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27 April 2017
Four Men Charged with the Illegal Trafficking of Threatened Alligator Snapping TurtlesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that four men have been charged for their involvement in the illegal trafficking of alligator snapping turtles.
Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtles in the world and can grow to weigh more than 200 pounds with a lifespan of more than 100 years. The turtles are designated as threatened with statewide extinction under Texas state law which strictly prohibits anyone from taking, capturing, transporting, or selling these turtles, or attempting to do so.
In one indictment, Travis Leger and Rickey Simon, both of Sulphur, Louisiana, and Jason Leckelt of Wilburton, Oklahoma, are charged with conspiracy and Lacey Act violations for illegally taking about 66 alligator snapping turtles in Texas and then transporting them back to their property in Sulphur, Louisiana, for sale in the Spring and Summer of 2016. In July 2016, federal agents seized 30 large alligator snapping turtles from ponds located at the defendants’ property in Sulphur, Louisiana, pursuant to a federal search warrant. The indictment also charges Leger with making a false statement to federal agents and charges Rickey Simon with destroying evidence during the execution of the federal warrant. In a separate indictment, Montaro Williams of Elton, Louisiana, is charged with a Lacey Act violation for illegally taking two alligator snapping turtles in Texas and then attempting to transport them to Louisiana for sale on Aug. 12, 2013.
Leger was arrested today in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and made his initial appearance in federal court there. Simon, Leckelt, and Williams were arrested earlier this month.
An indictment is an allegation based upon a finding of probable cause by a federal grand jury, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy, Lacey Act, and false statement charges and up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the destruction of evidence charge.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Batte of the Eastern District of Texas and Senior Trial Attorney David P. Kehoe of the Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section, prosecuted the case. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Former Val Verde County Commissioner Enters Guilty Plea to Federal Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
In Del Rio this afternoon, 64-year-old former Val Verde County Precinct 1 Commissioner Ramiro V. Ramon pleaded guilty to charges that he underreported his total income on three separate federal Income Tax Returns. That announcement was made today by United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Cotter.
Appearing before United States District Judge Alia Moses, Ramon pleaded guilty to three counts of false statements on Income Tax Returns. According to court records, since 2005, the defendant managed a Val Verde County real estate project called “the Ranch.” Between 2005 and 2012, Ramon accepted approximately $47,000 in payments from a San Antonio developer; approximately $10,500 from a group of New Braunfels business owners; and $5,000 from a California businessman, to manage the property. Ramon, admittedly, failed to report the total income he received from managing ‘The Ranch” on his electronically filed federal income tax returns for 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Ramon faces up to three years in federal prison for each charge as well as a to-be-determined-amount of restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. , who served as Val Verde County Precinct 1 Commissioner from 2003 through January 2, 2017, remains on bond pending sentencing. No sentencing date has been set.
This indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Assistant United States Attorneys Jay Hulings, William R. Harris and Goran Krnaich are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
Former Service Member Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
A former member of the military pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to two counts related to sexual molestation of a young child on different military bases in Washington and Louisiana, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. KENNETH PAUL DESCOTEAUX, 41, was arrested in April 2016, after the minor victim disclosed to authorities that DESCOTEAUX had been sexually molesting the victim since 2011. Under the terms of the plea agreement, both sides will recommend a sentence of 23 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle scheduled sentencing for August 7, 2017.
According to records filed in the case, the victim disclosed the abuse while residing in Wyoming. The Cheyenne Police Department worked closely with the FBI and law enforcement at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) and the Fort Polk Military Installation to investigate the crimes that occurred when the victim and DESCOTEAUX resided on those military installations. DESCOTEAUX was indicted both in federal court in the Western District of Louisiana and in the Western District of Washington since both military bases are exclusive federal enclaves where criminal cases are prosecuted in federal court. The criminal conduct in Louisiana occurred between 2011 and 2014 when the victim was ages 7-10. The crimes on JBLM occurred between 2014 and 2015 when the victim was 11-years-old. In addition to the sexual abuse, the victim was also repeatedly struck in the head by DESCOTEAUX, at one point causing hearing loss. The minor victim’s mother was a deployed service member periodically serving overseas at the time of DESCOTEAUX’s crimes.
Despite the 23-year-sentence recommendation, Judge Settle can impose any sentence up to the maximum penalty of life in prison. DESCOTEAUX will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison and could face federal supervision for the rest of his life.
The case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department, the FBI, and JBLM- Criminal Investigation Division (CID). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Grady J. Leupold, who serves as the Military Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Former Postmaster Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Postmaster of the U.S. Postal Service Post Offices in Blackstone and Jefferson, Mass., pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to stealing approximately $31,000 from the U.S. Postal Service.
Carlitos Molina, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of misappropriating postal funds. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy H. Hillman scheduled sentencing for July 20, 2017.
While he served as Postmaster, Molina stole 65 Postal money orders and used them to obtain cash for personal use, to pay for personal services and to pay personal debts. Specifically, Molina used stolen money orders to pay his home mortgage, water, cable, and electricity bills, back taxes, a collections agency to which he owed money, and for car repairs. In total, Molina embezzled approximately $31,000. In addition, when confronted by Postal management, Molina lied and stated that he had used certain money orders to pay for repairs to the post office facility.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Eileen Neff, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely of Weinreb’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Former KC Postal Carrier Sentenced fro Conspiracy to Distribute PCP Through the MailRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Kansas City, Mo., postal carrier was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a conspiracy to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of PCP through the mail.
