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12 June 2017
California Resident Convicted of Embezzlement and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Manhattan Beach, California resident today of wire fraud and filing false tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Alana W. Robinson for the Southern District of California.
According to the evidence presented at trial, James Miller was the president and managing partner of MWRC Internet Sales LLC, an Internet sales company. As part of his duties, Miller had check signing authority for the company’s business bank account. From January 2009 through October 2012, Miller wrote unauthorized checks to himself, embezzling more than $300,000 from the company. Miller used this money to pay for personal expenses and did not report it on his personal tax returns for 2009 through 2012, causing a tax loss of approximately $58,000.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 7, 2017. Miller faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Robinson commended special agents of FBI and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kanter and Trial Attorney Benjamin Weir of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Cabell County man enters guilty plea to tax fraud in connection to W.Va. Division of Highways pay-to-play schemeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A Lesage, West Virginia man pled guilty today to a federal tax charge, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Andrew P. Nichols pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Impede the Internal Revenue Service.” Nichols admitted to conspiring with others to impede tax collection of the IRS by using the expense account of an engineering consulting firm to make multiple covert payments via cashier’s check to Bruce Kenney, then an engineer at the West Virginia Division of Highways (“WVDOH”). The criminal conduct in this matter occurred from 2009 until at least 2011.
Nichols was previously named in an indictment in November 2016, accused of being a part of a scheme which caused approximately $1.5 million worth of WVDOH work to be routed to the Dennis Corporation, a Columbia, South Carolina engineering consulting firm.
Nichols, age 38, formerly served as the manager of the West Virginia Division of the Dennis Corporation while also working as an engineering professor. According to the initial indictment, he was alleged to have managed the financial relationships between Dennis Corporation and a WVDOH employee, and to have ensured that illicit payments were made to the WVDOH employee.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Public Corruption Unit, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the West Virginia State Police.U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.
Brockton Man Sentenced for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for trafficking fentanyl.
Jeffrey Oliveira, 22, a/k/a Chubbs, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In addition, Oliveira is prohibited from contacting members and associates of the Turner Street gang. In January 2017, Oliveira pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In May 2016, Oliveira and six others were indicted on fentanyl trafficking and firearms-related charges following a seven-month state and federal investigation into violent crime in the Brockton area. The investigation revealed that Oliveira and his co-defendants were distributing drugs in the Brockton area, and on several occasions, law enforcement officers seized fentanyl from the defendants’ associates. In April 2016, Oliveira and Alezio Lopes were arrested after the investigation revealed that Lopes was supplying drugs to Oliveira and his co-defendants. Law enforcement officers seized three bags of fentanyl and a loaded gun from the car that Oliveira and Lopes were driving at the time of their arrest.
Oliveira is the fourth defendant of seven sentenced in this case. Lopes is charged with state violations.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn A. MacKinlay of Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Bristol Woman Pleads Guilty to Participating in IRS Impersonation ScamRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Special Agent in Charge William Kalb announced that NANCY J. FRYE, 51, of Bristol, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to her involvement in an IRS impersonation scam that defrauded more than 500 victims in the United States and Canada.
An IRS impersonation scam is operated by individuals who falsely represent themselves as employees of the IRS to obtain money from victims. Typically, those executing the fraudulent scheme make unsolicited telephone calls to people and tell them that they are IRS agents or officers calling on behalf of the IRS. During the calls, the impersonator tells the call recipient that the recipient has an outstanding debt with the IRS that must be paid immediately. The impersonator then threatens persons with either arrest or a lawsuit if they do not immediately settle the bogus IRS debt. Victims are instructed to wire money to individuals they believe are employees of the IRS in order to avoid the threatened action.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2015, FRYE received phone calls and text messages from individuals who successfully recruited her to pick up money that was wired through MoneyGram and Western Union and to deposit the money into specific bank accounts. FRYE, in turn, recruited Douglas Martin and others to assist her in picking up wired funds from locations in central Connecticut. FRYE then deposited the money that she collected into the bank accounts.
Between October 2015 and May 2016, FRYE, and others working at her direction, received approximately $583,000 in wired funds from approximately 527 victims.
FRYE and Martin were arrested on September 15, 2016.
FRYE is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on September 20, 2017, at which time FRYE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Martin, 52, of Bristol, pleaded guilty to the same charge on May 18, 2017, and awaits sentencing.
Since October 2013, TIGTA has received reports of more than 1.9 million impersonation related calls with more than 10,400 victims reporting losses of over $56 million.
This matter is being investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The U.S. Attorney gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by the Rocky Hill Police Department, Bristol Police Department, and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
U.S. Attorney Daly stated that the investigation is ongoing and encouraged individuals who receive impersonation calls, including those who have been victimized by this scheme, to report the information at https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml.
Alien Located in Camden Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Ramon Orlando Alvarenga-Rodriguez, age 34, of Honduras, has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Columbia, to Illegal Re-Entry, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a)(2) and (b). United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Ramon Orlando Alvarenga-Rodriguez was encountered by ICE-Homeland Security Investigations agents on February 27, 2017 at the Kershaw County Detention Center in Camden after he was arrested for unrelated charges. An investigation revealed that Alvarenga-Rodriguez is a citizen of Honduras. He had been deported three times pursuant to an order of removal and had been convicted of Improper Entry by an Alien, then re-entered the United States without permission.
U.S. Attorney Drake stated the maximum penalty for Illegal Re-Entry is imprisonment for 20 years and/or a fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the ICE-Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II, of the Columbia office, is prosecuting the case.
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Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jesus Parra, 30, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Parra was charged as the result of an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Parra was charged in indictment filed on June 30, 2016, with distribution of methamphetamine on May 12, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. During today’s proceedings, Parra pled guilty to an information charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and admitted that on May 12, 2016, he distributed methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent. At sentencing, Parra faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
To date, 54 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Spiers.
Albany Man Sentenced for Stealing Government PropertyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – John E. Szumigata, age 70, of Albany, was sentenced today to serve 5 months in jail, to be followed by 5 months of home confinement, for stealing over $91,000 in benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and John F. Grasso, Special Agent in Charge of the SSA Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office.
On June 1, 2016, Szumigata was convicted of theft of government property after a two-day trial. The evidence at trial demonstrated that between October 1999 and September 2012, Szumigata withdrew Social Security monies that were directly deposited into his mother’s checking account for her benefit, despite the fact that she had died in 1999. Szumigata used the money to write checks to himself, pay personal expenses, and transfer money to businesses that he owned.
Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe also ordered Szumigata to serve 3 years of supervised release and to pay $91,322.44 in restitution to the SSA.
This case was investigated by the SSA Office of the Inspector General and was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason W. White.
Alaska Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Role in Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today significant sentences in a recent drug ring case. Hakim Giddins, 36, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline to serve 16 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that brought controlled substances, including heroin and methamphetamine, into Alaska. On Feb. 14, 2017, Hakim Giddins pled guilty to drug conspiracy and money laundering, and was sentenced on May 24, 2017.
Hakim Giddins was indicted with multiple co-conspirators including Shakin Giddins, Markin Giddins, Tara McNutt, Kourtney Davis, and Briana Herndon. According to court documents, from 2014 to 2016, McNutt, Davis, and Herndon opened various mailboxes with Alaska addresses for the purpose of receiving heroin from California. This heroin was received and distributed in Alaska by Hakim Giddins and his co-conspirators. Hakim Giddins himself possessed and distributed heroin, and he knew or reasonably foresaw that the distribution of 1000 grams or more of heroin had been the central object of the agreement. As part of this case, Shakin Giddins pled guilty to drug conspiracy and money laundering, and Markin Giddins pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During this same time frame, Hakim Giddins and others also entered into an agreement to launder the proceeds obtained from the distribution of drugs brought into Alaska by the conspiracy. The cash proceeds from the sale of these drugs was laundered by making deposits into bank accounts located in Alaska in other people’s names. This money was then withdrawn in California. Cash was also shipped in bulk from Alaska to California. Hakim Giddins directed others to make bank deposits in his behalf with money that he knew had come from drug trafficking. Hakim Giddins believed that by having the deposit made that way it would conceal his connection to the money as well as to the true source of the money.
