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5 May 2017
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Federal Prison for Iowa-Minnesota Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man was sentenced May 5, 2017, to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Marcus Cervantes Martinez, 35, from Worthington, MN received the prison term after a guilty plea on February 2, 2017, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At his guilty plea hearing, Cervantes Martinez admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed at least 50 grams of mixed methamphetamine which contained at least 5 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine from 2015 through September 2016 in Minnesota and Iowa. Cervantes Martinez also admitted to distributing ¼ pound of mixed methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement in August 2016.
Cervantes-Martinez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Cervantes Martinez was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Cervantes Martinez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Buffalo Ridge Task Force; and Internal Revenue Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-4084. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Honduran National Charged with Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that FEDERICO LOPEZ-FIALLOS, age 35, a Honduran national, was charged in a one-count Indictment with illegally entering the United States after being previously removed, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
The Indictment alleges that LOPEZ-FIALLOS was previously removed from the United States on February 7, 2013, was found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on April 27, 2017. LOPEZ-FIALLOS had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
If convicted, LOPEZ-FIALLOS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran Man Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Dany Francisco Ruiz-Ardon, age 32, formerly of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was sentenced today to time served (33 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Chief Patrol Agent John C. Pfeifer, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
As part of his guilty plea, Ruiz-Ardon admitted that he was a citizen of Honduras, and that he returned to the United States after he was removed to Honduras on June 3, 2011.
April 3, 2017, Ruiz-Ardon was arrested by Border Patrol Agents in Champlain, New York. Agents encountered Ruiz-Ardon in a taxi that was parked on the side of a road in Champlain just south of the border.
Following his sentencing, Ruiz-Ardon was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, which will place Ruiz-Ardon into removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to Use of A Firearm During a Crime of Violence Resulting in Death to Another for MS-13 MurderRead the Press Release
A Honduran man pleaded guilty today to use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence resulting in the death of another for his participation in a murder committed as part of a gang initiation for two recruits of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Lee of the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, Division, Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and Police Chief Alfred Durham of the Richmond Police Department made the announcement.
Yerwin Ivan Hernandez-Ordonez, aka Probador, 31, a Honduran national, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate David J. Novak in the Eastern District of Virginia to use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing the death of another. In October 2016, Hernandez-Ordonez was arrested in Panama and extradited to the United States. Sentencing is set for Aug. 3, 2017, before the Honorable Robert E. Payne.
MS-13 is a national and international gang that was formed and is headquartered in El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., among other cities. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
In his plea agreement, Hernandez-Ordonez admitted that he aided two MS-13 recruits to murder a victim so the recruits could gain entrance into MS-13. Specifically, Hernandez-Ordonez admitted that on July 23, 2011, he and members of the Richmond Sailors clique of MS-13 decided the killing of the rival gang member would be the initiation rite for two MS-13 recruits. The leader chose Hernandez-Ordonez and a co-conspirator gang member to ensure the recruits carried out the murder. Later that night and into the early morning hours of July 24, 2011, the recruits drove the victim to an area near the 8200 block of Riverside Drive in Richmond. One of the recruits then attempted to shoot the victim, but the gun misfired. An MS-13 member then shot the victim with another gun, but did not kill him. When the victim attempted to flee, Hernandez-Ordonez chased the victim down and brought him back to the group, and thereafter, the two recruits shot the victim in the head and killed him. Later that same day, the two recruits were initiated into the gang.
Jose Armando Bran, aka Pantro, the leader of MS-13’s Sailors Locos Salvatrucha clique in Richmond, was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, maiming and use of a firearm during a crime of violence in death on May 20, 2013. Bran was sentenced in Aug. 15, 2013, to serve two consecutive life sentences plus 120 months for his role in the same murder and a separate maiming that he ordered while he was an MS-13 gang leader in Richmond.
FBI Richmond, HSI Richmond and the Richmond Police Department investigated the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance with the extradition of Hernandez-Ordonez. Trial Attorneys Matthew K. Hoff and Andrew Creighton of the Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Glennville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Massive FireRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: Jonathan Shane Culbreth, 21, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U. S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to serve 5 years in federal prison for starting a fire last summer that destroyed a historic building in the heart of downtown Glennville. The fire, which Culbreth began before dawn on June 5, 2016 by igniting a junk pile in a back alley, required more than 13 hours to control. Firefighters from nearly a dozen agencies in four counties responded to extinguish the blaze.
Culbreth will serve his federal sentence without the possibility of parole. Following his release from prison, the United States Probation Office will supervise him for three years. Additionally, Culbreth will be required to make restitution of $892,410 to the businesses affected by his crime.
Acting U. S. Attorney James D. Durham stated, “With one foolish decision, this defendant not only endangered the lives of dozens of firefighters, but he also stole from Glennville a structure nearly as old as the town itself. This U. S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its federal and local partners to bring to justice arsonists and other violent offenders who threaten the safety and security of law-abiding citizens.”
The arson was investigated by the ATF, the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Tattnall County Fire Department, the Glennville Police Department, the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Long County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case. For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 201-2522.
Fugitive and Alleged MS-13 Member Arrested on Illegal Re-Entry ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An alleged member of MS-13 who had been a fugitive was arrested today in East Boston and charged with illegal re-entry.
Elenilson Gustavo Gonzalez-Gonzalez, aka “Siniestro,” 31, was arrested on Paris Street in East Boston. Gonzalez-Gonzalez was detained following an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley during which he was identified as a member of MS-13 who had previously been deported to El Salvador in 2012.
After a three-year investigation, Gonzalez-Gonzalez was one of 61 persons named in a superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. Gonzalez-Gonzalez was charged in the indictment with unlawful re-entry of a deported alien, and the government alleges that he is a member of MS-13.
In documents previously filed with the Court, MS-13 was identified as a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches or “cliques” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the group. Specifically, MS-13 members are required to attack and murder gang rivals whenever possible.
The charge of illegal re-entry provides for a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon the completion of the sentence. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Truco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon, made the announcement.
The details contained in the indictments are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former National Institutes of Health Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Christopher Dame, age 50, of Gaithersburg, Maryland pleaded guilty on May 3, 2017, to theft of government property. Dame, a former Visual Information Specialist for the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Medical Arts Division located in Bethesda, Maryland, admitted to stealing NIH property and selling it online without authorization.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Elton Malone of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General; and Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
According to his plea agreement, Dame was responsible for designing, printing, and displaying decorative and informational materials in NIH buildings, as well as directing his colleagues to place purchase orders of printing ink for the Medical Arts Division. At no point did Dame have authority to remove NIH property from the main campus or sell NIH property.
Dame admitted that from January 3, 2013, through January 12, 2017, he regularly stole medical research equipment, photography equipment, and printing supplies belonging to NIH, and sold such items through an e-commerce corporation, enriching himself. also deceived his colleagues into purchasing surplus ink for NIH, with the intent to ultimately steal the ink and sell it online. During the relevant time period, Dame stole over four hundred items belonging to NIH. As part of his plea agreement, Dame will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, which is $75,613.14.
Dame faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan has scheduled sentencing for September 6, 2017, at 2:30 p.m.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General for its work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael T. Packard, and Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo from the Department of Justice, Public Integrity Section, who are prosecuting the case.
Former Brownsburg man sentenced in fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today a former Brownsburg man, now living in Florida, was sentenced following his plea of guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud and tax evasion charges. Stephen Scott, 56, Palm Springs, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
“Mr. Scott’s actions, devastated his victims who placed absolute trust in his financial management,” said Minkler. “He will now have 30 months in the Bureau of Prisons to think about his crime.”
Scott served as the trustee for the victim’s family trust in Brownsburg, Indiana, from August 2007 to July 2011. During that time, he embezzled approximately $253,000 and failed to pay approximately $43,000 in taxes on his ill-gotten gains.
Scott secretly withdrew funds from the trust fund and provided false financial records to the victims and their accountants and attorneys to conceal his misdeeds. Scott used the stolen funds for his personal benefit.
This case was investigated by the Indiana State Police and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Special Agent in Charge Gabriel L. Grchan said, "It is unfortunate to see someone abuse a position of trust for self-enrichment. This investigation shows no matter how hard criminals try to hide their ill-gotten gains, IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our local partners will unravel the lies and bring them to justice.”
