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8 June 2017
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Armed Bank Robbery ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Greg Miera, 51, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his armed bank robbery conviction.
Miera was arrested was arrested in March 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him and four co-defendants, Christian Herrera, 20, Isaiah Gallegos, 22, Christopher Gallegos, 33, and Martin Huertta, 44, all of Albuquerque, with bank robbery. According to the complaint, a source identified the defendants as the individuals involved in robbing the US Bank branch located at 5620 Wyoming Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, on March 30, 2016. Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officers conducted surveillance as a vehicle with four men pulled up to the US Bank on the afternoon of March 30, 2016. Three of the men remained in the vehicle while the fourth entered the bank, threatened to shoot the bank employees, and demanded that two bank tellers place cash into a plastic bag.
Huertta, Miera, Herrera, Isaiah Gallegos and Christopher Gallegos were indicted on April 27, 2016, and charged with bank robbery.
On Oct. 11, 2016, Miera entered a guilty plea to the indictment and admitted participating in the armed robbery of the U.S. Bank branch in Albuquerque on March 30, 2016.
Miera’s four co-defendants have entered guilty pleas and one has been sentenced. Huertta pled guilty on Sept. 9, 2016 and was sentenced on March 14, 2017 to 108 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Isaiah Gallegos entered a guilty plea on April 25, 2017, Christopher Gallegos entered a guilty plea on Feb. 13, 2017, and Herrera entered a guilty plea on Feb. 24, 2017. At sentencing, Isaiah Gallegos, Herrera, and Christopher Gallegos each face a statutory maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison. They remain in custody pending sentencing hearings.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Letitia C. Simms is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and Robbing Albuquerque-Area Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Oscar Anchondo, 40, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 100 months in prison for his conviction on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and the armed robbery of two Albuquerque-area convenience stores that were engaged in interstate commerce. Anchondo will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Anchondo was arrested in Oct. 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Oct. 6, 2015, in Sandoval County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 6, 2015, a resident of the Town of Bernalillo called the Bernalillo Police Department to report a stolen vehicle. The victim reported that Anchondo stole the vehicle after threatening to kill her, and that Anchondo was armed when he made the threat. Officers responded to the call and located the vehicle parked in the driveway of another residence in Bernalillo. In response to an inquiry from the officers, an occupant of the residence said that Anchondo was in the residence.
Anchondo was subsequently indicted on the same charge on Dec. 17, 2015. According to court records, on Oct. 6, 2015, Anchondo was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of the following felony offenses in state court: armed robbery with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Sept. 6, 2016, Anchondo entered a guilty plea to the indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and to a felony information charging him with two counts of violating the Hobbs Act. In entering the guilty plea, Anchondo admitted the following criminal conduct:
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On Sept. 29, 2015, Anchondo entered the Giant convenience store located at 6100 San Mateo Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, threatened the store employees with a firearm, demanded money, and robbed the employee of cash.
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On Sept. 29, 2015, Anchondo entered the 7-Eleven convenience store located at 1801 San Pedro Dr. NE in Albuquerque, threatened the store employees with a firearm, demanded money, and robbed the employee of cash.
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On Oct. 6, 2015, Anchondo was in possession of a firearm during a standoff with police who were attempting to arrest him for the offense charged in the criminal complaint, and that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the ATF office in Albuquerque and the Bernalillo Police Department with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and the Rio Rancho Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley under 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 work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
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Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against New York Man in Phony Bail Scheme That Targeted Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging PAUL IFEANYICHUKWU ONWUVUARIRI with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme that targeted and victimized elderly people across the United States. As alleged, ONWUVUARIRI and his co-conspirators tricked victims, by phone, into believing that they were speaking to the NYPD or another law enforcement agency, and that the victims’ grandchildren or relatives had been arrested and needed bail money immediately to avoid prison. ONWUVUARIRI was arrested last night and will be presented later today in federal court in Manhattan.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, Paul Ifeanyichukwu Onwuvuariri and his co-conspirators targeted vulnerable grandparents, callously preying on their emotions by convincing them that their loved ones were in trouble. Participants in this scheme allegedly swindled elderly victims out of thousands of dollars by pretending to be members of law enforcement, including the NYPD, and falsely claiming that victims’ family members were in custody and needed bail. We urge victims of this type of fraud to contact law enforcement, including our Office’s Victim/Witness unit.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “As alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators exploited victims’ trust in law enforcement to defraud the elderly. Tricking someone into thinking that a family member is in trouble, to further their fraud, is a particularly low bar. I want to thank the US Attorney’s Office, the Utica Police Department, and the detectives from the NYPD for their work on this case.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Beginning in approximately 2015, ONWUVUARIRI and his co-conspirators perpetrated a scheme to defraud elderly people around the United States by tricking them into believing their grandchildren or other relatives had been arrested and needed immediate bail money. A member of the conspiracy typically contacted the victim by phone, purported to be either the relative or a law enforcement official, and falsely claimed that the victim’s grandchild or relative had been taken into custody for a narcotics offense and would not be released unless the victim paid thousands of dollars in purported bail money. A member of the conspiracy also frequently posed on the call as the victim’s grandchild, pleading with the elderly victim to send money to secure the grandchild’s release from jail, and asking the victim not to contact any other family members because the grandchild felt ashamed. In each case, the defrauded victim has sent thousands of dollars, at a minimum, as instructed, to certain individuals who, among other things, have provided that money to ONWUVUARIRI. After paying the “bail” money as directed, victims have learned that their grandchild or relative had not, in fact, been arrested, that the grandchild or relative knew nothing about the claims made on the call to the victim, and that the call appeared to be fraudulent.
For example, among the examples set forth in the complaint, one 82-year-old victim in Brooklyn, New York, received a phone call in November 2015 from an individual who identified himself as the victim’s grandson and claimed that he had been arrested. The victim then spoke to an individual who identified himself as an NYPD sergeant and said the victim’s grandson would be released if the victim wired $7,600 in bail money. The victim deposited the money as directed, and then received additional calls the next day asking for additional money and the victim’s credit card number. The victim subsequently spoke with the victim’s daughter, and learned that the victim’s grandson had not been arrested, and knew nothing about the purported sergeant or the basis for his request for bail money.
In fact, the victim’s money was wired to an individual working with ONWUVUARIRI who collected the wired funds on ONWUVUARIRI’s behalf and provided the money to ONWUVUARIRI.
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ONWUVUARIRI, 29, of Utica, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the Criminal Investigators for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the Utica Police Department for its assistance.
If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900, or [email protected]. For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Nicolas Landsman-Roos is in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the Complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Brooklyn Man Who Preyed on Vulnerable Victims at A Manhattan BarRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging WILLIE WHITE with access device fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme that targeted vulnerable young men and women whom he met at a bar in Manhattan. As alleged, WHITE identified intoxicated victims he met at the bar, and then took them to an apartment in Brooklyn where he forced them to inhale a controlled substance that appeared to be crack cocaine. WHITE took the victims’ credit and debit card information and made unauthorized purchases for his own benefit. WHITE was arrested this morning and will be presented later today in federal court in Manhattan.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Willie White allegedly took advantage of intoxicated men and women at a Manhattan bar by taking them to another location and then further incapacitated them by forcing them to take drugs. White then allegedly stole their debit and credit cards and made unauthorized purchases. We thank the NYPD for their work in putting a stop to White’s crimes.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Between April and May of 2017, WHITE stole or otherwise improperly obtained the credit or debit cards of individuals whom he met in a Manhattan bar, and then used the stolen bank information to make purchases and cash withdrawals without the authorization or consent of the victims. In connection with the scheme, WHITE took at least two victims to an apartment in Brooklyn, where he forced the victims to ingest what they believed to be crack cocaine. While the victims were under the influence of the controlled substance, WHITE used the victims’ credit and debit cards to make purchases of clothing, shoes, and cash withdrawals without the victims’ knowledge or consent. WHITE detained the victims without their consent for hours, and in one case for over a day, while engaged in shopping sprees at the victims’ expense.
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WHITE, 46, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison that must be imposed consecutively to any other sentence. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, particularly Detective John McAuliffe and Detective Gregg Licari.
If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900, or [email protected]. For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Aline R. Flodr is in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the Complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
7 June 2017
Zuni Pueblo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Statutory Rape ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Kirk Simplicio, 24, a member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 16 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on a sexual abuse of a minor charge. Simplicio will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Simplicio was arrested on March 17, 2015, on an indictment charging him with sexually abusing a minor who was between 12 and 16 years of age. According to the indictment, Simplicio committed the crime on Jan. 1, 2014, on Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, N.M.
On May 26, 2016, Simplicio pled guilty to the indictment and admitted engaging in a sexual act with the victim, who was 14 years old and at least four years younger than Simplicio.
This case was investigated by the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback.
Woodlands Woman Charged with Defrauding EmployerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 52-year-old resident of The Woodlands has been charged with defrauding her former employer of more than $1.5 million, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
A criminal information was filed May 24, 2017, charging Kavita Nehendra Duvvuru with one count of wire fraud. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Smith at 10:00 today.
According to the charges, Duvvuru worked for the president of Vinmar International Ltd., a petrochemical, marketing and distribution firm located in Houston. The criminal information alleges that from 2010 through January 2017, Duvvuru made unauthorized charges of personal expenses and unauthorized cash withdrawals on credit cards which were only to be used for Vinmar business expenses. Duvvuru allegedly altered the credit card statements and provided false information to conceal her fraud from Vinmar.
As a result of her scheme Duvvuru caused Vinmar a loss of more than $1.5 million, according to the charges.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The criminal information also contains a notice of forfeiture.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Braddock is prosecuting the case.
A criminal information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Woman Sentenced to Two and Half Years Imprisonment for Theft and Embezzlement from Philadelphia Non-Profit Serving ChildrenRead the Press Release
Sonja McQuillar, 50 of New Castle, Delaware was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for embezzling from Northern Children’s Services, where she was employed. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court ordered 3 years of supervised release, a$300 special assessment, and $607,067 restitution.
McQuillar was the Director of Health and Information at Northern Children’s Services (NCS) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NCS is a nonprofit organization that provides mental and behavioral treatment services to children. As Director of Health and Information, one of McQuillar’s responsibilities was to verify the accuracy of consultants’ invoices and submit them for payment. From December 2002 and April 2014, McQuillar embezzled approximately $607,067 from NCS by creating consulting invoices for relatives and friends who were never consultants for NCS, and for individuals who were consultants for NCS, but for work they did not perform. After creating bogus invoices, McQuillar then forged the signatures of the alleged consultants in order to cash the checks.
McQuillar embezzled more than $600,000 from a non-profit organization that existed to benefit our most vulnerable youth,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen. “In doing so, the defendant deprived these children of much needed public funds that were designed to help them overcome trauma and behavioral disorders. We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who, for their own personal benefit, abuse the trust of public and private organizations
"This case is an example of the most damaging kind of theft. The defendant stole taxpayer dollars that were meant to support at-risk children. We will not tolerate this kind of self-serving act against vulnerable members of our population," said Inspector General Amy Kurland. "I thank our federal law enforcement partners for their close cooperation in this investigation and assure the public that we will continue working diligently to maintain integrity in our City."
The case was initiated by a tip to the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General and was also investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.
What They are Saying: Bipartisan Praise for Chris Wray as Next FBI DirectorRead the Press Release
"Chris is super smart, a great lawyer and highly experienced. He will serve the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation well. I worked with Chris for a number of years and always had complete confidence in him. He simply doesn't make mistakes. We are lucky he decided to reenter public service."
--Larry Thompson, Former Deputy Attorney General
”Chris is a wonderful choice to lead the FBI who cares deeply about the institution and already has strong relationships with the FBI. His background at the helm of the criminal division offered an excellent experience working on national security, white collar crime and a range of federal crimes as well as offering the privilege of working with the fantastic men and women of the FBI every day. He’s an excellent lawyer who will provide even keeled leadership.”
