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Tuesday 6 June 2017
Navajo Man from Gallup Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jonathan Dan Clyde, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Gallup, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his assault conviction.
Clyde was arrested in Feb. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury on Jan. 21, 2017, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. According to the complaint, Clyde assaulted a Navajo woman by pushing her to the floor, kicking and punching her in the face, slamming her face into the floor, choking her, and kicking her left arm. The victim suffered serious injuries that required her to be transferred to the hospital in a medevac airplane.
On March 3, 2017, Clyde pled guilty to an information charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Clyde admitted that on Jan. 21, 2017, he assaulted the victim by striking and beating her face and body after an argument. Clyde further admitted that the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy B. Solimon. The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Muskegon Heights Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Stephen Adonis Conley, age 30, also known as "Steph," of Muskegon Heights, Michigan was sentenced to the maximum possible sentence of 10 years in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney imposed a three-year term of supervised release that will commence once Conley is released from imprisonment.
Conley came to the attention of law enforcement after he sold heroin to a police informant on September 8, 2016. Police executed a search warrant at the home in which Conley was staying the following day, where they found Conley in possession of a loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, a loaded .357 revolver, a large quantity of cash, drug paraphernalia, and some heroin. Conley was arrested on scene, and he pled guilty on January 26, 2017, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In its sentencing memorandum, the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued in favor of the 10-year sentence, noting that "[t]rafficking in illegal drugs while having ready access to loaded handguns poses a significant risk to the community." The danger in Conley’s case was highlighted by his significant criminal history, which included convictions for aggravated assault, domestic violence, felon in possession of a firearm, and drug trafficking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also noted that the Muskegon-area community was suffering from violence and drug trafficking, and there was a great need to deter such conduct.
"While gang violence and drug trafficking continues to plague the safety and security of our neighborhoods, this sentencing underscores the continuing impact that the West Michigan Enforcement Team (WEMET) and Muskegon Violent Crimes Task Force is having on the ability of gang members to threaten our communities," said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Lewis. The charges in this case are the result of a joint investigation by the West Michigan Enforcement Team (WEMET) and the Muskegon Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the Muskegon City Police
Department. The U.S. Attorney's Office, the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office, and federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in the Muskegon area.
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Mexican National Sentenced on Immigration ChargeRead the Press Release
Lynchburg, VIRGINIA – A citizen of Mexico, who on four occasions was removed from the United States only to return later without lawful permission, was sentenced this morning on a federal immigration charge, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Adolfo Castaneda-Garcia, 45, a native of Mexico, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Lynchburg to 21 months in federal prison. Castaneda-Garcia previously pled guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States without obtaining express consent of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.
According to evidence presented at a previous hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day, Castaneda-Garcia was first encountered by Immigrations officials at or near Denver, Colorado in February 1996 while serving a state prison sentence for possession of a controlled substance. The defendant was sentenced to four years in prison for this conviction and later removed to Mexico. Over the next decade, Castaneda-Garcia was arrested, incarcerated, removed from the United States and encountered by Border Patrol officers at least four times in Arizona, California and Texas.
On June 17. 2016, officials with the Rockbridge Regional Jail in Lexington, Va., contacted officials with Immigrations and Customs and Enforcement officers and informed them that Castaneda-Garcia was arrested in Buena-Vista on state drug charges.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Lengthy Federal Prison Sentence for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
AMARILLO, Texas — Oved David Valenzuela-Ortega, who admitted trafficking a large quantity of methamphetamine, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 324 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Valenzuela-Ortega, 36, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty in February 2017 to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He has been in custody since the time of his arrest in October 2016. Valenzuela-Ortega will be deported after serving his sentence.
“Working with our state and local partners, as was done here, to drive up the cost of trafficking drugs is a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Parker.
According to documents filed in the case, on October 26, 2016, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was working routine patrol on Interstate 40 in Carson County, Texas, when he stopped at the Loves truck stop in Conway, Carson County, Texas. The trooper observed a vehicle at the gas pumps, and that the driver of the vehicle was having difficulty operating the gas pumps.
The trooper made contact with the driver of the vehicle, Valenzuela, and offered to assist Valenzuela with the pumps. After noticing numerous indicators of possible criminal behavior the trooper asked for consent to search the vehicle. While searching the vehicle, the trooper discovered a duffle bag in the vehicle that contained five cellophane-wrapped bundles. The bundles contained 2,226 grams of methamphetamine.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Taylor prosecuted.
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Mexican Citizen Removed Four Times from U.S. is Sentenced for Further Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - An illegal alien found in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and has been sentenced in federal court to time served subject to deportation, as well as one year of supervised release, on his conviction of Illegal Re-Entry After Deportation, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence yesterday on Samuel Quib-Chub, age 28, of Mexico.
According to the information presented to the court, Samuel Quib-Chub, a native and citizen of Mexico, was formally removed from the United States by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on or about June 17, 2015, May 18, 2016, May 26, 2016, and June 1, 2016. Quib-Chub was found to be illegally present in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, on January 24, 2017, when he was arrested by the Penn Hills Police Department for aggravated assault, simple assault, and harassment.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam N. Hallowell prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting U.S. Attorney Song commended the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Quib-Chub.
Members of Credit Card Theft Ring at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport arrestedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Quentin Pickett and Cornelius Henderson have been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft. Pickett, Henderson, and three other individuals were indicted for, among other things, stealing credit cards from the baggage loading areas of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and using them to obtain cash advances throughout metro-Atlanta.
“Identity theft is a serious crime and the stakes only become higher when thieves organize themselves to execute larger-scale, systemic frauds,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “These defendants allegedly sought to exploit the airport’s baggage loading processes and prey on unsuspecting citizens who depend on the mail to receive their new cards.”
“Pickett and others devised a scheme to steal U.S. mail by taking advantage of the access given to them by their employer,” said David M. McGinnis, Inspector in Charge, Charlotte Division. “Postal Inspectors are committed to protecting the sanctity of the US Postal Service and will hold those accountable that steal from innocent victims and profit from these illicit schemes.”
“Pickett and his conspirators were creative in their scheme to steal victims’ credit cards and defraud them,” said Kenneth Cronin, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office. “The United States Secret Service will continue to arrest criminals who use their trustworthy positions to violate unsuspecting victims such as those in this case. We will work closely with prosecutors to ensure these criminals are put behind bars.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: From December of 2015 until April of 2017, Pickett, Henderson and their co-defendants allegedly stole credit cards from the baggage loading areas of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and a private mail sorting facility. Henderson had access to the airport’s baggage loading areas, where he allegedly stole mail that contained credit cards. The stolen credit cards were being shipped via the U.S. Postal Service to the rightful accountholders, who were located throughout the United States. The indictment alleges that after stealing the credit cards, Pickett, Henderson, and their co-defendants used them to, among other things, obtain cash advances at ATMs and purchase high dollar electronics at a store.
Pickett, Henderson, and three other defendants were indicted on May 23, 2017. The other defendants are as follows:
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Brandon Foster, 24, of Stockbridge, Georgia, who was employed as a bank teller and allegedly used his employment to execute or attempt to execute cash advances using the stolen credit cards.
- LaSuhn Turner, 25, of Stockbridge, Georgia, who allegedly obtained cash advances at ATMs using the stolen credit cards.
- Treyevon Herring, 22, of Forest Park, Georgia, who was employed at a private mail sorting facility where he allegedly stole mail that contained credit cards.Pickett, 24, of Jonesboro, Georgia, and
- Cornelius Henderson, 23, of Riverdale, Georgia, were arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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Maricopa Man Sentenced to over 132 Years in Prison for Multiple Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Yesterday, Jaime Villa, 45, of Maricopa, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Neil V. Wake to over 132 years of imprisonment. Villa was found guilty by a federal jury on Dec. 7, 2016, of six bank robberies and six accompanying charges of using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
The six armed bank robberies dated back to 2010. Each time, Villa brandished a firearm toward the tellers. Villa was caught on Aug. 24, 2015, the date of the last robbery, by the Chandler Police Department. During the pursuit, Villa fired his firearm at two uniformed Chandler Police Department officers. Under federal law, Villa faced a mandatory-minimum sentence of at least 132 years due to the presence of six firearm-related counts of conviction.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Chandler Police Department, the Mesa Police Department, the Tempe Police Department, the Apache Junction Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Phoenix Police Department, the Scottsdale Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Bank Robbery Task Force. The prosecution was handled by Gayle L. Helart, Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Brett A. Day, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-2:15-01149-NVW
RELEASE NUMBER: 2017-051_ Villa
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Melfa man who amassed tens of thousands of digital images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.