Carol Barfield, 65, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to three years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 14, 2016, Barfield pleaded guilty to her role in a conspiracy to distribute PCP from Nov. 2, 2015, to March 4, 2016. Co-defendant Michael Garrett, 57, of Victorville, Calif., formerly of the Kansas City area, was sentenced on Dec. 2, 2016, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Garrett also pleaded guilty to the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to using the mail to distribute PCP.
Garrett mailed bottles of PCP from California to separate addresses on Barfield’s Kansas City, Mo., postal route. Barfield, at Garrett’s instruction, would then deliver the packages to their intended recipients rather than to the false addresses provided on the labeling.
At the time of the offense, Garrett was on federal supervised release after being incarcerated for conspiracy to possess crack cocaine with the intent to distribute and attempted possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute in a 1991 conviction in the Western District of Missouri.
Garrett mailed a total of 15 parcels to separate addresses on Barfield’s carrier route from Nov. 2 to Dec. 16, 2015. Each of the parcels weighed in excess of 10 pounds. Barfield scanned all of the suspicious mailings as “delivered” on her route.
On March 1, 2016, surveillance video identified Garrett mailing four parcels at the Victorville post office. The four parcels, which listed a false name and address for the sender, were mailed to separate addresses on Barfield’s postal route, but were addressed to individuals who did not reside at those addresses. On March 4, 2016, federal agents set up surveillance on Barfield’s postal route. Barfield loaded the parcels into her postal vehicle. She scanned the first parcel as delivered, but she did not actually deliver the parcel.
Barfield became suspicious that she might be under surveillance, so she scanned another parcel as undeliverable. Barfield delivered one of the parcels as addressed and left it at the front steps of the residence. However, shortly after delivery, the actual homeowner arrived. Noticing he was not the listed recipient on the package, the homeowner picked up the package and, upon finding Barfield still in the neighborhood, returned it to her. For the last parcel, Barfield scanned the package as “no secure location” and left a delivery notice receipt at the listed address. Barfield subsequently rescanned the first parcel as “undeliverable as addressed,” returning all four packages to the post office.
Agents opened the suspicious parcels, which each contained two 64-ounce plastic Welch’s Grape Juice bottles of PCP. The total weight of the liquid from the eight bottles was approximately 13.45 kilograms.
Barfield told investigators that Garrett had mailed packages to her route five or six different times, and that it was usually three packages each time. Barfield stated that on some occasions Garrett would fly into Kansas City after mailing the packages and she would hand them directly to him. Other times, she would give them to an acquaintance of Garrett. If she did not give the packages to Garrett or his acquaintance, she would leave them at the address on the package, knowing Garrett or one of his people would come by and pick it up.
Barfield told investigators that, in exchange, Garrett bought her clothes, fixed her car, and provided her with spending money. She stated Garrett basically took care of her and gave her money to help out. Barfield said that the most money Garrett gave her at one time was $500, but she did not know how much total cash she had received from him.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Davids. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
Former Gainesville Pharmacy Technician Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Matthew Bryan Caniff (33, Gainesville) to 15 years in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity, online solicitation of child pornography, and attempted production of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve a five-year term of supervision release and to register as sex offender after his release from prison. In January 2017, Caniff was convicted by a federal jury. Prior to his arrest, he worked as a pharmacy technician at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
According to testimony at trial, beginning on March 31, 2016, Caniff engaged in a series of online text conversations over the Internet with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old child. Unbeknownst to Caniff, this "child" was actually an undercover FBI agent. During the course of these online conversations, Caniff discussed in detail his desire to have sex with the “child” and sent the “child” several explicit photos of himself. He also made several requests for the “child” to send him images engaging in sexual conduct.
In the early morning hours of April 1, 2016, Caniff drove his vehicle from his residence in Gainesville to a home in St. Johns County to meet the “child” for sex. He was arrested at the meeting location by deputies from St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. A search of his person revealed that Caniff had brought a plastic bag containing several prescription pills that he had taken from UF Health Shands Hospital and had intended to share with the “child” during their planned sexual encounter.
“The FBI devotes extensive resources to fighting the horrific crime of child sexual exploitation," said Charles P. Spencer, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville division, "and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove predators from our communities, and bring justice upon those who seek to take advantage of vulnerable young people."
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case 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, 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.
Former Edmond Property Manager to Serve 18 Months in Prison for Defrauding Clients and Failing to Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – On April 26, 2017, ANGELA RENEE RENEAU, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced by United States District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange to serve 18 months in federal prison for committing wire fraud and for failing to file an income tax return, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. Reneau was ordered to pay restitution totaling $386,236.27 to five of her former clients. Reneau was also ordered to pay $137,352 in restitution to the IRS. She will serve three years of supervised release at the end of her prison term.