According to Senior Litigation Counsel Steven D. DeBrota who prosecuted this case for the government, Scott must repay $253,000 to the victim and $43,000 to the IRS, as well as serve five years of supervised release after his sentence.
Former Associate Clerk in Cook County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Indicted for Lying to Federal Grand Jury Investigating Possible Hiring Violations in the OfficeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former associate clerk in the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office lied under oath to a federal grand jury when she denied selling tickets for the Clerk’s campaign fundraisers to other employees in the office, according to a federal indictment announced today.
BEENA PATEL sold fundraiser tickets to colleagues in the Clerk’s office and knew that other employees did the same, the indictment states. The fundraisers were held several times each year by an entity that raises money for the Clerk’s campaign fund. When asked about it during testimony before a federal grand jury on or about Oct. 15, 2015, Patel said she never sold tickets to employees of the Clerk’s office, and that she knew of no other employees who collected money or handed out tickets to the fundraisers, according to the indictment. The indictment states that both statements were false.
The indictment was returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. It charges Patel, 55, of Chicago, with three counts of making false declarations before a grand jury. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The Court has not yet scheduled an arraignment hearing.
The indictment was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kimberly M. Foxx, Cook County State’s Attorney; Patrick M. Blanchard, Cook County Inspector General; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Perjury before a grand jury is a serious offense and fundamentally undermines the investigative process of the grand jury,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Levin. “Witnesses who testify before federal grand juries must be held accountable if they violate the oath they take to tell the truth.”
According to the indictment, the grand jury was conducting an investigation of possible criminal violations in connection with the purchasing of jobs and promotions within the Clerk’s office. Patel testified before the grand jury on or about Oct. 15, 2015, and on or about July 14, 2016, and the indictment alleges that Patel lied during both sessions.
In addition to the false statements about the fundraiser tickets, the indictment also charges Patel with providing false statements to the grand jury about two other matters. Patel allegedly lied when she denied knowing that another employee in the Clerk’s office had spoken to law enforcement and testified in the grand jury. The indictment further alleges that she falsely denied having knowledge of efforts made to assist another Clerk’s office employee with a promotion and pay increase. The same employee had received two prior raises and promotions after the employee’s brother contributed approximately $10,000 to the entity that raises money for the Clerk’s campaign fund, the indictment states.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather McShain and Ankur Srivastava.
Florida Man Sentenced to 16 Years on Production of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced a Tampa, Florida man to 192 months in prison on production of child pornography charges, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Cogburn also ordered Richard Spencer Flynn, 41, to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2016 to one count of production of child pornography.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Sheriff Van Duncan of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
“Flynn was a predator lurking on the Internet who targeted a child for his deviant sexual purposes. His conduct was reprehensible and for that, he will deservedly serve time in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rose.
According to filed court documents and yesterday’s sentencing hearing, beginning in or about March 2015 and continuing through March 2016, Flynn traveled to North Carolina to meet with a 15-year-old female he met via the Internet and other electronic means to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Court documents also show that Flynn produced numerous images of child pornography of his victim.
In announcing today’s sentence Judge Cogburn said, “This is a serious crime with a serious punishment.”
Flynn has been in custody since September 29, 2016. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentencings are served without the possibility of parole.
The FBI and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Florida Investment Adviser Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Clients Out of More Than One Million DollarsRead the Press Release
Sean Donald Premock, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, entered pleas of guilty to nine counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, one count of securities fraud, and one count of investment adviser fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
As part of his guilty plea, Premock, who was formerly a licensed stockbroker and investment adviser, got fired by his employer for selling investments that were not approved by his employer and then started his own investment companies that he used to defraud his existing and new clients, most of whom were elderly. Premock admitted that he obtained more than $1 million from his clients, who believed they were giving the money to Premock to invest for them, by lying to his clients and telling them he would put their money in stocks, bonds, and other “safe” investments, while in reality Premock spent most of their money on himself and used some of the money to pay other clients. Premock also admitted that he did not disclose to his clients that he had permanently lost his stockbroker and investment adviser licenses. Premock admitted that he fabricated false account statements that he mailed to his clients, and used other means to deceive his clients into believing their investments were safe and to stall their attempts to obtain the return of their funds, including blaming a “lack of liquidity” on the policies of then-President Obama.
Premock faces a maximum sentence of 385 years’ imprisonment, a five-year period of supervised release, a $9,510,000 fine, and a $2,000 special assessment, and a likely advisory sentencing guideline range of 87 – 108 months’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.
Federal Indictment Charges Founders of Defunct Hickory E-Waste Company with Defrauding Victims of at Least $25 MillionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, a criminal indictment was unsealed in federal court, charging Robert M. Boston, 53, and Robert S. LaBarge, 50, both of Hickory, N.C., with conspiracy relating to a fraud totaling at least $25 million, to include wire fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, Boston and LaBarge defrauded franchisees, investors, and lenders of their company, Zloop. The indictment alleges that, through their fraud, the defendants obtained millions of dollars, much of which was spent on expensive personal real estate, a private plane, and the racing career of Boston’s son.
The indictment alleges that Boston and LaBarge founded Zloop, an electronic waste recycling firm, in 2012 and began marketing Zloop franchises in or about July 2012. Federal law requires potential franchisors, like Zloop, to disclose certain litigation and bankruptcy matters in a franchise disclosure document. As alleged in the indictment, Zloop franchise disclosure documents omitted required information, including that Boston’s former company had filed bankruptcy, that Boston had filed personal bankruptcy, and that Boston had been held liable in an action alleging that he had knowingly submitted false financial documentation to obtain a $2.9 million line of credit.
The indictment further alleges that, beginning in or about December 2012, Boston and LaBarge caused Zloop to raise money through the sale of equity. To sell equity in the company, the indictment alleges that Boston and LaBarge caused a misleading private placement memo (“PPM”) to be sent to investors who ultimately invested approximately $2.5 million in Zloop. According to the indictment, the PPM contained material half-truths and omissions, including the omission of the litigation and bankruptcy history of Boston, and the fact that Boston and LaBarge had already caused Zloop to spend more than $1.5 million on their personal real estate.
When Zloop investors sought the return of their money in or about the middle of 2013, the indictment alleges that Zloop sought to repay them with a loan from an individual identified as Victim 1. In doing so, Boston allegedly induced Victim 1 to provide a $3 million loan by offering to file a lien on Zloop’s equipment for Victim 1’s benefit. Instead, after Victim 1 provided the loan used to repay Zloop’s other investors, LaBarge allegedly sent a fraudulent financing statement that purportedly was filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State.
The indictment also alleges that, after receiving the fraudulent UCC financing statement, Victim 1 agreed to secure a multi-million line of credit from Patriot Bank, a federally insured financial institution. After Boston and LaBarge caused Zloop to draw approximately $3.5 million from the Patriot Bank line of credit, the indictment alleges that they promptly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on, among other things, a private plane, a new Corvette, and a new Grand Cherokee. After Zloop subsequently drew an additional $1.3 million from the credit card line, the indictment alleges that more than $500,000 was spent on racing-related expenditures and approximately $79,808 on a suite at a professional football stadium.
The indictment charges Boston and LaBarge each with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud; one count of wire fraud; one count of securities fraud; one count of bank fraud; and one count of money-laundering conspiracy. LaBarge is also charged with false writing in connection with an FBI investigation.
The defendants appeared today in the United States District Court in Charlotte. The conspiracy charge and bank fraud charge each carry a maximum prison term of 30 years. The wire fraud charge and the securities fraud charge each carry a maximum prison term of 20 years. The maximum penalty for the money-laundering conspiracy charge is 10 years in prison, and the maximum prison term for false writing is five years in years in prison.
All the charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taylor J. Phillips and Daniel Ryan, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, are in charge of the prosecution.
Federal Court Finds that Washington, D.C. Tax Return Preparer Violated Injunction and Orders Him to Pay Nearly $30,000 as Civil Contempt SanctionRead the Press Release
A federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland has found that Marvin L. Binion Sr. violated the Court’s previous permanent injunction barring him from preparing tax returns for others and from operating a tax preparation business, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. The Court ordered Binion Sr. to comply with the previously entered injunction and to pay the United States $29,914.38 for its costs incurred in investigating whether Binion Sr. had complied with the injunction.
