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19 July 2017
Two Kershaw County Men Sentenced for Their Roles in Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Yancy Kevon Wilson, age 23, and Randy Jones, Jr., age 23, both of Kershaw County, were sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court for various charges stemming from the June 23, 2015, armed robbery of Sandhills Bank in Bethune, South Carolina.
In March 2017, both entered guilty pleas in federal court. Wilson plead guilty to armed bank robbery, use/possession/discharge of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(c), 2113(a), and 2113(d). Jones plead guilty to conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting the use/possession/discharge of a firearm of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 924(c).
Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten of Columbia sentenced Wilson to a total of 220 months imprisonment with 5 years of supervised release to follow. Chief Judge Wooten sentenced Jones to a total of 136 months imprisonment with 5 years of supervised release to follow. Both defendants were also ordered to make restitution to the bank for the stolen money.
Evidence presented in court established that on the early morning hours of June 23, 2015, Wilson, while armed with a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun and wearing a white hoodie, sunglasses, and gloves, approached a bank employee outside the bank and forced her at gunpoint to get him inside the locked bank building. Once inside the bank, Wilson brandished the firearm and demanded money. After obtaining money, Wilson fled from the bank and discharged the firearm twice outside the bank. Witnesses heard the shots fired and observed a dark colored vehicle, later determined to be driven by Jones, with paper tags pick up Wilson and flee the scene.
On June 25, 2015, deputies with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department located Jones and Wilson, along with another individual with a vehicle fitting the description of the get-away vehicle at a carwash in Lugoff. Further investigation lead to the discarded clothes worn by the bank robber, Wilson, and the empty bank bag from Sandhills Bank, all of which was found on the side of a road where Jones told investigators they left them.
DNA analysis revealed Wilson’s DNA on the discarded white hoodie. Additionally, the two, fired .40 caliber shell casings recovered from the scene of the bank robbery were matched to a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber firearm purchased by Jones in February 2015. Finally, text messages were recovered from a cell phone showing that Wilson and Jones planned the bank robbery in advance. Wilson is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition by virtue of his prior state convictions for strong arm robbery and assault and battery 1st degree.
The case was investigated by the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department, the Bethune Police Department, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Two Charged with Federal Drug and Gun Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Two Allegheny County residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The five-count indictment, returned on July 18, named Jamiek Moore, 21, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Jaimere Dehonney, 20, of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, as defendants.
According to the indictment, on or about June 8, 2017, Moore and Dehonney conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance. Further, Moore is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and marijuana, both Schedule I controlled substances, on or about May 15, 2017. The indictment further charges Moore and Dehonney with possessing a firearm in furtherance of said drug trafficking crimes.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 5 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. Johnston is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Penn Hills Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Trucking Company Owner Admits Tax Evasion and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. –The owner of a New Jersey trucking company today admitted committing tax evasion and bankruptcy fraud while operating his wine delivery business, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Giacomo Giorlando, 54, of Morganville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with three counts of tax evasion and one count of bankruptcy fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
As an owner of 4 G’s Trucking, Giorlando comingled business revenue with his personal funds, utilized a check casher to cash business checks, deposited the proceeds of his business into various bank accounts, and then significantly inflated expenses to reduce his taxable income for the years 2011, 2012 and 2014. He admitted he was responsible for a $460,012 tax loss from those three years.
In addition, when Giorlando filed for bankruptcy in May 2014, he failed to accurately report his assets from at least 10 accounts at TD Bank and one account at Provident Bank that he maintained during the time frame covered by the bankruptcy. The bankruptcy was approved based upon this false and incomplete information. He was discharged on March 13, 2015.
The tax evasion and bankruptcy charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for Nov. 17, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, and IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Rocco C. Cipparone Jr. Esq., Haddon Heights, New Jersey
Three Men Charged with Federal Marijuana Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a three-count indictment today charging ROBERT CAPELLI, 31, of Milford; SCOTT BODNAR, also known as “Pep,” 38, of Ansonia, and DONALD BURNS, 59, of Milford, with trafficking marijuana by airplane into Connecticut.
According to allegations contained in court documents, in 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration began investigating a Piper single-engine aircraft, owned by BURNS, that was making regular flights between Stratford, Connecticut, and northern California via the southwest United States. On June 28, 2017, BURNS flew the aircraft from northern California to Lubbock, Texas. On June 29, BURNS flew the aircraft from Texas to Arkansas, and then to West Virginia and Connecticut, where he landed in the evening at Sikorsky Airport in Stratford. A law enforcement search of the plane revealed approximately 400 kilograms of marijuana in vacuum-sealed packages contained in a duffel bag. The investigation revealed that the marijuana was intended for CAPELLI and BODNAR. Later that day, agents conducted a controlled to delivery of the marijuana to CAPELLI and BODNAR at a location in Derby, where they were arrested.
It is alleged that from 2015 to June 2017, CAPELLI, BODNAR and BURNS trafficked more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana from California to Connecticut.
The indictment charges the three defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, an offense that carries a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. The indictment also charges the three defendants with one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana on board an aircraft registered in the U.S., and one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, offenses that carry a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, on each count.
CAPELLI, BODNAR and BURNS were initially charged by criminal complaint and are released on bond.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP), and the Stratford, Bridgeport and Derby Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Three Individuals Indicted for Series of Cell Phone Store Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Two men and one woman were indicted today in connection to five cell phone store armed robberies in the Las Vegas area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.
Rushard Burton, 23, Kejon Ward, 23, and Erica Caldwell, 22, all of Las Vegas, were each charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. In addition, Burton was charged with five counts of interference with commerce by robbery and five counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Ward was also charged with two counts of interference with commerce by robbery; two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Caldwell was also charged with one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the indictment, from March 18, 2017 to June 5, 2017, Burton, Ward, and Caldwell conspired together to commit robbery by means of threatened force, physical violence, and fear of injury. Burton is charged with robbing a Sprint store in North Las Vegas on March 18, an AT&T store on May 1, and a Verizon Wireless store in Henderson on May 26, all while brandishing a firearm. Burton and Ward are charged with robbing a Sprint store in Henderson on April 28. Burton, Ward, and Caldwell are charged with brandishing a firearm and robbing a Sprint store on June 5.
The case is a joint investigation by the FBI, North Las Vegas Police Department, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and Henderson Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kilby Macfadden.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Import Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Houston, Texas, has been sentenced in federal court to 15 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to import prescription drugs, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose imposed the sentence on Manuel Martin Pena, 65, of Houston, Texas.
According to information presented to the court, in and around November 2013, to in and around January 2015, Pena conspired to misbrand, smuggle, and import drugs that were exported from India and received in the U.S. by Pena.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Song commended the Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pena.
Telecom Executive Pleads Guilty to FCPA Charge in Connection with Haitian Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
The former general manager of a Miami-based telecommunications company pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to pay $3 million in bribes to various Haitian officials to secure a lucrative contract with Telecommunications D’Haiti (Haiti Teleco), the state-owned and state-controlled telecommunications company in Haiti.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Amadeus Richers, 66, of Brazil, pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami to count one of a second superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). According to admissions in the plea documents, beginning in 2001 and lasting until 2004, Richers and his co-conspirators paid roughly $3 million in bribes directly and indirectly to foreign officials employed by Haiti Teleco and to a foreign official in the executive branch of the Haitian government in order to secure a favorable contract and favorable treatment in connection with that contract from Haiti Teleco. The co-conspirators funneled some of the money through third-party intermediaries and paid other money directly to officials or relatives of officials, Richers admitted.
Richers is the ninth defendant to have pled guilty or to have been convicted at trial in this case. On April 27, 2009, Antonio Perez, a former controller at one of the Miami-based telecommunications companies, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and money laundering. On May 15, 2009, Juan Diaz, the president of J.D. Locator Services, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and money laundering. On Feb. 19, 2010, Jean Fourcand, the president and director of Fourcand Enterprises Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering for receiving and transmitting bribe monies in the scheme. On March 12, 2010, Robert Antoine, a former director of international affairs for Haiti Teleco, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On Aug. 4, 2011, Joel Esquenazi and Carlos Rodriguez, who were the former president and vice-president, respectively, of one of the telecommunications companies, were convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and wire fraud, seven counts of FCPA violations, one count of money laundering conspiracy and 12 counts of money laundering. On Feb. 8, 2012, Patrick Joseph, a former executive director of Haiti Teleco, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On March 12, 2012, Jean Rene Duperval, a former director of international relations for Haiti Teleco, was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 19 counts of money laundering.
Richers was indicted on July 12, 2011, but remained a fugitive until his arrest and ultimately his extradition from Panama on February 23. Richers will be sentenced on September 20.
The Department of Justice is grateful to the government of Haiti for continuing to provide substantial assistance in gathering evidence during this investigation. In particular, Haiti’s financial intelligence unit, the Unité Centrale de Renseignements Financiers (UCREF), the Bureau des Affaires Financières et Economiques (BAFE), which is a specialized component of the Haitian National Police, and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security provided significant cooperation and coordination in this ongoing investigation.
The Department of Justice also thanks Panama for its significant assistance in this matter.
IRS-CI is conducting the investigation. Senior Litigation Counsel Nicola Mrazek and Trial Attorney Vanessa Snyder of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.
Stamford Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Distributing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BESIM MURIQI, 32, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing oxycodone.
This matter stems from an investigation headed by the DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Stamford Police Department, with the assistance of the Fairfield Police Department.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2015, Stamford Police received information that Amonda Mendez, also known as “M-Dot” and “Dot,” was distributing a variety of narcotics in Stamford. Between February and April 2015, the DEA Task Force conducted four controlled purchases of narcotics from Mendez. A subsequent court-authorized wiretap confirmed that Mendez was distributing heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills, including Percocet and Xanax. In May 2015, task force agents intercepted several narcotics-related calls between MURIQI and Mendez, and also surveilled them as they traveled together to the Bronx, New York, to purchase narcotics.
Mendez was arrested on May 17, 2015, after the wiretap revealed that she was injured the previous day in a shoot-out with another individual and she might be preparing to retaliate further. MURIQI then left Connecticut.
In September 2016, agents received information that MURIQI was selling oxycodone in the Stamford area. On September 14, 2016, investigators made a controlled purchase of 10 30mg oxycodone pills from MURIQI. On October 26, 2016, investigators conducted a traffic stop of MURIQI’s vehicle in Stamford. A search of the vehicle revealed 558 30mg oxycodone pills, and MURIQI was arrested on state narcotics charges. Two days later, a search of MURIQI’s Stamford apartment revealed approximately 400 Valium tablets, 985 Xanax tablets, 15 grams of cocaine, two digital scales and narcotics packaging materials.
On April 11, 2017, MURIQI pleaded to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
Mendez pleaded guilty to heroin distribution and firearm offenses and, on June 23, 2016, was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy C. Brown.
Springfield Couple Agrees to Plead Guilty to Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Springfield couple has agreed to plead guilty in federal court to operating a prostitution business advertised as “Sinful Innocence.”
Milford Lewis, 36, and Tiana Lewis, 32, agreed to plead guilty to three counts of inducing travel to engage in prostitution, one count of transporting an individual to engage in prostitution and four counts of extortionate threats. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni deferred acceptance of the plea until sentencing, which he scheduled for Nov. 16, 2017.
Milford and Tiana Lewis, who are married, purported to be the CEOs of an adult talent agency called Sinful Innocence. Through the internet, the couple enticed young women to work as models, adult entertainers, adult pornography actors, and escorts. The pair convinced the women to come from other states to Springfield, and in one case, they transported a woman from Connecticut to Springfield to work.