Reneau was charged by Information and pled guilty on November 22, 2016. She admitted that between 2010 and 2014, she provided real estate management services to owners of commercial office buildings in the Edmond, Oklahoma, area through her business, Reneau Properties, LLC. She further admitted that during this time she made unauthorized transfers of her clients’ rental income into her Reneau Properties bank account and used those funds for her personal expenses. Specifically, she admitted that she caused Citizens Bank of Edmond, Oklahoma, to use interstate wire communications with the bank’s processor, which is located out-of-state, to transfer $11,000 from the bank account of her client, 750 West Covell, LLC, into her Reneau Properties bank account. Reneau admitted that her client did not authorize this transfer and that she used the funds for her personal expenses. In addition, Reneau admitted that she knowingly and willfully failed to file a federal income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service for the 2014 tax year.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Maxfield Green.
First Annual Community Partners AwardsRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Joe Brewer (864) 282-2121
Columbia, South Carolina------ The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of South Carolina works with numerous state, federal, not-for-profit, and private entities on crime prevention and reentry. These groups and agencies are using their expertise and energy to eradicate crime before it happens.
To coincide with National Reentry Week, the USAO announces its First Annual Community Partner Awards for excellence in crime prevention and reentry work. “Reentry” is the coordinated process by which previously incarcerated citizens return to their communities and families in a way that is healthy, sustainable, and least likely to result in further engagement with the justice system. The following individuals have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to programs designed to meet the 21st Century demands of post-incarceration law-abiding citizenship. Contribution include, but are not limited to, reentry job fairs and expos, civil rights forums, job placement, education, reentry and drug court, and personal identification:
Diana Goldwire - SC Works
Corrine Davis - SC Works
Johnny-Lynn Crosby - SC Works
Steve Hand - Greenville Tech
Caroline Caldwell-Richmond - New Mind Health and Care, Inc.
Bobby Hager - Bureau of Prisons - FCI Williamsburg
Edith Grice-Peay - Bureau of Prisons - FCI Edgefield
Richard Boone - SC Department of Motor Vehicles
Peggy Fouty - SC Department of Motor Vehicles
Jodi Gallman - SC Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon
Jim Batson - SC Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon
Ginny Barr - SC Department of Corrections
Rosie Banks - Greater Employment Advocacy Association
Greg Russ - U.S. Probation Office
Katrina Robinson Curtis - U.S. Probation Office
Amy Barch - Turning Leaf
Jerry Blassingame - Soteria
Beth Templeton - Our Eyes Were OpenedThese individuals demonstrated exceptional contributions above and beyond the call of duty and are emblematic of the many dedicated public and private servants in this state with whom this office has the honor to work towards safer communities. Crime prevention and reentry are interdisciplinary problems and can only be resolved through the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders, including members of the community.
U.S. Attorney Drake noted, “Crime prevention is smart policing. When engineers and architects are designing and building auditoriums, they consider how to eliminate foreseeable problems on the front end and design structures around those challenges. 21st Century law enforcement can and is doing the same thing. Data confirms that when one of our citizens is released from a term in jail, whether that sentence derives from a DUI, drugs or a violent crime, the initial challenges of rejoining our communities pose real challenges that can undermine a law abiding life. Addressing the seemingly ordinary challenges like obtaining a license, which is a pathway to a job, can be insurmountable without support from a Probation Officer and the Department of Motor Vehicles. These awards recognize innovative, collaborative work by both government agencies and non-government agencies to address the obstacles that can impede the path to a law-abiding life. Those who received the awards have worked on issues including drivers’ licenses, jobs, drug treatment, education, medical treatment/counseling, housing and more. Many thanks to our award winners and to our partners who have joined together to forge a more perfect union.”
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Fifa Audit and Compliance Committee Member Pleads Guilty to Corruption ChargesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Richard K. Lai, a United States citizen, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with two counts of wire fraud conspiracy in connection with his participation in multiple schemes to accept and pay bribes to soccer officials. Lai also pleaded guilty to one count of failing to disclose foreign bank accounts and agreed to pay more than $1.1 million in forfeiture and penalties. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen at federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.
The guilty plea was announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Special Agent-in-Charge R. Damon Rowe, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office (IRS).
“Today’s plea marks another important step in our ongoing effort to root out corruption in international soccer,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “The defendant abused the trust placed in him as a soccer official in order to line his own pockets, and now he will be held to account. The defendant’s breach of trust was particularly significant given his position as a member of the FIFA Audit and Compliance committee, which must play an important and independent role if corruption within FIFA is to be eliminated.”
“Years of this systemic culture of corruption and greed have tainted one of the world’s most popular sports,” stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Kickbacks and bribes became the norm for doing business with FIFA, but not anymore. The plea deal today and all the other cases tied to this investigation prove our work isn’t done, and we will continue to pursue anyone who had their hands in illegal activity.”
“Today’s guilty plea by Guam Football Association president Richard K. Lai, reaffirms the dedication of IRS Criminal Investigation to use our financial investigative expertise to uncover corrupt schemes and illicit payments involving FIFA officials,” stated Special Agent-in-Charge Rowe. “Co-conspirators may try to hide and launder the proceeds of their corrupt self-enrichment, but as mentioned in the legal documents filed today, IRS-CI Special Agents will trace and uncover those funds both through the U.S. financial system and beyond, to offshore jurisdictions in locations such as Asia, the Middle East, and around the globe.”
