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Tuesday 21 March 2017
Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Florida Pizza Delivery ChainRead the Press Release
The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with Pizzerias, LLC (Pizzerias), a pizza restaurant franchisee with 31 locations in Miami, Florida. The agreement resolves the department’s investigation into whether Pizzerias violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against work-authorized immigrants when checking their work authorization documents.
The department’s investigation concluded that Pizzerias routinely requested that lawful permanent residents produce a specific document – a Permanent Resident Card – to prove their work authorization, while not requesting a specific document from U.S. citizens. Lawful permanent residents often have the same work authorization documents available to them as U.S. citizens, and may choose acceptable documents other than a Permanent Resident Card to prove they are authorized to work. The antidiscrimination provision of the INA prohibits employers from subjecting employees to unnecessary documentary demands based on citizenship or national origin.
Under the settlement, Pizzerias must pay a civil penalty of $140,000 to the United States, post notices informing workers about their rights under the INA’s antidiscrimination provision, train their human resources personnel, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring the rights of lawful U.S. workers to be free from discriminatory barriers based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Civil Rights Division. “Pizzerias’ responsiveness throughout the course of the investigation assisted in a speedy resolution of this matter.”
The division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits, among other things, citizenship, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Jeannette Man Charged with Conspiring to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Westmoreland County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal drug laws, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The one-count superseding indictment named Anthony Wayne Canady, age 43, of Jeannette, PA.
According to the superseding indictment, Canady conspired with others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen S. Gilson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, the Greensburg Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the superseding indictment in this case.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Houston Fugitive Sought in Scheme to Defraud Federal ProgramRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old woman has been indicted on multiple charges in a scheme to steal money from a local program funded with federal money designed to improve air quality in our area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Shonda Renee Stubblefield, of Houston, is considered a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for her arrest. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General at 1-800-424-9071 or via email at [email protected].
The 10-count indictment charges Stubblefield with theft of public money, two counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering by spending criminal proceeds and aggravated identity theft.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is an agency within of the Department of Transportation that supported state and local governments in the design, construction and maintenance of the nation’s highway system through financial and technical assistance. FHWA administered the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program which provided funding to areas that faced challenges attaining and maintaining national ambient air quality standards for ozone, carbon monoxide and/or particulate matter.
The FHWA entered into a contract with the Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT) to provide federal money to reduce traffic congestion and improve the air quality in Texas. TX DOT then contracted with the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) which provided financial incentives to companies that participated in a regional telework program designed to improve air quality in our area by reducing traffic congestion through single vehicle travel.
The indictment alleges Stubblefield was the owner of World Corporation Inc. and participated in that federally-funded telework program. She allegedly stole approximately $126,000 from the CMAQ program by submitting invoices and employee timesheets that falsely documented her participation in the program. The indictment alleges Stubblefield provided false and fraudulent bank records, match documents and a fictitious client list to H-GAC as part of her fraud scheme.
The indictment includes a potential forfeiture and a money judgement for the $126,000.
If convicted of either theft of public money or money laundering by spending criminal proceeds, she faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The possible punishment for a conviction of mail fraud and wire fraud is a maximum of 20 years in prison. She also faces an additional mandatory and consecutive 24 months upon conviction of aggravated identity theft. All charges also carry a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Redlinger is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Hardy County man indicted on firearm and methamphetamine chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Wardensville, West Virginia man was indicted today by a federal grand jury for a firearm violation and a methamphetamine charge, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Grant Sager, age 26, was indicted for one count of “Possession of Material used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine,” one count of “Unlawful in Possession of a Firearm,” and one count of “Possession of an Unlawful Firearm.” The crimes are alleged to have occurred on June 21, 2016 in Hardy County.
Sager faces at up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the first two counts and up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the third count.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Guam Construction Company (“GCC”), Byong Kang (President of GCC) Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Visa Fraud and Choon Kang (Vice President of GCC) Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, Acting United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendants GUAM CONSTRUCTION COMPANY (“GCC”) and its President BYONG HEE KANG (88 years of age) were convicted and sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Visa Fraud. Also, CHOON HEE KANG (76 years of age), the sister of BYONG KANG and former Vice President of GCC was convicted and sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
On July 10, 2015, a Superseding Indictment was returned against GCC, BYONG HEE KANG, and CHOON HEE KANG. Charges included Conspiracy to Commit Visa Fraud by intentionally misrepresenting the occupations of H-2B workers in an effort to fraudulently obtain H-2B visas. After the workers arrived in Guam, BYONG HEE KANG caused GCC to employ them in skilled occupations not authorized on their H-2B visas. Additionally, CHOON HEE KANG and her co-defendants were charged with Conspiracy to Launder Money, which involved financial transactions with visa fraud proceeds exceeding $1,140,878.07. The United States also sought the forfeiture of money equal to the value of the proceeds of that offense.
On March 20, 2017, Chief Judge Francis Tydingco-Gatewood of the District of Guam sentenced the Defendants as follows:
GCC sentenced to:
- 5 years probation (during which it must submit to unannounced examination of its books and records by the probation officer or experts engaged by the court);
- $1,875,407.12 in criminal forfeiture, which represented visa fraud proceeds seized from the GCC corporate bank account.
- An additional $27,000 fine
- $400 assessment fee
Defendant BYONG HEE KANG was sentenced to:
- 3 years probation with 14 months of home detention;
- $10,000 fine
- $2,334 restitution to R.N.Q.
- $100 Special Assessment fee
- Forfeiture of all rights and interest in the visa fraud proceeds.
Defendant CHOON HEE KANG was sentenced to:
- Time served and 3 years of supervised release.
- As a condition of supervised release, report to DHS for removal or deportation proceedings
- $7,500 fine
- $100 Special Assessment fee
- Forfeiture of all rights and interest in the visa fraud proceeds.
Shawn N. Anderson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, stated, "Maintaining the integrity of the H-2B visa program is vital to our business community. The Department of Justice will continue to prosecute those who seek personal enrichment through dishonest business practices. The forfeiture of nearly $2 million in visa fraud proceeds is a significant step toward accountability for corporate wrongdoers such as GCC, its President BYONG KANG and former Vice President CHOON KANG.”
The investigation was a joint effort involving local and federal law enforcement, including the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor - Wage & Hour Division, the Guam Department of Labor, and Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency. This case was prosecuted by Stephen F. Leon Guerrero and Belinda Alcantara, Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Guam.
Grand Terrace, California Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Firearm Possession; 24 Months for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that GRIFFIN MICHAEL SKYLER TAYLOR, age 31, of Grand Terrace, California, was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment, and 3 years of supervised release for FELON IN POSSESSION OF FIREARM, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2); to 24 months imprisonment for AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A(1), to be served consecutively.
The Information alleged that on or about April 14, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The Information further alleged that the defendant, knowingly possessed, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person during and in relation to a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(1).
The charges arose from an investigation by the Sallisaw Police Department, the Fort Smith (Arkansas) Police Department, and the United States Secret Service.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the nonparoleable sentence will be served.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Grand Rapids Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Tax Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Financial Institution FraudRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Andrew Helsel, of Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 37 months’ incarceration and $612,431 in restitution. Helsel had previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and one count of filing a false and fraudulent tax return.
Helsel engaged in a scheme to defraud federally-insured financial institutions by making false statements on loan application documents in order to obtain loans from those institutions. He also filed fraudulent tax returns with the IRS on behalf of himself, a company he controlled, and other taxpayers. He used those ill-gotten gains to fund his lifestyle.
"Our financial system relies on honest compliance, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively pursue individuals who seek to take advantage of our nation and its financial institutions," said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge. "During tax filing season, as always, it is important for people to have confidence that when they pay their taxes, they know their neighbors, co-workers, and tax return preparers are doing the same."
Special Agent in Charge Manny Muriel, IRS - Criminal Investigation stated, "This sentencing again emphasizes that the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Attorney’s office, and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who attempt to corrupt our nation’s tax system. Honest taxpayers have been reassured that no one is above the law—especially when the integrity of tax administration is at stake."