The women signed year-long contracts, for which there was a $350 early termination fee. The victims were taken to a house in Springfield and/or to various motels in West Springfield to work as prostitutes, sometimes without receiving any pay. If they wanted to leave, or if they broke the rules of Sinful Innocence, they were subjected to beatings and threats to kill or harm them. The couple also threatened the women with violence when the women were unable to pay the $350 termination fee imposed.
If the plea agreements reached by the parties are accepted by the Court, Milford Lewis will be sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release, and Tiana Lewis will be sentenced to six years in prison and five years of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; and West Springfield Police Chief Ronald Campurciani made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case is the result of a coordinated investigation led by the Western Massachusetts Human Trafficking Working Group, which was established in August 2015 and includes the United States Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, as well as other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The Working Group aims to surge law enforcement resources to cooperatively investigate and prosecute crimes involving commercial sex trafficking.
Sheriff’s Deputy Convicted in Scheme to Smuggle Illegal Fishing Profits AbroadRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bristol County Sheriff’s Deputy was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston of smuggling the profits of an over-fishing scheme to Portugal.
Antonio Freitas, 47, of Taunton, a Sheriff’s Deputy with the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office and a long-time Task Force Officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was convicted of one count of bulk cash smuggling and one count of structuring the export of U.S. currency. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Oct. 12, 2017 at 2:00 pm.
On Feb. 5, 2016, Freitas smuggled $17,500 through airport security and later deposited the money in a Portuguese bank account belonging to Carlos Rafael, the owner of Carlos Seafood, Inc. Rafael owned 32 fishing vessels and 44 permits, which amounted to one of the largest commercial fishing businesses in the United States. From 2012 to January 2016, Rafael routinely lied to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about the quantity and species of fish his boats caught in order to evade federal quotas designed to guarantee the sustainability of certain fish species. He also submitted false records to federal regulators, and sold most of the fish his vessels caught to a wholesale business in New York City in exchange for bags of cash. During meetings with the undercover federal agents, Rafael said that in dealings with the New York buyer he received $668,000 in cash.
Rafael pleaded guilty in March 2017 to one count of conspiring to commit offenses against the United States, 23 counts of false labeling and fish identification, two counts of falsifying federal records, one count of bulk cash smuggling and one count of tax evasion. Rafael is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 25, 2017.
The charges of bulk cash smuggling and monetary structuring provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Rear Admiral Steven D. Poulin, Commander of the First Coast Guard District; Timothy Donovan, Assistant Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement; Gregory K. Null, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Philadelphia Field Office; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew E. Lelling and David G. Tobin, of Weinreb’s Criminal Division.
Shenandoah Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shane Lopez, age 22, of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to five years in prison by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley, for his role in a heroin trafficking ring that operated in Schuylkill County from 2012 through May 2016.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Lopez previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin (which equals approximately 4000 retail bags of heroin). Lopez admitted to being a sub-distributor of heroin for Rhashean Strange, a/k/a “Chicago,” who headed-up the conspiracy. Strange previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Eleven people have been charged in the case.
Judge Munley also ordered Lopez to serve four years on supervised release following his prison sentence.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Munley noted that Lopez’s activities contributed to the opioid epidemic that is plaguing our communities.
Lopez was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2016, as a result of an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police, and Shenandoah Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Sex Offender Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – Acting United States Attorney Corey Amundson announced that Johnny June Mason, Jr., age 48, of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas, pled guilty today in federal court before Chief Judge Brian A. Jackson to a one-count indictment charging him with failing to register and update his registration as a sex offender.
Mason was convicted on May 5, 1990, of aggravated rape and aggravated crimes against nature in Orleans Parish District Court, State of Louisiana, and was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison. Because of this conviction, Mason is required by state and federal law to maintain a sex offender registration in his place of residence. After being released from prison in Louisiana, Mason moved to Houston. Texas.
In June 2016, Mason left his residence in Harris County, Texas, traveled in interstate commerce and established his residence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he lived through May 16, 2017. That month, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a warrant for Mason’s arrest for a parole violation, and in October 2016, a second warrant was issued for his failure to resister as sex offender in Harris, County.
After an extensive investigation, the United States Marshals Service in Baton Rouge located Mason living in an empty apartment off Sharp Lane and arrested him. At the time of his arrest in Baton Rouge, Mason was on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Top Ten Most Wanted Sex Offender’s List.
Mason is scheduled to be sentenced in early November.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III and investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Seven Indicted on Methamphetamine Distribution, Firearms, and Kidnapping ChargesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 18, 2017, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment against Levester R. Brown (age: 33) of Milwaukee, Christopher L. Maccani (age: 37) of Green Bay, Jimmy L. Desotell (age: 25) of Green Bay, Christopher A. Champine (age: 35) of Green Bay, Umero V. Saldana, Jr. (age: 39) of Green Bay, Ryan L. Pieper (age: 33) of De Pere, and Joshua D. Sepulveda (age: 34) of Denmark. The indictment alleges that Brown, Maccani, Desotell, Champine, Saldana Jr., and Pieper were involved in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 and, further, charging Maccani, Desotell, Champine, and Saldana Jr. with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime contrary to Title 18 United States Code, Section 924(c).
Champine and Sepulveda are also charged with kidnapping pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a). It is alleged that Champine and Sepulveda “did unlawfully and willfully seize, confine, inveigle, kidnap, abduct, and hold for retaliation” an unnamed individual. The indictment further charges Champine and Sepulveda with brandishing a firearm during the kidnapping.
Brown and Pieper face a mandatory 10-year prison sentence up to lifetime of imprisonment, a $10 million fine, and between 5 years and a lifetime of supervised release. Maccani, Desotell, and Saldana Jr. face a mandatory 15 years of imprisonment up to a lifetime of imprisonment, over $10 million in fines, and between 5 years and a lifetime on supervision. Sepulveda faces a mandatory 7 years imprisonment up to a lifetime of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years on supervised release. Finally, if convicted on all counts, Champine faces a mandatory 42 years imprisonment up to a lifetime of imprisonment, over $10 million in fines, and between 5 years and a lifetime on supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force, the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Phoenix, AZ, branch of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Scottsdale Police Department, and the Phoenix and Green Bay Divisions of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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San Jose Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Tech Worker Visa FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE, CA - A San Jose businesswoman pleaded guilty in federal court today to three counts of visa fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin. The guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, U.S. District Judge.
In pleading guilty, Sridevi Aiyaswamy, 50, of San Jose, admitted that between April 2010 and June 2013 she made numerous false statements, and submitted over 25 fraudulent documents, to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the purpose of obtaining H-1B non-immigrant classifications for skilled foreign workers. Acting as a petitioner on behalf of foreign worker beneficiaries, Aiyaswamy falsely represented in I-129 petitions that the foreign worker beneficiaries would be working at Cisco, an information technology and networking company in San Jose, Calif. Aiayswamy further submitted counterfeit statements of work with forged signatures as back-up documentation to the I-129 petitions. In fact, at the time she submitted these documents to USCIS, Aiyaswamy knew that the statements regarding offers of work from Cisco for these beneficiaries were false statements, and that Cisco had not made any offers of employment regarding these individuals.
A federal grand jury indicted Aiyaswamy on December 3, 2015, charging her with 34 counts of visa fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a). Pursuant to today’s pea agreement, Aiyaswamy pleaded guilty to three of the counts of visa fraud and the government agreed to request dismissal of the remaining counts.
Aiyaswamy is currently free on bond. Judge Koh scheduled her sentencing for November 15, 2017, at 9:15 a.m. The maximum statutory penalty for visa fraud is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Bostic and Jeff Nedrow are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen and Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation led by HSI. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Office of Fraud Detection and National Security also assisted with the investigation.
Russian Citizen who Helped Develop the "Citadel" Malware Toolkit is SentencedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mark Vartanyan, also known as “Kolypto,” was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Mark H. Cohen to serve five years in federal prison, following his guilty plea in connection with his role in developing, improving and maintaining the “Citadel” malware toolkit between 2012 and 2014.
“Citadel caused vast amounts of harm to financial institutions and individuals around the world,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Mark Vartanyan utilized his technical expertise to enable Citadel into becoming one of the most pernicious malware toolkits of its time, and for that, he will serve significant time in federal prison.”
David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: "Malicious software and botnets are rarely created by a single individual. Cybercrime is an organized team effort involving sophisticated, talented, and tech savvy individuals. Today's sentencing of Mr. Vartanyan, who was engaged in the development, improvement, maintenance and distribution of malware, both removes a key resource from the cyber underworld and serves as a strong deterrent to others who may be contributing to the development of botnets and malware. The threat posed by cyber criminals in the U.S. and abroad is ever increasing. However, the FBI will not cease in its efforts to identify, pursue and defeat cyber criminals regardless of how deep in the cyber underground they reside or where they are located in the real world."
According to United States Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: “Citadel” is a malware toolkit designed to infect computer systems and steal financial account credentials and personally identifiable information from victim computer networks. Beginning in or about 2011, Citadel was offered for sale on invite-only, Russian-language internet forums frequented by cybercriminals. Users of Citadel targeted and exploited the computer networks of major financial and government institutions around the world, including several financial institutions in the United States. According to industry estimates, Citadel infected approximately 11 million computers worldwide and is responsible for over $500 million in losses.
Between on or about August 21, 2012 and January 9, 2013, while residing in Ukraine, and again between on or about April 9, 2014 and June 2, 2014, while residing in Norway, Vartanyan engaged in the development, improvement, maintenance and distribution of Citadel. During these periods, Vartanyan uploaded numerous electronic files that consisted of Citadel malware, components, updates and patches, as well as customer information, all with the intent of improving Citadel’s illicit functionality.
Vartanyan, a Russian national, was extradited from Norway to face charges in the United States in December 2016. He pled guilty to computer fraud on March 20, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Grimberg prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance with this 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.
Rogers Woman Sentenced to Three Years of Probation for Tax ViolationRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, and Tracey D. Montaño, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, announced that Lisa Van Genderen, age 53 of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced today to three years of probation on one count of Willful Failure to Collect or Pay Over Tax. Van Genderen pled guilty in March 2017. As a part of the sentence, Van Genderen was ordered to pay $76,829.54 in restitution. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, Van Genderen was the Chief Financial Officer of Pedross USA, LLC, a flooring business in Rogers, Arkansas. As a part of her duties as CFO, Van Genderen was responsible for handling the Pedross’ employment taxes by filing Forms 941 and paying over all employment taxes owed, including trust fund taxes. Van Genderen intentionally failed to file Form 941 and pay over taxes due for the tax quarter ending on December 31, 2012.
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Kim Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
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Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Postal Employee Charged with Opening Greeting CardsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of opening mail matter by postal service employee, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on July 18, named Andrew J. Dickey, 24, of Sewickley, PA, as the sole defendant.
According to the information presented to the court, Dickey engaged in the rifling of first class letters and their valuable contents from the U.S. mails. Specifically, the indictment alleges that on or about October 23, 2015, Dickey, being an employee of the United States Postal Service, did detain, delay, and open three greeting card type letters (pink, blue and red colored envelopes), which had been entrusted to him and had come into his possession intended to be conveyed by mail.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Portland Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Moses Okot, 29, of Portland was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Okot pled guilty on March 29, 2017.