John M. Bowen, 56, pleaded guilty on January 19. According to court documents, during the execution of a search warrant at Bowen’s residence, law enforcement recovered several electronic devices that contained at least 1.7 million digital files, tens of thousands of which depicted the sexual abuse of children. The collection included depictions of sexual abuse of children of a wide variety of ages, some as young as babies, and including files of bestiality, and sadistic and masochistic conduct. Bowen’s collection was accumulated over nearly a decade of downloading child pornography. Also recovered during the search of Bowen’s home was a handcrafted doll, the size of a young child, with a silicone adult-sized vagina insert. Contributing to length of Bowen’s prison sentence is his previous conviction of aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties with a minor in 2001.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty 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. 2:16-cr-160.
Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Woman for 9 YearsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A California man pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Naeem Lateef Odums, 39, of Clovis, California, and Portsmouth, forced “Jane Doe” to engage in commercial sex acts in California and Virginia for nearly nine years. Odums used a combination of extreme physical violence, threats of violence, and threats of kidnapping Jane Doe’s children, and other forms of control to cause her to perform commercial sex acts. Odums arranged appointments for Jane Doe using a website known to promote prostitution, and collected all the money Jane Doe earned both from her appointments, as well as from her legitimate jobs. In January 2017, Jane Doe was hospitalized after Odums broke three of her ribs and punctured her lung.
Odums was originally charged by criminal complaint on March 7, and was indicted on March 22. A superseding indictment naming two additional women who Odums posted prostitution advertisements for was returned on April 20. Odums faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on October 6. 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 K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; and Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of Portsmouth Police Department, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen accepted the plea and found Odums guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty 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. 2:17-cr-46.
MA Resident Pleads Guilty to Interstate Travel for the Purpose of Engaging in Illicit Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – David H. Bentz, 46, of Norwell, MA, is scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence on September 8, 2017, having pleaded guilty to traveling interstate for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Bentz pleaded guilty on June 2, 2017, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith.
According to information presented to the court, on July 2, 2016, Bentz responded to an online posting and began a series of communications with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old female. The conversation quickly became sexually explicit. On July 6, 2016, Bentz arranged to meet with the 15-year-old in Rhode Island to engage in sexual activity. When Bentz arrived at a pre-arranged location in Rhode Island he was arrested by members of the Rhode State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Traveling interstate for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 30 years in federal prison; a fine of up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life.
Bentz’s guilty plea is announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations for New England.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
Long Island Man Sentenced to Prison for Trading Guns for DrugsRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SCOTT LIFF, 47, of East Williston, New York was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for selling guns in exchange for drugs.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 18, 2012, New Haven Police officers arrested an individual for criminal possession of a weapon. The individual said he purchased the firearm from an individual on the streets of Bridgeport. The gun was registered to LIFF. On December 24, 2013, Norwalk Police officers arrested an individual for a shooting. This individual also possessed a firearm registered to LIFF. Officers then interviewed LIFF, who falsely told them that the firearms had been stolen and that he had not reported their theft.
The investigation revealed that LIFF had a crack cocaine addiction during the time at which he owned the firearms. LIFF subsequently admitted to law enforcement that he had sold as many as 10 guns, including an assault rifle, to drug dealers in Bridgeport and elsewhere in exchange for crack cocaine.
On July 27, 2015, LIFF pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, Norwalk Police Department and New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Richards.
Long Island Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography Involving Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Joseph Valerio, of Smithtown, New York, was sentenced at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, to 60 years’ imprisonment for the production, transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography. The sentencing proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco, who also ordered Valerio to serve a lifetime term of supervised release to follow his prison sentence. Valerio will be required to register as a sex offender.
The sentence was announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Timothy D. Sini, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD).
“This lengthy prison sentence ensures that the defendant will never harm another child as long as he lives and serves as a warning to anyone who victimizes children,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde.
“As a parent, hearing details about the child pornography cases we are investigating is extremely hard, so it begins to boggle the mind when the victims are six and two-years-old,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “These children can’t fight off their attackers because the abuse is at the hands of adults who are supposed to be feeding, clothing and sheltering them from the evil in the world. No child should ever have to endure this sort of pain, humiliation and abuse. The agents and task force officers on the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force won’t ever stop going after these predators with every tool we have.”
“The crimes committed by Joseph Valerio are despicable and this sentence of 60 years ensures the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison for these heinous crimes,” stated SCPD Commissioner Sini.
The evidence at trial showed that Valerio paid a woman in Ukraine to produce custom-made videos of child pornography that he scripted. woman, Olena Kalichenko,[1] produced over 30 pornographic videos of a then two-year-old girl that she emailed to Valerio between April and November 2012. After FBI agents discovered Valerio and Kalichenko’s international child exploitation conspiracy, in January 2014, federal agents, joined by members of the Suffolk County Police Department, executed a search warrant at Valerio’s residence in Smithtown. During the search, investigators found several hidden cameras, computers and a stage. A forensic examination of computers and electronic devices recovered by investigators revealed that, in September 2010, Valerio had produced child pornography in the basement of his house involving a then six-year-old Long Island girl. Valerio has been in custody since February 2014.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Ameet B. Kabrawala and Allen L. Bode are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
Joseph Valerio
Age: 50
Smithtown, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14 CR 94 (JFB)
[1] On April 1, 2016, Kalichenko pled guilty to conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, sexual exploitation of a child, production of child pornography for importation into the United States, and transportation of child pornography. At sentencing, Kalichenko faces a 15-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment.
Lawrence, Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 55 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute over One Kilogram of HeroinRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Jonathan Cruz-Marte, age 34, formerly of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced on Friday to serve 55 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute over a kilogram of heroin.
After a lengthy investigation, law enforcement officers determined that from late 2014 through March 2015, Cruz-Marte, a member of a Lawrence, Massachusetts-based heroin trafficking organization, conspired to supply a heroin distributor in Keene with multiple kilograms of heroin for distribution in Keene and the surrounding towns. Law enforcement officers arrested Cruz-Marte on March 12, 2015, after Cruz-Marte delivered two kilograms of heroin to an individual in Salem, New Hampshire.
Cruz-Marte pleaded guilty on November 23, 2016.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to address the opioid crisis in New Hampshire by continuing to identify and target drug traffickers who are responsible for the distribution of large quantities of heroin and fentanyl in New Hampshire. We will continue to work each day to identify and prosecute drug traffickers who seek to profit from selling these drugs that are killing our citizens and damaging the fabric of our communities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Farley said.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The investigation was conducted by the: (1) United States Attorney’s Office; (2) Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; (3) New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force; (4) New Hampshire State Police; (5) Keene, New Hampshire Police Department; and (6) Massachusetts State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis prosecuted the case.
Laguna Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Assault by Strangulation ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Robert T. Maestas, 25, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo who resides in Pagueate, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an assault by strangulation charge.
Maestas was arrested on March 17, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with domestic assault by a habitual offender and assault of an intimate partner by strangulation. According to the complaint, on Feb. 10, 2017, in the Laguna Pueblo within Cibola County, N.M., Maestas assaulted the victim, a Laguna Pueblo woman, by holding her neck against a car door with his forearm prohibiting her from breathing, and by striking her on the chest and shoulder.
Maestas was indicted on March 28, 2017, and charged with domestic assault by a habitual offender and assault of an intimate partner by strangulation or suffocating. According to the indictment, Maestas was previously convicted in the Laguna Tribal Court of domestic violence in Dec. 2011 and Jan. 2012.
During today’s proceedings, Maestas pled guilty to Count 2 of the indictment charging him with assault of an intimate partner by strangulation. In entering the guilty plea, Maestas admitted that on Feb. 10, 2017, he brandished a shotgun at the victim and assaulted the victim by grabbing her throat with his hand and applying pressure to cause pain, striking her rib and chest area, and using his forearm to apply pressure to her neck prohibiting her from breathing. Maestas further admitted that the victim suffered physical pain as well as bruising and marks to her forearms, neck, chest and shoulder as the result of the assault.
At sentencing, Maestas faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy B. Solimon is prosecuting the case pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
KCK Man Sentenced for Carjacking That Caused Multi-Vehicle Wreck, Dog's DeathRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Kan., man was sentenced in federal court for a carjacking that ended in a multiple-vehicle collision with injuries and the death of the car owner’s dog.
Stephen D. Bagley, 27, of Kansas City, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Bagley to pay $1,000 in restitution to the carjacking victim.
On Feb. 10, 2017, Bagley pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Bagley has remained in prison, serving a sentence imposed by the U.S. District Court in the District of Kansas, since he was indicted on July 8, 2015.
Bagley admitted that he stole a 2008 Nissan Altima at gunpoint on June 22, 2014. Bagley brandished a Glock .40-caliber pistol during the carjacking.
