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12 May 2017
Dickinson Woman Sentenced to 25 Years for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BISMARCK - US attorney Christopher C Myers announced that on May 10, 2017, Windy Lynn Panzo, 49, Dickinson, ND, was sentenced before Chief US District Judge Daniel L Hovland to serve 25 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release. Judge Hovland also ordered Panzo to pay a $400 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
This case came to the attention of law enforcement on approximately October 12, 2015, when law enforcement entered a Dickinson parking lot known for drug trafficking and initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle of which Panzo was the driver. A search of the vehicle turned up various types of drugs as well as drug paraphernalia.
On October 21, 2015, while conducting surveillance on an area reported to law enforcement as being an area where drug activity was occurring, a traffic stop was made and Panzo was again identified as the driver of the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, a loaded 9mm pistol and multiple drug paraphernalia were found. Panzo was prohibited from possession of a firearm or ammunition due to her previous felony convictions. Panzo subsequently admitted to distributing more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine.
Other co-defendants associated with Panzo are:
John Carlton Roberts, who received 10 years in prison
Boyd Dale Padgett, who received 15 years in prison
Arrah Marie Lane, who received 1 year and 8 months in prison
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Southwest Narcotics Task Force.
Special Assistant US Attorney Dawn Deitz prosecuted this case
Destrehan Man Pleads Guilty in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KENNETH HARRIS, age 41, of Destrehan, pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
HARRIS was one of eight defendants charged in a 21-count Superseding Indictment on September 18, 2015. According to court documents, this Superseding Indictment resulted from an FBI investigation into a heroin-trafficking organization operating primarily around Loyola Avenue and Harmony Street in Central City, New Orleans. The sources of heroin for this organization traveled via Megabus from Houston to New Orleans, carrying half-kilogram quantities of heroin for distribution in the New Orleans area. HARRIS was the last of the eight defendants to plead guilty.
Due HARRIS’ prior felony drug conviction, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a maximum life sentence, a possible fine of up to $8,000,000, and at least 8 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier will sentence HARRIS on August 24, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Gang Task Force (NOGTF), Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long is in charge of the prosecution.
Dallas Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Federal Prison for His Role in a Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Rene Rodriguez, 31, was sentenced yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle for his role in a heroin distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Rodriguez was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in September 2016 to one count of possession with intent to distribute and the distribution of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. Rodriguez has been in custody since his arrest in June 2016.
“I’ve repeatedly said that law enforcement will push back hard on those who peddle this poison in our communities and destroy lives,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “We intend to continue making the costs of choosing drug trafficking as a career as high as possible.”
Rodriguez was charged along with six others with various offenses related to a heroin distribution conspiracy. Of the seven charged, all have pleaded guilty, four have been sentenced.
According to documents filed in the case, on April 15, 2016, Rodriguez sold one ounce of heroin in exchange for $1,250 from the ANR Smoke Shop, in Dallas, Texas.
On June 2, 2016, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Rodriguez’s home in Dallas. The agents found approximately four ounces of heroin, digital scales with heroin residue, two firearms, miscellaneous ammunition, and approximately $10,913.00.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Allen Police Department and Rockwall Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam prosecuted.
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Cleveland man will serve 23 years in prison for carjackings in Tremont neighborhoodRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man will serve more than 23 years in prison for his role in two carjackings, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office.
D’wan Dillard, Jr., 21, was sentenced to 194 months in federal prison. That sentence will be served after he serves seven years in state prison for a different crime. He was previously found guilty of two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Dillard participated in carjackings in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood on Aug. 14 and 19, 2015. Dillard and Tervon’tae Taylor robbed a man leaving restaurant after visiting a friend. Dillard and Taylor pistol whipped him and stole his wallet and 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. In the second robbery, they stole a Porsche, according to court documents.
Dillard, Taylor, Kenneth Jackson, Antowine Palmer and Calvin Rembert were all convicted of crimes related to a series of carjackings in Cleveland. Taylor, Jackson, Palmer, Rembert all await sentencing.
“This defendant used a firearm to rob people who were working or visiting friends,” Sierleja said. “This sentence demonstrates our commitment to using every statute available to lock up violent predators.”
“These defendants terrorized victims and the city with their dangerous, gun-wielding car thefts,” Anthony said. “The Violent Crime Task Force and our local partners are committed to aggressively investigate predators who choose to engage in heinous acts of violence against our citizens.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Galvin and Robert Patton following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cleveland Division of Police.
Child Pornography Charges Brought Against Bay Area BabysittersRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury indicted Bryan Petersen and Ryan Michael Spencer yesterday with conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Brian Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
According to the papers filed publicly in the case, the FBI began investigating Petersen, 24, of Tiburon, after a witness reported to law enforcement that Petersen had child pornography on his computer and in a Dropbox account. After executing a search warrant at Petersen’s residence, the FBI learned that Petersen had allegedly received thousands of images and videos containing child pornography from Spencer, 19, of Aptos. The FBI also learned that the two men worked with children—Petersen as a babysitter, chess coach, and tutor in Tiburon and Spencer as a babysitter, camp counselor, and teacher-in-training in Aptos—and that they had allegedly been taking and exchanging lascivious photographs of children entrusted to their care.
Petersen was arrested on April 26, 2017, and Spencer was arrested the following day. Each defendant was charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1); distribution of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2); receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2); and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). Both defendants are in custody and are scheduled to be arraigned on May 16, 2017, at 9:30 a.m., before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted of any of the charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, plus potential restitution. If convicted of distribution, receipt, or conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography, the defendants will also be subject to a mandatory five-year minimum prison term. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie D. Garcia is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Heidi Dittmer. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The FBI has created an email for parents and guardians who have reason to believe their child/children may be a victim in this investigation. Please email [email protected] and include your full name, phone number, your child’s full name and age, why you believe your child may be a victim, the date range in which your child may have been in contact with the subject and the venues where your child may have been in contact with the subject. This email address has been set up specifically for this investigation. An agent may contact you to gather further information. Your patience is appreciated at this time.
Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARRYL MORRIS, also known as “King Sincere,” 32, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2014, MORRIS met a 15-year-old girl who was working in prostitution in New York. Shortly thereafter, MORRIS brought the minor victim to his home in Bridgeport and arranged to have advertisements of her prostitution services posted on Backpage.com. The minor victim then began to see prostitution customers at MORRIS’s residence and gave the money she received to MORRIS. MORRIS also drove the minor victim to other locations in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., when she saw prostitution customers.
The minor victim worked as a prostitute for MORRIS from November 2014 to April 2015, and from November 2015 to May 2016, seeing approximately 10 customers per day.
MORRIS engaged in sexual activity with the minor victim, and began beating her a few weeks after she arrived in Bridgeport.
On May 2, 2016, investigators found the minor victim at a hotel in East Hartford after she contacted her mother who then called police. MORRIS had recently beaten the minor victim, who had visible scars and signs of physical abuse.
MORRIS has been detained since his arrest on August 16, 2016.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for September 8, 2017, at which time MORRIS faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum term of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. He also has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $100,000, which is a conservative estimate of how much money the minor victim earned in prostitution when she was with MORRIS.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bridgeport Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Stratford Police Department and New York Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarala V. Nagala.
Bella Vista Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Anthony Allen Jean, age 45, of Bella Vista, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 78 months in federal prison followed by 15 years of supervised release on one count each of Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in March 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified a computer with a known IP address that was engaged in receipt of images and videos that depicted child pornography through a private, password protected website. A subsequent subpoena return of the suspect computer’s internet provider returned to the residence of Anthony Jean. The FBI executed a search warrant on Jean’s residence at which time he admitted to downloading and receiving images of child pornography on his laptop computer. A forensic examination of Jean’s computer yielded multiple images and approximately 562 videos depicting child pornography.
A federal grand jury indicted Jean in December 2015, and he pleaded guilty in December 2016.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney Denis Dean prosecuted the case for the United States.
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Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Attorney General Sessions Issues Charging and Sentencing Guidelines to Federal ProsecutorsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today issued the attached memorandum establishing charging and sentencing policies for the Department of Justice.
This policy was formulated after extensive consultation with Assistant U.S. Attorneys at both the trial and appellate level, as well as U.S. Attorneys and Main Justice Attorneys. It ensures that the Department enforces the law fairly and consistently, advances public safety and promotes respect for our legal system.
Attorney General Sessions will issue further remarks on the new policy later this morning.