As alleged in the criminal information to which he pleaded guilty, Lai, a resident of the U.S. territory of Guam, has served as the president of the Guam Football Association (GFA) since 2001. In that capacity, Lai had a vote in FIFA presidential elections. Lai has also served at various times as a member and chair of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Finance Committee and a member of the AFC Executive Committee, and is currently a member of the AFC Marketing Committee and the FIFA Audit and Compliance Committee.
As also set forth in the information, Lai pleaded guilty to a scheme in which he received $100,000 in bribes in 2011 from an official of the AFC who was then running for the FIFA presidency, in exchange for Lai’s vote and support in the then-upcoming FIFA presidential election.
As further described in the information, Lai also pleaded guilty to a scheme in which he received over $850,000 in bribes between 2009 and 2014 from a faction of soccer officials in the AFC region. Lai received those bribes in exchange for using his influence as a soccer official to advance the interests of the faction that bribed him, including by helping officials in that faction identify other officials in the AFC to whom they should offer bribes. The goal of this scheme was for the faction to gain control of the AFC and influence FIFA.
The guilty plea announced today is part of an investigation into corruption in international soccer being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the FBI New York Field Office, and the IRS-CI Los Angeles Field Office. The prosecutors in Brooklyn are receiving considerable assistance from attorneys in various parts of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in Washington, D.C., including the Office of International Affairs, the Organized Crime and Gang Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and the Fraud Section, as well as from INTERPOL Washington.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Tuchmann, Nadia Shihata, and Brian D. Morris of the Eastern District of New York are in charge of today’s prosecution.
The government’s investigation is ongoing.
The Defendant:
RICHARD K. LAI
Age: 55
Nationality: American
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17 CR 224 (PKC)
Federal Agents Arrests Man and Woman on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Andy Moorman (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina-------United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that Theodore Vitaliy Khleborod, age 28, and Ana Milena Barrero, age 24, have been arrested on federal charges of possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of U47700, a Schedule I controlled substance, conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute U47700, and using the U.S. Mail to facilitate a drug trafficking crime.
Khleborod and Barrero are scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Greenville this morning at 11:30 am. A detention hearing and a preliminary hearing have been scheduled for 10:00 am on Monday, May 1, 2017, at the federal courthouse in Greenville.
The case is being investigated by Special Agents with ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville Police Department, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.Assistant United States Attorneys Andy Moorman and Leesa Washington of the Greenville office are prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Elyria man sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling fentanyl that resulted in fatal overdoseRead the Press Release
An Elyria man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for selling fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose of a Lorain County man, law enforcement officials said.
David Andrew Hollis, 27, sold fentanyl on Feb. 21, 2016, to a man who fatally overdosed in Lorain County, according to court documents.
“We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who profit from the sale of drugs that have caused so much death and pain in our community,” Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja said. “It will take vigorous law enforcement, combined with prevention efforts and making treatment available to those who want help, to turn the tide on the opioid epidemic.”
"We are committed to aggressively pursue heroin and fentanyl traffickers and organizations that are creating the drug epidemic that our communities face every day," Lorain County Sheriff Phil R. Stammitti said.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Darden and Robert Corts following an investigation by the Lorain County Drug Task Force.
El Salvadoran National Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry Following Deportation for Aggravated FelonyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Juan Ramon Montoya-Martinez, 35, of El Salvador, who was convicted of unlawful reentry following deportation for an aggravated felony, was sentenced to seven months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The Court also ordered that the defendant be turned over to the Department of Homeland Security upon his release to be deported back to El Salvador.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in September 2016, the United States Border Patrol encountered the defendant, a native and citizen of El Salvador illegally present in the United States, in Spencerport, NY. Records checks showed that the defendant was previously deported from the United States in 2003, following his conviction for Aggravated Sexual Abuse related to his rape of a 13 year-old child in Maryland.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Steven Oldman.
Eight Extradited from Jamaica to North Dakota to Face Lottery Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Eight Jamaicans charged in a transnational organized crime advance fee “lottery scam” fraud are now in federal custody in the United States, after the Jamaican government ordered them extradited last month. The eight were arrested in Jamaica over one year ago, shortly after the United States applied to the Jamaican government to arrest and extradite 14 defendants charged federally in a wire/mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy investigation dubbed “Operation Hard Copy.” The charges allege the scam bilked at least 90 mostly elderly U.S. residents out of over $5.7 million dollars, announced U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers of the District of North Dakota.
The eight defendants extradited are Dahlia Elaine Hunter, Kimberly Carlo-Jean Hudson, Kazrae Gray, Dario Palmer aka “Innocent Palmer,” Jason Joseph Jahalal, O’Neil Brown, Alrick McLeod aka “Birdman” aka “Z-Bird,” and Xanu Ann Morgan.
“After years of hard work we are pleased and grateful the Jamaican government joins us in recognizing the terrible toll of the Jamaican lottery fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “Untold numbers of Americans fall prey to scammers, losing millions upon millions of dollars, law-abiding Jamaicans suffer from the effects of increased lawlessness and violent crime associated with the fraud, and that negatively impacts citizens of both countries.”
“Cooperation between the United States and Jamaica was key in this extradition and remains integral to combating crime that crosses our borders,” said Acting U.S. Marshal Dan Orr of the District of North Dakota. “It sends a strong message that no matter the distance and location, the United States Marshals will work tirelessly to find offenders and bring them to justice.”