"It is the mission of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to protect the integrity of the IRS and promote the fair administration of our federal tax system, said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Ruben Florez. "TIGTA continues to work closely with the United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners to hold individuals responsible for their attempts to interfere with our nation’s tax system for personal gain."
This case was investigated by Special Agents from IRS - Criminal Investigation and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. O’Connor and Sally J. Berens handled the prosecution.
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Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Murder ChargeRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT SHORT, also known as “Santana,” 30, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to causing the death of Darrick Cooper through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2014, ATF and the New Haven Police Department began “Operation Red Side” through a series of controlled narcotics purchases and firearms seizures. The investigation revealed that members and associates of the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a sect of the Bloods street gang based in New Haven, were engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies. In addition to distributing crack cocaine and other narcotics in and around New Haven, the investigation indicated that members and associates of the RSGB, under the direction of Jeffrey Benton and others, transported the drugs to Bangor, Maine, and sold them in Bangor and its surrounding communities. The RSGB also traded narcotics for firearms, brought the firearms back to New Haven and distributed them to gang members.
In September 2011, leaders of the RSGB ordered SHORT to murder Darrick Cooper, who was a leader of a rival gang and seen as a threat. On September 19, 2011, SHORT lured Cooper to a location in Hamden. SHORT then shot Cooper in the back of the head as Cooper walked up a staircase.
With today’s guilty plea, 21 members and associates of the RSGB have now been convicted of federal charges in Connecticut and Maine. (SEE ATTACHED LIST) The investigation has resolved seven murder cases, four attempted murders and four armed robberies that occurred in 2011 and 2012.
“The Red Side Guerilla Brims were a violent and ruthless gang that created a climate of terror throughout neighborhoods in New Haven in 2011 and 2012,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. Twenty-one gang members and associates will now be held responsible for seven cold case homicides, four attempted homicides, four armed robberies as well as drug and gun running from Connecticut to Bangor, Maine. We hope and pray that the resolution of these homicides and shootings brings some sense of solace to the families of the victims and the communities where this violence occurred. I thank our law enforcement partners, particularly the ATF, New Haven Police Department and Hamden Police Department, for their tireless dedication during this long-term and ongoing investigation. They are providing justice for the many victims of this brutal gang, and making New Haven a safer and better place to live.”
“ATF’s mission is to combat violent crime and criminal organizations, and this investigation resulted in meeting that standard,” said Lawrence J. Panetta, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division. “The arrests and subsequent convictions of the Red Side Guerrilla Brim gang members and their associates, sends a clear message that ATF and its federal, state and local law enforcement partners will not allow these criminal street gangs to continue their violent criminal enterprise.”
SHORT is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5, 2017, by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven. If the binding plea agreement filed today is accepted by Chief Judge Hall, SHORT faces a sentence of 360 months – or 30 years – of imprisonment.
On March 17, 2017, Jeffrey Benton pleaded guilty to federal racketeering, drug trafficking and money laundering offenses, and admitted that he participated in four gang-related murders and one attempted murder. If his binding plea agreement is accepted by Chief Judge Hall, he faces a sentence of between 30 and 40 years of imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Daly noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their sentenced term of imprisonment and are not eligible for parole.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hamden Police Department. The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office also provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of the investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Spector, Peter Markle and Jocelyn Kaoutzanis. A related case in the District of Maine is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 70 MonthsRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – The Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Clifford D. Johnson, announces that Fernando Guapo Garcia, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before Chief District Court Judge Theresa Springmann following his guilty plea to count one of the indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Garcia was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, from April 28, 2016 through August 9, 2016 Garcia conspired with other persons to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances to include over 500 grams of cocaine and heroin.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force consisting of officers/agents from the Allen County Police Department, the Allen County Drug Task Force, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Stacey R. Speith.
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Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 30 MonthsRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – The Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Clifford D. Johnson, announces that Kenneth Frierson, 25, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced before Chief District Court Judge Theresa Springmann following his guilty plea to count two of the indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Frierson was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Frierson possessed a firearm between April 12 and 18, 2016 after being a convicted felon, that conviction being a prior felony conviction in Allen County Superior Court, Fort Wayne, Indiana on September 28, 2011 for dealing Marijuana.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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Former Slippery Rock Man Charged with Escaping from Renewal Corrections CenterRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Walter Cody Tribble has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for escaping from federal custody following a prior federal felony conviction, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The indictment charges Tribble, age 42 and formerly of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, with committing the crime on December 3, 2016, by escaping from federal custody at Renewal, Inc., a community corrections center located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The United States Marshals Service and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Violating Civil Rights of Detained ManRead the Press Release
A former Tukwila and Snoqualmie Police Officer was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nine months in prison and one year of supervised release for Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law for an attack on a handcuffed man at a Seattle hospital, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. NICHOLAS HOGAN, 36, pleaded guilty in November 2016, and as part of that plea agreement is prohibited from seeking employment as a police officer or security guard for fifteen years. At sentencing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour called the criminal conduct “simply unacceptable . . . . The trust of the community in our law enforcement officers is very fragile and it is damaged by this conduct.”
“This officer was a bad apple – plain and simple,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Holding him to account and making sure he cannot return to law enforcement work protects the public and everyone’s constitutional rights. It also ensures that the overwhelming majority of officers who do their often difficult and dangerous jobs in an exemplary way get the respect that they need and deserve.”
According to the plea agreement, on May 20, 2011, HOGAN responded to a report of a fight on Pacific Highway South in Tukwila. A man was taken into custody on a misdemeanor warrant, but because of his injuries, the King County Jail instructed HOGAN to take the man to Harborview. HOGAN admits in his plea agreement that the man was handcuffed and refusing to get out of the patrol car. HOGAN physically removed the man from the car and when the man grabbed HOGAN’s arm, HOGAN pulled away and repeatedly struck the man in the head with his knee.
Taking the man into the Harborview emergency room, HOGAN repeatedly shoved the man until he fell and then HOGAN dropped on top of him restraining him with a knee in his back. The man was placed on the gurney in four point restraints so that he could not move his arms or legs. While the man was in a treatment area and surrounded by a curtain, HOGAN remained alone with him. HOGAN used pepper spray on the restrained man. In his plea agreement, HOGAN admits he knew that the spray was not necessary to protect himself or others at the hospital and thus not reasonable under the circumstances. As a result, HOGAN admits he violated the constitutional rights of the detainee to be free of unreasonable seizure.
Under the terms of the plea agreement HOGAN surrenders any law enforcement commission and agrees not to seek reinstatement of any law enforcement commission, or seek a new law enforcement commission, or seek employment in any law enforcement agency or law enforcement related employment, including, but not limited to any city, county, state, or federal policing or corrections positions, or that of a private security guard, or any position that requires the carrying of a firearm, for a period of 15 years.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Miyake prosecuted the case for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorneys Rose Gibson and Jared Fishman of the Civil Rights Division for the Department of Justice.
Former Fairfield PD Maintenance Worker Sentenced to 6 ½ Years in Prison as Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced a former Fairfield Police Department maintenance worker to six years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Hyche.
U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced ROY ELLIS HUNTER, 70, on one count of being a convicted felon who possessed four handguns on June 4, 2015. Hunter pleaded guilty to the charge in October. He must report to prison May 15.
“Roy Hunter was stealing guns from a police department and then selling them to persons who could not legally buy a firearm,” Posey said. “ATF and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency stopped that illegal flow of guns back onto the streets. Our community is safer because of their work and this prosecution.”
“These guns had already been taken off the street by law enforcement once,” Hyche said. “I am happy that we were able to stop this and prevent more of them from being sold to criminals.”
According to Hunter’s plea, he was convicted on federal racketeering and cocaine distribution charges in 1984 and on federal counterfeiting charges in 1983.
On June 4, 2015, Hunter sold four handguns, a Cobra .380-caliber pistol, an FIE .32-caliber revolver, an Iberia .40-caliber pistol and a Norinco 9 mm pistol, for $800 to an informant working undercover with ATF agents. The transaction took place at Hunter’s Fairfield home and was monitored and recorded. In the course of that sale, Hunter and the informant planned a future purchase, according to Hunter’s plea.