--Alice Fisher, Former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division
“This is an inspired nomination by the President. Chris Wray is a man of great intellect and unsurpassed integrity. He is a man of impeccable judgment. He is exactly the person the country needs at the FBI at this moment in our history. He will be beloved by the men and women of the Bureau and respected by all, Republicans and Democrats alike.”
--Judge J. Michael Luttig
"Chris Wray is a great choice for FBI Director. He is smart, independent and has a very impressive track record of service and experience in the Department of Justice where he worked closely with the FBI and was widely regarded as a strong leader. Chris's expertise covers a vast array of critical areas he will be dealing with, ranging from terrorism to white collar crime to cyberattacks. The country would be very fortunate to have someone of Chris's integrity and abilities leading the Bureau."
--Mary Jo White, Former Chair of the SEC under President Obama
"Chris Wray is the right man at the right time for the Nation and the FBI. He is a world-class prosecutor, lawyer, and leader with the integrity, experience, judgment, credibility, independence, and intellect needed to lead the FBI. He will bring the same immense talent, capacity for work and success in mission to the Bureau as he has brought in everything he has touched since he began his distinguished legal and public service career."
--John C. Richter, Former Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division
“Chris is a person of extraordinary integrity, intelligence, and common sense. As the Director of the FBI, I have no doubt he would be outstanding. Years ago, when I was a Clinton Administration U.S. Attorney, I hired Chris as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. He was a star from the get-go, and always put justice before politics. The country needs more public servants like Chris Wray. I hope the Senate confirms him as quickly as possible.”
--Kent Alexander, Former U.S. Attorney under President Clinton
“Chris is a seasoned professional with experience in all critical areas of the Department’s law enforcement and national security operations. We can have absolute confidence that he will serve the Bureau and the nation with honor and distinction.”
--Ken Wainstein, Former Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division
“I am delighted to hear the news that President Trump has nominated Chris Wray to be the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I have known Chris Wray throughout his legal career and his public service at the Department of Justice. In all of those different positions, Chris Wray has served with distinction and integrity. I know he will bring his experience and intellect to the office of FBI Director. He will be a strong and positive influence at the bureau for the next decade. I am confident Chris Wray will be seen as an impartial and unbiased leader who will help maintain the critical and historical tradition of excellence at the FBI. The American people can have confidence and trust in his anticipated leadership of the FBI. Specifically, Chris will provide superb leadership to America's daily efforts to prevent and protect Americans and American interests against future acts of global terrorism.”
--Joe Whitley, Former Department of Homeland Security General Counsel and U.S. Attorney
"Chris Wray is an outstanding choice to lead the FBI. I have known and worked with Chris Wray for many years. He is an exceptional lawyer with impeccable integrity and sound judgment. His extensive experience as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and then as Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division during the immediate aftermath of 9/11 gives him the critically important skills required to manage this great law enforcement agency. His work as a defense attorney also gives him broader insight into how to most effectively manage the complex investigations that the FBI will conduct in the coming years. When with the Department of Justice, Chris worked tirelessly to uphold the rule of law, strengthen our national security, and protect the rights of victims of crime. I am confident that he will do the same as Director of the FBI. Chris is the kind of leader that the FBI needs and deserves.”
--Gary Grindler, Acting Deputy Attorney General under President Obama
“Chris Wray is a man of integrity with a deep commitment to the rule of law. His substantial experience, particularly in serving on our Justice Department team fighting terrorism after 9/11, uniquely qualifies him to protect America as FBI Director.”
--Former Attorney General John Ashcroft
“I worked for Chris as his counsel for terrorism from 2003 to 2005, during a period when international terrorism occupied a great deal of Chris’s time as the Assistant Attorney General. Chris was smart, hard-working and absolutely committed to the mission of the Department of Justice. He has the kind of judgment and integrity that we rightfully expect from an FBI Director and I applaud his nomination.”
--J. Patrick Rowan, former Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division
"I’ve known Chris Wray for over two decades. He is smart, careful, tough and kind. He has a brilliant mind, great judgment, and unwavering integrity. The terrific women and men of the FBI will be well served, as will our country, with Chris at the helm.”
--Zach Fardon, Former U.S. Attorney under President Obama
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“Chris Wray is a superb and serious lawyer with a strong moral compass. Having served under Chris when I was Director of the Enron Task Force, I witnessed first-hand his deep respect for the Department of Justice and the FBI, as well as his strong commitment to public service. The country is lucky to have someone of Chris’s caliber serve in such an important role.”
--Leslie Caldwell, Former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division
“I’ve known him and worked with him for two decades, in both his private and public sector stints. He will bring the independence and strength needed in this challenging environment.”
--Neil McBride, Former U.S. Attorney under President Obama
Westmoreland County Man Charged with Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Westmoreland County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, resulting in an overdose death and with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The two-count indictment, returned on June 6, named Jarrel Williams, age 29, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on Jan. 17, 2017, Williams possessed with intent to distribute and distributed a quantity of fentanyl, which resulted in the serious bodily injury and death of an individual, identified only as M.S. Count two of the indictment alleges that, on Jan. 19, 2017, Williams distributed or possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rachael L. Dizard is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, West Leechburg Police, Allegheny Township Police, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
West Warwick Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – John Ryder, 29, of West Warwick, was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for robbing a BankRI branch office in Coventry of more than $6,000 in cash, while wielding a machete, on May 2, 2016.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E Smith also ordered Ryder to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term and pay full restitution to BankRI. Ryder pleaded guilty on October 31, 2016, to bank robbery by force, violence and intimidation.
Ryder’s sentence is announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Coventry Police Chief John S. MacDonald; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI.
At the time of his guilty plea, Ryder admitted to the court that beginning on April 29, 2016, and on the days leading up to the robbery, he spent a considerable amount of time in and around a shopping plaza where the bank is located and in a wooded area directly behind the plaza. Ryder admitted to the court that on May 2, 2016, he entered the bank carrying a machete which he wielded while demanding cash from bank tellers. After robbing the bank of $5,937, he fled into the wooded area behind the shopping plaza.
Ryder was arrested by Coventry Police Detectives and FBI agents, with the assistance of the West Warwick Police Department, on May 13, 2016.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Wapato Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact Sexual Contact with a MinorRead the Press Release
Spokane – Today, Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Numa Jay Speedis, age 64, of the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation, for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor. Speedis pled guilty to the offense on March 2, 2017. Judge Bastian sentenced him to a 15-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a life-term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison. Speedis will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, on December 18, 2016, Speedis engaged in sexual contact with a minor. The Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an expedient and thorough investigation. As the investigation progressed, law enforcement learned that Speedis had molested another child approximately five years ago, and had molested a third victim approximately 20 years ago.
Harrington said, “I commend the victim for her courage in disclosing the traumatic events related to Speedis’ appalling acts. I also commend the victim’s family for their unwavering support of her and the prosecution of this case. I acknowledge the thorough investigation of this case and exemplary working relationship demonstrated by the Yakama Nation Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners understand the profound importance of protecting the children who live within the Eastern District of Washington. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute and seek lengthy sentences to remove dangerous sex offenders from our communities.”
This investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Tom Hanlon, an Assistance United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
United States Intervenes in False Claims Act Lawsuit Against the City of Los Angeles and CRA/LA for Knowingly Failing to Provide Accessible HousingRead the Press Release
The United States has intervened in a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and the CRA/LA (formerly the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles) alleging that they falsely certified compliance with federal accessibility laws in connection with claims submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for housing grants, the Department of Justice announced today. The accessibility laws allegedly violated include Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the duty to affirmatively further fair housing, which are meant to ensure that people with disabilities have fair and equal access to public housing.
The lawsuit alleges that the City applied for and received from HUD millions of dollars in federal housing funds, a portion of which it provided to the CRA/LA, to develop affordable housing that was accessible for people with disabilities. As recipients of HUD funds, the City and the CRA/LA must comply with the accessibility laws allegedly violated. Among other things, these laws require that five percent of all units in certain federally-assisted multifamily housing be accessible for people with mobility impairments, and an additional two percent be accessible for people with visual and auditory impairments. They also require that the City and the CRA/LA maintain a publicly available list of accessible units and their accessibility features. Likewise, they require that the City and the CRA/LA have a monitoring program in place to ensure people with disabilities are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in, federally-assisted housing programs and activities solely on the basis of a disability.
The City annually had to certify compliance with Section 504, the Fair Housing Act, and the duty to affirmatively further fair housing as a precondition for receiving HUD funds. The lawsuit alleges that none of the HUD-assisted multifamily housing supported by the CRA/LA, or other developers, met the minimum number of accessible units. The lawsuit also alleges that the City and the CRA/LA neither monitored sub-recipients of HUD funds for compliance with federal accessibility laws nor maintained a publicly-available list of accessible units and their accessibility features.
“Recipients of federal housing funds must honor their commitments to accommodate people with disabilities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Denying people with disabilities equal access to public housing deprives one of the most disadvantaged groups in society of fair housing opportunities.”
“This case alleges that the City of Los Angeles repeatedly violated the law by falsely certifying that millions of federal dollars were being used to build housing that included units accessible to people with disabilities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Brown for the Central District of California. “While people with disabilities struggled to find accessible housing, the city and its agents denied them equal access to housing while falsely certifying the availability of such housing to keep the dollars flowing. The conduct alleged in this case is very troubling because of the impact on people who did not have access to housing that met their needs.”
“This case demonstrates the important role whistleblowers play in the process of uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse,” said HUD Inspector General David A. Montoya. “It further displays our commitment to fully pursue allegations that are brought to our attention.”
The lawsuit, United States ex rel. Ling, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al., No. CV11-00974 (PG), was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by Mei Ling, a resident of Los Angeles who uses a wheelchair, and the Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy group. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the United States when they believe that a party has submitted false claims for government funds, and to receive a share of any recovery. The False Claims Act permits the government to intervene in such a lawsuit, as it has done in this case.
These matters were investigated by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and the HUD Office of Inspector General.
The claims asserted against the City of Los Angeles and the CRA/LA are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
United States Attorney's Office Completes Nashville Restaurant Review for Compliance with Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee has completed its review of 16 of Nashville’s most popular and frequented restaurants to determine if they are in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (the “ADA”), announced Acting United States Attorney Jack Smith. The initiative is in accordance with the Department of Justice’s congressionally-mandated responsibility to review compliance with the ADA. It is not in response to any specific complaint against a restaurant.
This year marks the 27th anniversary of the passage of the ADA. The Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by places of public accommodation, including restaurants, and requires places of public accommodation to be “designed, constructed, and altered in compliance with the accessibility standards established” by the ADA’s implementing regulations.
“Nashville is a growing city, and has become a tourist destination with a vibrant restaurant scene, said Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith. “People with disabilities who live, work in, and visit Nashville deserve an equal opportunity to access and enjoy all that the city has to offer. We are pleased by the cooperation of all restaurants reviewed and commend them for their desire to take swift action to resolve all of the issues identified during the review.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated its compliance review on February 29, 2016. It objectively selected the restaurants to be reviewed using recent third party restaurant rankings in order to review 16 of Nashville’s most popular and frequented restaurants. The restaurants selected were: Arnold’s Country Kitchen, Caffe Nonna, The Catbird Seat, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, City House, Etch Restaurant, Hattie B’s (Downtown), Husk, Josephine, Kayne Prime, Lockeland Table Community Kitchen & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Margot Café & Bar, Monell’s (Germantown), Rolf & Daughters, and Watermark.
As part of the review, restaurant owners were asked to complete a survey supplied by the government pertaining to their restaurant’s accessibility. Federal investigators then conducted an on-site inspection of each of the restaurants to confirm survey responses and to evaluate compliance with federal ADA regulations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office found barriers to access in varying degrees in each of the restaurants. These barriers included, among other things, issues related to parking, entrance accessibility, fixture height and clearance and other obstacles to accessibility.
Since identifying these violations, the United States Attorney’s Office and the restaurants have worked together to remove each of these barriers in order to make the restaurants fully compliant with the ADA. The United States Attorney’s Office is pleased to announce that all 16 restaurants have undertaken efforts to remove barriers to access so that all patrons can enjoy their dining experience, and it has closed its compliance review at this time.
