theft of government property. Both defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years. Both defendants also face a $200 special assessment fee, restitution, a fine, and a period of supervised release.
According to evidence presented at trial, between November of 2010 and June of 2014, the defendants opened, controlled, or conspired with others to access six business bank accounts for the purpose of depositing fraudulently obtained federal tax refund checks. Specifically, the defendants conspired together and with others, to commit theft of government funds by knowingly converting approximately 106 fraudulent tax refund checks totaling approximately $535,783.47 through the use of these bank accounts.
The defendants were immediately taken into federal custody.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya DeSouza.
Monongahela Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraud, Forging Federal Judge’s SignatureRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Washington County resident convicted at trial in February on charges of mail fraud and forging a Federal Judicial Order has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months in prison, followed by a term of three years of supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Steven P. Grados, 51, of Monongahela, Pa. Grados was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $300 and a fine of $7,500.
According to information presented at trial, Grados created, and twice mailed to the PA State Employees Retirement System (“PA SERS”), the state agency that administers pensions for State Employees, a fraudulent Court Order directing PA SERS to stop paying Grados’s ex-wife a portion of Defendant Grados’s pension. In creating the fraudulent Court Order, Grados forged the signature of the late Gary L. Lancaster, a United States District Court Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Gibson also made a finding at sentencing that Grados had lied under oath at trial when he denied ever receiving or possessing a genuine order of court that had been entered by Judge Lancaster dismissing a civil suit that Grados had filed.
Assistant United States Attorneys Colin J. Callahan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting U.S. Attorney Song commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for conducting the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Grados.
Mission Man Charged for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Edward Zane Roubideaux, Jr., age 26, was indicted on July 11, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on July 19, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Roubideaux was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in November 2011. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. It is alleged that between June 8, 2017, and June 23, 2017, Roubideaux, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender.
The charge is merely an accusation and Roubideaux is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Roubideaux was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Milford Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Travis J. Stinson, 39, of Milford, Maine pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and to possessing firearms after having been convicted of a felony crime.
Court records reveal that on October 12, 2016, Stinson and another man agreed to steal guns from JG Pawn in Bangor. The man agreed to do the burglary in order to get drugs. Stinson drove the man to a parking lot near the pawn shop. The man broke a window in JG Pawn, stole 16 handguns, and absconded. Stinson drove them both away with the stolen handguns. Stinson was prohibited from possessing firearms because of felony convictions in Kentucky.
Stinson faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Bangor Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Mexican Nationals Sent to Prison for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two men who had been admitted into the country from Mexico under a non-immigrant visa have been ordered to prison for illegally possessing firearms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Oscar Gumaro Pruneda-Garcia, 30, and Rene Garcia-Araujo, 25, pleaded guilty Jan. 3, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Ricardo H. Hinojosa took into consideration the fact that both men collectively possessed 12 firearms and ordered Pruneda and Garcia to serve 21 and 15 months, respectively. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hinojosa noted the seriousness of the offense given the gun violence in Mexico. Both are also expected to face revocation of their visas and deportation proceedings following their release from prison.
On Oct. 15, 2016, authorities conducted surveillance at a gun show in McAllen and observed multiple suspicious purchases of semi-automatic firearms. Law enforcement followed and subsequently stopped Pruneda and Garcia after they departed from the gun show, at which time they were taken into custody.
The investigation also led agents to a residence in Weslaco. Searches of the vehicle Pruneda was driving and the Weslaco residence resulted in the seizure of 12 firearms and approximately 67 firearm magazines.
After his arrest, Pruneda said he was being paid to purchase firearms and smuggle them to Mexico. For his part, Garcia admitted that after Pruneda purchased the firearms, he took some of them and placed them in the vehicle.
Foreign nationals who are admitted into the United States under a non-immigrant visa are prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, unless they have been admitted to the United States for lawful hunting or sporting purposes or they are in possession of a hunting license or permit lawfully issued in the United States.
Pruneda and Garcia have been and will remain in federal custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the McAllen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Requénez prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.
Oscar Conrado Ureiro Romero, 23, a Mexican national residing in Worcester, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman, who sentenced Ureiro Romero to time served. Ureiro Romero will be subject to deportation.
Ureiro Romero was deported twice in April 2013. In May 2017, federal agents discovered Ureiro Romero in Worcester and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Grady of Weinreb’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK — Orlando Juarez Cardenas, 41, of San Angelo, was sentenced today before Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 27 years in federal prison for the distribution of methamphetamine in San Angelo, Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Cardenas pleaded guilty in March 2017 to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Cardenas has been in custody since his arrest in January 2017.
