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15 May 2017
Previously Convicted Felon from Essex County, New Jersey, Charged with Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Irvington, New Jersey, man appeared in federal court today to face allegations that he possessed a firearm as a previously convicted felon, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Tyshone T. Overstreet, a/k/a “Tata,” 21, is charged by complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Overstreet was arrested in the evening May 12, 2017. He made his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 3, 2017, law enforcement officers attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop of a car in which Overstreet was a passenger. Before the car came to a complete stop, Overstreet jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. As Overstreet ran away from law enforcement, he threw an object that was later recovered and determined to be a .40 caliber Glock Model 22 handgun. Law enforcement also recovered an extended caliber magazine and 17 rounds of live .40 caliber ammunition. At the time, Overstreet had at least one prior felony conviction in Essex County Superior Court.
The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited FBI special agents, under the direction Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, with the investigation. He also thanked the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose and the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Director Tracy Bowers, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Graves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Leticia Olivera Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Pocahontas County man sentenced for illegal possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Archie Ray Arbogast, of Dunmore, West Virginia, was sentenced today to six months incarceration for illegally possessing a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen announced.
Arbogast, 40, having previously been convicted of the felony offense “Possession of Material Use in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine” in federal court in the Northern District of West Virginia, admitted to possession of a .22 caliber rifle, in Pendleton County, West Virginia in May 2016.
Arbogast pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm” in April 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Pocahontas County man sentenced for failing to update his sex offender registrationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Clifton R. Summerfield, 34, of Marlinton, West Virginia, was sentenced today in federal court to 12 months and one day incarceration for failing to update his sex offender registration, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
From February 2016 through November 2016, Summerfield failed to register and update his registration as a sex offender in Pocahontas County, WV. Summerfield is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by reason of a conviction under state law. He pled guilty to one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration” in January 2017.
ssistant U.S. Attorney Sarah W. Montoro prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Ohio man sentenced for interstate transfer of a firearmRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Donald Ray Pyle, 44, of Bridgeport, Ohio, was sentenced today to five months incarceration for illegally transferring and selling a gun across state lines, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Pyle admitted to transferring, selling and delivering a .22 caliber revolver to an individual in Ohio County, West Virginia on May 23, 2016.
Pyle pled guilty to one count of “Interstate Transfer of a Firearm” in February 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Niagara Falls Man Sentenced on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Philip Vincent, 38, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and possession of a weapon in furtherance of drug trafficking, was sentenced to 60 months by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci. Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan T. Cullinane and George C. Burgasser, who handled the case, stated that on December 2, 2014, the U.S. Marshals Violent Felony Fugitive Task Force encountered the defendant at his residence in Niagara Falls while looking for a fugitive. Officers searched Vincent’s 20th Street residence and discovered a .38 caliber revolver along with marijuana plants and crack cocaine.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division; the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina; and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Bryan DalPorto.
Missoula Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Roam Savage Chandler, 22, of Missoula, Montana, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, 10 years supervised release, and a $200 special assessment by United States District Court Judge Donald W. Molloy on Friday, May 12, 2017 for sex trafficking of a minor and using an interstate facility to promote prostitution. In April and May 2017, Chandler sex trafficked a 17-year old girl and promoted the prostitution of a 22-year old woman in Missoula, Montana. Chandler advertised both females on backpage.com and obtained funds through the females engaging in commercial sex acts.
FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Ricky Shelbourne said, “"Human trafficking is a devastating crime that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to fight aggressively. Today’s sentencing is the result of a collaborative effort, multiple agencies working together with one goal, to keep youth and vulnerable individuals safe from those who prey on them."
Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force Officer Guy Baker said, “This case resulted from Missoula PD patrol officers contacting the juvenile victim at a local hotel and recognizing she was a possible trafficking victim. The resulting investigation by MPD and the FBI's Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force identified the suspect and a second trafficking victim. This is a serious crime happening in Missoula and in other communities across Montana. The FBI and Missoula PD take a very proactive approach in investigating and prosecuting the suspects who exploit the females involved in these sex trafficking cases.”
Chandler’s investigation was conducted by the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Missoula Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 49 Years in Prison for Bias-Motivated Murder of Transgender Woman in Lucedale, MississippiRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, was sentenced today in the Southern District of Mississippi to 49 years in prison for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson Division.
Vallum pleaded guilty on Dec. 21, 2016, to a one-count Information that charged him with a violation of the Matthew Shepard, James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a federal hate crime statute. This is the first case prosecuted under the Hate Crimes Prevention Act involving a victim targeted because of gender identity.
During his plea hearing, Vallum admitted that he had a consensual sexual relationship with Williamson and that he knew Williamson was transgender. During his romantic relationship with Williamson, Vallum kept the sexual nature of the relationship, as well as Williamson’s transgender status, secret from his family, friends, and other members of the Latin Kings and Queens Nation gang to which he belonged. After Vallum terminated his romantic and sexual relationship with Williamson, he had no contact with her until May 2015.
Vallum admitted, as part of his guilty plea, that on May 28, 2015, he decided to kill Williamson after learning that a friend had discovered Williamson was transgender. Vallum believed he would be in danger if other Latin Kings members found out that he had engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with a transgender woman. On May 29, 2015, Vallum located Williamson at her residence in Alabama and used false pretenses to lure Williamson into his car so he could drive her to Mississippi. Vallum drove Williamson to his father’s residence in Lucedale, Mississippi. Vallum admitted that he then used a stun gun to electrically shock Williamson in the chest, repeatedly stabbed Williamson, and struck Williamson with a hammer until she died.
After the murder, Vallum attempted to dispose of the murder weapons and other evidence linking him to the crime. Vallum also falsely claimed to law enforcement that he killed Williamson in a panic after discovering Williamson was transgender. In pleading guilty, Vallum acknowledged that he had lied about the circumstances surrounding Williamson’s death, and that he would not have killed Williamson if she was not transgender.
“Today’s sentencing reflects the importance of holding individuals accountable when they commit violent acts against transgender individuals,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The Justice Department will continue its efforts to vindicate the rights of those individuals who are affected by bias motivated crimes.”
“Crimes motivated by hate have devastating effects on the victims, their families and community, but also leave a blemish on our society as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Freeze. “The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States, and we will continue to pursue that mission in Mississippi. The outcome of this case would not have been possible without the partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement.”
This case was the result of a cooperative effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, and the Office of the District Attorney for Mississippi’s 19th Judicial District. The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Division’s Pascagoula Safe Streets Task Force and the George County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer and Special Litigation Counsel Sheldon Beer of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and Jay Golden of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 49 Years in Prison for Bias-Motivated Murder of Transgender Woman in Lucedale, MississippiRead the Press Release
Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, was sentenced today in the Southern District of Mississippi to 49 years in prison for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson Division.
Vallum pleaded guilty on Dec. 21, 2016, to a one-count Information that charged him with a violation of the Matthew Shepard, James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a federal hate crime statute. This is the first case prosecuted under the Hate Crimes Prevention Act involving a victim targeted because of gender identity.
During his plea hearing, Vallum admitted that he had a consensual sexual relationship with Williamson and that he knew Williamson was transgender. During his romantic relationship with Williamson, Vallum kept the sexual nature of the relationship, as well as Williamson’s transgender status, secret from his family, friends, and other members of the Latin Kings and Queens Nation gang to which he belonged. After Vallum terminated his romantic and sexual relationship with Williamson, he had no contact with her until May 2015.
Vallum admitted, as part of his guilty plea, that on May 28, 2015, he decided to kill Williamson after learning that a friend had discovered Williamson was transgender. Vallum believed he would be in danger if other Latin Kings members found out that he had engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with a transgender woman. On May 29, 2015, Vallum located Williamson at her residence in Alabama and used false pretenses to lure Williamson into his car so he could drive her to Mississippi. Vallum drove Williamson to his father’s residence in Lucedale, Mississippi. Vallum admitted that he then used a stun gun to electrically shock Williamson in the chest, repeatedly stabbed Williamson, and struck Williamson with a hammer until she died.
After the murder, Vallum attempted to dispose of the murder weapons and other evidence linking him to the crime. Vallum also falsely claimed to law enforcement that he killed Williamson in a panic after discovering Williamson was transgender. In pleading guilty, Vallum acknowledged that he had lied about the circumstances surrounding Williamson’s death, and that he would not have killed Williamson if she was not transgender.
“Today’s sentencing reflects the importance of holding individuals accountable when they commit violent acts against transgender individuals,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “The Justice Department will continue its efforts to vindicate the rights of those individuals who are affected by bias motivated crimes.”
“Crimes motivated by hate have devastating effects on the victims, their families and community, but also leave a blemish on our society as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Freeze. “The FBI's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States, and we will continue to pursue that mission in Mississippi. The outcome of this case would not have been possible without the partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement.”
This case was the result of a cooperative effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, and the Office of the District Attorney for Mississippi’s 19th Judicial District. The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Division’s Pascagoula Safe Streets Task Force and the George County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer and Special Litigation Counsel Sheldon Beer of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and Jay Golden of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Mesquite Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Guadalupe Segovia, aka “Sleepy,” 44, of Mesquite, Texas was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn to 240 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in October 2016 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Segovia and eighteen additional defendants, mostly from north Texas, were indicted in June 2016 with various felony offenses stemming from their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that operated out of Pleasant Grove, Seagoville and Balch Springs.