On July 8, in another monitored transaction at Hunter’s residence, the informant paid Hunter $4,000 to buy 15 firearms, which he selected from 30 that Hunter retrieved from his basement, according to his plea. One of the guns was in a clear plastic bag that was marked “Evidence.” Agents arrested Hunter the next day and recovered 31 firearms, ammunition, narcotics and a decorative sword “that were all presumed to be stolen from the Fairfield Police Department,” according to Hunter’s plea.
ATF, with assistance from ALEA, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Royster prosecuted.
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Former Coralville Attorney Pleads Guilty to Eleven Counts of Mail FraudRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA - On March 21, 2017, Dennis A. Bjorklund, age 52, from Coralville, Iowa, pled guilty to 11 counts of mail fraud, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Each count carries a maximum potential penalty of not more than 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims' Fund. Bjorklund also agreed to pay $8,300 in restitution to the victims of these offenses. By June 9, 2017, the parties will advise the court if this matter is ready for sentencing. Bjorklund was indicted in July of 2010, arrested in Colorado on April 16, 2015, and has remained in custody since the date of his arrest.
During the time period of this mail fraud scheme, Bjorklund was an attorney practicing law in Johnson County, Iowa. As part of this scheme, potential criminal clients would contact Bjorklund for legal representation on Iowa state charges of Operating While Intoxicated (OWI).
From August 3, 2005, to January 9, 2006, 11 separate individuals entered into an agreement with Bjorklund to represent them in relation to Iowa OWI charges. As part of this representation, each individual met and was directed by Bjorklund to make a voluntary donation of $100 to $500 to "Re-Adapt" under the false pretense this contribution would result in a more favorable resolution of the criminal charges. Bjorklund caused a post office box to be opened in Coralville under the name of Re-Adapt. Additionally, Bjorklund caused a bank account to be opened in Wisconsin in which multiple checks issued to Re-Adapt were subsequently deposited. In 2006, Bjorklund caused checks to be written and drawn on this Wisconsin Re-Adapt bank account payable to entities personally owned and controlled by him.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Learn more about this release by either calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected]
Final Defendant Pleads Guilty in Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
Israel Brito-Rodriguez, 49, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
On October 14, 2015, Israel Brito-Rodriguez was indicted along with Lorenzo Brito-Rodriguez, 40, and Eydi Ioena Brito-Rodriguez, 30, also of Bowling Green, and charged with conspiring to file false federal income tax returns. The indictment also charged Israel Brito-Rodriguez with possession of a counterfeit alien registration receipt (“green card”).
According to the charging documents, between February 2014 and December 2015, one or more of the conspirators prepared and filed multiple false and fraudulent federal income tax returns, claiming refunds of more than $1,000 each. The defendants used fraudulent power of attorney documents, representing the named payees on the checks, to cash the checks and caused interstate wire transfers to be used to execute the scheme. In total, the defendants obtained more than $500,000 in proceeds from the false refund checks.
Eydi Brito-Rodriguez and Lorenzo Brito-Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Eydi Brito-Rodriguez was sentenced to serve nine months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $100,000.00 to the IRS. Lorenzo Brito-Rodriguez was sentenced to serve 14 months in prison and ordered to pay $492,427.71 in restitution.
Israel Brito-Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr., and faces a potential statutory maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Jaworski and Byron M. Jones represented the United States.
Drug Trafficking on Mole Lake Indian Reservation Leads to Prison Sentences for Three IndividualsRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that three individuals were recently sentenced after convictions for drug trafficking on the Mole Lake Indian Reservation in Forest County. The sentences were the result of guilty pleas by all three individuals in December 2016.
The three individuals received the following sentences from Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach:
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Anthony Quintana (age: 43), of Weston: 10 years in prison, 10 years of supervised release;
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Karen Quintana (age: 39), of Weston: 2 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release; and
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Diana Alvarado (age: 40), of Mole Lake: 30 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release.
The investigation revealed that the three defendants conspired amongst themselves and with others, and distributed more than 150 grams of methamphetamine in the Mole Lake area. The group also distributed in excess of 100 illegally obtained oxycodone pills. On four separate occasions between November 2015 and January 2016, Anthony Quintana and Diana Alvarado distributed at least an ounce of methamphetamine to others, with one delivery in excess of 2 ounces. Karen Quintana participated in two of the deliveries and arranged other deliveries of methamphetamine. The deliveries occurred in Alvarado’s apartment on the Mole Lake Indian Reservation, with her young daughter present at the time of multiple deliveries.
In sentencing Anthony Quintana, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, referring to Quintana’s prior convictions for drug dealing, and stated that the defendant was “unwilling, uninterested or unable” to stop selling drugs despite the prior convictions. In sentencing Karen Quintana, Chief Judge Griesbach discussed the impact of methamphetamine dealing, saying the defendant was part of a group that “destroys the fabric of communities.” In sentencing Alvarado, Chief Judge Griesbach reiterated the seriousness of the offense, and pointed out Alvarado’s elevated role in helping sell “poison” in the community, and greater involvement in the criminal activity.
The case was investigated by the Forest County Sheriff’s Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation (Native American Drug and Gang Initiative), Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory, and the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
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Cranberry Twp. Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Allegheny Valley BankRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former Butler County resident has been sentenced in federal court to six months imprisonment and six months of home detention, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on her conviction of bank fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today. The defendant was also ordered to pay $62,842.57 in restitution.
Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose imposed the sentence on Jennifer Colamarino, 35.
According to information presented to the court, from October 2014 through March 2015, Colamarino defrauded Allegheny Valley Bank by using a closed PNC Bank account to make approximately 94 fraudulent online payments towards her husband’s Allegheny Valley Bank credit card account. Colamarino then used the Allegheny Valley Bank credit card at various locations to make numerous purchases. During the relevant time period, Colamarino made no legitimate payments towards the Allegheny Valley Bank credit card account, and Allegheny Valley Bank suffered a loss of approximately $62,842.57 as a result of the fraud.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Song commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Colamarino.
Child Pornographer Gets 30 Years After Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 43-year-old former Navasota resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of production and possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. John Allen Chumley pleaded guilty Sept. 13, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced him to serve a total of 360 months in federal prison. At the hearing, Judge Hittner acknowledged the pain and suffering of the victims and their families that Chumley caused, specifically noting a letter written by one of the victims himself. The mother of the other victim also submitted a poignant letter to the court detailing the effects the abuse had on her child. Chumley will also have to register as a sex offender and serve life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet.
Two victims were identified in this case that Chumley sexually exploited.
Chumley was a long-haul truck driver who transported child pornography across state lines and even travelled with one of his victims, now a 10-year-old boy. For some time, Chumley had access to this child and photographed him with a cellular telephone in lewd and lascivious poses in Houston and elsewhere. Chumley befriended a family member of the victim, gained the family’s trust and used his position to exploit the child.
In addition, Chumley produced child pornography of another child who resided in the Houston area to whom Chumley had regular access and whom he sexually molested.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and FBI offices in Houston and Springfield, Illinois conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack of the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Chicago Man Guilty of Brokering More Than 70 Illegal Gun TransactionsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A convicted felon from Chicago pleaded guilty today to federal firearm offenses, admitting that he brokered more than 70 illegal gun transactions.
JOHN THOMAS, 33, also known as “Batman,” pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of dealing firearms without a license. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 30, 2017, at 10:00 a.m.
The case against Thomas arose out of a larger federal investigation that has removed more than 100 illegal guns from the streets of Chicago. The federal probe involved controlled firearm sales to cooperating individuals.
The guilty plea was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Celinez Nunez, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“Illegally brokering the sale of guns on the streets of Chicago poses a tremendous danger to the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Levin. “Prosecuting firearms offenses is a top priority in our office, and we will continue our efforts to disrupt the availability of illegal guns in our city.”
Thomas admitted in a plea agreement that he brokered the sale of 77 illegal guns, including rifles, shotguns and handguns. Some of the guns had obliterated serial numbers or had previously been reported stolen. Thomas either obtained the firearms himself and then sold them to individuals, or he arranged for the owner of the firearms to sell the guns to individuals in exchange for a fee for setting up the transaction, the plea agreement states. Unbeknownst to Thomas, the individuals who purported to purchase the guns were cooperating with law enforcement.