Memorandum on Department Charging and Sentencing PolicyAlbuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jonathan Griego, 27, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office
Griego and his co-defendants Richard Porras, 30 and Jesus Ramirez, 26, were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Griego, Ramirez and Porras were arrested in Aug. 2016, on separate criminal complaints charging them with drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The three were subsequently charged together in a nine-count indictment filed on Aug. 9, 2016. The indictment charged Porras and Griego with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. It also charged Porras with distributing methamphetamine on three occasions, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm; and Ramirez with possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During today’s proceedings, Griego pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Griego admitted that on Aug. 4, 2016, Griego possessed methamphetamine with the intent distribute the methamphetamine to an individual who unbeknownst to him was an undercover ATF agent. At sentencing, Griego faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
To date, 49 of the 104 defendants including Porras and Ramirez have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants, have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces $5.9 Million Settlement of Civil Money Laundering and Forfeiture Claims Against Real Estate Corporations Alleged to Have Laundered Proceeds of Russian Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States has settled a money laundering and civil forfeiture action against assets of 11 corporations, including some that own luxury residential and high-end commercial real estate in Manhattan. The Government’s complaint alleged that the defendant corporations laundered some proceeds of a $230 million Russian tax refund fraud scheme involving corrupt Russian officials that was uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died in pretrial detention in Moscow under suspicious circumstances and was posthumously prosecuted by Russia.
In the stipulation of settlement filed with U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III today, which is still subject to approval by the Court, one of the defendant corporations, Prevezon Holdings Ltd., agrees to pay $5,896,333.65 to resolve the Government’s claims against all defendants. This payment represents triple the value of the proceeds that the Government alleged could be traced directly from the Russian treasury fraud to the defendants ($1,965,444.55), and more than ten times the amount of proceeds the Government alleged could be traced directly to property in New York (approximately $582,000).
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “We will not allow the U.S. financial system to be used to launder the proceeds of crimes committed anywhere – here in the U.S., in Russia, or anywhere else. Under the terms of this settlement, the defendants have agreed to pay not just what we alleged flowed to them from the Russian treasury fraud, but three times that amount, and roughly 10 times the money we alleged could be traced directly into U.S. accounts and real estate.”
The Government’s lawsuit alleged as follows:
In 2007, a Russian criminal organization engaged in an elaborate tax refund fraud scheme resulting in a fraudulently obtained tax refund of approximately $230 million from the Russian treasury. As part of the fraud scheme, members of the organization stole the corporate identities of portfolio companies of the Hermitage Fund, a foreign investment fund operating in Russia. The organization’s members then used these stolen identities to make fraudulent claims for tax refunds.
In order to procure the refunds, the criminal organization fraudulently re-registered the Hermitage companies in the names of members of the organization, and then orchestrated sham lawsuits against these companies. These sham lawsuits involved members of the organization as both the plaintiffs (representing sham commercial counterparties suing the Hermitage companies) and the defendants (purporting to represent the Hermitage companies). In each case, the members of the organization purporting to represent the Hermitage companies confessed full liability in court, leading the courts to award large money judgments to the plaintiffs.
The purpose of the sham lawsuits was to fraudulently generate money judgments against the Hermitage companies. Members of the organization purporting to represent the Hermitage companies then used those money judgments to seek tax refunds. The basis of these refund requests was that the money judgments constituted losses eliminating the profits the Hermitage companies had earned, and thus the Hermitage companies were entitled to a refund of the taxes that had been paid on these profits. The requested refunds totaled 5.4 billion rubles, or approximately $230 million.
Members of the organization who were officials at two Russian tax offices corruptly approved the requests within one business day, and approximately $230 million was disbursed to members of the organization, purportedly on behalf of the Hermitage companies, two days later.
After perpetrating this fraud, members of the organization undertook illegal actions in order to conceal this fraud and retaliate against individuals who attempted to expose it. After learning of the lawsuits against its portfolio companies, Hermitage retained attorneys, including Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, to investigate. Magnitsky and other attorneys for Hermitage uncovered the refund fraud scheme, and the complicity of Russian governmental officials in it, and were subject to retaliatory criminal proceedings against them. Magnitsky was arrested and died approximately a year later in pretrial detention. An independent Russian human rights council concluded that Magnitsky’s arrest and detention were illegal, that Magnitsky was denied necessary medical care in custody, that he was beaten by eight guards with rubber batons on the last day of his life, and that the ambulance crew that was called to treat him as he was dying was deliberately kept outside of his cell for more than an hour until he was dead.
Members of the criminal organization, and associates of those members, have also engaged in a broad pattern of money laundering in order to conceal the proceeds of the fraud scheme. In a complex series of transfers through shell corporations, the $230 million from the Russian treasury was laundered into numerous accounts in Russia and other countries. A portion of the funds stolen from the Russian treasury passed through several shell companies into Prevezon Holdings, Ltd., a Cyprus-based real estate corporation that is a defendant in the forfeiture action. Prevezon Holdings laundered these fraud proceeds into its real estate holdings, including investment in multiple units of high-end commercial space and luxury apartments in Manhattan, and created multiple other corporations, also subject to the forfeiture action, to hold these properties.
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A chart listing the companies named as defendants in the lawsuit is attached.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of ICE HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul M. Monteleoni, Cristine Irvin Phillips, and Tara M. LaMorte are in charge of the case.
Prevezon Holdings, Ltd.
Prevezon Alexander, LLC
Prevezon Soho USA, LLC
Prevezon Seven USA, LLC
Prevezon Pine USA, LLC
Prevezon 1711 USA, LLC
Prevezon 1810, LLC
Prevezon 2009 USA, LLC
Prevezon 2011 USA, LLC
Ferencoi Investments, Ltd.
Kolevins Ltd.
11 May 2017
Woman Who Committed Wire Fraud Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Virginia woman, who conspired with others to commit wire fraud, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Deborah Diana Lawson, 60, of Raven, Va., previously to a one count Information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Today in District Court, Lawson was sentenced to probation for a term of three years and ordered to make restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $7,712.
According to evidence presented by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer, in or around March 2015 Lawson's co-conspirator caused a fraudulent tax return refund to be sent via wire to Lawson’s bank account in Russell County, Virginia. Lawson caused proceeds of the fraudulent tax return refund to be sent via wire transfer from the Western District of Virginia to an account in Buffalo, New York.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Assistant United Attorney Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.
Wichita Man Sentenced to 24+ Years in Federal Human Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Thursday to 293 months in federal prison for human trafficking, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Daederick Lacy, 26, Wichita, Kan., was found guilty in a jury trial in February on one count of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of sex trafficking of an adult by force, fraud or coercion and one count of interstate transportation of a minor in furtherance of prostitution.
During trial prosecutors, presented evidence that three female victims – two minors and an adult – were trafficked for sex by Lacy. Lacy advertised victims on an adult Web site, rented rooms at motels for sex, transported victims to meetings with men who paid for sex, and drove a minor victim from Kansas to Texas to serve as a prostitute.
Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, the Mesquite (Texas) Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
West Seneca Man Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead 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 Scott Leuthe, 45, of West Seneca, NY, who was convicted of tax evasion, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to time served with two years supervised release to include 4 months of home detention. Leuthe has already paid full restitution to the IRS in the amount of $268,000 with penalties and interest.
Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryEllen Kresse who handled the case, stated that from 2008 through 2011, Leuthe was working as a nurse practitioner for two diagnostic imaging businesses in the Western District of New York. Although Leuthe was paid as an independent contractor by both businesses, he failed to report any of the income he received from one of the companies while claiming all the expenses he incurred in the performance of his duties there. Leuthe’s unreported income during this four-year period was in excess of $400,000, resulting in Leuthe's failure to pay approximately $134,000 in income taxes.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge James D. Robnett.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Promotes Arson Awareness WeekRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss - The U.S. Department of Justice and its Civil Rights Division has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s U.S. Fire Administration to promote Arson Awareness Week 2017 (May 7-13), with a focus on preventing arson at houses of worship. An average of 103 arsons of houses of worship occurred per year from 2000 to 2015.
In coordination with Arson Awareness Week, The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi organized an assessment at a local house of worship which included the Department of Homeland Security's Protective Security Advisor who conducted security reviews and offered recommendations about arson, active shooter and other risks.
The Justice Department enforces a number of federal statutes protecting places of worship from attack, including 18 U.S.C. § 247, known as the Church Arson Prevention Act, which was passed in the 1990s in response to a sharp increase in church arsons. That law makes it a federal crime to target religious property because of the religion or race of the congregation. Arson cases in recent years include the prosecution of three men for burning down an African-American Pentecostal Church in Springfield, Massachusetts, which led to multi-year sentences for each defendant; a guilty plea leading to a 20-year sentence in the arson of a Toledo, Ohio mosque; and the ongoing prosecution of a man accused of plotting to bomb a synagogue in Aventura, Florida last year.