Another defendant, Lavrick Willocks, was arrested in Jamaica on Nov. 5, 2016, waived extradition and is in federal custody in North Dakota awaiting trial. Defendant Tristan Fisher was arrested on Dec. 2, 2016, in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, and is currently in custody. A third defendant, Melinda Claudina Bulgin, was arrested June 16, 2015, in Providence, Rhode Island, and is awaiting trial. Four individuals charged in the case remain fugitives: Mario Hines aka “Buju Ramos,” Gregory Gooden, Akil Gray and Gareth Billings.
Operation Hard Copy began in 2012 and is based in the District of North Dakota. The FBI’s Bismarck Resident Agency and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Florida lead the investigation, with substantial assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, many federal and state law enforcement agencies, and Jamaican authorities. The ongoing investigation has resulted in multiple federal indictments throughout the United States. One of Willocks’ former co-defendants, Sanjay Ashani Williams, was convicted after trial in North Dakota in 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for selling victim lead lists used in international cyber-fraud. More than 10 other defendants have entered guilty pleas in related cases in North Dakota.
“The apprehension and extradition of these suspects is possible because of the continuing efforts of the United States Marshals Service, the FBI, the Jamaican Fugitive Apprehension Team and all of our U.S. and Jamaican law enforcement colleagues,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “We look forward to continuing to fight this fraud targeting some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
“These extraditions highlight the parallel efforts of U.S. and Jamaican law enforcement to prosecute those who prey on our nation’s senior citizens,” said Inspector in Charge Antonio J. Gomez of the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service’s Miami Division. “The mission of the Postal Inspection Service is to protect consumers by ensuring the nation’s mail system is not used as a tool for fraud by international scammers.”
“Fraud schemes like this one have become all too common in the United States and take an exacting toll on their unwitting victims. Today’s success is the next step in stopping these crimes and bringing justice to criminals anywhere in the world,” Special Agent in Charge Richard T. Thornton of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division. “This effort was made possible by the hard work of our Bismarck Resident agents, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We are also grateful for the cooperation of the U.S. Marshals Service in bringing these defendants to the United States so that they may stand trial. The FBI and our partners look forward to presenting our case to the Court and are hopeful that justice will be served.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Hochhalter, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Chase, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Patrick Thomas, and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Lorinda Laryea are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an accusation and individuals charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Dubuque Gang Member Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana Near a School and PlaygroundRead the Press Release
A Dubuque gang member was sentenced on Wednesday to more than two years in federal prison.
Frank Dontrell Washington, Jr., age 22, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 7, 2016, jury verdict finding him guilty of possession with intent to distribute marijuana within 1,000 feet of a public elementary school and playground.
Evidence at trial showed that police searched Washington’s home in June 2016. During the search, the police found a distribution quantity of marijuana under Washington’s bed. During a recorded interview, Washington admitted he intended to sell the marijuana found in his residence. Evidence at the sentencing included hundreds of pages of Washington’s social media accounts depicting Washington and others with guns and drugs, and pictures of Washington making hand signals of the Mulla Mafia Gang, or MMG, a street gang in Dubuque.
Washington was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Washington was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Washington is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-CR-01029-LRR.
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Dennis Alexio Sentenced for Tax Fraud, Money Laundering, and Commercial FraudRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Chief U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright today sentenced Dennis R. Alexio, 58, of Aiea, to a term of imprisonment of 15 years.
The sentencing follows Alexio’s convictions last year in two trials. First, on January 22, 2016, a federal jury found Alexio guilty on all 28 counts of defrauding the Internal Revenue Service of more than $700,000 in illegally obtained tax refunds. Second, on September 16, 2016, another federal jury found Alexio guilty on all 18 counts of an indictment charging him with using false and fictitious financial instruments to obtain property from multiple unsuspecting victims.
Elliot Enoki, Acting United States Attorney, said that, according to evidence produced during the first trial, Alexio stole more than $700,000 from the Internal Revenue Service by preparing and filing tax returns for others which falsely claimed tax refunds in those amounts. Alexio then used cashier’s checks to try and launder the money and hide it from the government. Nevertheless, through the use of search warrants and tax levies, the government was able to recover most of the money.
According to evidence produced during the second trial, Alexio obtained $185,000 of silver coins and gold bars by fraud and theft from APMEX, an internet metals company based in Oklahoma City. Information presented in court also included Alexio’s theft of approximately $16,000 in currency from Dartmouth Capital, an internet currency exchange company based in Boston.
The Internal Revenue Service led the investigation which resulted in both sets of convictions. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marshall Silverberg and Margaret Nammar.
Dallas Woman Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Violent Kidnapping AttemptRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A Dallas, Texas, woman, Melissa Trevino, 23, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 210 months in federal prison for her involvement in an attempted kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
In November 2016, Trevino pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Trevino has been in custody since the time of her arrest in September 2016. Trevino was in the U.S. illegally at the time the offense was committed and will be deported after serving her sentence.
Earlier this month, co-defendant Javier Martinez was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison and Indolfo Martinez, who is Javier Martinez’s father, was sentenced to 64 months in federal prison. In March 2017, co-defendant Jose Cardenas Aguirre was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison and Maria Guadalupe Bello was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
One remaining defendant charged in the case, Jonathan Benitez, remains a fugitive.