Of the nineteen defendants who were indicted, all have pleaded guilty and twelve of those have been sentenced.
The investigation into this drug trafficking organization began in early January 2016. During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 6,700 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 13.2 kilograms of methamphetamine oil, 62 grams of marijuana, 2.5 grams of heroin, and 20 ml of gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), as well as 12 firearms and $12,379 in cash.
According to documents filed in Segovia’s case, on February 3, 2016, law enforcement conducted a search of Segovia’s vehicle. Officers located approximately 20 grams of methamphetamine and two firearms. Segovia was responsible for at least 262.48 grams of methamphetamine during the time of the conspiracy.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Dallas Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wirmani prosecuted.
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MS-13 Gang Leader Charged with Authorizing Two Murders in MassachusettsRead the Press Release
BOSTON –The nationwide leader of MS-13’s Molinos clique was charged in a fifth superseding indictment in connection with authorizing two of the six murders identified in prior superseding indictments. This indictment is part of an ongoing investigation into the criminal activities of leaders, members and associates of MS-13.
Oscar Duran, a/k/a Demente, 25, an El Salvadorian national residing in East Boston, allegedly authorized the murders of Wilson Martinez, 15, stabbed to death on Constitution Beach in East Boston on Sept. 7, 2015 and Christofer Perez de la Cruz 16, who was shot and stabbed to death on Jan. 10, 2016, on Falcon Street in East Boston. Duran is charged in a fifth superseding indictment with conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, which specifically includes both murders. Duran was previously charged in prior superseding indictments with RICO conspiracy. The new indictment alleges that Duran was the leader of the Molinos Loco Salvatrucha (MLS) clique of MS-13 for the entire United States, as well as the Boston-area clique of MLS, and in those positions authorized (i.e. “greenlighted”) the murders of Wilson Martinez and Christofer Perez de la Cruz.
Prior superseding indictments, and the new indictment, allege that the following members of MS-13 were also responsible for the murder of Wilson Martinez: Carlos Melara, a/k/a Chuchito, a/k/a Criminal; Henry Josue Parada Martinez, a/k/a Street Danger; Edwin Gonzalez, a/k/a Sangriento; and a juvenile known to the Grand Jury. Prior superseding indictments, and the new indictment, allege that the following members of MS-13 were also responsible for the murder of Christofer Perez de la Cruz: Edwin Gonzalez, a/k/a Sangriento; Edwin Diaz, a/k/a Demente; Rigoberto Mejia, a/k/a Ninja; and Jairo Perez, a/k/a Seco.
After a three-year investigation, Duran was one of 61 defendants named in prior superseding indictments targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches or “cliques” operate throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence against rival gang members to gain promotions and to maintain membership and discipline within the group. Specifically, MS-13 members are required to attack and murder rival gang members whenever possible. The fifth superseding indictment alleges that, from approximately 2014 to 2016, MS-13 cliques in Massachusetts were responsible for, among other things, six murders and approximately twenty attempted murders, as well as robberies and drug trafficking.
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison or life, if the violation is based on racketeering activity for which the maximum penalty includes life imprisonment under state law (such as murder); three years of supervised release; and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Truco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
MEDIA ADVISORY-- DEA to Hold Press Conference to Announce New Strategy to Address Heroin and Prescription Drug Epidemic and Related Crime in Bernalillo CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite of the DEA Albuquerque District Office will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 17, 2017, to announce the launch of DEA’s 360 Strategy in Albuquerque, N.M. DEA’s 360 Strategy is an innovative approach to help cities deal with the heroin and prescription drug epidemic and its associated crime. Albuquerque is the seventh city selected to participate in the 360 Strategy. Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson of the UNM Health Sciences Center, partners in the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, City Councilor Diane E. Gibson, Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke of Healing Addiction in our Community, and representatives of other community stakeholders will join Assistant Special Agent in Charge Waite in making the announcement.
WHO:
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite, DEA Albuquerque District Office
Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney
Executive Vice Chancellor Richard Larson, UNM Health Sciences Center
Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, District 3
City Councilor Diane E. Gibson, District 7
Executive Director Jennifer Weiss-Burke, Healing Addiction in our Community
Tim Sheahan, President/CEO, Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico
Susan McKee, Manager, Prevention/Intervention Counselors, Albuquerque Public Schools
Jack Ming, District Drug Awareness Chairman, New Mexico Elks Organization
Carlton Hall, Deputy Director Training & Technical Assistance, CADCA
Lt. Colonel Gabriel Vargas, New Mexico National Guard
Deputy Chief Eric Garcia, Albuquerque Police Department
Under Sheriff Greg Rees, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office
WHEN:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017, 11:00 A.M.
WHERE:
Boys and Girls Club of New Mexico
3333 Truman Ave. NE
Albuquerque, N.M., 87110
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: All media must present valid media credentials. Media may begin to arrive at 10:30 a.m. Inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Alyssa Ferda at 505-224-1480 or [email protected].
DEA’s 360 Strategy responds to the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic with an innovative three-pronged approach to combating heroin and opioid use through: (1) coordinated law enforcement action targeting all levels of drug trafficking organizations; (2) engaging drug manufacturers, practitioners and pharmacists to increase awareness of the opioid epidemic and encourage responsible prescribing practices throughout the medical community; and (3) community outreach and partnerships to equip and empower communities to fight the opioid epidemic. DEA first rolled out the 360 Strategy in Nov. 2015 in Pittsburgh; Albuquerque, N.M., is the seventh city selected to participate in the Strategy. Learn more about the 360 Strategy at https://www.dea.gov/prevention/360-strategy/360-strategy.shtml.
The 360 Strategy augments DEA’s active and continuing participation in the HOPE Initiative, which was launched in Jan. 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic that has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, Healing Addiction in our Community and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Luis Javier Martinez-Melo Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Participating in Internet Auto Sales ScamRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On May 15, 2017, Luis Javier Martinez-Melo, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by the Honorable Pamela L. Reeves, U.S. District Judge, to serve 57 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to defraud victims involving an online automobile sales scam. Additionally, the court ordered him to pay restitution to the 66 identified victims of the scheme whose losses exceeded $674,000.
At the conclusion of his prison sentence, Martinez-Melo will be presented to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
Martinez-Melo opened bank accounts in various bogus business names that were used to receive funds from victims who believed that they were buying cars advertised for sale on various Internet websites. After the victims wired funds into these bank accounts, Martinez-Melo and others withdrew and wire transferred the funds to members of the scheme operating from overseas.
Martinez-Melo pleaded guilty in January 2017 to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges stemming from his role in the scheme.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted this investigation. Matthew T. Morris, Assistant U.S. Attorney, represented the United States.
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Loves Park Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Loves Park man was sentenced in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard for producing child pornography.
ZACHARY RODRIGUEZ, 26, who pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2016, was sentenced to 210 months, to be followed by eight years of supervised release.
According to a written plea agreement, Rodriguez admitted that on Nov. 6, 2014, he persuaded and enticed a minor female victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of having the minor victim use a cell phone to take photographs of the sexually explicit conduct and then having the minor victim text the images to Rodriguez by cell phone from Iowa to Loves Park. According to the plea agreement, the female victim was 14 years of age at the time the pictures were produced and transmitted.
Rodriguez further admitted that between Aug. 9, 2014, and Jan. 20, 2015, he similarly persuaded four other minor female victims, who were between the ages of 14 and 17, to do the same. The minor victims resided in Ohio, Arizona, Connecticut and Wisconsin. Each time, Rodriguez persuaded the victims to text the photographs to him in Illinois.
The sentencing was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Loves Park Police Department assisted in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.
Longtime Fugitive who Owned Car Dealership Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Huge 1980s-Era Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Australian man who ran one of the largest automobile dealerships in the United States before fleeing the country 29 years ago was sentenced this morning to 120 months in federal prison in a bank fraud scheme that caused more than $64 million in losses to banks, one of which collapsed as a result of the losses suffered in the scam.
United States District Judge S. James Otero sentenced Eminiano “Jun” Reodica Jr., 72, this morning. Judge Otero called defendant’s scheme to defraud “extremely serious,” stating it caused “much disruption, much heartache” to “too many victims to count.” Judge Otero said defendant preyed upon members of the Filipino community as well as numerous federally insured financial institutions in perpetrating an extremely serious fraud scheme that resulted in total losses to both individuals and financial institutions of over $90 million.
Reodica, who fled the United States in the summer of 1988, has been in federal custody since he was arrested in late 2012 at Los Angeles International Airport during a layover while traveling from Australia to Canada.
On the day before he was set to go on trial in October 2015, Reodica pleaded guilty to 26 counts of bank fraud and making false statements to financial institutions. From 1984 through 1988, the fraud scheme victimized at least five banks – Union Bank, First Los Angeles Bank, Manilabank, First Central Bank and Imperial Savings.
“The scale of the fraud is virtually unparalleled,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum. “[T]he financial institutions that defendant preyed upon suffered losses in excess of $64.2 million. Notably, Imperial subsequently failed and went into receivership with the FDIC based on the losses sustained as the result of defendant’s fraud.”
Reodica was the president of the Glendora-based Grand Wilshire Group (GWG) of Companies, which operated about two dozen car dealerships, including Grand Chevrolet in Glendora. “Over time, GWG became the second-largest Chevrolet dealership in the United States and the third largest car dealership in the United States,” prosecutors wrote in court documents. “Due to the apparent success of GWG, [then-California] Governor [George] Deukmejian appointed defendant to the board of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and later ousted him from the board when his fraud was discovered.”