According to plea documents filed in the case, on January 23, 2017, Cardenas contacted an individual and requested a meeting with him. During this meeting, Cardenas gave the individual $7,580 as buy money for methamphetamine that would be purchased in the Dallas area. The individual was advised to go to a location in Grand Prairie, Texas. This is the same meeting place where Cardenas has personally picked up drugs in the past. The individual was further advised to follow a Black Nissan Altima. The Nissan Altima stopped on a neighborhood street and a female got out of the vehicle and provided a designer department store bag in exchange for the $7,580 provided by Cardenas.
Inside the designer department store bag was 2,030 grams of methamphetamine, divided into two separate plastic baggies. Cardenas intended to repackage the methamphetamine and sell it to his clients in San Angelo and the surrounding area.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigations Division, and the San Angelo Police Department, Street Crimes Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Lorfing was in charge of the prosecution.
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Member of International Child Exploitation Conspiracy Sentenced to 210 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Wichita, Kansas man was sentenced to 210 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography based on his participation in a website that was operated for the purpose of coercing and enticing minors as young as eight years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct on web camera.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia; and Section Chief John J. Brosnan of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section (VCACS) made the announcement.
Allan Cortez, 34, was charged on April 4, 2016, and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia on April 14.
According to admissions made in connection with the plea agreement, members of the conspiracy created false profiles on social networking sites popular with children, posing as young teenagers to lure children to two websites they controlled. Once on the conspirators’ websites, Cortez admitted that members of the conspiracy showed the children pre-recorded videos of prior minor victims, often engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to make the new victims think that they were chatting with another minor. Cortez further admitted that conspirators used these videos to coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit activity on their own web cameras, which could be viewed live by other members without the victim’s knowledge and which the website automatically recorded and made available for download later. Cortez admitted that he chatted with minors in furtherance of the conspiracy. The defendant also admitted that one of the websites ranked the efforts of the members to successfully coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit conduct on live web camera. Both websites have been disabled.
This case was investigated as part of Operation Subterfuge, a multinational investigation coordinated by members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) International Task Force. VCAC special agents led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and the FBI’s Digital Analysis and Research Center and the Office of Victim Assistance. The South Africa Police Service, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses, Gauteng; Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre; the Dutch Police Service Agency, KLPD; and the Australian Federal Police, Child Protection Operations, Sydney were active partners in Operation Subterfuge. To date, over 320 minor victims have been identified as part of this operation.
In addition to his prison sentence, the defendant was ordered to pay $15,215 of restitution.
Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Member of Conspiracy to Import and Traffic Counterfeit Electronic Products SentencedRead the Press Release
An Italian national who smuggled counterfeit electronics, including Apple iPhones, iPads and iPods, from China for sale in the U.S. was sentenced today to 37 months in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick of the District of New Jersey; Acting Special Agent in Charge Debra Parker of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Newark; and Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal made the announcement.
Rosario La Marca, 54, a resident of Naples, Italy, pleaded guilty on February 22, before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, to smuggle goods into the U.S., and to structure financial transactions, and Count Two, charging him with trafficking in counterfeit goods. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to facts admitted during the plea, from July 2009 through February 2014, La Marca, Andreina Becerra, 32, a Venezuelan national, Roberto Volpe, 35, an Italian national, and Jianhua Li, 42, conspired to smuggle into the U.S. from China more than 40,000 electronic devices and accessories bearing counterfeit Apple and Sony trademarks. The estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for an equivalent number of genuine items would have exceeded $15 million. The devices were shipped separately from the labels bearing counterfeit trademarks in order to avoid detection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The devices were then labeled and packaged after they passed through customs.
The defendants then re-shipped the devices to conspirators all over the U.S. Proceeds from the sales of the devices were funneled back to the defendants’ accounts in Florida and New Jersey via structured cash deposits – broken into multiple deposits of less than $10,000 each to avoid bank reporting requirements – and a portion of the proceeds was then transferred to conspirators in Italy, further disguising the source of the funds.
The defendants made more than 100 illegal wire transfers totaling more than $1.1 million to Hong Kong to facilitate their criminal activity.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced La Marca to one year of supervised release.