U.S. District Court Judge Roger W. Titus of the District of Maryland entered the order, with Binion Sr.’s consent, finding that Binion Sr. violated the court’s May 8, 2013 permanent injunction. According to the United States’ supplemental filing in this case, despite the 2013 injunction, Binion, Sr. was preparing tax returns for others and running and/or profiting from a tax return preparation business called Universal Tax Services located at 717 Kennedy Street NW in Washington, DC. The United States also alleged that Binion Sr. had his customers mail in paper returns without identifying him as the paid tax return preparer. Before the government filed suit for an injunction against Binion Sr. in 2013, a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland sentenced Binion Sr. in 2008, to prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of false income tax returns.
In addition to imposing a civil compensatory judgment for the government’s investigation costs, the court also ordered Binion Sr. to produce bank records and customer lists to the United States, and to send a letter to his customers informing them that he is barred from preparing federal tax returns for others.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2017 and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a tax preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Etna Man Sentenced to 70 Months on Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Robert Snyder, age 68, of Etna, New York, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and 7 years of post-imprisonment supervision following convictions for receipt, possession and accessing with intent to view child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Boston Division.
Snyder was convicted in July 2016 following a 4-day trial. Snyder will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The evidence at trial showed that Snyder, from around November 2010 through about February 2011, in Tompkins County, New York, purchased, ordered and received 7 DVDs containing child pornography videos from a company in Toronto, Canada. A search warrant executed at the offices of the company in Toronto resulted in the seizure of records and documents demonstrating that Snyder and others purchased child pornography videos. Additionally, a search of Snyder’s residence in October 2014 resulted in the seizure of computers and other digital storage media that were found to contain numerous additional images of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Toronto Police Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miroslav Lovric.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Identities of Puerto Rican U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A document broker pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with his role in trafficking the identities of Puerto Rican citizens and corresponding identity documents.
Sandro Tavera Mora, aka Jose Laureano Ayala, 46, a Dominican national residing in Springfield, pleaded guilty to false personation of U.S. citizenship, fraud and misuse of visas and conspiracy to possess and transfer identification documents. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 22, 2017.
Beginning in 2011, identity document runners located in the Savarona area of Caguas, Puerto Rico, obtained Puerto Rican identities and corresponding identity documents. Other conspirators located in various cities throughout the United States, identified as identity document suppliers and brokers, solicited customers and sold social security cards and corresponding Puerto Rico birth certificates for prices ranging from $400 to $1,200 per set.
Tavera Mora admitted that he operated as a document broker in Springfield, buying, possessing, transferring and selling personal identifying information contained in legitimate government documents belonging to residents of Puerto Rico. Tavera Mora further admitted that the customers who purchased these documents were illegal aliens who would use this information to assume the identity of United States citizens in order to apply for other identity documents. Tavera Mora knew that these customers would use these documents to violate federal law, including Social Security fraud and the impersonation of a United States citizen.
Additionally, Tavera Mora admitted that upon his arrest he identified himself as “Jose Laureano Ayala” a U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico, and possessed a fraudulent Puerto Rico drivers license and a U.S. Social Security card in the same name. Tavera Mora further admitted that he possessed a fraudulent Dominican Republic passport that contained a non-immigration U.S. Visa with fraudulent admittance record and a Customs and Border Patrol admittance stamp.
Acting U.S. Attorney William D. Weinreb, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Director Thomas D. Homan of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Chief Postal Inspector Guy J. Cottrell of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Regan, Chief of Weinreb’s Springfield Branch Office, and Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Potential victims and the public may obtain information about the case at: www.justice.gov/criminal/vns/caseup/beltrerj.html. Anyone who believes their identity may have been compromised in relation to this investigation may contact the ICE toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) and its online tip form at www.ice.gov/tipline. Anyone who may have information about particular crimes in this case should also report it to the ICE tip line or website.
Dominican Citizen Sentenced on Gun, Drug and False Identity ChargesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Johan Rijo-Richiez, age 30, and a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Utica, New York, was sentenced today to 35 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute cocaine, illegal firearm possession, and three identity theft-related convictions.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The sentence followed Rijo-Richiez’s December 20, 2016 guilty pleas to (1) conspiracy to distribute cocaine, (2) possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, (3) aggravated identity theft, (4) possession of a false identification document, and (5) falsely representing a Social Security Number to be one’s own when it was not.
As part of his guilty pleas, Rijo-Richiez admitted that: In early 2016, he conspired with codefendant Chanel Garcia-Enrique – sentenced on April 12, 2017 to 51 months’ imprisonment – and others to distribute between 200 and 300 grams of cocaine in the Utica area. At the time of his arrest on April 4, 2016, a 12-gauge shotgun was found in Rijo-Richiez’s residence. When questioned by law enforcement officers after his arrest, Rijo-Richiez falsely represented that his name was “Juan Ortiz Rodriguez,” provided a Social Security Number assigned to “Juan Ortiz Rodriguez,” and represented he was a United States citizen, born in Puerto Rico, when in fact he was a citizen of the Dominican Republic and was in the United States illegally.
Rijo-Richiez also possessed, at the time of his arrest, false identification documents, including a Puerto Rico driver’s license and birth certificate, all in the name of “Juan Ortiz Rodriguez” and bearing his photograph. In his guilty plea, Rijo-Richiez also acknowledged he knew the identity he stole was that of a real person.
Following his term of imprisonment, the Department of Homeland Security will place Rijo-Richiez into removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by the DEA, the Oneida County Drug Task Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Central New York Drug Enforcement Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl G. Eurenius and Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Grant Garramone, who also serves as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.
District Man Charged with Federal Firearms Offenses Involving Illegal Purchase of Fully Automatic Assault RifleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Clark Calloway, 38, of Washington, D.C., has been arrested and charged with two federal firearms offenses after allegedly seeking and illegally purchasing a fully automatic AK-rifle 47 and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Andrew Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Calloway, who was arrested on May 4, 2017, in Washington, D.C., made his first appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He is charged in a criminal complaint with possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon and transportation of a firearm with the intent to commit a felony, assault with a deadly weapon. The Honorable Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey ordered Calloway held pending a hearing set for May 10, 2017.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Calloway previously served in the United States Marine Corps, where he received infantry and explosives training. As described in the affidavit, Calloway agreed on April 1, 2017, to pay $250 for a fully-automatic AK-47 weapon; at the time, he was the subject of an undercover FBI investigation.
According to the affidavit, Calloway made statements to the purported weapons provider about carrying out violence against law enforcement officers and others in places including a police station in Washington, D.C. The affidavit states that Calloway paid a first installment of $60 for the weapon and ammunition on April 7, 2017 and the remaining $190 on April 28, 2017. Calloway was arrested by the FBI when he took delivery of the AK-47. Law enforcement had disabled the AK-47 prior to its delivery.
The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for possession of a firearm or ammunition by a felon is 10 years in prison. The maximum penalty for transportation of a firearm with the intent to commit a felony is 10 years in prison.
The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla and Jeffrey Pearlman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Department of Justice Releases Report Detailing the Prosecutions of Transnational Criminal Organizations and their SubsidiariesRead the Press Release
Dismantling transnational criminal organizations is a priority of President Trump’s administration and the Department of Justice is committed to taking down these groups.
“Transnational criminal organizations represent one of the gravest threats to American public safety today,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “The Justice Department has zero tolerance for these vicious organizations and our message to them is: We will find you. We will devastate your networks. We will starve your revenue sources, deplete your ranks and seize your profits. We will not concede a single block or street corner to your vicious tactics.”
As part of the commitment to dismantling these organizations, the president has issued an Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking. Pursuant to the Executive Order, the Department of Justice is issuing a report detailing convictions in the United States relating to transnational criminal organizations and their subsidiaries.
The attached report, provided in accordance with Section 3 (g) of the Executive Order, provides information pertaining to the number of convictions in investigations involving transnational criminal organizations as reported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), for the period beginning Jan. 1, 2017, and ending March 31, 2017.