Court records revealed that on November 16, 2015, Okot discharged a Springfield Armory USA Model SA XD-9 subcompact handgun in Portland’s Old Port district, striking two people standing on the sidewalk. Okot fled from the scene of the shooting in a vehicle. A Portland Police officer followed the vehicle to a residence in Portland. Okot was found hiding on a nearby third-story porch. The firearm used in the shooting was found in the vehicle. Okot was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a 2011 conviction for felony murder.
The investigation was conducted by the Portland Police Department and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston Police Departments.
Port Graham Couple Charged with Crimes Related to False Distress Call and Causing a Hoax Search and Rescue OperationRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that two Port Graham, Alaska, residents have been federally charged related to their causing the United States Coast Guard to attempt to save life and property when no help was needed.
Ryan Riley Meganack, aka: “Unga,” 34, and his girlfriend, Ivy Rose Rodriguez, 25, both of Port Graham, Alaska, were charged with conspiracy and false distress. Meganack was also charged with felon in possession of a firearm. Meganack, a long-time commercial fisherman and a boat captain, was scheduled to plead guilty on Dec. 5, 2016, in a separate case (State of Alaska v. Meganack, 3AN-15-00683CR), and understood that at the time he pled guilty in that matter he would go to prison. To avoid that consequence, Meganack attempted to fake his own death and enlisted the help of his girlfriend, Rodriguez.
In furtherance of the conspiracy, on Nov. 29, 2016, Meganack piloted his fishing vessel to an island near Port Graham and abandoned his skiff in a manner that made it appear that he had gone missing after a boating accident or had otherwise died. Meganack then returned to Port Graham, picked up Rodriguez, and the two traveled in Meganack’s fishing vessel to a tidal lagoon where they secured the vessel, and returned to Port Graham on land. Meganack went to a makeshift campsite near Port Graham, and Rodriguez went to a residence where she was staying. In the early morning hours of Nov. 30, 2016, Rodriguez reported to a member of Meganack’s family that Meganack had left in his skiff, the skiff “wasn’t running right,” and indicated that Meganack had been drinking and had more alcohol with him. The Indictment alleges that Meganack and Rodriguez agreed that Rodriguez would tell Meganack’s family that Meganack was missing, knowing that Meganack’s family would report him missing and that a search for Meganack would commence.
Between Nov. 30, 2016, and Dec. 2, 2016, Meganack and Rodriguez caused a search and rescue operation to be launched for Meganack. The weather conditions during the search were poor, with snow, high winds, and low visibility at times in the Port Graham area. Meganack was, in actuality, safe in a makeshift campsite near Port Graham that he made for carrying out their plan.
Federal, state, and local authorities, as well Port Graham residents, participated in the search for Meganack. Helicopters from United States Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Coast Guard Cutter Naushon, and Coast Guard command center personnel participated in the operation. The Coast Guard alone expended approximately $310,897.50 in resources during the search for Meganack.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Phenix City Man Indicted in Alleged $19 Million Stolen Identity Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – A Phenix City man was arrested today after being indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring to file fraudulent refund claims, mail fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney A. Clark Morris for the Middle District of Alabama, and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, between November 2010 and December 2013, William Anthony Gosha III aka Boo Boo, and his co-conspirators used stolen IDs to file over 7,000 tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seeking more than $19 million in fraudulent refunds. The indictment alleges that Gosha obtained IDs of inmates from the Alabama Department of Corrections and that his co-conspirators obtained IDs from multiple sources, including an Alabama state agency. The indictment charges that they used these IDs to file the fraudulent tax returns. Gosha and his co-conspirators also allegedly obtained several Electronic Filing Identification Numbers in the names of sham tax preparation businesses in order to file the fraudulent returns and apply for tax refund-related bank products from financial institutions.
The indictment alleges that Gosha and his co-conspirators directed the IRS to issue the refunds to prepaid debit cards, U.S. Treasury checks and financial institutions. The indictment further alleges that Gosha and his co-conspirators recruited U.S. Postal Service employees to provide addresses on their mail routes to which the fraudulently obtained refund checks could be sent. According to the indictment, Gosha and his co-conspirators cashed the refund checks at several businesses in Alabama and Georgia.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Gosha faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy count, a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire and mail fraud and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and monetary penalties.
Acting U.S. Attorney Morris and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler and Gregory P. Bailey of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross of the Middle District of Alabama, who are prosecuting the case.
Oklahoma City Man Charged with Making a Bomb Threat and Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – ROBERT SHANE APGAR, 33, of Oklahoma City, has been charged with falsely and maliciously reporting that his estranged ex-wife intended to blow up the Grady County Courthouse and with child exploitation and child pornography crimes, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to the first count of a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury yesterday, Apgar used the internet on December 1, 2015, to send false information about an attempt to bomb the Grady County Courthouse. An affidavit filed on May 2, 2017, explains that this threat was made anonymously to the FBI by email and triggered precautions at the Grady County Sheriff’s Office. The email stated that the bombing would be carried out by a person later identified as Apgar’s ex-wife, whom he had threatened before. On December 8, 2015, after further investigation, the FBI executed a search warrant at an Oklahoma City residence where Apgar was living with his mother.
The search yielded pornographic images of prepubescent children from October 2015. According to Count 2 of yesterday’s indictment, Apgar attempted to persuade, induce, and entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of transmitting video images of that conduct. According to Count 3, Apgar used a facility of interstate commerce to send images of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. And according to Count 4, Apgar possessed images of that sort with intent to view them after they had been transported using a means of interstate commerce.
If convicted of making a bomb threat, Apgar could be sentenced to ten years in prison and three years of supervised release. A conviction on Count 2 would carry a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison. Count 3 would lead to a sentence of five to 20 years in prison, while a conviction on Count 4 would carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Reference is made to court records for further information. The public is reminded that Apgar is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Grady County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Raping Boy at Fort Sill Army PostRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – TERRANCE TRENT MOSLEY, 29, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 480 months in prison by the Honorable David L. Russell, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On January 26, 2017, Mosley, a civilian, pled guilty to orally and anally sodomizing a boy who was under the age of 12 at the Fort Sill Army Post in October 2015. Mosley lived with the family of the juvenile victim, who was the dependent of a soldier. At sentencing, Judge Russell noted that Mosley’s abuse of the boy had been forcible, painful, and repeated. The Court also considered Mosley’s threat to kill the boy if he reported the abuse and Mosley’s molestation of two other boys in the past. Judge Russell announced that the 40-year sentence would both punish Mosley and protect the public.
Upon release from prison, Mosley will be on supervised release for the rest of his life. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, with assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Hale and Jessica Cárdenas Jarvis prosecuted the case.
North Carolina Resident Indicted, Detained on Firearms, Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Anthony M. Thompson, 39, of Charlotte, NC, was arraigned and ordered detained in federal custody today on a federal grand jury indictment returned on Tuesday charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms, possession with the intent to distribute methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Rhode Island State Police arrested Thompson on June 20, 2017, following a traffic stop on Rte. 95 during which it is alleged that a cache of loaded, high-powered firearms, camouflage equipment, night-vision goggles, and more than 400 grams of suspected Ecstasy were seized from Thompson’s vehicle.
At the time of his arrest, it was alleged that Thompson, while being questioned outside of his vehicle by a trooper about information he allegedly provided to the trooper regarding his criminal record, shoved the trooper and took off running in the travel lane, against the traffic. After he allegedly failed to respond to commands to stop, including warnings that he would be Tasered, Thompson was Tasered, halted and arrested.
Thompson appeared today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond. A not guilty plea was entered. Thompson was returned to the ACI where he has been detained on Rhode Island state charges brought in this matter.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico thank the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance with this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Nineteen Black Hawk County Men Charged with Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Nineteen Black Hawk County men have been charged with federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The charges are contained in five indictments unsealed today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
In one indictment, Naiqondis Maurice Spates, age 32, Devonte Denterrio Jenkins, age 25, and Gary Lind Krueger, age 70, all from Waterloo, Iowa, were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and other drug trafficking offenses.
In a second indictment, Alston Ray Campbell, Jr., age 34, Alston Ray Campbell, Sr., age 63, William Marcellus Campbell, age 42, Willie Junior Carter, age 44, Alexander Martin, age 49, John Dwayne Phillips, 49, and Darius Fontaine Shears, age 30, all from Waterloo, Iowa, were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and other drug trafficking offenses. Shears was also charged with possessing a firearm as a felon.
In a third indictment, Keylynn Landon Goldsmith, age 31, Ronald Corey, age 60, Corey Demarcus Jones, age 36, Michael Earl Snow, age 40, Melvin Maurice Grubbs, age 35, Deon Marcell Goldsmith, age 36, all from Waterloo, Iowa, and Gregory Porter Washington, age 38, from Evansdale, Iowa, were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and other drug trafficking offenses.
In additional indictments, Durius Antwan Davis, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, was charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and Johnston Phillips, age 64, from Waterloo, Iowa, was charged with possessing a firearm as a felon and distributing cocaine base.
All defendants face a maximum term of imprisonment of at least twenty years. Some face a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Alston Campbell Jr., Alston Campbell Sr., William Campbell, Carter, Corey, Davis, Deon Goldsmith, Grubbs, Jenkins, Jones, Krueger, Martin, Johnston Phillips, Snow, Spates, and Washington appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and were held in custody pending detention hearings on July 24, 2017.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ravi T. Narayan and Emily K. Nydle and were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Waterloo Police Department, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Falls Police Department, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa City Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 17-CR-2043, 17-CR-2045, 17-CR-2049, 17-CR-2050, and 17-CR-2051.
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Nine Miami-Dade Assisted Living Facility Owners Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receipt of Health Care KickbacksRead the Press Release
Miami-Dade County assisted living facility owners, Marlene Marrero, 60, of Miami, Norma Casanova, 67, of Miami Lakes, Yeny De Erbiti, 51, of Miami, Rene Vega, 57, of Miami, Maribel Galvan, 43, of Miami Lakes, Dianelys Perez, 34, of Miami Gardens, Osniel Vera, 47, of Hialeah, Alicia Almeida, 56, of Miami Lakes, and Jorge Rodriguez, 57, of Hialeah, were sentenced to prison for receiving health care kickbacks. United States District Judge Marcia G. Cooke imposed sentences upon the nine defendants ranging from eight months to one year and one day, in prison. One assisted living facility owner, Blanca Orozco, 69, of Miramar, was sentenced to home confinement. In addition to their federal convictions, all ten defendants were also ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay restitution and are subject to forfeiture judgments.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Pam Bondi, Florida Attorney General, Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
All ten defendants previously pled guilty to receipt of kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 1320a-7b(b)(1)(A). According to court documents, these assisted living facility owners conspired with the former owner of Florida Pharmacy to receive kickbacks and bribes in exchange for referring beneficiaries living in their facilities for prescription medication and durable medical equipment paid for by Medicare and Medicaid. The assisted living facility owners participated in the fraudulent scheme, in violation of their Medicaid provider agreement as well as federal and state anti-kickback rules and regulations.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force participating partners, including HHS-OIG, the State of Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the FBI. The case was prosecution by Special Assistant United States Attorney Hagerenesh Simmons.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
In addition, HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Nezar Al-Bataineh, formerly of Colchester, VT, Indicted for Wire Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Nezar Q. Al-Bataineh, age 40, a Jordanian National, has been indicted on wire fraud and tax evasion charges related to his sale of used automobiles. It is believed that Al-Bataineh is currently residing in Jordan. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
As charged in the indictment, from approximately May 17, 2015 through May 21, 2015, Al-Bataineh devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money by means of false pretenses to a possible vehicle purchaser. It is alleged that Al-Bataineh misrepresented the length of his ownership and service history of a vehicle which he had offered for sale on Craigslist.