Volpe and Becerra have both pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and await sentencing. Li has pleaded not guilty. The charges contained in the indictment against him are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was jointly investigated by the HSI Newark Seaport Investigations Group and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit, with significant assistance from Europol and Italy’s Guardia di Finanza.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Leslie Schwartz and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Devlin of the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Kebharu Smith of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Member of Conspiracy to Import and Traffic Counterfeit Electronic Products Gets 37 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Italian national who smuggled counterfeit electronics, including Apple iPhones, iPads and iPods, from China for sale in the United States was sentenced today to 37 months in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick of the District of New Jersey; Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Debra Parker of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Newark; and Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal made the announcement.
Rosario La Marca, 54, a resident of Naples, Italy, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to Count One of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, to smuggle goods into the United States, and to structure financial transactions, and Count Two, charging him with trafficking in counterfeit goods. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
La Marca, Andreina Becerra, 32, a Venezuelan national, Roberto Volpe, 35, an Italian national, and Jianhua Li, 42, a Chinese national currently residing in California, were originally charged in an eight-count indictment in April 2015 with importing and trafficking fake iPhones, iPads and iPods bearing counterfeit Apple trademarks, and fake camcorders bearing counterfeit Sony trademarks, as well as smuggling, structuring and international money laundering.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2009 through February 2014, the defendants conspired to smuggle into the United States from China more than 40,000 electronic devices and accessories. The estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail prices for an equivalent number of genuine items would have exceeded $15 million. The devices were shipped separately from the labels bearing counterfeit trademarks in order to avoid detection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The devices were then labeled and packaged after they passed through customs.
The defendants then re-shipped the devices to conspirators all over the United States. Proceeds from the sales of the devices were funneled back to the defendants’ accounts in Florida and New Jersey via structured cash deposits – broken into multiple deposits of less than $10,000 each to avoid bank reporting requirements – and a portion of the proceeds was then transferred to conspirators in Italy, further disguising the source of the funds.
The defendants made more than 100 illegal wire transfers totaling more than $1.1 million to Hong Kong to facilitate their criminal activity.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced La Marca to one year of supervised release.Volpe and Becerra have both pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and await sentencing. Li has pleaded not guilty. The charges contained in the indictment against him are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was jointly investigated by the HSI Newark Seaport Investigations Group and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit, with significant assistance from Europol and Italy’s Guardia di Finanza.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Leslie Schwartz and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Devlin of the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Kebharu Smith of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Defense Counsel: Scott D. Finckenauer Esq., Fairview, New Jersey
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that on July 21, 2017, Fausto Alejandro Maldonado, 29, of Lincoln, was sentenced to five years (60 months) in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Following the prison term, Maldonado will serve four years on supervised release.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated that between January of 2015 and April of 2016, Maldonado was responsible for the distribution of at least 200 grams (approximately seven ounces) of methamphetamine in the Lincoln area.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Leaders and Associates of Fraudulent Debt Collection Company Are Facing Federal Charges for $3 Million Conspiracy Targeting Victims Throughout the United StatesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A criminal bill of indictment was unsealed today in federal court charging five individuals for their involvement in a $3 million debt collection scheme operating in Mecklenburg County that targeted victims throughout the country, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A criminal bill of information was also filed today charging a sixth defendant for her role in the conspiracy.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
The indictment charges John Wayne Perry, Jr. 36; Rhonda Renee Scott, 52; Timothy Scott, Jr., 51; Paris Jontue Taylor, 37; and Rayshawn Lamont Tyler, 42, all of Charlotte, with mail and wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud offenses. Perry, Taylor and Tyler are also each charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy. The indictment was returned by the federal grand jury on July 19, 2017, and was unsealed following today’s arrests of four named defendants. A warrant remains outstanding for Tyler’s arrest.
In a related case, Miranda Bailey, 29, of Charlotte, is charged separately with one count of wire fraud and mail fraud conspiracy. A signed plea agreement was also filed today and Bailey’s plea hearing has been set for Wednesday, July 26, 2017.
“The individuals charged today used intimidation, threats, and lies, including posing as lawyers and law enforcement, to scare victims into paying often non-existent debts. Their shake-down tactics included harassing the victims’ friends and families until they received payment,” said U.S. Attorney Rose. “Debt collections schemes are on the rise. We caution the public to be vigilant when receiving calls in which the caller uses threatening language similar to that alleged in the Bill of Indictment. Do not get ripped off. If contacted by a purported debt collector who threatens you with criminal charges, hang up the phone and notify law enforcement,” Rose added.
