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Tuesday 16 May 2017
Dallas Man Arrested and Detained for Possessing a Firearm While Under the Influence of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Adan Israel Salazar, 33, of Dallas, has been charged in a federal complaint with possession of a firearm by a user of a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Salazar was arrested last week on the federal offense, and he made his initial appearance yesterday in federal court where U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Horan ordered that he remain in federal custody pending trial.
According to the filed complaint, on April 26, 2017, Salazar attempted to drive through a security checkpoint at the Dallas Police Southwest Substation located at 4230 West Illinois Ave, Dallas, Texas. Police Officers at the scene smelled the odor of freshly burned marijuana coming from the vehicle. Salazar exited the vehicle wearing a “Guy Fawkes” mask on the side of his face and a camera around his neck. Salazar was behaving in an unusual fashion by crying and kneeling on his knees. Salazar stated to officers that he “had smoked only marijuana and all of the marijuana was gone. Salazar also stated that he had “come to the station to shoot up the station…to show the world that it can be done...” and... “I want to get rid of things that bother me…”
During a search of Salazar’s vehicle, two 9mm handguns were found in the console. Both pistols had fully loaded magazines and one pistol had one round in the chamber. There were also three additional magazines for a total of 5 magazines and 110 rounds of 9mm live ammunition. In addition, seven grams of marijuana was also found in Salazar’s vehicle contained in a glass mason jar in the backseat under a large “legalize marijuana” protest sign.
A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The U.S. Attorney’s office has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment. The maximum statutory penalty for the offense as charged is 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine.
The Dallas Police Department is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl is in charge of the prosecution.
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Czech Republic and Slovak Republic Nationals Charged with Violating U.S. Export LawsRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Northeast Field Office, and Matthew Etre, Special Agent of HSI Boston, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned two indictments charging citizens of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic with offenses related to the illegal export of U.S. military equipment.
Earlier today, the grand jury returned a two-count indictment alleging that, between June 2011 and November 2011, JOSEF ZIRNSAK, 38, of the Czech Republic, shipped from the U.S. to Germany an infrared dual beam aiming laser and a rifle scope, both of which are designated as defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List.
On May 3, 2017, the grand jury returned a five-count indictment alleging that, between May 2012 and June 2012, MARTIN GULA, also known as “Mark Welder,” 38, of the Slovak Republic, purchased and attempted to arrange the export of night vision goggles and an aviator night vision system from the U.S. to the United Kingdom. The indictment also alleges that, during the same time period, GULA used a false U.S. passport as proof of residency and citizenship in the U.S.
“The U.S. Attorney’s office in Connecticut is committed to working with our federal law enforcement partners to ensure that sensitive military items manufactured in the United States do not fall into the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly. “Willful violations of our nation’s export laws will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
“The protection of sensitive U.S. military technology is a top priority for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service,” said DCIS Special Agent in Charge Barzey. “The charges announced today demonstrate the continued commitment of DCIS and its law enforcement partners to prevent our nation’s adversaries from obtaining sensitive military technology that could pose a grave threat to America’s armed forces.”
“These sophisticated technologies are highly sought after by America’s enemies,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Etre. “They were developed to give the United States and its allies a distinct military advantage, which is why HSI will continue to aggressively target the individuals who illegally procure and sell these items.”
ZIRNSAK and GULA are each charged with two counts of violating the Arms Export Control Act, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count GULA also is charged with two counts of export smuggling and one count of use of a false passport, offenses that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.
ZIRNSAK and GULA are currently being sought by law enforcement.
In January 2014, GULA was charged in the Central District of California with export related offenses. That indictment also is pending.
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 Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry K. Kopel
Cuban National Pleads Guilty to Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
A Cuban national pled guilty yesterday to charges based on a foiled alien smuggling venture from the Bahamas to the United States.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), William Gibbon, Director of the Miami Air and Marine Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Rear Admiral Scott A. Buschman, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District (USCG), made the announcement.
Carlos Garcia-Legon, 54, of Cuba, appeared before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez of the Southern District of Florida, where he pled guilty to fourteen counts of encouraging and inducing an alien to come to the United States illegally, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv); one count of aiding and assisting the illegal entry of an aggravated felon, in violation of Title 8, United States Code Section 1327; one count of illegal re-entry into the United States, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) and (b)(1); and one count of failure to heave to, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2237(a)(1). Garcia-Legon faces a maximum statutory sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Martinez in Miami on July 10, 2017 at 1:30 p.m.
According to court documents, CBP aircraft detected Garcia-Legon’s 25-foot cuddy cabin vessel near Bimini, Bahamas on February 7, 2017. CBP aircraft monitored Garcia-Legon’s vessel as it accepted the transfer of multiple passengers at sea from a second vessel. Garcia-Legon then piloted the vessel from the Bahamas to 10 miles east of Miami, Florida, a trip of approximately 35 nautical miles. When approached by CBP and USCG vessels, Garcia-Legon attempted to flee. After Garcia-Legon ignored commands to stop (or heave to) his vessel, CBP officers fired two warning shots forward of the vessel’s bow. After ignoring this warning, CBP ultimately stopped Garcia-Legon’s vessel by firing four shotgun rounds into the engines of the vessel.
With Garcia-Legon were fourteen passengers of various nationalities, including aliens from the People’s Republic of China, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, and Ecuador. One of the aliens aboard Garcia-Legon’s vessel was previously deported from the United States after a criminal conviction for an aggravated felony. A United States immigration judge had also previously ordered Garcia-Legon removed from the United States. The fourteen passengers and Garcia-Legon did not have authorization to enter the United States.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI, CBP Office of Air and Marine Operations, and the USCG, and the assistance of CBP/U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Rose and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes.
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.
Court Orders Texas Businesses and Their Owners to Timely Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
A federal court in McAllen, Texas ordered Idalia Padron and Nino’s Home Care Inc. to timely file the business’s federal employment and unemployment tax returns as they become due and pay in full the reported amounts due. The court also entered a money judgment against Nino’s Home Care for more than $2.7 million, which represents its past unpaid employment taxes.
The complaint filed by the government against Padron and Nino’s Home Care alleged that Padron of Edinburg, Texas, operates Nino’s Home Care, a home health care service provider located at 121 W. Samano Street in Edinburg, and that Nino’s Home Care failed to pay its employment taxes for 20 tax quarters between 2005 and 2016. The complaint also alleged that Padron paid herself more than $100,000 in salary in 2015, a year in which Nino’s Home Care failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) more than $850,000 in employment taxes.
Employers like Nino’s Home Care have specific responsibilities regarding employment taxes. When a business pays its employees, it does not pay them directly all the money they earn. Every business with employees has a legal responsibility to withhold from employees’ paychecks, and pay over to the U.S. Treasury, income taxes and the employees’ share of social security and Medicare taxes. Businesses that fail to collect these employment taxes or pay them over to the Treasury are subject to a number of potential enforcement actions.
Civil injunctions like the one entered by the court against Nino’s Home Care are one example of employment tax enforcement. An injunction order requires the employer and its principal officers to timely deposit and pay employment taxes to the U.S. Treasury. These court orders also impose various other requirements and prohibitions, including the obligation to provide current notice of each deposit to the IRS, as well as restrictions on opening and operating new businesses and transferring or dissipating assets.
For example, a federal court in McAllen, Texas also barred Jorge Gallegos and Con Brazos Abiertos LLC from failing to pay the business’s employment and unemployment taxes, in addition to requiring Gallegos to notify the IRS of any new company he may come to own, manage, or work for in the next five years. The government’s complaint alleged that Con Brazos Abiertos is a home health care service provider located at 505 S. Texas Blvd. in Weslaco, Texas. The government alleged that Gallegos of Mercedes, Texas, is the president and chief of Con Brazos Abiertos, and the business failed to pay its employment taxes for numerous quarters between 2011 and 2016. In addition to enjoining Gallegos and Con Brazos Abiertos, the court entered a judgment of more than $1 million against Con Brazos Abiertos for its unpaid employment and unemployment taxes.
If an employer violates a civil injunction, the Justice Department’s Tax Division will seek to have the employer and responsible individuals held in contempt, and request appropriate sanctions, including incarceration, to bring the business into compliance with the court’s order. Where appropriate, the Department will also seek compensation, from the principal officers or the business, for the damage the contempt has caused. In addition to this relief, courts have ordered businesses to close their doors for continued failure to meet their employment tax obligations. For example, a federal court in Washington held two individuals in contempt of court for a consistent pattern of failing to meet the businesses’ employment tax obligations. The court later ordered the two to close their dental care businesses, cease operating as employers, and barred them from opening any new businesses where the two would serve as employers by June 8.