GWG had credit agreements with the victim financial institutions under which GWG pledged car contracts as collateral on lines of credit. The agreements required GWG to collect car loan payments from its customers and provide those funds to the financial institutions.
When he pleaded guilty, Reodica specifically admitted that he would promise the same car contract as collateral to two different banks at the same time. In order to accomplish this part of his scheme, Reodica directed employees to forge customer signatures on car contracts that were then promised to a second bank. As another part of his scheme, Reodica also repossessed and resold cars without telling the banks.
Reodica also admitted concealing from the banks that customers were delinquent on their car loans. In some cases, when the overall delinquency rate exceeded a level acceptable to a bank, Reodica used GWG funds to make car payments, which allowed him to continue using those delinquent contracts as collateral. Reodica also made his employees sign for car loans for cars that they were not really buying so that Reodica could increase the lines of credit he obtained from the banks.
As a result of Reodica’s fraud scheme, the Grand Wilshire Group and Grand Chevrolet collapsed into bankruptcy in August 1988, which is when Reodica fled to his native Philippines.
“In addition to the financial institutions, individual investors, who primarily consisted of members of the Filipino community in Los Angeles, trusted defendant with their money, the vast majority of which was lost following the bankruptcy,” prosecutors said in documents filed with the court. “In total, the investors sustained an additional $24.9 million in losses.”
In addition to being sentenced to 10 years in prison, Reodica was ordered to pay $29.7 million restitution.
When special agents with the FBI arrested him at LAX in November 2012, Reodica was traveling under an Australian Passport in the name of “Roberto Coscolluela.” While living in Australia under the name of Coscolluela, he ran a tax preparation and insurance business. Reodica’s activities in these businesses have resulted in allegations of a $7 million fraud in Australia causing him to be dubbed “Brisbane’s Bernie Madoff,” according to government sentencing papers.
The case against Reodica was investigated the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Today’s sentencing hearing was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ruth C. Pinkel of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorneys Poonam Kumar and Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section
Local Woman Sentenced in Cell Phone Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 47-year-old Houston woman has been ordered to pay more than $2 million following her conviction of mail fraud in relation to seven-year cell phone fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Renee Heyd pleaded guilty Nov. 28, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt handed Heyd a 27-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay $2,630,522 in restitution.
Heyd admitted she fraudulently obtained iPhones and other smartphones on her employer’s AT&T account and then mailed them to a reseller who paid her $300 to $500 per phone.
From 2009 through 2015, Heyd was employed at a Houston-based seismic equipment company where she was in charge of ordering cell phones and data lines for the company’s employees. During this time, Heyd initiated two-year contracts on the company’s AT&T account for new or existing phone lines to obtain new iPhones and other smartphones at discounted prices. She then registered the phones with fictitious names and caused the new contracts to be suspended in order to reduce the monthly service fee from an active line to a suspended line.
Heyd disguised the charges by manually altering the detail of the AT&T charges prior to review and approval by the company’s management. Between February 2009 and continuing through Oct. 15, 2015, Heyd sent 236 Federal Express shipments containing the fraudulently-obtained phones from the company in Houston to a reseller in New York. The reseller paid Heyd $300 to $500 per phone via PayPal and/or wire transfers.
Previously released on bond, Heyd was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Announces Investigation of Possible Acquisition of Chicago Sun-Times by Owner of Chicago TribuneRead the Press Release
The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice announced today that it is conducting an investigation into the possible acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times by tronc, Inc., the owner of the Chicago Tribune.
The owner of the Chicago Sun-Times, Wrapports LLC, disclosed today that (i) the Chicago Sun-Times is seeking a buyer that will continue to publish the newspaper; (ii) if no other viable buyer expressing substantial interest in purchasing the Chicago Sun-Times comes forward within 15 calendar days of publication in the Chicago Sun-Times of an advertisement inviting expressions of interest, the Chicago Sun-Times will be sold to tronc, Inc.; and (iii) within the 15 calendar day period, prospective buyers must begin due diligence and indicate an expression of interest, including a price range for the Chicago Sun-Times, and demonstrate the financial ability to operate the paper. If another viable buyer comes forward within 15 calendar days, then the interested buyer will be provided a reasonable opportunity to conduct additional due diligence and negotiate the purchase of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Antitrust Division is the agency responsible for investigating mergers involving newspapers. The Antitrust Division will closely monitor the sale process for the Chicago Sun-Times, including whether any other viable buyer expresses interest. In addition to contacting Wrapports, interested prospective buyers are invited to contact as soon as possible the Litigation III Section of the Antitrust Division directly at (202) 305-8376.
tronc is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Chicago. It publishes major daily newspapers across California, Illinois, Florida, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Wrapports is a privately-held corporation based in Chicago.
Jury Finds Texas Man Guilty in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two coconspirators pled guilty before trial.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that a jury convicted Jaime Valente Pina, Jr., age 24, of Alamo, Texas, of conspiring to distribute cocaine. Jaime Valente Pina, Jr., Angel Pina, and Magdaleno Rodriguez were charged in February 2017 with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and other cocaine trafficking charges.
The conspiracy began in the summer of 2015 when Magdaleno Rodriguez, a cocaine dealer operating in and around Oceana County, was introduced to Jaime Valente Pina, Jr. as a new source of supply for cocaine. Thereafter, Jaime Pina and his brother, Angel Pina, supplied cocaine to Rodriguez on a monthly basis for further redistribution throughout West Michigan. The Pina brothers are from the Rio Grande Valley – the southernmost tip of Texas - which shares an extensive stretch of border with Mexico. Throughout the conspiracy, they brought cocaine to Rodriguez from their Texas-based source of supply. The conspiracy ended in approximately August 2016 after officers of the State, Sheriffs, Chiefs, Enforcement Narcotics Team concluded undercover buys from Rodriguez and executed a search warrant on his home. The Pina brothers were arrested on November 9, 2016 after officers of the West Michigan Enforcement Team executed a search warrant on a home they were at in Ravenna, Michigan. .
Magdaleno Rodriguez and Angel Pina pled guilty prior to trial and are currently scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff on June 8, 2017. Jaime Valente Pina, Jr. was convicted after a three-day jury trial. The jury rejected his claim at trial through counsel that he was merely an innocent migrant worker. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2017. The Pinas each face a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Magdaleno Rodriguez, who already had two prior felony drug convictions, faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, an investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security with assistance from two state managed multijurisdictional narcotics task forces: the State, Sheriffs, Chiefs Enforcement Narcotics Team and the West Michigan Enforcement Team. Assistant United States Attorneys Joel S. Fauson and Timothy P. VerHey are handling the prosecution.
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Jefferson City Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Following Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing the firearm he used to shoot and kill another person.
Paris Mark Alexander-Henderson, 27, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Jefferson City police officers responded to a shooting in the 1400 block of Elizabeth Street at approximately 1 a.m. on April 25, 2015. Witnesses indicated that Alexander-Henderson shot the victim, Bryant Sturkey. Sturkey was in critical condition due to several gunshot wounds, including one to his torso. Sturkey was transported to the hospital by ambulance but died of his wounds.
Alexander-Henderson admitted to officers that he had shot Sturkey. Officers seized a Girsan .45-caliber pistol, which he had used to shoot Sturkey, from Alexander-Henderson’s residence.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Alexander-Henderson has a prior felony conviction of aggravated DUI.
Under federal statutes, Alexander-Henderson is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.
Inmate Sentenced to Six Years for Assault with Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Levar Washington, age 37, an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Allenwood, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann to 72 months’ imprisonment for assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Washington pled guilty on February 15, 2017, to charges that he attacked another inmate with a sharpened weapon commonly called a “shank.” The victim suffered between 13 and 15 lacerations to his back.
Judge Brann found that the violent nature of the crime together with Washington’s history of convictions for prior crimes of violence qualified Washington as a “career offender” under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, resulting in an enhanced sentence. The six-year prison term will run consecutive to the twenty-two-year sentence Washington is currently serving for conspiracy to levy war against the United States through terrorism and using and carrying a firearm in connection with crimes of violence. Washington had served approximately twelve years of that sentence at the time of the assault. His new sentence will not start to run until approximately 2025. Judge Brann further fined Washington $500 and imposed a special assessment of $100.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and USP Allenwood. Assistant United States Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
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Hudson Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Dennis Higgins (23), formerly of Hudson, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to unlawful distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements in the court proceeding, on February 15, 2016, Higgins sold a quantity of fentanyl to “M.W.”, a 22-year old female from Kittery, Maine. Because of a 911 call the following morning, emergency personnel responded to M.W.’s residence in Kittery, where they found M.W. dead from a suspected drug overdose. In the immediate vicinity of the body, law enforcement officers found needles and a plastic bag that contained a white powdery substance that was determined to be fentanyl. An autopsy determined M.S.’ death was caused by acute fentanyl intoxication.
Higgins is scheduled to be sentenced on August 23, 2017. The plea agreement contains a binding stipulation that the parties agree to recommend to the Court that Higgins be sentenced within a range of 120 months to 144 months of imprisonment; however, the Court deferred acceptance of the stipulation until the time of sentencing.