Thomas was previously convicted of a felony and was not legally authorized to possess any firearms.
One of the sales occurred on July 23, 2014, when Thomas arranged a meeting between a man identified in court records as Individual A, along with JAMEL DAVIS and a cooperating individual. The transaction, which took place in Davis’ garage in the 7600 block of South Seeley Avenue in Chicago, involved the sale of two .38-caliber revolvers. A federal jury last year convicted Davis of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. Davis faces up to ten years in prison when he is sentenced later this month.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Kim and Carol Bell.
Charleston man pleads guilty for role in large-scale methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. David Huffman, 36, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
As part of a comprehensive investigation, agents from the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, and Homeland Security Investigations intercepted several packages that contained crystal methamphetamine, commonly referred to as “ice.” Since January 2014, several pounds of crystal methamphetamine were transported from California and Nevada into the Southern District of West Virginia via the United States mail or through individuals driving packages of drugs into the area. Huffman admitted that he traveled to Nevada on multiple occasions to obtain methamphetamine from Joseph Cooper. Huffman then brought the drugs back to West Virginia to distribute.
Huffman further admitted that in February 2016, he traveled to Nevada with his codefendant, Morgan Light, to pick up approximately two pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement stopped the vehicle on the way back to West Virginia and located over 400 grams of methamphetamine that was lab tested and found to be at least 95% pure.
Huffman faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 21, 2017.
As a result of this comprehensive drug investigation, several defendants have been sentenced to federal prison. Cooper was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Benjamin Childers, another individual involved with the transport of methamphetamine in this drug trafficking organization, was sentenced to 10 years and a month in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mark Cobb was sentenced to seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Shayne Shamblen was also sentenced to seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Light and Harold Lee Parsons have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and each faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Light is scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2017. Parsons is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2017. Additionally, Mark Bays pleaded guilty to maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine. Bays faces up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced on March 24, 2017.
Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is responsible for these prosecutions. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., is presiding over these cases.
These cases are being prosecuted as 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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Charles County Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison for Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Travis Lee, age 31, of La Plata, Maryland, today to 75 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of unauthorized access devices and aggravated identity theft, as well as violating his supervised release in a previous credit card fraud case.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Ebert of the United States Secret Service – Washington Field Office; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement on August 31, 2015, Lee traveled with Kenneth Clifton Williamson to a shopping mall area in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and taught Williamson how to make fraudulent purchases at department stores using the unauthorized debit, credit and gift cards Lee manufactured using stolen credit and debit information obtained from illegal online carding forums. Lee reprogrammed the credit and gift cards with alternate data, which provided access to individuals’ bank accounts for fraudulent, unauthorized purchases.
Williamson purchased approximately $1,155 in merchandise at a high-end department store in Chevy Chase using two Visa gift card, which Lee had encoded with stolen account information. Lee and Williamson then proceeded to a high-end department store in Washington D.C. and repeated the process, again purchasing approximately $1,155 in merchandise using similar fraudulent gift cards.
Law enforcement arrested Lee a few months later and recovered at least 185 gift cards from Lee. A search of the vehicle, which was the same one used by Lee and Williamson to travel to the department stores in August, revealed gift cards, sales receipts, clothing and other merchandise, a laptop computer portable wi-fi device, as well as items used to create gift and credit cards encoded with stolen account information, including an embosser and electronic encoder.
On October 31, 2015, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Lee was driving and recovered at least 150 credit and gift cards, an embosser and other materials indicative of the manufacture of fraudulent credit cards and gift cards, including a laptop with a magnetic strip reader/writer.
On September 15, 2010, Lee was sentenced to five months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after being convicted of possession of counterfeit access devices in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. In December 2014, Lee’s supervised release was revoked and he was sentenced to 14 months in prison, followed by 22 months of supervised release. Lee was serving this term of supervised release when he committed the offenses in Maryland.
Kenneth Clifton Williamson, age 21, of Washington, D.C. previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme as was sentenced to four months in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Secret Service and Montgomery County Police Department, Electronic Crimes Unit for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes and Thomas P. Windom, who prosecuted the case.
Cartel Connected Leader of Large Drug Distribution Ring Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
The leader of a drug trafficking organization who admits his connection to the Los Zetas drug cartel was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 12 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. ENRIQUE AGUILAIR VALENCIA, 55, who resided in Fremont, California led a drug distribution ring that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine throughout western Washington. Much of the distribution was via stash houses in Skagit and Snohomish Counties. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said he was concerned about the very large quantities of drugs and the guns involved in the case.
“This defendant has shown nothing but contempt for the laws of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “When law enforcement took down this significant drug ring, along with large quantities of heroin and meth, they found multiple firearms including one with a silencer. The community is safer with this defendant and his long history of sex and drug crimes behind bars.”
According to records filed in the case, AGUILAIR VALENCIA is the last of six defendants prosecuted as part of this drug distribution ring. In March, April and May 2015, a person working with law enforcement purchased heroin and methamphetamine from various distributors in the conspiracy. The purchases were set up in recorded telephone calls with AGUILAIR VALENCIA. The person working with law enforcement recorded conversations with AGUILAIR VALENCIA discussing his ability to provide large amounts of drugs for distribution in the U.S. and Canada. The conspirators laundered drug proceeds though bank accounts controlled by AGUILAIR VALENCIA. While AGUILAIR VALENCIA resided in California, he controlled stash houses for his drugs, guns and money in Mt. Vernon, Bow, and Stanwood, Washington.
AGUILAIR VALENCIA had no legal status in the United States, and had prior convictions for kidnapping, rape, assault with a deadly weapon (California 1986), lewd acts with a child and failure to register as a sex offender (California 2008), and illegal reentry after deportation (California 2011).
AGUILAIR VALENCIA was arrested when law enforcement moved in on the ring in June 2015. At AGUILAIR VALENCIA’s various stash houses law enforcement seized a total of over 30 pounds of meth and heroin and numerous firearms including one with a silencer. At AGUILAIR VALENCIA’s home in California, agents seized nearly $32,000 in cash.
On November 23, 2016, AGUILAIR VALENCIA pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to launder money.
The other defendants in the case and their sentences include: Gustavo Garcia-Valencia (five years); Juan Diego Vasquez-Cardenas (three years); Rafael Marin-Macias (eight years); Guadalupe Farias-Savala (four years) and Efran Villalobos-Gonzalez (five years).
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in cooperation with the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit and the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Masada and Grady Leupold.
Cape Coral Man Receives 30 Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Joseph Spradlin (41, Cape Coral) to 30 years’ imprisonment for producing and possessing child pornography. He pleaded guilty on December 9, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, after downloading child pornography directly from Spradlin’s computer over a peer-to-peer network, members of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force executed a search warrant at Spradlin’s residence. The agents located more than 65,000 images and 668 videos of child pornography on four thumb drives. Further investigation revealed that Spradlin had produced child pornography images and videos of an 8-year-old girl on at least two occasions.
This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, with assistance from the Cape Coral Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles Schmitz.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Canadian Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement of Mail by Postal EmployeeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that LEANDA JOANNE PRATHER, age 37, of Canadian, Oklahoma, pled guilty to EMBEZZLEMENT OF MAIL BY POSTAL EMPLOYEE, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709, punishable by no more than 5 years imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
The Indictment alleged that between on or about August 2, 2016, to on or about December 20, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, a United States Postal Service employee, did willfully, knowingly and unlawfully embezzle packages entrusted to her and which came into her possession to be conveyed by mail, located at the Eufaula Post Office, 131 W. Foley, Eufaula, Oklahoma, while performing her assigned duties as an employee of the United States Postal Service.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The defendant remains on release status pending a sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney John David Luton represented the United States.
Broward County Resident Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
A Hallandale resident was sentenced yesterday, by United States District Court Senior Judge William J. Zloch, to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), made the announcement.
Tarik Jean-Jourdian, 25, previously pled guilty to one count of use of one or more unauthorized access devices to obtain anything of value aggregating $1,000 or more, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2), and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).