The Tax Division works with its partners in the IRS to force employers who are cheating to follow the law and collect what is owed. Since 2003, the Tax Division has obtained more than 100 permanent injunctions against employers and tens of millions of dollars in money judgments. For more information about civil and criminal employment tax enforcement efforts, visit the Tax Division’s website.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On May 12, 2017, Frank Moises Torres, age 31, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge Robert W. Pratt to 120 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Torres will also be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment.
On January 4, 2017, Torres pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa beginning as early as October of 2016. A drug trafficking law enforcement investigation led to the charge in Omaha, Nebraska, Council Bluffs and southwest Iowa.
The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected].
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On May 11, 2017, Brandon Wayne Moore, age 40, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge Robert W. Pratt to 120 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Moore will also be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment.
On January 4, 2017, Moore pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa beginning as early as August of 2016. A drug trafficking law enforcement investigation led to the charge in Council Bluffs and southwest Iowa.
The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected].
Cocoa Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sex Trafficking and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Kennedy Harris, Jr. (24, Cocoa) to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a child by force, fraud, or coercion, and for producing child pornography. A federal jury found Harris guilty of both offenses on September 29, 2016.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in January 2016, Harris took in the victim, a 16-year girl, after she ran away from home. Harris then took sexually suggestive photographs of the girl and advertised her for sex on Backpage.com. He also enticed the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of photographing her. Over the course of approximately two weeks, the victim had sex with up to eight individuals per day, and gave the money to Harris. In exchange for her sex acts, Harris gave the girl crack cocaine nearly every day. On February 10, 2016, the victim was recovered by the Cocoa Police Department.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cocoa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany L. Cummins.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cockeysville Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography and to CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Kevin Graham Conlon, age 30, of Cockeysville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on May 15, 2017, to production of child pornography and cyberstalking.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, between 2014 and January 2017, Conlon induced four minor females and two minor males to take photographs and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct and send those images and videos to Conlon using fictitious online social networks. Conlon created fictitious accounts using the identities of some of the victims, and distributed the child pornography he induced them to create in order to entice the others to produce and send him sexually explicit images and videos. Conlon also used various online accounts to engage in a course of conduct that was intended to cause the victims and their families substantial emotional distress.
Colon faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography and five years in prison for cyberstalking. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz has scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the federal case.
Charlton Woman Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Charlton woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
Jennifer Toledo, 45, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman, who scheduled sentencing for Sept. 12, 2017.
From August 2015 until April 2016, Toledo conspired with co-defendants John Tautenhan III and Amina Young to distribute oxycodone pills in and around Worcester County. On April 17, 2016, federal agents followed Toledo as she drove from Massachusetts to a restaurant in Yonkers, N.Y., to acquire oxycodone from Young. Five days later, on April 22, 2017, Toledo again drove to Yonkers to purchase additional oxycodone from Young. Investigators stopped the vehicle that Toledo was driving and seized over 500 oxycodone pills from Young and two other passengers.
Tautenhan pleaded guilty in April 2016 and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2017. Amina Young pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm of Weinreb’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Champaign Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Cocaine OffensesRead the Press Release
Urbana, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce has ordered a Champaign, Ill., man, Jerry Minnieweather, 38, to serve 15 years in federal prison for possession and distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine in 2015. Minnieweather, who appeared before Judge Bruce on May 15, was also ordered to remain on supervised release for eight years following completion of his prison sentence.
On Jan. 17, 2017, Minnieweather, last known address 2100 block of Southwood Drive, pled guilty to the four offenses charged in the indictment: distribution of cocaine (two counts); possession with intent to deliver 28 or more grams of crack cocaine; and, possession of cocaine. The drug offenses occurred in June and July 2015.
According to court documents, Minnieweather has two prior drug felony convictions in Champaign county, in 1996 and 1997. Minnieweather has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on July 15, 2015.
Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller prosecuted the case. The Champaign Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Hector Huertas, 49, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Burgasser, who is handling the case, stated that between September 2014 and September 28, 2015, the defendant conspired with Daniel Molina-Rios, Orlando Rios, Jose Andujar, Luis Montanes, and others to distribute heroin on the West Side of Buffalo. The investigation utilized court ordered wiretaps as well as undercover purchases conducted by the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) and the Buffalo Police Department.
The 10 defendants charged in this case were street-level distributors or “runners” in a heroin trafficking ring operated by Daniel Molina-Rios who was arrested in June 2015. The organization acquired heroin from the New York City area for distribution in Buffalo but also had an alternate heroin source locally.
A total of 14 defendants have been indicted in this case, and two thus far have been convicted. Charges are pending against the remaining defendants. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Major David Krause and Lieutenant Kevin Reyes, CNET West Commander; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 30, 2017, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Bethlehem Man Charged with Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jonathan William Vazquez, 37, of Bethlehem, PA, was charged today by indictment with fourteen counts of making false statements to federal firearms licensees announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment alleges that on or about various dated between July 27, 2015 and March 22, 2016, Jonathan William Vazquez purchased sixteen firearms from three different federal firearms licensees, and in doing so, knowingly made false statements pertaining to information that the law requires the licensees keep.
If convicted of the charges, defendant faces a maximum sentence of 70 years’ imprisonment. He also faces a maximum period of supervised release of 3 years, a $3,500,000 fine, a $1,400 special assessment, restitution, and forfeiture of the firearms involved.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah T. Damiani.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Barbour County sentenced for illegal possession of firearmsRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Roy Thomas Schroeder, 46, of Volga, West Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months incarceration for illegally possessing firearms, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Schroeder admitted to possessing two .22 caliber revolvers and a .22 caliber rifle after a protective order had been issued against him by the Barbour County Magistrate Court. He pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in January 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the West Virginia State Police, and the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Jamal Smith (31, St. Petersburg) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered him to forfeit a firearm traceable to the offense. Smith pleaded guilty on February 27, 2017.
According to court documents, on September 1, 2015, a law enforcement officer observed a vehicle driven by Jamal Smith commit a traffic infraction. Smith initially fled in his vehicle, but later stopped and ran from the officer. A chase ensued, and Smith circled back to the vehicle and reached into the passenger side. The officer apprehended Smith and took him into custody. Law enforcement officers recovered a .45 caliber pistol from the glove box of the vehicle. At the time of the offense, Smith was a convicted felon and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Due to his multiple prior convictions for violent felony or serious drug offenses, he qualified for an increased penalty as an Armed Career Criminal.
This case was investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael V. Leeman and Michael C. Sinacore.
This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Muldrow, along with Daryl R. McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Arlington Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison after Pleading Guilty to a $1 Million Scheme to Defraud Home DepotRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Henry Lamon Spruiell, 46, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to serve 24 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in January 2017 to one count of using an unauthorized access device, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Judge Lindsay ordered that he surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on July 11, 2017. Spruiell was also order to pay restitution in the amount of $1,139,076.00.
According to documents filed in the case, from June 2013 through January 2016, Spruiell, devised a scheme to defraud The Home Depot, Inc. of money and property.
Beginning in June 2013, Spruiell, or his associates, used a fraudulently obtained Home Depot Tax Exempt ID in Spruiell’s name at various Home Depot retail stores in the Northern District of Texas and elsewhere to obtain sales tax refunds in the form of store credits or cash from Home Depot. They did so by presenting copies of sales receipts acquired by Spruiell from both his own purchases as well as the purchases made by others who used identification information that sent these sales receipts to Spruiell’s email address.
After receiving the refunds, Spruiell, or his associates using Spruiell’s Home Depot Tax Exempt IDs, reused the same copies of the sales receipts by repeatedly presenting them to Home Depot retail stores to obtain repeat refunds on the same receipts. Spruiell obtained refunds at 18 different Home Depot retail stores. The Home Depot has estimated the total refunds in the scheme to be approximately $1,122,357.71 as of January 2016.
The United States Secret Service and Home Depot investigators investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Revesz prosecuted.
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Alvarado Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Federal Prison on Federal Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A 53-year-old Alvarado, Texas, man, Jerry Wayne Smith, who pleaded guilty in January 2017 to one count of transporting and shipping child pornography, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to 150 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
“Far from a victimless crime, said U.S. Attorney Parker, trading in these sickening images fuels demand for more such images which, in turn, results in more innocent children being horribly victimized.”