Hakim Giddins has been a lifelong criminal, with court documents indicating his criminal activity began as early as age 12. In this current case, while he was incarcerated, he supervised the activities of his co-defendants. Furthermore, he intimidated a witness with violence if the witness proceeded to provide testimony against his brother Markin, a co-defendant in this case.
Multiple conspirators were indicted for criminal conduct related to this drug conspiracy. The following defendants have pleaded guilty to criminal charges and have been sentenced to the following prison terms in the past month:
• Hakim Giddins, sentenced to 16 years in prison on May 24, 2017
• Shakin Giddins, sentenced to 6 years in prison on May 25, 2017
• Markin Giddins, sentenced to 5 years in prison on May 16, 2017
• Tara McNutt, sentenced to 42 months in prison on June 8, 2017
• Kourtney Davis, sentenced to 18 months in prison on May 16, 2017
• Briana Herndon, sentenced to 9 months in prison on May 24, 2017
The Alaska case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephan A. Collins of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska, and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
10 June 2017
Former Providence, Kentucky Police Officer is Charged with Civil Rights Violations and ObstructionRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced that a former police officer with the Providence (Ky.) Police Department was charged Thursday, June 8, 2017, by federal grand jury indictment, with two counts of willfully violating the civil rights of an arrestee and one count of obstructing justice by filing a false report. The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Wheeler, II, head of the Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr., of the Western District of Kentucky.
The indictment alleges that William Dukes, Jr., of Greenville, Kentucky, arrested J.L., a Webster County resident, on May 26, 2016, without probable cause to believe that J.L. had committed a crime, and that Dukes made this unlawful arrest to retaliate against J.L. for seeking to file a complaint against Dukes through state law enforcement agencies. The indictment alleges that the offense resulted in bodily injury to J.L. and that it involved the use of a dangerous weapon. A third count in the indictment charges Dukes with filing a false report with the intent to obstruct any investigation into the false arrest incident.
If convicted, Dukes faces a maximum statutory punishment of 10 years of imprisonment on each of the first two charges and a maximum statutory punishment of 20 years on the third charge.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and Dukes is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Owensboro Division, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Hancock of the Western District of Kentucky, and Trial Attorney Roy Conn III of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
9 June 2017
Woodbridge Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Murder and RobberyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Bernardo Eugene Ford, Jr., 26, of Woodbridge, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for his role in the armed robbery and murder of a drug dealer in Falls Church.
A federal jury convicted Ford on March 9. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 23, 2016, Ford and a co-conspirator went to the victim’s apartment in Falls Church, intending to rob the victim of his drugs and drug proceeds. When the drug dealer resisted, Ford and his co-conspirator hit him in the head with a firearm, and then shot him, first in the arm and then in the back as he attempted to flee, severing his spine. Ford and his co-conspirator then fled, taking with them one of the victim’s iPhones.
Telephone records introduced by the prosecution showed Ford’s and the victim’s phones contacting the same cell phone tower minutes after the murder and approximately two miles away from the victim’s apartment. Ford’s Facebook records contained communications in which he discussed with two different persons his intention to rob drug dealers. Cartridge casings and bullets recovered from the apartment were fired from two different semi-automatic handguns, leading to the conclusion that two persons were involved in committing the crime.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Rich and Carina A. Cuellar are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-149.
Williamson County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
On June 7, 2017, Julian V. Rodriguez, 21, of Johnston City, pled guilty to methamphetamine offenses, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.
At the plea hearing, Rodriguez pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of methamphetamine. Evidence at the plea hearing established Rodriguez was involved with others in the distribution of ice and marihuana. Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity level of at least 80%. The offenses occurred between December 2016 and January 23, 2017, in Williamson County. During his plea, Rodriguez admitted he was responsible for the distribution of more than 500 grams of ice and 540 pounds of marihuana. The offenses carry a maximum penalty of 5-40 years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Williamson County States Attorney’s Offices also assisted in the investigation.
Williamson County Man Charged with Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
On June 6, 2017, a Williamson County man was indicted for methamphetamine offenses, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.
Shaundale E. Johnson, a/k/a "Shug," 36, of Marion, was charged in a two-count indictment charging distribution of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred on March 17, 2017, and March 20, 2017, in Williamson County. Johnson made his initial appearance in federal court on June 7, 2017. At his June 9, 2017, detention hearing, he was ordered held without bond pending an August 14, 2017, jury trial.
The methamphetamine offenses carry a maximum penalty of up to 30 years of imprisonment, to be followed by six years of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Williamson County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Williamson County Man Charged with Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
On June 6, 2017, a Williamson County man was indicted for a methamphetamine offense, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.
Rex A. Hopper, 43, of Creal Springs, was charged in a one-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred on January 2016 and May 31, 2017, in Williamson and Franklin Counties. Hopper made his initial appearance in federal court on June 9, 2017. He was ordered held without bond pending a June 12, 2017, detention hearing.
The methamphetamine offenses carry a maximum penalty of 5-40 years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Williamson and Franklin County States Attorney’s Offices also assisted in the investigation.
Waltham Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Waltham man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possession of child pornography.
Christopher J. Sullivan, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf to time served, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,000. In February 2017, Sullivan pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
In January 2016, federal agents in Portland, Ore., received information that a minor boy had been engaging in online sexually explicit conversations with an adult man living in Waltham, Mass. Following an investigation, a federal search warrant was issued for Sullivan’s residence in Waltham. During the search, a number of digital devices, which Sullivan later admitted belonged to him, containing multiple images and videos depicting children engaging in sexually explicit conduct were recovered. A forensic analysis revealed that the majority of the children depicted in the pictures and videos were between the ages of 7 and 12 years old.
Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The Waltham Police Department assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Two Orlando Men Charged in Connection with Impersonating Homeland Security Agents and ExtortionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the arrests and filing of a
criminal complaint charging Ronnie Rolland Montgomery (28, Orlando) and John Pierre Mack, III (25, Kissimmee, former member of the Florida National Guard) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud stemming from their participation in a criminal organization focused on extorting victims by impersonating agents with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.According to court documents, in 2015, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) (San Diego and Tampa) began investigating a criminal organization that was demanding money from victims nationwide by claiming to be “agents” of Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center (C3). Typically, the victims had responded to an online dating post and engaged in a conversation and exchange of photos with a female that they believed was an adult. The victims were later contacted by schemers posing as “agents,” who alleged that the female from the dating post was under the age of 18. The “agent” would claim that they had an arrest warrant for charges of soliciting a minor and would then direct the victim to make payments for “fines” and “penalties,” in lieu of being arrested. To further their scheme, the “agents” sent paperwork to the victims displaying the DHS seal, a judge’s name, and legal terms related to child exploitation. The schemers utilized email addresses containing variants of “child exploitation” and “cyber crimes center” in their correspondence.
The victims, many of whom were members of the military, sent multiple extortion payments, ranging from $200 to $1,900 per transaction, fearing they would otherwise be arrested. ICE’s OPR agents launched a nationwide investigation that resulted in the arrests of Montgomery and Mack in connection with this criminal organization. Law enforcement continues to investigate individuals involved in this scheme.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by ICE OPR and HSI, with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (San Diego) and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christina R. Downes, on assignment from the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, ICE. Prosecutorial assistance was provided by the Southern District of California.
