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27 June 2017
Nashville Man Indicted for Illegally Importing and Distributing Molly from ChinaRead the Press Release
Terrence Deon Reames, aka Santos, 39, of Nashville, Tenn., formerly of Riverdale, Georgia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 24, 2017, on charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise relating to the illegal importation and distribution of methylone and ethylone (Molly) announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A four-count indictment was unsealed today and outlines the operation of the criminal enterprise from May 2011 through August 2014, during which time Reames obtained or attempted to obtain over 100 kilograms of Molly and conspired with at least five other persons to distribute the drug in the Nashville area. The government also seeks to forfeit at least $1 million, which represents the value of the proceeds derived from and the property used to facilitate the illegal activity.
According to the indictment, by May 2011 Reames had obtained a source of supply known as “Alice” in China for methylone and ethylone, commonly known as “Molly.” Reames met with others in Nashville and explained the profit potential of selling Molly and recruited others to obtain the drug through him. Reames became a substantial distributor in the Nashville area as Molly became more widely available.
The indictment outlines the methods used by Reames to communicate with Alice, including encrypted communications, when discussing price, quantity, quality of the controlled substance and shipment and payment methods. Reames provided Alice with the names, including the name of a dead relative and addresses to ship to through the U.S. Postal Service and international shipping companies. The controlled substances were subsequently shipped to addresses in and around Nashville, Tenn. and Riverdale, Georgia. Reames also arranged for the transfer of funds by others, totaling approximately $300,000 to Chinese bank accounts and wire transfers to individuals in China. He also provided cash to these persons to use for the transactions.
The indictment also alleges that Reames, a previously convicted felon, unlawfully possessed and transferred firearms to safeguard the criminal enterprise and its assets, such as drugs, cash, firearms and other items, including jewelry obtained through the criminal enterprise which he claimed was valued at $150,000.
Reames was arrested by Metropolitan Nashville Police officers in Nashville on Friday night and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later today.
If convicted, Reames faces 20 years, up to life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms & Explosives; the IRS-Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the DEA: Homeland Security Investigations; and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sunny A.M. Koshy and Ahmed Safeeullah are prosecuting the case.
The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
More Than $23 Million in Assets Recovered from the Estates of Bernard Madoff’s Sons and from His Daughter-In-LawRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Irving Picard, the Securities Investor Protection Act (“SIPA”) Trustee, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), today announced the recovery of more than $23 million in assets from the Estates of Andrew and Mark Madoff, and from Mark Madoff’s widow, Stephanie Mack, representing funds transferred to them by Bernard Madoff. A Stipulation and Order of Settlement effecting the recovery was signed yesterday by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel. The assets will be liquidated and distributed to victims either through the Madoff Victim Fund, which was established by the Department of Justice, or through the BLMIS Customer Fund, which is administered and the SIPA Trustee.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “To date, this Office has recovered more than $9 billion in funds for victims of Bernard Madoff’s fraud. Today’s agreement, one of the final pieces in the Government’s eight-year effort to provide justice for Madoff’s victims, demonstrates our commitment not only to holding wrongdoers accountable, but also compensating victims of criminal fraud.”
SIPA Trustee Irving Picard said: “Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of ongoing investigations by our legal teams and our negotiations with the Madoff family. The outcome marks another significant milestone in the eight years of the Madoff Recovery Initiative, during which we have recovered or reached agreements to recover more than $11.5 billion and distributed more than $9 billion to Madoff’s victims.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The investment scheme of Madoff’s was so devastating to so many investors who trusted his firm with their money. Today’s announcement of more than $23 million recovered is another small step we can take to try to make things right for the victims of Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme.”
According to the Stipulation and Order of Settlement (the “Stipulation”) and other documents filed in connection with the criminal and civil forfeiture cases relating to the Madoff fraud:
For decades, Bernard L. Madoff (“MADOFF”) used his position as Chairman of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities (“BLMIS”), the investment advisory business he founded in 1960, to steal billions from his clients. On March 12, 2009, MADOFF pled guilty to 11 federal felonies, admitting that he had turned his wealth management business into the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, benefitting himself, his family, and select members of his inner circle.
MADOFF’s sons, Andrew and Mark Madoff (“ANDREW” and “MARK”), worked for MADOFF at BLMIS, amassing substantial assets from their employment there. To fuel their luxurious lifestyle, MADOFF frequently provided money to members of his family, including millions of dollars to ANDREW and MARK. As part of these transfers, ANDREW and MARK issued a series of seven promissory notes, with face value of $28.15 million in total (the “Notes”), to MADOFF, promising to repay the money provided by MADOFF, with interest, after the period of years specified in each Note. Included in this amount is one Note for $6.5 million that was co-signed by MARK’s wife, Stephanie Mack (“MACK”).
Following MADOFF’s arrest, his property was seized. On June 29, 2009, United States District Judge Denny Chin sentenced MADOFF to 150 years in prison for running the largest fraudulent scheme in history. Describing MADOFF’s crimes as “extraordinarily evil,” Judge Chin ordered MADOFF to forfeit $170,799,000,000 as part of MADOFF’s sentence. In a final order of forfeiture dated February 16, 2016, Judge Chin ordered the Notes forfeited to the United States.
MARK passed away in 2010, and ANDREW passed away in 2014. The Stipulation resolves the Government’s claims against the Estates of ANDREW and MARK (the “ESTATES”) and MACK based on the Notes, as well as various claims asserted against them by the SIPA Trustee. Pursuant to the terms of the Stipulation, the agreement must also be approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Stuart M. Bernstein, who oversees the SIPA Trustee’s efforts in bankruptcy court.
The Stipulation requires the ESTATES and MACK to relinquish cash, securities, and liquid assets worth a total of more than $23 million, as well as various interests in additional corporate assets held by the ESTATES. These additional corporate assets will be liquidated and the proceeds added to the total recovery. The total recovery will be split evenly between the Government and the SIPA Trustee, and then distributed to victims of the Madoff fraud.
The Government’s portion will be distributed to victims through the Madoff Victim Fund. The Madoff Victim Fund is funded through recoveries by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in various criminal and civil forfeiture actions, and is overseen by Richard Breeden, the former Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, in his capacity as Special Master appointed by the Department of Justice to assist in connection with the victim remission proceedings.
Mr. Kim praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the SIPA Trustee.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Tax and Bankruptcy Unit and Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Cohen, Louis A. Pellegrino, and Niketh Velamoor are in charge of the case.
Monessen Felon Guilty of Heroin Dealing and Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Monessen, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of illegal firearm possession and heroin dealing, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Laurenti James Robertson, age 27, pleaded guilty to all four charges lodged against him before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Robertson was caught by local police officers in a rental car in possession of 158 stamp bags and $1,315.00 in cash on October 19, 2015. Just five days later, on October 24, 2015, other local police officers stopped Robertson after he had an argument in High Roller’s bar in Homestead, Pa. Police located one stamp bag of heroin on his person and 14 additional stamp bags hidden in the area behind the navigation unit in the dashboard of the SUV. Also behind the navigation unit, police located a loaded 9mm caliber semiautomatic Kel-Tec pistol. The Allegheny County Department of Laboratories was able to recover Robertson’s fingerprints from the firearm.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for Friday October 13, 2017 at 10:00am The law provides for a total sentence of at least 5 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $2,500,000, or both. Robertson must also forfeit property to the government, including the $1,315.00 found in his possession. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered Deputy United States Marshals to take Robertson into federal custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross Lenhardt of the Violent Crimes Section is the federal prosecutor who has the responsibility to prosecute this matter on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has joined forces with many state, county and local police departments in an effort to address the heroin and opioid issues within the Western District of Pennsylvania. In this matter, the DEA specifically worked with departments that included the Canonsburg Police Department, the Monessen Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Washington County District Attorney’s Office in order to successfully bring Robertson to justice.