According to documents filed in the case, the Dallas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit of the Dallas Police Department (DPD) received information that Smith, a City of Dallas employee, was reported by his co-workers as possessing and viewing child pornography while at his place of employment. DPD interviewed the co-workers, who confirmed they had seen Smith view child pornography on his Apple iPhone while in the employee break room at a City of Dallas facility on September 30, 2016 and again on October 3, 2016.
On October 4, 2016, DPD interviewed Smith at his place of employment. During the interview, Smith retrieved his phone and showed DPD that he browsed images of young children on the internet. A forensic review of the Apple iPhone showed multiple files depicting child pornography and a few video files depicting child pornography. In addition, the Kik application located on the Apple iPhone showed over 800 messages were observed in the application and several messaging strings were observed to have multiple attachments. The forensic review showed approximately 150 messaging exchanges and observed Smith trading files of child pornography in both individual and group messages.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Read prosecuted.
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Albion Doctor Sentenced to 15 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Dr. Horace Junior Davis Illegally Prescribed Opioid Painkillers and Billed Insurance Companies for Services he Never Rendered
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Doctor Horace Junior Davis, age 66, of Albion, Michigan, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for illegally prescribing opioid painkillers and committing healthcare fraud. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney also ordered that Dr. Davis pay restitution and serve two years on supervised release after his prison sentence.
Dr. Davis, who was the owner of the Albion Center for Family Medicine, illegally prescribed the powerful opioid painkiller methadone to several patients in 2011 – 2013. He sought to make money from the illegal prescriptions by fraudulently billing healthcare benefit programs for the patients who had insurance coverage, or by collecting cash from the patients who didn’t have insurance coverage.
Judge Maloney noted that illegal prescriptions such as the ones Dr. Davis wrote are part of a larger opioid epidemic currently affecting the United States. According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control, deaths from prescription opioids – drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone – have more than quadrupled since 1999. The CDC says that opioids were involved in 33,000 deaths in 2015 alone, and 91 people die every day from an opioid overdose.
Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said, "Whether it’s a supplier of heroin to street-corner dealers or a physician illegally writing prescriptions, my office will continue to hold accountable those who would profit from spreading the tragic curse of opioid addiction. Unfortunately, we will not end the epidemic through prosecution alone. My office has been and will continue to meet with education and health care professionals and those who may be able to make a difference to raise awareness of the danger of opioids and to discuss what they can do to save others from the awful consequences of spiraling addiction. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more."
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Albion Police Department, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department, and IRS Criminal Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler.
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Akron man pleads guilty to shooting woman last summer in the Cuyahoga Valley National ParkRead the Press Release
An Akron man pleaded guilty to shooting a woman in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park last year, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
DeZay M. Ely, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Ely attempted to kill a woman on July 3, 2016, by shooting her in the head, according to court documents.
“This defendant used a gun in a national park to try to murder a woman,” Sierleja said. “We will continue to use all the tools available to us to prosecute and punish violent criminals.”
Anthony said: “Law enforcement is pleased that Dezay Ely is accepting responsibility for the horrific crime he and his associates committed against an innocent victim. The collaboration between the FBI, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Service, BCI and the public was invaluable to identifying and holding Ely accountable for this senseless crime.”
Attempted murder carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum consecutive term of 10 years in prison.
Raymond T. Moore III, 27, of Akron, was also involved in the shooting. His case remains pending.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly L. Galvin and Linda Barr following an investigation by the FBI, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Akron man ordered deported for hiding his activities during the war in the former YugoslaviaRead the Press Release
An Akron man was ordered deported for failing to disclose his involvement in a military unit engaged in war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Steve Francis, HSI Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge.
Ilija Josipovic, 59, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of immigration documents procured by fraud.
U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson ordered Josipovic removed from the United States. He was also sentenced to eight months of house arrest.
“This defendant hid the fact that he was a member of a unit involved in atrocities in the former Yugoslavia,” Sierleja said. “He does not deserve the protections and rights of a U.S. citizen when his conduct flew in the face of our nation’s founding ideals.”
“The United States will never serve as a place of refuge for individuals seeking to distance themselves from their pasts,” Francis said. "HSI will continue to use its unique authorities to ensure that alleged war criminals are brought to justice. "
Josipovic, on Feb. 1, 2012, possessed a Permanent Resident Card in his name, which he knew to be procured by means of a false claim and statement while obtaining an Ohio driver’s license at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles office 7744, located at 1030 East Tallmadge Avenue in Akron. On Sept. 10, 2014, he possessed a Permanent Resident Card in his name, which he knew to be procured by means of a false claim and statement while at his residence in Akron, according to court documents.
In 2002, Josipovic omitted or failed to disclose his military service in the 6th Battalion, Zvornik Infantry Brigade, Army of the Republic of Srpska, which began around May 25, 1992 and continued until approximately 1996, according to court documents.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Katz following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges Queens Music School Teacher with Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
Joon Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Darcel D. Clark, the Bronx County District Attorney, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest of OLIVER SOHNGEN, a/k/a “Helmuth Moss,” a/k/a “Stephan Weierbach.” SOHNGEN is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking of minors, attempted sex trafficking of minors, and attempted inducement of minors to engage in sexual activity. SOHNGEN was arrested this morning and presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein in Manhattan federal court.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Oliver Sohngen, a music school teacher, allegedly engaged in disturbing, predatory conduct: preying on minor girls for sex. He allegedly had sexual contact with minor girls at least twice, and attempted to engage in sex trafficking of girls under the age of 14. Together with our partners at HSI, NYPD, and the Bronx District Attorney, we are committed to working to protect our most vulnerable victims, children, from sexual exploitation.”
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said: “This defendant came to the Bronx to allegedly engage in the dehumanizing treatment of girls ensnared in sex trafficking, even allegedly trying to arrange sexual encounters with girls as young as 8 years old. We have a duty to protect our vulnerable youth, and with our partners in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who supports this cruel exploitation.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez said: “It is unfathomable that Sohngen, who runs a music school, allegedly paid a pimp hundreds of dollars to arrange sexual encounters with underage girls. We at HSI remain committed to working together with our law enforcement partners to keep our children safe and ridding our neighborhoods of these dangerous sexual predators.”
Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “The trafficking of minors for the purpose of sex is a deeply disturbing and reprehensible crime. We remain resolute in working along with our law enforcement partners to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those individuals who prey upon our most innocent victims. I commend the detectives and agents involved in this investigation and the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District for their efforts that resulted in these arrests.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1]:
Between March 2013 and November 2013, SOHNGEN exchanged text messages with a co-conspirator to arrange paid sexual encounters with minor girls ranging in age from 8 to 17. On at least two occasions, SOHNGEN engaged in sexual contact with minor girls at the co-conspirator’s apartment in the Bronx, New York. In addition, between November 2015 and January 2016, SOHNGEN participated in recorded telephone conversations with an undercover NYPD officer who was posing as a 15-year-old girl. SOHNGEN proposed to meet with the purported 15-year-old girl in order to engage in sexual conduct.
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OHNGEN, 52, of Queens, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors, which carries a maximum term of life in prison, as well as two counts of sex trafficking of minors under the age of 18, each which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison; three counts of attempted sex trafficking of minors under the age of 14, each of which carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison; and two counts of attempted inducement of minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity, each of which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD, and expressed gratitude for the efforts of HSI’s New York Trafficking in Persons Unit and the NYPD’s Vice Enforcement Division Major Case Team. Mr. Kim also expressed gratitude to the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its partnership in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Balsamello and Michael Krouse are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Bronx County Assistant District Attorney Meagan Powers.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Monday 15 May 2017
Woodlawn Woman Sentenced on Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced today the sentencing of a local woman on a federal methamphetamine charge.
Jessica Machelle Garlic, 30, of Woodlawn, Va., previously pled guilty in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Today in District Court, Garlic was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Galax Police Department, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Neese prosecuted the case for the United States.
Western District’s U.S. Attorney’s Office remembers fallen law enforcement officers during National Police Week 2017Read the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La.: Members of the public join with law enforcement across the country for National Police Week – May 13th through May 21st – to honor law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind.
“National Police Week is a way we can recognize the courage and dedication of law enforcement officers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “We should never forget the sacrifices of law enforcement who risk their lives every day to keep us safe and bring violators of the law to justice. We especially remember those this week who lost their live in the line of duty in the Western District of Louisiana.”