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Fentanyl is causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley said, “Fentanyl continues to be the cause of far too many deaths in the Granite State and throughout New England. The aggressive investigation and prosecution of individuals engaged in fentanyl trafficking in New Hampshire remains a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners at the local, state. and federal level. While we support access to treatment for those who suffer from addiction, those who distribute these deadly drugs need to be held accountable for the substantial damage they are causing in our community.”
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Kittery, Maine and Merrimack, New Hampshire Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.
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Hudson County, New Jersey, Man Convicted of Producing and Possessing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man was convicted today of coercing a minor family member to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he photographed the abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Felix Restitullo, 41, Jersey City, New Jersey, was convicted of one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court. The jury deliberated less than three hours before returning the guilty verdicts.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Restitullo resided with his mother, who acted as caregiver to children, including the victim, an underage girl who is a member of Restitullo’s family. On March 13, 2014, as a result of an ongoing investigation into the sexual abuse of minor children, law enforcement officers interviewed the victim, who told the officers that Restitullo had sexually abused her and photographed it.
Restitullo was arrested and charged by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of the girl. In connection with his arrest, officers searched Restitullo’s bedroom and recovered a camera and multiple electronic media devices belonging to Restitullo.
A forensic examination of the devices was performed, and law enforcement agents identified photographs that depicted the victim’s sexual abuse saved on a thumb drive found in Restitullo’s closet. Agents identified more than 3,000 images and more than 350 videos of child sexual abuse.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Because of Restitullo’s prior conviction for possession of child pornography, he is subject to an increased mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum prison term of 50 years. With a qualifying prior conviction, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 20, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian A. Michael, Newark Field office, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa M. Wangenheim and Justin Herring of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Mario Blanch Esq., West New York, New Jersey
Houston Man Sentenced on Prostitution ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Thomas Szczerba was sentenced to 140 months for his involvement in the transportation of a woman from Texas, through Illinois and Wisconsin and ultimately to the Eastern District of Missouri to engage in prostitution. The victim was posted on www.Backpage.com and other prostitution related websites, including a prostitution website maintained by Szczerba and his co-defendant Keisha Edwards.
According to testimony at trial, in Houston, Texas, Szczerba and Edwards recruited the victim to live with them and participate in the commercial sex trade. While the victim resided with Szczerba and Edwards, Szczerba facilitated the sex dates for the victim, collected proceeds generated from the prostitution, he made decisions as to when and where the victim would go for the commercial sex dates, and Szczerba marked the victim as his prostitute by giving her an alias in line with the moniker that he gave himself and his other prostitute. While in Missouri, Szczerba also forced the victim to participate in commercial sex acts, which ultimately caused the victim to seek medical attention at a local hospital.
Szczerba, 33, of Houston, Texas was convicted in February 2017 of one count each of interstate transportation of an individual to engage in prostitution, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, use of facilities of interstate commerce with intent to aide a prostitution enterprise and use of facilities in interstate commerce with intent to distribute proceeds from prostitution. The five-day trial was held before United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey.
Szczerba’s co-defendant, Keisha Edwards pleaded guilty in February 2017 to one count each of use of facilities of interstate commerce with intent to aide a prostitution enterprise and use of facilities in interstate commerce with intent to distribute proceeds from prostitution. Edwards will be sentenced May 24, 2017.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ###
George M. Bamba, II Sentenced to Prison in Ice Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Today, SHAWN N. ANDERSON, Acting United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant GEORGE M. BAMBA, II, age 38 from Agana Heights, was sentenced in District Court to a 37-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Court also ordered BAMBA to pay a mandatory $100 assessment fee. In addition, defendants who are convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
November 5, 2015, BAMBA waived Indictment and entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A)(viii). The investigation revealed that BAMBA, and other individuals, agreed to use the mail system to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine on Guam. October 5, 2015, law enforcement agents seized a U.S. Postal Service package that concealed over 95 grams of methamphetamine that was 100% pure. BAMBA arranged to have the drugs sent to him in Guam from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The U.S. Postal Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation, with assistance by the Guam Superior Court Probation Office, Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, and the Guam Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Clyde Lemons, Jr., and Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Guam.
Fourteen Make Court Appearances in Project Dakota FlyerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that fourteen individuals indicted for the illegal trafficking of eagles and other migratory birds have made their initial appearances in Federal Court. The Indictments were the result of a two-year undercover operation, dubbed Project Dakota Flyer.
Indicted Individuals Include:
Troy Fairbanks, 54, Rapid City, SD, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wildlife Trafficking, and violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Lacey Act: CR 17-50036
Majestic Fairbanks, 22, Rapid City, SD, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wildlife Trafficking: CR 17-50036
Troy Young Fairbanks, 24, Rapid City, SD, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wildlife Trafficking: CR 17-50036
Alvin Brown, Jr., 37, Ethete, WY, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wildlife Trafficking, and violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Lacey Act: CR 17-50035
Michael Primeaux, 32, Parmalee, SD/ Ethete WY, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wildlife Trafficking, and violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR 17-50035
Aaron David West, 62, Eagle Butte, SD, charged with violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-30051
Aaron David West, Jr., 33, Eagle Butte, SD, charged with violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-30051
Jorge Pena, 44, Mt. Vernon, IA, charged with violations of the Lacey Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-50056
Valencia Neck, 38, Parmelee, SD, charged with violations of the Lacey Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-30050
Benjamin Iron Hawk, 44, Kyle, SD, charged with violations of the Lacey Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-30050
Chet Christensen, 66, Tuthill, SD, charged with violations of the Lacey Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-30052
Ronald Fisher, 64, Kyle, SD, charged with violations of the Lacey Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-50057
Gary Fisher, 69, Gordon, NE, charged with violations of the Lacey Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-50057
David Jasper, 60, Box Elder, SD, charged with violations of the Lacey Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act: CR-17-30048
The defendants made their initial appearances between May 1, 2017, and May 9, 2017, in federal court in Pierre and Rapid City, SD. Trial dates have been set in June and July 2017. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Kelderman and Meghan N. Dilges are prosecuting the cases.
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Former TSA Agent Heads to Prison for Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 29-year-old man from the North Houston area has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Christopher Lynn Persky pleaded guilty May 16, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt handed Persky 327 and 240 months for the production and distribution convictions, respectively. The sentences will run concurrently. Additional information was also presented today, including the testimony of a victim. “They teach you as a woman to watch what you wear, to never walk alone at night, to never drink too much when you’re out,” she said. “My entire life I prepared for a stranger. I never prepared for you. You smiled and laughed, you bought me ice cream, you assaulted me.”
Persky was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6500 to another identified victim and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
Persky first came to the attention of law enforcement after an individual identified online as CHRISPYTWEAK had sent images of child erotica to an undercover agent using the chat feature on a known child pornography site. That person was identified as Persky. At that time, he provided his full name and further claimed to work for Department of Homeland Security – Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He no longer works for TSA.
At the time of his plea, Persky admitted to taking sexually explicit photographs and a video of a two-year-old minor relative. He further emailed these images to another individual with whom he was communicating in exchange for more images of child pornography.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Kern County Sheriff’s Deputies Plead Guilty to Marijuana TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Logan August, 30, of Bakersfield, and Derrick Penney, 34, of Star, Idaho, former deputies with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between June 2014 and October 2014, while sworn peace officers working with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), August and Penney abused their positions of trust and authority by conspiring with former Bakersfield Police Department detective Patrick Mara and an individual who previously worked as a confidential informant for August, and others, to steal marijuana from a KCSO storage unit and sell it for unlawful personal gain. The marijuana had previously been seized during investigations into marijuana grown on public and private lands. Once August and Penney obtained the marijuana from the storage unit, they had it processed (trimmed) into approximately eight pounds of usable marijuana. August then delivered it to his former confidential informant, who sold it and provided August with part of the proceeds from those sales. August then shared the proceeds with Penney and Mara. August and Penney received approximately $1,200 each from the sale of this marijuana.
Additionally, according to August’s plea agreement and other court documents, between March 2014 and December 2014, while a sworn peace officer assigned to the KCSO Major Vendor Narcotics Unit, August routinely participated in law enforcement marijuana eradication operations on public and private lands. During this time, August abused his position of trust and authority as a KCSO deputy by conspiring with a former confidential informant to take marijuana plants and processed marijuana from these law enforcement marijuana eradication operations and sell that marijuana for unlawful personal gain. On 10 separate occasions between March 2014 and December 2014, August wrongfully took marijuana from a law enforcement eradication operation for personal gain. August distributed to his former confidential informant the equivalent of 25 pounds of usable marijuana wrongfully taken from these law enforcement eradication operations. August received $15,000 from the sale of this marijuana.
August and Penney have agreed to forfeit the proceeds of the marijuana trafficking.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bakersfield Police Department. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office fully cooperated in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Scott and Brian Delaney are prosecuting the case.
August and Penney are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill on August 7, 2017. They face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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.
Former Defense Contractor Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
The former defense contractor for an Alaska company operating in the State of Washington was sentenced on Friday, May 12, 2017, in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release, for filing a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. BRENT S. MEISNER, 59, was convicted of tax fraud after a court trial. He was ordered to pay $41,706 in restitution for the taxes he failed to pay. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton said MEISNER’s “arrogance” led to the crime. “We have to do our part to uphold the tenets (of our country). It starts with the rule of law. This was an affront to the rule of law in many ways.”