Middlesex County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 94 months prison for distributing and possessing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
John Fricovsky, 58, of Edison, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Fricovsky admitted that in February 2015 he sent an email attaching an image of child sexual abuse involving a child under the age of 12. He also admitted to, in December 2015, possessing computer devices containing at least 10, but fewer than 150, images of child sexual abuse.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Fricovsky to 10 years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents with Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Lisa Mack Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Middlesex County, New Jersey, Man Admits Role in Ethylone Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Perth Amboy, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to distribute approximately 1.5 kilograms of ethylone, a Schedule I controlled substance, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Paul Hutchison, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute ethylone.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 16, 2015, a lawful search of Hutchison’s residence in Perth Amboy revealed that he possessed approximately 1.5 kilograms of ethlyone, which he conspired with others to distribute in and around Middlesex County. Ethylone, sometimes referred to as “bath salts” or “molly,” is an illegal synthetic drug that stimulates the central nervous system and can cause hallucinogenic effects.
The conspiracy charge to which Hutchison pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Charge Carl J. Kotowski in Newark, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. Peck of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime/Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit.
Defense Counsel: Bruce Regenstreich Esq., New York
Member of Violent Grape Street Crips Gang Admits Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Plea Agreement Calls for 25-Year Prison Sentence
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the New Jersey set of the Grape Street Crips today admitted his role in a racketeering conspiracy that involved shooting rival gang members and conspiracies to distribute heroin and crack-cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Justin Carnegie, a/k/a “Dew Hi,” a/k/a “Dew,” a/k/a “D,” 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to five counts in a sixth superseding indictment charging him with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to possess a firearm, and separate conspiracies to distribute one kilogram of heroin and 280 grams or more of crack-cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The N.J. Grape Street Crips controlled drug trafficking and other criminal activities in various areas of Newark, including the area of 6th Avenue and North 5th Street and public-housing complexes at Pennington Court, Oscar Miles, the Millard Terrell Homes, the John W. Hyatt homes and the former James Baxter Terrace complex.
Carnegie admitted that on Oct. 7, 2013, he and other gang members sought to avenge the murder of a fellow gang member who had recently been killed by rival gang members. Carnegie and his fellow gang members travelled to the area of Avon Avenue in Newark where one of Carnegie’s fellow gang members discharged approximately 14 rounds in an attempt to shoot members of the rival gang. After returning to their staging area after the shooting, Carnegie fled law enforcement who attempted to arrest him and his fellow gang members.
Carnegie and other gang members frequently used social media to promote the gang’s reputation for violence and drug-trafficking. For example, Carnegie has previously stated “we be straight rat killing,” referring to the gang’s practice of intimidating or killing cooperating witnesses.
Carnegie and fellow gang members frequently carried and stock-piled firearms in furtherance of the gang’s activities. In May 2010, Carnegie stored a loaded Romarm SA Cugir 7.62x39 assault rifle and an American Industries Calico M100 .22LR carbine, along with ammunition for both weapons, in Orange, New Jersey.
Finally, Carnegie admitted to participating in conspiracies to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 180 grams or more of crack-cocaine.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, if accepted by the court, Carnegie will be sentenced to 25 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, with the investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick also thanked prosecutors and detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino, police officers and detectives of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Armando B. Fontoura, for their work on the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Osmar J. Benvenuto and Barry Kamar of the District of New Jersey’s Criminal Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Defense counsel: John J. Roberts Esq., Chatham, New Jersey.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Rolando Sierra-Oyola, 30, formerly of Andover, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court proceedings, Sierra-Oyola sold “fingers” (ten-gram quantities) of fentanyl on multiple occasions in 2015 and 2016 to individuals who were cooperating with law enforcement officers and who traveled from New Hampshire to purchase fentanyl. On some occasions, Sierra-Oyola sold the drugs directly. On other occasions, he sent “runners” to distribute the drugs on his behalf. He was arrested on July 22, 2016, outside his residence in Andover, Massachusetts. A search of his residence yielded additional quantities of fentanyl.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 12, 2017.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute individuals who are distributing fentanyl,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “This deadly drug is largely responsible for the substantial number of overdose deaths in the Granite State. Members of the law enforcement community will continue to work together to stop the flow of this drug into New Hampshire.”
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels across New England and those suffering from opioid addiction need access to treatment and recovery,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “But those responsible for distributing a lethal drug like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions. DEA is committed to aggressively pursue drug trafficking organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal partners and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the police departments in Portsmouth and Exeter, New Hampshire, the police departments in Andover, Lawrence, and Wilmington, Massachusetts, and the New Hampshire State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe.
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Martins Ferry, Ohio man convicted of cocaine traffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A Martins Ferry, Ohio man was convicted today in federal court of cocaine trafficking, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Shawndale Saunders, age 34, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute 280 Grams or More of Cocaine Base.” Throughout April and May 2016, Saunders admitted to conspiring with other individuals to transport cocaine across state lines from Ohio into West Virginia in order to possess and sell the drug in Ohio County, West Virginia.
Saunders faces 10 years to life incarceration and a fine of up to $10 million. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the Belmont County Drug Task Force, and the Martins Ferry, Ohio Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.
Manchester Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute over Six Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Rigoberto Ramirez-Aldava, 40, formerly of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Statements in court documents and earlier court proceedings showed in June 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) received information that Ramirez-Aldava was in possession of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. On June 21, 2016, an undercover DEA Task Force Officer met with Ramirez-Aldava at a location in Manchester, where Ramirez-Aldava provided the undercover officer with a sample of approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine. On June 29, 2016, the undercover officer met with Ramirez-Aldava at the same location in Manchester and purchased approximately 359 grams of methamphetamine for $8,000. On July 11, 2016, Ramirez- Aldava was arrested as he travelled to a pre-arranged location in Manchester where he intended to sell the undercover officer approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine for $85,000. Approximately 4.5 kilograms were recovered from Ramirez-Aldava’s vehicle at the time of his arrest.
As part of the investigation, DEA agents searched the defendant’s business, El Patron Sports Bar and Grill in Manchester, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine. A second search at Ramirez-Aldava’s Manchester apartment resulted in the seizure of $6,000 of the currency used in the June 29 drug sale.
Ramirez-Aldava pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on March 16, 2017. Upon his release from federal prison, Ramirez-Aldava was ordered to serve two years of supervised release. However, Ramirez-Aldava is likely to be deported from the United States after completing his federal sentence.
“Even in amid the opioid crisis, other deadly drugs continue to threaten our state,”
Acting U.S. Attorney Farley said. “The highly pure methamphetamine that was involved in this case could have presented a serious risk to our community if quick-acting law enforcement officers had not identified Ramirez-Aldava and seized his substantial drug supply. I commend the DEA and our local law enforcement partners for their excellent work in keeping this very large amount of methamphetamine off the streets.”
“This sentence reflects DEA’s strong commitment to bring to justice those that distribute methamphetamine,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “DEA and its local, state and federal law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to keep this highly addictive drug off the streets of New Hampshire. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in the Granite State and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue anyone who traffics this poison.”
The investigation was conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Bedford Resident Office and the Manchester and Nashua New Hampshire Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis prosecuted the case.