This year, the names of officers killed the line of duty in 2016 and some prior years were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 29th Annual 2017 Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13th. These names include officers who were killed during 2016 and officers who died in previous years who have not been previously added to the Memorial. The fallen officers of 2016 include three members of the law enforcement community in the Western District of Louisiana:
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Derrick Morial Mingo, Winnsboro Police Department, who died June 4, 2016;
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David Kyle Elahi, Sterlington Police Department, who died July 3, 2016; and
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Shannon Matthew Brown, Fenton Police Department, who died August 13, 2016.
To assist local public safety officers in the work that they do, the U.S. Attorney’s Office offers a number safety and survival training throughout the year. The Western District’s Law Enforcement Community Coordinator is Mike Campbell, a former Shreveport Police Chief, who oversees the course curricula and sessions. The courses are open to federal, state, local, military and tribal law enforcement officers.
National Police Week is a collaborative effort of many organizations dedicated to honoring America’s law enforcement community.
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Waldorf Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Unregistered Machine Guns, Unregistered Short-Barreled Rifles and Destructive Devices, and Possession of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Caleb Andrew Bailey, age 31, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegal possession of unregistered machine guns, unregistered short-barreled rifles, unregistered destructive devices, and possession of child pornography charges.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Postal Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; and Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry.
According to the plea agreement, on May 5, 2016, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) Special Agents executed federal search warrants at adjoining properties in Waldorf, Maryland associated with the Defendant. At the Defendant’s residence, law enforcement located, among other items, an underground bunker containing machine guns, machine gun manufacturing parts and devices, firearms, explosives, unregistered short-barreled rifles and destructive devices; covert recording devices; and child pornography on electronic devices seized inside and outside the residence, including one electronic device located within the underground bunker and other items moved from the Defendant’s bedroom at his residence and hidden in the woods by a minor victim at the direction of Bailey. At his parents’ residence, in the Defendant’s bedroom, law enforcement recovered an electronic device that contained internet searches indicative of child pornography.
During the execution of the search warrant on May 5, 2016, a 17-year-old minor was present at Bailey’s residence. The minor admitted that Bailey instructed the minor to remove a Panasonic Toughbook laptop, a Sony camera, and a Seagate external hard drive from Bailey’s residence and cover them with leaves by a footbridge in the woods behind the residence. Law enforcement recovered these items.
On May 17, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations conducted a forensic analysis of Bailey’s electronic devices. The forensic analysis revealed that Bailey used hidden cameras to surreptitiously record videos of the victims in the bathroom of Bailey’s recreational vehicle, with the focus of those videos on the victims’ genitals. Bailey also physically transported the hidden cameras outside of Maryland to various hotels at which he stayed with the victims while competing in ATV races. In total, Bailey recorded over 100 videos capturing the genitals of the victims between March 2014 and January 2016. Bailey also created screen captures of portions of some of the videos that Bailey recorded of the victims. The screen captures depict the victims nude with their genitals exposed. Bailey saved these videos and video screen captures on the Seagate hard drive recovered during the execution of the search warrant at the Defendant’s residence on May 5, 2016. The forensic analysis also revealed that Bailey possessed other images and videos of child pornography on various electronic devices, including a hard drive located within his bunker, that do not appear to have been produced by him, including depictions of prepubescent minors and depictions of sadistic or masochistic conduct involving minors (bondage). Bailey’s collection of child pornography included more than 280 images and 54 videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
As part of his plea agreement, Bailey must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Bailey and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Bailey will be sentenced to between 120 and 324 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for November 30, 2017 at 9:00 a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended ATF Baltimore Field Division, HSI Baltimore, U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division and Charles County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes, Kristi N. O’Malley, and Thomas P. Windom, who are prosecuting the case.
Vitamin Shop Owner Guilty of Selling Misbranded Drugs and Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 33-year-old resident of Corpus Christi has pleaded guilty to possessing a controlled Substance with the intent to distribute and one count of receiving a misbranded drug in interstate commerce, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Elias Trevino Jr. was one of the owners of X2Zero, a store selling dietary supplements online and through stores located in Corpus Christi. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined a number of products sold there as “herbal weight loss supplements” were found to contain misbranded or unapproved foreign drugs.
In 1997, the (FDA) approved a prescription drug containing sibutramine under the trade name Meridia for the management of obesity. In October 2010, the FDA requested the Meridia marketer to withdraw the drug from the United States market due to the health risks associated with sibutramine, including an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death. On Dec. 21, 2010, at the request of the manufacturer, the FDA withdrew its approval of Meridia. Since that time, no drug containing sibutramine has been approved for human use in the United States.
At today’s hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey, Trevino admitted he knowingly possessed and sold diet drugs containing sibutramine. He acknowledged that he imported the drugs from China and sold them through both the X2Zero store in Corpus Christi and on the Internet in violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
Sentencing has been set for Aug. 14, 2017, 2017. At that time, Trevino faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for the controlled substance violation as well as one year in prison and an additional $100,000 maximum fine for violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FDA - Office of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. is prosecuting the case.
University of the Nations CFO Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Pablo M. Rivera, age 41, of Honolulu, Hawaii, pled guilty today in federal court to one count of wire fraud. According to court documents, from July 2014 to January 2017, Rivera, the Chief Financial Officer of the University of the Nations (UOFN), defrauded UOFN of $3,096,241 through a scheme that involved Rivera submitting false invoices for construction related projects on UOFN’s campus.
Elliot Enoki, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to court documents and information presented in court, UOFN tasked Rivera with hiring and paying contractors to do various jobs on UOFN’s Kailua-Kona campus. Rivera sent a series of invoices to UOFN which purported to reflect the true costs and labor charges of work performed by contractor KJ Walk, Inc. (KJ Walk), but in reality were false and altered KJ Walk invoices. The altered invoices falsely inflated the actual costs and wages for work performed by KJ Walk. UOFN paid the invoices, resulting in the transfer of funds from UOFN’s checking account to a KJ Walk corporate account that was controlled by both KJ Walk and Rivera. Once the money was transferred to the KJ Walk corporate account, Rivera made withdrawals from the KJ Walk account.
Rivera will be sentenced on August 28, 2017, by United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway, and will face a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. Rivera has agreed to repay UOFN $3,096,241.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar.
Two Individuals, Company Plead Guilty to Violations of Clean Air Act Involving AsbestosRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that two individuals and one company pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to violations of the Clean Air Act. Sean P. Doctor, 50, of Buffalo, NY pleaded guilty to making a false statement under the Clean Air Act. The charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Raj Chopra, 53, of Grand Island, NY, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to a false statement under the Clean Air Act, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $125,000. Chopra’s company, Comprehensive Employee Management, (CEM), located on Grand Island, pleaded guilty to making a false statement under the Clean Air Act. That charge carries a maximum penalty of five years’ probation and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that CEM, an environmental consulting company located at 1815 Love Road on Grand Island, provided consulting services to defendant Doctor and his asbestos abatement company, S.D. Specialty Services, LLC. Pursuant to federal regulations, all owners or operators of an asbestos abatement project regulated under the Clean Air Act, must maintain a waste shipment manifest to include the name of the owner/operator; the name of the generator; and the date the asbestos was transported. The information enables the Environmental Protection Agency’s, which enforces the Clean Air Act and associated regulations, to properly and timely investigate suspected violations of the Clean Air Act.
From December 2009, to January 2010, employees of S.D. Specialty performed asbestos abatement work at the Roosevelt Park Shelter in Buffalo, which was subject to regulations of the Clean Air Act. During the project, S.D. Specialty employees removed asbestos from the Roosevelt Park Shelter and transported the material to a waste container at CEM on Grand Island.
On March 11, 2010, defendants Doctor and CEM executed an asbestos waste manifest which falsely indicated that asbestos had been transported to CEM from the Roosevelt Park Shelter on that date. In truth and in fact, such asbestos had been transported to, and stored at, the Grand Island location prior to March 11, 2010. As such false statement was included in the shipping manifest created when a local waste disposal company retrieved the waste container at CEM on March 11, 2010, such false statement became part of a record required to be maintained under the Clean Air Act.
In addition, on April 28, 2011, an inspection of the Roosevelt Park Shelter revealed asbestos was improperly left behind by employees of S.D. Specialty.