According to court documents, an analysis of ATM video footage revealed that, between April 15and May 15, 2015, the PNC Bank account issued to a victim was accessed on at least six different occasions, to withdraw a total of $2,800, from various PNC Bank ATMs by defendant Jourdian. On February 8, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Jourdian’s Hallandale residence and vehicle. During the course of the search of defendant’s car, agents seized numerous handwritten and typed pieces of paper containing the personal identifying information (PII) of other individuals, including names, dates of birth and social security numbers. In total, there were approximately 200 pieces of distinct PII found in the defendant’s vehicle.
Law enforcement spoke with the individual whose name, date of birth, and social security number were used to open the PNC Bank account, and confirmed that he/she did not authorize Jean-Jourdian to be in possession of the PII.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of DOL-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua S. Rothstein and Breezye Telfair.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida atwww.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Bay Village man sentenced to more than six years in prison for $420,000 fraud involving concert ticketsRead the Press Release
A Bay Village man was sentenced to more than six years in prison for fraudulently buying concert and event tickets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars with stolen credit cards and then reselling them, law enforcement officials said.
Daniel Mercede, 29, pleaded guilty last year to charges of bank fraud, access devise fraud and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi sentenced Mercede to 79 months in prison and ordered him to pay $424,222 in restitution.
Mercede used stolen and fraudulently obtained credit card information from dozens of people to purchase tickets to concerts and events from ScoreBig, a California-based company that sells tickets, according to court documents.
He had the tickets sent to his or his parents’ homes in Chagrin Falls, where Mercede lived when he committed the crimes. He then resold the tickets – for events in Baltimore, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington D.C. -- on StubHub, receiving the funds by check or through PayPal, according to court documents.
Mercede attempted to obtain more than $3 million in combined fraudulent proceeds between 2014 and last year, and obtained more than $424,222, according to court documents.
He used money for his own personal enrichment, including purchases of luxury cars, expensive jewelry and exotic vacations, according to court documents.
“Mr. Mercede was motivated solely by greed,” Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja said. “He has shown himself to be a serial scammer and identity thief who is a clear economic danger to the community. Prison is the proper place for him.”
“Mercede left a wake of financial damage with the numerous unlawful schemes he engaged in,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure fraudsters serve their due time behind bars instead of on lavish vacations at the expense of others.”
"Daniel Mercede perpetrated a complex scheme involving identity theft and the illegal use of an unlicensed bitcoin exchange service that was driven by insatiable greed and a blatant disregard for the tremendous damage inflicted on innocent victims," said Frank S. Turner II, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. "Be assured that IRS Criminal Investigation, together with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office, will hold those who engage in similar behavior fully accountable."
“I would like to acknowledge the hard and diligent work of Detective Sergeant Andy Capwill,” said Chagrin Falls Police Chief Amber Dacek. “He really dug in to this case and gathered a good deal of the initial financial information that ultimately led to this prosecution. I am very pleased with the collaborative effort that went in to obtaining this conviction.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Flannery and Matthew Kall following an investigation by the FBI, IRS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Chagrin Falls Police and Westlake Police.
Baltimore Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Louis Frances Bradley, age 66, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2017, to production of child pornography. Bradley has four previous state convictions on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, between 2014 and 2016, Bradley paid numerous women in the Philippines to take sexually explicit photos of prepubescent females and send the images to Bradley using social media. Bradley also paid the women to expose their genitals to Bradley using video streaming programs.
Bradley created two social media accounts and used the accounts to become “friends” with hundreds of young women who lived in the Philippines. Many of the women “friended” by Bradley had prepubescent children or access to prepubescent children. Bradley asked the women to send sexually explicit images of prepubescent females under their care in exchange for money. Bradley admitted that he sent 120 payments to at least 17 payees in the Philippines, totaling $8,291. At least six of the recipients sent Bradley images or videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct in exchange for the payments.
As part of his plea agreement, Bradley must continue to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Bradley faces a minimum sentence of 35 years and up to life in prison. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for May 2, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who is prosecuting the federal case.
Aliquippa Man Charged with Dealing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - One resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The one-count indictment named Corey Bargerstock, age 42.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on July 7, 2016, Bargerstock possessed with intent to distribute and distributed fentanyl that caused the serious bodily injury and death of a person.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya S. Goodman and Timothy M. Lanni are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hopewell Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 69 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Larry Valadez, 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 69 months in prison for his conviction on methamphetamine and heroin trafficking charges. Valadez will be on supervised release for four years following his prison sentence.
Valadez and co-defendant Johnny Ramirez, 34, also of Albuquerque, were charged on Dec. 1, 2015, with drug trafficking offenses in an eight-count indictment. Valadez and Ramirez were charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and heroin in May 2015, and with distributing methamphetamine and heroin in May 2015 and June 2015. According to the indictment, the two men committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.
On Jan. 19, 2017, Valadez pled guilty to distributing methamphetamine and heroin. In entering the guilty plea, Valadez admitted that on May 19, 2015, he sold approximately 23.52 grams of methamphetamine and 4.3 grams of heroin to an individual working with the FBI.
On Aug. 1, 2016, Ramirez pled guilty to two counts of methamphetamine distribution and one count of heroin distribution. In entering the guilty plea, Ramirez admitted that on May 19, 2015, he arranged for a co-conspirator to sell 23.52 grams of methamphetamine and 4.3 grams of heroin to an individual who was working with the FBI. Ramirez also admitted that on June 16, 2015, he sold 14.71 grams of methamphetamine to the same individual. Ramirez was sentenced on Nov. 8, 2016, to 84 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the New Mexico State Police. The Organized Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Active Duty Member of U.S. Military Pleads Guilty to Stealing and Selling Military-Issued Night Vision TechnologyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Zachary Sizemore, an active-duty service member of the United States Air Force, pleaded guilty to the sale without authority of night vision devices and components stolen from the Air Force. Today’s guilty plea took place before Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn.
On November 29, 2016, the defendant was arrested on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, where he is stationed. He appeared that afternoon at the U.S. Courthouse in Dayton, Ohio, and at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on December 7, 2016.
The guilty plea was announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York.
According to court filings, between July 2013 and November 2016, Sizemore sold night vision devices that he stole from the United States military, including night vision goggles and mini-thermal monoculars. In addition, he created online postings for, and sold or attempted to sell, dozens of items described as night vision equipment or thermal equipment, among other military equipment. Of those postings, Sizemore sold at least 80 such items for approximately $86,000. To date, the DCIS has identified more than $130,000 in losses attributable to Sizemore’s theft.
Night vision devices acquired by the United States military, such as the items the defendant stole and sold, contain components made to military specifications. The military requires the items to be rendered useless for their intended purpose prior to leaving government control. United States military policies prohibit the private sale of fully functional military-issued night vision equipment.
When he is sentenced on June 29, 2017, Sizemore faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Nomi D. Berenson is in charge of the prosecution and Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha R. Payne is in charge of the forfeiture.
The Defendant:
ZACHARY SIZEMORE
Age: 24
Dayton, Ohio
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-87 (SJ)
Monday 20 March 2017
Woman Who Falsely Claimed Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Sentenced for Defrauding Social Security and Military Health SystemRead the Press Release
A 36-year-old Steilacoom, Washington woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 60 days home confinement and 100 hours of community service for defrauding Social Security Disability and the U.S. Army healthcare system of more than $100,000 in benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. maria sanchez-kountz pretended to have terminal cancer to secure prescription opiates and Social Security disability benefits. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle noted that SANCHEZ-KOUNTZ is the sole parent to two children and imposed five years of probation and ordered her to pay $102,932 in restitution.
According to records filed in the case, between February 2012 and July 2016, sanchez-KOUNTZ received disability payments because she claimed she could not work due to terminal cancer. She also received benefit payments for her children as part of her disability claims. SANCHEZ-KOUNTZ falsely reported a history of ovarian cancer that was treated with surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. When SANCHEZ-KOUNTZ visited doctors between 2011 and 2015, she described to them her false history of cancer, and that description was memorialized in her medical records, which she used as further proof of her condition. She repeatedly told doctors that she did not want any more chemotherapy or radiation, electing only palliative care that included prescription narcotics for her self-reported chronic pain and nausea. With this scheme sanchez-KOUNTZ, who at the time was married to a member of the U.S. military, stole more than $82,000 in disability payments and more than $20,000 in military medical benefits.