The indictment further alleges that Nezar Al-Bataineh willfully evaded income taxes due and owing by him to the Internal Revenue Service, by filing false and fraudulent individual income tax returns, Forms 1040NR-EZ. Counts 2 through 5 of the superseding indictment allege that Nezar Al-Bataineh failed to reported significant net income for the calendar years 2011 through 2014, which he earned as an unlicensed automobile dealer.
The charges against Al-Bataineh are merely accusations and Al-Bataineh is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, Al-Bataineh’s sentence will be advised by the federal sentencing guidelines.
The case against Al-Bataineh is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
The United States is represented in this case by Acting United States Attorney Eugenia A.P. Cowles. Al-Bataineh is represented by Attorney Richard R. Goldsborough.
New York Attorney Charged with Scheme to Fraudulently Register Shell Companies and Secretly Sell StockRead the Press Release
New York attorney was charged with conspiracy to unlawfully sell unregistered securities in connection with a scheme to fraudulently register shell companies with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), issue shares in the companies that they and other conspirators secretly controlled, and sell the shares to the investing public at a profit. To date, seven defendants have been charged in connection with the ongoing prosecution of this scheme.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
David Lubin, 52, of West Hempstead, New York, was charged by criminal information with one count of conspiracy to unlawfully sell unregistered securities, in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Sections 77e(a)(1), 77e(a)(2), and 77x, and Title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 230.144, all in violation of in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Lubin faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 or double the proceeds of the offense. This matter is assigned to U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in Miami, Case No. 17-20508-CR-MGC.
Previously in related cases, Daniel McKelvey, 49, of Foster City, California, and Jeffrey L. Lamson, 51, of El Dorado Hills, California, were charged in Case No. 16-20546-CR-RNS; Steven Sanders, 73, of Lake Worth, Florida, and Alvin S. Mirman, 78, of Sarasota, Florida, were charged in Case No. 16-20572-CR-CMA; and, Sheldon Rose, 77, of Sarasota, and Ian Kass, 45, of Ft. Lauderdale, were charged in Case No. 16-20707-CR-JEM. All six of these defendants were convicted and sentenced to prison terms.
According to court documents, from early 2007 through at least 2014, Sanders, McKelvey, Mirman, and Rose would fraudulently create shell companies by filing documents with the SEC indicating that the companies were controlled by a nominee chief executive officer (CEO). The straw CEO would be listed as the owner of the control block of shares but in reality the companies were controlled by the principals. The control block of shares listed in the name of the officer were deemed restricted and could not be sold to the public. The principals would also list in SEC filings the names of various shareholders for each company to make it appear that these shares were owned by persons unaffiliated with the company. These shares would later become “free trading” and secretly sold to shell buyers. Using false and fraudulent documentation describing the companies’ business purpose and share ownership, the principals would then obtain approval for the shares of the companies to be sold publicly over the counter. Thereafter, the principals would sell the companies to shell buyers who would secretly obtain both the control shares and the purported “free trading” shares without disclosure of this common control and simultaneous sale to the SEC or the investing public. This would allow the shell buyers to engage in stock manipulation or pump and dump schemes using the “free trading” shares.
According to the charging information, Lubin was an attorney licensed to practice in New York and acted as a shell buyer, broker, and attorney for various shell companies involved in the scheme. In certain instances, Lubin also provided false and fraudulent opinion letters to make it appear that shares that were actually controlled by the principals were not owned by “affiliates,” and thus could be deemed unrestricted and available for sale to the investing public. In the case of one fraudulent shell entity, Entertainment Art, Inc. (EERT), in early 2009, Lubin participated in the sale of that entity to a co-conspirator, Conspirator A, but executed fraudulent documents to make it appear that only the restricted shares were sold to Conspirator A. Lubin also drafted and filed with the SEC various documents that falsely represented the nature and control of EERT’s shares, as well as the terms of the sale.
Conspirator A was sentenced to federal prison in approximately November 2010 in connection with a separate securities fraud scheme. Lubin, along with Sanders and McKelvey, assisted with the fraudulent re-sale of EERT on behalf of Conspirator A, including by causing false filings with the SEC. In approximately October 2012, EERT was sold to certain criminal actors and the entity name was later changed to Biozoom, Inc. (BIZM). The EERT purchasers and others used the fraudulently created “free trading” shares of BIZM to engaged in a pump and dump stock manipulation scheme, using the EERT shares that had previously been falsely and fraudulently sold by Lubin to Conspirator A and his co-conspirators.
The SEC today announced a parallel civil enforcement action against Lubin.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Washington Field Office. Mr. Greenberg also thanked the SEC’s Washington Home Office and Miami Regional Office for their assistance. The SEC previously filed civil enforcement actions against McKelvey, Sanders, Mirman, Rose, Kass, and Lamson. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerrob Duffy and Alison W. Lehr.
A criminal information merely contains allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
New Britain Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KYLE PETERSEN, 31, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and other controlled substances.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in late December 2015, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and New Britain Police Department received information that PETERSEN was selling fentanyl powder, prescription pills and marijuana. DEA Task Force Officers and the New Britain Police Department Special Services Unit initiated an investigation and made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from PETERSEN. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that John Casadei, of Morris, used the darknet, an internet network that can only be accessed through the use of specific software or authorizations, to purchase large quantities of fentanyl that were shipped from China. Casadei also obtained and distributed various prescription pills, including Xanax and oxycodone. Casadei then supplied fentanyl and various prescription pills to Jared McBriarty, of Bristol, who in turn supplied them to PETERSEN. PETERSEN distributed the drugs to other individuals who sold them throughout central Connecticut.
The investigation revealed that PETERSEN acquired and distributed at least 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl, and attempted to acquire an additional kilogram of fentanyl, which law enforcement seized after it was shipped from China.
PETERSEN, Casadei, McBriarty and other individuals involved in this narcotics distribution ring were arrested on May 19, 2016. On that date, law enforcement a New Britain residence that PETERSEN used as a stash location and seized approximately $740,000 in cash, approximately 3.2 kilograms of MDMA (commonly known as “ecstasy”), and more than 40,000 Xanax pills. A search of PETERSEN’s residence revealed additional quantities of narcotics and more than $11,000 in cash. Law enforcement subsequently seized approximately $80,000 from PETERSEN’s bank account.
PETERSEN has been detained since his arrest. On April 26, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Casadei and McBriarty have pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, New Britain State’s Attorney’s Office and Connecticut State Police.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Dave Vatti.
Middlesex County Man Admits $2 Million Fraud Involving Bogus Small Business Administration LoanRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Brunswick, New Jersey, man today admitted defrauding a bank by fraudulently using a federally-backed $2 million small business loan on personal expenses, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
John Cheng, 58, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging him with loan application fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 7, 2007, Cheng submitted a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application for $1.75 million and a commercial loan application for $2 million, purportedly for financing relating to a restaurant in Skillman, New Jersey.
The loan applications were submitted to an independent lender through the SBA Loan Guaranty Program, which authorizes the SBA to provide financial assistance to eligible small businesses through loan guarantees to participating lenders. Rather than loan money directly to small businesses, the SBA provided a guaranty to the independent lender that the SBA would repay a percentage of a loan in the event that a borrower defaulted.
Cheng’s SBA loan application falsely stated that the loan would be used for construction, acquisition of machinery and equipment, and working capital. After receiving $2,082,229 from the victim bank in March 21, 2008, Cheng used the funds for his own benefit, including paying off gambling debts, sending money to family members, and paying a federal tax bill.
The charge to which Cheng pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Under his plea agreement, Cheng must pay restitution of $2,657,687.15 to the bank he defrauded and forfeit $1,696,506. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 25, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kupperbusch, and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), under the direction of Special Inspector General Christy Romero, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob T. Elberg, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Steven D. Altman Esq., New Brunswick, New Jersey
Miami Resident Indicted for Impersonating a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Benjamin Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); and Thomas Robarge, Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), made the announcement.
George I. Lopez, a/k/a “Ray Lo, Master Lo, and Israel Lo,” 46, of Bay Harbor, was indicted on July 13, 2017, with two counts of impersonation of an officer and employee of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 912. According to the indictment, Lopez falsely represented himself to be a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and a Lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard in order to obtain things of value from a person who thought Lopez was helping her to join the military.
Mr. Greenburg commended the investigative efforts of DCIS and CGIS. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Schiller.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Melson Jacques, a/k/a “Mike”, 35, of Braintree, Massachusetts, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon. Jacques pleaded guilty to the charge on March 3, 2016.
Court records reveal that in May 2015, Jacques coerced a drug-addicted Biddeford man to purchase a Glock 9mm handgun for him and a drug trafficking accomplice through a straw purchase in Saco that was surveilled by federal agents. Jacques was prohibited from possessing firearms as the result of multiple felony drug convictions in Massachusetts. At the time Jacques came to Maine in the spring of 2015, he was a fugitive wanted on felony warrants out of Massachusetts where he had absconded from an ongoing drug trafficking trial.
Jacques faced an enhanced sentence for possessing the handgun while engaged in drug trafficking. In imposing the sentence, Judge Levy noted the defendant’s lengthy criminal history and “disregard for the law.”
The investigation was conducted by the Saco Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Marion Man Sentenced for Conducting Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – John Richard Blazer, 71, of Marion, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 33 months in prison for orchestrating multiple investment fraud schemes. Blazer pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in December 2016.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to the Statement of Facts in this case, from approximately January 2011 until August 2013, Blazer owned and operated several businesses in central Ohio, including The Ohio Company and The Ohio Company Loan Fund. He was also a partner in The Ohio Heritage Fund.
Blazer recruited investors by promising them that their money would be invested in one of his businesses, or in a real estate fund to purchase and rehabilitate homes in central Ohio, which would then be leased through a Section 8 housing program with the government, or in a gold mining operation in Africa that had the potential to produce significant amounts of gold and diamonds.
Rather than investing the victims’ funds, Blazer used the money to pay for personal expenses and to partially re-pay other victims.
In total, he received at least $1 million from approximately 21 victims.
As part of his sentence, Blazer was also ordered to pay full restitution to the victims.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Jessica H. Kim, who is representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Man Who Posted Facebook Threat to Kill Supervisor Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington D.C. man pleaded guilty today to using Facebook to threaten to kill his supervisor.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Romeo B. Twalla, 34, was an armed Protective Service Officer for the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. After being placed on leave for absences at work, Twalla began posting threats on his Facebook page to kill his supervisor. In one post, Twalla warned that if he lost his home, his supervisor would lose his life. Twalla also posted that he had “two clips” (referring to ammunition to carry out the threats), and that Federal Protective Services could not protect the victim from Twalla because “those buildings in D.C. coming down!”
Twalla pleaded guilty to two counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce to injure the person of another, and faces a maximum of 5 years in prison on each count when sentenced on September 12. 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; and L. Eric Patterson, Director of the Federal Protective Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Smith III and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lilian Timmermann are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-146.
Man Sentenced to Jail Term and Ordered to Pay $613,025 in Restitution for Scheme That Fraudulently Generated Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - William S. Wilson, 68, of Temple Hills, Md., was sentenced today to six months in jail, to be followed by six months of home detention, for initiating an identity theft and false tax refund scheme that illegally generated more than $600,000 in refunds.