“It is difficult enough for many Americans to make ends meet and pay their bills on time. For criminals to prey on these hard working people is inexcusable. The FBI is working to uncover these fraudulent companies and hold those accountable for their predatory and criminal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Strong.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from at least January 2013 to November 2014, the co-conspirators operated a fraudulent debt collection company in Mecklenburg County, known at various points as RJ Financial Services and/or Nationwide Asset & Recovery (RJ Financial, collectively). RJ Financial allegedly defrauded thousands of debtors throughout the United States of approximately $3 million. Court documents allege that the co-conspirators targeted individuals and generally executed their scheme to defraud by coercing purported debtors to pay money, some of which was not even owed, by providing false and misleading information and using harassing and abusive tactics.
According to the indictment, Perry and Rayshawn Tyler were leaders of the conspiracy, and owners and operators of RJ Financial. Paris Taylor was also a leader of the conspiracy and used aliases “Brittany Martin” or “London Taylor” when speaking with purported debtors. Co-defendant Timothy Scott served as the scheme’s Operations Manager. He also used different “shake” names, such as “Dean McCoy” and “George Raffino.” Co-defendant Rhonda Scott served as a team leader or supervisor and collector, and generally used aliases or the “shake” names “Ada Brown” and “Katlin Pierce,” when talking to purported debtors. Co-conspirator Bailey served as a collector and team leader in the conspiracy, and used the “shake” name “Savannah Grant.”
According to the indictment, prior to joining RJ Financial, Timothy Scott was affiliated with another fraudulent debt collection company, known at various points as Capital Solutions Agency, and/or Berkley Hughes and Associates and/or The Vortex Group, collectively “BHA.” Seven co-conspirators associated with that scheme have been charged federally and are awaiting sentencing.
Timothy Scott helped the leader of the BHA scheme, Cedric Clark, learn the business. Timothy Scott also ran the operation of BHA. In that role at BHA, Timothy Scott assisted in hiring, provided scripts for use by collectors, monitored collectors’ calls, and closed the calls, including by pretending to be an attorney to induce victims to pay their purported debts. Also, prior to joining RJ Financials, Bailey and Rhonda Scott were collectors at BHA.
RJ Financial and BHA worked together and operated in much the same manner, the indictment alleges. For example, in addition to overlap in employees and scripts, RJ Financial and BHA purchased purported debt amounts together, splitting the lists and the costs. RJ Financial also paid Clark for skip-tracing services, to help locate biographical information about the purported debtors, including phone numbers, addresses, and social security numbers. The co-conspirators used this information coerce the debtors to pay their debts.
The indictment further alleges that when contacting purported debtors, RJ Financial collectors were instructed to follow scripts that included false and misleading information and various scare tactics to induce victims into paying moneys. For example, among the false and fraudulent representations in the script were that:
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The collector was calling “to investigate and possibly file 2 charges against you (the Debtor) in (Debtor’s local county court)” and that those charges included “Breach of contract or fraud” and “Malicious intent to defraud a financial institution.”
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“Federal law does require that I inform you that you do have the right to offer a counter offer; most defendants offer close to what they originally borrowed, plus the $300 civil penalty…assessed by the state….”
The indictment also alleges that in order to disguise the fraudulent nature of the business and scare purported debtors, the collectors:
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Frequently changed the name of the purported company they were working for when making calls so that victims would not be able to locate truthful information about the company.
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In some Instances the collectors falsely represented that they were law firms, that they had attorneys on staff to consult, and/or that the collectors themselves were attorneys.
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At times, they falsely represented to be members of law enforcement or that they were working with or affiliated with law enforcement, sometimes going as far as to play a police scanner in the background.
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They used aliases, commonly known as “shake” names, when making the calls and fraudulently identified themselves as “investigators” purportedly calling on behalf of a “client.”
The indictment alleges RJ Financial also often engaged in other scare tactics to fraudulently induce purported debtors, including:
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Harassing family members and friends to get the purported debtor to call them and pay them.
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Threatening that imminent civil and/or criminal charges would be filed if the debtor did not make arrangements to pay during the call.
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Threatening that the victims would be served with arrest warrants, subpoenas, restraining orders, and garnishment of wages, if they did not make arrangements to pay during the call.
Each of the five defendants is charged with one count of engaging in a fraudulent debt collection conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, which each carry a maximum prison term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and carries a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived proceeds.
All charges contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Charlotte Division of the FBI is leading the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Maria K. Vento, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution.
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Last Two Defendants Sentenced in Pill Mill OperationRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Jason Edgecombe, 40, and Cy Viator, 34, both of Houston, Texas, were sentenced this morning for their involvement in a “pill mill” operation, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Viator pleaded guilty in May 2016 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of unlawful use of a communication facility. U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater sentenced Viator to 140 months in federal prison on Count 1 and 48 months in prison on Count 2.