Three Methamphetamine Dealers Arrested on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
AMARILLO — Three Amarillo residents have been charged by a federal criminal complaint stemming from their role in selling large quantities of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Specifically, the complaint charges Miguel Angel Bravo-Farias, 41, Hector Terrazas, 25, and Rogelio Xochitl Amparan, 29, with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The three defendants made appearances in federal court this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clinton E. Averitte, who ordered them to remain in custody pending the detention hearings set for June 14, 2017.
According to the affidavit filed with the federal complaint, on June 8, 2017, an operation was conducted to purchase 20 pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement met with Bravo-Farias, an illegal immigrant, and Terrazas at a Denny’s Restaurant located on I-40 in East Amarillo. Bravo-Farias and Terrazas were in possession of a box containing five plastic bags filled with methamphetamine. Bravo-Farias and Terrazas were arrested at the scene.
A search of Terrazas’ residence revealed a white plastic container with crystal like residue, an igloo style container with a crystal like substance, and 34 empty glass bottles with crystal like substance on the spouts in a bedroom. In the refrigerator, there were two igloo style containers with liquid substance believed to be liquid methamphetamine. In the same room was a closet that was converted into a work station with drying equipment. The closet contained fans and opened igloo style containers. On the floor there were used plastic gloves and utensils that had crystal like substance on them. The residence was used as a conversion lab from liquid to crystal methamphetamine.
The investigation revealed Xochitl Amparan as the head of the methamphetamine distribution operation.
A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged, and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The U.S. Attorney’s office has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment. The penalty for the offense charged in the criminal complaints is a maximum statutory penalty of life in federal prison and a $1 million fine.
The Amarillo Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance from the Randall County Sheriff’s Office, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Potter County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Bell is prosecuting.
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Spokane Valley Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Thomas J. Montieth, age 65, of Spokane Valley, Washington, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty on April 4, 2017 to Distribution of Child Pornography. Senior United States District Judge Justin L. Quackenbush sentenced Monthieth to a five-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a ten-year term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. In addition, Monthieth agreed to forfeit to the United States a computer and related equipment that he used to distribute and possess child pornography images and videos. Upon release from prison, Montieth will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, between July 22 and August 5, 2016, a Homeland Security officer working undercover in Spokane, Washington discovered that Monthieth was using peer to peer (P2P) file sharing to distribute images of child pornography over the internet. Special Agents from Homeland Security obtained a federal search warrant for Montieth’s residence in Spokane Valley, Washington. They executed the search warrant on September 7, 2016. During the execution of the search warrant, Montieth advised the Special Agents that he had been using P2P software to distribute and collect child pornography files. Law enforcement officers discovered approximately 21,244 child pornography images and 394 videos of child pornography on Mothieth’s desktop computer and a flash drive.
Joseph H. Harrington stated, “Prosecuting offenders who possess and distribute child pornography is a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. The United States Attorney’s Office is, and will continue to be, committed to prosecuting aggressively and seeking appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes.”
"The ceaseless efforts of our HSI Special Agents to identify criminals who target youth for sexual gratification are critical steps in making Washington communities safer," said Brad Bench, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Seattle. "This case is an example of how HSI,
in partnership with the Department of Justice, will continue to track, investigate and prosecute predators to the fullest extent of the law."
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May, 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
• Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and PSC Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.
San Angelo Man Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal Prison on Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas —Kelly Turner, 35, of San Angelo, Texas, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 188 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in March 2017 to one count of distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
According to documents filed in the case, on July 6, 2016, Turner distributed two images depicting a minor female, under the age of eighteen years, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition to the two images, Turner received and possessed hundreds of images and videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which he intentionally sought out and found on the Internet.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy was in charge of the prosecutions.
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Roxbury Man Sentenced for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Roxbury man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing cocaine.
Israel Delacruz, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2017, Delacruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Delacruz was supplied cocaine by Ileana Valdez and Elvin Soto. He, in turn, distributed it throughout Boston.
Delacruz is the 45th of 48 defendants tied to the Columbia Point Dawgs (CPD), indicted in June 2015 on drug trafficking and firearm charges, to plead guilty. Valdez previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Pena is scheduled to stand trial in October 2017.
According to documents filed in court, the CPD, also known on the street as “the Point,” was Boston’s largest and most influential city-wide gang. The criminal organization started in the 1980s in the former Columbia Point Housing Development (now Harbor Point) and, over the years, gang members established drug trafficking crews throughout Boston. It is alleged that the CPD was responsible for the distribution of multiple kilo quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and oxycodone throughout Boston and Maine.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; and Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, made the announcement.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rochester Woman Indicted for Tax Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced a federal indictment charging ROSA MARGARITA MALDONADO with two counts of filing a false claim for tax refund, one count of theft of public money, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. MALDONADO will make her initial appearance in United States District Court on June 21, 2017.
According to the indictment, MALDONADO filed false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns in her name for tax years 2011 and 2012 in which she reported false dependents, claimed fraudulent Earned Income Tax Credits and Additional Child Tax Credits, and claimed tax refunds to which she was not entitled.
According to the indictment, MALDONADO stole a $7,712 tax refund from the U.S. Treasury for tax year 2012 and unlawfully used the names, Social Security numbers, and birth dates of two minor children in the course of that theft of public money.
This case is part of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, and the Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allen A. Slaughter and U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Christopher S. Strauss.
Defendant Information:
ROSA MARGARITA MALDONADO
Rochester, Minn.
Charges:
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False, fictitious or fraudulent claims, 2 counts
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Theft of public money, 1 count
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Aggravated identity theft, 2 counts
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Rio Arriba County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempted Bank Robbery ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ashley Herrera, 28, of Espanola, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her conviction on attempted bank robbery.
Herrera was arrested in July 2016, on a criminal complaint charging her with attempting to rob the Bank of America branch located at 4037 Rodeo Road in Santa Fe, N.M., on Aug. 12, 2015. Herrera subsequently was indicted on Aug. 23, 2016, and charged with attempted bank robbery.
On Feb. 21, 2017, Herrera pled guilty to the indictment. and admitted that on Aug. 12, 2015, she attempted to rob the bank by handing a bank teller a note in which she threatened to shoot if the bank teller did not give her money. Herrera acknowledged leaving the bank without obtaining any money. She was later arrested after one of her fingerprints was found on the demand note she handed the bank teller.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shana B. Long and Peter J. Eicker prosecuted the case.
Providence Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with OxycodoneRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A licensed nurse pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to stealing oxycodone pills from a nursing home where she worked and attempting to conceal the theft by replacing the medication with other medications.
Charlotte Demers, 36, of Providence, R.I., pleaded guilty to four counts of tampering with a consumer product, specifically oxycodone, a narcotic used for pain relief. Demers is currently enrolled in the Court-run RISE program.
Between Sept. 12, 2016, and Oct. 8, 2016, while working as a licensed practical nurse at Countryside Health Care in Milford, Mass., Demers tampered with four blisterpacks of oxycodone that had been prescribed for residents of the nursing facility. She removed the oxycodone pills from the blisterpacks, replaced them with other medications that were used to treat other medical conditions, re-sealed the blistercards and put them back on medication carts at the nursing facility.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Food and Drugs, Drug Control Program, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Weinreb’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The RISE Program (Repair, Invest, Succeed, Emerge) is a Court-run program, designed to aid in the rehabilitation of applicable defendants who have pleaded guilty and are under pretrial supervision prior to sentencing. Their sentence is dependent upon their completion of the program and is determined at a later time.
Pittston Man Sentenced for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on June 8, 2017, United States District Court Judge Malachy Mannion sentenced Landy Then, age 25, of Pittson, Pennsylvania, to 18 months imprisonment for his role in a drug conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, from February through March of 2016 Then conspired with other individuals to distribute approximately 200 grams of cocaine throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Then was indicted by a grand jury on October 25, 2016, and pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement on December 8, 2016.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre Police Departments, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob.