According to documents filed in the case, on July 12, 2016, Trevino, along with Aguirre and Martinez, planned to kidnap another individual because of an unpaid drug debt involving cocaine. During the planned kidnapping, Martinez and Aguirre wore ballistic vests and black camouflage clothing. The kidnapping was unsuccessful, and as Martinez, Aguirre, and Trevino fled the scene, they were engaged in a high-speed chase with officers with the Ennis Police Department. During this pursuit, Martinez, using an AR-156 style rifle, fired numerous shots at a police officer.
According to the investigation, Trevino wiped fingerprints off the bullets before they were used and handed Martinez a magazine so that he could reload his weapon while firing at law enforcement.
The case was investigated by the Ennis Police Department and the FBI’s Violent Gang Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl prosecuted.
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DEA and Partners Across Michigan Continue Drug Abuse Prevention Efforts wtih Prescription Drug Take Back Day on SaturdayRead the Press Release
Over 200 Take Back locations across Michigan
Disposing of unused medications prevents drug thefts, abuse, and overdoses
Detroit, MI - Addictive prescription drugs that are thrown away or left untended on shelves and in drawers at home are often stolen and either abused or sold by family members and visitors. That’s why the DEA and thousands of its state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners are holding another Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, April 29, from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. local time, at over 5,000 sites around the country. The service is free of charge, no questions asked.
America is experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose, and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers. 6.4 million Americans age 12 and over—2.4 percent of the population—abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last fall, more than abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine combined. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms. The majority of prescription drug abusers report that they obtain their drugs from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Last October, Americans turned in 366 tons (over 730,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 12 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 7.1 million pounds—more than 3,500 tons—of pills.
The public can find a nearby collection site at DEA.GOV and click on the “Take Back Day” box on the home page. You can also fine nearby collections sites by calling 800-882-9529. Only pills and other solids, like patches, can be brought to the collection sites—liquids, needles, or other sharps will not be accepted. This event will go on even if the Federal Government shuts down this weekend.
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DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is SaturdayRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – Saturday is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 13th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey.
“Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs,” Posey said. “The easiest and most effective thing you can do to protect your loved ones from prescription drug abuse and possible addiction, and even potential progression to heroin use, is to clean out your medicine cabinets and drop those drugs off for proper disposal. The vast majority of new heroin users started with painkillers.”
On the most recent Take-Back Day, Oct. 22, 2016, the public turned in 731,269 pounds — almost 366 tons — of medication to DEA and its more than 4,000 community partners at more than 5,000 collection sites nationwide. Over the life of the program, people across the country have removed 7.1 million pounds (more than 3,500 tons) of prescription drugs from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers and nightstands.
Unused medicines in the home are dangerous because the majority of the 6.4 million Americans who abused prescription drugs in 2015, including the almost 4 million who abused prescription painkillers, say they obtained those drugs from friends and family, including from a home medicine cabinet, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers. Almost 30,000 people — 78 a day — died from overdosing on these painkillers or heroin in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Drug Take-Back initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. At the same time, Americans now are advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards. The Take-Back Day provides an easy, anonymous, secure and environmentally safe way to dispose of unused prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
Collection sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide. To locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Office of Diversion Control web site at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback where you can search by zip code, city, or state. The service is free and anonymous.
If this weekend is not convenient, there also are permanent, secure prescription drop-off sites in the metro Birmingham area. Locations include 24-hour Walgreens Pharmacies in Hoover, Roebuck and Bessemer, and some police and fire departments. To find a location near you, follow this link: http://www.rxdropbox.com/.
DEA Prepares for Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney SHAWN N. ANDERSON, for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), wants to encourage the public to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 29, 2017.
On October 22, 2016, the public turned in 731,269 pounds—almost 366 tons—of medication to DEA and more than 4,000 of its community partners at almost 5,200 collection sites nationwide. Over the life of the program, 7.1 million pounds (more than 3,500 tons) of prescription drugs have been removed from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and nightstands by citizens around the country.
Unused medicines in the home are a problem because the majority of the 6.4 million Americans who abused CPDs in 2015, including the almost 4 million who abused prescription painkillers, say they obtained those drugs from friends and family, including from a home medicine cabinet, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Almost 30,000 people—78 a day—died from overdosing on these painkillers or heroin in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Collection sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide. The following sites in Guam and in the NMI are designated to receive unused prescription drugs:
- Naval Base Guam (Navy Exchange Food Court)
- Agana Shopping Center (Across Vitamin World)
- Andersen Air Force Base Exchange (Front Entrance)
- Saipan Commonwealth Health Center (in front of the pharmacy)
For more information on prescription drug abuse, go to: www.dea.gov, www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com, or www.justthinktwice.com.DEA Prepares for Prescription Drug Takeback DayRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania wants to encourage the public to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 29, 2017.
A news conference announcing this event was held on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at the State Capitol Media Center.
Speakers at the news conference included:
- SAC Gary Tuggle, Drug Enforcement Administration;
- Acting Secretary Jennifer Smith, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs;
- U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Middle District of Pennsylvania;
- Executive Deputy Attorney General Robert K. Reed, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; and
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Captain Raymond S. Singley, Pennsylvania State Police.