The report shows 421 convictions in cases targeting transnational criminal organizations, which is 42 percent of the total number of convictions reported during the quarter for the OCDETF Program.
Convictions of Members of Transnational Criminal Organizations and their SubsidiariesDefendants in Calcasieu Parish methamphetamine distribution conspiracy sentencedRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that five defendants were sentenced for their roles in a methamphetamine conspiracy.
United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Steven Paul Meaux, 32, of Lake Charles, La.; Arielle Marie Ardoin, 33, of Kinder, La.; Troy Lane Touchet, 42, of Jennings, La.; Jose Rosalio Mendez-Gonzalez, 41, of Garland, Texas; and Jorge Massu, 33, of Garland, Texas, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the Lake Charles area. Sentencing information is detailed below:
Defendants Prison term Supervised release Counts* Meaux 44 months 5 years 2 Ardoin 24 months 3 years 3 Touchet 84 months 5 years 3 Mendez-Gonzalez 24 months 5 years 4 Massu 120 months 5 years 4* Counts 2 and 3 are possession of 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Count 4 is possession of 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
According to the guilty pleas, the defendants conspired to obtain methamphetamine from sources in the Houston and Dallas areas between March 2014 through September 2014, which they distributed in the Calcasieu Parish area. Law enforcement agents recovered approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Lake Charles area for distribution.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Calcasieu Anti-drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Dallas Woman Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding the IRS with an Aggravated Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Alicia Gardner, 43, of Dallas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 24 months in federal prison for aggravated identify theft, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Gardner pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. Judge Fitzwater ordered Gardner to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on June 20, 2017. Gardner was also ordered to pay $384,391.99 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to documents filed in her case, from approximately January 11, 2013 to March 1, 2013, Gardner knowingly and intentionally participated in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). More specifically, Gardner electronically filed tax returns for the tax year 2012 with her EFIN under taxpayers’ names and social security numbers without the taxpayers’ knowledge or consent. At her consent, the IRS issued refund checks to her as opposed to the unsuspecting taxpayers. Some of those checks were in the taxpayer’s names. Gardner and/or her unindicted coconspirator then proceeded to forge the signatures of the taxpayers on the refund checks and cash them. For instance, on November 11, 2013, Gardner electronically submitted a tax return with a refund request of $1,112 for K.V., without K.V.’s knowledge or consent. Gardner then endorsed and cashed the refund check.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wirmani prosecuted.
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Dallas Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DALLAS, Texas — Christopher Dale Gann, 30, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 240 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in December 2016 to one count of distribution of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Gann has been in custody since the date of his arrest in October 2016.
According to plea documents, on August 22, 2016 law enforcement encountered Gann in Dallas, Texas. Gann was in possession of a cellular phone as well as three memory cards. A forensic examination of Gann’s phone revealed the presence of a still image of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Gann communicated that same day with an individual on the Kik Instant Messaging application and sent the image from his phone.
The cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem was in charge of the prosecution.
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Dallas Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Al Torrell Beasley, a/k/a “Rody,” 39, of Dallas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 110 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in November 2015 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Beasley and twenty additional defendants, mostly from north Texas and Oklahoma, were arrested in May 2015 in a joint operation led by the Dallas Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and the Dallas FBI – Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force.
Of the twenty-one defendants who were indicted, 19 have pleaded guilty and 16 of those have been sentenced. Charges against one defendant were dismissed, and one remains a fugitive.
According to documents filed in the case, on several occasions between January 2013 and May 2015, Beasley possessed with the intent to distribute and distributed cocaine base in the Dallas area for co-defendant Roger Jackson from an apartment complex on Peabody Road in Dallas. Beasley often used a cellular telephone to discuss, negotiate, and facilitate drug transactions with his co-conspirators, which were his source of supply and/or customers.
During the period that the conspiracy was ongoing, Beasley possessed with the intent to distribute and/or distributed 189.75 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base and 148.75 grams of cocaine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy prosecuted.
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Dallas Man Arrested on Federal Child Sex Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
DALLAS, Texas — Johnathon Deontre Smith, 25, of Dallas, is in federal custody on a sex trafficking of children charge outlined in an indictment filed earlier this week, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Smith made his initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney. A detention hearing is scheduled for May 11, 2017.
The indictment alleges that from January 23, 2017 through February 6, 2017, Smith recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, advertised, maintained, patronized, and solicited Jane Doe, a female under the age of 18 years old, to engage in commercial sex acts.
A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. However, if convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for each of the offenses charged is life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana is in charge of the prosecution.
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Crawford County Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA KAN. - A Crawford County man was sentenced Thursday to five years in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Mark D. Busby, 48, Mulberry, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted he installed software from the Ares file-sharing network on his computer and used it download child pornography and share it with other users. An investigator with the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force downloaded child pornography from Busby’s computer.
Beall commended the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Colombian National Pleads Guilty to International Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian National pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to launder money from various international locations back to Colombia.
Pedro Mejia Salazar, 73, of Medellin, Colombia, was charged with one count of conspiracy to launder money. Mejia arrived in Boston from Colombia on May 3, 2017, and appeared in U.S. District Court in Boston yesterday to plead guilty to the charge against him. Mejia’s sentencing was set for July 27, 2017.
According to court documents, Mejia used a family business, which he ran, to launder drug proceeds for and on behalf of the criminal syndicate La Oficina de Envigado, based in Medellin, Colombia. Between May 2009 and June 2012, Mejia laundered at least $768,586 in drug proceeds at the direction of Colombian-based money brokers working for La Oficina.
Mejia controlled a series of bank accounts, which he used to launder drug proceeds and deliver them for the benefit of Colombian-based drug trafficking organizations. Mejia’s criminal activity was uncovered with the help of a cooperating source and an undercover federal agent who posed as a money broker. The undercover agent agreed to receive bulk cash from money couriers working for Colombian-based drug trafficking organizations and then send the money through Mejia’s business accounts. The ultimate recipients of the funds were the Colombian narco-traffickers and the money brokers that work for them. Once the undercover agent received bulk cash from money couriers, the agent would call Mejia, who directed the agent to transfer the cash to a series of accounts Mejia controlled. After the wire transfers were completed, Mejia withdrew the money from the accounts he controlled and distributed it in Colombia to whomever originally arranged the pick-up, either drug trafficking organizations or money brokers.
The charge of conspiracy to launder money provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the offense. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Operation Powerplay, an international undercover investigation targeting Colombia-based money brokers who launder drug proceeds for international drug trafficking organizations. The investigation targeted drug traffickers who import drugs into the United States and money launderers who use the international financial system and the Black Market Peso Exchange to return drug proceeds collected in the United States and other countries to Colombia. To date, the investigation has resulted in the seizure of approximately $15.2 million, 3,967 kilograms of cocaine, 32,000 doses of MDMA, nine kilograms of methamphetamine, 1,183 kilograms of marijuana, and 7.8 kilograms of heroin.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorneys Leah B. Foley and Nathaniel R. Mendell of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
Coleman, Texas Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal Prison on Firearm and Drug ConvictionsRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK — Calvin Joel Polk, 50, of Coleman, Texas, was sentenced this morning by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 71 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in January 2017, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Polk pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Polk has been in custody since the time of his arrest in December 2016.
According to documents filed in the case, on June 20, 2016, officers with the Coleman, Texas, Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance call. Officers arrived at the scene and made contact with Polk. Polk told officers that there was a female in the residence and officers entered the residence to check her welfare. While speaking with the female, officers noticed in plain view a clear plastic bag containing suspected methamphetamine. The female stated the substance belonged to Polk and he was placed under arrest. After being handcuffed, Polk ran from the officers and was eventually detained and taken to the Coleman Police Department. The female remained at the scene and gave officers consent to search the residence for other contraband. Officers located suspected methamphetamine in various locations in the residence. Officers also located digital scales and other items consistent with the sale of methamphetamine. The Texas Department Public Safety Crime Lab tested a portion of the substance and it showed positive for methamphetamine and weighed a total of 38.65 grams.
The female also told officers that Polk, a person who had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding once year, had several firearms in the residence. Officers located 6 firearms and approximately 263 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Coleman Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long prosecuted.