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Pittsburgh Man Possessed 300 Videos and 1,300 Images of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Walter B. Williams, 46, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 2, 2016, Williams possessed more than 300 videos and 1300 images in computer graphics and digital files, depicting the sexual exploitation of children, many of whom were under the age of 12 years.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for October 17, 2017, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Williams.
Pharmacist Charged in Pill Mill Case Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A licensed pharmacist, Kumi Frimpong, who owned and operated the Cornerstone Pharmacy, located on Bolton Boone Drive in Desoto, Texas, was sentenced this morning for his involvement in a “pill mill” operation, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Specifically, Frimpong, 57, of Dallas, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 24 months in federal prison and ordered to surrender $41,112 to the United States that constitute proceeds from dispensing oxycodone during the conspiracy. Frimpong pleaded guilty in September 2016 to one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute oxycodone. Frimpong was ordered to report to serve his sentence no later than September 5, 2017.
“Diverted prescription pain pills kill more people in this country than heroin, while simultaneously fueling demand for heroin itself,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “Eighty percent of heroin users started by abusing prescription pain pills first. Those who divert legitimate drugs from their lawful, therapeutic purposes to illicit, deadly purposes all in the name of money are no better than any other drug trafficker and will be treated accordingly.”
Frimpong admitted that during the conspiracy, which began in January 2013 and continued through July 2014, he and his co-conspirators distributed and caused to be distributed at least 40,000 30mg oxycodone pills in Dallas, and elsewhere that he dispensed based on prescriptions issued in the name and DEA registration number of co-conspirator, Dr. Richard Andrews of McAllen Medical Clinic.
After their arrests in January 2016, Dr. Andrews and co-defendant pharmacists Frimpong and Ndufola Kigham were ordered to surrender their DEA registration numbers, preventing Dr. Andrews from issuing prescriptions for controlled substances and Frimpong and Kigham from dispensing controlled substances. Frimpong and Kigham also surrendered their stock of controlled substances that they had at their pharmacies to DEA.
Twenty-four individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in Dallas in February 2015 on offenses related to their participation in the prescription drug distribution conspiracy. That indictment alleged that from at least May 2013 through July 2014, the defendants participated in a scheme to illicitly obtain prescriptions for pain medications, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, and then distribute those controlled substances for profit. As part of the conspiracy, individuals, often homeless or of limited means, were recruited and paid to pose as patients at medical clinics, including the McAllen Medical Clinic, to obtain prescriptions to fill those prescriptions at designated pharmacies.
Superseding indictments were returned in December 2015 and in January 2016, and a total of 31 individuals have now been charged. All of the defendants have pleaded guilty.
This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Louisiana State Police, the Grand Prairie Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Houston Police Department, the Arlington Police Department, the Greenville Police Department, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters is in charge of the prosecution.
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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Kidnapping, Jewelry Store RobberyRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TIMOTHY FORBES, 35, of Allentown, Pa., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 228 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a violent kidnapping and jewelry store robbery in April 2013.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 9:00 p.m. on April 11, 2013, Kasam Hennix, William Davis, Christopher Gay and Jeffrey Houston, all of whom were wearing masks and gloves and two of whom were armed with handguns, broke into an apartment on Gravel Street in Meriden, Conn., bound four victims with duct tape and covered their heads with pillowcases, towels and jackets. Hennix, Davis, and Houston then forced two of the victims into a victim’s vehicle and drove to Lenox Jewelers in Fairfield, Conn., where the two victims worked. FORBES traveled to Fairfield in a separate vehicle, and Gay remained in the Meriden apartment to guard the two other victims.
After Hennix, Davis and Houston arrived at the Fairfield store, they stole jewelry, watches and loose diamonds with a total replacement value of more than $3 million. They then fled in the victim’s car, leaving the two victims bound inside the store. Hennix, Davis and Houston abandoned the victim’s vehicle and got into FORBES’ vehicle. One of the defendants called Gay to advise him that they had successfully carried out the robbery and that he should leave the apartment. The defendants then fled the state.
The five defendants were arrested in May 2013.
Investigators determined that FORBES, Houston and Gay had traveled from Pennsylvania to Connecticut on several occasions in the weeks prior to the robbery in order to track the victims’ movements between Lenox Jewelers in Fairfield and their residence in Meriden. In addition, FORBES and Gay placed a GPS on one of the victim’s vehicles in an effort to make it easier to track him.
On January 19, 2017, FORBES pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping, one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Hennix, of Easton, Pa., Davis, of Allentown, Pa., Houston, of Allentown, and Gay, of the Bronx, N.Y., also pleaded guilty to related charges. On April 17, 2015, Davis was sentenced to 176 months in prison; on January 27, 2016, Gay was sentenced to 102 months in prison; on February 8, 2016, Hennix was sentenced to 171 months of imprisonment, and, on April 26, 2017, Houston was sentenced to 90 months of imprisonment.
The defendants have been ordered to pay restitution of more than $3.1 million, and have forfeited gemstones, jewelry, watches, a vehicle, and more than $127,000 in cash seized from them at the time of their arrests.
FORBES has been involved in at least three other similar jewelry store robberies, including one that occurred in York, Pa., in July 2012. During that robbery, one of FORBES’ co-defendants shot the owner of the store, permanently disabling him. On March 23, 2016, FORBES was sentenced in the Middle District of Pennsylvania to 14 years of imprisonment for his role in that robbery.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fairfield Police Department and Meriden Police Department. U.S. Attorney Daly also acknowledged the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI in New York and Pennsylvania; the York, Allentown and Bethlehem Police Departments in Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.
Peabody Man Sentenced for Oxycodone TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Peabody man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing oxycodone throughout the North Shore area along with eight others.
Joseph Romano, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2017, Romano pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute oxycodone.
In March 2014, federal investigators began tracking the activities of Romano and his co-defendants. Through surveillance and a cooperating source, investigators were able to make controlled purchases of oxycodone from Romano and his associates. Co-defendants Anthony Panarese, Jarod Presterone, and Paul Williams were oxycodone suppliers, and on roughly a weekly basis, Romano contacted each of them separately to arrange meetings to obtain oxycodone pills for redistribution. At times, Romano also met with Eric Vaughn, who delivered pills to Romano for his personal use. Romano consumed some of the pills and distributed the remainder to various individuals, including Ashley Turner, Sans Milbury and Marcelle Milbury. In addition, when Romano went on vacation in June 2015, Turner handled distribution for him, during which time Williams supplied oxycodone pills to Turner’s father, David Turner Sr., who then delivered them to his daughter, Ashley.
Panarese has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 46 months in prison; Marcelle Milbury also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in prison; Sans Milbury, graduated from the RISE program, sponsored by the Court, and was sentenced to three-years of probation. Co-defendants Presterone, Vaughn, Ashley Turner, David Turner Sr. and Williams, have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Office; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Chief Patrick M. Ambrose of the Danvers Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Parma Heights financial advisor charged with stealing $543,000 from clients through identity theftRead the Press Release
A Parma Heights financial advisor was charged in federal court for defrauding clients out of more than a half-million dollars, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.
Martin R. Stancik, 67, was charged by information with one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identify theft said
Stancik, a financial advisor, stole money his clients believed he would use to purchase annuities and life insurance policies on their behalf. Stancik then used the stolen funds for his own personal benefit, according to the information.
Stancik also stole a client’s identity by taking out a loan against his client’s life insurance policies, without his authorization or knowledge, by forging his client’s name and depositing the loan proceeds check into Stancik’s own bank account. Stancik created false documents purporting to be account statements for policies he never purchased, but nevertheless provided to his clients so they believed the policies existed, according to the information.