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Manchester Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H.— Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Sheldon Grant, 35, previously of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced today to serve 72 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.
According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, Grant obtained a firearm as payment for a marijuana debt he was owed in 2015. At the time, Grant was a previously-convicted felon and could not legally purchase or possess any firearms. The firearm previously had been stolen in Nashua, New Hampshire in September 2015. The gun later was recovered from Grant following a domestic incident in Manchester in March 2016.
Grant, who previously pleaded guilty to the offense, will be on supervised release for five years after he services his prison sentence.
This matter was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ (FBI) Safe Streets Gang Task Force, and the Manchester Police Department. The case is also part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.
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Manchester Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Brian Christoffels, 35, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for bank robbery.
Court filings and statements made in court established that on October 10, 2016, Christoffels entered a TD Bank on South Main Street in Manchester, New Hampshire, handed a bank teller a note demanding cash, then fled the area in his truck. Manchester Police pursued Christoffels and eventually arrested him at an off-ramp from Interstate 93. The proceeds of the robbery were in his possession.
Christoffels previously pleaded guilty to the bank robbery on March 13, 2017. After serving his prison sentence for bank robbery, he will be on supervised release for a period of three years.
The case was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shane B. Kelbley.
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Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that Christopher Edward Pendegraft, 57, was sentenced Friday, June 23, 2017, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois to 24 months in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $375 fine, restitution of $2,000, and $5,100 in special assessments for possession of child pornography. Pendegraft will also have to register as a sex offender.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura V. Reppert.
Man Pleads Guilty to Stalking and Kidnapping WomanRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Virginia man pleaded guilty today to charges of interstate stalking, interstate domestic violence, and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to court records, Nam Quoc Hoang, 41, of Springfield, began stalking his ex-girlfriend in late December 2013. Nam’s harassment began when he sent his ex-girlfriend a series of messages in which he threatened to post sexually explicit photographs of her unless she paid him money. When his ex-girlfriend did not pay him, Nam posted the photographs and continued to repost the photographs even after Facebook took the photographs down. After posting the photographs, Nam and his co-conspirator, Khoa Dang Vu Hoang, traveled from Virginia to Maryland to stalk his ex-girlfriend throughout January 2014. This stalking included breaking into her home on two occasions and taking valuable personal items, which were never recovered.
On Jan. 26, 2014, Khoa observed the ex-girlfriend’s Facebook post “checking in” to a nightclub in Washington, D.C. Khoa informed Nam about this post and the men drove to the nightclub and waited for Nam’s ex-girlfriend to return to her vehicle and leave. The men then followed her, and when she stopped at a traffic light Nam approached her vehicle, displayed a weapon, and demanded entry. His ex-girlfriend, afraid for her life, let Nam into the vehicle. Once inside the vehicle, Nam hit his ex-girlfriend in the face and threatened her and her family.
A federal jury convicted Khoa in March for interstate stalking and conspiracy. Khoa will be sentenced on July 21, 2017. Nam faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on September 29. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James L. Trump, Carina A. Cuellar, and James Levine are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-193.
Man Pleads Guilty to International Parental KidnappingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to charges of international parental kidnapping.
Federal agents with the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested Faical Chebbi, 45, of Accokeek, on June 14 after he landed at Dulles International Airport. According to the court documents, in November 2011, Chebbi removed his two children, then ages 2 and 5, from the United States and took them to Tunisia in violation of the parental rights of the mother.
According to the FBI, as a result of Chebbi’s return to the United States, both children have been reunited with their mother as ordered by the court.
Chebbi faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced on October 20. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Casey Owen Durst, Director of CBP’s Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Haynes is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:11-mj-1015.
Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Woman of $377,000Read the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Winchester man pleaded guilty today to defrauding a woman of approximately $377,000 based on false statements that included a fraudulent inducement of marriage.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Harry Randall Withers, Jr., 38, made a series of false representations to a woman to induce her to lend him approximately $377,000. Withers told the woman he was the owner of a wine and cheese bar and that his employees had embezzled from him, when in fact he was the manager of the bar and had embezzled from the actual owner. Wither also told the woman he was a member of an affluent family that had founded Union Camp Corporation, a pulp and paper company that was later acquired by International Paper; that his grandmother had died and left him a large inheritance that he would use to repay a loan; and that the IRS had frozen his bank accounts. He made the further false representation that if they were married, it would solve tax and legal issues that were preventing him from accessing his money and that he would then be able to repay her. In reliance on these misrepresentations, the woman married Withers and lent him the money, which he used for his own benefit with no intention of repaying her. Withers wrote a series of checks that purported to be in partial repayment of the money the woman had lent him, but they were written on funds that had insufficient funds or were closed. He also forged the woman’s signature on checks written on her account that he made payable to himself.
Withers pleaded guilty to wire fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on October 13. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and George D. Purefoy, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Norfolk Resident Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-166.
Malheur County Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – On June 27, 2017, United States District Court Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Andrew Ray Uyeki, 36, of Ontario, Oregon to 57 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Uyeki will be on supervised release for three years.
On October 29, 2015, law enforcement officers searched a home in Ontario and found Uyeki in possession of a 9mm Beretta handgun with a 30-round extended magazine. Uyeki has prior felony convictions for delivery of methamphetamine, theft, conspiracy to commit burglary and escape.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and members of the High Desert Drug Task Force, the Ontario Police Department and the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Local Woman Sentenced to Serve a Mandatory Two-Year Sentence for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler, of the Southern District of Alabama, announces that today United States District Judge William H. Steele sentenced Jennifer Richardson Beverly, age 37, a resident of Mobile, Alabama, to serve 24 months in prison – a mandatory statutory sentence – for assuming the identity of a Florida woman, applying for a credit card using the Florida woman’s name and personal information, and then using the fraudulently obtained credit card to purchase thousands of dollars’ worth of goods and services, including sports equipment, flowers, shoes, and clothing.
The evidence at the sentencing hearing established that Beverly had an extensive criminal history, dating back to 1999, including two prior felony convictions for Forgery and Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card. Beverly’s sentence included a 1-year term of supervised release and $2,985.38 in restitution to Capital One Bank.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Mobile Police Department Financial Crimes Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donna B. Dobbins.
Local Man is Sentenced for his Role in a Conspiracy to Make and Pass Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler, of the Southern District of Alabama, announces that today United States District Judge William H. Steele sentenced Paul Constantine Bauer, age 35, a resident of Foley, Alabama, to serve 24 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to make and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Mobile and Baldwin County area. Bauer’s sentence included a 3-year term of supervised release and $997 in restitution. His sentence was imposed as a result of his guilty plea in March 2017.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Mobile Police Department Financial Crimes Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donna B. Dobbins.
Local Man Gets Lengthy Sentence for Capital One Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 24 year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction in the armed robbery of a Capital One Bank and for using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. A Houston federal jury convicted Trent Davis on Jan. 25, 2017, following two days of trial and approximately an hour of deliberation.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner handed Davis a sentence of 20 years for the bank robbery plus an additional seven consecutive years for the firearms charge as well as another two consecutive years for violating conditions of supervised release for a previous bank robbery conviction. Following his 29-year-prison sentence, Davis will also serve five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hittner noted that the sentence was a reflection of the seriousness of the offense, the violence and physical threat to the victims, that Davis was a repeat bank robber and is an absolute menace to the community.