In fact, sanchez-KOUNTZ was working for a Lakewood, Washington company as a seamstress during some of the period when she was collecting disability benefits. She even had a tailoring business that she promoted on a website by falsely claiming she was a cancer survivor. SANCHEZ-KOUNTZ’s scheme became known when medical professionals could not locate any records related to her prior treatment at medical facilities where she claimed to have been a patient.
The case was investigated by the Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit (CDIU), which is a disability fraud task force comprised of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Disability Determination Services (DDS). The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Diggs. Mr. Diggs is an attorney with the Social Security Administration, specially designated to prosecute fraud cases in federal court.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Federal Prison on Child Pornography, Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Virginia man, who previously pled guilty to federal charges related to his admitted viewing of depictions of child pornography and the possession of an illegal firearm, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon.
Tony Michael Spencer, 42, of Raven, Virginia, previously pled guilty to one count of receiving depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of possessing a short-barreled shotgun. Today in District Court, Spencer was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and 15 years of supervised release thereafter.
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, after obtaining information that Spencer was part of a group of individuals utilizing a website on the internet to distribute child pornography, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant on Spencer’s residence on August 6, 2015. At the time of the search warrant, Spencer admitted to viewing child pornography on the website and FBI agents located an unregistered sawed-off shotgun in the residence.
To date, the FBI’s examination of Spencer’s computers seized at the time of the search has located more than 300,000 images of child pornography.
The investigation of the case was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee prosecuted the case for the United States.
U.S. Attorney Creates Unit Dedicated to Asset ForfeitureRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman announced today the creation of a District forfeiture unit tasked with ensuring the District is as successful as possible at seizing ill-gotten gains.
The Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program encompasses the seizure and forfeiture of assets that represent the proceeds of, or were used to facilitate certain federal crimes, or that were involved in money laundering. The primary mission of the program is to employ the federal asset forfeiture laws in a manner that enhances public safety and security and promotes justice. This is accomplished by removing the proceeds of crime and other assets relied upon by criminals and their associates to perpetuate their criminal activity against our society. Asset forfeiture has the power to disrupt or dismantle criminal organizations that would continue to function if we only convicted and incarcerated specific individuals. United States Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for the prosecution of both criminal and civil actions against property used or acquired during illegal activity.
“Forfeiture is a set of legal tools, both civil and criminal, that we use to ensure that crime doesn’t pay,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said.
For example, in fiscal year 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio forfeited assets valued in excess of $9 million.
In addition to allowing for the forfeiture of criminal proceeds, property that facilitates crime and property involved in money laundering, the law also requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. Ensuring that assets are available to compensate crime victims is a priority of the Asset Forfeiture Program.
Case examples in the Southern District of Ohio that involve significant forfeitures sought include:
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U.S. v. Glen Galemmo, an investment-fraud case in which the government forfeited more than $6 million, three homes and five vehicles;
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U.S. v. William Apostelos, a $70-million Ponzi-scheme case in which the government has seized and is seeking forfeiture of cash totaling $650,000, two race horses, jewelry and artwork; and
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U.S. v. Kevin Lake, a pill-mill case in which the government has seized and is seeking forfeiture of more than $29 million in proceeds from a Central Ohio medical center.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah Grimes and Pamela Stanek will oversee the forfeiture efforts of the District.
“Both Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grimes and Stanek have the expertise in this increasingly complicated body of law that – if you want to get the most out of it – requires sustained attention at multiple stages of investigations and cases,” Glassman said. “Both women have taught federal prosecutors from across the country on this topic and have served on national working groups, in addition to lending their knowledge to other federal agencies. Having them officially lead our forfeiture work will promote better restitution for victims and less profit for criminals.”
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Three Men Arrested and Charged with Burglaries of Firearms DealersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va - Three local men who allegedly participated in several recent burglaries of local firearms dealers made their initial appearances here today in federal court.
Preston G. Holmes, 23; Matthew D. Jones, 23; and Daniel L. Quarles, 19, were charged today with conspiracy and theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, the conspirators allegedly participated in three burglaries of federally licensed firearms dealers in the last 10 days: The March 11 burglary of 50 West Armory in Chantilly, where they allegedly stole 35 semi-automatic handguns in 45 seconds, and the March 14 burglaries of A.S.H. Tactical and SSG Tactical in Fredericksburg.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, law enforcement received a tip regarding the identities of the suspects and their criminal conduct. Law enforcement agents executed search warrants and arrested the men this past weekend. Charges were filed in federal court today.
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Blanchard is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-mj-132.
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.
Texas Man Charged with Damaging Computers at Western PA Healthcare FacilityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Texas resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer and Wire Fraud, United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The two-count indictment, returned on Feb. 28, 2017, named Brandon A. Coughlin, 29, of Houston, Texas, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Coughlin intentionally hacked and damaged 13 servers operated by a local healthcare facility and engaged in a scheme to defraud that healthcare facility by using its purchase card to order merchandise from Staples. On January 16, 2013, Coughlin was hired by the healthcare facility as an in-house computer systems administrator. On February 4, 2013, he resigned from that position at the request of management. Using the administrative passwords he knew from his employment, on September 18, 2013, Coughlin hacked the computer network of the healthcare facility, disabled all administrative accounts needed to control any and all of the computer servers of the healthcare facility, and deleted users’ network shares, business data, and patient health information data, including patient medical records, causing a loss of more than $5,000.00. Coughlin also is accused of committing wire fraud when he attempted to fraudulently purchase online iPad Air tablets on the Staples account of the healthcare facility.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Coughlin waived his appearance at today’s arraignment hearing before Chief Magistrate Judge Maureen Kelly. The case has been assigned to Chief U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 11-Month Prison Term for Confrontation with Law Enforcement at U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Larry Russell Dawson, 67, of Antioch, Tenn., was sentenced today to 11 months in prison on a federal offense stemming from a confrontation with law enforcement while he was being screened at the United States Capitol Visitor Center, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
Dawson pled guilty on Dec. 13, 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a federal charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers while using a deadly or dangerous weapon. He was sentenced by the Honorable James E. Boasberg. Following his prison term, Dawson must complete three years of supervised release. Judge Boasberg also ordered that Dawson receive mental health treatment while in prison and while on release.
According to the plea documents, on Monday, March 28, 2016, at about 2:37 p.m., Dawson entered the north security screening facility at the visitor center. He placed several personal items in a bowl in preparation for going through a metal detector. He then walked through a metal detector, which indicated the presence of metal at his waist level. Dawson was instructed to pass back through the detector, and metal again was detected.
A Capitol Police officer then ushered Dawson through the metal detector. In response to the officer’s request, Dawson spread his arms. The officer then scanned Dawson with a hand-held metal detector, which indicated the presence of metal in the area of Dawson’s right waistband. Suddenly, Dawson reached into the area of his waist with his right hand, and removed what appeared to be a black handgun. Dawson also raised his left hand between himself and the officer. The officer grabbed Dawson’s left upper arm. As Dawson moved away from the officer and to Dawson’s right, the officer placed the hand-held metal detector on Dawson’s torso. Dawson seized the hand-held metal detector from the officer and quickly moved further into the visitor center. While moving, he threw the hand-held metal detector onto the floor.
A few moments later, Dawson turned around, held the gun in his right hand, and pointed it at the officer who had screened him. While Dawson brandished the pistol at the officer, other officers moved civilians, including children, out of harm’s way. Other Capitol Police officers ordered Dawson to drop the weapon and put his hands in the air. Dawson ignored their verbal commands and advanced toward the officer who had screened him, continuing to point the weapon. One of the other Capitol Police officers then shot Dawson. The entry doors into the screening facility as well as the doors leading into the Capitol Visitor Center were locked to contain the threat. Dawson was apprehended, searched, rendered first aid, and transported to a hospital.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Mobile Crime units recovered Dawson’s gun, a Daisy spring-loaded BB gun. In color, shape, weight, and other outward appearances, the gun resembled a semi-automatic handgun. Under federal law, an imitation gun, when used in circumstances such as those described in the plea documents, qualifies as a dangerous weapon.