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Clearwater Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Craig Reckley (56, Clearwater) has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the
plea agreement , Reckley deposited 37 U.S. Treasury checks made payable to others into his business bank account. These checks, totaling more than $166,000, were tax refund checks that had been issued by the Internal Revenue Service as the result of the filing of false and fraudulent income tax returns.This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
California man pleads guilty to federal methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A California man pleaded guilty today to a federal methamphetamine crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Edgar Zendejas Bedoy, 35, of El Centro, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.
Bedoy admitted that beginning in December 2011 and continuing into 2012, he conspired with Gary Liberty to send packages of methamphetamine and marijuana from California to an individual in Sissonville for distribution. The individual was actually a confidential informant cooperating with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Through discussions with the informant, Gary Liberty agreed to arrange methamphetamine and marijuana deals for Bedoy with the informant. Liberty negotiated the price of the drugs for Bedoy with the informant, and the two then agreed to ship the packages containing methamphetamine and marijuana from California to the informant in West Virginia. Bedoy admitted to shipping 472 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 12 kilograms of marijuana to West Virginia for distribution.
Bedoy faces at least five and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 27, 2017. Liberty was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is responsible for the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
This prosecution is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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California Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney, Robert C. Stuart, announced that on May 4, 2017, Musa J. Harris, 27, of Oakland, California, was sentenced to five years and ten months (70 months) in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin between November of 2012 and April of 2015. Information obtained by law enforcement indicated that in the fall of 2013, Musa Harris was involved in the distribution of at least five kilograms (11 pounds) of methamphetamine and approximately one kilogram of heroin. Following the prison term, Musa Harris will serve three years on supervised release.
Musa Harris’s brother, Isa M. Harris, was sentenced on March 10, 2017, to 11 years and eight months (140 months) in prison, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release for his participation in the same conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ChargeRead 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 Michael Early, 32, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that on September 27, 2013, the Drug Enforcement Agency and Buffalo Police Department executed search warrant at 66 Connelly Avenue in Buffalo. During the search, officers found crack cocaine and $6,495 in cash.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Skretny.
Bronx Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Preparing Fraudulent Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Stuart M. Goldberg, the Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice, announced today that WILLIAM DOONAN, an attorney who operated a tax preparation business in the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick for preparing and filing thousands of false and fraudulent returns that claimed more than $6 million in bogus deductions. DOONAN pled guilty on November 1, 2016, before Judge Broderick to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, and one count of obstructing and impeding the due administration of internal revenue laws.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney John H. Kim said: “William Doonan’s so-called ‘business’ didn’t prepare taxes, it manufactured lies and false tax returns that resulted in more than $1.8 million in lost revenue for the IRS. In filing thousands of federal tax returns, Doonan used his legal knowledge to circumvent the law. Thanks to the dedicated investigators of the IRS, he will be held to account for his criminal misdeeds.”
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg said: “William Doonan used his status as an attorney to attract clients to his tax preparation business. But instead of performing honest and professional work, he routinely falsified their returns, adding more than $6 million in phony deductions and causing the IRS to incur more than $1.8 million in lost taxes. Doonan’s prison sentence today makes clear that those who prepare and file fraudulent returns face significant penalties.”
According to the allegations in the Information to which DOONAN pled guilty, other documents filed in Manhattan federal court, and statements made in court proceedings:
DOONAN, a New York-licensed attorney since 1982, carried out a tax preparation business in the Bronx using the firm name “William Doonan, Esq.” Every year from 2010 through 2013, DOONAN prepared and filed between 3,000 and 5,000 federal tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for taxpayer-clients in exchange for a fee. Several thousands of these returns were false and fraudulent in that they attached Schedules C to the clients’ returns that reported “consulting” businesses the clients did not own, operate, or materially participate in, and business losses that the relevant clients did not incur. DOONAN also prepared returns that attached Schedules A that reported false medical and dental expenses, state and local taxes, home mortgage interest, gifts to charity, job expenses, and other miscellaneous deductions. Between tax year 2009 through tax year 2012, DOONAN included in excess of $6 million in these fabricated and inflated items on his clients’ federal tax returns. As part of his plea, DOONAN agreed that he caused a tax loss of between $1.5 and $3.5 million.
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In addition to the term of imprisonment, DOONAN, 69, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to one year of supervised release, ordered to pay $65,820 in restitution to the IRS, and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000.
Mr. Kim and Mr. Goldberg praised the outstanding efforts of IRS-Criminal Investigation in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Almonte of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division is in charge of the prosecution.
Bristol Man Charged with Intent to Distribute Heroin and FirearmRead the Press Release
Dwayne J. Lynch, 28, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was charged on May 4, 2017 by Indictment[1] with possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment charges that on or about March 21, 2016, in Bristol, Lynch possessed heroin, which he intended to distribute, and also possessed a Remington model 870 Wingmaster sawed-off shotgun with a 13-inch barrel cut from the original length of 18 inches, bearing serial number S096668V, loaded with four live rounds and one spent shell casing, during and relation to a drug trafficking crime, after having been convicted of a felony.
If convicted of all counts, Lynch faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a $1,500,000 fine, a mandatory-minimum three years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $300 special assessment.
This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bristol Borough Police Department. The case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
[1]An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bangor Man Sentenced to over 18 Years for Conspiring to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Mario Lee, a/k/a “Moe”, 42, of Bangor, and formerly of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 218 months in prison and eight years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Lee pled guilty on October 31, 2016.
According to court records, between August 2013 and September 2015, Lee conspired with others to distribute heroin in the Bangor area and elsewhere. Lee supplied heroin to dealers in the Bangor area and surrounding communities. Co-conspirators introduced customers to Lee, drove him to heroin transactions and allowed him to use their residences to distribute heroin. Lee paid them with heroin. Lee faced enhanced penalties as a result of a prior drug trafficking conviction in New York.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.
Atlanta Man Sentenced for “Operation Homeless” Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Nichlas Simpson, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for committing bank fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Simpson to pay back $21,249.17 in restitution to victims of his scheme. Simpson pleaded guilty on February 21, 2017.
Pursuant to his plea agreement, Simpson came to Idaho and perpetrated a fraud scheme known throughout the country as “Operation Homeless.” Simpson and his co-conspirators started by stealing local businesses’ checks from postal boxes. Simpson then traveled to Boise-area homeless shelters and recruited homeless youth for the scheme, telling them that they would be performing day labor for a construction business. Instead, the co-conspirators created forged checks that were made payable to the homeless individuals and were drawn on the accounts of the businesses whose checks had been stolen from the mail. Simpson then directed the homeless individuals to cash the checks at local banks. Simpson and his co-conspirators kept the vast majority of the proceeds.
“This sentence is a just punishment for Simpson’s fraud and for the financial harm he caused his victims,” said Gonzalez. “The Court’s restitution order is an important step in achieving justice for the financial damage Simpson caused his victims.”
"The Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to protecting the security of the U.S. Mail system and holding those accountable who would victimize the Postal Service and its customers,” said Anthony Galetti, Inspector in Charge of the Seattle Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Boise Police Department.
Alleged Bank Robbers Face Federal Indictments; Edmunds Charged with Seven Robberies,Read the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – A federal grand jury returned two indictments Wednesday afternoon charging two individuals with recent alleged robberies of banks and credit unions in Salt Lake, Utah, and Davis counties.
Bret Michael Edmunds, age 41, of Salt Lake City is charged with seven counts of bank robbery for a string note-job robberies between February and April in Salt Lake and Utah counties.
The indictment alleges Edmunds committed the following robberies:
Feb. 8, 2017, robbery of Jordan Credit Union in Midvale
Feb. 23, 2017, robbery of Zions Bank in Midvale
Mar. 1, 2017, robbery of Washington Federal Bank in Salt Lake City
Mar. 14, 2017, robbery of US Bank in Salt Lake City
Mar. 28, 2017, robbery of Zions Bank in Draper
April 3, 2017, robbery of Utah First Credit Union in Provo
April 13, 2017, robbery of University Federal Credit Union in HolladayEdmunds faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each robbery count. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force, including the FBI, the Unified Police Department and the Salt Lake City Police Department. Other local agencies in Salt Lake and Utah County assisted with initial responses to the bank robberies.