On April 26, 2016, Davis and co-defendant Derrick Muhammad, 29, of Houston, robbed the Capital One Bank located at 1514 West Sam Houston South in Houston. The men entered the facility, at which time Davis jumped the counter, pointed a pink gun at the teller and demanded he open the vault. Upon fleeing the bank, two dye packs exploded within the bag holding the money which was then thrown from the car. A witness in a nearby building saw the two masked men exiting the bank and photographed the vehicle as the dye pack exploded.
Davis used his sister’s car during the robbery. During trial, an FBI chemist testified that a substance found in that vehicle had chemicals found only in dye packs.
The lead teller, on the date of the robbery, told the jury how he was forced to empty the vault at gunpoint. He testified that the robbers were wearing hoodies and that one of them used a pink gun in the robbery.
Davis was apprehended approximately a month after the robbery in possession of a pink gun that had been painted black.
Two witnesses testified about jail house conversations they had with Davis and claimed Davis confessed to the crime, that he used his sister’s car and about the pink gun being painted. The jury also heard from Muhammad who testified about the details of the robbery. He previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced May 26, 2017, to 108 months in prison.
Davis will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation, which included agents and officers of the FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia Moyer and Jill Stotts prosecuted the case.
Kennebunk Man Sentenced to 2½ Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Justin Riggall, 37, of Kennebunk, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 2½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of firearms by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Riggall pleaded guilty on February 15, 2017.
Court records reveal that on February 9, 2016, the defendant handled two pistols being purchased by a girlfriend at the Kittery Trading Post. On February 22, 2016, the defendant was arrested in Biddeford after police officers encountered him driving his truck in a residential neighborhood at about 30 mph with his girlfriend leaning out of the open passenger’s side door. Both pistols, one of which was loaded, and several shell casings were found in the vehicle.
The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms as the result of a 2012 conviction in Maine for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence involving his former spouse.
The investigation was conducted by the Biddeford Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
KCK Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm Following Police ChaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Kan., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today following a 46-block-long police chase for illegally possessing a firearm.
Simon L. Smith, 29, of Kansas City, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Smith on June 21, 2017.
The indictment alleges that Smith, a convicted felon, was in possession of a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun on June 20, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Kansas City, Mo., police officers were dispatched to the intersection of 31st Street and Prospect on the evening of June 19, 2017, in regards to gunshots being captured by the Shotspotter system. When officers arrived, they saw multiple gunshot holes in the glass on the corner bus stop, in a business, and a parked vehicle. A victim at the scene told officers that a Chevrolet Equinox, occupied by three males, had pulled into the parking lot and passed in front of him. The Equinox drove past, then circled back through the parking lot. One of the occupants got out of the vehicle, the victim said, pointed a silver handgun, and fired several rounds at him. The victim ducked for cover and the Equinox fled north on Prospect. Officers recovered two bullet fragments and six spent 9mm shell casings.
At about 11:34 a.m. the following day, a police officer in an unmarked surveillance vehicle saw the Chevrolet Equinox circling in an apartment complex in the area of 93rd Street and Indiana. The officer followed the Equinox until uniformed officers in marked patrol vehicles could pull it over. Officers turned on their lights and sirens, the affidavit says, but the Equinox did not pull over.
Smith, the driver of the vehicle, led police on a car chase that ended approximately 46 blocks north from where it originated, and stopped because both driver’s side tires were deflated by officers using tire deflation devices.
When Smith’s vehicle came to a stop on Truman Road, the affidavit says, he immediately fled on foot southbound on Montgall. An officer who pursued Smith on foot saw he was carrying a handgun, which he allegedly threw away. Smith was apprehended and officers found the loaded handgun, the affidavit says, which had been reported as one of two firearms stolen from a residential burglary earlier this month.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Smith has prior felony convictions for burglary and for possessing a weapon at a correctional facility.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Jeremiah Johnson Sentenced Following Guilty Plea to Carjacking and Use of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Jeremiah Johnson was sentenced to 157 months imprisonment. Johnson’s sentencing followed entry of a February 2017 guilty plea to a charge of carjacking and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a ten year statutorily required sentence for the use of the firearm, with that sentence to run consecutively to a 37 month sentence for the carjacking offense.
During the September 4, 2016, the victim’s 2013 Chevrolet Camaro was stolen from him at gunpoint. During the course of the carjacking an AK-47 type semi-automatic assault rifle was discharged.
Carjacking is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 2119. Discharging a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii), which provides for a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years. Johnson’s imprisonment will be followed by a five (5) year term of supervised release.This case arose from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Street Task Force and the Mobile Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Bordenkircher of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
International Shipping Executives Indicted for Colluding on Bids and RatesRead the Press Release
An indictment of three shipping executives was unsealed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, the Department of Justice announced today.
Anders Boman, Arild Iversen, and Kai Kraass have been charged with participating in a long-running conspiracy to allocate certain customers and routes, rig bids, and fix prices for the sale of international ocean shipments of roll-on, roll-off cargo to and from the United States and elsewhere, including the Port of Baltimore. A federal grand jury returned the indictment in November 2016.
Boman, a citizen of Sweden, and Iversen, a Norwegian citizen, are former executives of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics AS (WWL). Kraass, a German citizen, is a current WWL executive. Including the charges announced today, eleven executives have been charged in the investigation to date. Four have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to serve prison terms. Others remain international fugitives. WWL has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to pay a $98.9 million fine. Three other companies have also pleaded guilty, resulting in total collective criminal fines over $230 million.
The indictment alleges that Boman, Iversen, and Kraass conspired with their competitors to allocate certain customers and routes for the shipment of cars and trucks, as well as construction and agricultural equipment. The defendants accomplished their scheme by, among other things, attending meetings in Baltimore County and elsewhere during which they agreed not to compete against each other, by refraining from bidding or by agreeing on the prices they would bid for certain customers and routes. In addition, Boman, Iversen, and Kraass agreed with competitors to fix, stabilize, and maintain rates charged to customers of international ocean shipping services. The customers affected by the conspiracy included U.S. companies.
“The indictment unsealed today is yet another step in the Division’s efforts to restore competition in the shipping industry,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Andrew Finch of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “WWL has pleaded guilty. Now we are working to ensure that its executives who conspired to suppress competition at the expense of American consumers will be held accountable.”
“These indictments are the continuation of a long-term effort by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office to secure our nation’s economy against collusion in the shipping industry, to ensure competition in the market place and to protect US companies from these deceptive practices.” said Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson.
Today’s announcement is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, bid rigging, and other anticompetitive conduct in the international roll-on, roll-off ocean shipping industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section and the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, along with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Internal Affairs, Washington Field Office/Special Investigations Unit. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section at 202-307-6694, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office at 410-265-8080.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Dario Pineda Garcia, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 11 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In April 2017, Pineda Garcia pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
In November 2016, law enforcement encountered Pineda Garcia in Chelsea and determined him to be unlawfully present in the United States. Pineda Garcia had been deported in April 2007.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing CrackRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT JONES, also known as “Y.O.,” 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department that targeted a drug trafficking organization operating in Hartford’s North End that was distributing crack and powder cocaine. The investigation revealed that David Gil-Grande, of Manchester, received shipments of cocaine, secreted in sealed coffee cans, from Puerto Rico. He then supplied the cocaine to Anthony Shelton, also known as “Pretty,” Gerard Brown, also known as “Goldie,” and others, who converted much of the cocaine into crack and distributed both forms of the drug in the area of Barbour Street in Hartford.
The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Shelton supplied crack cocaine to JONES who then sold the drug to his own customers.
Twenty individuals were charged as a result of the investigation.