FEMA and the Department of Justice have materials available to help congregations, community organizations and local law enforcement and fire safety officials to increase arson awareness and hold events highlighting proactive steps that can be taken to try to reduce house of worship arson. These materials are available at the Arson Awareness Week homepage, www.usfa.fema.gov/aaw.
Two charged in federal court after law enforcement officials seize more than 85 pounds of suspected cocaine in ToledoRead the Press Release
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Toledo Resident Agency, the Toledo Metro Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration's Northwest Ohio Drug Task Force and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announce the arrest of two individuals for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and the seizure of approximately 39 kilograms of suspected cocaine.
Through investigative means a federal search warrant was obtained and executed on May 10, 2017, at 814 Stillman in Toledo. Law enforcement officials seized approximately 39 kilograms of suspected cocaine, with an approximate street value of $1.5 million, and approximately $27,000 in currency during the execution of the search warrant.
Jose Rios Uzveta, age 40, and Cesario Perez, age 58, were taken into federal custody pursuant to the search warrant. Both had their initial appearances this morning in federal court and both were detained. Uzveta and Perez are expected to have their next federal court appearance on May 18.
This case is being investigated by members of the FBI's Toledo Resident Agency, the Toledo Metro Drug Task Force and the DEA Northwest Ohio Drug Task Force.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Any questions regarding this news release can be directed to SA Vicki D Anderson at the Cleveland Office of the FBI, 216-522-1400 or [email protected].
Two Sentenced for Distributing HeroinRead 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 Angel Ruiz, 39, and Barbara Moses, 36, both of Buffalo, NY, were sentenced today, by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., based upon their prior pleas of guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin. Specifically, Ruiz was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, and Moses was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment for her role in assisting Ruiz.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who handled the case, stated that Ruiz’s conviction was based upon multiple sales of heroin and fentanyl that he made in Buffalo which were discovered during the course of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. Moses admitted to helping Ruiz sell heroin on two occasions.
The sentencing was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge John Flickenger, Buffalo Field Office.
Two Individuals Charged in Four Robberies of Pizza Delivery DriversRead the Press Release
David Torres-Medina (19) and Adiezel Perez-Rosario (19), both of Philadelphia, were charged today by Indictment[1] with four counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce; four counts of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence; carjacking; and, as against Torres-Medina only, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment charges that Torres-Medina committed a robbery of a Domino’s Pizza delivery person on September 20, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and that Torres-Medina and Perez-Rosario committed gunpoint and knifepoint robberies of pizza delivery employees of Domino’s Pizza, Fishtown Pizza and Bravo Pizza, each located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 13, 21 and 22, 2017, respectively. Torres-Medina and Perez-Rosario are also charged with a gunpoint robbery of a motor vehicle in connection with the February 22, 2017 Bravo Pizza delivery driver robbery.
If convicted of all counts, Torres-Medina faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory 82-year minimum sentence, a $2,500,000 fine, five years supervised release, and a $1,000 special assessment.
If convicted of all counts, Perez-Rosario faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory 82-year minimum sentence, a $2,000,000 fine, five years supervised release, and a $800 special assessment.
This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bensalem Police Department. The case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Eric A. Boden.
[1] An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Chittenden County, Vermont Residents Charged with Making Their Homes Available for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that federal criminal charges have been brought against three individuals accused of making their residences in Chittenden County, Vermont available for drug activity. These charges resulted from long-term investigations into the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base by three different drug organizations operating in Chittenden County.
The following individuals were charged as described below:
Michelle West, age 41, for conspiring with Rashaad Phillips of Boston and Saquan Moore of Boston to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, and for making a house West controlled at 98 Shady Lane in Colchester, VT, available for drug activity.
Gayle Morenus, age 41, for conspiring with Myron Bernard of Philadelphia and Kevin Kyle Forman of Burlington to distribute heroin and cocaine base, and making an apartment Morenus controlled at 25 South Willard Street in Burlington, VT, available for drug activity.
Michael Bessette, age 48, for conspiring with Philip Haynes of New York City to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base, and for making a house Bessette controlled at 23 1/2 North Champlain Street in Burlington, VT, available for drug activity.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty. West, Morenus, and Bessette each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for making their homes available for drug distribution.
In announcing these charges, Acting United States Attorney Eugenia A. P. Cowles stated that “with the help of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, our office continues to pursue not only drug traffickers moving drugs into Vermont, but also Vermonters who facilitate drug distribution. These facilitators allow drug dealers to exploit the safe-harbor of their homes to operate and peddle their poison within our communities. In doing so, they commit crimes worthy of federal prosecution.”
The United States is represented in these matters by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Michelle West is represented by Thomas Sherrer, Esq. Gayle Morenus is represented by Bradley Stetler, Esq. Michael Bessette is represented by Karen Shingler, Esq. The investigations of these individuals were conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Burlington Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force.
Third Indian National Pleads Guilty for Role in Multimillion Dollar India-based Call Center Scam Targeting U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - An Indian national pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in liquidating and laundering victim payments generated through various telephone fraud and money laundering schemes via India-based call centers.
Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the Southern District of Texas, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Executive Associate Director Peter T. Edge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Inspector General J. Russell George of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and Inspector General John Roth of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security- Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) made the announcement.
Harsh Patel, 28, an Indian national who most recently resided in Piscataway, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas. Sentencing is set for Aug. 7, 2017.
According to admissions made in connection with the plea, Patel and his co-conspirators perpetrated a complex scheme in which individuals from call centers located in Ahmedabad, India, impersonated officials from the IRS or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a ruse designed to defraud victims located throughout the United States. Using information obtained from data brokers and other sources, call center operators targeted U.S. victims who were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, fines or deportation if they did not pay alleged monies owed to the government. Victims who agreed to pay the scammers were instructed how to provide payment, including by purchasing stored value cards or wiring money. Upon payment, the call centers would immediately turn to a network of “runners” based in the U.S. to liquidate and launder the fraudulently-obtained funds.
According to his plea, since around January 2015, Patel worked as a runner operating primarily in New Jersey, California and Illinois. At the direction of India-based co-conspirators, often via electronic WhatsApp text communications, Patel admitted to purchasing reloadable cards registered with misappropriated personal identifying information of U.S. citizens. Once victim scam proceeds were loaded onto those cards, Patel admitted he liquidated the proceeds on the cards and transferred the funds into money orders for deposit into various bank accounts while keeping a percentage of the victim funds for himself. Patel also admitted to receiving fake identification documents from an India-based co-conspirator and other sources and using those documents to receive victim scam payments via wire transfers.
To date, Patel, 55 other individuals, and five India-based call centers have been charged for their roles in the fraud and money laundering scheme in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas on Oct. 19, 2016. Patel is the third defendant thus far to plead guilty in this case. Co-defendants Bharatkumar Patel, aka Bharat Patel, 43, and Ashvinbhai Chaudhari, 28, pleaded guilty on April 13, 2017, and April 26, 2017, respectively.
The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
HSI, DHS-OIG and TIGTA led the investigation of this case. Also providing significant support was the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs; Ft. Bend County Sheriff’s Office; police departments in Hoffman Estates and Naperville, Illinois, and Leonia, New Jersey; San Diego County District Attorney’s Office Family Protection/Elder Abuse Unit; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General; IOC-2; INTERPOL Washington; USCIS; U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Northern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, District of Colorado, Northern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Indiana, District of Nevada and District of New Jersey. The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau also provided assistance in TIGTA’s investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and Craig M. Feazel of the Southern District of Texas, Senior Trial Attorney Michael Sheckels and Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Trial Attorney Robert Stapleton of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case.
A Department of Justice Website has been established to provide information about the case to already identified and potential victims and the public. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of fraud or identity theft in relation to this investigation or other telefraud scam phone calls may contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via this website.
Anyone who wants additional information about telefraud scams generally, or preventing identity theft or fraudulent use of their identity information, may obtain helpful information on the IRS tax scams website, the FTC phone scam website and the FTC identity theft website.
Third Indian National Pleads Guilty for Role in Multimillion Dollar India-Based Call Center Scam Targeting U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
An Indian national pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in liquidating and laundering victim payments generated through various telephone fraud and money laundering schemes via India-based call centers.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez of the Southern District of Texas, Executive Associate Director Peter T. Edge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Inspector General J. Russell George of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and Inspector General John Roth of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) made the announcement.