Dawson has been in custody since his arrest on the day of the incident.
At today’s proceedings, Dawson also was sentenced on a second charge arising from another matter. On Oct. 22, 2015, Dawson was arrested after allegedly having disrupted Congress. He was charged in that case in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting or interfering with a police officer and disorderly and disruptive conduct on U.S. Capitol grounds. He was released in that case with a court order to return for a hearing on Dec. 8, 2015. Dawson failed to appear for that hearing. He pled guilty in December 2016 to a charge of failing to appear in court, a District of Columbia offense. Judge Boasberg sentenced him to 90 days in prison for this offense, consecutive to the 11 months for the incident at the Capitol.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Verderosa commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Capitol Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline Barkett and Nathan Charles. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mudd, who prosecuted the case.
Tampa Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Ebony Stillwell (31, Tampa) to three years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The Court also ordered her to forfeit $252,107.07, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Stillwell pleaded guilty on October 25, 2016.
According to court documents, in December 2014, Stillwell began working as the onsite manager for St. Giles Manor, an apartment complex located in Pinellas Park and managed by SPM Property Management. St. Giles Manor was undergoing a refurbishment and, as part of her duties, Stillwell received and processed invoices from vendors and contractors for payment.
During the refurbishment, SPM and St. Giles Manor contracted with Erickson’s Drying Systems, a cleaning and restoration company based in Ft. Myers. In conjunction with this work, Erickson’s submitted invoices for payment to St. Giles Manor and Stillwell that were paid by checks from an SPM LLC bank account.
On January 22, 2015, Stillwell’s brother and co-defendant, David Chambers Opembe, registered a shell company called Erickson’s Drying Systems with the Harris County Clerk in Texas. On the same date, he opened a bank account at Regions Bank in the name of Erickson’s Drying Systems, listing himself as the sole signatory on the account and his home address in Texas. No one at the actual Erickson’s in Ft. Myers was aware of or approved the establishment of the Texas corporation or business bank account.
Between January 22, 2015, and October 23, 2015, Stillwell caused approximately 21 checks to be issued from the SPM disbursing account to the “fake” Erickson’s Drying Systems account. She facilitated the automated issuance of these checks by submitting fabricated invoices that she had altered using prior legitimate invoices from Erickson’s. Stillwell had all of these checks delivered to her office instead of having them mailed to Erickson’s in Ft. Myers. She then deposited the checks into the Erickson’s account her brother had established. After the funds were deposited, Opembe withdrew cash and transferred funds to his personal checking account. Stillwell and Opembe used the funds to make their car payments and to pay for other personal expenses. In total, Opembe and Stillwell deposited approximately $262,067 in fraudulently obtained checks into the “fake” Erickson’s bank account.
David Chambers Opembe previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and, on March 2, 2017, he was sentenced to 36 months’ incarceration.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Pinellas Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Statement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Declined Detainer Outcome ReportRead the Press Release
Attorney General Sessions released the following statement on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Declined Detainer Outcome Report:
“This important report demonstrates a clear and ongoing threat to public safety. It is not acceptable for jurisdictions to refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement by releasing criminal aliens back into our communities when our law required them to be deported. The Department of Justice will use all lawful authority to ensure that criminals who are illegally in this country are detained and removed swiftly and to hold accountable jurisdictions that willfully violate federal law.”
Santa Ana Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Rape ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Anthony Montoya, 33, an enrolled member of the Santa Ana Pueblo who resides in Bernalillo, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to sexual abuse charges. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Montoya will be sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. Montoya will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge William McClure of District IV of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, Chief William Kurth of the Santa Ana Pueblo Tribal Police Department, and Sandoval County Sheriff Douglas C. Wood.
Montoya was arrested on June 20, 2016, on an indictment charging him with sexually abusing two women in Aug. 2014, and sexually abusing a third woman on April 30, 2016. According to the indictment, the victims were physically incapable of declining to participate in the sexual acts. According to the indictment, Montoya committed the crimes on the Santa Ana Pueblo in Sandoval County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Montoya pled guilty to two counts of sexual abuse and admitted sexually abusing one woman on Aug. 16, 2014, and sexually abusing another woman on April 30, 2016. Montoya remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, the Santa Ana Pueblo Tribal Police Department and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Rapid City Man Charged with Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Matthew Dubray, age 35, was charged on February 22, 2017. Dubray appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on March 10, 2017, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Dubray, who was prohibited from possessing firearms, being in possession of two HiPoint 9mm pistols. The charges are merely accusations and Dubray is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Dubray was released pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Rapid City Man Charged for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Trevor Red Bird, age 28, was indicted on March 15, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 16, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Red Bird was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in May 2008. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. It is alleged that between September 15, 2016, and November 8, 2016, Red Bird, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender.
The charge is merely an accusation and Red Bird is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Red Bird was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Queens Man Sentenced for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Harpushpinder Singh, age 46, of Richmond Hill, New York, was sentenced Friday to time served (9 months in jail) as a result of his trial conviction for transporting aliens unlawfully present in 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.
Singh, an Indian citizen residing in Richmond Hill, Queens, was convicted after trial in October 2016 of transporting two Indian citizens who were in the country illegally, from Champlain, New York, until he encountered the Border Patrol immigration checkpoint on Interstate 87 in North Hudson, New York.
Singh had been incarcerated since his arrest on June 12, 2016. As part of his sentence issued by U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, Singh will also serve one year of post-imprisonment supervised release.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.
Pottstown Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding EmployerRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Christina Svanda, 46 of Pottstown pleaded guilty to charges stemming from her schemes to defraud her employer. Svanda was employed as the financial manager for a family owned furniture business with store locations in Pottstown and Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. She pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of filing a false individual income tax return. United States District Court Judge Jan E. DuBois scheduled a sentence hearing for June 20, 2017. Svanda faces a maximum possible statutory sentence of 43 years in prison, a fine up to $750,000, a $300 special assessment, three years of supervised release, and full restitution of as much as $1,050,029.
In August 2009, Svanda began writing checks from the furniture business’ bank account at Downingtown National Bank to cover her personal credit card bills. Between August 2009 and May 2015, Svanda stole approximately $858,669 from the furniture business’s bank account to pay her personal credit card bills.
Svanda also defrauded the furniture business by wrongfully increasing her pay by a total of $191,359 between 2009 and 2015. The furniture company used a third-party payroll service. Svanda called in the payroll to the third-party service on a weekly basis. Each week, there were changes to payroll, including bonuses paid to sales staff who met sales goals, as well as additional pay earned by the warehouse staff when they worked on the sales floor. Svanda was not entitled to bonus pay or personal pay for warehouse staff. However, records from the payroll service show that Svanda wrongfully instructed the payroll service to increase her pay by a total of $191,359 between 2009 and 2015.
Finally, Svanda filed income tax returns that failed to report the $858,669 that she stole from the furniture company’s bank account to pay her own credit card bills. Thus, her personal federal income tax return for the year of 2013 failed to include $258,882 that she embezzled that year, resulting in tax due and owing of $81,497.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen Grigsby.
Plattsburgh Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Michael Kimball, age 29, of Plattsburgh, New York, was sentenced today to 10 years and 1 month in prison for distributing, transporting, and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
As part of his guilty plea on October 20, 2016, Kimball admitted that he distributed child pornography to others over the Internet, downloaded child pornography, and saved it to electronic devices. Kimball worked at a daycare facility prior to his arrest on child pornography charges.
Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue also imposed a life term of supervised release to start after Kimball is released from prison. As a result of his conviction, Kimball will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Pinnacle Housing Group’s Affiliate Charged in $4 Million Government Theft Involving Low-Income Housing DevelopmentsRead the Press Release
Randy A. Hummel, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida; Nadine Gurley, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG); and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced the filing of charges against DAXC, LLC (“DAXC”), an affiliated entity of Pinnacle Housing Group, Inc. (“PHG”), a low-income housing developer operating in Miami, Florida.