Kevin Dean Rasband, age 30, of Layton, Utah, is charged in a four-count indictment with a Feb, 2017, robbery of Goldenwest Credit Union in Kaysville and a March 29, 2017, robbery of Utah First Federal Credit Union in Farmington. Rasband also faces two counts of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence for allegedly using a firearm during both robberies.
Rasband faces up to 20 years in prison for each robbery count. In addition to the robbery counts, Rasband faces a mandatory-minimum seven years for the first firearm charge and an additional 25 years for the second firearm count for a total of 32 years. A conviction on the gun counts would run consecutive to any sentence imposed for a conviction on the robbery counts. The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Farmington Police Department, and the Kaysville Police Department.
Indictments are not findings of guilt. Individuals charged in an indictment are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal arrest warrants will be issued for Edmunds and Rasband. The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah.
4 May 2017
Two Men Arrested on Federal Charges of Attempting to Smuggle Heroin Worth Nearly $500,000 on Commercial Flights Leaving LAXRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two men face federal drug trafficking charges after they were arrested earlier this week at Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin in luggage on two commercial airline flights.
Cristian Santos, 21, of Compton, was arrested on Tuesday by special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration after boarding a Delta Airlines flight.
Special agents with the DEA on Tuesday also arrested Joel Aron, 18, of Tijuana, Mexico, after he boarded a Hawaiian Airlines flight.
Both Santos and Aron appeared in United States District Court yesterday afternoon and were ordered to appear for arraignments on June 8.
A criminal complaint filed yesterday alleges narcotics were discovered in Santos’ luggage after he checked in for a flight bound for Indianapolis. After seeing something suspicious in one of Santos’ bags during a scan, the Transportation Security Administration inspected the bag. TSA officers discovered an item wrapped with black electrical tape concealed inside the inner layer of the luggage. After determining the package inside the luggage was not an explosive, TSA officers opened the package and found a brown, tar-like substance. A subsequent test confirmed the presence of heroin. The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint states that estimated street value of the heroin in Indiana is $250,000.
Los Angeles Airport Police located Santos on his Delta Airlines flight, and escorted him off the airplane. During a subsequent interview, Santos admitted to DEA special agents that the luggage belonged to him, and that he was working with other individuals in exchange for payment, according to the affidavit.
The complaint charges Santos with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
In the case against Aron, a criminal complaint also filed yesterday alleges that narcotics were discovered in his luggage after he checked in for a flight bound for Honolulu. The drugs were discovered after TSA officers saw something suspicious in one of Aron’s bags during an image scan. The “mass” seen on an image scan tested positive for the presence of heroin with an estimated street value in Hawaii of $225,000.
Los Angeles Airport Police located Aron on his Hawaiian Airlines flight, and escorted him off the airplane. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Aron admitted to DEA special agents during an interview that the luggage belonged to him and this was the fourth time he had acted as a courier. Aron allegedly admitted that, each time he acted as a courier, he travelled from Mexico to Los Angeles, where he received a bag that he brought to Hawaii in exchange for $3,000.
The complaint charges Aron with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The DEA Los Angeles International Airport Narcotics Task Force, an inter-agency task force based at LAX, is conducting the two investigations. The Task Force is charged with providing a coordinated law enforcement effort to target airport/airline internal criminal enterprises that use the aviation system to transport large amounts of illicit drugs throughout the United States, and throughout the world.
In addition to the DEA, the Task Force is made up of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Los Angeles Airport Police, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The Task Force also works closely with the United States Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration.
The cases against Santos and Aron are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reema M. El-Amamy of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Track and Field Athlete Convicted in Federal Court of Stolen Identity Tax Refund FraudRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – After a two-day trial, Teona N. Rodgers, 27, of Tampa, was convicted yesterday of theft of government funds, possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, use of unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, and false claims. The verdict was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
While on a track and field scholarship at Florida State University, Rodgers participated in a scheme to file fraudulent income tax returns during the 2011 and 2012 tax years by using other people’s personal information. The scheme was discovered in November 2013, when two notebooks and 12 debit cards in other people’s names were discovered in the Tallahassee apartment Rodgers had recently vacated.
The notebooks contained handwritten names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, tax refund amounts, account numbers, and other data of more than 150 individuals. The notebooks also included notations such as “rejected” and “filed,” and detailed instructions to file a return reporting $47,196 of interest income. This amount was used on multiple tax returns in this scheme (including Rodgers’s own 2011 and 2012 returns). Investigators determined that the returns had been filed from IP addresses linked to Rodgers and that the false returns had funded the debit cards. Rodgers used these debit cards to make purchases. In total, the information contained in the notebooks was used to file 64 fraudulent tax returns, seeking $465,948 in refunds.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 4, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee. Rodgers faces a maximum of 15 years in prison on the use of unauthorized access devices count, 10 years in prison on the theft of government funds and possession of unauthorized access devices counts, 5 years in prison on the false claims count, and a consecutive 2 year sentence on the aggravated identity theft.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force, comprised of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the United States Secret Service and the Tallahassee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Gary Milligan is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Three San Antonio Men Arrested and Charged in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
In San Antonio, three men, including a member of the Bloods street gang, are in federal custody charged for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
Earlier today, federal authorities took into custody 32–year-old Bloods gang member Lawrence Lamont Manor (aka Lawrence King, “Big Boy”) without incident. Manor, along with 44–year-old Michael Deshon Norman (aka “Mike”) and 32–year-old Tremal Rowe (aka Chi-Town”) are charged by a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 280 grams of “crack” cocaine.
According to the complaint, from March 13, 2017 to May 1, 2017, Manor conspired with Norman and Rowe to convert cocaine into “crack” cocaine inside his house on the City’s east side, then package the “crack” cocaine and sell it to their customers. The complaint further alleges that on April 30, 2017, the defendants kidnapped one of Manor’s customers based on an unpaid drug debt. They transported the victim to Manor’s residence where he was held against his will. On May 1, 2017, agents conducting surveillance on Manor’s residence observed Rowe depart the residence. They subsequently detained Rowe and brought him back to Manor’s residence where they then executed a search warrant. Upon entry, agents discovered Norman inside as well as the victim with his hands and feet tied by a rope and his head covered with a black t-shirt lying on the floor.
All three defendants remain in federal custody. The defendants face between ten years and life in federal prison upon conviction.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted this investigation with assistance from the San Antonio Police Department.
A criminal complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Three Previously Deported Aliens Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that three previously deported aliens were indicted separately on May 3, 2017, by a federal grand jury on illegal re-entry charges.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Jose Cruz-Ramirez, age 32, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico on four occasions, October 2010, twice in December 2010, and February 2011. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after February 2011, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Maynor Galiego-Mendoza, age 45, of Guatemala, was previously deported from the United States to Guatemala on two occasions, July 2009 and September 2010. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after September 2010, and was found in the United States in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Edwin Mauricio-Flores, age 35, of Honduras, was previously deported from the United States to Honduras on two occasions, October 2009 and October 2011. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after October 2011 and was found in the United States in York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Cruz-Ramirez, Galiego-Mendoza, and Mauricio-Flores face a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Three Hialeah Residents Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robberies After Robbing Two Hialeah Jewelry Stores and Attempting to Rob a Third StoreRead the Press Release
Three Hialeah residents were convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies, after robbing two Hialeah jewelry stores and attempting to rob a third store.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Peter Forcelli, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and Sergio Velasquez, Chief, Hialeah Police Department (HPD), made the announcement.
Anibal Mustelier, 67, Jose Pineda Castro, 28, and Yamile Diaz Bernal, 29, all of Hialeah, were convicted after a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge Frederico A. Moreno of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robberies. Mustelier and Pineda Castro were also convicted of two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. Mustelier, a convicted felon and formerly one of FBI’s most wanted individuals, with prior pending federal indictments from 1996, was also convicted of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Mustelier, Pineda Castro, and Diaz Bernal face up to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robberies. Mustelier and Pineda Castro face up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the two robberies and the one attempted robbery. Mustelier and Pineda Castro also face consecutive statutory mandatory minimum sentences of 7 and 25 years’ imprisonment, as to the two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. Mustelier faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge. All three defendants are currently scheduled to be sentenced on July 19, 2017.