Harsh Patel, 28, an Indian national who most recently resided in Piscataway, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas. Sentencing is set for Aug. 7, 2017.
According to admissions made in connection with the plea, Patel and his co-conspirators perpetrated a complex scheme in which individuals from call centers located in Ahmedabad, India, impersonated officials from the IRS or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a ruse designed to defraud victims located throughout the United States. Using information obtained from data brokers and other sources, call center operators targeted U.S. victims who were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, fines or deportation if they did not pay alleged monies owed to the government. Victims who agreed to pay the scammers were instructed how to provide payment, including by purchasing stored value cards or wiring money. Upon payment, the call centers would immediately turn to a network of “runners” based in the U.S. to liquidate and launder the fraudulently-obtained funds.
According to his plea, since around January 2015, Patel worked as a runner operating primarily in New Jersey, California and Illinois. At the direction of India-based co-conspirators, often via electronic WhatsApp text communications, Patel admitted to purchasing reloadable cards registered with misappropriated personal identifying information of U.S. citizens. Once victim scam proceeds were loaded onto those cards, Patel admitted that he liquidated the proceeds on the cards and transferred the funds into money orders for deposit into various bank accounts while keeping a percentage of the victim funds for himself. Patel also admitted to receiving fake identification documents from an India-based co-conspirator and other sources and using those documents to receive victim scam payments via wire transfers.
To date, Patel, 55 other individuals, and five India-based call centers have been charged for their roles in the fraud and money laundering scheme in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas on Oct. 19, 2016. Patel is the third defendant thus far to plead guilty in this case. Co-defendants Bharatkumar Patel, aka Bharat Patel, 43, and Ashvinbhai Chaudhari, 28, pleaded guilty on April 13, 2017, and April 26, 2017, respectively.
The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
HSI, DHS OIG and TIGTA led the investigation of this case. Also providing significant support was the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs; Ft. Bend County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; police departments in Hoffman Estates and Naperville, Illinois, and Leonia, New Jersey; San Diego County District Attorney’s Office Family Protection/Elder Abuse Unit; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General; IOC-2; INTERPOL Washington; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services USCIS; U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Northern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, District of Colorado, Northern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Indiana, District of Nevada and District of New Jersey. The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau also provided assistance in TIGTA’s investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Michael Sheckels and Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Robert Stapleton of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and Craig M. Feazel of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
A Department of Justice website has been established to provide information about the case to already identified and potential victims and the public. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of fraud or identity theft in relation to this investigation or other telefraud scam phone calls may contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via this website.
Anyone who wants additional information about telefraud scams generally, or preventing identity theft or fraudulent use of their identity information, may obtain helpful information on the IRS tax scams website, the FTC phone scam website and the FTC identity theft website.
Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Obstruct the IRSRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ASAFAK B. BHURA, 50, of Manchester, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to attempting to interfere with the administration of Internal Revenue laws.
According to court documents and statements made in court, BHURA owned and operated Nafisa, LLC, and later BAB Enterprise, LLC, a convenience store located in Middletown. The store was registered with the U.S. Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as a money service business that sold money wire services and money orders to the public for fees. The store was never licensed by the State of Connecticut to be a check cashier, which would permit the store to cash checks for a fee greater than 50 cents per check.
In April 2010, in response to an Internal Revenue Service Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) Compliance Audit, BHURA adopted an anti-money laundering (“AML”) program and check cashing policies and procedures for his store. The procedures listed the acceptable forms of identification of those seeking to cash a check and required the collection and verification of the customer’s information, including addresses, home telephone number and place of employment, along with a copy or scan of the cashed checks.
From March 2012 to June 2012, BHURA accepted and cashed 126 U.S. Treasury tax refund checks totaling $787,187.17 for an individual. BHURA did not properly identify the individual and the checks were not made payable to that individual. In addition, he deposited the checks into his personal bank accounts rather than the store’s business operating accounts.
BHURA purposefully did not comply with his store’s AML program and check cashing policies and procedures. Based on prior IRS BSA Compliance examinations of the store, BHURA knew the IRS BSA Compliance auditor reviewing the store’s money service business activities and business bank accounts would detect the cashed U.S. Treasury checks if they were deposited into the store’s business accounts.
The federal tax refund checks BHURA cashed were payable to payees residing in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. The investigation revealed that the checks were federal tax refund checks that others fraudulently obtained through the filing of federal income tax returns containing stolen or fraudulently obtained personal identifying information.
For his services, BHURA received and kept a five percent fee for cashing the 126 checks, which amounted to $39,359.
BHURA is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on August 23, 2017, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years and a fine of up to $250,000. He also has agreed to pay the IRS $39,359 in restitution.
BHURA was released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 57 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Acting United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced that Lorenzo Carlos Pfeifer, 33, of South Bend, Indiana was sentenced before District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Pfeifer was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, on November 17, 2016, Lorenzo Carlos Pfeifer was the passenger of a vehicle whose driver led the police on a vehicle chase. During that chase, Pfeifer threw a 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun out of the car’s window, which was later recovered by police. After the vehicle came to a stop, Pfeifer fled on foot into an apartment unit in an apartment complex. Pfeifer eventually exited the apartment and surrendered himself to police.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.
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Shreveport man sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling methamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Tuesday to 240 months in prison for distributing more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Shreveport area.
U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Brett Luaces, 43, of Shreveport, on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. Law enforcement agents were searching for Luaces on a state arrest warrant for distribution of methamphetamine on August 30, 2016 and found him at a house in Shreveport. After arresting Luaces, agents searched the house and found 135.3 grams of methamphetamine that tested as 96 percent pure. Luaces told agents for approximately the last year, he bought 18 ounces per week of methamphetamine in Dallas and brought it back to Shreveport to sell on the street.
The DEA, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Sentencings for May 8 - May 10, 2017Read the Press Release
Miguel Torres Pineda, 27, of San Jose, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on May 10, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Pineda was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Anthony Darnell Holman, 40, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 10, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Holman was arrested in Rock Springs, Wyoming. He received 46 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Eloy Garcia-Perez, 32, of Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 8, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Garcia-Perez received 18 months of imprisonment to be served consecutively with the revocation sentence in case number 13-CR-35 and with the state sentence in case number 2464. No supervised release was imposed, and Garcia-Perez was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
San Francisco Executive Assistant Charged with Bank Fraud and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury indicted Regina Berny on charges of bank fraud and wire fraud announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
According to the indictment unsealed earlier today, from January 2011 until August 2015, Berny, 42, of San Francisco, took over $530,000 from her two separate employers and fraudulently deposited the money into her own personal bank accounts. She worked as an executive assistant for these employers who were corporations with headquarters in San Francisco – one a global commercial property developer of distribution facilities and the other a global chain of perfume and cosmetics stores. During her employment, Berny allegedly stole mail belonging to her employers that contained checks made payable to the employers. Once in possession of the checks, Berny allegedly wrote on the back of the checks “for deposit only,” and deposited them into her personal bank account. In addition, the indictment alleges Berny deposited the checks at automated teller machines so that she was not questioned or confronted about her authority to deposit the checks into her personal account. The indictment further alleges some of the checks were sent to Berny’s employers by third party vendors for overpayments made by the employers to the vendors while other checks were tax refund payments sent to the employers by counties, cities, or states.
Berny is charged with six counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344, and six counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Berny was arrested this morning and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joeseph C. Spero. She was released on bond and is scheduled to make her next appearance in federal court in San Francisco on May 23, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria for arraignment.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of thirty years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 for each count of bank fraud. In addition, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of wire fraud. Additional terms of supervised release and restitution also may be ordered, however, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hallie Hoffman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Heidi Dittmer. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Salamanca Man Arraigned on Fraud and Money Laundering 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 Sergiy Bezrukov, 33, of Salamanca, NY, pleaded not guilty to a 48-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to defraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trini Ross, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, the defendant operate fraudulent debt restructuring businesses out of two offices that he opened in the Western New York area.
Bezrukov sent solicitation letters under various false and fictitious names, offering to assist small businesses with restructuring high interest loans. After the small businesses agreed to work with the defendant and his company, Bezrukov withdrew sums of money from the accounts of the small businesses and used those funds for purposes not associated with assisting the small businesses. When the small business owners attempted to contact the defendant or others at the fraudulent company, they would get no response. Bezrukov used the fraudulent debt restricting business to defraud approximately 200 victims out of $1,200,000 dollars.