Union Treatment Center to Pay $3 Million and Be Permanently Excluded from Federal Health Care Programs under False Claims Act SettlementRead the Press Release
Union Treatment Center (“UTC”), a medical and physical therapy provider with clinics in Austin, Killeen, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi, will pay $3 million to settle civil health care fraud allegations, announced U.S. Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. Under the settlement, UTC will also waive claims for payment exceeding $1.6 million and be permanently excluded from participating in federal health care programs. The settlement partially resolves a lawsuit under the False Claims Act alleging that UTC perpetrated a scheme to defraud the federal workers’ compensation program (“FECA program”).
“Today’s settlement reflects our commitment to combatting fraud in the federal health care system,” said U.S. Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. “We will use all of the tools at our disposal, including civil litigation under the False Claims Act, to ensure the integrity of federally funded programs.”
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (“OWCP”) administers the FECA program, which covers roughly 3 million federal civilian and postal employees for job-related injuries. Benefits include payment of an injured worker’s medical and rehabilitation expenses. OWCP uses federal funds to reimburse health care providers that treat covered workers.
“UTC and its executives submitted false claims to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs under the guise that they were treating injured American workers pursuant to the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate medical providers who attempt to fraudulently obtain money from Department of Labor Programs intended to treat injured workers,” said Steven Grell, Special Agent in Charge, Dallas Regional, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs considers program integrity and fraud detection and prevention a top priority. We thank the law enforcement community for their investigative efforts – we also thank DOJ for their hard work in resolving this case. This settlement sends a strong signal to providers who submit false health care claims to the government that they will be held accountable for their actions.” Gary A. Steinberg – Deputy Director of OWCP, United States Department of Labor.
UTC claimed to specialize in treating workplace injuries. The company marketed itself to patients covered by the FECA program, targeting in particular unionized postal workers in Austin and San Antonio and civilian Army employees in the Corpus Christi area. In its civil complaint, the United States alleged that UTC, Garry Craighead, UTC’s former Chief Executive Officer, and Christine Craighead, its former Chief Operating Officer, orchestrated a scheme to overcharge OWCP for services and supplies allegedly rendered to patients covered by the FECA program. The United States asserted that, between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2012, UTC fraudulently billed the FECA program for services it did not render; routinely overcharged for medical examinations; falsely inflated the time patients spent in therapy; and, billed for unnecessary services and supplies. The United States also accused UTC of offering, paying, soliciting, and receiving kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals. The government’s allegations may be found in a qui tam lawsuit captioned United States ex rel. Wheeler v. Union Treatment Centers, LLC, et al., no. SA:13-cv-4-XR (W.D. Tex.) The settlement agreement is not an admission of liability by UTC.
“The workers’ compensation program benefits thousands of postal employees who have received legitimate on-the-job injuries. This investigation should send a clear message to all healthcare providers that workers’ compensation fraud is a federal crime that carries serious consequences and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Maximo Eamiguel, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Southern Area Field Office. “The USPS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate those who engage in fraudulent activities intended to defraud federal benefit programs and the United States Postal Service.”
“This settlement further demonstrates the resolve of USACIDC”s Major Procurement Fraud Unit and our law enforcement partners to protect and defend the assets of the United States Army,” stated Frank Robey, director, USACIDC Major Procurement Fraud Unit.
The settlement with UTC is part of a larger enforcement initiative. Garry Craighead is currently serving a 14-year term of imprisonment as a result of his guilty plea to kickback and money laundering charges. The Court ordered Craighead to pay OWCP nearly $18 million in restitution for the damage he caused to the FECA program. His criminal case may be found at United States v. Garry Wayne Craighead, no. A:15-cr-348 (W.D. Tex.) Christine Craighead is awaiting trial on conspiracy, wire fraud, kickback, and aggravated identity theft charges. Her trial is set for October 30, 2017. The criminal case is captioned United States v. Christine Ann Craighead, 1:17-cr-88 (W.D. Tex.)
“Along with criminal prosecution, the FBI is committed to pursuing administrative and civil remedies with the United States Attorney's Office, and our partner investigative agencies, to prevent, deter, and recover government losses sustained by fraud waste and abuse,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
The United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, United States Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation for the United States. Assistant United States Attorney John J. LoCurto and Auditor Jamie Cole, CPA handled the investigation for the United States Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Marshals Service in Jamaica Apprehends Fugitive Wanted in Connection with North Dakota Telemarketing Fraud Lottery ScamRead the Press Release
BISMARCK - United States Attorney Chris Myers announced today, that the U.S. Marshals Service, working with Jamaican law enforcement, has located and apprehended another man charged with participating in an international organized crime advance fee “lottery scam” which defrauded at least 90 mostly elderly U.S. residents out of more than $5.8 million.
Federal fugitive Gregory Gooden was arrested earlier this week in Kingston, Jamaica. Gooden, a Jamaican national, is one of 15 defendants charged federally in an international wire/mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy investigation based in North Dakota, dubbed “Operation Hard Copy.” The investigation resulted in federal indictments throughout the United States. In North Dakota, more than 10 defendants have entered guilty pleas in related cases. One of Gooden’s former co-defendants, Sanjay Ashani Williams, was convicted following trial in North Dakota in 2015, and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for selling victim lead lists used in the lottery scam.
Nine other defendants charged in the current case were arrested in Jamaica and have been extradited to the United States, where they await trial. Defendant Tristan Fisher was arrested on December 2, 2016, in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, and is in custody there while his extradition case is being heard in the Jamaican court system. Another defendant was arrested in Providence, Rhode Island, and also awaits trial. Three individuals charged in this case remain fugitives and are believed to be in Jamaica: Gareth Billings; Akil Gray; and Mario Hines, aka “Buju Ramos.”
The U.S. Marshals Service is the primary federal agency responsible for tracking and extraditing fugitives apprehended in foreign countries and wanted for prosecution in the United States. The Marshals Service sees to it that there is no safe haven for criminals outside of the territorial boundaries of the United States.
U.S. Attorney Myers praised the tireless work of Operation Hard Copy lead investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation - North Dakota office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Florida office.
An Indictment is merely an accusation, a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity; individuals charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
U.S. Intervenes in ‘Whistleblower’ Lawsuit against City of Los Angeles that Alleges City Received Millions of Dollars in Federal Grants and Knowingly Failed to Provide Housing Accessible to the DisabledRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States has intervened in a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and the CRA/LA (formerly the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles) alleging that they falsely certified compliance with federal accessibility laws in connection with housing grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Justice announced today.
The lawsuit alleges that the city and the CRA/LA violated accessibility laws – including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Fair Housing Act – and the duty to affirmatively further fair housing, which are meant to ensure that people with disabilities have fair and equal access to public housing.
The lawsuit alleges that the City of Los Angeles applied for and received millions of dollars in federal housing funds, a portion of which it provided to the CRA/LA, to develop affordable housing that was accessible to people with disabilities. As recipients of HUD funds, the city and the CRA/LA were required to comply with the accessibility laws.
Among other things, the accessibility laws require that 5 percent of all units in certain federally-assisted multifamily housing units be accessible to people with mobility impairments, and an additional 2 percent be accessible to people with visual and auditory impairments. The laws also require that the City of Los Angeles and the CRA/LA maintain a publicly available list of accessible units and their accessibility features. The laws further require that the city and the CRA/LA have a monitoring program in place to ensure that people with disabilities are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in federally-assisted housing programs and activities solely on the basis of a disability.
As a precondition for receiving HUD funds, each year the city certified compliance with Section 504 and the Fair Housing Act, and certified that it satisfied its duty to affirmatively further fair housing. The lawsuit alleges that the city and CRA/LA failed to operate their housing programs in compliance with these federal civil rights laws, which resulted in public housing that was built without the minimum number of accessible units. The lawsuit also alleges that the city and the CRA/LA neither monitored sub-recipients of HUD funds to ensure that they complied with federal accessibility laws nor maintained a publicly-available list of accessible units.
“This case alleges that the City of Los Angeles repeatedly violated the law by falsely certifying that millions of federal dollars were being used to build housing that included units accessible to people with disabilities,” said Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown. “While people with disabilities struggled to find accessible housing, the city and its agents denied them equal access to housing while falsely certifying the availability of such housing to keep the dollars flowing. The conduct alleged in this case is very troubling because of the impact on people who did not have access to housing that met their needs.”
“Recipients of federal housing funds must honor their commitments to accommodate people with disabilities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Denying people with disabilities equal access to public housing deprives one of the most disadvantaged groups in society of fair housing opportunities.”
The lawsuit, United States ex rel. Ling, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al., CV11-974 (PG), was filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles by Mei Ling, a resident of Los Angeles who uses a wheelchair, and the Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy group. After a lengthy investigation, the United States elected to intervene in the lawsuit, which was unsealed on May 31 in an order signed by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez. The government learned that the case was unsealed earlier this week.
The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam – or whistleblower – provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the United States when they believe that a party has submitted false claims for government funds, and to receive a share of any recovery. The False Claims Act permits the government to intervene in such a lawsuit, as it has done in this case. The United States has until July 31 to file its complaint in intervention.
“This case demonstrates the important role whistleblowers play in the process of uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse,” said HUD Inspector General David A. Montoya. “It further displays our commitment to fully pursue allegations that are brought to our attention.”
This matter was investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa A. Palombo of the Civil Fraud Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, and the HUD Office of Inspector General.
The claims asserted against the City of Los Angeles and the CRA/LA are allegations only. There has not yet been a determination of liability.
Two identity thieves charged in federal courtRead the Press Release
Alleged to have stolen victim identities from federal student aid website FAFSA
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced the indictment of two men in an elaborate scheme of aggravated identity theft, identity theft, false claims, and conspiracy. Taiwo K. Onamuti, 29, Doraville, Georgia, and Muideen A. Adebule, 49, Indianapolis, Indiana, were indicted on 23 federal charges relating to the fraud scheme.
“The Onamuti organization is responsible for stealing the identities of thousands of victims, including students who were simply trying to apply for financial aid,” said Minkler. “The organization’s criminal conduct disrupted countless lives, and led to the theft of more than $12 million from the United States Treasury—money that could and should have been spent for the benefit of the taxpayer.”
The 23-count indictment alleges that from March 2014, through March 2016, Onamuti, Adebule, and others in the conspiracy, acquired personal identifying information (names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers) of victims by either purchasing it via E-mail, or by obtaining the information through the Data Retrieval Tool on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) website. The organization would then use the stolen information to file false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service.
The indictment further alleges that Onamuti and his organization then used the stolen identity information to file thousands of false and fraudulent electronic tax returns, and directed the IRS to deposit the refunds onto prepaid debit cards purchased by Adebule and others. The organization then used the debit cards to purchase money orders at several locations in Indiana and Georgia. In total, Onamuti, Adebule, and others unlawfully obtained or attempted to obtain approximately $12,686,634 in federal tax refunds.
In March, the Department of Education and IRS removed the data retrieval tool from the fafsa.gov and StudentLoans.gov web sites until extra security protections could be added. The removal of the tool at the height of financial aid application season disrupted the application process for parents and students who were trying to prepare and submit FAFSA forms.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Education and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
“The announcement of today’s indictment and arrest illustrates the tremendous work of IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners to defend innocent taxpayers from the abuse of their stolen personal information, said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Gabriel Grchan. “This type of crime not only results in theft of taxpayer funds, but also has a damaging impact to those victims whose personal information was used without authorization. IRS Criminal Investigation aggressively investigators all persons engaged in this type of criminal activity.”
"I'm proud of the work of our staff and our law enforcement colleagues whose efforts brought about today's actions," said Robert Mancuso, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Technology Crimes Division, the OIG unit that works to protect ED programs and network infrastructure by investigating technology crimes, providing digital forensic services, and conducting proactive data analytics. "The OIG will continue to use our high-tech investigative and analytical capabilities to aggressively pursue those who misuse ED systems and programs in order to line their pockets with someone else's hard earned money. America's taxpayers and students deserve nothing less."
Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who is prosecuting the case for the government, said that the charges carry maximum sentences of five to fifteen years’ imprisonment, and for the aggravated identity theft charges, two years’ imprisonment to be served consecutively.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.
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Two Syracuse Men Plead Guilty to Roles in Credit-Card Cloning ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Daquan Rice, 22, and Damian Diaz, 26, both of Syracuse, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy charges relating to their role in a years-long credit-card cloning operation, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.
Daquan Rice pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire-fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money-laundering, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Damian Diaz pled guilty to one count of wire-fraud conspiracy and one count of money-laundering conspiracy. As part of their guilty pleas, both men admitted to their involvement in the scheme, which involved the purchase of stolen credit card numbers belonging to numerous victims and the fabrication of cloned credit cards. They further admitted that they used those cloned credit cards to purchase tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise and prepaid gift cards. The defendants used the prepaid gift cards to purchase United States Postal money orders, which they converted to cash. Rice’s and Diaz’s criminal conspiracy ran from 2014 through 2016 in Syracuse, New York, as well as in Texas and Georgia.
Rice and Diaz are scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2017. The wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges carry a maximum possible sentence of twenty years incarceration. The aggravated identity theft charges to which defendant Daquan Rice pled guilty carry a two year mandatory minimum sentence, which must run consecutive to the sentence imposed on the other charges.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Postal Inspectors, the Syracuse Police Department – Gang Violence Task Force, the New York State Police, and the Town of Dewitt Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur.
Two Previously Deported Aliens Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that two previously deported aliens were indicted separately by a federal grand jury with illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Carlos Emmanuel Bran-Enriquez, age 30, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in May 2014. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after May 2014, and was found in the United States in Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Under federal law, Bran-Enriquez faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
Carlos Bautista-Cruz, age 30, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in October 2012 and April 2010. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after October 2012, and was found in the United States in Adams County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers. In October 2012, he was convicted in the Western District of Pennsylvania of illegal re-entry, an offense which subjects him to enhanced penalties in the current case.
Because of Bautista-Cruz’s previous conviction, under federal law he faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Town of Monroe Justice Arrested for False Statements and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that LURLYN A. WINCHESTER, a Justice for the Town Court of Monroe, was charged with making false statements in connection with an application for a loan to purchase a residence in Monroe which satisfied the residency requirement of her position as Town Justice. She was also charged with obstruction of justice for providing law enforcement officers, who questioned her about her mortgage loan, with false documents, including fabricated rent payment receipts. WINCHESTER was arrested this morning at her home in New City, New York, and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith in White Plains federal court this morning.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, Lurlyn Winchester, a municipal court judge for the Town of Monroe, lied and provided fake documents to secure a mortgage on a Monroe condominium in an attempt to falsely satisfy the judicial residency requirement. We should expect and demand integrity in our government. This Office is committed to pursuing corruption in all forms and in all three branches of government, including the judiciary. I thank our partners at the FBI for their work in exposing this fraud and holding accountable our public officials.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. stated: “As alleged, Lurlyn Winchester falsely represented her primary residence in order to fulfill requirements for her position as justice for the Town of Monroe. Winchester, who claimed she had relocated her primary residence from New City to Monroe, allegedly remained in her New City home, despite representations to the contrary. She allegedly provided false information to her mortgage company, claiming her New City property was being rented to a prospective tenant, and later lied to federal agents who interviewed her about her claims. If anyone should have respect for the rule of law, it should most certainly be those entrusted to uphold it. Many thanks to our partners in this investigation as we continue to reinforce our commitment to uncover illegal activity on behalf of public officials at every level.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint[1] unsealed today:
In or about 1997, LURLYN A. WINCHESTER, the defendant, and her husband purchased a home in New City, New York (the “New City Home”), which they continue to own. On or about October 6, 2013, WINCHESTER, an attorney practicing in New City, was nominated to be the democratic candidate for Town of Monroe Justice. At that time, she provided an address in Monroe, New York (“Monroe Residence-1”), as her residence, and on or about October 7, 2013, she registered to vote in Monroe, New York. WINCHESTER was then elected Town of Monroe Justice on or about November 5, 2013.
On or about October 14, 2014, Hudson United Mortgage, LLC (“Hudson United”), a mortgage broker located in New City, New York, received a letter from WINCHESTER indicating that she had been elected Town Justice for the Town of Monroe and that she was relocating to Monroe in order to comply with a residency requirement attached to that position. In or about December 2014, the defendant and her husband submitted an application for a residential loan to Hudson United, and indicated that the loan was to be used to purchase a condominium located in Monroe, New York (“Monroe Residence-2”). On both the loan application and a disclosure notice, signed by the defendant and her husband, they asserted that Monroe Residence-2 would be their primary residence.
WINCHESTER also represented to Hudson United that she and her husband were going to rent out their New City Home to a tenant. Specifically, on or about February 6, 2015, Hudson United received a letter from the defendant in which she identified the New City Home as her “current primary residence” and she stated that she and her husband intended to rent the New City Home and they “already had a prospective tenant” who was “anxiously awaiting to take occupancy of the residence.”
In or about March 2015, WINCHESTER learned that the ultimate loan issuer, Plaza Home Mortgage Inc. (“Plaza”), was going to decline to issue the loan due to insufficient income. In response, WINCHESTER again represented that she and her husband were going to rent out the New City Home and indicated they would have rental income of $4,500 a month. Plaza requested copies of a fully executed 12-month lease and a canceled check for a security deposit. WINCHESTER provided a copy of a lease agreement, signed by the defendant, her husband, and a tenant (the “Tenant”). She also submitted a copy of two $4,500 checks for the security deposit and one month’s rent, made out to the defendant, and drawn on the Tenant’s bank account, as well as other documents reflecting that the checks were deposited into WINCHESTER’s bank account. In or about April 2015, Plaza issued the loan.
Contrary to the defendant’s representations, WINCHESTER did not intend to and did not lease the New City Home to Tenant in 2015; instead she fabricated a 2015 lease and caused checks to be issued and deposited to make it falsely appear that Tenant had paid rent and a security deposit. Tenant did not sign a lease in March 2015, never moved in to the New City Home, and WINCHESTER provided the $9,000 that covered the two $4,500 checks purportedly provided by Tenant.
Further, Monroe Residence-2 was not intended to be, and has not been, the primary residence of the defendant and her husband. Interviews with neighbors, cellphone records, and credit card records indicate that WINCHESTER did not move to Monroe. Finally, in a statement to agents, WINCHESTER admitted that: she resided at the New City Home, she had informed Hudson United that she would be renting the New City Home, she submitted rental checks and other documents relating to renting the New City Home, and the Tenant never moved into the New City Home.
With respect to the obstruction charge, during an interview with members of the FBI Task Force relating to WINCHESTER’s statements and submissions in connection with her loan, she provided them with, among other things, purported receipts for rent payments she claimed to have received from the Tenant for rent of the New City Home. The Tenant, however, indicated that he did not know anything about the receipts and never gave WINCHESTER the cash payments supposedly memorialized in them.
* * *
WINCHESTER, 58, of New City, New York, is charged with one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, as well as falsifying records in a federal investigation, with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of a federal department or agency, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. He also thanked the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margery B. Feinzig is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Three Illegal Aliens Arrested in Ocala for Conspiracy to Distribute over Two Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces a federal criminal complaint charging Simon Rodriguez-Flores (48), Tirso Rodriguez-Astudillo (35), and Gilberto Astudillo-Carbajal (34), all of Ocala, with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. If convicted, each faces a 10-year mandatory minimum, up to life, in federal prison; up to a $10 million fine; and a minimum term of 5 years, up to life, of supervised release. In addition, each faces potential deportation from the United States because they are citizens of Mexico and currently in the United States illegally. All three individuals made their initial appearances in federal court on June 5, 2017, and were ordered detained pending the resolution of their cases.
According to the criminal complaint, in or around April 2017, Rodriguez-Flores, Rodriguez-Astudillo, and Astudillo-Carbajal agreed to sell illegal drugs. On May 24, 2017, in a restaurant parking lot in Ocala, Rodriguez-Flores sold approximately 140 grams of crystal methamphetamine to a confidential source working at the direction of the Drug Enforcement Administration. On June 2, 2017, Rodriguez-Flores and Rodriguez-Astudillo arrived at a prearranged meeting in Ocala to sell an additional two kilograms of crystal methamphetamine to the same confidential source, but they were arrested by law enforcement. The two kilograms were recovered as evidence. Simultaneously, a federal search warrant was executed at a residence in the northwest section of Ocala. At the residence, the DEA took Astudillo-Carbajal into custody. The complaint further alleges that Astudillo-Carbajal was involved in the manufacture of crystal methamphetamine at the residence.
A 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 the Gainesville Resident Office of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as task force officers assigned to the DEA from the Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Police Department, Levy County Sheriff’s Office, Union County Sheriff’s Office, and Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. The Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team assisted in the execution of the search warrant as well as the arrests. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale R. Campion.
Third Defendant Pleads Guilty Locally as Result of National Child Exploitation InvestigationRead the Press Release
DAYTON – As the result of a national FBI investigation, Andrew Demma, 38, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.
Two other defendants have also pleaded guilty after the national investigation. James Gaver, 71, of Kettering, Ohio, and Robert Phelps, 49, of Jackson Center, Ohio each pleaded guilty in April in separate cases to the same charge of possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Office, announced the pleas entered into before U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to the Statement of Facts that Demma agreed to, investigators discovered more than 600 images and videos of child pornography while executing a search warrant on August 11, 2015 at Demma’s residence.
Possession of child pornography carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hunt who is representing the United States in this case.
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Ten Indicted for Violating Federal Drug and Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - On June 6, 2017, after a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 10 Allegheny County residents were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
“This case, compelled by the threat of gang activity in the Hill District, illustrates the effective partnership among local, state and federal law enforcement in Western Pennsylvania,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Song. “We are allied in the effort to disrupt drug trafficking organizations, stem the flow of heroin and opioids and reduce violence in our communities. Cooperation with the offices of Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala made these charges possible.”
THE INDICTMENTS
The first indictment, containing six counts, named:
- Angelo Massie, 39, formerly of Penn Hills, PA;
- Raheem Buchanan, 32, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA, currently incarcerated;
- Lamont Butler, 45, formerly of Munhall, PA, currently incarcerated;
- Mark Watson, 43, of Pittsburgh, PA;
- Russell Johnson, 41, of Braddock, PA;
- Thomas Grace, 33, of McKees Rocks, PA;
- Jason Green, 35, of Wilkinsburg, PA; and
- Jermaine Thompson, 31, of Pittsburgh, PA.
According to the indictment, from in and around November 2015, and continuing thereafter to in and around September 2016, the defendants conspired with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. Mark Watson is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. Lamont Butler is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The law provides for maximum total sentences ranging from up to 20 years in prison up to life in prison, as well as mandatory minimum sentences starting at five years in prison. Fines ranging from $250,000 to up to $20,000,000 may be imposed. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
A second related indictment, containing one count, named:
- Robert Fields, Jr., 23, of Pittsburgh, PA; and
- Norman Blackwell, 42, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA, currently incarcerated.
According to the indictment, from in and around November 2015, and continuing thereafter to in and around January 2016, the defendants conspired with one another to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
The law provides for a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $8,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. Johnston and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan P. Fodi are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County District Attorney Narcotics Enforcement Team – Narcotics, Firearms, & Violent Crime Task Force, as well as the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Organized Crime Section – Western Regional Office led the investigation, which resulted in the June 6, 2017 federal indictments.