JONES has been detained since his arrest on February 2, 2016. On February 15, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
JONES’s criminal history includes multiple drug-related convictions, a firearms offense, escape from custody, and multiple domestic violence incidents. He was on state probation while he engaged in the criminal conduct that resulted in this federal prosecution. He also has survived three separate shooting incidents since 2007.
Gil-Grande, Shelton and Brown have pleaded guilty to related charges. On January 31, 2017, Gil-Grande was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment. Shelton and Brown await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Four Nashville Men Sentenced in Driver License Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Four local men were sentenced yesterday on federal bribery charges stemming from the fraudulent issuance of Tennessee driver license permits, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Walton Michael Wand, 52, of Antioch, Tennessee, formerly employed by the Tennessee Department of Safety as a license examiner at the Hart Lane station in Nashville, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and fined $7,500. Wand used his position as a state employee to solicit and accept bribes in exchange for issuing driver’s licenses to unqualified individuals. He was found guilty in March 2017 by a federal jury, after a two-week trial. Wand issued at least 21 fraudulent drivers’ license permits, charging $250 for each. Many of the applicants were unable to pass the written examination.
Three co-defendants were also sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Faransis Romany Faltas, 41, was sentenced to 12 months of probation, and fined $400; Nourrdine Abidi, 50, was sentenced to time served and fined $250; and Youssef Aziz Abdelmalak, 40, received a sentence of time served.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie N. Toussaint and Ryan R. Raybould prosecuted the case.
Former Oneida County Resident Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Dale J. Sexton, 48, formerly of Barneveld, New York, was sentenced today in federal court in Syracuse to 33 months in prison in connection with his previous guilty pleas to filing a false income tax return and to obstructing and impeding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in its administration of the internal revenue laws, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and James D. Robnett, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office. Sexton’s sentence also requires him to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $502,639. Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue, who presided over the case, also ordered Sexton to spend one year on supervised release after completion of his 33-month prison sentence.
Sexton, who most recently resided in Bradenton, Florida, previously admitted in federal court that he failed to report to the IRS more than $1.5 million in income he earned between 2005 and 2008, that he engaged in complicated financial transactions involving numerous bank accounts in the United States and Costa Rica in order to mask and disguise his income and expenses, and that he made false statements to an IRS Revenue Officer in Utica, New York. Sexton also admitted that he filed a false 2008 tax return, claiming that he earned no income that year when he actually earned more than $200,000.
“IRS agents spent years tracing more than 100 bank accounts and tens of thousands of individual financial transactions to piece together Sexton’s fraud scheme. Unfortunately, today’s sentence cannot undo the financial harm suffered by Sexton’s victims, who paid a terrible price for the defendant’s greed in amassing income improperly and failing to report it to the IRS,” said U.S. Attorney Hartunian.
According to the plea agreement signed by Sexton, the unreported income related to Sexton’s ownership of multiple commercial real estate businesses in Florida involved in constructing, among other things, commercial “flex” warehouse units. Sexton financed the projects by obtaining loans from banks and investments from private investors. Sexton admitted in the plea agreement that he failed to repay much of the loan money and that he never intended to repay any of the private investors. Several victims filed statements with the Court describing the financially devastating consequences they faced after Sexton defrauded them in order to fund his luxurious lifestyle.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Former Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration Pleads Guilty to Stealing Fraud ProceedsRead the Press Release
A former special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) pleaded guilty today to stealing fraud proceeds that she had been assigned to recover on behalf of fraud victims, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Michael P. Tompkins of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Artemis Papadakis, 57, of Richmond, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt of the Southern District of California to an information charging her with theft by a government official. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 11 before U.S. District Judge John A. Houston.
According to the plea agreement, Papadakis admitted that she was stationed by the DEA in Nicosia, Cyprus, between 2008 and 2014. While in Cyprus, Papadakis was assigned to help the U.S. Government recover the proceeds of an American fraud scheme that had been frozen in the banking system in northern Cyprus. When Papadakis was transferred from Cyprus to San Francisco in June 2014, the funds had not yet been recovered. Papadakis admitted that she was told not to pursue the matter regarding the funds following her transfer. But when she was in Cyprus in October 2015 on personal business, Papadakis took possession of $310,000 of the funds without notifying anyone at the DEA or in the U.S. Government that she had done so.
According to the plea agreement, Papadakis mailed approximately $230,000 of those funds from Cyprus to her home address in California and later took possession of an additional $20,000 of those funds from a third party when he visited her in the U.S. Papadakis admitted that she hid the $250,000 in her flower pots at her home in California, and did not disclose to anyone at the DEA or in the U.S. Government that she had taken possession of the fraud proceeds. Papadakis further admitted that on or about Feb. 22, 2016, she surrendered the $250,000 to the U.S. government under the false cover story that she had just received it via an unexpected package from Cyprus.
The Justice Department’s OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Jonathan Kravis and Molly Gaston of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
Essex County, New Jersey, Man Gets 108 Months in Prison for Crack-Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Irvington, New Jersey, man who distributed multiple kilograms of crack-cocaine and powder cocaine was sentenced today to 108 months in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Antonio Bivens, a/k/a “Mo,” 44, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack-cocaine. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Bivens was a member of a drug trafficking organization supervised by Kenneth Hammond, a/k/a “Saleem,” 49, also of Irvington. Bivens distributed multiple kilograms of crack-cocaine and powder cocaine out of two residences owned by Hammond in Irvington. In November 2015, law enforcement officers raided the residences and seized approximately two kilograms of crack-cocaine and 12 kilograms of powder cocaine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Bivens to four years of supervised release. Hammond previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced on June 21, 2017 to 108 months in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry A. Kamar and Elaine K. Lou of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Brian Neary Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Elkhart Man Sentenced to 125 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Acting United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced that Jeffrey Wilson, 29, of Elkhart, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for bank robbery.
Wilson was sentenced to 125 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, on November 16, 2016, Wilson and two accomplices robbed a bank in Mishawaka. Wearing masks and gloves, they used a rifle and a handgun to threaten both bank employees and customers while they stuffed cash into backpacks. Police caught the robbers at a house in Elkhart a short time later. One of the accomplices, Lamont Hawkins, was already sentenced in May, 2017 to 117 months imprisonment for his role in this robbery. The other accomplice, David Woods, has pled guilty and is currently scheduled for sentencing on August 2.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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Elementary School Principal Pleads Guilty to Accessing with Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jeffrey Richard Goss, 56, of Tulsa, pled guilty to Accessing with Intent to View Child Pornography, announced Loretta F. Radford, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. United States District Court Judge Claire V. Eagan will sentence Goss on September 28, 2017.
According to documents filed in the case, on November 12, 2015, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents conducted an undercover operation in an internet chatroom. While in the chatroom, HSI agents observed Goss and other individuals watching child pornography that was being streamed. Some of the children in the videos were under the age of 12.
Goss, an elementary school principal, admitted he accessed the internet chatroom on November 12, 2015, and viewed child pornography. Goss faces a maximum sentence of twenty years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release up to life following a sentence of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Neal C. Hong.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry after DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Juan Antonio Colon, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Colon will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.
On Nov. 9, 2016, after a motor vehicle stop in Roxbury, law enforcement officers arrested Colon for possession of Oxycodone, giving a false name, and operating with a suspended registration. Despite Colon’s altered fingerprints, federal agents were able to positively identify him using their comparative fingerprint analysis tool. Further investigation revealed that Colon was previously deported from the United States in May 2009 and July 2013.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Weinreb’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Derry Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley, announced that David Morel, Jr., 31, of Derry, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for the District of New Hampshire for possessing child pornography.