Bezrukov pleaded not guilty and is being detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski, Boston Division, Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James D. Robnett, New York Field Office.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Romanian Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Capital Region ATM Skimming ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ilie Sitariu, age 37, and a citizen of Romania, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for working with others to steal account information and personal identification numbers (PINs) from people using ATMs in the Capital Region.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Sitariu admitted that from August 30, 2015 through October 24, 2015, he and a co-conspirator secretly installed skimmers and pinhole cameras on ATMs at the Chatham, New York, branch of First Niagara Bank, the Delmar, New York, branch of Trustco Bank, and the Great Barrington, Massachusetts, branch of Berkshire Bank. As customers used the ATMs, Sitariu and co-conspirators stole customers’ account information with the skimmers and their PINs with the cameras. They then used that stolen information at ATMs in New York City to withdraw money from the customer accounts. The total amount stolen was $127,389.
Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also ordered that Sitariu, who has been in custody since his October 2015 arrest, serve 2 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and pay $127,389 in restitution to First Niagara Bank, Trustco Bank, and Berkshire Bank.
This case was investigated by the FBI, New York State Police, and the U.S. Secret Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
Red Lake Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Violent StabbingRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the sentencing HAROLD JAMES JOHNSON, JR., 24, an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, to 37 months in federal prison for a violent assault committed on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. JOHNSON, who pleaded guilty on December 22, 2016, was sentenced on May 10, 2017, before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minn.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on July 10, 2016, JOHNSON assaulted a male victim at a private residence within the exterior boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation. JOHNSON used a knife to stab the victim several times in the face and torso. As a result of the attack, the victim suffered nearly fatal stab wounds and internal bleeding as well as surgery and extended hospitalization.
To learn more about the Justice Department’s Tribal Safety program, visit http://www.justice.gov/tribal/.
This case resulted from an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw.
Defendant Information:
HAROLD JAMES JOHNSON, JR., 24
Red Lake, Minn.
Convicted:
- Assault resulting in serious bodily injury, 1 count
Sentenced:
-
37 months in prison
-
Three years of supervised release
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Readout of Meeting Between U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Israeli Justice Minister ShakedRead the Press Release
The Attorney General today had a constructive meeting with Israeli Justice Minister Shaked. The two discussed the strong bond between the United States and Israel and focused on how they can cooperate in the areas of international criminal justice, terrorism and cyber threats. The Attorney General looks forward to continuing a strong, collaborative relationship with Israel’s Ministry of Justice and looks forward to future discussions.
Pueblo Man to Serve 151 Months in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – John Catilino Maez, age 35, of Pueblo, Colorado, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson to serve 151 months (over 12 years) in federal prison for gun and drug charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge Debora Livingston announced. Following his prison sentence, Maez was ordered to serve 3 years on supervised release. Following the sentencing hearing the defendant, who appeared in custody, was remanded.
Maez was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on August 10, 2016. He pled guilty before Judge Jackson on February 22, 2017 to being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of ammunition, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. He was sentenced today, May 11, 2017.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on May 17, 2016, Pueblo Police officers and ATF special agents executed a search warrant at Maez’s residence based on probable cause that he was distributing narcotics from that location. During a search of the defendant’s bedroom agents and officers found two rifles (a 12 gauge shotgun and a SKS Model 45 caliber rifle), a bullet proof vest hanging in the closet, 935 rounds of various caliber ammunition, two scales and approximately 38.5 grams of Heroin or a mixture thereof individually wrapped into 9 separate baggies.
“Poison, danger, and fear was all this man was contributing to his community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “Thanks to exceptional law enforcement in Pueblo and our talented prosecutor, he’s gone now.”
“Maez has an unapologetic history of violence and drug trafficking that poisoned everyone around him. Removing him from the streets is another measurable step toward improving the health and safety of Pueblo’s law-abiding citizens,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Debora Livingston.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Pueblo Police Department Narcotics Unit. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Bohn.
Pottawattamie County Resident Sentenced to 73 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On May 10, 2017, Rodney Lee Koehrsenheather Jean Reekr, a 33 year-old resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner to 73 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for his conviction on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. On January 4, 2017, the defendant pleaded guilty to this charge. The case was the result of a traffic stop that occurred on June 9, 2016, in Harlan, Iowa, which led to the recovery of methamphetamine and other contraband items.
The Harlan, Iowa, Police Department and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Narcotics Enforcement conducted the investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected].
Philadelphia Area Restauraneur Indicted on Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Giuseppe “Pino” DiMeo, 49 years old, and a resident of Eagleville, Pennsylvania was charged today by indictment[1] with two counts of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and twelve counts of filing false tax returns announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment charges that from 2008 through 2012, DiMeo conspired with his business partners at restaurants in Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to defraud the IRS of income taxes and payroll taxes. DiMeo skimmed cash from four of his restaurants and failed to report the cash income to the IRS. DiMeo also paid many of his employees in cash under the table and failed to inform his accountant or the IRS about his businesses’ cash payroll. In total, DiMeo had over three million dollars in unreported gross receipts and failed to pay to the IRS approximately one million dollars in income taxes and payroll taxes.
DiMeo has owned and operated numerous restaurants in the Philadelphia area, and presently owns DiMeo’s Pizzaiuoli Napulitani in Wilmington, Delaware; Pizzeria DiMeo’s (Andorra) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Arde Osteria in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
The defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 46 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $3.5 million fine, and a $1,400 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations,
and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carrillo and Tiwana L. Wright.
[1] An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Patient Marketer for All-Star Medical Supply Sentenced to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – Acting United States Attorney Corey R. Amundson announced that U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced DEMETRIAS TEMPLE, age 56, of New Orleans, Louisiana, to serve ten (10) months in federal prison following her conviction for health care fraud. TEMPLE was ordered to make restitution to the Medicare program totaling $100,000 and pay a $100 special assessment. TEMPLE was ordered to forfeit an additional $100,000 as the proceeds of her criminal activity. Finally, following her release from prison, TEMPLE will be required to serve a two-year term of supervised release.
This criminal case began in October 2013, when a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging TEMPLE and her co-defendant, AHAOMA BONIFACE OHIA, with perpetrating a scheme to defraud Medicare through OHIA’s company, All-Star Medical Supplies, which operated in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas. On June 6, 2014, TEMPLE pled guilty to health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347. Specifically, TEMPLE admitted that she worked as a recruiter for OHIA and, throughout 2008 and 2009, that she assisted OHIA’s fraudulent scheme by recruiting Medicare beneficiaries in the New Orleans area and providing their names and personal information to OHIA, knowing that OHIA would use the information to submit false Medicare claims. TEMPLE also admitted that OHIA paid her via illegal kickbacks; she and OHIA would meet in New Orleans, and OHIA would pay her in cash based on the number of beneficiaries whose personal information she provided to OHIA.
TEMPLE’s co-defendant, OHIA, proceeded to trial in June 2014. The evidence at trial established that OHIA had caused All-Star to submit hundreds of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare from January 2007 through February 2009. For instance, OHIA submitted hundreds of fraudulent claims for a highly-specialized, custom-fabricated device intended to be used by amputees. OHIA never actually provided the device to his clients, however, none of whom needed the device anyway. After a four-day jury trial, OHIA was convicted of all seven charged counts. In December 2014, this Court sentenced OHIA to serve one hundred fifty six (156) months in federal prison and pay restitution of more than $1.2 million. In October 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed OHIA’s conviction and sentence.
Meanwhile, in September 2014, several months after TEMPLE was convicted in Baton Rouge for her role in All-Star Medical, TEMPLE was also convicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana for her role in a separate health care fraud scheme in New Orleans. In that case, TEMPLE admitted that she conspired with certain individuals in the New Orleans area, from 2009 through March 2013, to submit false Medicare claims for home health services. TEMPLE was recently sentenced to serve 46 months in prison as a result of her role in that scheme.
Acting U.S. Attorney Amundson stated, “Today’s sentence is a clear reminder that we continue to work aggressively to fight health care fraud in this district. Since Baton Rouge was first selected as one of the host cities for a Medicare Fraud Strike Force in 2009, this office has placed a special emphasis on this type of crime. By working closely with our colleagues at the Department of Justice’s Criminal Fraud Section and our law enforcement partners at HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and by surging resources to this area, the Strike Force has achieved tremendous success in Baton Rouge. The results in the All-Star Medical case—including OHIA’s thirteen-year federal prison sentence and TEMPLE’s conviction and sentence today—are just the latest example in a long line of successful prosecutions. From day one of the Strike Force, the consistent message to those who would commit health care fraud in this district is that we are working hard to bring to justice and convict those who would steal from the Medicare program.”