According to the plea agreement, the owner of the vehicle was standing near the car talking to some friends at about 2:30 a.m., while parked in front of Express Mart at 3786 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo. A friend was sitting in the passenger’s seat of the vehicle when Bagley grabbed the door handle. The passenger told him “this ain’t your car.” Bagley then pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at her while he got in the driver’s seat. While pointing the gun at her, Bagley told her to get out of the car.
The vehicle owner’s dog, Mister, was left inside the vehicle when Bagley backed out of the station and sped off. The owner and his friend got into another friend’s car and attempted to follow the Altima as they last saw it speeding northbound on Interstate 35. They returned to the Express Mart and contacted police to report the carjacking.
A few minutes later, officers were dispatched to a multi-vehicle crash with injuries on Interstate 35, in the northbound lanes near West Pennway, in Kansas City, Mo. The Altima had crashed into multiple vehicles and Bagley had fled from the crash site. Mister was found dead inside the Altima.
Detectives obtained the surveillance video from the Express Mart during the time of the carjacking. Bagley’s U.S. probation officer, who had supervised Bagley since his release in April 2014 from the Bureau of Prisons, identified him as the assailant. In August 2014, an ATF agent interviewed a woman who was involved in a domestic dispute with Bagley in which Bagley fired six shots with a .40-caliber pistol. The .40-caliber spent shell casings were recovered as evidence, and the victim identified Bagley in photos taken from the surveillance video.
U.S. Marshals had arrested Bagley on July 29, 2014, for violating his supervised release in the District of Kansas case. Marshals executed a search warrant at Bagley’s residence at the time of his arrest and recovered the Glock .40-caliber pistol, an extended magazine and multiple rounds of ammunition.
A forensic scientist determined that the Glock pistol recovered from Bagley’s residence was the pistol that fired a spent shell casing recovered from inside the Altima on June 22, 2014. The ballistics also matched the spent shell casings recovered from the domestic dispute involving Bagley.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
KC Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm After Carrying Gun into Federal CourthouseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a firearm that he brought into the federal courthouse.
Joshua D. Hughes, 42, of Kansas City, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Hughes on May 26, 2017.
The indictment alleges that Hughes was in possession of a Sig Sauer .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun on May 26, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Hughes entered the lobby of the U.S. District Court, 400 E. 9th Street, at approximately 10:27 a.m. on May 26, 2017. A Kansas City police detective noticed that Hughes was obviously impaired as he walked up the steps to the courthouse, the affidavit says, and believed Hughes was under the influence of PCP. Hughes, who was carrying a black backpack, made contact with court security officers and stated, “I’m a felon in possession.” Hughes was frisked, the affidavit says, and officers found the loaded handgun in his boxer shorts.
The backpack Hughes had been carrying was placed in the x-ray scanner. Security officers observed several items which they believed to be contraband, the affidavit says, so they opened the backpack and located a bottle of suspected PCP. Hughes was placed under arrest and transported to an area hospital for treatment due to his level of impairment.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
Larson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Caine. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Justice Department, with FTC, Wins Largest-Ever Telemarketing Penalty Against Dish NetworkRead the Press Release
As the result of long-running litigation to redress invasion of consumer privacy, most notably through violation of the National Do Not Call Registry brought by the U.S. Department of Justice as well as the States of California, Illinois, North Carolina, and Ohio, a federal court in Illinois has ordered penalties totaling $280 million and strong injunctive relief against Englewood, Colorado-based satellite television provider Dish Network.
A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation determined that Dish Network violated the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule, which includes provisions prohibiting telemarketing calls to phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, telemarketing calls to persons who have asked a seller not to call them, and provisions prohibiting robocalls. The FTC referred the case to the Department of Justice, which filed suit in 2009.
The case went to trial in January 2016, before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough of the Central District of Illinois. The bench trial lasted approximately five weeks. In her ruling issued yesterday, Judge Myerscough found that Dish Network violated the do not call laws and invaded the privacy rights of American consumers, and that it knew or should have known that its actions were illegal.
Judge Myerscough also found that Dish Network was liable for the telemarketing violations of its so-called “retailers”—call centers that sold Dish Network programming by any means necessary. “Dish’s reckless decision to use anyone with a call center without any vetting or meaningful supervision demonstrates a disregard for the consuming public,” the judge wrote in her 475-page opinion. She went on to note the total penalty amount was appropriate given that “Dish caused millions and millions of violations of the Do Not Call Laws, and Dish has minimized the significance of its own errors in direct telemarketing and steadfastly denied any responsibility for the actions of its [retailers]. The injury to consumers, the disregard for the law, and the steadfast refusal to accept responsibility require a significant and substantial monetary award.”
“The National Do Not Call Registry is a popular federal program for the public to reduce the number of unwanted sales calls,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to smart enforcement of consumer protection laws, and sends a clear message to businesses that they must comply with the Do Not Call rules.”
“The outcome of this case shows companies will pay a hefty price for violating consumers’ privacy with unwanted calls,” said Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen. “This is a great result for consumers, and I am grateful to FTC staff for their years of tenacious work investigating and developing this case. We and our Department of Justice and state partners will continue to bring enforcement actions against Do Not Call violators.”
The United States was represented by Trial Attorneys Lisa K. Hsiao, Patrick Runkle, Sang Lee and Daniel Crane-Hirsch of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch. FTC attorneys Russell Deitch and Gary Ivens were agency counsel on the matter.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Justice Department and City of Des Plaines, Illinois Settle Lawsuit over Alleged RLUIPA ViolationsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the City of Des Plaines, Illinois, to resolve allegations that the City violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) when it denied a rezoning application to allow The Society of American Bosnians and Herzegovinans (SABAH), a Bosnian Muslim religious organization, to use a vacant building as a mosque.
The agreement resolves a lawsuit the Department filed in September 2015, after conducting an investigation into the City’s zoning and land use practices. A separate agreement resolving a similar lawsuit brought by SABAH has also been reached.
The United States’ complaint alleged that the City discriminated against SABAH on the basis of religion or religious denomination by treating land use applications by non-Muslim religious groups better than it treated SABAH’s on the basis of parking requirements and tax-exempt status, and that the City departed from its normal practices and procedures in the treatment and denial SAHAB’s request. The United States also alleged that the City’s denial imposed a substantial burden on SABAH’s religious exercise without serving a compelling governmental interest using the least restrictive means and that the City treated SAHAH on less than equal terms with similarly situated nonreligious groups, including a school and cultural center.
On February 26, 2017, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled that the United States’ claims should proceed to trial, and found that the City misapplied its zoning laws by imposing higher parking standards on SABAH than on non-Muslim religious groups, and that the City did not use the least restrictive means to address purported concerns it had with SABAH’s request.
As part of the agreement, the City of Des Plaines will abide by RLUIPA in its determinations involving religious land use requests, and has agreed to provide training on the requirements of RLUIPA to its officials and employees, and to publicize its non-discrimination policies, among other remedial measures.
“Religious freedom is a fundamental right that belongs to all persons and religious groups in the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will remain vigilant in its enforcement of federal law protecting the rights of religious communities to build and use property for religious worship.”
“Religious freedom is a fundamental right, and we will not tolerate the unlawful use of zoning or land use restrictions to infringe on that right,” said Joel R. Levin, Acting U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of Illinois. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to safeguard the rights of religious groups to establish houses of worship without fear of discriminatory zoning or land use practices.
RLUIPA prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion in land use and zoning decisions. Persons who believe they have been subjected to such discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division at (800) 896-7743 and, in the Northern District of Illinois, they may also call the Unite States Attorney’s Office of Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339.
Justice Department and City of Des Plaines Settle Lawsuit over Alleged RLUIPA ViolationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the City of Des Plaines to resolve allegations that the City violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) when it denied a rezoning application to allow The Society of American Bosnians and Herzegovinans (SABAH), a Bosnian Muslim religious organization, to use a vacant building as a mosque.
The agreement resolves a lawsuit the Department filed in September 2015, after conducting an investigation into the City’s zoning and land use practices. A separate agreement resolving a similar lawsuit brought by SABAH has also been reached.
“Religious freedom is a fundamental right, and we will not tolerate the unlawful use of zoning or land use restrictions to infringe on that right,” said Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney of the Northern District of Illinois. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to safeguard the rights of religious groups to establish houses of worship without fear of discriminatory zoning or land use practices.”
“Religious freedom is a fundamental right that belongs to all persons and religious groups in the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will remain vigilant in its enforcement of federal law protecting the rights of religious communities to build and use property for religious worship.”