According to court records and statements in court, the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Derry Police Department developed information linking online images of child pornography to Morel’s residence in Derry, New Hampshire. In April 2016, a search warrant was executed on Morel’s computer, which was found to contain numerous videos depicting young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Morel, who pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on December 21, 2016, will be placed on supervised release for ten years after he completes his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Derry Police Department, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations Manchester and the New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Helen Fitzgibbon and Shane Kelbley.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Denver Business Owner Indicted for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
DENVER – Christopher Paul Kelly, age 49, of Denver, Colorado was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on June 7, 2017 on the charge of tax evasion, Acting United States Attorney Bob Troyer and IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Steven Osborne announced. The indictment remained sealed until Kelly made his initial appearance today, June 27, 2017 in U.S. District Court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge, where he was read his rights and advised of the charges pending against him.
According to the indictment, from July 2007 through the middle of 2015, Kelly held ownership interests in various merchant card service companies which sold vendors the ability to accept credit card payments. These ownership interests caused Kelly to earn taxable income which generated income tax due of $195,916 in 2006, $285,414 in 2007, and $16,766 in 2012. Kelly received his prepared 2006 tax return from his accountant on July 16, 2007 but did not file it until October 2012. Kelly filed his 2007 tax return in March 2012 and his 2012 tax return in 2013.
Instead of paying his outstanding tax liabilities, between 2008 and 2015, Kelly purchased or leased expensive automobiles and rented expensive homes as his personal residence. In 2008, Kelly caused J.L. to purchase a Mercedes automobile in J.L.’s name for $80,346.19 which Kelly paid for and used personally. Between 2011 and 2013, Kelly received residuals from Company S of $102,978 through his company Mile High Merchant Group.
In 2012, Mile High Merchant Group became a “dba” of Imax Business Solutions Denver LLC (IMAX) and Kelly became a member of IMAX with a 48% ownership interest. On January 1, 2012, Kelly sent a letter to Company S stating Kelly and Mile High Merchant Group were “transferring and assigning all liabilities and assets to Imax Business solutions LLC and [K.T.] who is the sole managing member.” In 2012 and 2013, Company S continued to do business with Kelly through IMAX and paid residuals of approximately $184,406 and $137,043, respectively.
When the IRS contacted Kelly regarding the outstanding tax liabilities, Kelly made false statements to the IRS Revenue Officer attempting to collect the debt. After the IRS levied Kelly’s U.S. Bank account, Kelly stopped making deposits into the account and allowed it to become overdrawn. Instead, Kelly used a bank account controlled by his girlfriend, M.A., to deposit much of his income and pay many of his personal expenses. Kelly also cashed out the entire value of his life insurance account and withdrew the balance of his 401(k) account, removing the IRS’ ability to place a levy on these assets.
Kelly is charged with one count of tax evasion which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pegeen Rhyne.
The charges contained in the Indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense Contractor Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for $53 Million Procurement Fraud and Illegal Gratuities SchemeRead the Press Release
JUNE 27, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – On June 27, 2017, U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis sentenced Andrew Bennett, age 37, of Tampa, Florida to 30 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy and for paying illegal gratuities to a government official, in connection with the award of more than $53 million in federal government contracts. Judge Garbis also ordered Bennett to pay forfeiture and restitution in the amount of $500,000.00
Co-conspirator John Wilkerson, age 51, of Moultrie, Georgia was previously sentenced to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. James T. Shank, who was separately charged and has pled guilty, was a Program Manager at the United States Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI); Special Agent in Charge Robert Craig, Special Agent in Charge, Robert E. Craig Jr, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and U.S. Small Business Administration Acting Inspector General Mike Ware.
According to Bennett’s plea agreement, he was a program manager for Advanced C4 Solutions, or AC4S, from 2005 until 2011. AC4S was an information technology company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. In 2011, Bennett left AC4S and went to work for Co-conspirator Wilkerson at Superior Communications Solutions, Inc. (SCSI). According to co-conspirator Shank’s indictment, from August 28, 2006 until he retired on June 30, 2011, Shank was employed as a Program Manager at the United States Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center. Shank worked with agencies within the Department of Defense to procure telecommunications equipment, software, and related services. According to his plea agreement, Wilkerson was a Department of Defense Account Manager for Iron Bow Technologies, LLC (Iron Bow), which provided IT consulting and other services to government and industry customers. Wilkerson was also part-owner and operated Superior Communications Solutions, Inc. (SCSI).
From September 2009 through August 2012 Bennett conspired with Wilkerson, to give them and the companies they worked for and/or owned an unfair competitive advantage in obtaining government contracts. Court documents state that Wilkerson offered, and Shank accepted, employment with SCSI while Shank was still a government employee and while he was taking official actions that benefited Wilkerson. In addition, Wilkerson paid Shank $86,000 in the year after Shank retired from government service, funneling the payment through two other companies in order to conceal the source of the funds.
According to Bennett’s plea agreement, Shank improperly shared information with Bennett and Wilkerson, and worked with them to structure the government contracts so as to give their companies an unfair advantage over other potential bidders.
For example, according to Bennett’s indictment, Bennett and Wilkerson developed a request for proposal (RFP) for DO27, a contract to supply labor services for an Air Force technology project, including for overall project management services, so that AC4S would win the contract. On June 10, 2010, DO27 was awarded to AC4S in the amount of $18,332,738.10. Wilkerson provided Bennett with a quote for labor for the installation of specific technology on behalf of SCSI that was less than the quote he had previously submitted on behalf of Iron Bow as their sales representative. After SCSI was selected as a subcontractor on DO27, it subcontracted with Iron Bow to provide most of the labor SCSI was supposed to provide under DO27 for the installation of the technology. Wilkerson was able to earn income from the work Iron Bow employees were doing by having SCSI act as a middleman and charging a mark-up on Iron Bow’s work. Bennett and Wilkerson then directed an SCSI employee to create false invoices supposedly documenting the hours SCSI employees spent working on DO27, which were submitted to AC4S and paid by the United States government. SCSI received $6,794,432.98 on DO27 out of the $18 million AC4S received for providing labor for the project.
In February 2011, Bennett left AC4S and went to work for Wilkerson at SCSI. According to the plea agreement, Bennett received a $500,000 bonus when he joined SCSI, which was paid for by profit Wilkerson had earned on the Air Force contracts.
By March 2011, the Air Force project was incomplete and there were numerous contract disputes related to the project. Shank was directed not to take any other action related to the project without the approval of a senior manager. Nevertheless, in April 2011, Shank accepted more than $3.7 million worth of invoices that benefited SCSI without informing the senior manager. In May, 2011, after Shank accepted employment with SCSI, but was still working for SPAWAR, he allegedly approved more than $1.1 million worth of invoices that benefitted SCSI and Wilkerson.
The National Procurement Fraud Task Force was formed in October 2006 to promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of procurement fraud associated with the increase in government contracting activity for national security and other government programs. The Procurement Fraud Task Force includes the United States Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, the U.S. Inspectors General community and a number of other federal law enforcement agencies. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Task Force, demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to helping ensure the integrity of the government procurement process.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning thanked Air Force OSI, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Philip A. Selden, who are prosecuting the case.
Defendant sentenced to two years for mailing hoax anthrax threatsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Travis Ball has been sentenced to two years in prison for mailing hoax anthrax threats. Ball sent letters to the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“LDS”) threatening harm to members of each organization.