According to the court record, including evidence presented at trial, between May 30, 2015 and August 8, 2016, Mustelier, Pineda Castro and his wife Diaz Bernal conspired to and robbed two jewelry stores in Hialeah, Florida. A third robbery attempt failed when Pineda Castro accidently cut the electricity to the shopping center.
The defendants would monitor the jewelry stores for months, including surveilling the store security features, in order to plan the robberies. Once they were ready to carry out the robbery, they would break into the adjacent business the night before the planned robbery. They would then carve out a hole from the adjacent business wall and prepare to enter the jewelry store once the employees arrived the following morning. At that time, they would bust through the drywall wearing ski masks and wielding guns. They would handcuff the employees and place all of the jewelry in large duffle bags. Just before they left the store with the jewelry, they would take the video recordings and exit through the same adjacent business wall. A confidential informant broke the case by recording Pineda Castro and Diaz Bernal discussing their participation in the prior jewelry store robberies. In these conversations, they implicated Mustelier as Pineda Castro’s mentor in committing robberies.
Law enforcement was able to independently corroborate Pineda Castro and Diaz Bernal’s admissions. In addition, unbeknownst to Pineda Castro, he also led law enforcement to the doorsteps of his mentor, Mustelier. There, law enforcement found, among other things, ski masks, guns, handcuffs and the jewelry belonging to two jewelry stores that had been robbed as part of this ongoing conspiracy.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ATF and HPD. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rilwan Adeduntan and Miesha Shonta Darrough.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Three Harrisburg Men Indicted for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that William Chism, III, age 27, Richard Earl Davis, age 24, and Colby Syhur Grant, age 23, all from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were indicted on May 3, 2017, by a federal grand jury on charges related to an illegal firearms trafficking operation.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment charges Chism, (from October 28, 2016 to April 26, 2017), Davis and Grant (from April 13-26, 2017) with making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer in connection with the acquisition of firearms. The indictment also charges Grant with being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police Street Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for false statements to a firearms dealer is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine; for illegal possession with a firearm by a drug user is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine; for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking is lifetime imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine; and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substance is 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $1 million fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Third Member of Healthcare Conspiracy Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Bristol woman, who along with a husband and wife were accused of healthcare fraud, pled guilty today to related charges, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle, Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring and Nick DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Regional Office for U.S. Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General announced today.
Deborah Branch, 65, of Bristol, Va., pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of wire fraud. Previously, Bryan Harr Sr. and Melissa Harr, pled guilty to related charges for their roles in the conspiracy. Branch will be sentenced on July 13, 2017 at 10 a.m.
According to evidence presented at today’s guilty plea hearing, Bryan Harr Sr. and his wife, Melissa Harr, hired Branch to work with one of their children, who suffers from intellectual and physical disabilities and who qualifies for services paid for by Virginia Medicaid, including personal assistance, respite and residential support services. These services are available to qualified individuals pursuant to Virginia Medicaid’s Intellectual Disability (ID) waiver program. The ID waiver program is designed to provide critical services that enable a recipient to remain at home instead of being placed in an institution. Recipients or their guardians are permitted to hire workers of their own choosing to provide these services which are paid for by Virginia Medicaid. Branch was paid through two different Virginia Medicaid contractors: Public Partnerships, LLC and ResCare (formerly known as Creative Family Solutions).
From January 2010 until September 2015, Branch, with the knowledge of Melissa Harr and Bryan Harr Sr., submitted time sheets claiming Branch was providing services for Harr’s disabled son when she was not. In exchange for assisting Branch in being paid for work she did not do, Branch paid the Harrs approximately $200 every two weeks. Virginia Medicaid’s Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) paid out $350,641.02 to the contractors based on these time sheets, of which $207,854.43 was paid to Branch. More importantly, the Harr’s disabled son did not receive the services he legitimately needed pursuant to the ID waiver program.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Bristol Virginia Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Janine M. Myatt, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General, is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Ten People Indicted in Connection to Tuscaloosa Methamphetamine, Cocaine Drug-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – ATF agents and local task force officers fanned out across Tuscaloosa County today to arrest defendants indicted last month as part of a drug ring trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine in the county, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Gerido and West Alabama Narcotics Task Force Captain Wayne Robertson.
A federal grand jury on April 27 indicted eight Tuscaloosa County residents with the drug-trafficking conspiracy. A 61-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges SANTONY MARKEI NOLAND, 32, also known as Santony Markies Noland,”“San T” and “Black,” SHAKEA CHYNESE PREWITT, 23, CHRISTOPHER KELLEY BOYD, 30, MICHELE DIANE SMITH, 40, also known as Michele Diane Sellers,” TIMOTHY JOE PATTON, 29, also known as “Timothy Joe Harless” and “Money,” KATHERINE LEE CANNON, 39, TREMAINE RAYMOND CANNON, 36, also known as “Juice,” and DANNY RAY BARRON JR., 27, also known as “Drizzle” and “Jug,” with conspiracy to distribute the drugs between December 2016 and March 2017. A federal judge unsealed the indictment following today’s arrests.
The indictment also charges BEVERLY DIANE TUBBS, 33, with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and charges AMY LEEANN BLIZZARD, 33, with possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Noland and Prewitt were in custody before today’s roundup. This afternoon, nine of the 10 defendants are in custody.
"This investigation has successfully taken down an established cocaine- and methamphetamine-trafficking organization operating in the Tuscaloosa area," Posey said. "This is an outstanding example of how federal, state and local law enforcement, working together, are able to successfully dismantle narcotics smuggling organizations and reduce the availability of illegal drugs on the streets," he said.
“The arrests today have shown that the resources provided by ATF and our partners diminished the violent crime that has affected the neighborhoods within the Tuscaloosa area,” Gerido said.
“Criminals should take note that state, local and federal law enforcement are combining their resources to investigate criminal activity and make our communities safe,” Robertson said.
The indictment includes special findings of the grand jury regarding the amount of methamphetamine and cocaine attributable to various defendants as part of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Noland, Prewitt, Boyd and spouses Tremaine and Katherine Cannon are charged with conspiring to traffic 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. That charge carries a minimum 10-year prison sentence and a maximum prison penalty of life. Noland and the Cannons, having previously been convicted in state and federal court for drug trafficking, could face a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted on the current charges. Smith, Patton, and Barron face a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years on the conspiracy count.
Noland and Prewitt are also charged with multiple counts of distributing methamphetamine, which carries a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 40, plus a $5 million fine. Other counts charge Noland and Prewitt with possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
Boyd also faces a separate count of distributing methamphetamine in February 2017.
Tremaine Cannon and Katherine Cannon face a count of possessing with the intent to distribute or distributing methamphetamine, in February 2017.
The indictment further charges Smith with possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in February 2017.
Barron, along with the conspiracy charge, is also charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a stolen firearm on March 1, 2011.
Along with Tubbs, Noland and Patton also each face a count of illegal gun possession for being convicted felons in possession of a pistol. Patton and Tubbs have convictions in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court.
Noland has multiple felony convictions in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court and a federal felony conviction from the Northern District of Alabama for being a felon in possession of a firearm on a previous occasion.
Thirty-eight counts of the indictment charge various defendants with using telephones to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime.
The remaining distribution and possession with the intent to distribute narcotics charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Each count of using a telephone in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The ATF, WANTF and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. The task force is composed of officers from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Tuscaloosa, Northport and University of Alabama police departments, and the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Felton is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Stockton Men Indicted for Trafficking Heroin Near a School ZoneRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Stockton residents James Moore Jr., 42, and Calvin Daniels, 50, charging both men with distributing heroin near a school zone and conspiring to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Moore and Daniels conspired, together and with others, to distribute heroin in San Joaquin County in 2017. Court documents further allege that Moore and Daniels distributed heroin near public elementary schools in Stockton on at least two occasions. Specifically, Moore is alleged to have distributed heroin within 1,000 feet of the John Marshall Elementary School on Lever Boulevard in Stockton in April 2017, while Daniels is alleged to have distributed heroin within 1,000 feet of the Rio Calaveras Elementary School on East Bianchi Road in Stockton in February 2017.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Stockton Safe Streets Task Force, the Reno Safe Streets Task Force, and the Stockton Police Department with special assistance from the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of distributing heroin near a school zone, Moore faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $16 million fine, while Daniels faces a maximum statutory penalty of 80 years in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin, both men face a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
South Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A South Boston woman pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston today to using false Social Security numbers.