The United States’ complaint alleged that the City discriminated against SABAH on the basis of religion or religious denomination by treating land use applications by non-Muslim religious groups better than it treated SABAH’s application on the basis of parking requirements and tax-exempt status, and that the City departed from its normal practices and procedures in the treatment and denial of SABAH’s request. The United States also alleged that the City’s denial imposed a substantial burden on SABAH’s religious exercise without serving a compelling governmental interest using the least restrictive means and that the City treated SABAH on less than equal terms with similarly situated non-religious groups, including a school and cultural center.
On Feb. 26, 2017, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled that the United States’ claims could proceed to trial. The Court found that the City misapplied its zoning laws by imposing higher parking standards on SABAH than on non-Muslim religious groups, and that the City did not use the least restrictive means to address purported concerns it had with SABAH’s request.
As part of the settlement agreement, the City of Des Plaines will abide by RLUIPA in its determinations involving religious land use requests. The City has agreed to provide training on the requirements of RLUIPA to its officials and employees, and to publicize its non-discrimination policies, among other remedial measures.
RLUIPA prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion in land use and zoning decisions. Persons who believe they have been subjected to such discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division at (800) 896-7743. In the Northern District of Illinois, they may also call the U.S. Attorney’s Office's Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339.
Inmate Charged with Possessing Buprenorphine in PrisonRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Loretto, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of possession of a prohibited object in prison, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The indictment named Edwin Manuel Guzman, 35.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on December 22, 2016, Guzman possessed a quantity of Buprenorphine.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Correctional Institution, Special Investigative Staff, conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Guzman.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Inmate at FCI-Berlin Pleads Guilty to Attempted Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Dieuny Pasius, 26, an inmate at FCI-Berlin pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess a prohibited object within a federal prison. Pasius admitted the prohibited object he was attempting to possess was Alpha-PVP, known by the street name Flakka, a synthetic cathinone that is a Schedule I controlled substance. Synthetic cathinone is commonly referred to as bath salts.
According to documents filed with the court and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Pasius placed a letter in the institution mailbox at FCI-Berlin on January 14, 2017. The letter was reviewed by a staff member at the prison who noticed that certain words were emphasized. The staff members then placed the words in the order they appeared in the letter and a coded message was revealed. That coded message directed the letter’s intended recipient to obtain a quantity of Flakka and sent it to Pasius through covert means.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 22, 2017. According to federal law, any sentence imposed in connection with this charge must be served consecutively to any sentence currently be served by Pasius.
The Bureau of Prisons led the investigation of this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Feith.
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Illinois Man Admits to Traveling to Connecticut to Engage in Sex with MinorRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ARTURO CASTRO, 52, of Wilmette, Illinois, pleaded guilty yesterday in Bridgeport federal court to one count of use of an interstate facility to persuade a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in approximately December 2013, CASTRO began communicating with a 15-year-old female in Connecticut through “Chess with Friends,” and online app. Using the app’s chat option, CASTRO asked the minor victim to send him naked photographs of herself, and subsequently enticed the minor victim to create videos depicting the minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct and send those videos to CASTRO. In March 2014, CASTRO traveled from Illinois to Connecticut and engaged in illicit sexual activity with the minor victim.
CASTRO has been detained since his arrest on December 13, 2016.
CASTRO is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill on August 28, 2017, at which time he faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
CASTRO is a citizen of Mexico and a lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
This investigation has been conducted by Homeland Security Investigations in New Haven and Chicago, and the Clinton (Conn.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Haverhill Resident Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Juan Rojas, 32, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for his participation in two conspiracies: (1) a conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, oxycodone and cocaine and (2) a conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents and statements in court, Rojas and others participated in the distribution of cocaine and oxycodone pills in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. During a court-authorized wiretap investigation, law enforcement officers intercepted calls in which Rojas obtained quantities of oxycodone and cocaine, which he then supplied to others, including Franklyn and Mara Morillo. The Morillos then arranged to distribute the drugs to multiple customers. Rojas was arrested on August 18, 2015. Law enforcement officers found approximately 110 grams of cocaine in the vehicle he was operating.
During the wiretap investigation, officers also intercepted calls indicating that Rojas and another individual (Oscar Rosario) were planning to rob a drug dealer. Intercepted calls showed that Rosario traveled from New Hampshire to Haverhill, Massachusetts, where he obtained a firearm from Rojas. A law enforcement officer later stopped Rosario and recovered the firearm before it could be used to commit the robbery.
Rojas pleaded guilty to these crimes on January 5, 2017. After his prison sentence, he will be on supervised release for three years.
Rojas is one of six individuals convicted for participating in this drug trafficking conspiracy. Mara Morillo, 41, of Haverhill, Massachusetts was sentenced to seven years in prison; Franklyn Morillo, 42, of Haverhill, Massachusetts was sentenced to 14 years in prison; Jorge Medina, 25, of Haverhill, Massachusetts was sentenced to two years in prison; Justin Bartimus, 36, formerly of Methuen, Massachusetts was sentenced to 18 months in prison; and Michael Lally, 28, of Salem, New Hampshire is a awaiting sentencing.
Rojas and Rosario were charged in a separate indictment with conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Rosario previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison.
“This is another example of the commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are responsible for distributing opioids and other drugs,” Acting U.S. Attorney Farley said. “The road to heroin or fentanyl addiction often begins with the misuse of oxycodone pills. This case was an example of excellent law enforcement cooperation that put an end to a substantial drug trafficking operation that was profiting from the sale of these dangerous pills. Thanks to the hard work of multiple law enforcement agencies, these drug traffickers will no longer be jeopardizing the safety of our community.”
"The DEA is committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who illicitly distribute oxycodone,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Opiate abuse is a major problem in New Hampshire and throughout New England. The diversion of prescription pain killers, in this case oxycodone, contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, is the gateway to heroin and fentanyl addiction, and is devastating our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue any group or individual that traffics these drugs.”
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad led the investigation with assistance from the Haverhill, Massachusetts Police Department, the Methuen, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police. It was prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.
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Hartford Man Who Distributed Fentanyl Involved in Overdose of East Haddam Teen Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HECTOR RAUL CINTRON, also known as “G” and “Big G,” 23, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the morning of March 19, 2016, Connecticut State Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in East Haddam on the report of an “untimely death.” The victim, an 18-year-old male, was pronounced dead at the scene. At the scene, State Police seized the victim’s cell phone and multiple glassine bags containing powder residue. The investigation revealed that Kerry Scanlan, of Avon, arranged to purchase heroin from CINTRON in Hartford. On March 18, 2016, the victim drove to Avon, picked up Scanlan and then drove to Hartford to purchase heroin from CINTRON.
On April 4, 2016, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner issued a report listing the victim’s cause of death as “acute fentanyl intoxication.”
On two occasions in November 2016, CINTRON sold approximately 200 bags of heroin to an individual working with law enforcement.
CINTRON was arrested on December 15, 2016.
CINTRON is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on September 20, 2017, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is released on a $50,000 bond.
Scanlan pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force East, and East Haddam Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHARLES JERNIGAN, also known as “CJ” and “Snooze,” 23, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine. Judge Thompson also ordered JERNIGAN to perform 50 hours of community service.
This matter stems from a joint investigation by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Vice, Intelligence and Narcotics Unit into gang-related narcotics trafficking in Hartford’s North End. JERNIGAN and others targeted during the investigation were affiliated with groups and gangs who have been involved in acts of violence. The investigation revealed that JERINGAN and others sold crack cocaine in the area of Edgewood Street and Albany Avenue. Between June and August 2015, law enforcement made controlled purchases of crack from JERNIGAN and his associates.
JERNIGAN has been detained since his arrest on September 17, 2015. On November 22, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
JERNIGAN’s criminal history includes multiple drug-related convictions. He also is a victim of two gang-related shootings.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Harrison County man convicted of mail fraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Bridgeport, West Virginia man pled guilty today to mail fraud, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Elliott Williams, age 66, pled guilty to one count of “Mail Fraud.” Williams admitted to staging a vehicle theft, and filing a false insurance claim. The crime happened between December 2016 and February 2017 in Harrison County.
Williams faces up to 20 years incarceration and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia Insurance Commission Office of Inspector General and the Greater Harrison Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Guilty Plea in Armed Robbery of Mail Carrier in Rancho CordovaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Juan Carlos Maldonado, 22, pleaded guilty today to the armed robbery of a U.S. mail carrier, participation in a bank fraud scheme, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on June 21, 2016, Maldonado and others used a sport utility vehicle with its plates removed and followed a U.S. letter carrier in a Rancho Cordova neighborhood. They pulled alongside the postal truck and when the carrier stepped out to deliver mail, Maldonado wielded a pistol at the carrier and robbed him at gunpoint. During the robbery, Maldonado and his associates raided the postal truck, stealing over 800 items of U.S. Mail. Following the robbery, they rifled through the stolen mail for personal identification and financial information, which Maldonado used and provided to others for use to defraud financial institutions.