DAXC is charged by Criminal Information with theft of government money, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. According to allegations contained in the Information, and statements made in Court, the DAXC theft scheme involved low-income housing developments built by PHG in Florida, specifically Vista Mar, an apartment complex in Miami; Pinnacle at Avery Glenn, an apartment complex in Sunrise; Orchid Grove, an apartment complex in Homestead; and Cypress Cove, an apartment complex in Winter Haven.
According to the Criminal Information, Florida Housing Finance Corporation (“FHFC”) issued federal tax credits and grant monies to developers for the construction of low-income housing in Florida. To obtain these federal funds, FHFC required developers to submit proposed development costs, including a construction contract signed by the developer and contractor.
2009 to 2011, PHG’s affiliated contractor solicited bids for concrete shell work for the housing developments. The affiliated contractor received a final bid for concrete shell work from Shell Subcontractor A. Instead of signing contracts with Shell Subcontractor A at its final bid price, the affiliated contractor signed contracts for concrete shell work with their affiliated subcontractor, DAXC, at prices inflated from $200,000 to $1.5 million higher than Shell Subcontractor A’s price. DAXC did not have the personnel or equipment to complete concrete shell work and in fact did not complete any shell work on these projects. Rather, DAXC subcontracted with Shell Subcontractor A to complete the concrete shell work at Shell Subcontractor A’s final bid price.
PHG then submitted the inflated construction contracts to FHFC’s representatives for the receipt of federal tax credits and grant monies for the housing developments. As a result of DAXC’s fraudulent inflation scheme, FHFC allocated approximately $4.2 million in excess federal funds. On or about November 8, 2011, among other wire transfers, the five principals of the affiliated contractor received payments totaling approximately $2.5 million from this contract inflation scheme from DAXC’s bank account.
The United States and DAXC entered into a deferred prosecution agreement filed today pursuant to which DAXC has paid $5.2 million in forfeiture and fines to the United States.
This is the third in a series of prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida involving theft of government funds relating to low-income housing developments. The Office previously charged the principals of Carlisle Development Group, Inc. for a $25 million contract inflation scheme as well as the principals of Biscayne Housing Group, Inc. for a $10 million contract inflation scheme.
A Criminal Information merely contains allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Hummel commended the investigative efforts of HUD-OIG and IRS-CI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Sherwin, Michael N. Berger, and Evelyn B. Sheehan. As a result of a recusal by Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg, Hummel is the Attorney for the Government.
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.
Pineville man sentenced to 60 months in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the sentencing of a Pineville man last week to 60 months in prison for possession of child pornography.
George Jeffus, 73, of Pineville, La., was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of child pornography. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the December 5, 2016 guilty plea, Pineville authorities received a report concerning Jeffus possessing and viewing possible child pornography on his personal computer. A search of Jeffus’ home revealed 136 images and five video files of child pornography on electronic storage devices.
Homeland Security Investigations, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and Pineville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Palmetto Woman Indicted on Tax Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Latronda Brooks with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with income tax fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud count, followed by an additional two-year, consecutive sentence for the aggravated identity theft charge. The indictment also notifies Brooks that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $327,521, representing the proceeds of the alleged fraud.
According to the indictment, Brooks opened an Urban Trust Bank account in her name, doing business as Magnificent Tax Services. Although she had a tax preparer number, Brooks did not use it in preparing any tax returns instead, she used a “permission” form purportedly signed by the taxpayer that allegedly gave her permission to deposit and cash numerous third-party tax refund checks in her bank account, less a “service charge” of up to 25 percent. Brooks spent the money from the third-party tax refunds on personal expenditures and did not provide any of the funds to the taxpayers.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Manatee County Sherriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
Orlando Man Sentenced to over 15 Years for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Eric C. Falkowski (35, Orlando) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Falkowski pleaded guilty on December 15, 2016.
According to court documents, Falkowski obtained fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, butyrl fentanyl, and other controlled substances from China in order to manufacture counterfeit prescription pills, including Xanax and Percocet. After receiving the fentanyl and other controlled substances, he would prepare and manufacture counterfeit pills using pill presses and dyes. Falkowski, and others acting at his direction, would then ship and transport parcels containing the counterfeit pills to Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, and other places.
In February 2016, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Falkowski’s residence. During that search, law enforcement officers recovered more than 300 grams of fentanyl, various other controlled substances, pill presses, and dyes. In addition, officers recovered seven firearms, including a 9mm Luger Beretta pistol, a 9mm Luger Heckler & Koch pistol, a .22 caliber Ruger pistol, a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol, a 5.56 caliber NATO Sig Sauer M400 rifle, a 9mm Ruger pistol, and a .380 caliber Walther pistol. Falkowski’s fingerprints were found on the .380 caliber Walther pistol. As a previously convicted felon, Falkowski is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl That Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Hugo Margenat-Castro (25, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and distribution of fentanyl that resulted in the death of another. He faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Margenat-Castro used a social media website called the “Experience Project” to distribute heroin and fentanyl in Orlando. He posted the equivalent of an advertisement on the website under the headings “I Love Heroin” and “Heroin in Orlando.” Margenat-Castro would then post his phone number in order for individuals to contact him if they wanted to purchase heroin, bragging about the potency of the heroin. From January 2015 through October 7, 2015, Margenat-Castro distributed over 100 grams of heroin.
After visiting the “Experience Project” website, W.G. contacted Margenat-Castro and arranged to purchase heroin from him. W.G. drove to Orlando from Georgia and purchased the heroin on August 18, 2015. He overdosed and died several hours later. A medical examiner determined that W.G. had died of fentanyl toxicity. A laboratory analysis of the remaining drugs W.G. had purchased from Margenat-Castro revealed that the suspected heroin was actually fentanyl.
Following his arrest, Margenat-Castro admitted that he had been selling heroin mixed with fentanyl, and that he often had warned customers that the “heroin” was so strong that that they should only use a half a bag at a time.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Osceola County Investigative Bureau. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis sentenced Paul Scovronski, age 28, of Wintersville, Ohio, today to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for armed bank robbery and for brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with two Maryland bank robberies. Judge Garbis also ordered Scovronski to pay restitution of $12,174.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Howard County State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino.
According to his guilty plea, on March 11, 2016, Scovronski robbed a bank in the 15000 block of Old Frederick Road in Woodbine, Maryland. Scovronski, wearing a mask over his face, sunglasses, a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and gloves, entered the bank waving a .22 caliber revolver, shouted “this is a robbery,” and ordered the customers and bank managers to get on the ground. Scovronski demanded the teller give him all the money in the drawer and in the vault. The teller gave Scovronski approximately $17,551 from the drawer. Scovronski placed the money in his sweatshirt and a red shopping bag, then ordered the employees to go to a back room and lay down on the ground. Scovronski then he fled.
Three witnesses, including an off duty Anne Arundel County police officer, saw Scovronski leave the bank still wearing his disguise. The officer and another person followed Scovronski through a field next to the bank. Scovronski saw that he was being followed and began to run, jumping a fence to get away. A large amount of stolen case dropped as Scovronski jumped the fence and began blowing in the wind all over the road. Approximately $8,460 was eventually recovered from the road. Scovronski headed toward a silver four door car parked on the side of the road, still being followed by the officer. The off duty officer drew his weapon and ordered Scovronski to stop. Scovronski pulled out a loaded revolver and pointed it in the air, as he opened the driver side door of the car with this other hand. Scovronski got into the car and drove away.
The off duty officer described the get-away vehicle to investigators and a Maryland State Police Trooper stopped the vehicle, which was traveling west bound on Route 70. The car was subsequently searched and law enforcement recovered: the sweatshirt, gloves, and mask Scovronski wore during the robbery, the loaded revolver, and $4,917 in cash, some of which still had the bank bands on it. Scovronski waived his rights and elected to speak with investigators. He admitted that he robbed the bank and identified himself in surveillance photos taken during the robbery.
As part of his guilty plea, Scovronski also admitted that on February 19, 2016, he robbed a bank in the 12000 block of Chestnut Branch Way in Clarksburg, Maryland. In that robbery, Scovronski demanded money from the teller and kept his right hand inside his jacket, implying that he had a weapon. Scovronski stole approximately $8,000.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, Maryland State Police and Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron S. J. Zelinsky, who prosecuted the case.