These June indictments grew out of a federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)s investigation that resulted in several federal indictments in August of 2016. The OCDETF task force is headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is comprised of members drawn from the FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Street Task Force including the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Wilkinsburg Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, and the Allegheny County Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by FBI San Juan, Puerto Rico (St. Thomas Resident Agency, U.S. Virgin Islands) and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Numerous other FBI field offices, including Detroit, Cleveland, New York, and Atlanta, in addition to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, also assisted with this investigation. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
The indictments from August 2016 were the result of an investigation, which utilized Title III wiretap intercepts and other investigative techniques to establish the existence of several overlapping and interrelated drug distribution networks with tentacles in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern District of Michigan and the District of the Virgin Islands. The FBI Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force’s focus began in early 2015 on a drug trafficking organization operating on Pittsburgh’s North Side and thereafter they were able to track drug suppliers beyond the borders of the Western District of Pennsylvania and across the Caribbean Sea.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tampa Area Resident Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced to Prison for Threatening a Sandy Hook ParentRead the Press Release
A Tampa resident pled guilty today before United States District Judge James I. Cohn and was sentenced to prison for threatening a Sandy Hook parent residing in the Southern District of Florida.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Lucy Richards, 57, of Tampa, pled guilty in the Southern District of Florida (Case No. 16-CR-80206) to one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c). Judge Cohn sentenced Richards to 5 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 5 months’ home confinement. In addition, Richards will be placed on 3 years of supervised release.
On December 14, 2012, the Sandy Hook School shooting occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, and resulted in the death of 20 children and 6 adults. According to the court record in this case, on or about January 10, 2016, Richards made a series of death threats to a parent of a child killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting. The parent resides in South Florida. Richards’ belief that the school shooting was a hoax and never happened motivated her to make the threats.
Mr. Greenberg commended the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI. This case was prosecuted in the Southern District of Florida by Assistant United States Attorney Karen E. Gilbert.
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.
Statements by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand on the Nomination of Chris Wray to be FBI DirectorRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand today issued the following statements on the nomination of Chris Wray to be FBI Director:
“Chris Wray is widely respected for professionalism, independence, integrity and patriotism,” said Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. “He served with great distinction in several important positions in the United States Department of Justice, and he helped manage the Department during a very challenging period. He is well qualified for the job and will be a superb Director of the FBI.”
"Chris Wray will be an outstanding Director of the FBI,” said Associate Attorney General Brand. “His deep law enforcement and national security experience speaks for itself. Having worked with Chris during his previous tenure in the Department of Justice, I know that he will lead the Bureau with integrity, sound judgment, and a steady hand.”
Statement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the Nomination of Chris Wray to FBI DirectorRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today issued the following statement on the nomination of Chris Wray to be FBI Director:
Chris Wray is an extraordinary person, possessing all the gifts necessary to be a great Director of the FBI. I congratulate President Trump for choosing a leader of proven skill, independence, and integrity, a man in whom all Americans can have confidence.
Chris combines a brilliant legal mind, outstanding accomplishments, and a proven record of public service. We are fortunate that he is willing to make this personal commitment to serve his country at this important time. He prosecuted many cases with FBI agents when he served as an assistant United States Attorney for four years. His exceptional abilities were recognized, and he was brought to Department of Justice headquarters to serve as Associate Deputy Attorney General and, later, in the key role of Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General under Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson, where he performed superbly during the incredibly intense period after 9/11.
President Bush then asked Chris to take on the enormous responsibility of heading the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in 2003, and the United States Senate voted unanimously to confirm him to that position. At that time, he supervised both the general crimes and anti-terrorism roles of the Department, and worked closely with the FBI as the Bureau shifted to a much larger counterterrorism role. He has tremendous respect for the FBI’s agents, analysts, and professional staff, and the agents he worked with enthusiastically affirm his leadership and integrity.
The President asked us to look for an FBI Director who has integrity, who understands and is committed to the rule of law, and who is dedicated to protecting the American people from crime, gangs, and terrorists. We have found our man in Chris Wray.
St. Albans man sentenced to federal prison for methamphetamine crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A St. Albans man was sentenced today to four years in federal prison for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Harold Lee Parsons III, 40, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On February 5, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Parsons’ residence on 2nd Avenue in St. Albans. Parsons was present in his residence during the search and he opened a safe for law enforcement. Inside the safe were 12 baggies containing approximately 330 grams of methamphetamine. Parsons further admitted that he received the drugs from Joseph Cooper, a codefendant, and that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine.
As the result of a comprehensive drug investigation conducted by agents from the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, and Homeland Security Investigations, several defendants have been sentenced to federal prison. Cooper was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Benjamin Childers, another individual involved with the transport of methamphetamine in this drug trafficking organization, was sentenced to 10 years and a month in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mark Cobb was sentenced to seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Shayne Shamblen was also sentenced to seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mark Bays was sentenced to five years in prison for maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine.
Several other individuals involved in the drug trafficking organization have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Morgan Light previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and faces up to 20 years in federal prison when she is sentenced tomorrow. Jon Bowman previously pleaded guilty to using the mail to facilitate a drug crime and faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on June 14, 2017. David Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and faces at least five and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 21, 2017.
Gregory Crum and Diana Salazar Gamboa both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Crum faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. Gamboa faces at least five and up to 40 years in federal prison. Beth Hammonds pleaded guilty to using the mail to facilitate a drug crime and faces up to five years in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy. Crum, Gamboa, and Hammonds are all scheduled to be sentenced on August 3, 2017.
Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is responsible for these prosecutions. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., is presiding over these cases.
These prosecutions are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Southern California Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Pension Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO –Alan Weissman was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for bank fraud, embezzlement from an employee pension benefit plan, and making false statements in documents required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Judge, following a guilty plea in which Weissman admitted he stole assets from ERISA plans for which he was supposed to be acting as a trustee.
Weissman, 72, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., pleaded guilty on March 1, 2017, to the fraud scheme. According to the plea agreement, Weissman served as a professional trustee and fiduciary of pension plans covered by ERISA. Weissman admitted that he embezzled money from two of the pension plans for which he was a trustee. Specifically, Weissman admitted he moved money from plan bank accounts to bank accounts under his control, and then used the money for his own purposes. The defendant admitted he did so without the authorization or knowledge of the pension plan owners, their plan sponsors, or their participants. Further, Weissman admitted that he attempted to hide the illegal transactions by falsely recording payments to himself in such a way as to make the payments look like legitimate plan expenses. Weissman also admitted he altered account statements to conceal missing funds. In sum, Weissman admitted embezzling $787,762 in plan funds.
A grand jury indicted Weissman on February 11, 2016, charging him with five counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344; six counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; two counts of theft or embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 664; and one count of making false statements and concealment of facts in relation to documents required by ERISA, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1027. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Weissman pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, the two embezzlement counts, and the false statements and concealment count.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer sentenced Weissman to serve 3 years of supervised release. Judge Breyer scheduled a hearing on August 23, 2017, to determine the amount of restitution. Judge Breyer ordered the defendant to begin serving his sentence on or before September 6, 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Kingsley is prosecuting the case with assistance from Bridget Kilkenny and Beth Margen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the San Francisco Field Office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor.
South Jersey Man Admits Role in Crack Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. - A Camden man today admitted his role in a crack cocaine distribution conspiracy operating in Camden, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Julian Dickerson, a/k/a “Juelz,” 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Dickerson admitted that he was a member of an organization that controlled the distribution of drugs, including crack cocaine, in and around the 1100 block of Lansdowne Avenue in Camden. Dickerson admitted that he was supplied crack cocaine by other members of the conspiracy, which he sold to customers in the area and to an undercover officer on several occasions.
Dickerson – along with Joseph Boyd, Jason Boyd, Tony Wilson, Preston Thomas, Derek Stallworth, Jeffrey Whitaker, and Nafeez Griffin – was originally charged Sept. 9, 2016 following an investigation by the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force. Law enforcement officers seized drugs and recovered two handguns that were kept by members of the conspiracy in connection with the organization’s drug trafficking activities.
The drug distribution conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Dickerson’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 29, 2017.
Jason Boyd, Stallworth, and Wilson have all pleaded guilty to drug distribution conspiracy and firearms possession and await sentencing. Joseph Boyd pleaded guilty to drug distribution conspiracy and awaits sentencing. The charges against Thomas, Whitaker, and Griffin are still pending, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief J. Scott Thomson; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes, with the investigation.
He also thanked the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, the Cherry Hill Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Michael Riley Esq.
Shelter Worker Charged with Attempting to Coerce and Entice an Unaccompanied Alien MinorRead the Press Release
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the Indictment of Merice Perez Colon.
The Indictment charges Perez Colon, 35, of Homestead, Florida with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity and attempted production of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2422(b) and 2251(a) (Case No. 17-CR-20375). A criminal complaint was also filed against the defendant. At the time the charged offenses were allegedly committed, Perez Colon was employed as a youth care worker at an emergency influx shelter in Homestead that provides services to unaccompanied alien children present in the United States.
Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg said, “All shelters, including those that take in unaccompanied minors who arrive in the United States without adult supervision, should be safe havens. Youth workers have a duty to protect and serve the minors who reside at these shelters and are under their care. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners stand united against child exploitation and abuse that is carried out against minor residents, citizens, or refugees. Any individual who victimizes these children will face severe consequences within the federal criminal justice system. We implore anyone with information regarding these offenses to contact the police.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Shimon R. Richmond stated, “Our society expects youth workers and other caretakers to protect all children, including those under the U.S. government’s care,” said Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Our agents, working closely with our partners, will continue to investigate those who violate their position of trust by sexually exploiting and abusing minors. Those who commit such horrible crimes will be brought to justice.”
“Children are some of the most vulnerable members of our society and there is no bigger betrayal than when those entrusted with their protection abuse that trust,” said Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, ICE-HSI. “The men and women of HSI are committed to bringing anyone who preys on our children to justice. We encourage anyone who may have additional information regarding this case to contact us by calling 866-DHS-2ICE (866-347-2423).”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum term of life imprisonment.
A criminal complaint and Indictment merely contain accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mr. Greenberg commends HHS-OIG and ICE-HSI for the investigative assistance provided in support of this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Kobrinski.
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.
Serial Fraudster Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Investment Scam and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the sentencing of RANDY MILAND, 63, to 90 months in federal prison for operating a Ponzi scheme through which he stole or attempted to steal more than $500,000 from purported investors. MILAND was indicted on June 7, 2016, and pleaded guilty on September 9, 2016. MILAND was sentenced on June 6, 2017, before United States District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn.
“Randy Miland is a serial scam artist whose trail of swindles has now led him straight to a lengthy prison sentence,” said Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman, whose agency regulates investment securities at the state level. “Over and over again, he stole people’s life savings with his fraudulent schemes. By stopping these scams, we are protecting Minnesotans in the financial marketplace.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to uncovering investment fraud schemes and bringing to justice those who prey on investors for their personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Shea Jones of St. Paul Field Office IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today’s 90 month sentencing of Randy Miland shows that committing investment fraud will result in severe consequences.”
“Randy Miland is a conman and serial fraudster who lied to and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his friends and chiropractic patients,” said Assistant United States Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Thanks to the collaborative work of the Minnesota Department of Commerce and Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, Mr. Miland will now pay for his many years of criminal conduct.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, MILAND, who was a licensed chiropractor in the state of Minnesota, had prior convictions in state and federal court for various financial fraud schemes. In 1999, MILAND was convicted in state court of theft by swindle, sentenced to 55 months in prison, and ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution to the victims. As of May 2016, MILAND still owed those victims nearly the entire amount of restitution ordered. In 2006, MILAND was convicted in federal court of fraud, sentenced to 41 months in prison, and ordered to pay more than $250,000 in restitution to the victims. MILAND currently still owes approximately $124,000 in restitution to the victims of his 2006 federal case.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, from 2010 through 2014, MILAND fraudulently solicited more than $500,000 from ten investors, telling them that he would use their money to invest in futures and other legitimate investments. In reality, he used their money to pay personal expenses, including court-ordered restitution payments to victims of his prior scams, and to make Ponzi-type payments of purported investment returns to other investors.