Dana Whidbee, a/k/a Dana De Alasei, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts of falsely representing a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for June 22, 2017. Whidbee was indicted in March 2017.
Whidbee used two false social security numbers to apply for a job and housing in September 2013 and May 2014, respectively.
The charge of falsely representing a Social Security number provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and David W. Hall, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case
Smith County Husband and Wife Sentenced in Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Smith County couple has been sentenced for health care fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Gerard Dengler, 61, and Suzanne Dengler 52, of Tyler, Texas, pleaded guilty on Jan. 10, 2017, to conspiring to commit health care fraudand were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield. Gerard Dengler was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. Suzanne Dengler received a sentence of five years of probation. The Denglers were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $161,695, which represented the loss to Medicare.
According to information presented in court, the Denglers owned and operated Elite Lab Services, a clinical diagnostic laboratory based in Tyler. As a Medicare provider, the company would bill Medicare for laboratory services provided to nursing homes located throughout east Texas, including the mileage associated with providing those services. Beginning in April 2014, Gerard and Suzanne Dengler conspired to fraudulently increase route mileage that Elite Lab used to calculate the travel allowances billed to Medicare. From April through October 2014, the company then sought reimbursement from Medicare for mileage that included the falsely inflated amounts.
Under federal statutes, the Denglers each face up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing and have already agreed to pay restitution in excess of $160,000, which represents the loss to Medicare. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The criminal investigation arose from a civil qui tam action filed by former Elite Lab employee Karen Malcolm. In her complaint, Malcolm alleged, among other things, that Elite Lab and the Denglers submitted false claims to Medicare from approximately 2010 through 2014. The United States intervened in the action for purposes of settlement. The Denglers and Elite Lab agreed to pay the United States $3.75 million to settle the lawsuit. As a result of the settlement, Elite Lab will be excluded from participating in Medicare for eight years; Gerard Dengler will be excluded for 10 years; and Suzanne Dengler will be excluded for eight years. The settlement also resolved a separate civil lawsuit in which the United States sought to forfeit funds and property obtained by the Denglers and Elite Lab through their fraudulent conduct.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Texas Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas. The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Coan and Nathaniel Kummerfeld and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken McGurk. The civil settlement was negotiated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Russ. The civil forfeiture action was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bob Wells.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Texas Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth C. McGurk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld.
Six Arrested in Connection with Organized Criminal Ring Profiting from Prostitution EnterpriseRead the Press Release
Six people are under arrest and law enforcement served court authorized search warrants at more than 30 locations as part of an investigation into an organized crime ring involved with prostitution, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. FANG WANG, 28, of Queens, New York, YONGGUANG WU, 27, YUNZHONG CHEN, 44, YAOAN HE, 32, ZHAOFENG ZHANG, 22, all of Seattle, and STEVEN THOMPSON, 59, of Renton, Washington, are charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution. ZHANG was arrested in Columbus, Georgia. YAOAN HE made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle today. The rest of the defendants arrested in Western Washington will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 5, 2017.
“These defendants ran an organized prostitution ring with tentacles into many of our cities and towns,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “The search warrants executed today are part of our ongoing investigation. We are committed to working closely with our state and local partners to ensure we identify and hold all those responsible to account, including anyone involved in human trafficking or exploitation crimes.”
“Partnership is critical in dismantling organized crime syndicates like this one because they span multiple jurisdictions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay S. Tabb, Jr. of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. “Our goal is to disrupt networks, not just arrest select individuals or stem criminal activity in one area, only to watch it emerge in another. By working jointly across Washington, local, state and federal law enforcement partners can eliminate the threat that organized crime groups pose to our residents.”
“Our work with our partners continues to expose the underbelly of this industry, and the unequal power dynamics at work within it,” said Sheriff John Urquhart. “Organized crime is a threat to the safety of our community, and we will continue working with our partners to disrupt it.”
“The Bellevue Police Department will be relentless in its effort to rid our community of those who would take advantage of others for personal profit. I commend the hard work of our investigators and Federal partners in this joint effort,” said Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett.
According to the complaint, federal and local law enforcement partners worked jointly to investigate a criminal ring making hundreds of thousands of dollars through the prostitution of Asian sex workers. In partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and police departments in Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, Seattle and Tukwila identified numerous brothel locations through their analysis of Backpage.com, cell phone, and other business records. The joint team of local and federal investigators then conducted surveillance of the ring’s activities. Law enforcement determined that multiple locations were linked to the organization via ads placed with websites such as Backpage.com. The investigation revealed that the same internet protocol (IP) addresses were used for placing many of the ads, and phone numbers associated with the ads were linked as well – in some instances to call centers located in New York and Washington, D.C. In other cases, the law enforcement agencies followed up on citizen complaints about apartments being operated as prostitution locations and confirmed that the organization was in fact conducting prostitution in those locations.
The investigation revealed that FANG WANG – the apparent leader of the operation – spent approximately $100,000 to increase the traffic to her ads on the Backpage.com site. Other defendants played different roles – renting apartments, transporting sex workers to various locations, purchasing supplies, collecting money from the sex workers and placing ads. Prostitution activities associated with the ring occurred in apartments or hotels located in Bellevue, Kent, Kirkland, Lynnwood, Olympia, Lacey, Puyallup, Renton, Tukwila, Seattle, and Federal Way. Other locations where the ring operated include eastern Washington cities such as Richland, Kennewick, Wenatchee and Spokane. The sex workers were frequently moved throughout the area.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being jointly investigated by the FBI, the Bellevue Police Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Redmond Police Department, the Renton Police Department, the Seattle Police Department, the Tukwila Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI). Today’s operation involved assistance from police departments in Everett, Federal Way, Kennewick, Kent, Kirkland, Lacey, Puyallup, Richland, Spokane, and Wenatchee and assistance from the Snohomish County and Spokane County Sheriff’s Offices.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham, Siddharth Velamoor and Vince Lombardi.
Sequoia National Forest Marijuana Cultivator IndictedRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Alan Fernando Gomez-Paniagua, 25, a citizen of Mexico residing in Delano, charging him with conspiring to cultivate, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, cultivating marijuana, damaging public land and natural resources, and being an alien in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Gomez-Paniagua was connected to a marijuana cultivation site in the McFarland Creek area in the Sequoia National Forest. At the grow site, officers found over 15,000 marijuana plants, over 1,000 marijuana seedlings, and a loaded short‑barreled shotgun with a pistol grip.
The marijuana cultivation activities caused extensive damage to the environment. Numerous oak trees had been cut down and the hillside was terraced to make room for the marijuana plants. Pesticide containers and trash were strewn throughout the site.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Southern Tri-County Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Multijurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (CalMMET), a task force administered by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Gomez-Paniagua is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Fresno on May 8, 2017. If convicted of the most serious offenses, the drug charges, Gomez-Paniagua faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum term of life, along with a $10 million fine. 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.
Sentencings for April 28 - May 4, 2017Read the Press Release
Fortino Arellano-Hernandez, 50, of Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 4, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Arellano-Hernandez received time served, plus ten days, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and 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.
Timothy Andrew Neefe, 39, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 2, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Neefe was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 36 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $9,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Darrell Lyle Moss, Jr., 34, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on April 28, 2017, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Moss, Jr., was arrested in Riverton, Wyoming. He received 27 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. Restitution in this matter will be determined at a later date. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Sedgwick County Man Charged with Producing Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Kansas man was charged in U.S. District Court here Wednesday with producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Ian Nathanial Smith, 20, Viola, Kan., is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possessing child pornography. An investigator’s affidavit alleges Smith used social media to communicate over the internet with a 14-year-old girl in another state. He asked the girl to send him live streaming video of herself engaged in sexual activities. Investigators found child pornography on his phone, including 204 images and four videos.
If convicted, he faces not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years in federal prison on the charge of exploiting a minor and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession charge. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.