Edgecombe was sentenced before Judge Fitzwater to 3 months in federal prison. Edgecombe pleaded guilty in March 2017 to two counts of possession of a controlled substance. Judge Fitzwater ordered Edgecombe to report to serve his sentence on September 5, 2017.
Twenty-four individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in Dallas in February 2015 on offenses related to their participation in the prescription drug distribution conspiracy. That indictment alleged that from at least January 2013 through July 2014, the defendants participated in a scheme to illicitly obtain prescriptions for pain medications, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, and then distribute those controlled substances for profit. As part of the conspiracy, individuals, often homeless or of limited means, were recruited and paid to pose as patients at medical clinics, including the McAllen Medical Clinic, to obtain prescriptions to fill those prescriptions at designated pharmacies.
Superseding indictments were returned in December 2015 and in January 2016, and a total of 29 individuals have now been convicted and all have been sentenced. The defendants received sentences ranging from time served to 140 months imprisonment.
According to plea documents in Viator’s case, on November 14, 2013, Viator and a co-conspirator conspired to obtain oxycodone and hydrocodone pills in Dallas, Texas, and distribute them in Louisiana. Viator and the co-conspirator obtained 2,000 oxycodone 30mg pills and also hydrocodone pills. After obtaining the pills, Viator drove the co-conspirator to a FedEx location in Dallas to ship the pills in two separate packages to Louisiana. While the co-conspirator was inside the FedEx shipping the packages, Viator sent him text messages with two recipient’s names and addresses. One intended recipient was Viator in Scott, Louisiana. On November 15, 2013, before delivery, both packages were seized by law enforcement in Lafayette, Louisiana. Each package contained three pill bottles in Viator’s name bearing an address in DeSoto, Texas and a total of 2,000 Oxycodone 30mg pills and 500 hydrocodone pills.
According to plea documents in Edgecombe’s case, on various occasions Edgecombe possessed a quantity of 30mg oxycodone tablets and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of 30mg oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Both were obtained without a valid prescription issued by a medical practitioner acting in the usual course of professional practice or as otherwise authorized by law but instead received them from co-conspirators.
This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Louisiana State Police, the Grand Prairie Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Houston Police Department, the Arlington Police Department, the Greenville Police Department, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters prosecuted.
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July Grand JuryRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 24 indictments charging 26 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Jose Efrain Marin Aranda, age 33, of Chicago, Illinois and Juan Jose Silva Castaneda, age 34, of Waukeegan, Illinois, are charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of a mixture containing cocaine on or about July 6, 2017, The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Juan Barrera-Yerbabuena, age 31, of Grand Island, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 21, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Miguel Barrera-Yerbabuena, of Grand Island, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about June 21, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Alejandro Camacho-Perez, age 34, of Scottsbluff, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 25, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Esteban Carreto-Lopez, age 38, of Hastings, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about October 30, 2012. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jose Luis Castillo De La Rosa, age 31, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about October 30, 2012. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Luis Ceja, age 35, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about January 15, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Daniel Escobar-Marroquin, a/k/a A.W.R, age 36, of Schuyler, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with fraudulent use of a social security number on or about January 5, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Escobar-Marroquin with false representation of U.S. Citizenship on or about January 5, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Francisco Espinoza-Lopez, age 31, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 19, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jaime Eduardo Galvez Rivera, age 46, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about July 14, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Kaylee A. Taylor, age 33, and Joseph S. Hamilton, age 35, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about November, 2016, and continuing to on or about April, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Taylor and Hamilton with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about April 18, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Angela Hernandez, age 40, of Plattsmouth, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about May 25, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Agustin Herrera Mora, age 42, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about July 3, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Nichollas Troy Johnson, age 24, of Harwood North Dakota, is charged with transportation of a minor for the purpose of sexual activity on or about July 10, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, supervised release for life, and a $100 special assessment.
* Christian Jerrad LaPointe, age 26, of Winnebago, is charged with sexual abuse with an incapable victim on or about June, 25, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, supervised release for life, and a $100 special assessment.