“Any time false claims are submitted for payment, the nation's health insurance programs suffer,” said Special Agent-in-Charge CJ Porter of the HHS Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) Dallas Regional Office. “The sentence imposed today affirms our commitment that HHS-OIG Special Agents will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice providers who deliberately manipulate the system to fraudulently obtain crucial Medicare and Medicaid dollars.”
FBI New Orleans Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC) Jeffrey Sallet stated, “The FBI will continue to investigate health care fraud in cooperation with our federal and state partners to safeguard the Medicare Trust Fund against theft by those who seek to undermine the availability of heath care to our vulnerable or elderly citizens.”
The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHH-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office (MFCU), and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who serves as Acting Criminal Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam Le.
Owner of Utah-Based Pharmaceutical Wholesale Distributor Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Role in $100 Million Black Market Medication SchemeRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RANDY CROWELL, a/k/a “Roger,” was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for fraudulently distributing, through his Utah-based wholesale distribution company, more than $100 million worth of prescription drugs obtained through a nationwide black market. The defendant distributed the drugs in question, which were predominantly used to treat HIV/AIDS, to pharmacies, where they were dispensed to unsuspecting patients. As part of his sentence, CROWELL also agreed to forfeit more than $13 million in personal profits from the scheme and was ordered to pay an additional $65 million in restitution to Medicaid. CROWELL pled guilty on January 6, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud before United States District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who also imposed today’s sentence.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “For more than two years, Randy Crowell personally profited from perverting a system designed to ensure patients receive safe and effective medication. He victimized healthcare companies and government benefit programs, as well as countless people suffering from life-threatening illnesses. The recipients of Crowell’s black market medications had no way to know that the medicines they purchased at pharmacies might be dangerous.”
CROWELL’s sentence marks the culmination of a six-year investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation into a massive, nationwide healthcare fraud scheme involving the resale of black market medications worth more than $500 million. Including CROWELL, 57 defendants have been charged and convicted for their roles in the scheme. Through these prosecutions, hundreds of millions in restitution and criminal forfeiture have been recovered for victims, including Medicaid.
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during the plea proceedings:
From early 2010 until at least July 2012, CROWELL, who was the owner and operator of a licensed wholesale distributor of prescription medications based in St. George, Utah (“Wholesaler-1”), participated in a sophisticated scheme to defraud health insurance companies and government programs such as Medicaid out of hundreds of millions of dollars by trafficking prescriptions through a nationwide black market. CROWELL, through Wholesaler-1, purchased more than $100 million worth of prescription medications from this black market at a fraction of the legitimate prices for these drugs, before selling the same as new, legitimate bottles of medication to pharmacies all over the country.
To maximize their profits, CROWELL and his co-conspirators focused on some of the most expensive medications on the market, including those used to treat HIV/AIDS. The profitable scheme was potentially dangerous to the tens of thousands of patients ultimately receiving and taking these prescription drugs. Many of the bottles purchased through the underground market and then distributed as safe, legitimate medications by CROWELL and Wholesaler-1 had in fact been previously dispensed to others, including individuals based in the Southern District of New York. To conceal the fact that they had been previously dispensed, the bottles were typically “cleaned” with hazardous chemicals such as lighter fluid before being transported and stored in conditions that were frequently unsanitary and insufficient to ensure the safety and efficacy of the medication.
Rather than purchasing medications from manufacturers or legitimate authorized distributors at full price, scheme participants, including CROWELL, created and exploited an underground market for these prescription drugs. Scheme participants targeted the cheapest possible source of supply for these drugs – Medicaid patients and other individuals who received these prescription drugs on a monthly basis for little or no cost, and who were then willing to sell their medicines rather than taking them as prescribed (the “Insurance Beneficiaries”).
Insurance Beneficiaries had prescriptions filled for medications each month at pharmacies across the country, including in Manhattan and the Bronx, and then sold their medications to low-level participants (“Collectors”) in the scheme who worked on street corners and bodegas and would pay cash – typically as little as $40 or $50 per bottle. Health care benefit programs would not have paid for the medications issued by pharmacies to the Insurance Beneficiaries had these health care benefit programs known that the Insurance Beneficiaries were selling their drugs to others, rather than taking them as prescribed.
Collectors then sold these second-hand drugs to higher-level scheme participants (“Aggregators”) who bought dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of bottles at a time from multiple collectors before selling them to higher-level scheme participants with direct access to legitimate distribution channels, including corrupt wholesale companies like Wholesaler-1. The corrupt wholesale companies, including Wholesaler-1, then resold the bottles as new, at full price, to pharmacies, including potentially the very same pharmacies that initially dispensed these medications. In so doing, CROWELL and other corrupt wholesale companies intentionally misrepresented where these medications were coming from and, in particular, concealed the fact that these prescription drugs had been obtained from an illegal and illegitimate black market.
Between 2010, when Wholesaler-1 was created by CROWELL, and July 2012, Wholesaler-1 had no legitimate sources of supply. Instead, CROWELL caused Wholesaler-1 to purchase exclusively from illegitimate sources – including the so-called “Aggregators” – who sold to CROWELL at substantially reduced rates, sometimes as much as 50 percent less than the price of acquiring these medications from legitimate sources. Consistent with their illegitimate origins, inbound shipments of prescription drugs frequently arrived at Wholesaler-1 improperly packaged in unsealed, unsecure cardboard boxes. On some occasions, bottles of medication arrived at Wholesaler-1 with the initial patient labels still affixed to them. On other occasions, bottles arrived having already been opened, or containing what appeared to be the wrong medication. At the direction of CROWELL, employees of Wholesaler-1 then inventoried these bottles, attempted to remove any bottles that still had patient labels affixed to them or were otherwise visibly used or damaged, and then arranged for the medications to be shipped out to Wholesaler-1’s customers – pharmacies all over the country, including pharmacies in Manhattan and the Bronx.
To effectuate the scheme – and, in particular, to convince pharmacies to buy these medications, and health care benefit programs to pay for them, CROWELL and others made false and fraudulent representations about the origins of these medications. Specifically, CROWELL and others acting at his direction created false and fraudulent documents known as “pedigrees” for these medications, which purported to document the legitimate movement of these medications bought and sold by Wholesaler-1 from a manufacturer to the pharmacy.
In order to evade detection, CROWELL took additional steps to conceal the unlawful nature of his activities, including using the name “Roger,” frequently changing or “dropping” the phones he used to communicate with co-conspirators, and paying co-conspirators through front or “sham” companies.
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In addition to the term of imprisonment, CROWELL, 56, of Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $13,046,635.00, and ordered to pay restitution of $65 million to Medicaid.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the FBI.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward B. Diskant and Matthew Podolsky are in charge of the prosecution.
Owner of Day Trading Firm Admits Role in Worldwide Simulator Trading Account Scheme, Two Co-Conspirators IndictedRead the Press Release
Scheme Targeted Hundreds of Investors in More Than 30 Countries, Including United States
NEWARK, N.J. – A Thai man today admitted to orchestrating a scheme to defraud hundreds of investors worldwide of approximately $1.4 million through his operation of Nonko Trading, a purported online day trading firm, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced. Also, a federal grand jury has indicted two conspirators in connection with the scheme.
Naris Chamroonrat, 33, of Bangkok, Thailand, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. On May 10, 2017, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Yaniv Avnon, 36, of Tel Aviv, Israel, and Ran Armon, 45, of Toronto, Canada, who are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of wire fraud.According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Between December 2013 and June 2015, Chamroonrat, Avnon, Armon and their conspirators solicited individual investors to open day trading accounts with Nonko and to wire thousands of dollars to Nonko to fund those accounts. Instead, the conspirators allegedly stole the victims’ money. To cover up the theft, they provided the victims with online trading simulator, or “demo,” accounts, and told the investors that they were real accounts to be used for trading securities. They allegedly misappropriated at least $1.4 million from more than 260 investors from 30 countries, including at least 180 investors from the United States, several of whom are in New Jersey.
The conspirators selected as victims only those customers who they believed would not be profitable day-traders and would be less likely to seek to withdraw funds from their accounts. They limited the scheme to inexperienced, unsophisticated “losing” traders because those customers would simply believe they lost their money trading in the open markets. If traders on the demo accounts started to appear profitable, Nonko would switch them to real accounts.
The conspirators discussed the scheme in detail in email and online chat communications. In one online chat communication between Chamroonrat and Avnon on Feb. 2, 2014, Avnon referred to the profits that the scheme had generated the prior month, noting, “It was a huge month, huge month means that a lot of traders got burned .... New blood, all the time, that’s what we need[.]” Although Nonko paid back a small percentage of customers, the majority of misappropriated funds were transferred to foreign bank accounts controlled by Chamroonrat and used for personal expenses or other unauthorized transactions, including transferring proceeds of the scheme to Avnon and Armon.