The plea is the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge, Vernesa Jones-Allen; and Investigators of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police, BECI, under the direction of Captain Frank Lauricella. Additional assistance was provided by the New York State Department of Labor, Asbestos Control Bureau.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 28, 2017, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Two Alien Smugglers Head to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Alvin residents have been ordered to prison for their involvement in transporting undocumented immigrants, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Sarah Lynn Reyes, 23, and Martin Thomas Contreras, 25, pleaded guilty Feb. 21, 2017, to transporting an alien in reckless disregard of his citizenship. Reyes also admitted to fleeing a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoint.
Today, U.S. District Judge John Rainey handed both defendants an 18-month sentence. He expressed his hope that the sentence will serve as a deterrent to others who may be thinking about transporting undocumented immigrants. Both will also be required to serve a term of two years of supervised release following completion of their prison terms.
On Dec. 21, 2016, both arrived at the CBP checkpoint on Texas Hwy 77 south of Santa driving a four-door Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with their three young children in the back seat. Reyes was driving and Contreras was located in the front passenger seat. Officers observed a large lump on the backseat floorboard covered with a blanket. At that time, a canine service agent alerted to the vehicle, which prompted them to refer the vehicle to the secondary inspection area.
Reyes did not comply and accelerated away. A chase ensued for approximately 75 miles, during which time Reyes drove at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour disregarding stop signs and red lights. She was eventually apprehended in Corpus Christi. At that time, authorities discovered an undocumented immigrant from Mexico laying under the blanket on the floorboard where the children were seated.
At the hearing today, Judge Rainey noted that the driving conduct was extremely dangerous to the young children in the car, other motorists and law enforcement and that it was one of the longest high-speed chases he has seen.
The defendants were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant Attorney Jon Muschenheim prosecuted the case.
Three Laredo Men Convicted of Trafficking DrugsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Three Laredo men have entered guilty pleas for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic drugs from Laredo to the Dallas area via the use of tractor trailers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Armando Eloy Gutierrez, 38, Javier Mota Villanueva, 33 and Leopoldo Rodriguez III, 25 entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy to posses with the intent to distribute marijuana.
In August 2013, authorities identified a drug trafficking organization responsible for the transportation and distribution of kilogram quantities of marijuana from Laredo to the Dallas area. Gutierrez was in charge of finding warehouses for the organization to use and then soliciting shipping companies to transport trailers with marijuana and cover with loads of merchandise. He would also act as a scout by following the drivers through checkpoint. Once through, he would then drive with others to the Dallas or Fort Worth area to assist in receiving and unloading the drugs.
Mota-Villanueva worked at the warehouses. He wrapped the marijuana, moved pallets and loaded the drugs onto trailers. He would also travel to Dallas along with Gutierrez.
Rodriguez was tasked with wrapping marijuana and assisting with loading of narcotics onto trailers at a warehouse.
The investigation revealed three warehouse in Laredo that the organization used at different periods from on or about September 2013 to on or about July 31, 2014. They were located on the 1800 block of Aduanales, 200 block of Corpus Christi Street and the 1600 block of West Calton. Three separate marijuana loads were seized that originated from each one of the three warehouses, totaling more than 1600 kilograms.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker accepted the pleas today. Sentencing will be before U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen at a date to be determined. Due to the amounts for which they are held accountable, Gutierrez and Villanueva face a minimum 10 years and up to life in federal prison. Rodriguez faces a minimum of five and up to 40 years imprisonment.
Gutierrez and Mota will remain in custody, while Rodriguez was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of task force members of the Webb County District Attorney’s Office and the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo is prosecuting the case.
Three Indicted in $2.7 Million Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rockland couple has been arrested and charged today with engaging in a scheme to embezzle more than $2.7 million from Bank of America using fraudulent donations to non-profit organizations. A third person, who was previously charged in a criminal complaint, was also charged in the indictment unsealed today.
Palestine Ace, aka Pam Ace, 45, a former Senior Vice President of Bank of America’s Global Wealth & Investment Management Division; her husband, Jonathan R. Ace, 46; and Brianna Alexis Forde, 35, of Boston, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. In addition, Palestine Ace was also indicted on 12 counts of bank fraud and four counts of wire fraud; Jonathan Ace was also charged with two counts of wire fraud and one engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction; and Forde was also indicted on two counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, from approximately October 2010 to April 2015, the defendants engaged in an embezzlement and kickback scheme to defraud Bank of America of approximately $2.7 million using fraudulent donations to non-profit organizations. As part of the scheme, Palestine Ace used her position as a Senior Vice President at Bank of America to misappropriate funds from a marketing budget and transfer the money to non-profit organizations. Specifically, Palestine Act allegedly authorized 75 transactions, each under $50,000, to non-profit organizations in Boston and Atlanta. Then, the defendants, either directly or indirectly, informed the non-profit organizations that a substantial portion of the donated funds must be returned in order to ensure that Bank of America would continue to fund the organization. The non-profit organizations either wrote a check to Jonathan Ace or Forde, or they returned funds to a Bank of America account, to which the defendants had access. On various occasions, Jonathan Ace pressured the recipients of the donated funds to return a higher percentage of the funds to him, by using intimidation and threats of public humiliation.
The indictment also alleges that Palestine and Jonathan Ace used a portion of the funds they embezzled from Bank of America to support their lifestyle and pay for personal expenses, including lavish birthday parties and the purchase of a $17,000 Kawasaki motorcycle.
The charges of wire fraud and bank fraud each provide for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of unlawful monetary transaction provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, two 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 B. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher of Weinreb’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tampa Man Sentenced in Wire Fraud Scheme Involving Fraudulent RefundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Rida Saed (58, Tampa) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for his role in a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent income tax returns. As part of his sentence, the Court also ordered Saed to pay $51,838.91 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. He pleaded guilty on January 19, 2017.
According to court documents, Saed and others processed debit cards at their store, Three Brothers Market in St. Petersburg, knowing that they contained proceeds from the filing of fraudulent income tax returns. Saed and others processed those cards through the third-party credit processor that handled credit transactions for the market. They kept a portion of the proceeds for their services and returned the majority of the funds to the undercover agents who had presented them for cashing. The total amount of fees that Saed and the others kept from these transactions was $51,838.91.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Simpsonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Passing Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Jessica A. Dishinger, age 22, of Simposonville, pled guilty today in federal court in Anderson, to passing counterfeit currency, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 472. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs, of Columbia, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that in 2016 and 2017, Dishinger passed counterfeit money at various businesses in the upstate. She targeted grocery stores and department stores. She used the counterfeit money to purchase gift cards and other items.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty Dishinger can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for 20 years, plus a special assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Secret Service, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville City Police Department, the Greer Police Department, the Simpsonville Police Department, and the Easley Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Printing and Packaging Business Owner Convicted of Trafficking in Counterfeit Veterinary LabelsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A California businessman has admitted to directing the manufacture of counterfeit labels and sending them to Houston, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Michael Chihwen Wang, 49, of Buena Park, California, was the vice president of CYU Lithographics Inc. doing business as Choice Lithographics in Buena Park. Between July 2015 and December 2016, Wang directed the manufacture of counterfeit trademarked Frontline, Frontline Plus and Merial veterinary product labels and shipped them to Houston.
Merial, Frontline and Frontline Plus are trademarks registered by Merial - an animal health company located in Duluth, Georgia, which manufactures and sells pharmaceutical drugs and pesticides for animals.
Wang intentionally caused the manufacture of counterfeit labels and packaging of copyrighted or trademarked items to make packaging appear legitimate. The labels were delivered to a warehouse as part of an undercover investigation. No actual veterinary products were involved in this case.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has set sentencing for July 24, 2017, at which time Wang faces up to 10 years in prison and/or a possible $2 million fine. Wang was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U. S. Attorney Daniel C. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Previously Convicted Felon from Essex County, New Jersey, Charged with Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Irvington, New Jersey, man appeared in federal court today to face allegations that he possessed a firearm as a previously convicted felon, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Tyshone T. Overstreet, a/k/a “Tata,” 21, is charged by complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Overstreet was arrested in the evening May 12, 2017. He made his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 3, 2017, law enforcement officers attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop of a car in which Overstreet was a passenger. Before the car came to a complete stop, Overstreet jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. As Overstreet ran away from law enforcement, he threw an object that was later recovered and determined to be a .40 caliber Glock Model 22 handgun. Law enforcement also recovered an extended caliber magazine and 17 rounds of live .40 caliber ammunition. At the time, Overstreet had at least one prior felony conviction in Essex County Superior Court.