MILAND concealed material facts from his new victims, including the fact that he had been twice convicted of fraudulent conduct, that the Minnesota Board of Chiropractic Examiners suspended his license, that he was forbidden by the Minnesota Department of Commerce from offering or selling securities, and that he still owed more than $1.5 million in restitution to victims of prior schemes.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS and the Minnesota Department of Commerce Fraud Bureau.
Defendant Information:
RANDY MILAND, 63
White Bear Lake, Minn.
Convicted:
- Mail fraud, 1 count
- Money laundering, 1 count
Sentenced:
-
90 months in prison
-
$214,517 in restitution
-
Three years of supervised release
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Security Guard to Face Federal Charges for Making Threatening Communications to Miami Gardens MosqueRead the Press Release
On June 6, 2017, a security guard at a local grocery store had his initial appearance on a federal indictment in Miami that charges him with making threatening communications to The Islamic Center of Greater Miami-Masjid Miami Gardens.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting Unites States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Gerald Sloane Wallace, 35, of Miami, Florida, is charged by indictment with the interstate transmission of a threatening communication, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c) (Case No. 17-CR-20354). If convicted, Wallace faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. Wallace’s arraignment on the indictment and a hearing on the government’s motion for pretrial detention has been set for June 9, 2017 at 10 a.m.
According to the court record, including the allegations contained in the indictment, on February 19, 2017, a threatening message had been left on the mosque’s voicemail system. The voicemail stated, “F… you Muslims, f… Mohammed, f… the Koran and f… Islam. I hate you Muslims, you Muslims are terrible. I hate you people. I’m gonna go down to your center, I’m gonna shoot all ya’ll. F… you, I hate your Allah, I hate your Koran, I hate everything about Islam. You people are worthless s…. Go to hell. F… you.”
Mr. Greenberg commends the investigative efforts of the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force and the Miami Gardens Police Department. Mr. Greenberg also thanked the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry C. Wallace, Jr and Trial Attorney Samantha Trepel of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
An indictment merely contains accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
School Counselor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Joseph Frank Korzelius, owner of Western Carolina Counseling Services and a school counselor in the Polk County school system, admitted today to defrauding the North Carolina Medicaid Program of over $400,000, by submitting false and fraudulent reimbursement claims. Korzelius, 46, of Tryon, N.C., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis L. Howell and pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud.
U.S. Attorney Rose is joined in making today’s announcement by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.
“The defendant abused his position as an employee of the Polk County school system to access and misuse children’s identities to enrich himself, with funds stolen from a government-funded program. His actions are reprehensible and he will be punished for them,” said U.S. Attorney Rose.
“Using children’s personal information to defraud taxpayers is unconscionable,” said Attorney General Stein. "I will not tolerate Medicaid fraud, and my office will continue to work with the federal government to bring to justice anyone who is stealing from taxpayers.”
According to court documents and today’s plea hearing, from October 2013 to November 2016, Korzelius, a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Medicaid-approved provider of mental and behavioral health services, owned and operated Western Carolina Counseling Services in Tryon, NC. Korzelius was also employed as a school guidance counselor at Tryon Elementary School in Polk County. According to court records, Korzelius identified students and their siblings from his work at Tryon Elementary and used those potential beneficiaries’ information to access these individuals’ personal information. The defendant then used that information to create and submit billings for individual psychotherapy services when, in fact, no such services were provided.
Court documents show that Korzelius had minimal documentation to support his billings for services he fraudulently represented that he provided. Further, many recipients who Korzelius billed for indicated they never sought or received services from either Korzelius or Western Carolina Counseling Services. Filed court documents show that Korzelius controlled the bank accounts where the Medicaid approved reimbursements were deposited. During the course of his scheme, Korzelius submitted over $450,000 in false claims and received $436,229.08 in reimbursements for those fraudulent claims.
Korzelius was released on bond following his plea hearing. The health care fraud charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date for the defendant has not been set.
The investigation was handled by the North Carolina Department of Justice, Medicaid Investigations Division (MID), and was prosecuted in the Western District of North Carolina through the MID’s participation in the Western District’s joint Health Care Task Force. The Task Force is a multi-agency team of federal and state investigators, working in conjunction with Civil and Criminal Assistant United States Attorneys, dedicated to identifying and prosecuting those who defraud the health care system and reducing the potential for health care fraud in the future. The Task Force builds upon existing partnerships between agencies and its work reflects a heightened effort to reduce fraud and recover taxpayer dollars.
If you suspect Medicare fraud, please report it by phone at 1-800-447-8477 (1-800-HHS-TIPS), or email [email protected]. To report Medicaid Fraud in North Carolina, please call the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division at 919-881-2320.
Santa Clara Insurance Broker Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud in Theft from Widow’s Insurance PolicyRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Gary Thornhill pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and mail fraud in connection with a scheme to steal more than a million dollars from a client’s trust account, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The plea was accepted by the Honorable Lucy M. Koh, U.S. District Judge.
On March 24, 2016, a federal grand jury indicted Thornhill, 64, of Santa Clara, on charges that he used his position in a boutique insurance brokerage to withdraw funds from a widow’s client trust account. During today’s plea proceedings, Thornhill admitted he is a licensed insurance broker who owned and operated a boutique insurance brokerage in Santa Clara. In 1998, he sold an insurance policy to a married couple and, after the husband passed away in 2005, the widow became the sole insured of the plan. In or about February 2008, Thornhill became the trustee of the entity that was the legal owner of the policy. Thornhill acknowledged that he owed a fiduciary duty to the widow both as his client and as the trustee for the entity that managed the insurance policy. Thornhill admitted that instead of acting in his client’s best interest, he transmitted written requests for funds to be drawn against the cash value of the widow’s insurance policy—he did so without the widow’s prior knowledge, consent, or authorization.
Specifically, on October 27, 2011, Thornhill faxed a request for disbursement from the existing cash value of the policy in the net amount of $800,000. After receiving the check in the mail, Thornhill deposited it into a bank account of which he was the only authorized signatory; he thereafter transferred all of the funds into a personal bank account that he controlled. Further, Thornhill admitted he spent all of the funds he had obtained from the policy on personal expenses that were unrelated to his client. In sum, as a result of his scheme, the defendant obtained nearly $1.5 million in unauthorized funds from his client’s policy that he used for his own personal benefit and purposes.
The grand jury charged Thornhill with one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and one count of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. Pursuant to today’s plea agreement, Thornhill pleaded guilty to both counts without a written agreement. Judge Koh has set sentencing for September 14, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. The defendant remains free on bond.
The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, plus restitution for each of the two counts with which he was charged. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Timothy J. Lucey is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation the by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Salvadoran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegal reentry after deportation.
Ronald Ramirez-Escoto, 42, a Salvadoran national residing in Everett, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after deportation and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathan M. Gorton to time served and one year of supervised release. Ramirez-Escoto will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.
Ramirez-Escoto was previously removed from the United States in April 2012 and December 2012. Most recently, federal authorities encountered Ramirez-Escoto in April 2017, and determined him to be unlawfully present in the U.S.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Roswell Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Isaac Joshua Salas, 25, of Roswell, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in Las Cruces, N.M., to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws.
Salas was arrested on Nov. 13, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of a firearm silencer not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) on Nov. 12, 2015, in Chaves County, N.M. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers found several firearms, ammunition, silencers, pre-cursors for homemade explosives, chemicals and books on how to make bombs while executing a search warrant at Salas’ residence. A subsequent search of the NFRTR determined that Salas did not have any weapons registered to him in the NFRTR.
On April 20, 2016, Salas pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of an unregistered firearm or destructive device without the benefit of a plea agreement. In entering the guilty plea, Salas admitted possessing an unregistered pipe bomb. Court documents indicate that several firearms, ammunition, magazines, pressure cookers, detonation cord, ammonium nitrate and numerous items that could be used to make explosive devices were found in Salas’ bedroom together with books on how to make weapons.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roswell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Rogers Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Oscar Ceballos, age 31, of Rogers, was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $2,400 fine on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in early 2016, investigators with the Springdale Police Department received information from a confidential source concerning Ceballos distributing methamphetamine. According the source, Ceballos facilitated his distribution by moving between high end hotels in the area. In February of 2016, officers observed Ceballos loadings items into a UHAUL truck. After making contact officers detected the smell of marijuana. A subsequent search revealed drug paraphernalia, a firearm, $4,950.00, and 96.9 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Ceballos was indicted by a federal grand jury in November, 2016 and pleaded guilty in January, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Springdale Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kim Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
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Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Rogers Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Edward Garcia, age 23, of Rogers, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $2,400 fine on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, on October 30, 2016, Springdale police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Garcia. After Garcia was arrested for an outstanding warrant officers conducted a vehicle search. A search of the vehicle resulted in officers locating a flashlight and inside the battery compartment of the flashlight officers located a plastic bag containing methamphetamine. The drugs seized were sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab where they were confirmed to contain 9.5 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in November, 2016 and pleaded guilty in February 2017.
This case was investigated by the Springdale Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
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Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Richland County man indicted for three bank robberiesRead the Press Release
A Richland County man was indicted for three bank robberies, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.
Christopher E. McCarthy, 29, of Ontario, Ohio, is accused of robbing the Richland Bank in Mansfield on April 26; the Farmers and Savings Bank in Loudonville on May 3 and the Farmers National Bank in Wooster on May 4.
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 violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI-Mansfield Resident Office; Mansfield Police Dept.; Loudonville Police Dept.; Wooster Police Dept.; Ohio BCI; Millersburg Police Dept.; Holmes County Sheriff’s Office; and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force for Richland County. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason M. Katz.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Red Bluff Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Identity Theft and Possession of Stolen U.S. MailRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Crystal Candiece Cooper, 35, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to executing a bank fraud scheme with contents of stolen U.S. Mail, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen U.S. Mail, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between December 19, 2015 and March 27, 2017, Cooper and others operated an identity theft scheme. Cooper obtained financial and identity information, checks, credit cards and bank cards from stolen U.S. mail and used them to get cash, goods, and services. Cooper targeted postal customers in Red Bluff.
One victim had applied for federal social security benefits and expected to receive a debit card in the mail to access the money. Instead, Cooper obtained the mail stolen from the victim and found the victim’s debit card and other identifying information. Cooper was able to activate the card and set a PIN to give her access to the funds. She made four separate cash withdrawals using the bank card.
When Cooper was arrested by federal agents on March 27, 2017, Cooper possessed more stolen mail and identity information such as Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers for residents of Tehama and Shasta Counties.
This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Tehama County Sheriff’s Department and the Red Bluff Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Cooper is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2017, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Cooper faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the bank fraud conviction, a mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any other term and a $250,000 fine for the aggravated identity theft, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of stolen mail. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Raleigh Investment Advisor Sentenced to Prison for Orchestrating Ponzi Scheme on ClientsRead the Press Release
Raleigh - United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce announced that yesterday afternoon in federal court Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced HUGH MONROE DYSON, 67, of Holly Springs, North Carolina, to serve 48 months in federal prison, for committing Mail Fraud. DYSON was also ordered to forfeit the proceeds of the offense, to make restitution, and to serve three years of supervised release.
Between 1993 and 2012, DYSON was a registered representative and financial advisor who was employed at two financial services firms in Raleigh, where he provided financial advice to various investor clients. During that same time period, DYSON created a fictitious entity, known as “Keyport Oil,” which purported to be an oil and gas limited partnership. DYSON actively marketed Keyport Oil to his clients and represented that it was a real company that was engaged in petroleum drilling operations in another state.
Over 19 years, investors gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to DYSON who, in turn, fabricated stock certificates for investors using scissors, tape, and a copy machine. DYSON did not invest his clients’ money in Keyport Oil. Instead, he used the money on personal expenses and to pay other investors. Periodically, DYSON issued checks to the investors which purported to be a portion of Keyport Oil’s sales revenue. In fact, these funds generally came from the investment funds of other victims. Ultimately, DYSON’s scheme collapsed, and investors lost their entire principal investment.