On June 30, 2016, Maldonado was arrested by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office at the Red Hawk Casino while attempting to access proceeds from credit cards stolen during the June 21, 2016 robbery.
San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez stated: “Working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement, Postal Inspectors arrested this individual for the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier. Protecting postal employees from harm is the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s top priority.”
This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotic and Economic Crimes Investigations Task Force (NECI) with assistance from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and the Rancho Cordova Police Department. NECI is a partnership between local and federal law enforcement to combat theft and unlawful use of the U.S. Mail. The Placer County District Attorney’s Office and Sutter County Sheriff’s Office have each dedicated law enforcement personnel to the task force. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Maldonado is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on September 12, 2017. Maldonado faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for bank fraud, a mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any other term for aggravated identity theft, and up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for robbery of a U.S. mail carrier. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Grammy-nominated Hudson man sentenced to nearly six years in prison for laundering drug profitsRead the Press Release
A Hudson man was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for laundering approximately $1.5 million in proceeds from marijuana trafficking, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja.
Stuart Pflaum, 35, was sentenced to 70 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver. Eight people have now been sentenced for their crimes related to the conspiracy.
James Sorgi operated a drug trafficking and money laundering organization that shipped marijuana from California to Cleveland. He grew the marijuana in California and obtained marijuana from other growers. Sorgi then worked with Pflaum and Robert Serina to direct others to receive multi-pound shipments of marijuana in Ohio and sell it there, according to court documents.
Pflaum, Sorgi, Serina and others directed people to collect the drug proceeds and make cash deposits into various bank accounts. Sorgi, through Pflaum and Serina, then directed people to convert the cash into money orders and send the money to California, according to the indictment.
This took place between June 2013 and February 2015, according to court documents.
Sorgi was sentenced to 80 months in prison. Serina’s case is pending.
Pflaum, also known as DJ Xplosive, also worked as a music producer and was nominated for a Grammy Award, according to court documents.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Sweeney and Michelle Baeppler following an investigation by the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The NOLETF is a task force comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cleveland Division of Police, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the police departments of Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Lakewood, the Regional Transit Authority, Westlake and Shaker Heights. The NOLETF is also one of the initial Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiatives, which supports and helps coordinate numerous Ohio drug task forces in their efforts to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking in Ohio.
Goodall Sentenced to Life in Prison for Kidnapping Case of Wake Forest ManRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina John Stuart Bruce announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced SHAMIEKA GOODALL, a/k/a Donna Diva, 30, of Covington, Georgia to life imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. On January 23, 2017, a jury found GOODALL guilty of Conspiracy to Kidnap a relative of a North Carolina state prosecutor and of a separate substantive count of Kidnapping relating to the same.
In October of 2012, Kelvin Melton, one of the founding members of the United Blood Nation, was convicted by a Wake County jury on two counts pertaining to a gang-related shooting that occurred in Raleigh in September of 2011. As a result of this conviction, Melton was sentenced to life imprisonment and incarcerated in the maximum security unit at Polk Correctional Institution (“Polk”) in Butner, North Carolina. Melton concocted a plan under which he arranged for various low ranking gang members located in the vicinity of Atlanta, Georgia, to kidnap a person related to the North Carolina state prosecutor. Melton planned to use such hostage to extort dismissal of his life imprisonment sentence.
During the early morning hours of Saturday, April 5, 2014, Melton held a conference call with various gang members located at GOODALL’s home in Covington, Georgia, during which he generally discussed the mission. The kidnapping team (which included a member that had been recruited by GOODALL) assembled at GOODALL’s house and GOODALL provided the team with funds to use during the course of the kidnapping mission. After traveling from Covington, Georgia, to Wake Forest, North Carolina, the kidnapping team arrived at the home of Frank Janssen (the state prosecutor’s father) just prior to noon on April 5, 2014. The kidnapping team used the ruse of delivering lost mail, to get Frank Janssen to open his front door. Mr. Janssen was then pistol whipped, tazed, and taken from his home against his will.
During the course of the trip back to Georgia, GOODALL and others were called upon to determine the location at which Mr. Janssen would be held. The kidnapping team was then instructed to bring Mr. Janssen to an apartment located in Southeast Atlanta. Mr. Janssen was bound to a chair and held in a small closet from the early evening of April 5, 2014, through late on the night of April 9, 2014. Just hours before Mr. Janssen was rescued, Melton called and instructed the kidnapping team (including the team member recruited by GOODALL) to find a location to bury Mr. Janssen and then return to the apartment and kill Mr. Janssen. Through a coordinated effort involving many federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team rescued Mr. Janssen at 11:55 pm on April 9, 2014.
United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce stated, “As I stated when Kelvin Melton was convicted, this crime was monstrously cruel to the victim and his family, including a dedicated public servant who was being targeted for her public service. It was also an attack on our criminal justice system. We must do more to stop convicted prisoners from reaching out from their prison cells to harm witnesses and law enforcement officials, and to continue their criminal enterprises. The convictions in this case are a start.”
“Today is the final chapter in the prosecution of a heinous crime conducted by members of a violent gang. We hope this conviction sends a message that all gang members involved in these crimes will be held accountable. We would like to thank our federal and local law enforcement partners for their incredible cooperation which lead to an innocent man’s rescue and the convictions of those responsible,” said John Strong, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
The case was investigated by the FBI Charlotte, FBI Atlanta, the Wake Forest Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation with assistance by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh Police Department, Durham Police Department, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Garner Police Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol, RDU Police, City County Bureau of Investigation, the Cobb County Police Department, Alpharetta Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is handling the prosecution of these cases.
Four indicted for conspiracy to mail heroin from California to WarrenRead the Press Release
Four people were indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to mail heroin from California to the Warren area, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Named in the seven-count indictment are: Derrick Eggleston, 31; Rachael Sherman, 38, both of Warren; Alexander Zamudio, 43; and Zoany Zamudio, 38, both of Victorville, California. All four are charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
The defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. This took place beginning as early as September 2015 through November 2015. It was part of the conspiracy that Alexander Zamudio sent heroin through the U.S. mail from California to Sherman’s residence in Warren. Eggleston then picked up the heroin from that residence and compensated Sherman, according to the indictment.
Eggleston sent money through the U.S. mail from Warren to Alexander in California. Zoany Zamudio later replaced Alexander Zamudio as Eggleston’s point of contact when Alexander was incarcerated and unable to send heroin through the mail or receive drug payments, according to the indictment.
On Sept. 9 and Oct. 7, 2015, Alexander Zamudio used the U.S. mail to send heroin to Sherman and Eggleston. Eggleston and Sherman attempted to possess with the intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin on Sept. 10, 2015. Zoany Zamudio used the U.S. mail to send heroin to Sherman and Eggleston on Oct. 26, 27 and Nov. 2015, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Four Amarillo Methamphetamine Traffickers SentencedRead the Press Release
AMARILLO, Texas — William James Peddicord, 31, Jammie Lee Moore, 45, John-Kiet Dinh Nguyen, 30, and Drew Kendall Frost, 38, were sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater for their roles in trafficking methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Peddicord was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in March 2017 to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Moore was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in February 2017. Nguyen was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in March 2017. Frost was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of a communications facility in February 2017. The defendants have been in custody since their arrest in December 2016.
According to plea documents filed relating to Moore, on August 18, 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Moore’s residence located in Amarillo, Texas. Agents located 9 individual baggies of methamphetamine in the kitchen freezer, a baggie of methamphetamine on the kitchen table, and a plastic container with methamphetamine in the bedroom. Two pistols were located in the bedroom under the bed. The net weight of the methamphetamine found at Moore’s residence was 313.63 grams.
According to plea documents filed relating to Peddicord and Nguyen, on May 13, 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Peddicord’s residence located in Amarillo, Texas. When agents entered the residence Nguyen and Peddicord ran out of the back door. Agents observed Peddicord throw a plastic baggie containing methamphetamine when he exited the back door of the residence. Both Peddicord and Nguyen were subsequently arrested. Agents also located several baggies of methamphetamine inside the residence and approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine in Nguyen’s front right pants pocket. A drug ledger was located next to baggies of methamphetamine. The net weight of methamphetamine recovered was 171.6 grams.
According to plea documents filed relating to Frost, on May 5, 2015, an Amarillo Police Department officer approached Frost and another individual who were near a vehicle at the Relax Inn. The officer noticed that Frost and the other individual appeared nervous and they were hiding something. The officer asked for consent to search the vehicle. The officer located a pistol inside the vehicle. Inside a hotel room at the Relax Inn, occupied by Frost, officers located a bag with 40.76 grams of methamphetamine on a night stand in plain view. In addition to the methamphetamine, officers located another pistol and a small amount of marijuana in the hotel room.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Randall County Sheriff’s Office and the Amarillo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto was in charge of the prosecution.