The total loss associated with Stancik’s conduct is approximately $543,369, according to the information.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hollingsworth following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Owner of Lake Norman Restaurant Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Peter Gjuraj, 49, of Mooresville N.C., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer today and pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Rose is joined in making today’s announcement by Thomas J. Holloman III, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
“Gjuraj reaped all the benefits of owning a profitable restaurant on the shores of Lake Norman, but did not want to pay taxes owed from operating his successful business. Instead, he used the extra income to fund homes, cars, and to travel. To those tax cheats who think they can get away without paying taxes owed, you will be investigated and you will be held accountable for your actions,” said U.S. Attorney Rose.
“Today’s plea of Peter Gjuraj’s is a reminder that any attempt to evade tax by hiding income and filing false returns is a theft from the American public. It is a felony offense that carries severe consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Holloman. “The overarching principle of IRS’s enforcement strategy is simply this: We protect the integrity of the tax system by ensuring everyone pays the right amount of tax.”
According to filed documents and today’s court proceedings, from 2012 to the present, Gjuraj was a resident of Mooresville, N.C. and the owner and operator of Blue Parrot, a restaurant in Lake Norman, N.C. Gjuraj served as the bookkeeper for Blue Parrot, which obtained the majority of its income from the restaurant and from sale of gasoline to boaters.
According to filed documents and today’s court proceedings, for years 2012 through 2014, Blue Parrot earned additional gross receipts totaling approximately $2,793,873.00 that Gjuraj failed to report on his individual income tax returns filed with the IRS. As a result of the unreported gross receipts, Gjuraj had additional taxable income substantially in excess of that reported on his tax years 2012 through 2014. The additional federal tax due on this unreported income was a total of $319,974.92 based on additional tax due of $59,576.96, $96,866.96, and $163,531.00 for years 2012 through 2014, respectively.
According to filed documents and today’s court proceedings, as a result of the unreported gross receipts, Gjuraj fraudulently claimed various credits against taxes. For example, in 2012 and 2013, Gjuraj fraudulently claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). During the relevant time period, Gjuarj structured cash withdrawals to avoid the filing of currency transaction reports. For example, between July 8, 2013 and September 27, 2013, Gjuraj made approximately fifteen cash withdrawals from a bank account of amounts between $9,000 and $9,900, totaling approximately $141,850.
According to filed documents and today’s plea hearing, Gjuraj’s expenditures for years 2012 through 2014 were far in excess of his reported income. Gjuraj used business funds to purchase, among other things: two houses for $375,000; cars worth approximately $80,000; and additional personal expenditures including travel and home improvements.
Court documents show that Gjuraj failed to file a timely tax return with the IRS for 2015, despite earning approximately $631,666 in income. As a result of his unreported gross receipts, Gjuraj has an additional tax due and owing of approximately $217,015.05 for tax year 2015.
Gjuraj was released on bond after his plea hearing. The tax evasion charge carries a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine. As part of his plea agreement, Gjuraj has agreed to pay restitution of $536,989.97 to the IRS. As sentencing date for the defendant has not been set.
The investigation was led by IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is prosecuting the case.
Oklahoma City Lab Worker Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Allowing Submission of Fraudulent Urine Samples for Drug TestingRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – JASON MICHAEL GOMEZ, 38, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty today to accepting a bribe in return for committing a fraud on the United States, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On May 1, 2017, Gomez was charged by information with one count of bribery. Gomez worked in Oklahoma City as a urinalysis collector for Catalyst Behavioral Services (CBS), which contracts with the United States Probation Office to provide drug testing and treatment services for individuals supervised by U.S. Probation. As part of his job, Gomez collected urine specimens from individuals required to undergo court-ordered drug testing as a condition of their supervision. According to the information, from June 2016 until February 6, 2017, Gomez solicited and accepted cash payments in exchange for allowing individuals to smuggle into CBS "clean" urine samples for drug testing, rather than requiring individuals to provide their own urine sample. Gomez also falsely certified on U.S. Probation Office chain of custody forms that he had observed individuals provide their own samples.
At his plea hearing today, Gomez admitted that he accepted cash bribes in exchange for allowing individuals under U.S. Probation supervision to provide fraudulent urine samples for drug testing. Gomez also admitted that he submitted false chain of custody forms to the U.S. Probation Office.
At sentencing, Gomez faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Perry.
New Iberia man sentenced for sending threatening letters to government agencies in south LouisianaRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a New Iberia man was sentenced to 33 months in prison for sending threatening letters to government agencies across South Louisiana, including the governor’s office.
Kyle Dore, 33, of New Iberia, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on five counts of mailing threatening communications and four counts of false information and hoaxes. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the guilty plea, Dore sent a series of letters in December 2015 and January 2016 threatening agencies and persons working at offices in local, state and federal government. In four of the nine letters, he sent a white powder with the implication that it was toxic. The substance was later tested and found not dangerous. He sent letters to the Louisiana State Capitol to the attention of Governor John Bel Edwards, the Vermilion Parish Courthouse, the Lafayette Parish Courthouse, and U.S. Post Offices in New Iberia, Delcambre, Abbeville and Lake Charles.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Middletown Man Charged with $3MM in Wire and Bank Fraud, Money Laundering and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that an Indictment was handed down by a federal grand jury on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, charging Donald Rice, age 54, of Middletown, Delaware, with wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and tax offenses. The defendant faces up to 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charges, 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charges, up to 10 years on the money laundering charge, and three years on the filing a false tax return charge and up to one year on the failure to file a tax return offense.
The Indictment alleges that between 2013 and 2015, the defendant, who was at the time a certified public accountant, embezzled almost $3 million dollars from a trust created to pay the tax obligations of a dissolving company. While serving as the trustee, defendant used funds deposited into the trust account to finance his own business investments, including the purchase of multiple tax preparation franchises. The defendant also used trust account funds for his personal expenses, including the purchase of a luxury vehicle.
The Indictment further alleges that Rice had previously defrauded another client. In 2011, while purportedly providing estate-planning services for a client, Rice misappropriated $100,000, which the client provided to Rice to invest on her behalf. The defendant instead used this money to fund his own business ventures and pay personal expenses. Following that client’s death in 2012, Rice, who was also the executor of her estate, continued to collect her pension payments from a public employee retirement system, again using the funds for his personal benefit.
The Indictment also alleges that Rice was engaged in income tax fraud. The federal tax return Rice filed for 2013 did not include, as required by law, his illegal income from his fraud scheme and materially understated his income. After seeking an extension of time to file a tax return for 2014, defendant never filed a return for that tax year.
Acting U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “I want to thank both the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their efforts in building this case. The theft of millions of dollars by a trusted professional is a brazen crime. Defendant’s further actions, victimizing an elderly woman who had entrusted him with funds and failing to abide by his own tax obligations, similarly demonstrate a blatant disregard for the law. We are committed to the prosecution of these types of offenses.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Wolf.
The charges in the Indictment are only allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Miami-Area Man Charged for Role in $63 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Miami-area man was charged in an indictment unsealed today for his alleged participation in a $63 million health care fraud scheme involving a now-defunct community mental health center located in Miami.
Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office made the announcement.
Samuel Konell, 69, of Boca Raton, Florida, was charged in an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and receive health care kickbacks, one count of receiving health care kickbacks and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Konell was arrested this morning and appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick A. White of the Southern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that from approximately January 2006 through June 2012, Konell accepted kickbacks in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries to Greater Miami Behavioral Healthcare Center, Inc. (Greater Miami) to serve as patients so that Greater Miami could bill Medicare for mental health treatment purportedly provided to those beneficiaries. The indictment further alleges that Konell knew that the beneficiaries he referred to Greater Miami did not need, qualify for nor receive such treatment. In addition, the indictment alleges that Konell and co-conspirators took steps to disguise the true nature of the bribes and kickbacks Greater Miami paid to Konell and other patient brokers.