The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited FBI special agents, under the direction Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, with the investigation. He also thanked the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose and the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Director Tracy Bowers, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Graves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Leticia Olivera Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Pocahontas County man sentenced for illegal possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Archie Ray Arbogast, of Dunmore, West Virginia, was sentenced today to six months incarceration for illegally possessing a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Arbogast, 40, having previously been convicted of the felony offense “Possession of Material Use in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine” in federal court in the Northern District of West Virginia, admitted to possession of a .22 caliber rifle, in Pendleton County, West Virginia in May 2016.
Arbogast pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm” in April 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Pocahontas County man sentenced for failing to update his sex offender registrationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Clifton R. Summerfield, 34, of Marlinton, West Virginia, was sentenced today in federal court to 12 months and one day incarceration for failing to update his sex offender registration, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
From February 2016 through November 2016, Summerfield failed to register and update his registration as a sex offender in Pocahontas County, WV. Summerfield is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by reason of a conviction under state law. He pled guilty to one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration” in January 2017.
ssistant U.S. Attorney Sarah W. Montoro prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Ohio man sentenced for interstate transfer of a firearmRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Donald Ray Pyle, 44, of Bridgeport, Ohio, was sentenced today to five months incarceration for illegally transferring and selling a gun across state lines, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Pyle admitted to transferring, selling and delivering a .22 caliber revolver to an individual in Ohio County, West Virginia on May 23, 2016.
Pyle pled guilty to one count of “Interstate Transfer of a Firearm” in February 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Niagara Falls Man Sentenced on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Philip Vincent, 38, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and possession of a weapon in furtherance of drug trafficking, was sentenced to 60 months by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci. Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan T. Cullinane and George C. Burgasser, who handled the case, stated that on December 2, 2014, the U.S. Marshals Violent Felony Fugitive Task Force encountered the defendant at his residence in Niagara Falls while looking for a fugitive. Officers searched Vincent’s 20th Street residence and discovered a .38 caliber revolver along with marijuana plants and crack cocaine.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division; the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina; and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Bryan DalPorto.
Missoula Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Roam Savage Chandler, 22, of Missoula, Montana, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, 10 years supervised release, and a $200 special assessment by United States District Court Judge Donald W. Molloy on Friday, May 12, 2017 for sex trafficking of a minor and using an interstate facility to promote prostitution. In April and May 2017, Chandler sex trafficked a 17-year old girl and promoted the prostitution of a 22-year old woman in Missoula, Montana. Chandler advertised both females on backpage.com and obtained funds through the females engaging in commercial sex acts.
FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Ricky Shelbourne said, “"Human trafficking is a devastating crime that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to fight aggressively. Today’s sentencing is the result of a collaborative effort, multiple agencies working together with one goal, to keep youth and vulnerable individuals safe from those who prey on them."
Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force Officer Guy Baker said, “This case resulted from Missoula PD patrol officers contacting the juvenile victim at a local hotel and recognizing she was a possible trafficking victim. The resulting investigation by MPD and the FBI's Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force identified the suspect and a second trafficking victim. This is a serious crime happening in Missoula and in other communities across Montana. The FBI and Missoula PD take a very proactive approach in investigating and prosecuting the suspects who exploit the females involved in these sex trafficking cases.”
Chandler’s investigation was conducted by the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Missoula Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 49 Years in Prison for Bias-Motivated Murder of Transgender Woman in Lucedale, MississippiRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, was sentenced today in the Southern District of Mississippi to 49 years in prison for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson Division.
Vallum pleaded guilty on Dec. 21, 2016, to a one-count Information that charged him with a violation of the Matthew Shepard, James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a federal hate crime statute. This is the first case prosecuted under the Hate Crimes Prevention Act involving a victim targeted because of gender identity.
During his plea hearing, Vallum admitted that he had a consensual sexual relationship with Williamson and that he knew Williamson was transgender. During his romantic relationship with Williamson, Vallum kept the sexual nature of the relationship, as well as Williamson’s transgender status, secret from his family, friends, and other members of the Latin Kings and Queens Nation gang to which he belonged. After Vallum terminated his romantic and sexual relationship with Williamson, he had no contact with her until May 2015.
Vallum admitted, as part of his guilty plea, that on May 28, 2015, he decided to kill Williamson after learning that a friend had discovered Williamson was transgender. Vallum believed he would be in danger if other Latin Kings members found out that he had engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with a transgender woman. On May 29, 2015, Vallum located Williamson at her residence in Alabama and used false pretenses to lure Williamson into his car so he could drive her to Mississippi. Vallum drove Williamson to his father’s residence in Lucedale, Mississippi. Vallum admitted that he then used a stun gun to electrically shock Williamson in the chest, repeatedly stabbed Williamson, and struck Williamson with a hammer until she died.
After the murder, Vallum attempted to dispose of the murder weapons and other evidence linking him to the crime. Vallum also falsely claimed to law enforcement that he killed Williamson in a panic after discovering Williamson was transgender. In pleading guilty, Vallum acknowledged that he had lied about the circumstances surrounding Williamson’s death, and that he would not have killed Williamson if she was not transgender.
“Today’s sentencing reflects the importance of holding individuals accountable when they commit violent acts against transgender individuals,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The Justice Department will continue its efforts to vindicate the rights of those individuals who are affected by bias motivated crimes.”
“Crimes motivated by hate have devastating effects on the victims, their families and community, but also leave a blemish on our society as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Freeze. “The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States, and we will continue to pursue that mission in Mississippi. The outcome of this case would not have been possible without the partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement.”
This case was the result of a cooperative effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, and the Office of the District Attorney for Mississippi’s 19th Judicial District. The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Division’s Pascagoula Safe Streets Task Force and the George County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer and Special Litigation Counsel Sheldon Beer of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and Jay Golden of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 49 Years in Prison for Bias-Motivated Murder of Transgender Woman in Lucedale, MississippiRead the Press Release
Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, was sentenced today in the Southern District of Mississippi to 49 years in prison for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson Division.
Vallum pleaded guilty on Dec. 21, 2016, to a one-count Information that charged him with a violation of the Matthew Shepard, James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a federal hate crime statute. This is the first case prosecuted under the Hate Crimes Prevention Act involving a victim targeted because of gender identity.
During his plea hearing, Vallum admitted that he had a consensual sexual relationship with Williamson and that he knew Williamson was transgender. During his romantic relationship with Williamson, Vallum kept the sexual nature of the relationship, as well as Williamson’s transgender status, secret from his family, friends, and other members of the Latin Kings and Queens Nation gang to which he belonged. After Vallum terminated his romantic and sexual relationship with Williamson, he had no contact with her until May 2015.
Vallum admitted, as part of his guilty plea, that on May 28, 2015, he decided to kill Williamson after learning that a friend had discovered Williamson was transgender. Vallum believed he would be in danger if other Latin Kings members found out that he had engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with a transgender woman. On May 29, 2015, Vallum located Williamson at her residence in Alabama and used false pretenses to lure Williamson into his car so he could drive her to Mississippi. Vallum drove Williamson to his father’s residence in Lucedale, Mississippi. Vallum admitted that he then used a stun gun to electrically shock Williamson in the chest, repeatedly stabbed Williamson, and struck Williamson with a hammer until she died.
After the murder, Vallum attempted to dispose of the murder weapons and other evidence linking him to the crime. Vallum also falsely claimed to law enforcement that he killed Williamson in a panic after discovering Williamson was transgender. In pleading guilty, Vallum acknowledged that he had lied about the circumstances surrounding Williamson’s death, and that he would not have killed Williamson if she was not transgender.
“Today’s sentencing reflects the importance of holding individuals accountable when they commit violent acts against transgender individuals,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “The Justice Department will continue its efforts to vindicate the rights of those individuals who are affected by bias motivated crimes.”
“Crimes motivated by hate have devastating effects on the victims, their families and community, but also leave a blemish on our society as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Freeze. “The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States, and we will continue to pursue that mission in Mississippi. The outcome of this case would not have been possible without the partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement.”
This case was the result of a cooperative effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, and the Office of the District Attorney for Mississippi’s 19th Judicial District. The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Division’s Pascagoula Safe Streets Task Force and the George County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer and Special Litigation Counsel Sheldon Beer of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and Jay Golden of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Mesquite Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Guadalupe Segovia, aka “Sleepy,” 44, of Mesquite, Texas was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn to 240 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in October 2016 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Segovia and eighteen additional defendants, mostly from north Texas, were indicted in June 2016 with various felony offenses stemming from their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that operated out of Pleasant Grove, Seagoville and Balch Springs.