United States Attorney Brandler stated, "The Department of Justice has a three part strategy dealing with the opioid crisis consisting of prevention, enforcement and treatment. The drug take back initiative is an important part of our efforts to prevent opioid addiction and we applaud our federal and state partners in joining us in this effort."
On October 22, 2016, the public turned in 731,269 pounds—almost 366 tons—of medication to DEA and more than 4,000 of its community partners at almost 5,200 collection sites nationwide. Over the life of the program, 7.1 million pounds (more than 3,500 tons) of prescription drugs have been removed from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and nightstands by citizens around the country.
Unused medicines in the home are a problem because the majority of the 6.4 million Americans who abused CPDs in 2015, including the almost 4 million who abused prescription painkillers, say they obtained those drugs from friends and family, including from a home medicine cabinet, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers. Almost 30,000 people—78 a day—died from overdosing on these painkillers or heroin in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Collection sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide. To locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Office of Diversion Control web site at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback where you can search by zip code, city, or state. The service is free and anonymous.
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DEA and Local Agencies Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs on April 29 at Numerous SitesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On Saturday, April 29, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Des Moines Resident Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other participating law enforcement agencies will give the public its 13th opportunity in 7 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last October, Americans turned in 366 tons (over 730,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,200 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 12 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 7.1 million pounds—more than 3,500 tons—of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.
Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the April 29 Take Back Day event and the disposal of prescription drugs, including the addresses for the numerous drop-off locations, go to the DEA Diversion website.
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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at [email protected]
Cranston Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Trafficking Cocaine, Fentanyl Laced HeroinRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Michael Bermudez, a/k/a Michael J. Morales, 35, of Cranston, was sentenced on Wednesday to 60 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine and fentanyl laced heroin, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist, and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA in New England.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Bermudez to serve 4 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. Bermudez pleaded guilty on January 27, 2017, to one count each of possessing with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and possessing with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of cocaine.
Bermudez was detained by Cranston Police detectives on October 6, 2016, after a court authorized search of his residence resulted in the seizure of 139 grams of fentanyl laced heroin and 153 grams of cocaine.
According to information provided to the court, on October 6, 2016, Cranston Police Department detectives, with the assistance of agents from the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, executed a court authorized search at Bermudez’s residence. The search resulted in the seizure of approximately 6,600 packets containing a total of 139 grams of fentanyl laced heroin and several plastic bags containing a total of 153 grams of cocaine. The search warrant was authorized by the court during an investigation into Bermudez’s drug trafficking activities, which included multiple controlled purchases of heroin from Bermudez.
According to information presented to the court, after being detained by Cranston Police, Bermudez described to investigators receiving approximately $12,000 worth of heroin from a supplier on multiple occasions and distributing the heroin within a two-day period.
According to court records, Bermudez was on Rhode Island state probation at the time of his arrest in this matter, having been convicted in Rhode Island Superior Court in September 2015 on drug trafficking charges.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
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Couple Charged with Making False Statements to a Federally Licensed Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRANDON SMITH, age 29, and CHELSIE WILLIAMS, age 23, both of New Orleans, were charged today in a six-count Indictment. The Indictment charges SMITH and WILLIAMS with making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6), and being felons in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
According to the Indictment, SMITH and WILLIAMS made false statements concerning a rifle. If convicted, both SMITH and WILLIAMS face a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment for each count.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for investigating this matter. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Ryan McLaren is in charge of the prosecution.
Corpus Christi Man Pleads Guilty to Online Solicitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old resident of Corpus Christi has admitted he attempted to meet an underage girl for the purpose of sex, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
David Lee Vann appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason B. Libby and entered a guilty plea to one count of online solicitation of a minor.
In June 2016, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Corpus Christi Police Department—Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (CCPD-ICAC) conducted a joint investigation targeting individuals involved in online solicitation of minors. Vann was communicating with a person he believed was the mother of a 14-year-old female. In reality, he was talking to an undercover agent. Vann made arrangements to meet and engage in sexual activity with the mother’s minor female child.
Vann was apprehended as he arrived at the designated meeting place, at which time he was in possession of a box of condoms and lubricant. He also admitted to authorities that he had sent messages indicating his intention to engage in sexual acts with the child. Vann was also in possession of a cellular telephone. A forensic examination of the phone resulted in the discovery of 35 images and 20 videos of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing on Aug. 17, 2017. At that time, Vann faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, he also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect children and prohibit the use of the Internet.
Vann was arrested on the federal charges in November 2016. He will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez and Elsa Salinas, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Serve 134 Months for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announces that Senior United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade sentenced Roy Darwood Ray, to serve a term of imprisonment of 110 months followed by 3 years of supervised release. Ray pled guilty to illegally possessing ammunition in Mobile, Alabama on June 20, 2016 in violation of 18 USC § 922(g)(1). Additionally, the Court ordered the defendant to serve a consecutive term of imprisonment of 24 months for violating the conditions of his supervised release. During the sentencing hearing, the Court made a finding that the defendant’s possession of ammunition was related to two armed robberies. The defendant, who had a lengthy criminal history, entered a guilty plea before the Court on January 19, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive (ATF), and the Mobile Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence J. Bullard.