The sentencing was announced by U.S Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Lappin of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington D.C. Field Office, and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations John L. Phillips of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Wilson pled guilty in October 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims. He was sentenced by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper. Following his jail term, Wilson will be placed on three years of supervised release, which is to include the period of home detention. Judge Cooper also ordered Wilson to pay $613,025 in restitution to the IRS.
According to the government’s evidence, from approximately June 2010 through May 2012, Wilson prepared and electronically filed with the IRS federal income tax returns, in the names of various individuals, claiming tax refunds, knowing that these claims were false, fictitious, and fraudulent. Some of the people for whom Wilson prepared returns brought him lists of names and Social Security numbers, including stolen identifying information. Wilson was paid $50 for each fictitious Form W-2 and $100 for each fraudulent individual income tax return that he prepared by the person for whom he prepared it.
Wilson used bank accounts under his control for the direct deposit of fraudulently obtained tax refunds. He also recruited another individual, Tamika Witherspoon, to permit the use of her bank accounts for the direct deposit of fraudulently obtained tax refunds and to negotiate fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury refund checks. The two split a portion of the proceeds from the deposit of these tax refunds, each receiving approximately $500 to $1,000 per tax refund, with the remaining proceeds going to other co-conspirators.
Wilson electronically filed approximately 186 individual income tax returns, claiming fraudulent refunds of $613,205. In court documents, the government estimated that Wilson personally received at least $151,050 to $212,050 for his participation in the scheme.
Witherspoon, 31, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in June 2017 to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims. She is to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2017.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Special Agent in Charge Lappin, and Assistant Inspector General Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue and the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Hooks and Paralegal Specialist Jessica Mundi. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
MS-13 Gang Members Indicted in New York for Murder of Four Young Men in Park and Killing of Rival at DeliRead the Press Release
17 members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, have been charged with racketeering, 12 murders, attempted murders, assaults, obstruction of justice, arson, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and related firearms and conspiracy charges relating to the gang’s activities on Long Island, New York. The 59-count, third superseding indictment was unsealed on July 13, in federal court in Central Islip, New York, and includes charges relating to the April 11, murder of four young men in a Central Islip, New York park.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office; and Commissioner Timothy D. Sini of the Suffolk County Police Department made the announcement.
“MS-13 is one of the most vicious criminal gangs in this country today,” said Attorney General Sessions. “As I said when I visited Long Island after these murders took place in April, MS-13’s motto may be ‘kill, rape and control’, but the Department of Justice’s motto is justice for victims and consequences for criminals. We are committed to bringing violent criminals to justice, and this indictment is the next step in our mission of finding, prosecuting, and eradicating the MS-13 threat.”
“The senseless murders charged in this superseding indictment further demonstrate MS-13’s compulsion to commit horrific acts of violence in communities in our district,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Rohde. “This Office and the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force will continue to work tirelessly to rid communities, including Central Islip, of MS-13, using every law enforcement resource at our disposal.” Ms. Rohde expressed her grateful appreciation to the members of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Western District of Virginia, and the Western District of North Carolina for assistance provided during the investigation.
“MS-13 is our number one priority on Long Island because much of what they do and how they behave boils down to violence for violence sake,” stated Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. “The idea that human life means nothing to these gang members should shock the conscience, and we cannot allow this type of thinking to take hold in our youth. We need help in addressing the violence, by the community supporting churches, community programs and activists who can provide a positive alternative to the deadly future MS-13 offers.”
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of excellent police work, and true collaboration between the Suffolk County Police Department, and our federal law enforcement partners,” stated Police Commissioner Sini. “The fact that this case was done in approximately three months is nothing short of outstanding, and I want to thank everyone involved for their critical work. This is another huge blow against MS-13. It shows that we will not tolerate violence in our communities. It shows that we will stop at nothing to achieve justice. And it means that we will prevail.”
Among the counts added in the third superseding indictment are charges against: (1) Alexis Hernandez, 20, of Central Islip, New York; Santos Leonel Ortiz-Flores, 19, of Central Islip, New York; and Omar Antonio Villalta, 22, of Central Islip, New York and Charlottesville, Virginia, in connection with the April 11, murders of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre and Jefferson Villalobos in Central Islip; (2) Mario Aguilar-Lopez, 18, of Brentwood, New York; Enrique Portillo, 20, of Central Islip, New York; Alexi Saenz, 22, of Brentwood, New York; Jairo Saenz, 20, of Brentwood, New York; and Jose Suarez, 23, of Central Islip, New York, in connection with the January 30, murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla, a suspected rival gang member, and assault of an innocent bystander at El Campesino Deli in Central Islip; and (3) Jeffrey Amador, 21, of Brentwood, New York; and Ronald Catalan, 26, of Brentwood, New York, in connection with the Oct. 21, 2015 attempted murder of two suspected rival gang members.
As detailed in the third superseding indictment and the government’s detention letter filed on July 13, Hernandez, Ortiz-Flores and Villalta have been charged with the April 11, murders of Llivicura, Lopez, Tigre and Villalobos. According to the allegations in the government’s detention letter, on the evening of the murders, two female associates of MS-13 lured five young men, including the four victims, to a community park in Central Islip at the direction of MS-13 members who believed the victims to be members of a rival gang. More than a dozen MS-13 members and associates, including Hernandez, Ortiz-Flores and Villalta, met in a heavily wooded area behind the park where they discussed the plan to kill the victims, distributed weapons and waited for word from the females that they had arrived.
According to the allegations in the government’s detention letter, when the female MS-13 associates arrived at the park, they led the victims to a wooded area and notified MS-13 members of their location by text message. Hernandez, Ortiz-Flores, Villalta and the other MS-13 members approached and surrounded the victims, and attacked and killed Llivicura, Lopez, Tigre and Villalobos using machetes, knives and wooden clubs. The fifth victim escaped. According to the allegations in the detention letter, the MS-13 members and associates dragged the victims’ bodies a short distance to a more secluded spot and fled the scene. The victims’ bodies were discovered the following evening, on April 12.
According to the government’s detention letter, Portillo, Alexi Saenz and Jairo Saenz were previously charged with the Sept. 13, 2016, murders of Nisa Mickens and Kyla Cuevas. In the third superseding indictment, they are also charged, along with Aguilar-Lopez and Suarez, in connection with the January 30, murder of Alvarado-Bonilla, a suspected rival gang member, and the assault of an innocent bystander. The government contends in the detention letter that, on the day of the murder, Portillo, a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (“Sailors”) clique, saw Alvarado-Bonilla, a suspected rival gang member, inside a deli in Central Islip. Portillo reported this sighting to Alexi Saenz and Jairo Saenz, the leaders of the Sailors clique, who directed Aguilar-Lopez, Suarez and another MS-13 associate to go to the deli and kill Alvarado-Bonilla. The government alleges in the detention letter that, after arriving at the deli, Aguilar-Lopez approached Alvarado-Bonilla from behind and shot him multiple times, killing him, and also striking an employee of the deli.
According to the superseding indictment and the allegations in the detention letter, Amador and Catalan, who was the leader of the Brentwood Locos Salvatruchas (“BLS”) clique of the MS-13, are also charged in connection with the Oct. 21, 2015 attempted murders and assaults of two men that occurred in North Bay Shore, New York. According to the allegations, that evening, MS-13 members had decided to retaliate against suspected members of the rival Latin Kings gang for an assault on an MS-13. Amador, Catalan and other MS-13 members observed a group of people they believed to be Latin Kings, approached the group and fired multiple shots before running back to the car and fleeing the scene. The government contends in the detention letter that two victims were struck but survived their gunshot wounds.
The third superseding indictment also charges members of the Sailors and BLS MS-13 cliques with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, the proceeds of which the government contends were used to help finance MS-13’s criminal operations.
This superseding indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section targeting members of MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization. MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” MS-13 is the most violent street gang on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010 alone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 40 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, Suffolk County Police Department, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, Rockville Centre Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 13, Aguilar-Lopez, Amador, Catalan, Hernandez and Ortiz-Flores were arraigned before U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Bianco at the federal courthouse in Central Islip. Villalta was arraigned in the Western District of Virginia that same day. The remaining defendants were arraigned before Judge Bianco on July 17.
The charges in the superseding indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by the Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Durham, Raymond A. Tierney and Paul G. Scotti of the Long Island Criminal Division with assistance from Deputy Chief Douglas Crow and Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
The Defendants:
EDWIN AMAYA-SANCHEZ (“Strong”)
Age: 30
Brentwood, New York
WILLIAM CASTELLANOS (“Dizzy” and “Satanico”)
Age: 20
Central Islip, New York
JHONNY CONTRERAS (“Reaper”)
Age: 23
Brentwood, New York
REYNALDO LOPEZ-ALVARADO (“Mente”)
Age: 25
Brentwood, New York
ELMER ALEXANDER LOPEZ (“Smiley,” “Little Smiley” and “Alex”)
Age: 19
Brentwood, New York
SELVIN CHAVEZ (“Flash”)
Age: 20
Brentwood, New York
GERMAN CRUZ (“Bad Boy”)
Age: 19
Brentwood, New York
ENRIQUE PORTILLO (“Oso” and “Turkey”)
Age: 20
Central Islip, New York
ALEXI SAENZ (“Blasty” and “Big Homie”)
Age: 22
Brentwood, New York
JAIRO SAENZ (“Funny”)
Age: 20
Brentwood, New York
MARIO AGUILAR-LOPEZ (“Cuchumbo”)
Age: 18
Brentwood, New York
JEFFREY AMADOR (“Cruel”)
Age: 21
Brentwood, New York
RONALD CATALAN (“Stranger”)
Age: 26
Brentwood, New York
ALEXIS HERNANDEZ
Age: 20
Central Islip, New York
SANTOS LEONEL ORTIZ-FLORES
Age: 19
Central Islip, New York
JOSE SUAREZ (“Chompira”)
Age: 23
Central Islip, New York
OMAR ANTONIO VILLALTA (“Anticristo”)
Age: 22
Central Islip, New York and Charlottesville, Virginia
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-403 (S-3)(JFB)
MS-13 Gang Members Indicted in New York for Murder of Four Young Men in Park and Killing of Rival at DeliRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – 17 members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, have been charged with racketeering, 12 murders, attempted murders, assaults, obstruction of justice, arson, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and related firearms and conspiracy charges relating to the gang’s activities on Long Island, New York. The 59-count, third superseding indictment was unsealed on July 13, 2017, in federal court in Central Islip, New York, and includes charges relating to the Apr. 11, 2017, murder of four young men in a Central Islip, New York park.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office; and Commissioner Timothy D. Sini of the Suffolk County Police Department made the announcement.
“MS-13 is one of the most vicious criminal gangs in this country today,” said Attorney General Sessions. “As I said when I visited Long Island after these murders took place in April, MS-13’s motto may be ‘kill, rape and control’, but the Department of Justice’s motto is justice for victims and consequences for criminals. We are committed to bringing violent criminals to justice, and this indictment is the next step in our mission of finding, prosecuting and eradicating the MS-13 threat.”
“The senseless murders charged in this superseding indictment further demonstrate MS-13’s compulsion to commit horrific acts of violence in communities in our district,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Rohde. “This Office and the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force will continue to work tirelessly to rid communities, including Central Islip, of MS-13, using every law enforcement resource at our disposal.” Ms. Rohde expressed her grateful appreciation to the members of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, as well as the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Western District of Virginia, and the Western District of North Carolina for assistance provided during the investigation.