Of the nineteen defendants who were indicted, all have pleaded guilty and twelve of those have been sentenced.
The investigation into this drug trafficking organization began in early January 2016. During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 6,700 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 13.2 kilograms of methamphetamine oil, 62 grams of marijuana, 2.5 grams of heroin, and 20 ml of gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), as well as 12 firearms and $12,379 in cash.
According to documents filed in Segovia’s case, on February 3, 2016, law enforcement conducted a search of Segovia’s vehicle. Officers located approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine and two firearms. Segovia was responsible for at least 262.48 grams of methamphetamine during the time of the conspiracy.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Dallas Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wirmani prosecuted.
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MS-13 Gang Leader Charged with Authorizing Two Murders in MassachusettsRead the Press Release
BOSTON –The nationwide leader of MS-13’s Molinos clique was charged in a fifth superseding indictment in connection with authorizing two of the six murders identified in prior superseding indictments. This indictment is part of an ongoing investigation into the criminal activities of leaders, members and associates of MS-13.
Oscar Duran, a/k/a Demente, 25, an El Salvadorian national residing in East Boston, allegedly authorized the murders of Wilson Martinez, 15, stabbed to death on Constitution Beach in East Boston on Sept. 7, 2015 and Christofer Perez de la Cruz 16, who was shot and stabbed to death on Jan. 10, 2016, on Falcon Street in East Boston. Duran is charged in a fifth superseding indictment with conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, which specifically includes both murders. Duran was previously charged in prior superseding indictments with RICO conspiracy. The new indictment alleges that Duran was the leader of the Molinos Loco Salvatrucha (MLS) clique of MS-13 for the entire United States, as well as the Boston-area clique of MLS, and in those positions authorized (i.e. “greenlighted”) the murders of Wilson Martinez and Christofer Perez de la Cruz.
Prior superseding indictments, and the new indictment, allege that the following members of MS-13 were also responsible for the murder of Wilson Martinez: Carlos Melara, a/k/a Chuchito, a/k/a Criminal; Henry Josue Parada Martinez, a/k/a Street Danger; Edwin Gonzalez, a/k/a Sangriento; and a juvenile known to the Grand Jury. Prior superseding indictments, and the new indictment, allege that the following members of MS-13 were also responsible for the murder of Christofer Perez de la Cruz: Edwin Gonzalez, a/k/a Sangriento; Edwin Diaz, a/k/a Demente; Rigoberto Mejia, a/k/a Ninja; and Jairo Perez, a/k/a Seco.
After a three-year investigation, Duran was one of 61 defendants named in prior superseding indictments targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches or “cliques” operate throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence against rival gang members to gain promotions and to maintain membership and discipline within the group. Specifically, MS-13 members are required to attack and murder rival gang members whenever possible. The fifth superseding indictment alleges that, from approximately 2014 to 2016, MS-13 cliques in Massachusetts were responsible for, among other things, six murders and approximately twenty attempted murders, as well as robberies and drug trafficking.
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison or life, if the violation is based on racketeering activity for which the maximum penalty includes life imprisonment under state law (such as murder); 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; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Truco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
MEDIA ADVISORY-- DEA to Hold Press Conference to Announce New Strategy to Address Heroin and Prescription Drug Epidemic and Related Crime in Bernalillo CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite of the DEA Albuquerque District Office will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 17, 2017, to announce the launch of DEA’s 360 Strategy in Albuquerque, N.M. DEA’s 360 Strategy is an innovative approach to help cities deal with the heroin and prescription drug epidemic and its associated crime. Albuquerque is the seventh city selected to participate in the 360 Strategy. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson of the UNM Health Sciences Center, partners in the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, City Councilor Diane E. Gibson, Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke of Healing Addiction in our Community, and representatives of other community stakeholders will join Assistant Special Agent in Charge Waite in making the announcement.
WHO:
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite, DEA Albuquerque District Office
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney
Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson, UNM Health Sciences Center
Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, District 3
City Councilor Diane E. Gibson, District 7
Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke, Healing Addiction in our Community
Tim Sheahan, President/CEO, Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico
Susan McKee, Manager, Prevention/Intervention Counselors, Albuquerque Public Schools
Jack Ming, District Drug Awareness Chairman, New Mexico Elks Organization
Carlton Hall, Deputy Director Training & Technical Assistance, CADCA
Lt. Colonel Gabriel Vargas, New Mexico National Guard
Deputy Chief Eric Garcia, Albuquerque Police Department
Under Sheriff Greg Rees, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office
WHEN:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017, 11:00 A.M.
WHERE:
Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico
3333 Truman Ave. NE
Albuquerque, N.M., 87110
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: All media must present valid media credentials. Media may begin to arrive at 10:30 a.m. Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alyssa Ferda at 505-224-1480 or [email protected].
DEA’s 360 Strategy responds to the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic with an innovative three-pronged approach to combating heroin and opioid use through: (1) coordinated law enforcement action targeting all levels of drug trafficking organizations; (2) engaging drug manufacturers, practitioners and pharmacists to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and encourage responsible prescribing practices throughout the medical community; and (3) community outreach and partnerships to equip and empower communities to fight the opioid epidemic. DEA first rolled out the 360 Strategy in Nov. 2015 in Pittsburgh; Albuquerque, N.M., is the seventh city selected to participate in the Strategy. Learn more about the 360 Strategy at https://www.dea.gov/prevention/360-strategy/360-strategy.shtml.
The 360 Strategy augments DEA’s active and continuing participation in the HOPE Initiative, which was launched in Jan. 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic that has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, Healing Addiction in our Community and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Luis Javier Martinez-Melo Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Participating in Internet Auto Sales ScamRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On May 15, 2017, Luis Javier Martinez-Melo, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by the Honorable Pamela L. Reeves, U.S. District Judge, to serve 57 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to defraud victims involving an online automobile sales scam. Additionally, the court ordered him to pay restitution to the 66 identified victims of the scheme whose losses exceeded $674,000.
At the conclusion of his prison sentence, Martinez-Melo will be presented to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
Martinez-Melo opened bank accounts in various bogus business names that were used to receive funds from victims who believed that they were buying cars advertised for sale on various Internet websites. After the victims wired funds into these bank accounts, Martinez-Melo and others withdrew and wire transferred the funds to members of the scheme operating from overseas.
Martinez-Melo pleaded guilty in January 2017 to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges stemming from his role in the scheme.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted this investigation. Matthew T. Morris, Assistant U.S. Attorney, represented the United States.
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Loves Park Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Loves Park man was sentenced in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard for producing child pornography.
ZACHARY RODRIGUEZ, 26, who pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2016, was sentenced to 210 months, to be followed by eight years of supervised release.
According to a written plea agreement, Rodriguez admitted that on Nov. 6, 2014, he persuaded and enticed a minor female victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of having the minor victim use a cell phone to take photographs of the sexually explicit conduct and then having the minor victim text the images to Rodriguez by cell phone from Iowa to Loves Park. According to the plea agreement, the female victim was 14 years of age at the time the pictures were produced and transmitted.
Rodriguez further admitted that between Aug. 9, 2014, and Jan. 20, 2015, he similarly persuaded four other minor female victims, who were between the ages of 14 and 17, to do the same. The minor victims resided in Ohio, Arizona, Connecticut and Wisconsin. Each time, Rodriguez persuaded the victims to text the photographs to him in Illinois.
The sentencing was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Loves Park Police Department assisted in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.
Longtime Fugitive who Owned Car Dealership Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Huge 1980s-Era Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Australian man who ran one of the largest automobile dealerships in the United States before fleeing the country 29 years ago was sentenced this morning to 120 months in federal prison in a bank fraud scheme that caused more than $64 million in losses to banks, one of which collapsed as a result of the losses suffered in the scam.
United States District Judge S. James Otero sentenced Eminiano “Jun” Reodica Jr., 72, this morning. Judge Otero called defendant’s scheme to defraud “extremely serious,” stating it caused “much disruption, much heartache” to “too many victims to count.” Judge Otero said defendant preyed upon members of the Filipino community as well as numerous federally insured financial institutions in perpetrating an extremely serious fraud scheme that resulted in total losses to both individuals and financial institutions of over $90 million.
Reodica, who fled the United States in the summer of 1988, has been in federal custody since he was arrested in late 2012 at Los Angeles International Airport during a layover while traveling from Australia to Canada.