According to records filed in the case, the investigation found that MEISNER and others embezzled more than $200,000 in labor, materials, overhead, and money from Doyon, Ltd., to remodel MEISNER’s Gig Harbor home. Doyon, Ltd. (Doyon) is an Alaska Native regional economic development corporation that hired MEISNER to serve as president of Doyon/Cherokee, a construction company that specialized in federal, state, and local public construction contracting. On July 31, 2009, MEISNER purchased a home in Gig Harbor, Washington, which he wanted to remodel. MEISNER, and his co-defendant, Brady Farley, and others directed Doyon/Cherokee construction workers to report to the new MEISNER home to work on the remodel. Everybody who worked on the job or delivered materials understood it to be a private job for the benefit of Mr. MEISNER.
To pay for and simultaneously conceal the costs of MEISNER’s remodel, Farley and others falsified records, fabricated subcontracts, altered accounting records, and in some instances destroyed records. They falsified timecards, falsified invoices, and falsified bills, labelling them as expenses on government jobs rather than work performed on the MEISNER remodel. The false records made it difficult for others to detect or reconstruct what was going on. MEISNER threatened his superiors in Alaska with retaliation if they reported his conduct to federal authorities. MEISNER ultimately admitted to using company money to remodel his home, but argued he was authorized to do so. He further admitted to instructing a painter to create false invoices so he could present them to his employer. Farley was acquitted in the bench trial.
Evidence presented at trial showed that MEISNER failed to include roughly $170,000 in his 2009 federal individual income tax returns. MEISNER reported more than $300,000 in salary and bonuses from Doyon in his 2009 federal income tax returns, but failed to report any of the money he stole, converted, embezzled or got in the form of kickbacks. The evidence introduced by the United States and the defense established that MEISNER reported total earnings (wages and bonus) for 2009 of $332,841. MEINSER failed to report an additional $169,563 in labor and materials he received for his home remodel.
The case was investigated by Federal agents from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Army CID Major Procurement Fraud Unit and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Jennings and Siddharth Velamoor.
Final Member of Gulf Coast Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Lengthy Federal Prison TermRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – Acting United States Attorney Corey R. Amundson announced the fifth and final sentencing in a series of federal prosecutions aimed at a drug trafficking ring which operated in the Gulf Coast states. On Thursday, May 11, 2017, KENDALL LEWIS, age 27, of Lecanto, Florida, appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson and was sentenced to 90 months imprisonment.
LEWIS had previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846. Previously, KAREEM McKINNON, age 25, of Crystal River, Florida, was convicted of the same offense, in August of 2016, after a multi-day jury trial, and ARTHUR WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, age 34, of Crystal River, Florida, pled guilty to the same offense. McKINNON was previously sentenced to serve 96 months in federal prison, and ARMSTRONG was sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison.
The evidence at McKINNON’s trial established that ARMSTRONG, LEWIS and MCKINNON made multiple trips to the Houston, Texas area in early 2015, during which they would obtain distribution-level quantities of cocaine. The three co-conspirators used female co-consprators to drive the cocaine back to Florida, while ARMSTRONG, LEWIS and MCKINNON followed the car containing the cocaine back to Florida. The cocaine would then be distributed for profit in Florida. On February 9, 2015, after one such trip to Houston, the co-conspirators were arrested while driving through Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and found to be transporting more than 4 kilograms of cocaine back to Florida.
This matter was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, with valuable assistance from the Baton Rouge Police Department and the Louisiana State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Ptashkin and Robert Piedrahita.
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Drug and Weapon PossessionRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Rahshim Carter, an inmate at the federal prison in Berlin, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to possessing Suboxone and a homemade weapon known as a shank.
Pleadings filed with the court and statements made at the change of plea hearing established that staff at FCI-Berlin were conducting a health and sanitation check at the prison on November 24, 2016. When they opened Carter’s cell the staff smelled smoke. Carter exited his cell and immediately tried to evade the prison staff by running around the second tier of the unit and jumping to the first tier. Prison staff eventually subdued Carter and a search found the homemade weapon and a quantity of Suboxone, which is a controlled substance.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 22, 2017.
The case was investigated by the staff at the Bureau of Prisons, FCI-Berlin. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Feith.
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Essex County, New Jersey, Man Convicted of Robbing Two Banks, Using Firearm in Connection with Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was convicted today of robbing the same Capital One Bank in Newark twice, including once in an armed robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Gregory A. Jones, 60, of Newark, was convicted of one count of bank robbery, one count of armed bank robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. Jones was convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court. The jury deliberated less than six hours before returning the guilty verdicts.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
On May 6, 2014, Jones entered the Capital One Bank wearing dark glasses and a scarf around his head and presented the teller a note demanding cash. After Jones left the bank with stolen money a hidden dye pack burst, and he left his glasses, scarf, and hat at the scene of the crime. Law enforcement recovered the glasses, hat and scarf near the bank next to currency, saturated with ink from the dye pack. DNA recovered from the glasses, hat and scarf matched a DNA sample that was lawfully obtained from Jones.
On Sept. 19, 2014, Jones entered the bank again, brandished a firearm from underneath his sweatshirt, and told a teller to give him money, stating that he had a gun and would shoot. Jones fired the weapon into the ceiling and left with several thousands of dollars. He was later identified using surveillance video and witness statements.
The bank robbery count carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss. The armed bank robbery count carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss. The discharging a firearm during the bank robbery count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, which must be served consecutive to the other counts. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray; and the Newark Division of Public Safety, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Svetlana M. Eisenberg and Daniel Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Easley Woman Receives 51 Months in Mail Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Retta Helms Sundblad, age 60, of Easley, was sentenced today in federal court in Greenville for mail fraud, a violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 2. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs, of Columbia, imposed sentence of 51 months’ imprisonment and ordered Retta Sundblad to pay $280,000 in restitution.
Evidence presented at the change of plea and sentencing hearing established that Retta Sundblad worked as the purchasing manager for Griffin Thermal Products (“GTP”), a Greenville County business that manufactures high-end, custom-made radiators. During an internal audit in December 2014, GTP determined that beginning in or about 2012 a large number of invoices had been submitted to GTP by a business named Upstate Industrial Services, LLC (“Upstate Industrial”). GTP discovered that Upstate Industrial had never provided any products or services and that the Upstate Industrial invoices were fictitious. A template for Upstate Industrial invoices was found on the work computer of Retta Sundblad. Upstate Industrial was formed by Richard Sundblad, Retta’s husband who has already been sentenced to 41 months in the Bureau of Prisons, and he deposited numerous GTP checks into a bank account that he and his wife controlled. The stolen money enabled the Sundblads to purchase cars, a motor coach, and to generally live a lavish lifestyle.
The case was investigated by agents of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
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District Man Sentenced for Trafficking in Illegal Commercial Fireworks in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – LaQuinn Williams, 68, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to two months of incarceration, to be followed by a month of home confinement, for selling commercial grade fireworks/explosives, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams pled guilty in January 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to transport or receipt of explosive materials by a prohibited person. He was sentenced by the Honorable Randolph D. Moss. Upon completion of his prison term, Williams will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) received a tip in 2015 that an associate of Williams was selling illegal fireworks. An MPD task force officer assigned to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an undercover purchase of commercial grade fireworks. The investigation continued, and Williams and his associate were arrested on June 8, 2015, when Williams showed up in a van in Northeast Washington for a second anticipated sale of commercial grade fireworks, similar to those used in pyrotechnic fireworks shows. At the time, Williams had 63.7 pounds of illegal explosives that, if ignited, could blow up his vehicle and surrounding vehicles. Upon seizing the items, ATF had an expert in the handling of explosives remove them from the vehicle, to be stored in an underground facility pending resolution of the case.
Williams earlier had pled guilty in July 2010, also in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of conspiracy to deal in explosive materials. In that case, he accepted responsibility for 300 pounds of display grade fireworks, one of the largest amounts of explosives ever recovered by ATF in a residence in the District of Columbia. In that case, Williams acknowledged under oath [i]f not properly handled and/or shot into the air, or if intentionally exploded while on the ground,” the explosives could be “dangerous or lethal.”
ATF has jurisdiction over these highly regulated and dangerous explosives that regularly result in injuries to members of the community if misused or mishandled.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Newsham commended the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, who prosecuted the matter.
Detroit man and Huntington woman plead guilty to federal heroin chargesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man and a Huntington woman who participated with others distributing heroin in the Huntington area between 2014 and 2016 pleaded guilty today to federal drug charges, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Derrick C. Morris, 27, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Dorothy D. Pannell, 23, entered her guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Between November 2014 and June 8, 2016, Morris admitted that he conspired with other individuals to distribute heroin that was transported to Huntington from the Detroit area. During the conspiracy, Morris received heroin that he would distribute in Huntington. Morris subsequently provided proceeds from the distributions back to individuals in Detroit. Morris enlisted the aid of multiple individuals to conduct wire transfers of cash from Huntington to the Detroit area. Morris also admitted that he used multiple residences in Huntington to distribute heroin, including residences located at 1922 7th Avenue and 612 Trenton Place. Agents were able to seize heroin and firearms from the residences during the investigation. As part of his plea, Morris admitted that he was responsible for the distribution of up to three kilograms of heroin.