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Fort McDowell Resident Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Assault on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation ReservationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX - On June 5, 2017, Jordan Lee Etzel, 25, of Fort McDowell, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Neil V. Wake to 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
The evidence showed that on Jan. 4, 2016, Etzel struck the victim repeatedly with a golf club, which broke during the assault. The victim’s wounds required immediate medical attention. The victim is an enrolled member of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation; Etzel is not.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Fort McDowell Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Gayle L. Helart, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-16-00918-NVW
RELEASE NUMBER: 2017-050_ Etzel
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Former Nashua Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced yesterday that Wilfredo Tanon Rodriguez, 54, formerly of Nashua, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute more than a quarter kilogram of cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made during earlier court proceedings, on July 1, 2016, the Nashua Police Department dispatched several officers to the parking lot of a city apartment complex. The officers were dispatched to that location in response to a citizen complaint about drug dealing activity there. After conducting surveillance, police later conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Tanon Rodriguez was riding in the front passenger seat.
Tanon Rodriguez consented to a police inspection of a bag at his feet as well as a container found inside the bag. Inside the container, the police found approximately 279 grams of cocaine. After his arrest, Tanon Rodriguez admitted that, at the time of the traffic stop, he had been delivering the cocaine to a third party and that he had engaged in a similar transaction once before. Two firearms were found in a car belonging to Tanon Rodriguez, which was parked in the apartment complex that was the subject of the original police surveillance.
After serving the 30-month prison sentence, Tanon Rodriguez will serve three years of supervised release.
Luis D. Capo-Nieves -- the driver of the car – will be sentenced on a related charge on June 12, 2017. Capo-Nieves is also a former resident of Nashua.
This matter was investigated by the Nashua Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse prosecuted the case.
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Former NC Correctional Officer Sentenced to 14 Years for the Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced JOSHUA LYNN GONDERMAN, 23, from Lumberton, N.C., to 168 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for the Receipt of Child Pornography (CP). GONDERMAN pled guilty to the charge on February 16, 2017.
In March 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Fayetteville discovered that GONDERMAN had received CP from a target of another FBI investigation out of state. During their investigation they also learned that GONDERMAN was employed as a correctional officer at the NC Department of Public Safety Lumberton Correctional Institution.
On May 31, 2016, a search warrant was executed on GONDERMAN’s residence and multiple storage devices were seized. A preliminary review of the seized items uncovered CP and GONDERMAN was arrested on state charges. As determined by the investigation, GONDERMAN used a smartphone to receive and store images and videos of CP. He possessed 4,712 images of CP. Several of the images depicted the sexual exploitation of infants and portrayed sadistic and masochistic conduct.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fayetteville Office and the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. The federal prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes.
This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former McConnellsburg High School Basketball Coach Indicted for Creating and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dane Robert Pollock, age 33, a resident of McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, for sexual exploitation of children involving the production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
According to U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Pollock took sexually explicit, nude photographs and videos of at least one female student who was under the age of 18 years of age in 2016.
United States Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson arraigned Pollock on these charges on June 1, 2017, and ordered Pollock detained until his trial date, August 7, 2017. This case is assigned to United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
If you have additional information about this case, please contact the FBI office in State College, Pennsylvania at (814) 234-0341.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute 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."
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Receiving child pornography carries a five year mandatory minimum prison sentence. Exploiting a child in order to create child pornography carries a penalty requiring a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty under federal law is 60 years of imprisonment, a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Former Clearfield, Pa., Woman Charged with Purchasing Firearms for Another PersonRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A former Clearfield, Pa., resident was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on charges of false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The indictment named Heather L. Welker, 41, of Emigrant, Montana, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on various dates from January 28, 2015, to March 26, 2015, Welker purchased a number of firearms from Grice Gun Shop, a federally licensed firearms dealer, stating she was purchasing the firearms for herself, when, in truth and fact, she was not the actual buyer and was purchasing the firearms on behalf of another person.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Welker.
According to Ms. Song, Heather L. Welker is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former CFO of Crossroads Home Health Care, Inc. Sentenced to Prison for Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Muzaffar Hussain was sentenced today to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $495,000 in restitution for his failure to account for and pay over trust fund taxes, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf. The sentence follows a guilty plea entered last year in which Hussain admitted he did not account for and pay over funds withheld from the wages of employees of Crossroads Home Health Care, Inc. (Crossroads).
Hussain, 69, of Pleasanton, Calif., and Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2016, to failing to account for and pay over the trust fund taxes. According to the plea agreement, Hussain was the Chief Financial Officer of San Francisco Bay Area-based Crossroads. Hussain admitted that for each pay period between July 1, 2004, and February 27, 2008, he received a Payroll Summary showing wages that had been paid and the employment taxes due. After receiving the Payroll Summary, the defendant transferred funds from Crossroads’ bank account in an amount equal, or close to, the amount of employment taxes, to bank accounts he controlled. Hussain used the transferred monies, including the trust fund taxes, for his own personal use, including funding his other business interests. Defendant also admitted that he intentionally caused a payroll service to prepare and file false Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns [Forms 941], informing the payroll service that Crossroads had paid fewer wages than it actually paid.
Hussain, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 30, 2015. He was charged with making or subscribing false tax returns, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1); willful failure to truthfully account for and pay over taxes, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7202; and structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements, in violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3). Pursuant to his guilty plea, Hussain pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to truthfully account for and pay over taxes. The remaining counts were dismissed.
The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jon Tigar, U.S. District Judge. In addition to the prison term and restitution, Judge Tigar also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. Judge Tigar ordered the defendant to begin serving the sentence on or before August 2, 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Stier is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Former Boscawen Man Sentence to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Oxycodone TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced yesterday that Patrick J. Brooks, II, 37, formerly of Boscawen, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for possession of oxycodone with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents and statements made during earlier court proceedings, in June and July 2016, a Concord, New Hampshire, undercover officer made a series of purchases of oxycodone from an individual who, during those transactions, told the undercover detective that Brooks had been selling oxycodone to her for eleven years. On July 20, 2016, police officers executed a search warrant on Brooks’ Boscawen home. The execution of the warrant yielded nearly 2,000 30-milligram oxycodone pills and approximately $20,000 in cash. The cash recovered from Brooks’ home included currency that the undercover detective had used to buy oxycodone in one of the undercover transactions.
After completing his prison term, Brooks will be on supervised release for three years. The cash and other drug proceeds are the subjects of a pending state forfeiture proceeding.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are responsible for distributing opioids,” Acting U.S. Attorney Farley said. “All too often, the road to heroin or fentanyl addiction begins with the misuse of oxycodone pills. Those who profit from the illicit sales of these pills are contributing to the opioid crisis in the Granite State. We will continue to devote our efforts to putting drug distributors out of business. I commend the efforts of the law enforcement officers in this case for their success in dismantling this significant drug distribution operation.”
This matter was investigated by the Concord and Boscawen police departments. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse prosecuted the case.
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Former Bellevue Man Sentenced for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that Kyle Brenner, 56, formerly from Bellevue, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 5, 2017 in federal court in Omaha for receiving child pornography. Chief United States District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Brenner to five years of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Brenner will be required to serve five years of supervised release.
A search warrant was executed on Brenner’s home in 2009 and various computers were seized. Shortly after the search was completed, Brenner left the United States and obtained employment in London. He was extradited back to the United States in 2016.
Brenner was identified following a nationwide investigation by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) into the production and distribution of child pornography. The investigation revealed that Brenner used his credit card to purchase a subscription for access to a website which provided child pornography. He then accessed the site to download child pornography to his computer in Bellevue, Nebraska. A forensic evaluation of his computer revealed 39 video files and 165 saved image files containing child pornography.
This case was investigated by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations. “Today’s conviction is yet another example that HSI special agents will use every available means to identify, track down and bring to justice criminals like Kyle Brenner,” said Special Agent in Charge Alex Khu of HSI St. Paul. “The professionalism and dedication shown by our agents in Nebraska are outstanding examples of the work we do every day to protect the children of our nation.”
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.
Federal Prisoner and Fiancée Plead Guilty to Running an inmate Taxi ServiceRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Federal inmate Deldrick D. Jackson and his fiancée Kelly M. Bass pleaded guilty to conspiring to assist inmates to escape from the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. Jackson and Bass conspired to provide escaped inmates with transportation to and from USP Atlanta in exchange for a fee.