On the day before he was set to go on trial in October 2015, Reodica pleaded guilty to 26 counts of bank fraud and making false statements to financial institutions. From 1984 through 1988, the fraud scheme victimized at least five banks – Union Bank, First Los Angeles Bank, Manilabank, First Central Bank and Imperial Savings.
“The scale of the fraud is virtually unparalleled,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum. “[T]he financial institutions that defendant preyed upon suffered losses in excess of $64.2 million. Notably, Imperial subsequently failed and went into receivership with the FDIC based on the losses sustained as the result of defendant’s fraud.”
Reodica was the president of the Glendora-based Grand Wilshire Group (GWG) of Companies, which operated about two dozen car dealerships, including Grand Chevrolet in Glendora. “Over time, GWG became the second-largest Chevrolet dealership in the United States and the third largest car dealership in the United States,” prosecutors wrote in court documents. “Due to the apparent success of GWG, [then-California] Governor [George] Deukmejian appointed defendant to the board of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and later ousted him from the board when his fraud was discovered.”
GWG had credit agreements with the victim financial institutions under which GWG pledged car contracts as collateral on lines of credit. The agreements required GWG to collect car loan payments from its customers and provide those funds to the financial institutions.
When he pleaded guilty, Reodica specifically admitted that he would promise the same car contract as collateral to two different banks at the same time. In order to accomplish this part of his scheme, Reodica directed employees to forge customer signatures on car contracts that were then promised to a second bank. As another part of his scheme, Reodica also repossessed and resold cars without telling the banks.
Reodica also admitted concealing from the banks that customers were delinquent on their car loans. In some cases, when the overall delinquency rate exceeded a level acceptable to a bank, Reodica used GWG funds to make car payments, which allowed him to continue using those delinquent contracts as collateral. Reodica also made his employees sign for car loans for cars that they were not really buying so that Reodica could increase the lines of credit he obtained from the banks.
As a result of Reodica’s fraud scheme, the Grand Wilshire Group and Grand Chevrolet collapsed into bankruptcy in August 1988, which is when Reodica fled to his native Philippines.
“In addition to the financial institutions, individual investors, who primarily consisted of members of the Filipino community in Los Angeles, trusted defendant with their money, the vast majority of which was lost following the bankruptcy,” prosecutors said in documents filed with the court. “In total, the investors sustained an additional $24.9 million in losses.”
In addition to being sentenced to 10 years in prison, Reodica was ordered to pay $29.7 million restitution.
When special agents with the FBI arrested him at LAX in November 2012, Reodica was traveling under an Australian Passport in the name of “Roberto Coscolluela.” While living in Australia under the name of Coscolluela, he ran a tax preparation and insurance business. Reodica’s activities in these businesses have resulted in allegations of a $7 million fraud in Australia causing him to be dubbed “Brisbane’s Bernie Madoff,” according to government sentencing papers.
The case against Reodica was investigated the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Today’s sentencing hearing was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ruth C. Pinkel of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorneys Poonam Kumar and Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section
Local Woman Sentenced in Cell Phone Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 47-year-old Houston woman has been ordered to pay more than $2 million following her conviction of mail fraud in relation to seven-year cell phone fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Renee Heyd pleaded guilty Nov. 28, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt handed Heyd a 27-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay $2,630,522 in restitution.
Heyd admitted she fraudulently obtained iPhones and other smartphones on her employer’s AT&T account and then mailed them to a reseller who paid her $300 to $500 per phone.
From 2009 through 2015, Heyd was employed at a Houston-based seismic equipment company where she was in charge of ordering cell phones and data lines for the company’s employees. During this time, Heyd initiated two-year contracts on the company’s AT&T account for new or existing phone lines to obtain new iPhones and other smartphones at discounted prices. She then registered the phones with fictitious names and caused the new contracts to be suspended in order to reduce the monthly service fee from an active line to a suspended line.
Heyd disguised the charges by manually altering the detail of the AT&T charges prior to review and approval by the company’s management. Between February 2009 and continuing through Oct. 15, 2015, Heyd sent 236 Federal Express shipments containing the fraudulently-obtained phones from the company in Houston to a reseller in New York. The reseller paid Heyd $300 to $500 per phone via PayPal and/or wire transfers.
Previously released on bond, Heyd was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Announces Investigation of Possible Acquisition of Chicago Sun-Times by Owner of Chicago TribuneRead the Press Release
The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice announced today that it is conducting an investigation into the possible acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times by tronc, Inc., the owner of the Chicago Tribune.
The owner of the Chicago Sun-Times, Wrapports LLC, disclosed today that (i) the Chicago Sun-Times is seeking a buyer that will continue to publish the newspaper; (ii) if no other viable buyer expressing substantial interest in purchasing the Chicago Sun-Times comes forward within 15 calendar days of publication in the Chicago Sun-Times of an advertisement inviting expressions of interest, the Chicago Sun-Times will be sold to tronc, Inc.; and (iii) within the 15 calendar day period, prospective buyers must begin due diligence and indicate an expression of interest, including a price range for the Chicago Sun-Times, and demonstrate the financial ability to operate the paper. If another viable buyer comes forward within 15 calendar days, then the interested buyer will be provided a reasonable opportunity to conduct additional due diligence and negotiate the purchase of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Antitrust Division is the agency responsible for investigating mergers involving newspapers. The Antitrust Division will closely monitor the sale process for the Chicago Sun-Times, including whether any other viable buyer expresses interest. In addition to contacting Wrapports, interested prospective buyers are invited to contact as soon as possible the Litigation III Section of the Antitrust Division directly at (202) 305-8376.
tronc is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Chicago. It publishes major daily newspapers across California, Illinois, Florida, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Wrapports is a privately-held corporation based in Chicago.
Jury Finds Texas Man Guilty in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two coconspirators pled guilty before trial.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that a jury convicted Jaime Valente Pina, Jr., age 24, of Alamo, Texas, of conspiring to distribute cocaine. Jaime Valente Pina, Jr., Angel Pina, and Magdaleno Rodriguez were charged in February 2017 with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and other cocaine trafficking charges.
The conspiracy began in the summer of 2015 when Magdaleno Rodriguez, a cocaine dealer operating in and around Oceana County, was introduced to Jaime Valente Pina, Jr. as a new source of supply for cocaine. Thereafter, Jaime Pina and his brother, Angel Pina, supplied cocaine to Rodriguez on a monthly basis for further redistribution throughout West Michigan. The Pina brothers are from the Rio Grande Valley – the southernmost tip of Texas - which shares an extensive stretch of border with Mexico. Throughout the conspiracy, they brought cocaine to Rodriguez from their Texas-based source of supply. The conspiracy ended in approximately August 2016 after officers of the State, Sheriffs, Chiefs, Enforcement Narcotics Team concluded undercover buys from Rodriguez and executed a search warrant on his home. The Pina brothers were arrested on November 9, 2016 after officers of the West Michigan Enforcement Team executed a search warrant on a home they were at in Ravenna, Michigan. .
Magdaleno Rodriguez and Angel Pina pled guilty prior to trial and are currently scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff on June 8, 2017. Jaime Valente Pina, Jr. was convicted after a three-day jury trial. The jury rejected his claim at trial through counsel that he was merely an innocent migrant worker. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2017. The Pinas each face a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Magdaleno Rodriguez, who already had two prior felony drug convictions, faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, an investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security with assistance from two state managed multijurisdictional narcotics task forces: the State, Sheriffs, Chiefs Enforcement Narcotics Team and the West Michigan Enforcement Team. Assistant United States Attorneys Joel S. Fauson and Timothy P. VerHey are handling the prosecution.
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Jefferson City Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Following Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing the firearm he used to shoot and kill another person.
Paris Mark Alexander-Henderson, 27, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Jefferson City police officers responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of Elizabeth Street at approximately 1 a.m. on April 25, 2015. Witnesses indicated that Alexander-Henderson shot the victim, Bryant Sturkey. Sturkey was in critical condition due to several gunshot wounds, including one to his torso. Sturkey was transported to the hospital by ambulance but died of his wounds.
Alexander-Henderson admitted to officers that he had shot Sturkey. Officers seized a Girsan .45-caliber pistol, which he had used to shoot Sturkey, from Alexander-Henderson’s residence.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Alexander-Henderson has a prior felony conviction of aggravated DUI.
Under federal statutes, Alexander-Henderson is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.