Pannell admitted that she participated in the conspiracy during the months of April and May of 2016. During this period, Pannell permitted another individual to store heroin in her residence located at 729 Oxford Drive in Huntington. Pannell further permitted the individual to retrieve heroin from her residence on various occasions to make distributions in Huntington. On May 23, 2016, agents with the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Pannell’s residence. During the search, agents seized approximately 85 grams of heroin and three firearms.
Morris faces at least five and up to 40 years in federal prison. Pannell faces up to 20 years in federal prison. They are both scheduled to be sentenced on August 21, 2017.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution. The plea hearings were held before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
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 prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Deming Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Erika Jimenez, 31, of Deming, N.M., was sentenced Friday, May 12, 2017, in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Jimenez was arrested on July 17, 2016, on an indictment charging her with distribution of methamphetamine on July 22, 2015, and Nov. 9, 2015, in Luna County, N.M. The indictment included forfeiture provisions requiring Jimenez to forfeit $1,750 to the United States.
On Oct. 15, 2016, Jimenez pled guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and admitted that on July 22, 2015, she distributed approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Saltman and Dustin C. Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Cushing Man Sentenced to One Month for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Joseph Dinapoli, 28, of Cushing, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 30 days in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. He pled guilty on August 22, 2016.
According to court records, in June 2008, Dinapoli was convicted of Domestic Violence Assault, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and as a result was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms. In June 2014, Dinapoli was found in possession of two handguns.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Stolen GunsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announced that George Edward Wilkinson, Jr., 25, of Bayou La Batre, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for being a felon in possession of stolen firearms. Senior United States District
Judge Callie V.S. Granade also sentenced Wilkinson to three years of supervised release following his prison sentence, and ordered that he pay a $100 special assessment.In February, Wilkinson pled guilty to possession of two stolen firearms after having been convicted of the felony offense of burglary. In October of 2016, the Mobile County Sheriff’s
Office responded to a report of a stolen car. A responding deputy stopped Wilkinson, who was running away from the scene and matched the description of one of the subjects. In his hand was a semiautomatic pistol, which was later determined to be stolen. Wilkinson also had several debit cards belonging to the person from whom the gun had been stolen. Further investigation by the
Sheriff’s Department led to a nearby motel room, where a second stolen pistol was recovered.
Wilkinson confessed to stealing both pistols.The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Costello prosecuted the case for the
United States.A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s
Office for the Southern District of Alabama at http://www.justice.gov/usao/als/Conspirators Sentenced for Defrauding Columbia Health Care ProvidersRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Gary Lee Joiner, age 56, and Timothy Weldon Arthur, age 39, both of Columbia, were sentenced in federal court in Columbia for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Joiner was sentenced to two years’ incarceration and ordered to pay over $2.8 million in restitution. Arthur was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay $685,000 in restitution. United States District Judge Mary J. Lewis, of Columbia, determined the sentences. Co-conspirator Danielle Nicole Burroughs, age 35, of Duncan, will be sentenced on May 30th.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Joiner was the Director of Orthopedic Services for Moore Orthopedic Clinic between 2006 and 2015. In 2010, when Moore Orthopedic merged with Providence Hospital, Joiner established a fake durable medical equipment (DME) company, Creative Casting Concepts (CCC). He then proceeded to submit false invoices to Moore and Providence, representing that CCC was providing orthopedic boots, when they were not.
Burroughs was recruited by Joiner to put her name on CCC in order to keep Moore Orthopedic from learning of Joiner’s connection. She helped manage a bank account and post office box and received approximately $191,000 in compensation over five years. Arthur took Joiner’s position at Moore Orthopedic in January 2015, when Joiner retired. Arthur agreed to continue to submit fake invoices. He received approximately $24,000 in compensation before the scheme was discovered in June 2015. Overall, Joiner submitted $2.8 million in bogus invoices between 2011 and 2015.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr. of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Columbia, Jefferson City Men Plead Guilty to Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Columbia, Mo., men and a Jefferson City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today, in three separate cases, to charges related to child pornography.
USA v. Dominguez-Gonzalez
Sergio Antonio Dominguez-Gonzalez, 23, of Columbia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to producing child pornography.
An undercover detective in Washington, D.C., posted numerous online bulletin messages on specific social media forums, which were Web sites frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children and incest. The bulletin messages were intended to attract individuals with a sexual interest in children. On Feb. 21, 2017, Dominguez-Gonzalez sent an e-mail to the undercover detective.
During the course of their e-mail conversation and later instant messaging, Dominguez-Gonzalez stated that he had sexual contact with a 2-year-old victim for the first time “recently” and had made two videos of himself molesting the victim. Dominguez-Gonzalez admitted he sent one of the videos, as well as screen shots from the video, to the undercover detective. He also told the undercover detective that he showed images of adult pornography to the victim “so she knows that (sic) girls do.”
Under federal statutes, Dominguez-Gonzalez is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Force.
USA v. Deavers
Brandon Lee Deavers, 22, of Columbia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to receiving and distributing child pornography.
This investigation began on Aug. 22, 2016, when a detective with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Force received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a user who uploaded an image of an adult engaged in sexual conduct with a 2-year-old child. There were six other CyberTips with the same Skype user name and downloaded separately. The IP address was registered to Deavers and law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Oct. 19, 2016.
Investigators seized a Samsung tablet and two USB devices from Deavers’s residence, which contained evidence of Deavers obtaining child pornography over the Internet.
Under federal statutes, Deavers is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI and the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Cyber Crimes Task Force.
USA v. Slusser
Lucas Wayne Slusser, 35, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to receiving and distributing child pornography.
In May and June 2016, a federal agent observed Slusser distributing child pornography on the Kik Messenger platform. Slusser posted a video of child pornography and five images of child pornography on one occasion. Slusser later posted an image of a female child bound with rope around her legs and arms and additional videos of child pornography.
On Aug. 26, 2016, agents executed a search warrant at Slusser’s residence and seized numerous digital devices, including a desktop computer and multiple cell phones. Investigators examined the cell phones and digital devices and identified numerous suspected child pornography files, containing both video and images. The files depicted infants and toddlers, violent sexual acts against children, and videos depicting child pornography which contained sexual acts with animals. They also located child erotica and Internet history that indicated Slusser was seeking out and sharing child pornography.
Under federal statutes, Slusser is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Clintwood Man Sentenced on Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Virginia man, who sponsored animals during cockfights at the Big Blue Sportsmen’s Club in McDowell, Kentucky, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced.
Jimmy Crate Willis, 78, of Clintwood, Va., previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to knowingly sponsor and exhibit an animal in an animal fighting venture. Today in District Court, Willis was sentenced to1-year probation, a fine of $250 and a $100 special assessment.
According to evidence presented at previous hearings, Shirley and Vernon Slone owned the property in McDowell, Kentucky that housed the Big Blue Sportsman’s Club, a 5,000-member club that hosted cockfights for more than 20 years. The facility, a 10,000 square-foot building that featured arena-style seating, multiple fighting pits and a restaurant, was the site of a law enforcement raid in 2014. Federal charges relating to cockfighting, gambling and narcotics arose out of the investigation.
To date, nine individuals have been convicted for their roles in the cockfighting conspiracy run out of the Big Blue facility. Most recently, Russell D. Peaks, who raised fighting birds in Wise County, Virginia, and brought them to Big Blue to fight, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for allowing a minor to attend a cock fight, distribution of hydrocodone and conspiracy to facilitate cockfighting.
In 2014, Walter Stumbo was sentenced to 18 months for his role in the Big Blue conspiracy, Joshua Stumbo and Sonya Stumbo were each sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for their roles in the conspiracy. Jonathan Robinson was sentenced to 12 months and one-day in federal prison and Wesley Robinson was sentenced to 6 months in prison.
In March 2017, the owners of the facility Shirley Ray Slone, 73, and Vernon Kelly Slone, 69, both of McDowell, Kentucky, each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to cause others to attend a cockfight. In addition, the pair forfeited $100,000 and agreed to pay for the complete destruction of the 10,000 square-foot facility known as the Big Blue Sportsman’s Club
In addition to forfeiting $100,000 and paying for the destruction of Big Blue, the Slones each face up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. They are scheduled to be sentenced on June 8, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.
Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer and Special Assistant United States Attorney/Virginia Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States. The case is being investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Bureau of Law Enforcement, and the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. In addition, the following agencies assisted in the arrests or related proceedings: Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force; Virginia State Police Tactical Team; Southwest Virginia Regional Task Force; Botetourt County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office; Wise County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office; Virginia State Veterinarian’s Office; United States Homeland Security Investigations; Kentucky State Police; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Champaign County Man Ordered to Serve 30 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation, PornographyRead the Press Release
Urbana, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce today sentenced a Champaign county man, Clinton Schaffer, 45, to serve 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography. Schaffer was also ordered to a lifetime term of supervised release following his release from prison, and to pay restitution in the amount of $15,396 to two victims of the pornography distribution offense.
On Jan. 13, 2017, Schaffer, of Fisher, Ill., pled guilty to the offenses. Schaffer has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on April 15, 2016.
Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government at today’s hearing. The U.S. Secret Service and the Bloomington Police Department, a participating agency in the U.S. Attorney’s Central Illinois Cyber Crime Unit, conducted the investigation.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division=s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Brazilian National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. He was previously deported four times between 2003 and 2013.
Waldier Desouza-Gomes, 35, a Brazilian national residing in Newton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 16 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Desouza-Gomes will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. On Dec. 12, 2016, Desouza-Gomes pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry of a deported alien.