At the sentencing DYSON argued that he should be sentenced to probation to permit him an opportunity to make restitution to his defrauded clients. The court heard argument, however, that since the scheme unraveled in 2012, DYSON had made no effort to repay the investors the money he stole. In fact, the investors had previously sued DYSON in state court and obtained a judgment against him for the same fraud, but DYSON had paid nothing on the judgment. The Court rejected DYSON’s request, and sentenced him to prison for four years.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the United States.
Philadelphia Man Charged SNAP Benefit Fraud and Theft of Government FundRead the Press Release
Matthew Philip, 55, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by Information with one count of SNAP benefit fraud and one count of theft of government funds, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. According to the Information, from January 2013 through December 2016, the defendant unlawfully exchanged cash for SNAP benefits. The defendant’s alleged actions resulted in a loss to the government of more than $3,500,000.
If convicted, the defendant faces a term of imprisonment, a period of supervised release, restitution to the government, a $260,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher E. Parisi.
An Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Northern California Man Sentenced to Prison for Rigging Bids at Public Foreclosure AuctionsRead the Press Release
After being convicted at trial, a Lafayette, California, man was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, the Department of Justice announced.
Thomas Joyce was charged on Dec. 3, 2014, in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of California. Joyce was convicted on Feb. 6, 2017, of conspiring to rig bids at real-estate foreclosure auctions in Contra Costa County. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Joyce was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
Between June 2008 and January 2011, Joyce and other bidders at the auctions conspired not to bid against one another for selected properties, instead designating a winning bidder to win the property at the auction. The members of the conspiracy then held second, private auctions, known as “rounds,” to award the properties to members of the conspiracy and determine payoffs for other conspirators who had agreed not to bid against each other at the public auctions. The private auctions often took place at or near the courthouse steps where the public auctions were held. When real estate properties are sold at public auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with the remaining proceeds, if any, paid to the homeowner.
The sentence is a result of the division’s ongoing investigation into bid rigging at public real estate foreclosure auctions in California’s San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. These investigations are being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s San Francisco Office.
Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office at 415-934-5300 or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
North Royalton man charged with claiming $133,000 in false tax refundsRead the Press Release
A North Royalton man was charged in federal court with fraudulently claiming more than $133,000 in tax refunds to which he was not entitled, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja and Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation.
Amin Mohammad, 45, was charged via criminal information with two counts of theft of public funds.
Mohammad operated a gas station and other energy-related businesses in the Cleveland area. He incorporated Goojee, Inc. in 2007 and Mejri Oil, Inc. in 2010. Neither company had a specific business purpose and bank accounts for the companies had minimal activity, according to the information.
Mohammad falsely reported the companies sold a combined 833,495 gallons of kerosene in tax year 2010. He falsely claimed fuel tax credits to which he was not entitled, seeking a $68,240 tax refund on behalf of Goojee and a $65,174 tax refund on behalf of Mejri, according to the information.
Assistant U.S Attorney Robert J. Patton is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the IRS-CI.
If convicted, the court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a 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. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An charge 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.
Navajo Man from Red Mesa, Utah, Pleads Guilty to Federal Involuntary Manslaughter Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Lelander Mays, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Red Mesa, Utah, pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Mays was arrested in Dec. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, Mays killed a man when Mays crashed his vehicle on Dec. 6, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M. At the time of the crash, Mays was driving under the influence of alcohol and the victim, who was a passenger in Mays’ vehicle, was thrown from the vehicle.
Mays was subsequently indicted on Dec. 20, 2016, and charged with involuntary manslaughter.
During today’s proceedings, Mays pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Mays faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI, the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Mooresboro, North Carolina, Woman Guilty of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina –------- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that Kelly Sue Reynolds, age 51, of Mooresboro, North Carolina, pled guilty as charged in federal court this morning to five counts of income tax evasion. The plea was accepted by United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain. Reynolds faces a possible sentence of up to 25 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $500,000.00. Judge Cain will sentence Reynolds after the preparation of a Presentence Report.
Evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that Reynolds was the bookkeeper for a firm located in Cherokee County, South Carolina. As part of her duties, Reynolds paid bills for the firm, including the payment of various federal taxes. In 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) conducted an audit of the firm Reynolds worked for due to the fact that certain taxes had not been paid. During the course of that audit, Reynolds admitted that over a five-year period she had embezzled $439,459.97 from her employer.
Reynolds further stated that she had covered up the embezzlement by falsifying the books, showing that she had paid bills which she in fact had not paid. Included in the unpaid bills were the missing taxes, which started the investigation. It was further determined that Reynolds had not filed personal tax returns during those years that she was embezzling funds and that based upon her salary and the money she stole, she owed the IRS $117,300.06 in personal income taxes. U.S. Attorney Drake explained that income taxes are due both on illegally obtained funds as well as those legitimately earned. Reynolds has agreed to make restitution in full to both her employer and the IRS as well as agreeing to forfeit to the United States an amount equal to that which she stole from her employer.
U.S. Attorney Drake commended the IRS agents who investigated the case for their dedicated work in this and all of the cases they handle in South Carolina. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens of the Greenville office prosecuted the case
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Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Trafficking Drugs and Guns to HawaiiRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Algernon Tamasoa, 28, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to eight years in prison for his participation in a methamphetamine trafficking organization and for selling dangerous assault rifles, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On January 11, 2017, Tamasoa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and dealing firearms without a license.
According to court documents, Tamasoa conspired with co-defendant Epati Malauulu, 42, of Suisun City, and others to purchase high quality methamphetamine in California and ship it into Hawaii where it sold at a large profit on Oahu, an area hit particularly hard by the crystal methamphetamine epidemic.
Co-defendants John Ortiz, 44, of Vallejo; and Francisco Poloai, 45, of Dixon, were also charged in the drug conspiracy in the Eastern District of California. Ultimately, the drug investigation led to 44 defendants being charged in the District of Hawaii and four being charged in the Northern District of California (San Francisco).
According to court documents, between February 6, 2015, and May 27, 2015, Tamasoa sold 11 assault rifles to an undercover agent. Several of the rifles had high-capacity magazines. Tamasoa provided ammunition in addition to the firearm in the first four firearm sales. These assault weapons shoot high-velocity bullets that go through the bulletproof vests that most law enforcement officers wear. They also can go through walls and doors in an urban setting. Two of the assault rifles were manufactured by unlicensed gun makers and lacked serial numbers, making them untraceable.
On April 26, 2017, Malauulu was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and on May 17, 2017, Ortiz was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the methamphetamine trafficking activity. Poloai, the sole remaining defendant in the drug trafficking case, is scheduled for trial on September 25, 2017. The charges against Poloai are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Solano County Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Fairfield Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, the San Francisco Police Department, the Honolulu Police Department, and others. Assistant United States Attorney Richard Bender is prosecuting the Sacramento case.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Members and Associates of Russian Crime Syndicate Arrested for Racketeering, Extortion, Robbery, Murder-For-Hire Conspiracy, Fraud, Narcotics, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Leon Hayward, Acting Director of the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of three Indictments and one Complaint charging 33 defendants with a variety of racketeering, fraud, narcotics, firearms, and stolen property offenses.
Of the charged defendants, 27 are associated with a nationwide racketeering enterprise led by RAZHDEN SHULAYA and ZURAB DZHANASHVILI and are charged in United States v. Razhden Shulaya, et al. (the “Shulaya Indictment”) and an accompanying superseding indictment, which has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest. Of those defendants, 23 were taken into federal custody. 18 will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein today. One defendant will be presented in the District of Nevada. Three defendants will be presented in the Southern District of Florida. DENIS SAVGIR, EREKLE KERESELIDZE, GIORGI LOMISHVILI, MAMUKA CHAGANAVA, and SEMYON SARAIDAROV remain at large. One defendant, TIMUR SUYUNOV, is currently detained in federal custody and will be brought to Manhattan federal court on a writ.
Two additional defendants are charged in United States v. Nikoloz Jikia, et al. (the “Marat-Uulu Complaint”), with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and with additional firearms offenses. Of those defendants, one of whom is also charged in the Shulaya Indictment, both were taken into federal custody last evening and will be presented before Judge Gorenstein today.
Three additional defendants are charged in United States v. Alex Fishman, et al. (the “Fishman Indictment”), which has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard J. Sullivan. Each of those three defendants was taken into federal custody today and will be presented before Judge Gorenstein this afternoon.
Finally, one additional defendant was charged in United States v. Sergey Gindinov (the “Gindinov Indictment”), which has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan. GINDINOV was taken into federal custody today and will be presented this afternoon before Judge Gorenstein.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Today, we have charged 33 members and associates of a Russian organized crime syndicate allegedly engaging a panoply of crimes around the country. The indictments include charges against the alleged head of this national criminal enterprise, one of the first federal racketeering charges ever brought against a Russian ‘vor.’ The dizzying array of criminal schemes committed by this organized crime syndicate allegedly include a murder-for-hire conspiracy, a plot to rob victims by seducing and drugging them with chloroform, the theft of cargo shipments containing over 10,000 pounds of chocolate, and a fraud on casino slot machines using electronic hacking devices. Thanks to the remarkable interagency partnership of FBI, CBP, and NYPD, we have charged and arrested 33 defendants allegedly involved in this criminal enterprise.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The suspects in this case cast a wide net of criminal activity, aiming to make as much money as possible, all allegedly organized and run by a man who promised to protect them. But that protection didn't include escaping justice and being arrested by the agents and detectives on the FBI New York Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force. Our partnerships with other FBI field offices, the NYPD and CBP allows us to do everything we can to go after criminals who don't believe the law applies to them.”
Acting CBP New York Director Leon Hayward said: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is extremely proud to have assisted our federal partners in this operation. It is through our interagency partnerships, and collaborative approaches like the one leading to today’s arrests, that law enforcement successfully combats modern criminal organizations.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “The Thief-in-Law allegedly established an extensive cross country criminal enterprise from Brighton Beach to Las Vegas that engaged in bribes, gambling, and murder for hire. Thanks to all whose work resulted in the arrest and indictment of 33 today.”
According to the allegations in the Indictments and Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
The Shulaya Enterprise was an organized criminal group operating under the direction and protection of RAZHDEN SHULAYA a/k/a “Brother,” a/k/a “Roma,” a “vor v zakonei” or “vor,” which are Russian phrases translated roughly as “thief-in-law” or “thief,” and which refer to an order of elite criminals from the former Soviet Union who receive tribute from other criminals, offer protection, and use their recognized status as vor to adjudicate disputes among lower-level criminals. As a vor, SHULAYA had substantial influence in the criminal underworld and offered assistance to and protection of the members and associates of the Shulaya Enterprise. Those members and associates, and SHULAYA himself, engaged in widespread criminal activities, including acts of violence, extortion, the operation of illegal gambling businesses, fraud on various casinos, identity theft, credit card frauds, and trafficking of large quantities of stolen goods.
The Shulaya Enterprise comprised groups of individuals, often with overlapping members or associates, dedicated to particular criminal tasks. While many of these crews were based in New York City, the Shulaya Enterprise had operations in various locations throughout the United States (including in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Nevada) and abroad. Most members and associates of the Shulaya Enterprise were born in the former Soviet Union and many maintained substantial ties to Georgia, the Ukraine, and the Russian Federation, including regular travel to those countries, communication with associates in those countries, and the transfer of criminal proceeds to individuals in those countries.
The Shulaya Enterprise was led principally by SHULAYA and ZURAB DZHANASHVILI, a/k/a “Zura,” his lieutenant. Along with SHULAYA and DZHANASHVILI, AKAKI UBILAVA, a/k/a “Ako,” HAMLET UGLAVA, MAMUKA CHAGANAVA, MIKHEIL TORADZE, NAZO GAPRINDASHVILI, a/k/a “Anna,” ARTUR VINOKUROV, a/k/a “Rizhy,” EVGHENI MELMAN, TIMUR SUYUNOV, ZURAB BUZIASHVILI, GIORGI LOMISHVILI, AZER ARSLANOUK, IVAN AFANASYEV, a/k/a “Vanya,” DENIS SAVGIR, DIEGO GABISONIA, LEVAN MAKASHVILI, SEMYON SARAIDAROV, a/k/a “Sammy,” and VACHE HOVHANNISYAN are charged in Count One of the Shulaya Indictment with racketeering conspiracy.