The conspiracy count in the information and indictment carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The wire fraud count in the indictment carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing for Chamroonrat is scheduled for Sept. 20, 2017.
In a separate civil action, the Securities and Exchange Commission today filed an amended complaint in Newark federal court charging Avnon and Armon with, among other things, violating and aiding and abetting violations of the antifraud provisions of the securities laws. The amended complaint seeks a permanent injunction as well as the return of ill-gotten gains plus interest and penalties. Before amending the complaint, the SEC had asserted similar claims against Chamroonrat.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea and yesterday’s indictment. He also thanked the SEC for its valuable assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Grippo of the Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Chamroonrat: Edward E. Alon Esq., Woodland Hills, California
Omaha Resident Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On May 10, 2017, Brandon David Kinnear, a 25 year-old resident of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced by bySenior United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a felon in possession of a firearm charge, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel.
Kinnear pleaded guilty on January 19, 2017, to the charge. On August 30, 2016, Kinnear was walking in Carter Lake, Iowa, with the grip of a handgun visible just above his waistband. Carter Lake Police Officers stopped Kinnear and found him in possession of a .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Kinnear was prohibited from possession a firearm as the result of a 2013 felony drug conviction in South Dakota.
The Carter Lake Police Department, the Council Bluffs Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected].
Ohio Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Laith Waleed Alebbini, 26, of Dayton, Ohio, with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Alebbini allegedly attempted to provide support in the form of personnel, namely himself, to ISIS.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Angela L. Byers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division and other members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) announced the indictment.
Alebbini was arrested on April 26 at the Cincinnati/Kentucky International Airport and charged with the same crime by criminal complaint. He has remained in custody since his arrest. A citizen of Jordan, Alebbini is a legal permanent resident of the U.S.
Attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
The JTTF includes officers and agents from the Cincinnati Police Department, Colerain Police Department, Dayton Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, University of Cincinnati Police Department, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, FBI, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Oakwood Police Department, West Chester Police Department and Cincinnati State Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the JTTF, as well as First Assistant Vipal J. Patel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, who are prosecuting the case.
Oakdale woman sentenced to 12 months in prison for bribery charge at federal prisonRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that an Oakdale woman was sentenced last week to 12 months and one day in prison for receiving bribes for smuggling cell phones and tobacco into the Federal Correctional Institution at Oakdale.
Billie A. Holmes, 55, of Oakdale, La., was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of bribery of a public official. The defendant was also sentenced to two years of supervised release. According to the January 17, 2017 guilty plea, Holmes worked as an education contractor for FCI Oakdale. From September 2014 to May 2015, an inmate paid Holmes thousands of dollars to smuggle cell phones and tobacco into the prison. In January of 2015, another inmate informed law enforcement that he had been approached by an inmate who offered to sell him a cell phone for $1,600. Upon further investigation, it was learned that Holmes worked with that inmate to smuggle contraband into the prison. During the investigation, Holmes was recorded making plans to smuggle in a cell phone. Financial records also showed $4,200 in wire transfers to Holmes between November 2014 and December 2014.
The U.S. Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore prosecuted the case.
Nurse Practioner Pleads Guilty to Drug 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 Brandon Coburn, 34, of West Seneca, NY, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl, before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2013 and May 2015, Coburn, a licensed nurse practitioner who was legally authorized to prescribe controlled substances, provided fraudulent fentanyl, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and amphetamine prescriptions to ten co-defendants. Those prescriptions were not used for legitimate medical purposes and instead were filled by the co-defendants and sold on the street in the Buffalo area. Coburn issued a total of 253 prescriptions without any legitimate medical purpose.
To date, five defendants charged in this investigation have been convicted. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Today’s plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division.
Coburn is scheduled to be sentenced on August 23, 2017, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
NKC Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Discharging Firearm During Police PursuitRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a North Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for firing a pistol into the air as he attempted to outrun police officers.
Jason P. Summers, 33, of North Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 22, 2016, Summers pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime.
Summers admitted that he fired two shots in the air while he was being pursued by police officers on Aug. 19, 2015. A North Kansas City police officer attempted to conduct a pedestrian check when he saw Summers walking down the street, but Summers ignored the officer’s request to stop and instead fled on foot. Additional officers joined the foot chase. One officer witnessed Summers remove the gun from his waistband, look back at the officer, and fire two gunshots into the air.
Summers attempted to hide between two cars in a parking lot in the 2700 block of Burlington Street, but officers were able to apprehend him. Officers found the firearm, an SCCY Industries 9mm pistol, underneath a vehicle next to where Summers had been hiding. The gun was loaded with ammunition. Two fired cartridge cases were also recovered from the scene.
During a search of Summers, officers found various controlled substances, including psilocybin mushrooms, approximately 1.6 grams of marijuana, prescription drugs and a plastic baggie containing approximately 1.6 grams of methamphetamine. Summers told officers he had possessed and distributed approximately three pounds of methamphetamine over the past six months. Summers also admitted he had stolen the firearm from his father because he needed it for protection due to his involvement with methamphetamine. Summers explained he ran from police because, since he was a felon, he did not want to get caught with the gun. Summers said he fired two rounds into the air, hoping it would create some distance between himself and the officers during his escape.
Summers admitted that, at the time he discharged the firearm, he was involved in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Davids. It was investigated by the North Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Montgomery Woman Sentenced for Using Stolen Identities to Cash Bad ChecksRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – On Wednesday, May 10, 2017, Luciana Mekele Jackson (40) of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 81 months in federal prison for wire fraud and identity theft, announced A. Clark Morris, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Her prison sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Jackson carried out her identity theft scheme by traveling to various Wal-Mart store locations across central and east-central Alabama to cash fraudulent checks, some made out for more than one thousand dollars. Wal-Mart required a valid social security number (SSN) to be provided when checks were cashed in their stores, so Jackson resorted to using the SSN of others when cashing the bad checks. She would use a SSN until it became red-flagged, and then she would begin using the next victim’s information. By the time she was caught, Jackson had used the personal identity of 93 victims.
Over the course of a nine month period, 367 fraudulent transactions were attempted by Jackson. Although the total amount of attempted transactions were well over $250,000.00, actual losses suffered by Wal-Mart were approximately $25,000.00.
Jackson had previously been charged with similar crimes at the state level, including possession of a forged instrument and intentionally cashing worthless checks. Within two weeks of bonding out of jail for those charges, Jackson continued this scheme and was eventually arrested on federal charges. She still has state charges pending in Elmore County and Douglas County in Georgia.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Certegy Check Services’ Fraud Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rand Neeley and Bradley Bodiford prosecuted the case.
Modesto-Area Dermatologist Indicted for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment today against Basil Hantash, 44, of Hughson, charging him with health care fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Hantash is a dermatologist and the medical director of Advanced Skin Institute (ASI) in Turlock. From 2011 through April 2016, Hantash submitted claims to private insurance companies requesting payment for performing acne surgeries. In fact, it is alleged that staff at ASI had performed only cosmetic procedures known as microdermabrasions, or chemical peels. Two insurers, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California, paid ASI a total of approximately $220,000 during that time for claimed acne surgeries.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Tierney is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Hantash faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of health care fraud. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Mescalero Apache Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – John Michael Carrillo, 27, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to an assault charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Carrillo will be sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Carrillo was arrested on Dec. 17, 2016, on a criminal complaint alleging that he assaulted a Mescalero Apache woman on Dec. 2, 2016, on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M., and that the victim suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the assault. According to the complaint, Carrillo assaulted the victim by throwing the victim to the floor and stomping on the victim’s face causing her to suffer a broken jaw, which required surgery.
During today’s proceedings, Carrillo pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Carrillo admitted that on Dec. 2, 2016, he assaulted the victim by stomping on her face. Carrillo acknowledged that the victim suffered a fractured jaw as the result of the assault, which required surgical repair. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Marrero Man Sentenced for Theft of Government Funds Related to Hurricane KatrinaRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that PRENTISS MARTIN, age 51, of Marrero, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to theft of government funds.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced MARTIN to 4 years probation, which includes12 months of home detention, and $80,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an agency of the United States under the Department of Homeland Security, provided federal funds to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which provided grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration.