“MS-13 is our number one priority on Long Island because much of what they do and how they behave boils down to violence for violence sake,” stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “The idea that human life means nothing to these gang members should shock the conscience, and we cannot allow this type of thinking to take hold in our youth. We need help in addressing the violence, by the community supporting churches, community programs and activists who can provide a positive alternative to the deadly future MS-13 offers.”
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of excellent police work, and true collaboration between the Suffolk County Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners,” stated Commissioner Sini. “The fact that this case was done in approximately three months is nothing short of outstanding, and I want to thank everyone involved for their critical work. This is another huge blow against MS-13. It shows that we will not tolerate violence in our communities. It shows that we will stop at nothing to achieve justice. And it means that we will prevail.”
Among the counts added in the third superseding indictment are charges against: (1) Alexis Hernandez, 20, of Central Islip, New York; Santos Leonel Ortiz-Flores, 19, of Central Islip, New York; and Omar Antonio Villalta, 22, of Central Islip, New York and Charlottesville, Virginia, in connection with the Apr. 11, 2017 murders of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre and Jefferson Villalobos in Central Islip; (2) Mario Aguilar-Lopez, 18, of Brentwood, New York; Enrique Portillo, 20, of Central Islip, New York; Alexi Saenz, 22, of Brentwood, New York; Jairo Saenz, 20, of Brentwood, New York; and Jose Suarez, 23, of Central Islip, New York, in connection with the Jan. 30, 2017 murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla, a suspected rival gang member, and assault of an innocent bystander at El Campesino Deli in Central Islip; and (3) Jeffrey Amador, 21, of Brentwood, New York; and Ronald Catalan, 26, of Brentwood, New York, in connection with the Oct. 21, 2015 attempted murder of two suspected rival gang members.
As detailed in the third superseding indictment and the government’s detention letter filed on July 13, Hernandez, Ortiz-Flores and Villalta have been charged with the Apr. 11, 2017 murders of Llivicura, Lopez, Tigre and Villalobos. According to the allegations in the government’s detention letter, on the evening of the murders, two female associates of MS-13 lured five young men, including the four victims, to a community park in Central Islip at the direction of MS-13 members who believed the victims to be members of a rival gang. More than a dozen MS-13 members and associates, including Hernandez, Ortiz-Flores and Villalta, met in a heavily wooded area behind the park where they discussed the plan to kill the victims, distributed weapons and waited for word from the females that they had arrived.
According to the allegations in the government’s detention letter, when the female MS-13 associates arrived at the park, they led the victims to a wooded area and notified MS-13 members of their location by text message. Hernandez, Ortiz-Flores, Villalta and the other MS-13 members approached and surrounded the victims, and attacked and killed Llivicura, Lopez, Tigre and Villalobos using machetes, knives and wooden clubs. The fifth victim escaped. According to the allegations in the detention letter, the MS-13 members and associates dragged the victims’ bodies a short distance to a more secluded spot and fled the scene. The victims’ bodies were discovered the following evening, on April 12.
According to the government’s detention letter, Portillo, Alexi Saenz and Jairo Saenz were previously charged with the Sept. 13, 2016, murders of Nisa Mickens and Kyla Cuevas. In the third superseding indictment, they are also charged, along with Aguilar-Lopez and Suarez, in connection with the Jan. 30, 2017, murder of Alvarado-Bonilla, a suspected rival gang member, and the assault of an innocent bystander. The government contends in the detention letter that, on the day of the murder, Portillo, a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (“Sailors”) clique, saw Alvarado-Bonilla, a suspected rival gang member, inside a deli in Central Islip. Portillo reported this sighting to Alexi Saenz and Jairo Saenz, the leaders of the Sailors clique, who directed Aguilar-Lopez, Suarez and another MS-13 associate to go to the deli and kill Alvarado-Bonilla. The government alleges in the detention letter that, after arriving at the deli, Aguilar-Lopez approached Alvarado-Bonilla from behind and shot him multiple times, killing him, and also striking an employee of the deli.
According to the superseding indictment and the allegations in the detention letter, Amador and Catalan, who was the leader of the Brentwood Locos Salvatruchas (“BLS”) clique of the MS-13, are also charged in connection with the Oct. 21, 2015 attempted murders and assaults of two men that occurred in North Bay Shore, New York. According to the allegations, that evening, MS-13 members had decided to retaliate against suspected members of the rival Latin Kings gang for an assault on an MS-13. Amador, Catalan and other MS-13 members observed a group of people they believed to be Latin Kings, approached the group and fired multiple shots before running back to the car and fleeing the scene. The government contends in the detention letter that two victims were struck but survived their gunshot wounds.
The third superseding indictment also charges members of the Sailors and BLS MS-13 cliques with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, the proceeds of which the government contends were used to help finance MS-13’s criminal operations.
This superseding indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization. MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” MS-13 is the most violent street gang on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010 alone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 40 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, Suffolk County Police Department, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Rockville Centre Police Department, the New York State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 13, 2017, Aguilar-Lopez, Amador, Catalan, Hernandez and Ortiz-Flores were arraigned before U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Bianco at the federal courthouse in Central Islip. Villalta was arraigned in the Western District of Virginia that same day. The remaining defendants were arraigned before Judge Bianco on July 17, 2017.
The charges in the superseding indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Durham, Raymond A. Tierney and Paul G. Scotti of the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division, with assistance provided by Deputy Chief Douglas Crow and Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
The Defendants:
EDWIN AMAYA-SANCHEZ (“Strong”)
Age: 30
Brentwood, New York
WILLIAM CASTELLANOS (“Dizzy” and “Satanico”)
Age: 20
Central Islip, New York
JHONNY CONTRERAS (“Reaper”)
Age: 23
Brentwood, New York
REYNALDO LOPEZ-ALVARADO (“Mente”)
Age: 25
Brentwood, New York
ELMER ALEXANDER LOPEZ (“Smiley,” “Little Smiley” and “Alex”)
Age: 19
Brentwood, New York
SELVIN CHAVEZ (“Flash”)
Age: 20
Brentwood, New York
GERMAN CRUZ (“Bad Boy”)
Age: 19
Brentwood, New York
ENRIQUE PORTILLO (“Oso” and “Turkey”)
Age: 20
Central Islip, New York
ALEXI SAENZ (“Blasty” and “Big Homie”)
Age: 22
Brentwood, New York
JAIRO SAENZ (“Funny”)
Age: 20
Brentwood, New York
MARIO AGUILAR-LOPEZ (“Cuchumbo”)
Age: 18
Brentwood, New York
JEFFREY AMADOR (“Cruel”)
Age: 21
Brentwood, New York
RONALD CATALAN (“Stranger”)
Age: 26
Brentwood, New York
ALEXIS HERNANDEZ
Age: 20
Central Islip, New York
SANTOS LEONEL ORTIZ-FLORES
Age: 19
Central Islip, New York
JOSE SUAREZ (“Chompira”)
Age: 23
Central Islip, New York
OMAR ANTONIO VILLALTA (“Anticristo”)
Age: 22
Central Islip, New York and Charlottesville, Virginia
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-403 (S-3)(JFB)
MEDIA ADVISORY-- Federal Officials to Hold Press Conference to Discuss Investigation into Ayudando Guardians, Inc., and Court Order Authorizing Federal Control of its Business OperationsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney will hold a press conference at 1:00 P.M., on THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2017, to discuss the indictment against Ayudando Guardians, Inc., and its principals, and the court order authorizing the U.S. Marshals Service to take control of its business operations. Acting U.S. Attorney Tierney will be joined by Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez Jr. of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derek A. Fuller of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, Special Agent in Charge Carl D. Scott of the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General, and Resident Agent in Charge Ron Trevino of the Dallas Field Division of the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General.
WHO:
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney
Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez Jr., Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derek A. Fuller, Albuquerque Division of the FBI
Special Agent in Charge Carl D. Scott, Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General
Resident Agent in Charge Ron Trevino, Dallas Field Division of the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General
WHEN:
THURSDAY, JULY 20, 2017
1:00 P.M.
WHERE:
U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of New Mexico
201 Third Street NW
10th Floor Multi-Media Room (Reception on Ninth Floor)
Albuquerque, NM 87102
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials. Media may begin to arrive at 10:45 a.m. Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alyssa Ferda at 505-224-1480 or [email protected].
Longview Man Indicted for Student Financial Aid Fraud Scheme; Sister Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 30-year-old Longview, Texas man has been indicted for his role in a student financial aid fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Robert Brisco was indicted by a federal grand jury today and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, multiple counts of mail fraud, and multiple counts of student financial aid fraud.
According to the indictment, from June 2013 to September 2015, Brisco and others are alleged to have conspired to use wire communications and the mail to fraudulently obtain student financial aid funds through the Pell Grant Program and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. If convicted, Brisco faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
An indictment merely establishes probable cause, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Brisco's mother, Gracie Brisco, 54, of Longview, was indicted on Mar. 22, 2017, on multiple counts of student financial aid fraud.
Brisco's sister, Shanitra Frost, 34, of Longview, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell to student financial aid fraud. Frost faces up to 5 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Longview Police Department, and the Kilgore College Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld is prosecuting this case.
Illinois Department of Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Violating Inmate’s Federal Civil RightsRead the Press Release
Dustin A. Fleming, 30, of DuQuoin, Illinois, who is employed as a correctional officer by the Illinois Department of Corrections, pled guilty today in United States District Court in Benton to an information charging him with depriving an inmate of his federal civil rights, announced Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The felony information to which Fleming pled guilty alleged that on October 15, 2016, Fleming assaulted and caused bodily injury to a handcuffed inmate at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center by choking, punching, kneeing, and kicking the inmate without any legal justification in violation of the United States Constitution.
Sentencing was set for October 18, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., at the United States District Courthouse in Benton. Fleming faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release to follow any term of incarceration imposed. Fleming was placed on bond pending sentencing.
Fleming has been on administrative leave from the Illinois Department of Corrections since the assault occurred.
The investigation leading to the charges and guilty plea was conducted by the Illinois States Police with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois Department of Corrections. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
INTERPOL Washington Hosts Sport Security Senior Management CourseRead the Press Release
National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) group at INTERPOL WashingtonThe National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) in partnership with INTERPOL, presented the Sport Security Senior Management Course at a Working Group Meeting at INTERPOL Washington on 17 July. This course is a scenario-based practicum of primary areas within the field of sporting event policing and security management. It is intended to prepare senior law enforcement officials involved in the decision-making process for preparation and response to a large-scale incident during major and international sporting events.
The actual 3-day course is scheduled to be presented at the IPSG in Lyon on 12-14 Sept 2017.
Hamden Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Oxycodone and Marijuana, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that WAYNE BRADBURY, 32, of Hamden, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to federal oxycodone and marijuana distribution and money laundering offenses. The charges stem 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, on January 3, 2016, a 22-year-old male purchased 30 40-milligram oxycodone pills from Tahir Farid in exchange for $900. He then consumed some of those pills, as well as other substances. On January 5, 2016, the 22-year-old male was found unresponsive at a friend’s residence in Weston. He remains unresponsive and, according to medical personnel, is in a “persistent vegetative state.”
The investigation revealed that, prior to the victim’s overdose, BRADBURY supplied oxycodone pills and marijuana to Ryan Looney who, at the time, was 19 years old. Looney then sold oxycodone pills to Farid, who then distributed a portion of them to the victim.
Typically, BRADBURY supplied Looney with drugs on credit and had Looney repay him by depositing cash into BRADBURY’s back account. BRADBURY then withdrew the cash at ATMs to pay his drug supplier.