Between 2003 and 2013, Desouza-Gomes was deported from the United States on four occasions and sometime after each deportation, Desouza-Gomes illegally re-entered the United States. Desouza-Gomes was convicted in federal courts of illegal re-entry of a deported alien in 2010 and 2012. After his fourth removal in March 2013, Desouza-Gomes again illegally re-entered the United States
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Bayonne Police Officer Charged with Filing False Report Related to Use of Excessive Force During ArrestRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bayonne, New Jersey, police officer was charged today with falsifying records to conceal the use of excessive force during an arrest, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Francis Styles, 36, of Bayonne, is charged by indictment with one count of falsifying records in a federal investigation and one count of misprision of a felony for his role in attempting to conceal actions taken by former Bayonne police officer Domenico Lillo during an arrest in which Styles, Lillo and others participated. Styles’ arraignment is pending.
According to the indictment:
In the late afternoon of Dec. 27, 2013, Styles, Lillo and another Bayonne police officer went to an address in Bayonne to execute a Sussex County arrest warrant. After the individual was handcuffed and no longer physically resisting arrest, Lillo struck the individual with a flashlight, which resulted in bodily injury requiring hospital treatment.
However, the incident report filed by Styles omitted that Lillo struck the individual in the face with the flashlight, falsely asserted that the individual continued to violently struggle as he was being led to the patrol vehicle, and falsely asserted that the individual sustained injuries as a result of hitting the wall and the ground.
The charge of falsifying records carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of misprision of felony carries a potential penalty of three years in prison.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and Styles is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Lillo previously pleaded guilty to deprivation of civil rights under color of law, falsifying records to impede a civil rights investigation, and assisting in the filing of a false report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He awaits sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi, with the investigation. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bayonne Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacques S. Pierre of the Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce P. Keller of the Appeals Division.
Defense counsel: John D. Arseneault Esq. Chatham, New Jersey
12 May 2017
“BMB” Gang Associate Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison in Connection with 2011 Shooting of Eight PeopleRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ONEIL DASILVA, a/k/a “Soxx,” a/k/a “Bobby Soxx,” an associate of the violent Big Money Bosses (“BMB”) street gang, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison in connection with a shooting in 2011 at a backyard party in the Bronx, New York, during which eight people were shot, including a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl. DASILVA pled guilty on December 8, 2016, before United States District Judge Alison J. Nathan, who also imposed today’s sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Oneil Dasilva, a Big Money Boss gang associate, terrorized his neighborhood in the Bronx, engaging in a reckless shooting spree that led to eight people, including two young teenagers, getting shot. For his crimes, Dasilva will now spend 15 years in a federal prison. Gang and gun violence must be confronted forcefully, as we did in this case with our law enforcement partners.”
According to the Indictment and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during the plea and sentencing proceedings:
DASILVA was an associate of BMB, a subset of the “Young Bosses,” or “YBz” street gang, which operates throughout New York City. Between 2007 and 2016, members and associates of BMB committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members in the Bronx and sold crack cocaine and marijuana.
As part of his involvement in with BMB, on September 4, 2011, DASILVA opened fire at a backyard barbeque in the vicinity of 221st Street in the Bronx. Eight people were shot, including a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl. All of the victims survived.
DASILVA was arrested in this case as a result of a multi-year investigation by the New York City Police Department’s Bronx Gang Squad (the “Bronx Gang Squad”), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Violent Gang Unit (“HSI”), the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and the Joint Firearms Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) into gang violence in the Northern Bronx. DASILVA was charged in an Indictment unsealed on April 27, 2016 (United States v. Nico Burrell et al., 15 Cr. 95), charging 63 members and associates of BMB with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, narcotics distribution, and/or firearms charges. To date, 47 of these defendants have pled guilty.
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Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the NYPD’s Bronx Gang Squad, HSI, DEA, and ATF.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Maimin, Micah W.J. Smith, Hagan Scotten, Jessica Feinstein, and Drew Johnson-Skinner are in charge of the prosecution.
Williamstown Dry Cleaner Gets A Year in Prison for Hiring Illegal Immigrants, Failing to Collect Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. - A Williamstown, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for hiring illegal immigrants to work in his dry cleaning business and failing to collect and pay over payroll taxes on behalf of those employees, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Bill Li, 50, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with one count of failure to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes and one count of harboring illegal aliens. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Li owned Minuteman Cleaners located on North Black Horse Pike in Williamstown. At the time, Li and Kathy Lei, 36, also of Williamstown, owned a house on South Main Street in Williamstown. Lei and Phillip Hui, 39, of Washington Township, New Jersey, own New Eastern Cleaners in Voorhees Township, New Jersey.
Li was responsible for hiring employees, handling the books and supervising and paying the employees at Minuteman Cleaners. At various times in 2012 and 2013, Li, Lei and Hui hired individuals – generally from Mexico or Guatemala – that were in the United States illegally. The illegal immigrant employees were required to work six days a week, approximately 10 hours a day and paid between $400 and $500 dollars per week. Li paid their wages in cash.
While working at Minuteman Cleaners, Li allowed the illegal immigrant employees to stay at the South Main Street house. Li admitted that the rent was part of their employment compensation. Li or others working for Li would transport the illegal immigrant employees between the South Main Street house and Minuteman Cleaners.
Li admitted that prior 2012, he was aware that he was required to verify that all his employees were eligible to work in the United States. Li also admitted that between Jan. 1, 2012 and Oct. 29, 2013, he knowingly hired individuals that were in the United States illegally and did not report their wages to IRS for his own financial gain.
Li further admitted that as the owner or someone with authority over the employer financial affairs, he was responsible for collecting, accounting for and paying over to the IRS the employment taxes for his businesses’ employees. For tax quarters in 2012 and 2013, Li failed to report the wages and pay over employment taxes for at least eight illegal immigrant employees of Minuteman Cleaners. By filing the false quarterly payroll tax forms, Li failed to pay over to the IRS employment taxes of at least $79,000.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Li to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $79,000.
Hui and Lui previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct and impede the IRS relating to the failure to collect, account for and pay payroll taxes and one count of harboring illegal aliens. Hui was sentenced Sept. 8, 2016 to 15 months in prison. Lei was sentenced on Feb. 17, 2017 to three years of probation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian A. Michael, and special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), under Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, for its assistance in this investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney=s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Robert Agre, Esq., Haddonfield, New Jersey
Williamson County Resident Charged with Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
On May 2, 2017, a Williamson County resident was indicted for methamphetamine related offenses, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.
Erin K. Wright, a/k/a "Erin Shannon," "Erin Tennyson," and "Erin Atchison," 47, of Creal Springs, was charged in a two-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine knowing that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offenses occurred between September 2012 and April 2015, in Franklin, Williamson, and Jackson Counties. Wright appeared in May 5, 2017. At her May 9, 2017, detention hearing, she was ordered held without bond pending a July 10, 2017, jury trial.
The methamphetamine offenses carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and Southern Illinois Enforcement Group. The Williamson County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Utah Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that John Shelley, 34, of Highland, Utah was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography.
Information set forth in pleadings filed with the court showed that the Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant in October 2014 that resulted in the seizure of two computers from Shelley’s residence and his vehicle. A forensic analysis of the computers revealed that Shelley possessed images of child pornography. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed that the images possessed by Shelley included 61 images and one video of known minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Shelley previously pleaded guilty. After completing his prison sentence, he will be on supervised release for a period of ten years.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Litchfield Police Department all participated in and contributed to the investigation. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Helen Fitzgibbon.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Wins Award for Community EffortsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado has received the 2017 Special Recognition Award from the Colorado Lawyers Committee for the office’s contributions to hate crime and “know your rights” educational programs, Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer announced. The award was presented last Friday, May 5th during the Colorado Lawyers Committee annual awards luncheon. The honor comes as the Department of Justice celebrates Public Service Recognition Week 2017 (which is May 7 through May 13th).
“This award is a great honor to the almost 200 men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “They dedicate themselves every day to community safety, and they tirelessly volunteer on a wide variety of programs that improve safety. Because they know this: Communities are safer when they know their rights and when they understand and trust law enforcement.”
According to the Colorado Lawyers Committee, over 30 members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office have volunteered with CLC’s Hate Crimes Education Task Force to reach out to minority communities and educate 800 high school and middle school students at schools with highly diverse populations. This program educates students about the justice system, hate crimes law, and civil rights through participation in mock trials.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also works closely with the Lawyers Committee Legal Night Team to provide “Know Your Rights” presentations at “legal nights” around Colorado. The Denver Legal Night is the third Tuesday of every month at Mi Casa Resource Center. These presentations cover housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and health care discrimination, among other topics. The U.S. Attorney’s Office coordinated with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of General Counsel; HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, to make these presentations.
In addition to the two Colorado Lawyers Committee programs for which the U.S. Attorney’s Office received this award, almost 100 members of the office participate in other community safety volunteer work, including programs to increase safety at houses of worship of all denominations, to prevent violent extremism, to improve community resilience, to prevent gang involvement, to assist inmates who are returning to communities from prisons, to educate teachers and parents about identifying and reducing radicalization, to engage with diverse community leaders, and to educate the public about hate crimes and civil rights.