According to the indictment and other court documents, Konell and his co-conspirators caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for mental health treatment purportedly provided by Greater Miami in an amount exceeding $63 million.
- date, 11 individuals have pleaded guilty for their role in the scheme, including the owner of Greater Miami, three administrators and seven patient brokers.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Young and Leslie Wright are prosecuting the case.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 2,300 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $7 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Mexican Woman Sentenced for Importing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 24-year-old woman from Guadalajara, Mexico, has been ordered to prison following her conviction of the conspiracy to import methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Vanessa Hernandez pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Senior Judge George P. Kazen ordered Hernandez to serve a 100-month term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face deportation proceedings following her release from prison.
On July 13, 2016, Hernandez applied for entry into the United States at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge in Laredo as a passenger in a Mexican taxi cab. She was travelling with one piece of luggage which showed anomalies within the lining wall. Further inspection of the luggage revealed two clear bags containing 4.02 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Hernandez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher dos Santos is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MIGUEL TERRAZAS-ORDONEZ, age 40, was charged today in a one-count Indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, TERRAZAS-ORDONEZ reentered the United States after he was previously deported on December 28, 2000. The Indictment contains a Notice of Sentencing Enhancement due to TERRAZAS-ORDONEZ having a prior conviction in the District Court of Iowa, Keokuk County, for Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana.
If convicted, TERRAZAS-ORDONEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
Acting U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Member of International Child Exploitation Conspiracy Sentenced to 18 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Weed, California man was sentenced to 218 months in prison for conspiracy to produce child pornography based on his participation in a website that was operated for the purpose of coercing and enticing minors as young as eight years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct on web camera.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia; and Section Chief John J. Brosnan of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section (VCACS) made the announcement.
Jeffery Van Dyke, 46, was charged on April 4, 2016, and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia on March 10, 2017.
According to admissions made in connection with the plea agreement, members of the conspiracy created false profiles on social networking sites popular with children posing as young teenagers to lure children to two websites they controlled. Once on the conspirators’ websites, Van Dyke admitted that members of the conspiracy showed the children pre-recorded videos of prior minor victims, often engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to make the new victims think that they were chatting with another minor.
Van Dyke further admitted that conspirators used these videos to coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit activity on their own web cameras, which could be viewed live by other members without the victim’s knowledge and which the website automatically recorded and made available for download later. Van Dyke admitted that he linked minors to one of the websites and chatted with them there in furtherance of the conspiracy. The defendant also admitted that one of the websites ranked the efforts of the members to successfully coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit conduct on live web camera. Law enforcement agencies have disabled both websites.
Van Dyke’s sentence will be followed by 15 years of supervised release and he was further ordered to pay $15, 215 in restitution.
VCACS special agents led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and the FBI’s Digital Analysis and Research Center and the Office of Victim Assistance. The South Africa Police Service, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses, Gauteng; Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre; the Dutch Police Service Agency, KLPD; and the Australian Federal Police, Child Protection Operations, Sydney were active partners in Operation Subterfuge, a multinational investigation coordinated by members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force. Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $19 Million from IT CompanyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Nokesville man pleaded guilty today to embezzling approximately $19.3 million from his employer, an information technology company headquartered in Reston.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Jon Frank, 48, worked at the company as the controller. From 2007 until January 2017, he used his position to initiate transfers of approximately $19.3 million from the company’s bank account to his personal accounts. He created false documents to make it appear that the money was being sent as reimbursement to another company that was administering the health insurance plan for Frank’s employer. Relying upon his knowledge and the altered documents, he was able to mislead the individuals performing audits of the company’s financial records. Frank spent the money on expensive automobiles and real estate, among other things.
Frank pleaded guilty to wire fraud, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on September 8. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Hanly 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. 1:17-cr-144.
Lubbock Fentanyl Distributors SentencedRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Sidney Caleb Lanier, 36, and Jamie Marie Robertson, 32, both of Lubbock, Texas, were sentenced this morning before Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Lanier was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in February 2017 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Robertson was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison following her guilty plea also in February 2017 to one count of unlawful use of a communications facility.
Co-defendant Jessica Christine Holl, 29, of Lubbock, Texas, pleaded guilty in March 2017 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced June 30, 2017.
“Fentanyl is responsible for a sharp increase in overdoses and deaths across the country and poses a very high risk of death to not only users, but law enforcement and first responders as well,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “Our local, state and federal partners will continue to push back hard on those who peddle this poison in our communities.”
The defendants have been in custody since their arrest in October 2016 following a law enforcement operation led by Lubbock Police Department and special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration focused on the distribution in the Lubbock area of the highly potent synthetic opioid, fentanyl.
While fentanyl can serve as a direct substitute for heroin in opioid-dependent individuals, it is a dangerous substitute as it is 50 times more potent than heroin and results in frequent overdoses that can lead to respiratory depression and death. Cheaper than heroin, fentanyl can be ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin; just a few milligrams, equivalent to a few grains of table salt, may be deadly.
According to documents filed in this case, from approximately January 2013 to October 27, 2016, Lanier, Holl, and Robertson did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree with each other to intentionally distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. Lanier supplied Holl and Robertson with large amounts of Fentanyl he purchased online on the Darknet from China using Bitcoin, a digital currency. The Fentanyl was shipped to various addresses in the Lubbock area, prepared by the defendants and sold for use.
The case was investigated by the Lubbock Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Haag is in charge of the prosecution.
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Local Attorney Sentenced for Wire Fraud Related to $70 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Steven Scudder, 62, of Centerville, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a fraudulent investment scheme. Scudder pleaded guilty to wire fraud on January 19, and admitted that he used his position as an attorney to facilitate the fraudulent investment scheme operated by someone else.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ryan L. Korner, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Joseph Rivers, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General and Christopher White, Assistant Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
Court documents state that between July 2013 and July 2014, Scudder served as trustee of the WMA Trust, a land trust that purported to secure investments that individuals had made with William Apostelos. Scudder ultimately resigned from this position during mid-summer 2014. Scudder said Apostelos instructed him to continue to falsely hold himself out as the trustee of the WMA Trust until September 2014. Based on Scudder’s false representations, an investment group of approximately 10 people in another state invested more than $1 million with Apostelos. Apostelos used the funds to pay earlier investors rather than investing the money as promised.
Apostelos pleaded guilty in February for conducting a $70 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded nearly 500 victims. He is scheduled for sentencing at 9:30am on June 30.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative law enforcement investigation of this case, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Brent G. Tabacchi, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Lee's Summit Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Lee’s Summit, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Clark H. Henshaw, 36, of Lee’s Summit, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to the charge contained in an Oct. 14, 2015, federal indictment.
The investigation began in July 2013 when federal agents contacted a man in Bangor, Maine, who was trading child pornography on a photo-sharing website. Henshaw was identified as one of his primary trading partners to whom he sent images and videos of his sexual abuse of two 6-to-7-year-old boys. Each of those trading partners, he told federal agents, also claimed to have manufactured the child pornography they were sending to him.
Clark received 34 images of child pornography from his trading partner in Maine, including several images of him sexually molesting two prepubescent boys. Investigators learned that Henshaw sent two e-mail messages to other individuals on Aug. 20, 2013, that contained some of those images of child pornography.
On Feb. 13, 2014, federal agents executed a search warrant at Henshaw’s residence. Henshaw and his mother were home during the execution of the search warrant, however, agents had to force entry because no one would answer the door. They seized Henshaw’s cell phone, which contained 10 child pornography movie file downloads.