BRADBURY pleaded guilty to one count of distributing oxycodone and marijuana to an individual under 21 years of age, an offense that carries a minimum term of imprisonment of one year and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. He also pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on October 11, 2017.
BRADBURY is detained pending sentencing.
Farid and Looney, both of Hamden, each previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone. On November 30, 2016, Farid was sentenced to six months of imprisonment. Looney awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, U.S. Marshals Service, Weston Police Department and Monroe Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Spector.
Guardianship Firm and its Principals Charged with Federal Conspiracy, Fraud, Theft and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
U.S. Marshals Service Assumes Control of Ayudando Guardians, Inc.,
to Ensure Continuity of Services for Special Needs Clients
ALBUQUERQUE – Federal law enforcement officials today announced the filing of conspiracy, fraud, theft and money laundering charges against Ayudando Alpha, Inc., d/b/a “Ayudando Guardians, Inc.” (Ayudando), and its co-founders, Susan Harris, 70, and Sharon Moore, 62, both residents of Albuquerque, N.M. The charges, which are contained in a 28-count indictment, arise out of an alleged decade-long sophisticated scheme to embezzle funds from client trust accounts managed by Ayudando, a non-profit corporation that provides guardianship, conservatorship and financial management services to hundreds of individuals with special needs.
According to the indictment, Ayudando – which means “helping” in Spanish – receives government benefit payments from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) on behalf of many of its clients, and acts as a fiduciary or representative payee for these clients by paying their expenses and maintaining the balances for the benefit of the clients. The indictment alleges that Harris and Moore, the primary owners and operators of Ayudando, have embezzled millions of dollars from their special needs clients to support lavish lifestyles for themselves and their families.
The charges against Ayudando, Harris and Moore are the result of an ongoing multi-agency investigation by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), VA Office of Inspector General and SSA Office of Inspector General. This morning federal law enforcement agents arrested Harris and Moore. Harris and Moore made their initial appearances in federal court in Albuquerque this morning. They are scheduled to return to court at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, July 20, 2017, to be arraigned on the indictment and for detention hearings.
Federal authorities also enforced a federal court order that authorized the USMS’s Complex Assets Unit to assume control of Ayudando’s business operations. The court order appoints the USMS as the Receiver and Monitor of Ayudando, including all its financial accounts. The order authorizes the USMS to operate the business to ensure that its assets are not improperly spent or removed, and that the interests of Ayudando clients are protected as the prosecution of the criminal case goes forward. The USMS’s operation of Ayudando will ensure continuity of services for Ayudando clients.
The charges against Ayudando, Harris and Moore were announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez Jr., of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Carl D. Scott of the Criminal Investigations Division of the VA’s Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Robert Feldt of the Dallas Field Division of the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General.
In making the announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney said, “This case is all about the victims. The victims in this case relied upon Ayudando to manage their finances and meet their needs. If the allegations in the indictment are true, the principals of Ayudando cruelly violated the trust of their clients and looted their benefits. Federal law enforcement has now stepped in to ensure that the looting stops. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners will conduct this prosecution in a manner that provides for the continued receipt of benefits by Ayudando’s clients, while holding the principals of the company accountable for their conduct.”
“This morning the U.S. Marshals Service assumed control of Ayudando’s business operations to ensure that the victims of the crimes charged in the indictment, which include our disabled veterans, and other Ayudando clients will continue to receive the services they deserve and are entitled to,” said U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria. “The U.S. Marshals Service also will continue to assist its law enforcement partners in the continuing investigation.”
“Many of our most vulnerable Americans, such as those with special needs, trust fiduciaries to handle their government benefits for them. Unfortunately, there are plenty of criminals willing to steal what could be a person’s only source of income, using the money to support a lavish lifestyle,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “The FBI, working with our law enforcement and government partners, is committed to bringing to justice those individuals whose greed destroys the lives and dreams of innocent people.”
“The indictment alleges that, instead of helping people with special needs, the defendants were greedy and helped themselves to their clients’ money,” said Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez Jr., of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS Criminal Investigation will always investigate individuals who misuse non-profit businesses and cause harm to those whose needs are supposed to be served by those businesses.”
“Professional fiduciaries who defraud vulnerable veterans are reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Carl D. Scott of the Criminal Investigations Division of the VA Office of Inspector General. “The VA OIG will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to expose those who harm veterans or exploit VA benefits systems and bring them to justice.”
“The SSA OIG is committed to investigating cases of suspected representative payee fraud, which can involve the theft of government funds and harm some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Feldt of the Dallas Field Division of the SSA Office of the Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office on this case.”
The 28-count indictment, which was filed under seal on July 11, 2017 and was unsealed and publicly posted earlier today, includes two conspiracy counts, ten counts of mail fraud, nine counts of aggravated identify theft and six counts of money laundering. According to the indictment, from Nov. 2006, when Harris and Moore founded Ayudando, and continuing until July 2017, Ayudando, Harris and Moore embezzled millions of dollars from Ayudando client accounts to cover their personal expenses and support lavish lifestyles for themselves and their families. The indictment alleges that Harris and Moore perpetuated the embezzlement scheme by:
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Establishing Ayudando as a non-profit corporation in Nov. 2006, to position it as a guardian, conservator, fiduciary and representative payee for individuals needing assistance with their financial affairs;
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Setting up client trust and company bank accounts which only they controlled;
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Transferring funds from client accounts to Ayudando company accounts;
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Using client funds to pay off more than $4 million in charges on a company credit card account used by Harris, Moore and their families for personal purposes;
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Writing checks from Ayudando company accounts to themselves, cash and to cover personal expenses;
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Replenishing depleted client accounts with funds taken from other clients;
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Mailing fraudulent statements and certifications to the VA; and
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Forging and submitting forged bank statements to the VA.
The indictment identifies some of the ways in which Harris and Moore used the money they allegedly stole from Ayudando clients. For example, the indictment alleges that between June 2011 and March 2014, Harris wrote 12 checks in the total amount of $457,883 on the Ayudando client reimbursement account for personal purpose, including a $50,950 check made out to Mercedes Benz of Albuquerque and a $26,444 check made out to Myers RV Center. It also alleges that between Jan. 2013 and Feb. 2017, Harris used an Ayudando company credit card to pay $140,790 to cover luxury vacations for herself and others, including cruises in the Caribbean isles and a “Final Four” basketball junket, while knowing that Moore would pay off the charges using client funds.
The mail fraud charges in the indictment describe some of the fraudulent documents allegedly mailed by Ayudando, Harris and Moore to the VA to perpetuate and conceal their embezzlement scheme. For example, between Jan. 2016 and Nov. 2016, Moore allegedly mailed fraudulent documents to the VA that falsely represented the balances in ten client accounts. According to the indictment, the documents falsely claimed that the ten client accounts had an aggregate balance of $1,906,908, when the actual value of the ten accounts was only $72,281. The ten client accounts identified in the indictment are examples of the fraud allegedly perpetrated by the defendants as part of their embezzlement scheme.
According to the indictment, Ayudando, Harris and Moore also engaged in aggravated identify theft by using their clients’ names, dates of birth, Social Security Numbers and VA file numbers to commit mail fraud offenses. Harris and Moore also allegedly committed money-laundering offenses by using $392,623 from the Ayudando client reimbursement account to pay off balances on a company credit card used by the defendants and their families for personal purposes. The indictment includes forfeiture provisions that seek forfeiture to the United States of any proceeds and property involved in, or derived from, the defendants’ unlawful conduct.
If the defendants are convicted on the crimes charged in the indictment, they face the following maximum statutory penalties:
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Count 1, conspiracy – 30 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine;
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Counts 2-11, mail fraud – 30 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine;
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Counts 12-21, aggravated identity theft – a mandatory two-years of imprisonment that must be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed on other counts and a $250,000 fine;
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Counts 22-27, money laundering – ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine or twice the amount of the property involved in the crime; and
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Count 28, conspiracy to commit money laundering – ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine or twice the amount of the property involved in the crime.
The Albuquerque offices of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation, which resulted in the charges in the indictment, and are leading the continuing investigation. The Complex Assets Unit and the Albuquerque office of the USMS, the Criminal Investigations Division of the VA Office of Inspector General, and the Dallas Field Division of the SSA Office of Inspector General are assisting in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Brandon L. Fyffe are prosecuting the case.
Ayudando clients or family members of Ayudando clients who need to speak with someone about their accounts or expenses should call Ayudando, which is now being operated by the U.S. Marshals Service, at 505-332-4357.
Starting tomorrow, information about the federal investigation into Ayudando, including the indictment and the federal court order, will be available at www.justice.gov/usao-nm/ayudando-guardians. Also starting tomorrow, Ayudando clients can direct their comments or concerns to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected] or 505-346-6902.
Charges in indictment are merely allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ayudando Indictment-
Georgia Man Facing Fraud and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A Georgia resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and access device fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The three-count indictment, returned on July 18, named Khambrel Coleman, 31, of Johns Creek, Georgia, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Coleman used and attempted to use counterfeit credit cards in in-person transactions at bank locations to obtain unauthorized cash advances on credit card accounts of other individuals. The Indictment additionally charges that, on or about January 10, 2017, Coleman unlawfully possessed and used the credit card number of another person to obtain an unauthorized cash advance at a Citizens Bank branch in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 42 years in prison, a fine of $1,500,000, 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, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam N. Hallowell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fraudsters Sentenced for Operating Nationwide Home Mortgage ScamRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three California residents were sentenced today to a combined 39 years in prison for their roles in a nationwide, multi-year “home mortgage modification” fraud that scammed thousands of vulnerable victims out of at least $11 million.
Sammy Araya, 41, of Santa Ana, was sentenced to 20 years, Michael Henderson, 49, of Costa Mesa, was sentenced to 12 years, and Jen Seko, 36, of Anaheim, was sentenced to 7 years in prison, respectively. All three defendants were convicted by a federal jury on April 21, of multiple counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
According to court documents, from at least March 2011 through September 2014, Araya and his co-conspirators targeted struggling homeowners and made a series of misrepresentations to induce them to make payments of thousands of dollars each in exchange for supposed “mortgage modification” assistance. The conspirators lured vulnerable victims into the scam through targeted mass mailers sent to homeowners facing foreclosure through Seko’s company, Seko Direct Marketing. In the mailers and in subsequent phone calls, the defendants and their co-conspirators falsely held themselves out as a non-profit organization or as affiliated with a real government program, the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), designed to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Henderson and other “customer service representatives” in the scam convinced victims to send “reinstatement fees” and “trial mortgage payments” to the conspiracy, based on the false representations that the funds would be used to modify their mortgages. In reality, however, the defendants did nothing to help modify any mortgages. Instead, they used the victims’ payments for their own personal benefit and to further the fraud scheme. Araya, the ringleader of the scam, used the fraud proceeds to purchase expensive vehicles, a racehorse, and a variety of luxury goods, as well as to fund his personal travel and a reality television show he produced called “Make It Rain.TV.”
This scheme had devastating consequences for the victim homeowners, all of whom were already in a precarious financial position. Many victims suffered substantially greater financial hardship after falling victim to this conspiracy than they were already facing when they entered into the bogus agreements with the conspirators. In many cases, the lenders ultimately foreclosed on the victims’ homes, after the victims had been induced to make their “trial mortgage payments” to the members of the conspiracy rather than to their lenders.