“Ball’s threatening letters, which contained a substance he claimed was anthrax, were meant to instill fear in the recipients and diverted critical resources from actual emergencies,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “This hoax and the defendant’s subsequent prosecution serve as a reminder that we take threats seriously, and will use every resource available to protect the citizens of this district.”
“The sentencing in federal court of Mr. Ball to two years in a federal prison is commensurate with the wasted resources and concern generated by his hate filled hoax anthrax letter campaign while already incarcerated on a prior arson conviction. While Mr. Ball’s criminal conduct clearly illustrates his lack of concern and compassion for others, it also illustrates an unwillingness to be rehabilitated,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“Any type of criminal activity perpetrated from behind the walls of our facilities will not be tolerated, and we are grateful to our Federal partners for their assistance in bringing this case to a close,” said GDC Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 7, 2016, while incarcerated in Coffee Correctional Facility in Nicholls, Georgia, Ball mailed letters that were later received by the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“LDS”) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The letters stated, “have some anthrax” and contained a granular substance. The letter to the State Bar of Georgia threatened to kill all lawyers while the letter to the LDS Church threatened to kill Mormons and burn their churches. At the time he mailed the letters, Ball was in state custody for a prior arson conviction.
Travis Ball, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. on June 23, 2017 to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,704. Ball was convicted of these charges on March 1, 2017, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Department of Corrections, Criminal Investigation Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolee Porter is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Defendant sentenced to Federal Prison for trafficking 59 pounds of “Ice”Read the Press Release
ATLANTA - Rigoberto Fernandez-Gonzalez, a/k/a Juan Garcia, has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 59 pounds of methamphetamine, or “ice,” and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
“This defendant sought to unleash an enormous quantity of narcotics into the community without regard for the damage it would have caused,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “Thanks to the swift actions of law enforcement, he was stopped in his tracks.”
“This investigation is evidence of ATF’s commitment to combating firearms crimes and drug trafficking. ATF’s Frontline strategy utilizes every available resource to make our communities safer places to live,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Wayne Dixie.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: In early 2016, law enforcement learned that Rigoberto Fernandez-Gonzalez was involved in manufacturing methamphetamine. On March 8, 2016, officers with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at a residence in Fairburn, Georgia. Law enforcement suspected that Fernandez-Gonzalez used this location as a clandestine laboratory for the conversion of liquid methamphetamine to crystalline form. Inside the home, officers discovered a makeshift laboratory, consisting of a single propane burner and large pot, along with various chemicals, car batteries, digital scales, plastic containers, and three to four gallons of liquid methamphetamine – all materials commonly used in the conversion of methamphetamine.
When officers arrived, they found Fernandez-Gonzalez actively converting liquid methamphetamine. He had already converted a massive quantity to crystalline form as well. Officers seized 59 pounds of “ice,” later determined to be 99% pure. In addition, officers recovered two loaded firearms, at least one of which was stolen.
Rigoberto Fernandez-Gonzalez, a/k/a Juan Garcia, 47, a Mexican national, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark H. Cohen, to 22 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In addition, the Court ordered Fernandez-Gonzalez to be turned over to Immigration officials for removal proceedings, after serving his custodial sentence, and ordered forfeiture of the recovered firearms and ammunition. He was sentenced on June 20, 2017. Fernandez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense on March 27, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly K. Connors prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA - On June 26, 2017, James Richard Robbinsheather Jean Reekr, age 53, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 33 months in prison for failing to comply with the sex offender registry requirements, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Robbins will serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
On February 21, 2017, Robbins pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the sex offender registry. Robbins admitted he was required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act due to a prior third degree sexual abuse conviction in 1998. On or about October 2015, and continuing until September 21, 2016, Robbins moved from Illinois to Iowa and failed to register his address as required.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Iowa Human Services, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation - the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Muscatine Police Department, and United States Marshals Service 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].
Davenport Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA - On June 26, 2017, James Richard Robbinsheather Jean Reekr, age 53, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 33 months in prison for failing to comply with the sex offender registry requirements, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Robbins will serve five years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
On February 21, 2017, Robbins pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the sex offender registry. Robbins admitted he was required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act due to a prior third degree sexual abuse conviction in 1998. On or about October 2015, and continuing until September 21, 2016, Robbins moved from Illinois to Iowa and failed to register his address as required.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Iowa Human Services, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation - the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Muscatine Police Department, and United States Marshals Service 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].
Cushing Woman Sentenced to 46 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that MYSTIQUE PATRICIA MOUCKA, age 36, of Cushing, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment, and 3 years of supervised release for POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).
The Information alleged that on or about December 6, 2014, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable James H. Payne, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the nonparoleable sentence will be served.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Hammer represented the United States.
Cookeville Man Pleads Guilty to Counterfeiting CurrencyRead the Press Release
Chadwin Greenwood, 33, of Cookeville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court, to manufacturing counterfeit currency, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Greenwood was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2017.
According to the court documents, Greenwood manufactured counterfeit currency by converting legitimate ten-dollar bills to counterfeit fifty-dollar bills. Greenwood admitted that he passed approximately $21,760 in counterfeit currency in the Middle District of Tennessee and elsewhere, before being apprehended while attempting to pass a counterfeit $50 dollar bill at a Family Dollar Store in Livingston, Tenn.
Greenwood faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on September 29, 2017.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service with valuable assistance from the Livingston Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Raybould is prosecuting the case.
Connie Forrest Pleads Guilty to Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Connie Forrest, 56, of Pittsford, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge of Social Security fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss released Forrest on conditions pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for October 20.
On June 12, 2017, the United States Attorney filed a criminal information against Forrest and she pleaded guilty to that charge today. According to the information and court records, beginning in about 1994, Forrest became disabled and began receiving monthly Supplemental Security Income benefits from the Social Security Administration. The SSI program provides stipends to low-income individuals who are 65-years-old or older; are blind; or are disabled. Applicants for SSI have to certify that their income and assets are below threshold levels, and are under a continuous duty to inform the Social Security Administration of changes in their financial circumstances that could affect their eligibility for continued SSI benefits.
In court today, Forrest admitted that, between about 2009 and early 2016, she concealed from SSA the fact that she maintained employment as a nurse aide, and earned substantial income (which the Government asserted was more than $470,000) from that employment. As a result of Forrest’s deception, SSA paid her more than $79,000 in SSI benefits that she was not entitled to receive.
Forrest faces up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Her actual sentence will be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General of the SSA.
Forrest is represented by Peter Langrock. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Clarion Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited a child was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison.
Skyler Wyatt, age 26, from Clarion, Iowa, received the sentence after a January 25, 2017 guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. At the plea hearing, Wyatt admitted that, in 2016, he knowingly used a child to produce child pornography.
Wyatt was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wyatt was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and Wyatt must also serve a seven-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 16-3045.
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Camp Verde Man Sentenced to 38 Months for Two Domestic Violence OffensesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Yesterday, Michael Randolph Garcia, 26, of Camp Verde, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to concurrent terms of 38 months and 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On March 22, 2017, Garcia had previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of assault by strangling or suffocating, arising out of two separate cases.
On or about July 5, 2013, Garcia, a member of the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians, assaulted a victim with a golf club. As a result, the victim, a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, suffered bodily injury.