Under federal statutes, Henshaw is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Lauderdale County Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Brad Johnson, 27, from Meridian, was sentenced on May 30, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate, to 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1500 fine for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain.
Johnson pled guilty on March 1, 2017 to possessing two firearms in Meridian on October 7, 2015, at a time in which he was already a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Meridian Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin.
Last Defendant in Heroin, Methamphetamine and Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy Sentenced to 225 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Juan Salazar-Sanchez, aka “Mario Ayala Guzman” and “Manuel Barreto-Sanchez,” 50, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 225 months in federal prison for his role in a heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Salazar-Sanchez pleaded guilty in October 2016 to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Salazar-Sanchez has been in custody since his arrest.
“The convictions of Juan Salazar-Sanchez and his co-conspirators are indicative of law enforcement’s continued commitment to fully identify, investigate and bring to justice drug trafficking organizations determined to make a living from those struggling with addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Parker.
Salazar-Sanchez and four others were arrested in early June 2016 by special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Dallas Police Department who were conducting an operation into bulk distribution of crystal methamphetamine and bulk U.S. currency.
All defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy to the following:
Uriel Aguirre-Arzate, 21, 180 months
Isidro Romero-Madriz, 20, 70 months
Maricela Mendoza, 20, 11 months
According to documents filed in the case, on June 6, 2016 law enforcement executed a search at a residence on Reynolds Avenue in Dallas, Texas where the four defendants resided. Law enforcement located four loaded firearms and 75.7 grams of methamphetamine in a bedroom used by Salazar-Sanchez. A loaded firearm, 11,703 grams of methamphetamine, 3,354.6 grams of cocaine and 443.5 grams of heroin were located in a bedroom used by Aguirre-Arzate. 25,681.9 grams of cocaine and 1,116.8 grams of heroin were located in another bedroom used by Mendoza and Romero-Madriz. A total of $371,000 was also located in the residence.
The DEA and the Dallas Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cara Pierce and Myria Boehm prosecuted.
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced for Interfering with a Flight CrewRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Jerry Ba Nguyen, 25, of Las Vegas, was sentenced today before Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 36 months in federal custody for interfering with flight crew members and attendants, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Nguyen pleaded guilty in February 2017 to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants. Nguyen has been in custody since his arrest in September 2016.
According to plea documents filed in the case, on September 22, 2016 Nguyen was a passenger on American Airlines flight 2542 in route from Ontario, California, to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which was diverted to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, after Nguyen, knowingly interfered and attempted to interfere with the performance of the duties of a flight crew member and flight attendant, lessening their ability to perform their duties, by assaulting and intimidating the flight attendant and flight crew member by refusing to comply with instructions from flight attendants.
Nguyen came to the attention of the flight attendants as the plane was leaving the gate in Ontario, appearing agitated and walking toward the front of the aircraft as it prepared to take off. Flight attendants were able to calm him down, and the plane departed. After takeoff, however, Nguyen’s erratic behavior continued; he mumbled that the SIM card had been stolen from his phone and he made suicidal statements. He also stated that the police were not his friends, and the U.S. government was responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Nguyen was asked to remain in his seat by the flight crew on multiple occasions, but refused. Flight attendants were so concerned about his behavior that they recruited several passengers to assist with physically restraining Nguyen if it became necessary.
Upon final approach, Nguyen walked to the front of the aircraft and was near the cockpit door. Flight attendants instructed Nguyen numerous times that he needed to be seated for landing, but Nguyen refused to take his seat. Due to Nguyen’s proximity to the cockpit door, the lead flight attendant signaled other passengers to subdue Nguyen.
The Captain declared an emergency and diverted the flight to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, where it landed safely. Nguyen was removed from the plane and taken into custody
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Transportation Security Administration, the Lubbock Police Department and the Lubbock International Airport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag prosecuted.
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Lafayette man sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding illegal aliens in federal custodyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a former Lafayette stockbroker and financial consultant was sentenced to 18 months in prison for operating a scheme to take money from the families of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees on the false promise that he would provide the ICE detainees assistance in their immigration proceedings.
Donald Domingue, 59, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald Walter on one count of wire fraud. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $10,965 restitution and a $10,000 fine. According to the March 27, 2017 guilty plea, Domingue, who was a financial consultant and stockbroker in Lafayette, owned and operated a company headquartered in Lafayette that claimed to assist individuals being held in ICE detention centers. Through this company, American Immigration Consulting LLC, Domingue operated a scheme to defraud ICE detainees. He would make mass mailings to ICE detention centers around the country advertising his services in representing illegal aliens and assisting them with their immigration problems. Those detainees would then contact family members who would pay Domingue in exchange for promises that Domingue would represent the ICE detainees at deportation hearings, assist them in obtaining work permits, assist them in “bonding out” of detention facilities, and otherwise provide services in immigration-related matters. However, after receiving payments, Domingue would cease communication with the ICE detainees and their family members and fail to render the promised immigration services. The ICE detainees would then generally be deported. The scheme to defraud stared in April of 2014 and ended October 2014.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Joseph and Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Kansas Man Charged with Hate Crime, Firearm Offenses in Shooting of Three Men at Olathe BarRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the indictment of Adam W. Purinton, 52, of Olathe, Kansas. Purinton was indicted by a federal grand jury on hate crime and firearm charges for shooting three men—including two Indian nationals—at an Olathe bar on Feb. 22, 2017.
The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Wheeler, II, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and United States Attorney Thomas E. Beall of the District of Kansas.
Today’s indictment accuses Purinton of shooting and killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla because of Kuchibhotla’s actual and perceived race, color, religion and national origin. The indictment also accuses Purinton of attempting to kill Alok Madasani because of his actual and perceived race, color, religion and national origin.
A third count in the indictment charges Purinton with violating a federal firearms statute by discharging a firearm at Kuchibhotla, Madasani, and the third man, Ian Grillot, during those crimes of violence.
The indictment alleges that Purinton committed the offenses after substantial planning and premeditation, attempted to kill more than one person in a single criminal episode, and knowingly created a grave risk of death to others on the scene.
The statute authorizes a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; the Justice Department will determine at a later date whether, in this particular case, it will seek the death penalty.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Investigating agencies include the FBI and the Olathe Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tris Hunt and David Zabel of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Kansas Man Charged with Hate Crime, Firearm Offenses in Shooting of Three Men at Olathe BarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced the indictment of Adam W. Purinton, 52, of Olathe, Kansas. Purinton was indicted by a federal grand jury on hate crime and firearm charges for shooting three men—including two Indian nationals—at an Olathe bar on Feb. 22, 2017.
The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Wheeler, II, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and United States Attorney Thomas E. Beall of the District of Kansas.
Today’s indictment accuses Purinton of shooting and killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla because of Kuchibhotla’s actual and perceived race, color, religion and national origin. The indictment also accuses Purinton of attempting to kill Alok Madasani because of his actual and perceived race, color, religion and national origin.
A third count in the indictment charges Purinton with violating a federal firearms statute by discharging a firearm at Kuchibhotla, Madasani, and the third man, Ian Grillot, during those crimes of violence.
The indictment alleges that Purinton committed the offenses after substantial planning and premeditation, attempted to kill more than one person in a single criminal episode, and knowingly created a grave risk of death to others on the scene.
The statute authorizes a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; the Justice Department will determine at a later date whether, in this particular case, it will seek the death penalty.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Investigating agencies include the FBI and the Olathe Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tris Hunt and David Zabel of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Jackson County Man Sentenced on Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
On June 8, 2017, Marshall D. Rosenberger, 36, of Carbondale, was sentenced to federal prison for a methamphetamine offense, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Rosenberger, who had previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was fined $350.00. The indictment alleged the offense occurred between October 2015 and July 13, 2016, in Jackson and Williamson Counties. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established Rosenberger was involved with Lucas Holland and other persons in the manufacture of methamphetamine and distribution of ice in southern Illinois. Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity level of at least 80%. At sentencing, the district court found Rosenberger was responsible for the possession or distribution of 42.53 grams of ice, 312 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and 2.88 grams of pseudoephedrine. Lucas Holland was previously sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment for his role in the ice conspiracy.