MARTIN executed application documents with the HMGP to receive federal grant funds to reconstruct his house on Bay Street in New Orleans, which was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. In support of his HMGP Home Reconstruction Grant application, MARTIN submitted fraudulent documents. As a result of his fraudulent submissions, MARTIN accepted and received federal HMGP grant monies in the amount of $80,000 to reconstruct his house in New Orleans. When Special Agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General traveled to MARTIN’s property on Bay Street, they observed a vacant lot.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Loan AMimi@ Nguyen is in charge of the prosecution.
Marion County Man Indicted on Arson and Destructive Device ChargesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the return of a five-count
indictment charging Mark Charles Barnett (49, Ocala) with attempted arson, possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence, possession of a destructive device by a convicted felon, and two counts of unlawful possession/manufacturing of a National Firearms Act weapon. If convicted on all counts, Barnett faces up to life in federal prison.According to court documents, Barnett offered a confidential source (CS) $10,000 to place improvised explosive bombs in Target retail stores along the east coast of the United States. Beginning in January 2017, Barnett created at least 10 of the destructive devices, disguised in food-item packaging, and delivered them to the CS on February 9, 2017. Barnett then asked the CS to place the explosive devices on the store shelves from New York to Florida. Barnett told the CS that he had purchased options on Target stock and expected to make a lot of money from the resulting plunge in the company’s stock price.
Rather than placing the destructive devices on store shelves, however, the CS surrendered them to authorities. Subsequent searches of Barnett’s home by federal agents revealed components consistent with those used to create the destructive devices and articles describing stock market investments. Barnett, a convicted felon, had been conditionally released from state prison in 2013 following multiple convictions for sexual assault, kidnapping, and grand theft.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the Florida Department of Corrections - Probation and Parole; the Marion County Sheriff’s Office; and the Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Maine Man Sentenced on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with enticing minors to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Dillan Letellier, 32, of Saco, Maine, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 14 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $2,400 and forefeiture. In December 2016, Letellier pleaded guilty to two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, three counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of possession of child pornography.
Between May and October 2013, Letellier pretended to be a 17-year-old when he separately met two 14-year-old victims over the internet, coercing and enticing each victim to meet with him. On separate occasions, Letellier traveled from Maine to each of the victims’ Massachusetts towns, met each victim, and brought the victims to locations in Massachusetts where they engaged in sexual intercourse. Following an investigation by law enforcement officers, Letellier was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on Oct. 3, 2013. A forensic exam of the electronic devices seized from Letellier’s residence revealed thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. The Saco (Maine) Police Department and municipal police departments where the victims reside assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus and Anne Paruti of Weinreb's Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Lower Brule Woman Pled Guilty and Was Sentenced to Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, woman charged with Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer pled guilty and was sentenced on May 10, 2017, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Majestic Byington, age 23, was sentenced to 12 months in custody, 12 months of supervised release, and $25 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction stems from an incident that took place on April 15, 2016, when a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation responded to a call for assistance for an uncooperative female from the BIA.
Byington was located hiding under a bed. She was very belligerent, uncooperative and refused to stand up, calling law enforcement personnel names. Byington was carried outside because she refused to walk. Byington spat three times, through the cage area, at the FBI Special Agent. Her spit landing on his head, neck and shoulder.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges.
Byington was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve her sentence concurrently with a state court sentence for assaulting an officer.
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Louisville Convicted Felon, Charged with Threatening to Kill A Louisville Metro Intel (LM Intel) Joint Task Force Member and Multiple Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
Co-defendant charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr., today announced the grand jury indictment of two Louisville convicted felons – one charged with threatening to kill a Louisville Metro Police Officer while engaged in the performance of his official duties – and both defendants were charged with firearm violations. These charges result from an investigation by Louisville Metro Intel (LM Intel): an intelligence-led task force which identifies serious, violent offenders and leverages all available resources to investigate, apprehend and prosecute these offenders. The LM Intel Joint Task Force was announce in January of 2017, and includes the United States Attorney’s Office, federal investigative agencies, state prosecutors and Louisville Metro Police.
Chicoby Summers, and Roman L. Brown, Jr., were charged individually this week, in a single eight count indictment, with counts of being a felon in illegal possession of firearms and defendant Brown faces additional charges of threatening to assault and threatening to kill a member of LM Intel.
Specifically, on April 12, 2017, Brown allegedly threatened to assault and threaten to kill the LM Intel Joint Task Force member, with the intent to impede, interfere, intimidate and retaliate against the LM Intel member while he was engaged in the performance of his duty. Further, on the same day, Brown allegedly threatened to assault a member of the immediate family of the LM Intel Joint Task Force member, while he was engaged in the performance of his official duty.
Brown is additionally charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a Glock Model 36,.45 caliber pistol, and a Zastava, 7.62 caliber pistol, Model PAP M92PV. Brown was convicted in Jefferson County Circuit Court of Trafficking in a Controlled Substance First Degree, on September 18, 2013.
Defendant Summers is charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition – when at the time of his arrest, on April 12, 2017, he possessed two Taurus 9 millimeter handguns and a Zastava, 7.62 caliber pistol, Model PAP M92PV, and ammunition. Summers was initially charged in a federal complaint Summers was convicted in Jefferson county Circuit Court of Trafficking in a Controlled Substance First Degree and Tampering with Physical Evidence on October 9, 2014.
If convicted at trial, Summer could be sentenced to no more than ten years in prison for counts one, two, and three. Brown could be sentenced to no more than a combined sentence of 42 years in prison, and both could be required to pay a fine and serve a period of supervised release.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin G. McKenzie and is being investigated by the FBI, ATF, DEA, and LMPD.
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The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty
summers_chicoby_complaint_april_2017.pdfLocal Man Pleads to Mail Fraud in Connection with Used Textbook ScamRead 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 Jeffrey Tomasik, 33, of Hamburg, N.Y., pleaded guilty to mail fraud before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant ran a used textbook scheme whereby he would rent textbooks from Amazon and other companies and then sell the textbooks on eBay. Using aliases and at least 20 online accounts with different email addresses to perpetrate the fraud, the defendant did not return the textbooks when the rental contracts had expired. Instead, he sold them online while ignoring the collection notices.
The defendant also entered into a sizeable contract to sell used textbooks to victims in California. After receiving an approximately $50,000 down payment on the contract via PayPal, the defendant allegedly sent a single textbook and removed his bank information from his PayPal account so that the victims could not recoup their money.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski of the Boston Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute DrugsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – On May 10, 2017, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Mario Finesse Wright, a/k/a Super and Finesse, age 29, of Harrison, New Jersey, to 96 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute drugs. The following additional individuals, including three of Wright’s family members were part of the conspiracy:
Nikko Taylor Wright, age 26, of Germantown, Maryland;
Clayton Dion Hollywood Wright, a/k/a Hollywood, and Harrison Wright, age 23, of New Jersey;
Maximillan Kabir Bradford Wright, age 22, of New Jersey;
Shahryar Talebi-Nejad, a/k/a Skeet, age 28, of North Potomac, Maryland;
Matthew Joseph Hochman, a/k/a Greasy, age 28, of Gaithersburg, Maryland;
Daniel Rocco Famulare, age 29, of Gaithersburg, Maryland;
Brandon Alexander Ade, age 25, of Germantown, Maryland;
Arian Siasi, a/k/a The Prince of Persia, age 26, of Silver Spring, Maryland;
Ilya Bechutsky, age 30, of Boyds, Maryland; and
Terrence Devon Taylor, a/k/a Scoop, and T, age 28, of Clinton, Maryland.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski of the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Jersey Field Division; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, from at least March 2014 to May 2016, the defendants conspired to distribute heroin and cocaine in several states, including New Jersey and Maryland. Over a period of years, three New Jersey-based brothers, Mario, Clayton, and Max Wright, supplied their Maryland-based brother, Nikko Wright, with large quantities of heroin and cocaine, which Nikko Wright in turn distributed to a network of dealers in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Notably, two of the Maryland-based dealers involved in this conspiracy have admitted that heroin they distributed resulted in overdose deaths in Maryland.
All of the charged members of this conspiracy have pled guilty. In addition to Mario Wright, two others have been sentenced: Matthew Joseph Hochman was sentenced to 63 months in prison and Clayton Dion Hollywood Wright was sentenced to 66 months in prison. The remaining defendants are scheduled for sentencing in the coming weeks and months.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the DEA and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation, and in particular praised the DEA’s multi-jurisdictional efforts in this investigation, which included substantial efforts of agents based in both Maryland and New Jersey. Mr. Schenning also recognized the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the United States Marshal Service, Calvert County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, and Prince George's County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael T. Packard and Ray D. McKenzie, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case, and also thanked their colleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, who provided valuable support to the prosecution team.