“Although hard to believe, federal inmate Deldrick Jackson and his fiancée Kelly Bass ran a for-profit taxi service that transported escaped federal prisoners to local hotels and restaurants,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “Their guilty pleas represent the end of the road for their scheme.”
“These guilty pleas in federal court sends a very clear message that those assisting in the escape of federal inmates and the movement of contraband items into these prisons will be facing federal charges along with the inmates involved. Much of the criminal activities seen in this investigation relied largely on the federal inmates’ access to illegally obtained smart phones, a fact that the FBI has seen before in other similar cases. The FBI will continue to work with its various law enforcement partners in ensuring that inmates stay in prison and cell phones and other contraband items stay out,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia, (“USP Atlanta”) is a medium-security federal prison for male inmates operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. USP Atlanta also has a detention center for pre-trial inmates and a satellite prison camp for minimum-security male inmates.
In May 2010, Jackson was convicted in federal court of conspiring to distribute cocaine and conspiring to launder money. From July 2016 to April 2017, Jackson was assigned to USP Atlanta. Prison visitation records showed that Bass is Jackson’s fiancée.
From approximately November 2016 to April 2017, Jackson and Bass conspired to provide escaped inmates with transportation from USP Atlanta to nearby restaurants, hotels, or residences in exchange for a fee. For example, on January 28, 2017, Bass picked up Jackson and other escaped inmates from outside USP Atlanta, drove them to a nearby hotel, and hours later, returned Jackson and the other inmates to USP Atlanta. The escaped inmates paid Jackson and Bass for the rides via a cell phone payment app. Financial records show that Bass received approximately $4,000 from accounts associated with USP Atlanta inmates or the inmates’ families.
On April 13, 2017, Jackson again escaped from USP Atlanta, after which Bass picked him up and drove him to a local fast food restaurant. Soon afterward, law enforcement officers stopped Bass’s SUV and arrested Bass and Jackson. After searching the SUV, officers recovered two cell phones, 83 packs of cigarettes, and eight bottles of Canadian whiskey.
On April 25, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Deldrick D. Jackson, 41, of DeKalb County, Georgia, and Kelly M. Bass, 38, also of DeKalb County, on conspiratorial and substantive escape charges. Bass pleaded guilty to both counts of the Indictment.
On May 16, 2017, Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to escape from federal custody.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Atlanta Police Department are investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis and Timothy H. Lee are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to additional prison time for escaping from Atlanta’s Federal Penitentiary Prison CampRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Federal inmate Justin B. Stinson has been sentenced to an additional one year and three months in prison for escaping from the United States Penitentiary’s minimum-security camp in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Stinson’s escapes were specifically designed to smuggle contraband back inside the prison camp,” said U. S. Attorney John A. Horn. “Prison contraband presents significant security risks to both inmates and guards while adding to the illicit economy.”
“Prison can be viewed by inmates as being either retributive or rehabilitative. For federal inmate Stinson, whose initial prison sentence began only in 2015, prison clearly shows no sign of being rehabilitative. While smuggled contraband within our prisons remains a concern for all of law enforcement due to its destabilizing influence on the inmate population, the FBI will continue to take a particularly keen interest in those inmates and others responsible for smuggling smart phones into a prison environment because of the vast harm and continued criminal conduct that they afford the inmates,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia (“USP Atlanta”) is a medium-security federal prison for male inmates operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. USP Atlanta also has a detention center for pre-trial inmates and a satellite prison camp for minimum-security male inmates. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and the Atlanta Police Department (“APD”) have been engaged in an investigation to combat instances when USP Atlanta inmates temporarily escape from the prison camp to obtain contraband to smuggle back into the prison or to visit nearby restaurants, hotels, and residences.
In March 2015, Stinson was sentenced to four years, three months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. From August 2016 to February 2017, Stinson was assigned to serve his time at USP Atlanta’s minimum-security camp.
On February 3, 2017, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance along the USP Atlanta’s prison fence line near New Town Circle. Just after 9:00 p.m., Stinson escaped from USP Atlanta by climbing through a hole in one prison fence and then climbing over USP Atlanta’s outer prison fence. Thereafter, Stinson retrieved a large black duffel bag from the occupant of a stopped car on New Town Circle and began walking back toward USP Atlanta. The FBI then arrested Stinson from a location outside of USP Atlanta’s confines. The FBI also recovered from Stinson a cellular telephone, a pair of scissors, two 1.75 liters of Jose Cuervo tequila, two cartons of Newport cigarettes, four boxes of Black and Mild cigars, and various food items.
On April 20, 2017, Stinson, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of escaping from federal custody. Stinson was sentenced to a one year and three month term of imprisonment (to be served after his current four year, three month prison term).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Atlanta Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis and Timothy Lee prosecuted the case.
For further information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
Federal Inmate Charged with Possessing ContrabandRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Loretto, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of possession of a prohibited object in prison, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The indictment named Christopher D. Rarick, 37.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on February 16, 2017, Rarick possessed a quantity of Buprenorphine.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Correctional Institution, Special Investigative Staff, conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Rarick.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dominican National Sentenced for Her Role in Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for her role in a heroin and fentanyl trafficking ring operating in southeastern Massachusetts.
Maria Elena Ocasio, 57, a Dominican national residing in Providence, R.I., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Ocasio will be subject to deportation upon completion of her sentence. In March 2017, Ocasio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
Ocasio was part of a drug trafficking organization led by her brother, Dedwin Cruz-Rivera. Through use of wiretaps and physical surveillance, the investigation established that Cruz-Rivera obtained large quantities of heroin and fentanyl from local drug suppliers, which he distributed in and around Fall River, Mass., and Providence, R.I. Cruz-Rivera and other co-defendants used Ocasio’s apartment to receive and distribute the heroin. Ocasio also purchased small quantities of heroin for distribution.
The investigation culminated with the arrests and charges of Ocasio and 24 others in connection with Cruz-Rivera’s heroin trafficking operation; an April 2016 superseding indictment brought the number of defendants charged in the case to 26.
More than half of the conspirators charged have pleaded guilty, and eight of the defendants have already been sentenced. Cruz-Rivera pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson, Thomas E. Kanwit, Karen Beausey and Ann Taylor of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the cases.
District Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Gun Offenses, Including Role in Robbery of Food Market in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Anthony Morgan, 28, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today to eight years in prison on two gun charges, including one stemming from the robbery of a food market on Independence Day last summer in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Morgan pled guilty in March 2017, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, to possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a prior crime of violence. He was sentenced by the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan. Following his prison term, Morgan will be placed on two years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of July 4, 2016, Morgan and another man entered the Good Food Market located in the 2000 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE. Morgan had a mask on his face and carried a black handgun. Once inside the store, Morgan approached a store employee and demanded that the worker open the cash register. Morgan then immediately reached into the register and grabbed all of the cash inside. Prior to leaving the store with the money, Morgan pointed his handgun at a second victim. Both Morgan and his accomplice fled the scene.
The Metropolitan Police Department investigated the crime and obtained video surveillance. MPD created and distributed look-out bulletins from still shots in the surveillance, leading to Morgan’s arrest. During a search of Morgan at the time of his arrest, MPD recovered a semi-automatic handgun. Morgan previously was convicted in a 2007 robbery case.
A co-defendant, Alfonzo Jackson, 27, also of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in May 2017 to a robbery charge and is to be sentenced on July 14, 2017.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation, Paralegal Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie and Diana Lim, Katina Adams-Washington, and LaJune Thames of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Goodwin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Derry Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Anthony Barth, 25, of Derry, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to two counts of distributing fentanyl and one count of possessing with intent to distribute 400 or more grams of fentanyl.
According to statements made in court, Barth sold fentanyl to a confidential informant on two occasions in July and August of 2016. On August 17, 2016, the confidential informant placed an order for 50 “fingers” or approximately 500 grams of fentanyl. The defendant arrived at the predetermined meeting location in Derry, New Hampshire where officers attempted to arrest him. Barth tried to flee, hitting a police car and eventually abandoning his own vehicle behind a nearby business. He ran into a wooded area where he attempted to discard the drugs but was apprehended shortly thereafter. Officers searched the wooded area and found the drugs, which lab results confirmed contained approximately 490 grams of fentanyl.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 14, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the United States District Court. The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is dedicated to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute individuals who are distributing deadly drugs like fentanyl,” Acting U.S. Attorney Farley said. “While the law enforcement community recognizes that those who suffer from addiction require treatment, those who profit from the sale of these deadly products are damaging the fabric of our communities. This case is another example of our continuing efforts to stop the distribution of illegal opioids into our state.”