Twelve defendants have been convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in this case and a related case in connection with this same scam. They include the following individuals:
Name, Age
Hometown
Conviction
Sentence
Sammy Araya, 41
Santa Ana, California
Convicted on Counts 1-11 of superseding indictment on April 2
Sentenced to 20 years today
Michael Henderson, 49
Costa Mesa, California
Convicted on Counts 1-6 and 9-11 of superseding indictment on April 21
Sentenced to 12 years today
Jen Seko, 36
Anaheim, California
Convicted on Counts 1-6 and 9-11 of superseding indictment on April 21
Sentenced to 7 years today
Roscoe Umali, 38
Santa Ana, California
Pleaded guilty March 22, 2016
220 months in prison on Aug. 18, 2016
Joshua Sanchez, 37
Las Vegas, Nevada
Pleaded guilty July 8, 2015
151 months in prison on Oct. 29, 2015
Kristen Ayala, 32
Las Vegas, Nevada
Pleaded guilty August 4, 2015
135 months in prison on Oct. 29, 2015
Isaac Perez, 33
Los Angeles
Pleaded guilty March 30, 2016
130 months in prison on Sept. 1, 2016
Joshua Johnson, 36
Huntington Beach, California
Pleaded guilty March 30, 2016
121 months in prison on July 7, 2016
Jefferson Maniscan, 34
Los Angeles
Pleaded guilty March 29, 2016
120 months in prison on Aug. 18, 2016
Nicholas Estilow, 34
Mission Viejo, California
Pleaded guilty January 18
80 months in prison on June 1
Raymund Dacanay, 47
Newport Beach, California
Pleaded guilty March 29, 2016
60 months in prison on July 21, 2016
Sabrina Rafo, 24
Garden Grove, California
Pleaded guilty January 19
60 months in prison on June 1
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP); William Hedrick, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Los Angeles Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Leslie DeMarco, Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA-OIG); and James Todak, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Los Angeles Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing of Araya and his co-defendants by Senior U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Bateman and Ryan Faulconer are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-cr-301.
Framingham Man Sentenced for Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Framingham man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for robbing two banks in Framingham.
Jalonni Tucker a/k/a Jalonni Shabazz, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 54 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $4,253. In March 2017, Tucker pleaded guilty to two counts of unarmed bank robbery.
On June 21, 2016, an individual robbed the TD Bank in Framingham. The bank’s surveillance cameras captured images of the perpetrator; and surveillance cameras on neighboring businesses captured images of the perpetrator driving away in a white/silver Chrysler SUV with distinctive chrome wheels.
On July 13, 2016, an individual committed a similar robbery at a branch of Citizens Bank in Framingham. Again, the bank’s exterior surveillance cameras captured images of the perpetrator driving away in a white/silver Chrysler SUV with distinctive chrome wheels.
Law enforcement determined the Chrysler SUV belonged to a Framingham resident who was married to Tucker, and Tucker’s identity matched that of the perpetrator on both banks’ surveillance cameras. On July 15, 2016, Tucker was arrested at his Framingham home.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Framingham Police Chief Kenneth Ferguson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Four Individuals Indicted in July 2017 Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today the results of the July 2017 Federal Grand Jury.
The following named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-parolable.
DECKLYN STARR, age 54, of Fort Smith, Arkansas a/k/a IRA WOFFORD
Stalking (2 counts)
Interstate Communication Of ThreatThe Indictment alleges that from in or about April 2017 and continuing through June 8, 2017, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and elsewhere, the defendant, DECKLYN STARR, a/k/a Ira Wofford, with the intent to kill, injure, harass and intimidate, used an electronic communication service, an electronic communication system of interstate commerce, and any other facility of interstate commerce, to engage in a course of conduct that placed S.E., a person known to the Grand Jury, in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury, and caused, and attempted to cause, and would be reasonably expected to cause, substantial emotional distress, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2261A(2)(A), 2261A(2)(B) and 2261(b)(5), punishable by no more than 5 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00 or both for each count.
The Indictment further alleges that on or about June 8, 2017, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, DECKLYN STARR, a/k/a Ira Wofford, knowingly and willfully did transmit in interstate and foreign commerce from the State of New Mexico to the State of Oklahoma a communication via a telecommunications device, to a person known to the Grand Jury, and the communication contained a threat to injure a person known to the Grand Jury, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c), punishable by no more than 5 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Edward Snow.
JAMES MICHAEL WEST, age 64, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Concealment Of A Material Fact
False StatementThe Indictment alleges that on or about July 14, 2005, and continuing through December 31, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, defendant JAMES MICHAEL WEST, in a matter within the jurisdiction of Social Security Administration, having knowledge of the occurrence of an event affecting the right to receive or continue to receive Social Security Disability Income payments, concealed and failed to disclose such event with the intent to fraudulently secure payment when no payment was authorized. Specifically, defendant JAMES MICHAEL WEST intentionally concealed that JAMES MICHAEL WEST secured gainful employment in order to receive and continue to receive Disability Income payments made by the Social Security Administration to him.
By such action, defendant JAMES MICHAEL WEST took approximately $266,982.00 in Social Security Disability Income payments to which he was not entitled, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(4), punishable by no more than 5 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00 or both. The Indictment further alleges that on or about May 3, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma defendant JAMES MICHAEL WEST, did knowingly make or caused to be made any false statement or representation of a material fact to the Social Security Administration in any application for any payment or for a disability determination, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(2), punishable by no more than 5 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Social Security Administrations’ Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace.
TYLER WAYNE JONES, age 24, of Vian, Oklahoma
THOMAS CHARLES BARDRICK, age 20, of Fort Smith, Arkansas
Interstate Transportation Of Stolen PropertyThe Indictment alleges that on or about April 15, 2015, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendants, TYLER WAYNE JONES and THOMAS CHARLES BARDRICK, did unlawfully transport in interstate commerce stolen goods, wares and merchandise, that is, six (6) zero turn mowers, of the value of $5,000.00 or more knowing the same to have been stolen, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2314 and 2, punishable by no more than 10 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00 or both.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Sallisaw Police Department, the Sequoyah County Sherriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris
Former Worksource DeKalb Supervisor Charged with BriberyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Roderick L. Wyatt, 61, of Stone Mountain, Ga., has been charged with accepting bribe payments in exchange for approving the enrollment of almost 20 students to a local college, through a federal workforce program in DeKalb County. The federal indictment alleges that Wyatt agreed to accept payments from the college president for each student sent to the college through Worksource DeKalb, a federally funded program.
“Wyatt allegedly sold his supervisory position with WorkSource DeKalb for cash. In doing so, he allegedly accepted a “bounty” for each student sent to a specific college,” said U. S. Attorney John A. Horn.
“An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud relating to Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grants issued by the U.S. Department of Labor. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” said Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Public corruption is the FBI’s top criminal investigative priority because it takes a significant toll on the public’s pocketbooks by siphoning off tax dollars,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. LeValley. “This case is another example of our commitment to combat corruption by investigating public officials who choose to abuse federally funded programs.”
According to United States Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is a federal public law designed to improve and modernize America’s workforce development system by providing dislocated and low-income individuals with the skills and education needed to obtain employment and by providing employers with trained and qualified workers to fill employment vacancies.
WorkSource DeKalb (formerly DeKalb Workforce Development) was a DeKalb County department funded exclusively by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. WorkSource DeKalb (“WSD”) served the unemployed and underemployed citizens of DeKalb County by providing work readiness programs, services, and activities necessary to obtain sustainable wages. Using federal funds, WSD paid the cost for unemployed and underemployed individuals to attend pre-screened schools or programs where the individuals gained the technical or vocational skills needed to obtain employment in fields such as nursing, truck driving, or welding. After reviewing the unemployed individuals’ career aspirations and educational interests, WSD staff members recommended the individuals to particular pre-screened schools or programs.
From 2013 to April 2017, Wyatt served as a WSD Employment and Training Supervisor. As a supervisor, Wyatt reviewed and approved the school/program recommendations made by WSD staff members.
In 2014, the president and founder of a pre-screened school that offered its students nursing assistant and medical technician certifications approached Wyatt and offered to pay him for each individual that WSD referred to the College. In 2014 and 2015, Wyatt approved the enrollment of approximately 19 students to the College. The College’s president paid Wyatt $100 for each student approved to attend his school. In total, the College received approximately $82,000 in federal funds under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The name of the college has not been identified in the Information or any of the court pleadings.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis and Special Assistant United States Attorney Tyler Mann 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.
Former South Florida Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Theft of MailRead the Press Release
A former United States postal worker has pled guilty to theft of mail she obtained from her delivery route in Hillsboro Beach, Florida.
Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Maximo Eamiguel, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Southern Area Field Office, made the announcement.
Charlene Joseph, 24, of Miami Gardens, pled guilty to one count of theft of mail by a postal employee. Sentencing is scheduled for September 26, 2017, before United States District Court Judge Beth Bloom. At sentencing, Joseph faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison.
According to court documents, including the agreed upon factual proffer, Joseph delivered and picked up mail on a route in Hillsboro Beach, beginning in 2015. In December 2015, Joseph stole four envelopes that had been placed in the outgoing mail slot of one of the condominium buildings along her route. The four envelopes contained Christmas cards with Walmart gift cards inside. Joseph unlawfully used three of the four Walmart gift cards at a Walmart store in Miramar. In addition, Joseph admitted to stealing approximately five credit cards from her delivery route to give another individual in exchange for payment. She personally used some of the stolen cards.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the USPS-OIG in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss is prosecuting this case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Russell County Teacher, Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Criminal activity took place during a two-year period
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Russell County, Kentucky, resident and former teacher, convicted of a crime involving the sexual exploitation of a minor, was sentenced in United States District Court yesterday, by District Judge Greg N. Stivers, to serve 60 months in prison, followed by a ten year period of supervised release and register as a sex offender in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
“This is a horrific crime that can shake an entire community, especially when the perpetrator is a trusted teacher,” stated U.S. Attorney Kuhn. “Safeguarding our most vulnerable citizens is among the most significant priorities of my Office and the Department of Justice.”
According to the factual basis presented in the case, Jeffrey McGaha, 49, of Russell Springs, Kentucky, admitted to attempting to obtain child pornography between September 23, 2012, and September 5, 2014. McGaha used a cellular telephone and various social media applications to attempt to receive pornographic materials from a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. McGaha engaged in this conduct while in Russell County, Kentucky and other places.
Assistant United States Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case. The Russell Springs Police Department conducted the investigation.
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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."
Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Mail MatterRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – A former employee of the United States Postal Service pled guilty yesterday in federal court here to stealing items from the mail, including cash, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Michelle Spinner, 56, of Big Island, Virginia, waived her right to be indicted and pled guilty yesterday to a one count Information charging her with theft of mail matter by an officer or employee of the United States Postal Service.
According to evidence presented at yesterday’s hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day, Spinner worked as a mail-processing clerk at the Roanoke Processing and Distribution Center. She began working for the USPS in 2005.
In January 2015, The United States Postal Service- Office of the Inspector General began an investigation into the handling of mail at the processing and distribution center after receiving complaints from customers about mail being “rifled.”
During the course of the investigation, video cameras captured Spinner working on a flat sorter on several occasions. While working on the flat sorter, Spinner could be seen pausing on certain pieces of mail and spending an extended period with her hands deep in a container. On occasion, video captured Spinner opening mail, removing cash and placing the cash in her pocket.
In all, Spinner stole a total of $2,603 in cash from mail at the processing center.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case for the United States.