The Enterprise’s criminal activities included:
- The operation of illicit poker businesses in Brighton Beach;
- The extortion of gamblers who became indebted to the Shulaya Enterprise;
- Attempts to extort local business owners;
- Efforts to defraud casinos in Atlantic City and Philadelphia by using electronic devices and computer servers to predict and exploit the behavior of electronic slot machines;
- The theft of cargo shipments, including a shipment containing approximately 10,000 pounds of chocolate confections;
- The use of a female member of the Shulaya Enterprise to seduce men, incapacitate them with gas, and then rob them;
- Attempts to create an after-hours nightclub that would host, among other things, the sale of narcotics;
- The transportation and sale of numerous cases of untaxed cigarettes;
- Plans to pay bribes to local law enforcement; and
- Creation and use of forged identification documents, checks, and invoices.
SHULAYA, DZHANASHVILI, UGLAVA, CHAGANAVA, TORADZE, VINOKUROV, SUYUNOV, BUZIASHVILI, LOMISHVILI, AFANASYEV, KANADASHVILI are charged in Count Two of the Shulaya Indictment with conspiring to sell and transport stolen goods in a scheme involving contraband cigarettes, falsified bills of lading, and assorted stolen merchandise.
SHULAYA, DZHANASHVILI, UGLAVA, CHAGANAVA, TORADZE, KANADASHVILI, and VINOKUROV are charged in Count Three of the Shulaya Indictment in connection with a multi-year conspiracy to transport and sell purportedly stolen contraband cigarettes.
SHULAYA, DZHANASHVILI, SUYUNOV, AFANASYEV, SAVGIR, HOVHANNISYAN, DAVYDOV, KERESELIDZE, and MITSELMAKHER are charged in Count Four of the Shulaya Indictment in connection with a conspiracy to create and use false identification documents.
SHULAYA, UBILAVA, UGLAVA, MELMAN, GABISONIA, and MAKASHVILI are also charged in Count Five with wire fraud in connection with their plot to defraud casinos through the use of electronic devices and software designed to predict the behavior of particular models of electronic “slot” machines, thereby removing the element of chance from play of those machines.
LOMISHVILI, MARAT-UULU, and PETRUSHYN are charged in Count Six of the Shulaya Indictment with narcotics conspiracy in connection with their efforts to sell cocaine and heroin.
LERNER is charged in Count Seven of the Shulaya Indictment with obstruction of justice for lying to the FBI about information LERNER provided the Shulaya Enterprise about the FBI’s investigation.
MARAT-UULU and JIKIA are charged in the Jikia Complaint with conspiring to commit a murder-for-hire, and with firearms offenses.
GINDINOV is charged in the Gindinov Indictment with conspiring to sell narcotics in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
ALEX FISHMAN, STEVEN FISHMAN, and MELNYK are charged in the Fishman Indictment with conspiring to transport and sell contraband cigarettes in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
A detailed chart with the defendants’ ages, residences, and maximum sentences are attached.
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Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the FBI, including the Atlantic City, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami offices, the CBP, the NYPD, and the St. Pierce, Florida, Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Adams and Andrew Thomas are in charge of the case.
The charges contained in the Indictments and Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States v. Shulaya, et al.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
RICO Conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 846
RAZHDEN SHULAYA
ZURAB DZHANASHVILI
AKAKI UBILAVA
HAMLET UGLAVA
MAMUKA CHAGANAVA
MIKHEIL TORADZE
ATVANDIL KANADASHVILI
NAZO GAPRINDASHVILI
ARTUR VINOKUROV
EVGHENI MELMAN
TIMUR SUYUNOV
ZURAB BUZIASHVILI
GIORGI LOMISHVILI
AZER ARSLANOUK
IVAN AFANASYEV
DENIS SAVGIR
DIEGO GABISONIA
LEVAN MAKASHVILI
ANDRIY PETRUSHYN
SEMYON SARAIDAROV
VACHE HOVHANNISYAN BAKAI MARAT-UULU
AVTANDIL KHURTSIDZE
20 years in prison; 3 years supervised release; $250,000 fine, or twice gross pecuniary gain/loss
2
Conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods
18 U.S.C. § 371
RAZHDEN SHULAYA
ZURAB DZHANASHVILI
HAMLET UGLAVA
MAMUKA CHAGANAVA
MIKHEIL TORADZE
ATVANDIL KANADASHVILI
ARTUR VINOKUROV
TIMUR SUYUNOV
ZURAB BUZIASHVILI
GIORGI LOMISHVILI
IVAN AFANASYEV
5 years in prison; 3 years supervised release; $250,000 fine, or twice gross pecuniary gain/loss
3
Conspiracy to transport and sell contraband cigarettes
18 U.S.C. § 371
RAZHDEN SHULAYA
ZURAB DZHANASHVILI
HAMLET UGLAVA
MAMUKA CHAGANAVA
MIKHEIL TORADZE
AVTANDIL KANADASHVILI
ARTUR VINOKUROV
5 years in prison; 3 years supervised release; $250,000 fine, or twice gross pecuniary gain/loss
4
Conspiracy to commit identity fraud
18 U.S.C. § 1028(f)
RAZHDEN SHULAYA
ZURAB DZHANASHVILI
TIMUR SUYUNOV
IVAN AFANASYEV
DENIS SAVGIR
VACHE HOVHANNISYAN
DENYS DAVYDOV
EREKLE KERESELIDZE
ALEX MITSELMAKHER
15 years in prison; 3 years supervised release; $250,000 fine, or twice gross pecuniary gain/loss
5
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
18 U.S.C. 1349
RAZHDEN SHULAYA
AKAKI UBILAVA
HAMLET UGLAVA
EVGHENI MELMAN
DIEGO GABISONIA
LEVAN MAKASHVILI
AVTANDIL KHURTSIDZE
20 years in prison; 3 years’ supervised release; $250,000 fine, or twice gross pecuniary gain/loss
6
Narcotics conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 846
GIORGI LOMISHVILI
BAKAI MARAT-UULU
ANDRIY PETRUSHYN
40 years in prison; mandatory 5 five years in prison; mandatory 4 years supervised release; the greater of $5,000,000 or twice the gross loss/gain
7
Obstruction of justice
18 U.S.C. § 1001
YURIY LERNER
5 years in prison; 3 years supervised release; $250,000 fine
DEFENDANT
AGE
RESIDENCE
Razhden Shulaya
a/k/a “Brother”
a/k/a “Roma”
40
Edgewater, NJ
Zurab Dzhanashvili
a/k/a “Zura”
37
Brooklyn, NY
Avtandil Khurtsidze,
a/k/a “the Kickboxer”
33
Brooklyn, NY
Akaki Ubilava
a/k/a “Ako”
32
Brooklyn, NY
Hamlet Uglava
39
Brooklyn, NY
Mamuka Chaganava
38
Brooklyn, NY
Mikheil Toradze
36
Brooklyn, NY
Avtandil Kanadashvili
36
Brooklyn, NY
Nazo Gaprindashvili
a/k/a “Anna”
33
Brooklyn, NY
Artur Vinokurov
a/k/a “Rizhy”
37
Brooklyn, NY
Evgheni Melman
22
Brooklyn, NY
Timur Suyunov
28
Brooklyn, NY
Zurab Buziashvili
37
Manhattan, NY
Giorgi Lomishvili
29
Brooklyn, NY
Azer Arslanouk
27
Brooklyn, NY
Ivan Afanasyev
a/k/a “Vanya”
59
Brooklyn, NY
Denis Savgir
34
Brooklyn, NY
Bakai Marat-Uulu
25
Brooklyn, NY
Andriy Petrushyn
24
Brooklyn, NY
Diego Gabisonia
28
Brooklyn, NY
Levan Makashvili
28
Brooklyn, NY
Semyon Saraidarov
a/k/a “Sammy”
50
Rego Park, NY
Vache Hovhannisyan
30
Brooklyn, NY
Denys Davydov
32
Brooklyn, NY
Erekle Kereselidze
23
Brooklyn, NY
Alex Mitselmakher
a/k/a “Globus”
44
Brooklyn, NY
Yuriy Lerner
a/k/a “Yuri”
44
Brooklyn, NY
United States v. Fishman, et al.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
Conspiracy to transport, receive, and sell contraband cigarettes
18 U.S.C. § 371
ALEX FISHMAN
KOSTYANTYN MELNYK
STEVEN FISHMAN
5 years in prison; 3 years supervised release; $250,000 fine, or twice gross pecuniary gain/loss
DEFENDANT
AGE
RESIDENCE
ALEX FISHMAN
51
Brooklyn, NY
KOSTYANTYN MELNYK
54
Brooklyn, NY
STEVEN FISHMAN
23
Brooklyn, NY
United States v. Jikia, et al.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
Murder for hire conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1958
NIKOLOZ JIKIA
BAKAI MARAT-UULU
10 years in prison
2
Possession of firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence
18 U.S.C. § 924
Life in prison
3
Conspiracy to sell firearms to a felon
18 U.S.C. § 371
5 years in prison
DEFENDANT
AGE
RESIDENCE
NIKOLOZ JIKIA
26
Brooklyn, NY
BAKAI MARAT-UULU
25
Brooklyn, NY
United States v. Gindinov
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
Narcotics conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 846
SERGEY GINDINOV
40 years in prison; mandatory 5 five years in prison; mandatory 4 years supervised release; the greater of $5,000,000 or twice the gross loss/gain
DEFENDANT
AGE
RESIDENCE
SERGEY GINDINOV
48
Brooklyn, NY
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictments and Complaint, and the description of the Indictments and Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Breaking and Entering into U.S. Postal Service Vehicle and Theft of MailRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones to 18 months in prison for breaking and entering into a U.S. Postal Service vehicle and stealing mail from the vehicle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.
Javier Encinas, 30, pleaded guilty on March 1, 2017, to one count of breaking or entering carrier facilities and one count of theft or receipt of stolen mail.
According to the plea agreement, on April 19, 2016, Encinas used a crow bar to break and enter into a locked U.S. Postal Service vehicle and steal trays of mail and 23 parcels. On April 20, 2016, Encinas was stopped by law enforcement in a stolen car. Inside that car law enforcement officers found approximately 471 items of stolen mail. During an interview with law enforcement, Encinas admitted to breaking into the back of the postal vehicle using a crow bar and stealing the mail.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Michael.
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Man Arraigned on Charges of Commercial Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Culpeper man entered a plea of not guilty today to criminal charges that he had sex with a minor on multiple occasions.
According to the allegations in the indictment, Fielding Smith Daniel, 53, met a young girl on a sugar daddy website in August 2016. Such websites are set up to facilitate interactions between wealthy older men and younger women who provide companionship in exchange for financial support. Daniel allegedly arranged to meet the girl for sex for money. The girl, who was 14 years old, was staying with her grandmother in Stafford. Shortly after midnight on Aug. 11, 2016, Daniel picked her up from her grandmother’s house and brought her to a motel, where they engaged in sex. Although they had negotiated a rate of $200, Daniel provided the girl with $100 after she wanted to leave early. A few weeks later, on Aug. 23, 2016, Daniel again arranged to have sex with the girl for money. On this occasion, the girl was with her 14-year-old friend. Daniel attempted to persuade the girl to have her friend watch them have sex, offering to pay her $300 if the friend watched. Daniel picked up the girl and her friend and brought them to a local hotel. The friend declined multiple offers to watch but the girl again had sex with Daniel for $140, while the friend stayed in the car. Afterwards Daniel dropped both girls off at a local Wal-Mart.
Daniel is charged with two counts of commercial sex with a minor and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. Trial is scheduled for August 14, and Daniel will remain in custody pending the outcome. Daniel faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum of life in prison, if convicted on any count. 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.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Adam Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after arraignment by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay V. Prabhu and Whitney Dougherty Russell are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-110 and 1:17-mj-145.