* Julian Lara-Arellano , age 41, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 26, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Ivan Leon-Vega, age 36, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about June 30, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Norberto Malagon-Vega, age 41, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 26, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Justin Montello, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with interference with federally protected activity on or about August 8, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Montello with threatening interstate communication on or about August 8, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jose Guadalupe Palma-Ceballos, age 33, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about June 28, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Manuel Portillo-Choto, age 33, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about June 28, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Chaz Corleone Santangelo, age 40, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about December, 2015, and continuing to on or about December 2, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Santangelo with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about December 2, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Stanley Lee White, Jr., a/k/a “Ironboy”, age 50, of Niobrara, Nebraska, is charged with abusive sexual contact between on or about March 20, 2015, and on or about March 19, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, supervised release for life, and a $100 special assessment.
* Eric Wooding, age 40, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine beginning on or about September, 2011 and continuing to on or about February, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Wooding with possession with intent to distribute a mixture of methamphetamine on or about January 7, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Isleta Pueblo Man Sentenced for Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ben E. Aragon, 26, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta who resides in Bosque Farms, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 12 months in prison for assaulting a federal officer. Aragon will be on supervised release for three years after he completes his prison sentence.
Aragon was charged by criminal complaint on July 28, 2016, with assaulting an officer of the Isleta Pueblo Tribal Police Department, who is commissioned as a Special Law Enforcement Officer by the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. According to the complaint, Aragon assaulted the officer while he was attempting to arrest Aragon on tribal charges of aggravated assault and criminal trespass, and an outstanding tribal arrest warrant.
Aragon was indicted on Sept. 13, 2016, and charged with assaulting a federal officer who was engaged in the performance of her official duties on July 23, 2016, on the Isleta Pueblo in Bernalillo County, N.M. Aragon pled guilty to the indictment on July 5, 2017, without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Isleta Pueblo Tribal Police Department and the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez.
Indian Man Convicted for Using Fake Identity to Obtain CitizenshipRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - An Indian man who was ordered deported from the United States has been convicted for using a fake identity to obtain citizenship, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Balbir Singh aka Ranjit Singh, 50, who resided in Houston, had previously attempted to obtain asylum under false pretenses. When that attempt failed, an immigration judge then ordered his deportation from the United States, thus making him ineligible to ever become a naturalized citizen.
However, instead of leaving the country, he changed his name, date of birth, the manner in which he entered the United States and his familial history so that he could obtain lawful immigration status, and later naturalization, based on a marriage to a United States citizen. In the process of obtaining this citizenship, he denied ever being ordered deported, seeking asylum or using a different identity.
In addition, Singh sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2013. In it, he complained about the anxiety and frustration he experienced in having to wait for an extended period at the airport every time he returned from an international trip due to discrepancies in his biometric information. He requested DHS clear these discrepancies.
After obtaining citizenship, a fingerprint comparison established the man ordered previously ordered deported from the United States - Balbir Singh – and the man who later became a naturalized citizen - Ranjit Singh - were one in the same.
U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Oct. 13, 2017. At that time, Singh faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a maximum $250,000 possible fine, revocation of his citizenship and enforcement of his outstanding deportation order.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Goldman is prosecuting the case.
Houston Physician Convicted of Conspiracy in $1.5 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Houston physician today for his role in a scheme involving approximately $1.5 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for home health care services and various medical testing and services.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
After a four-day trial, Ronald F. Kahn, M.D., 62, of Harris County, Texas, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay and receive illegal kickbacks. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 25, before U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt, who presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, from approximately 2006 until 2013, Kahn and others engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare out of approximately $1.5 million in fraudulent claims for home heath care services in connection with Allied Covenant Home Health, Inc., a Houston home healthcare agency (Allied). Kahn fraudulently admitted patients for home health care with Allied when they did not qualify for such services, the evidence showed. To make it appear that these patients did qualify, Kahn falsified medical records and signed false documents purporting to show that patients admitted to Allied’s home health program satisfied Medicare’s requirements for admission, the evidence showed.
The evidence also showed that Kahn paid illegal kickbacks for patients from Harris Health Care Group, a Houston medical clinic (Harris). Kahn paid illegal kickbacks to the owner of Harris in order to bill Medicare for facet injections that were medically unnecessary, not provided or both, the evidence showed.
The case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and Texas MFCU, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Ashlee McFarlane and Trial Attorney Scott Armstrong of the Fraud Section.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
Hinds County Man Pleads Guilty to Possesion of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS -- Richard Brian Williams, age 31, formerly of Byram, MS, pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon before U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain. Williams admitted that on January 20, 2017, he possessed two handguns: a Taurus .45 caliber pistol and a Colt .22 caliber Derringer, after previously being convicted in several Mississippi circuit courts of the following felonies: Auto Burglary in 2003, Burglary of a Dwelling in 2004 and again in 2005, Robbery in 2009, and Introduction of Contraband into a Correctional Facility in 2015.