“The state of New Hampshire is faced with a fentanyl and heroin crisis unlike ever before,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Those suffering from fentanyl and heroin addiction need treatment and recovery, but those that distribute and profit from spreading this misery need to be held accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement in New Hampshire and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively seek and bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester and Derry Police Departments. It is being prosecuted by AUSA Georgiana L. Konesky.
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Dallas Woman Pleads Guilty for Her Role in a “Foreclosure Rescue Scheme” That Exploited Vulnerable Homeowners Facing ForeclosureRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Christina Renee Caveny, 37, of Dallas, appeared in federal court this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Caveny faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution could also be ordered. Caveny will remain on bond pending sentencing, which is set for September 18, 2017.
A federal grand jury in Dallas returned an indictment in December 2016 charging Caveny and three others with felony offenses stemming from a “foreclosure rescue scheme” they ran from approximately February 2012 through January 2013. Mark Demetri Stein, 36, of Carrollton, Texas, and Richard Bruce Stevens, 51, of San Antonio, Texas, are scheduled to begin trial on August 28, 2017. Bruce Kevin Hawkins, 52, of Desoto, Texas, is scheduled to plead guilty on June 20, 2017.
According to plea documents in Caveny’s case, Stein operated Real Estate Solutions, Stevens used Texas Real Estate Services, and Hawkins formed ERealty Mortgage Group, LLC, as foreclosure rescue companies. The conspirators used third parties to contact homeowners and offer them an opportunity to get out of their present home loans and receive a new home loan with a reduced interest payment and reduced monthly payment. Caveny and other conspirators falsely represented to homeowners that they had “investors” standing by who were ready to quickly purchase the homeowner’s present loan from the lender holding the current mortgage. They also falsely represented that they would use investors to purchase the homeowner’s loan from the original lender at a greatly reduced price through a “short sale” process.
Furthermore, Caveny and other conspirators falsely represented to the homeowners that the homeowners had the legal authority to transfer their homeowner’s deed to the defendants.
As part of the scheme, the conspirators fraudulently required homeowners to start making all future loan payments to them based on fraudulent so-called “loans,” and they also told homeowners to ignore late payment notices sent by lenders. As part of the scheme, the conspirators conducted a fraudulent “closing” for each homeowner where they caused the homeowner to pay them a large down payment on the new “loan,” and they also had the homeowner sign fraudulent documents, such as a promissory note, deed of trust, special warranty deed, and/or a so-called “land trust.”
Further, according to plea documents, the conspirators falsely represented to homeowners that the conspirators could “sell” their property back to the homeowner with a new loan, when the conspirators well knew they did not legally own the property. The conspirators also told homeowners to ignore notices of nonpayment from their present lender as they continued to unlawfully collect monthly so called “mortgage payments” from homeowners. In fact, conspirators instructed several homeowners to file for bankruptcy but to not follow up with the bankruptcy process as an additional means to delay foreclosure and conceal the conspirators’ criminal conduct. Conspirators concealed that all down payment and monthly mortgage payments fraudulently collected from homeowners was spent for their own personal benefit.
The defendants recruited at least 70 distressed and vulnerable homeowners who were facing the imminent threat of foreclosure on their homes and fraudulently collected a total of at least $242,000 from them.
This case is one of several felony prosecutions of bankruptcy-related crimes generated by the Bankruptcy Fraud Initiative in the Northern District of Texas. With the charges in this indictment, 26 defendants have been charged as part of that initiative. Nineteen have been convicted, one resulted in a mistrial, and six are pending trial.
The Dallas FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis is in charge of the prosecution.
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Dallas Technology Company’s Former Lead Systems Engineer Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Albert Shih-Der Chang, the former Lead Systems Engineer for a Dallas technology company known as One Technologies, appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded guilty, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney, to one count of mail fraud and one count of money laundering. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Chang, 36, of Fairview, Texas, will remain on bond pending sentencing. The date for the sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Chang faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years imprisonment for the mail fraud count and 10 years imprisonment for the money laundering count. Each count provides for the possibility of a fine of up to $250,000. An order of restitution is mandatory under the law, and will be determined at sentencing. The indictment also included a forfeiture allegation that would require the defendant, upon conviction, to forfeit any property that constitutes or was derived from proceeds traceable to the fraud, including his residence in Fairview.
In his Plea Agreement, Chang also agreed to relinquish any ownership interest in property seized from his residence in July 2016, to include several dozen devices such has hard drives, laptops, thumbdrives, servers, and cell phones.
According to the plea documents, from approximately October 4, 2004, through August 15, 2014, Chang worked for One Technologies, initially as its Network/Systems Administrator and later as its Lead Systems Engineer. From approximately July 2008 through August 2014, Chang devised and ran a scheme to defraud One Technologies by causing the company to pay more than $2.4 million as a result of his false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. Chang caused One Technologies to transfer funds, based on material representations, to financial accounts he controlled, and Chang caused One Technologies to purchase products, purportedly for the company’s use, that Chang later converted to his own use.
To carry out his scheme, Chang allegedly created fictitious companies for which he opened bank accounts or PayPal accounts. He rented mailboxes and contracted for virtual offices with mail forwarding services for the fictitious companies. He also created and submitted fictitious purchase requisitions, orders, invoices, and receipts that One Technologies paid.
According to plea documents, Chang acknowledged that the government could prove that he directly caused a loss of at least $2,152,035.60. Also, from approximately April 15, 2013, until May 30, 2013, Chang wired-transferred nearly $300,000 from his joint account at Chase Bank to a title company to purchase a residence on Stone Hinge Drive in Fairview, and that funds transfer involved the proceeds of the fraud.
The FBI was in charge of the investigation and the Fairview Police Department assisted with the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney C.S. Heath is in charge of the prosecution.
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Crown Point Man Charged with Online StalkingRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – The Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Clifford D. Johnson, announced that Adam Russell Hegyi, age 30, of Crown Point, Indiana was charged with transferring obscenity to a person under 16 and online stalking.
The complaint alleges that between on or about January 1, 2015 and June 2, 2017, Hegyi used a variety of social media applications to communicate with a minor child beginning when she was 12 years old. Through these applications, Hegyi sent photos of his genitals and coerced the child to send nude photos to him. Thereafter, Heygi caused the minor to take additional photos by threatening to release the photos she had already sent online.
The United States Attorney’s office emphasizes that a Complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, 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 complaint results from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in both Merrillville, Indiana and Charlotte, North Carolina, with the assistance of the Gary and Hammond Police Departments, the Indiana State Police, the Lake County, Indiana Sheriff’s Department and the Rowan County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office. This case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jill R. Koster.
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Clinton Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Davenport, IA - On June 6, 2017, Michael Joseph Wilsonheather Jean Reekr, 34, of Clinton, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 235 months in prison for possession and distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Wilson will be required to serve eight years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
On January 17, 2017, Wilson pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted he knowingly possessed and distributed child pornography in the Southern District of Iowa between January 2014 and May 20, 2014. The charge was the result of a cyber-tip by Google to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A search warrant was conducted at Wilson’s residence and multiple electronic devices were seized. An exam of the devices uncovered a total of 197 images and 387 videos containing child pornography. The ages of the children ranged from infants up to approximately 15 years old. Wilson communicated with and distributed child pornography to others in exchange for more child pornography.
This investigation was conducted by the Clinton Police Department, Davenport Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected].
Chinese Businessman Sentenced to Ten Years in U.S. Prison for Attempting to Provide Military Equipment to Peruvian Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chinese businessman was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison for attempting to provide military equipment to a Peruvian terrorist organization.
GUAN YING LI, also known as “Henry Li,” pleaded guilty in 2014 to one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to Shining Path, a terrorist organization whose original goal was to overthrow the government of Peru and replace it with a Maoist socialist system. In 2011 Li brokered several deals with a purported Chicago-area businessman to provide military equipment to Shining Path, knowing that the equipment was to be used to kill Peruvian and U.S. government personnel. Unbeknownst to Li, the purported Chicago-area businessman was actually an undercover law enforcement agent.
U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow imposed the 120-month prison term at a sentencing hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and Ryan Reihms, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General.
Li, 50, of Hong Kong, acquired and sold to the undercover agent five thermal batteries designed for use in the man-portable air-defense system known as MANPAD. These surface-to-air missiles would allow Shining Path members to shoot down helicopters, including those carrying U.S. personnel. According to Li’s plea agreement, Li caused the batteries to be shipped from Hong Kong to an address in Central America provided by the undercover agent.
Li also sold eight Paratrooper Assault Harnesses, eight Paratrooper backpacks, eight shovels, two VHF radios and four night-vision systems, the plea agreement states. Li caused this equipment to be shipped from China to an address in Elmhurst, Ill., provided by the undercover agent.
Pursuant to his plea agreement, Li agreed to cooperate in any matter in which he is called upon by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Hiller.