On or between Feb. 7 and Feb. 8, 2016, Garcia assaulted a different victim, also a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, in front of a young child.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yavapai-Apache Nation Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Christina Covault, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-16-8058-PCT-DJH; CR-16-8196-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2017-057_Garcia
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
California Resident Pleads Guilty to Stealing Homeless Individuals’ IDs and Using Them to Seek Fraudulent Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
A California resident pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to file false claims for tax refunds, submitting false claims for tax refunds, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch for the Northern District of California.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Diep Vo aka Nancy Vo, 74, conspired with codefendant Trong Nguyen aka John Nguyen, to use the IDs of homeless and unemployed individuals in the San Jose, California area to file fraudulent claims for refunds with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Vo went to homeless shelters and halfway houses and falsely represented to individuals that she could get them money from a government program designed to assist people who had not worked in previous years. Vo convinced people to write down their names and social security numbers and to sign blank income tax returns. Vo and Nguyen then falsified the signed returns including bogus income and income tax withheld amounts and sought fraudulent refunds from the IRS. Vo and Nguyen directed the refund checks to private mailboxes they controlled. Nguyen previously pleaded guilty to submitting and conspiring to submit false claims for refund.
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 14. Vo faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on each count of conspiring to file false claims and submitting false claims for refund, 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. Vo also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Nguyen is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Stretch thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Newman and Trial Attorney Gregory Bernstein of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
California Methamphetamine Dealer Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Meth-in-the-Mail ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ERNESTO MORENO, age 26, of San Fernando, California, pled guilty yesterday to one count of a methamphetamine drug conspiracy that included the shipping of methamphetamine from California into Louisiana via the United States Postal Service.
According to court documents, in September 2014, agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating possible mailings of methamphetamine into the Eastern District of Louisiana. Investigators determined that MORENO was the source of methamphetamine for over eighteen narcotic packages that were shipped into Louisiana with the aid of co-conspirators.
Meanwhile, an investigation in Nashville, Tennessee, revealed that MORENO was directly shipping numerous packages of methamphetamine into the Middle District of Tennessee.
MORENO faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release after the term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a mandatory special assessment of $100 for the count to which he pled guilty. U.S. District Court Judge Kurt Engelhardt will sentence MORENO on September 13, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the Santa Monica Police Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys James S. C. Baehr, Ryan McLaren, and Matthew Payne are in charge of the prosecution.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy announced today that Maikel Gonzalez, 20, 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 January 2015, and September 28, 2015, the defendant conspired with Daniel Molina Rios, Orlando Rios, Jose Andujar, Luis Montanez, and others to distribute heroin on the West Side of Buffalo. The investigation utilized undercover purchases conducted by the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) and the Buffalo Police Department.
Gonzalez was a street-level distributors or “runner” in a heroin trafficking ring operated by Daniel Molina-Rios. 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 connection with this case, and Gonzalez is the sixth to be 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.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentencing on October 2, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Bronx “YGz” Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 33 Years in Prison for Murdering an Innocent Bystander and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TERRANCE WILLIAMS, a/k/a “TA,” was sentenced this afternoon in Manhattan federal court to a prison term of 399 months for his crimes as a member of the “Young Gunnaz” or “YGz” gang, including the murder of Curtis Smith on June 3, 2011, in the Bronx. WILLIAMS was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, before whom he previously pled guilty.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “In broad daylight, Terrance Williams shot and killed Curtis Smith, a 23-year-old man, ending the life of an innocent bystander who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. We hope that the victim’s family finds justice, and a measure of solace, in this prosecution and today’s sentence. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue aggressively to prosecute those who bring violence to our communities.”
According to the charging and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during WILLIAMS’s guilty plea and sentencing proceedings and other court proceedings in this case:
WILLIAMS was a member of the Bronx-based street gang known as the YGz. From at least 2005 to 2016, members and associates of the YGz enriched themselves by committing robberies and by selling drugs, such as crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, and committing acts of violence, including the murder of rival gang members, rival drug traffickers, and innocent bystanders. As part of his involvement in the YGz gang, WILLIAMS participated in numerous acts of violence, as well as crack cocaine distribution, in the South Bronx.
In particular, on July 3, 2011, WILLIAMS shot a rival gang member in the stomach and arm, in broad daylight, in front of a bodega on the corner of 158th Street and Park Avenue while numerous bystanders were outside for cookouts and celebrations leading up to the 4th of July holiday. Moments later, while WILLIAMS was fleeing from the area, he fired gunshots at a group of bystanders, including Curtis Smith. WILLIAMS shot Smith in the head, and Smith died several days later.
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WILLIAMS, 24, of the Bronx, is the third defendant to be sentenced this year by Judge Caproni for participation in a YGz-related murder. Judge Caproni sentenced WILLIAMS’s co-defendant Anthony Scott, a/k/a “Tyson,” to 23 years in prison primarily for Scott’s role in shooting and killing Darrel Ledgister on June 27, 2009, in the South Bronx during an attempted robbery. Judge Caproni also sentenced WILLIAMS’s co-defendants Paul Gilbert, a/k/a “2Fly Tay,” to more than 30 years in prison primarily for Gilbert’s role in the murder of Cody Dubose on September 27, 2014, near the Taft Houses in Manhattan during an attempted robbery.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York City Police Department in the investigation of this case. He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their support in this case.
This case is being handled by this Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Samson Enzer, Gina M. Castellano, and Andrew C. Adams are in charge of the prosecution.
Brentwood Doctor and Wife Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
Dr. Jeff McCoy, Jr., 70, and Andra McCoy, 68, both of Brentwood, Tennessee, were each sentenced today to serve 36 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith for the Middle District of Tennessee and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. The McCoys each pleaded guilty on March 3, 2017, to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States.
According to documents filed with the court, from 2002 through 2014, Jeff and Andra McCoy conspired to defraud the IRS by impeding the collection of their income taxes. The McCoys filed 2003 through 2007 income tax returns with the IRS on which they claimed fake income tax withholding amounts and sought more than $2 million in fraudulent refunds. They submitted false documents to the IRS and placed their assets in the names of nominees and in nominee bank accounts. For example, they established a bank account for a purported nonprofit business and directed Jeff McCoy’s employer to deposit his income into the nominee account. In addition to seeking fraudulent refunds, the McCoys also failed to pay more than $500,000 in taxes owed for tax years 2001 through 2008, despite earning more than $2 million during that time.
In addition to the prison term imposed, they were ordered to pay $913,595 in back taxes and serve three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Jaworski and Trial Attorney Alexander Effendi prosecuted the case.
Brazilian National Arrested for Stealing Money from Bank ATMs in LynnRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston with making unauthorized withdrawals from ATMs at three banks in Lynn using “cloned” debit cards.
Helisson Benazi de Souza, 37, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, was charged with one count of access device fraud. U.S District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal ordered de Souza detained following an initial appearance in federal court.
According to court documents, between approximately noon and 1:30 pm on May 25, 2017, de Souza withdrew over $6,000 from ATMs at three banks in Lynn from accounts that did not belong to him. Law enforcement immediately apprehended de Souza, arrested him, and impounded his rental car. Inside the car police found thousands of dollars in cash, all in $20 bills. They also found over 200 gift cards with small stickers on them. Using a magnetic strip reader, federal agents read the magnetic strip data on the gift cards, which revealed that 15 of the cards matched debit cards associated with valid JPMorgan Chase bank accounts from which unauthorized withdrawals had been made at the three Lynn banks between approximately noon and 1:30 pm on May 25, 2017. When questioned, de Souza admitted to using the cards to withdraw money from ATMs and that the stickers on the cards contained the PINS of the individual cardholders.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Lynn Police Chief Michael A. Mageary made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.