Williams is currently detained in the Madison County Jail and will be sentenced on September 29, 2017 at 9:30 a.m.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Mississippi Department of Corrections. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla Clark.
Hawaii Soldier Indicted for Attempting to Provide Material Support to IsisRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Ikaika Erik Kang, 34, an Army sergeant first class stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 19, 2017 with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham ("ISIS"), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Kang was previously arrested on July 8, 2017, and ordered detained pending further proceedings.
Elliot Enoki, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, and Dana Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced that the indictment charges Kang with four counts of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, based on events that occurred in Hawaii between June 21 and July 8. The indictment and an earlier criminal complaint allege that Kang met with undercover agents of the FBI whom he believed to be affiliated with ISIS, and provided military information, some of which was classified by the United States at the SECRET level. Kang is also charged with providing property (a drone and military clothing and equipment) and training (instruction on combat techniques and weapons training which was videotaped for future use by ISIS) to undercover agents whom he believed to be affiliated with ISIS.
Kang will appear in court on July 24, 2017, for an arraignment and plea on the charges, at which time a trial date will be scheduled.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of the charges, Kang faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine for each count. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Army, Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Sorenson and Marc Wallenstein, and Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Harrold Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Harrold, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Raynard Lee Howe, Jr., age 20, was indicted on July 11, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on July 17, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 8 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on April 28, 2017, Howe forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with a correctional officer from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, while said correctional officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties. Said conduct involved physical contact with the correctional officer.
The charge is merely an accusation and Howe is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Howe was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Hammond Man Indicted for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - Acting United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hammond has returned a 2-count indictment against Charles Stroud, age 73, of Hammond, Indiana.
According to the indictment, between January 2015 and August 2016, Stroud received child pornography. On or about August 2016, Stroud was also found in possession of child pornography.
If you have any information about Stroud’s activities involving children, please contact Task Force Officer Jones at the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 219-942-4900.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill R. Koster.
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Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Guatemalan national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for a federal immigration crime.
Mario Antonio Najera-Salguero, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper, who sentenced Najera-Salguero to time served and one year of supervised release. Najera-Salguero will also be subject to deportation.
Najera-Salguero self-deported at some point after July 14, 2003. He was later encountered in the United States and deported on Nov. 13, 2009. On June 14, 2017, law enforcement again encountered Najera-Salguero in Boston, using a different name, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
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 Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Government Contractor Sentenced to Life in Prison for Trafficking and Sexually Exploiting Minors AbroadRead the Press Release
Today, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., sentenced Christopher Rennie Glenn, a former government contractor with ties to West Palm Beach, Florida, to life in prison, after a federal jury convicted of him of sexually exploiting and trafficking in minors, while working overseas.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
“Christopher Glenn’s life sentence sends a clear message about our unwavering commitment to prosecute those who sexually exploit minors and prey on their vulnerability,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg. “International borders do not protect United States citizens who commit these crimes and victimize others. The tenacious work of our prosecutors and agents demonstrates that we will use the long-arm of our justice system to reach offenders abroad and hold them accountable in our courts.”
"The evil carried out by Christopher Glenn clearly justifies this sentence," said SAC George L. Piro. "So let the record show, those who prey on children and are within the grasp of US laws, we will look for you, investigate you and ultimately bring you to justice."
Glenn was previously convicted of eight out of ten charges submitted to the federal jury: one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by fraud and of a minor in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594(c); one count of sex trafficking by fraud and of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(a)(1); four counts of attempting to engage in sex trafficking by fraud and of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594(a); one count of traveling overseas with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b); one count of sexually assaulting a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2243(a); and one count of possession of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(A) (Case No. 15-CR-20632). Glenn was acquitted on the two remaining charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking. All of the charged conduct occurred outside of the United States, in either Iraq or Honduras, and largely while Glenn, a United States citizen, was working as a network system administrator contracted by the United States Department of Defense. Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1596, 3261, and 3271, provide for extraterritorial jurisdiction in the sex trafficking and child exploitation offenses charged.