The investigation was conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Southern Illinois Enforcement Group. The Carbondale Police Department also assisted in the investigation.
Information: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that those persons listed below were arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate and the indictments handed down by the Grand Jury unsealed.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on June 6, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- NOLAN DAVID BARBISAN, a 28-year-old resident of Bozeman, appeared on charges of felon in possession of firearms, false statement during firearms transaction, and possession of an unregistered silencer. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, BARBISAN faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office. PACER Case Reference. 17-09
- RANDALL ALAN FRANZ, a 58-year-old resident of Sandpoint Idaho, appeared on charges of concealment of assets in bankruptcy, false oath or account, and wire fraud. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, FRANZ faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 17-18
- WALTER JAMES MANULA, a 64-year-old resident of Butte, appeared on charges of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, MANULA faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 17-01
- WILLIAM KENT ROSS, a 67-year-old resident of Whitehall, appeared on charges of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, ROSS faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 17-09
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Cavan in Billings on June 2, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- JEANETTE LAMBERT SCHACHT, a 55-year-old resident of Laurel, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and maintain drug – involved premises. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, SCHACHT faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI Task Force. PACER Case Reference. 17-65
- RAYMOND EDWARD SCHACHT, a 57-year-old resident of Laurel, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and maintain drug – involved premises. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, SCHACHT faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI Task Force. PACER Case Reference. 17-65
- RONALD ANDREW SMITH, a 35-year-old resident of Redwood City, California, appeared on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, SMITH faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Montana Highway Patrol, and Park County Sheriff’s Office. PACER Case Reference. 17-55
- ISAIAH ELGIE THOMAS, a 29-year-old resident of Miles City, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, THOMAS faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 17-50
- JAIRO SEBASTIAN VELA-DIAZ, a 31-year-old resident of Grenada, appeared on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, VELA-DIAZ faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Montana Highway Patrol, and Park County Sheriff’s Office. PACER Case Reference. 17-55
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Cavan in Billings on May 31, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- SHAWN MICHAEL WENTZ, a 26-year-old resident of Bozeman, appeared on charges of receipt of child pornography. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, WENTZ faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and lifetime supervised release. The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations. PACER Case Reference. 17-24
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Cavan in Billings on May 30, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- CHAD RUSSELL MATTFELDT, a 42-year-old resident of Livingston, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, MATTFELDT faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Park County Sheriff’s Office. PACER Case Reference. 17-63
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Cavan in Billings on May 25, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- TERRY LEE FELLER, a 58-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, FELLER faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 17-63
- VERNON RAY HENSON, a 57-year-old resident of Colville, Washington, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, HENSON faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 17-43
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Cavan in Billings on May 24, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- MICHAEL LEE LIRA, a 52-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, LIRA faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, Russell Country Drug Task Force, and the Great Falls Police Department. PACER Case Reference. 17-34
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on May 23, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- BENGAMIN RAY YELLOW OWL, a 25-year-old resident of Browning, appeared on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, and distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, YELLOW OWL faces life in prison, $2,000,000 in fines and lifetime supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. PACER Case Reference. 17-32
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Cavan in Billings on May 23, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- VIOLET JOANN AGNES BIRDINGROUND, a 22-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, BIRDINGROUND faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 17-37
- TODD THOMAS MALMSTROM, a 52-year-old resident of Lockwood, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, MALMSTROM faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 17-54
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Cavan in Billings on May 19, 2017 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- EMMANUEL ARCE-GAXIOLA, a 28-year-old resident of Rock Springs, Wyoming, appeared on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, ARCE-GAXIOLA faces 20 years in prison, $1,000,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Eastern Montana HIDTA. PACER Case Reference. 16-113
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system so that you stay current and not miss any important developments in the case.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
Houston Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Following $1.2 Million Dollar Cash SeizureRead the Press Release
A drug trafficker was sentenced to 14 years in prison in federal court on Friday, June 9, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
United States Attorney Donald S. Boyce announced the sentence for the Southern District of Illinois. Defendant Samuel Dewayne Monroe, 39, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 168 months in prison, five years of supervised release to follow the term of imprisonment, a $600 fine, and a $100 special assessment. Monroe’s sentence came after the Court determined that he was involved in distributing approximately 120 kilograms of cocaine from Texas into the Midwest.
Monroe was charged in an Indictment on February 18, 2016, alleging that he and seven co-defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine into the Southern District of Illinois. In addition to the drug crimes, the indictment sought forfeiture of $1,212,934 in U.S. currency seized on December 2 and 3, 2015, along with jewelry appraised at $72,000.
Court records established thatMonroe and seven co-defendants conspired to traffic cocaine in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Evidence showed that in November 2015, Monroe and others traveled to the St. Louis area to deliver cocaine and transport cash. Part of this shipment included instructions to meet with a co-defendant to supply him with three kilograms of cocaine destined for O’Fallon, Illinois. On December 2, 2015, several individuals met in the parking lot at the Galleria Mall in St. Louis, Missouri, and delivered three kilograms of cocaine. Those kilograms were sold on a "front," or consignment-type arrangement, where the buyer was not required to make payment at the time of delivery. The recipient took the three kilograms back to O’Fallon where two of the kilograms were promptly redistributed to St. Louis and East St. Louis.
On the next day, December 3, 2015, one of the buyers contacted the supplier to complain that the third kilogram was of poor quality. The buyers asked to exchange it for a replacement kilogram. The parties agreed to meet again at the Galleria Mall in St. Louis to obtain the replacement kilogram. Police interrupted the planned exchange in the parking lot and arrested each of the participants who were present. Police recovered a drug log that referenced customer and payment records for 19 kilograms of cocaine that sold for $32,500 per kilo. A search of the vehicles revealed the replacement kilogram along with a number of hotel room key cards and rental car keys. Agents traced the keys to a hotel in St. Louis and ultimately discovered a black suitcase containing $508,330 in U.S. Currency; two more kilograms of cocaine; and a small black stolen .38 caliber revolver. In the parking garage of the hotel, agents found the rental cars driven by the defendants, which contained $339,380 and $319,920 in cash hidden in the spare tires.
Monroe is the first of eight defendants in this case to be sentenced. The seven co-defendants in this case, Astin Allison, Nahum Shibeshi, Terrance Miles, Victor Johnson, Jamie Green, Rodney Smith and Dan E. Bell, have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Evidence in support of this prosecution was obtained in an investigation conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations. The investigation was conducted by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
Henryville Man Sentenced for Steroids TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on June 8, 2017, United States District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy sentenced Robert Cartalemi, age 32, of Henryville, Pennsylvania to two years’ probation for possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, a felony offense. Cartalemi pleaded guilty to a criminal information on March 2, 2017.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, investigators intercepted a package on October 15, 2014, addressed to Cartalemi from China containing multiple controlled substances, which he had ordered from a known steroid supplier. Investigators then delivered the package, which Cartalemi accepted, and executed a search warrant. Noting Cartalemi’s lack of any previous criminal history, his acceptance of responsibility for his conduct, and a finding that he does not pose a danger to the community, Judge Conaboy imposed a sentence of probation in lieu of imprisonment. As part of the sentence, the first three months will be served as home confinement. Cartalemi was also ordered to pay a fine of $2,000.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean A. Camoni.
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