Texas Syndicate Member Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Sentence for His Leadership Role in Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Marijuana Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Cruz Perez, a/k/a “Travieso,” 41, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 327 months in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Perez, a member of the Texas Syndicate, pleaded guilty in February 2017 to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of Methamphetamine. Perez has been in custody since his arrest in June 2016.
“Those who choose drug dealing as an occupation take notice,” said USA Parker. “The cost to you of making that choice will be high. Do something else.”
Perez and twelve other west Texas residents, including three other members of the Texas Syndicate, were arrested in early June 2016 by special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Texas Department of Public Safety, with assistance from the Big Spring, Sundown and Levelland Police Departments, the Howard County and Lubbock County Sheriff’s Offices, the U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Of the twelve defendants, eleven have been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy to the following:
Christopher Lee Gonzalez, aka “Gonzo,” 44, 327 months
Christopher David Gonzales, aka “Chris,” 42, 121 months
Evan Cruz Parson, aka “Evan,” 22, 168 months
Alexander Alfonzo Mendoza, aka “Alex,” 21, 48 months
Jose Gutierrez, III, aka “Baby Joey,” 22, 151 months
Jasmine Pillar Hernandez, aka “Crazy,” 33, 120 months
Crystal Dimas, aka “Babe,” 29, 33 monthsRobert Diaz, Jr., aka “Bobby,” 34, 48 months
Adrian Rodriguez, 38, 48 months
Johnny Trevino, Jr., aka “Baby John,” 27, 48 months
Victor Manuel Castillo, aka “Victor Manuel Garza,” 44, will be sentenced later this month.
According to plea documents filed in Perez’s case, on October 3, 2015, Perez distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that late that morning, Perez called Christopher Lee Gonzales and discussed Gonzales obtaining a quantity of methamphetamine from Perez. Perez advised that he’d have his nephew, Jose Gutierrez, III, bring it to Gonzales. At approximately 12:05 p.m., Perez called Gutierrez and told him that he needed to come back to Lamesa, Texas. Perez then texted/called Alexander Mendoza, who stored the methamphetamine for Perez, and instructed Mendoza to bring “The two that were left and the one that you got yesterday” and “also another 9.” At approximately 5:55 p.m., Perez and Gonzales discussed that Gonzales owned Perez approximately $21,000 for past drugs and that Gonzales was having trouble selling Perez’s methamphetamine because other dealers were selling a better quality methamphetamine for a cheaper price. Perez and Gonzales then discussed where to do the drug transaction.
Special agents with the DEA who were conducting surveillance in Lamesa observed a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe, known to be driven by Gutierrez, traveling toward Lubbock. Agents maintained surveillance until approximately 8:35 p.m. when a Texas Highway Patrol trooper stopped Gutierrez in Lubbock and found he was transporting approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine.
That evening, Gutierrez’s wife called Perez and told him that “Joey” texted her at 8:40 p.m., saying that he got “pulled over in Lubbock.” She called Perez and told him, “He went to jail.” When she called Perez at 9:19 p.m. and told him, “he got caught,” Perez asked, “With it? With the stuff?” She responded affirmatively. At approximately 9:11 p.m., Perez called Parson and told him, “Baby Joey went to jail,” referring to Gutierrez being arrested with the methamphetamine. Then, at approximately 9:23 p.m., Perez called Gonzales and told him, “He didn’t make it.”; referring to Gutierrez being arrested with the methamphetamine.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the DEA investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Juanita Fielden and Sean Long prosecuted.
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South Georgia Residents Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
Statesboro, GA – Jeramie Thomas Leslie, 31, of Guyton, Georgia, was sentenced earlier this week by United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 112 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Leslie was the last of 13 defendants convicted as part of a joint federal and state operation targeting methamphetamine trafficking in South Georgia.
The additional 12 defendants sentenced to federal prison for their roles in the meth trafficking ring included:
John Christopher Paulson, 40, of Rincon, who was sentenced to 132 months and 3 years supervised release;
William Preston Gibbs, 22, of Glennville, who was sentenced to 82 months and 3 years supervised release;
Jeremiah Jones Richardson, 29, of Statesboro, who was sentenced to 70 months and 3 years supervised release;
Jason Todd Smith, 44, of Fleming, who was sentenced to 230 months and 3 years supervised release;
Jeremy Nicholas Taylor, 27, of Ellabell, who was sentenced to 82 months and 3 years supervised release;
Samori Jodan Smokes, 35, of Eden, who was sentenced to 132 months and 3 years supervised release;
Scott Lamont Pointer, 35, of Ellabell, who was sentenced to 52 months and 3 years supervised release;
Timothy Wayne Davis, 49, of Ellabell, who was sentenced to 48 months and 3 years supervised release;
Christopher Gage Floyd, 21, of Pembroke, who was sentenced to 46 months and 3 years supervised release;
Kenneth Jordan Lane, 24, of Pembroke, who was sentenced to 52 months and 3 years supervised release;
Jeffery James Taylor, 28, of Ellabell, who was sentenced to 48 months and 3 years supervised release; and,
Casandra Rae Hendrix, 24, of Ellabell, who was sentenced to 24 months and 3 years supervised release.
Acting U. S. Attorney Jim Durham commended the work of the agencies involved in the joint federal-state investigation, including the DEA, GBI, the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, the Statesboro-Bulloch Crime Suppression Team, the Richmond Hill Police Department and the Pembroke Police Department. Assistance was also provided by the Rincon Police Department and the United States Marshal’s Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Bourne prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 201-2522.
Seven Charged in International "Tech Support Scam"Read the Press Release
Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that federal fraud charges were recently filed against seven Florida men for participating in an international "Tech Support Scam." In a Tech Support Scam, the scammer attempts to convince the victim that he or she has a serious computer problem, and then tries to sell the victim unnecessary products and services.
The federal charges allege that all seven men worked at a business in Boynton Beach, FL, known as Client Care Experts, LLC ("Client Care"). Client Care was formerly known as First Choice Tech Support, LLC ("First Choice"), and was formerly located in Pompano Beach, FL. According to the indictments, the conspiracy and scheme to defraud operated from approximately November 12, 2013, through at least June 29, 2016. During this period, Client Care/First Choice victimized over 40,000 people and defrauded these individuals out of more than $25,000,000. The victims were located in all fifty of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several U.S. territories, all ten Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and several other foreign countries. At least fifty-seven victims of the scam were located in twenty-two counties within the Southern District of Illinois, with multiple victims in both St. Clair and Madison Counties.
According to the indictments, Client Care/First Choice purchased pop-up advertisements, which appeared without warning on the victims’ computer screens and locked up their browsers.
These pop-ups falsely informed the victims that serious problems, such as viruses or malware, had been detected on their computers. The pop-ups also usually warned the victims that they were at serious risk of losing their data and informed them to call a toll-free number. When the victims called the numbers shown on their screens, they were connected to Client Care/First Choice salespersons.
The indictments further allege that the salespersons convinced the victims to allow them to have remote access to their computers. Once they accessed the victims’ computers, the indictments charge, the salespersons examined routine computer functions and processes and then tried to convince the victims that these functions and processes were evidence of problems. In addition, the salespersons also ran a system analyzer program on the victims’ computers. However, regardless of what this system analyzer showed, the salespersons allegedly still tried to convince the customers that their computers had serious problems. According to the indictment, the salespersons concealed from the victims: (1) that they could make the pop-ups go away by unplugging or rebooting their computers; and (2) that Client Care/First Choice paid for the pop-up ads which had frozen their computer browsers.
According to the indictments, the salespersons usually charged the victims $250 for a computer system "tune up," and then also sold them an anti-virus protection software for $400. The salespersons worked on commission.
The seven men who have been charged are: Joseph Ralph Aievoli, IV, 25, of Boynton Beach, FL; Andrew Douglas Broad, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL; Ryan Stocker Carr, 23, of Boynton Beach, FL; Joshua Dennis Cortez, 37, of Lake Worth, FL; Nicholas James Davidson, 25, of Boynton Beach, FL; Patrick M. Dougherty, 35, of Boynton Beach, FL; and Anthony Vincent Ludena, 29, of Boca Raton, FL.
Each of the defendants is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Under the SCAMS Act, because it is alleged that the crimes took place in connection with telemarketing, and
victimized ten or more persons over the age of 55, the maximum penalty is 30 years of imprisonment. The defendants can also be ordered to serve up to 5 years of supervised release after any term of imprisonment, can be fined up to $250,000, and can be ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
Carr and Broad have already pled guilty. Their sentencing hearings are set for July 21, 2017, and August 24, 2017, respectively. Aievoli, Davidson, Dougherty, and Ludena all entered pleas of not guilty at their arraignment hearings. Aieveoli’s trial date has been set for July 10, 2017. Trial dates for Davidson, Dougherty, and Ludena will be set in the near future. Cortez is scheduled for an Initial Appearance and Arraignment hearing on June 12, 2017.
These cases are part of an ongoing investigation by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Verseman and Ranley R. Killian.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office is cooperating with the federal investigation. In addition, the Florida Attorney General’s Office brought a civil enforcement action against Client Care/First Choice for the purpose of ending the fraudulent activities at that business.
Today’s announcement is issued in conjunction the Federal Trade Commission’s "Operation Tech Trap." Operation Tech Trap is a nationwide and international crackdown on tech support scams. For more information about the FTC’s Operation Tech Trap, please go to https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2017/05/ftc-federal-state-international-partners-announce-major-crackdown.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.