Glenn engaged in an elaborate scheme to sexually exploit young girls between the ages of 13 and 16 years of age in 2010 and from 2012 through 2014 in Honduras, where he had moved to work at the U.S. Army Southern Command’s Joint Task Force Bravo, in Soto Cano Air Base. Evidence at trial revealed that Glenn, with the aid of coconspirators, fraudulently recruited young girls living in very poor rural villages to work as housekeepers at his home. In exchange, Glenn promised to pay a significant amount of money to the families. Shortly after the girls’ arrival to Glenn’s home in Honduras, he sexually assaulted the girls, or sought to “marry” the minors to engage in sexual acts with them. Some victims testified that Glenn gave them pills that made them sleepy and dizzy before engaging in sexual acts with them. A government expert witness testified that some pills seized by law enforcement from Glenn’s Honduras residence in March of 2014 were determined to be drugs that can be used as sedatives and date rape drugs. At trial, the Government also introduced evidence that Glenn had engaged in sexual acts with a minor female from Mexico beginning in 2002, when the minor was only 13-years-old. The minor resided with the defendant in California until 2006. In 2005, Glenn possessed electronic images of this sexual abuse in Iraq while working as a government contract worker. These images of child pornography were also recovered from Glenn’s residence in Honduras in 2014 and were the subject of the possession of child pornography charge.
Glenn was initially arrested in February 2014, and charged in the Southern District of Florida with national-security and espionage related violations (Case No. 14-CR-80031-Marra). In 2015, Glenn pled guilty to charges in that case and was sentenced to a ten-year term of imprisonment.
The child exploitation charges are the culmination of a three-year long investigation led by the FBI Miami Field Office’s Violent Crimes Against Children Squad. This case was prosecuted by Special Prosecutions Assistant United States Attorneys Barbara A. Martinez and Vanessa Singh Johannes from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Christian Ford from the Department of Justice’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 100 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – The Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Clifford D. Johnson, announces that Tyquane Lamar Stewart, age 25, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced on July 21, 2017, before United States District Court Judge Theresa Springmann for the federal crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Stewart was sentenced to 100 months imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents filed in this case, on or about November 16, 2016, Stewart possessed a firearm after previously being convicted of attempted robbery, a class C felony, in December of 2010 before Allen Superior Court.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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Former Newport Police Officer, FOP President Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Christopher Hayes, 49, of Middletown, R.I., a former Newport, R.I., Police Department Sergeant and President of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Newport Lodge No. 8, was sentenced today to a total sentence of 12 months, 6 months imprisonment followed by 6 months of home confinement, for using FOP funds for personal use.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Hayes to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration; pay $71,523 restitution to the FOP; and perform a total of 300 hours of community service during his term of supervised release. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range in this matter is 12-18 month. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 12 months in prison.
Hayes pleaded guilty on May 1, 2017, to wire fraud. At the time of his guilty plea, Hayes admitted to the court that between August 2009 and December 2014, he used an FOP debit card to pay for his own personal expenses; wrote checks payable to himself from the FOP bank account; withdrew cash from the FOP bank account for personal use; and made online payments to his personal credit card from the FOP bank account.
An investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General and Office of Labor Management Standards, and the Rhode Island State Police determined that Hayes fraudulently converted approximately $71,523 in FOP funds for his own personal use.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
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Former Executive Sentenced for $2.5 Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man who over seven years embezzled almost $2.5 million from a small business fencing company was sentenced today to 63 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $2.5 million in restitution to victims.
Donald Gasser, 59, of Sorrento, Florida, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on April 5. According to court documents, Gasser served as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of a small business operating out of Dulles that installed fences and decks. Between 2008 and 2015, Gasser used his position to embezzle over $2.3 million from the company. Without authorization, Gasser opened new financial accounts in the company’s name and directed accounts statements to his home. Gasser wrote company checks payable to himself, issued business checks to pay for personal expenses, and used funds embezzled directly from company to purchase luxury items such as a personal watercraft. As a result of the fraud, the fencing company was forced to lay off a portion of its workforce and its owners were assessed a tax lien of over $1 million.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-64.
Florida Man Sentenced to Twelve Years for Receiving Child Pornography from the Dark NetRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Richard Lueck (62, Satellite Beach) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the electronic devices he had used to commit the offense, and to serve 10 years of supervision following his release from prison.
Lueck plead guilty on April 14, 2017.
According to court documents, the FBI identified Lueck through a nationwide investigation of “Playpen,” a child pornography website that operated as a hidden service on the Dark Net - an area of the Internet only accessible through an encrypted browsing platform. Lueck downloaded child pornography from the illicit site until March 4, 2015, when it was shut down by the FBI. Pursuant to a search warrant, agents seized Lueck’s electronic devices and located 143 images of child pornography. Lueck admitted that he had obtained child pornography from the Dark Net for six years, and that he had used an encrypted browser to conceal his illegal conduct from law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.