Conroe Man Ordered to Prison for Bank Fraud and Stealing from EmployerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old man from Conroe has been ordered to prison for bank fraud and stealing more than $484,000 from Weatherford, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Kiran Andhavarapu pleaded guilty Feb. 9, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison, who accepted the guilty plea, sentenced Andhavarapu to 20 months in federal prison immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In issuing the sentence, Judge Ellison found Andhavarapu abused a position of trust as a financial controller which facilitated his commission of the offense.
The fraud involved a scheme to steal money from Andhavarapu’s employer, Weatherford, and its subsidiary, EProduction Solutions LLC. Andhavarapu opened bank accounts in the name of “EProduction Solutions” and listed himself as the owner and sole proprietor of the business. He then stole refund checks made out to and belonging to his employer and fraudulently deposited those checks in the accounts he had created.
As part of his plea, Andhavarapu admitted he stole a total of $484,873.95.
Andhavarapu will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined at a later date.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin is prosecuting the case.
Columbia Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $231,600 from EmployerRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling $231,600 from her employer, Shelter Insurance Federal Credit Union.
Debra L. Wenger, 62, of Columbia, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to a federal information that charges her with misappropriation of funds by a credit union employee.
Wenger began working for Shelter Insurance Companies in 1972 and transferred to Shelter Insurance Federal Credit Union in 1988. She worked as an administrative assistant, assuming all accounting responsibilities, and served as a teller.
An external auditor discovered the misappropriation of funds in February 2016. Auditors noted a discrepancy when comparing the general ledger teller cash to the cash balancing sheet. Shortly after the discrepancy was discovered, Wenger met with the Columbia Police Department and confessed that she had misappropriated the funds in question. Wenger admitted that she took cash from her teller drawer and deposited it into her personal bank account.
An internal audit by the company determined the total amount of misappropriated funds to be $231,600.
Under federal statutes, Wenger is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Columbia Resident Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Bill Day (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Brian Zomelle Walker, a/k/a “Boss G,” age 27, of Columbia, South Carolina was sentenced in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie of Columbia sentenced Walker to five years imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Walker was selling marijuana from his residence in Columbia, S.C.. A search warrant was executed at Walker's residence on May 2, 2016 resulting in marijuana and a loaded 9 mm handgun being seized.
The case was investigated by agents of the Midlands Gang Task Force (MGTF) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day II of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases.
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Columbia Man Sentenced for Making Hoax Bomb ThreatRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Stacey D. Haynes (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Karry Max Taylor, III, age 21, of Columbia was sentenced in federal court for making a hoax bomb threat, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1038(a). Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, of Columbia, sentenced Taylor to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release to follow. Additionally, Taylor was ordered to make restitution to the Columbia Fire Department and the Columbia Police Department in the total amount of $1,487.77 to cover the cost of their response to the hoax bomb threat and pay a $100 special assessment fee to the court.
Evidence presented during the earlier guilty plea hearing established that on January 4, 2016, three individuals, two in South Carolina and one in New York, each received a text message from an unknown South Carolina telephone number advising them that someone had placed a bomb in the parking lot of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Garners Ferry Road. One of the texts stated, “Hey Montana, this is Sosa. Omar said he put a bomb in the parking lot or something…in the VA hospital on Garners Ferry Road. I am scared and I don’t know what to do.” The three individuals each notified law enforcement authorities, who were able to discern that the texts were referring to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Columbia. As a result, the Columbia Police Department, the Columbia Fire Department, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Police Department responded, placed the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in lock-down, and swept the parking area for explosives. Law enforcement were on the scene for three hours and ultimately determined that the texts were a hoax as no explosive was located. Thereafter, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, through investigative means, was able to link the texts back to a cellular telephone and email account belonging to Taylor. Agents approached Taylor, a volunteer with the Columbia Fire Department, and he admitted to sending the texts to random numbers in an effort to draw other fire engines to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in hopes that his fire station would then be called to respond to any other calls that occurred during that time frame.
The case was investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbia. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Chambersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for $2 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Chambersburg, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to one year plus one day in prison, three years’ supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,538,345 to numerous victims, on his conviction of wire fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Douglas A. Stahl, age 54, of Chambersburg, Pa.
According to information the United States presented to the Court, it was established that between January 2008 and December 2013, Stahl devised and executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $2 million dollars from various investors.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Song commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Stahl.
Canadian Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Canadian man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a drug trafficking and money laundering organization that imported Canadian marijuana and MDMA, the club drug also known as “ecstasy” or “mollie,” into the United States.
Gursharan Singh, 33, of Toronto, Canada, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 70 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $240,000. In May 2014, Singh was arrested in Canada and, in July 2016, he was temporarily surrendered from Canada to the United States to plead guilty to the charges in the indictment and unrelated drug charges in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. In August 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute MDMA and marijuana and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
Beginning in the summer of 2011 to approximately March 2012, Singh agreed with co-conspirators to move MDMA and marijuana over the Canadian-U.S. border. Singh and a Canadian co-conspirator, David Nguyen, recruited couriers to drive MDMA and marijuana to Joshua Rabinovitch, a Salem, Mass., man, who sold the drugs and returned the proceeds to Canada. In March 2012, Singh and Nguyen recruited Shivinder Kanwal to drive 15 kilograms of MDMA to Rabinovitch in Boston. In April 2012, Singh and Nguyen separately recruited co-defendant, Adeel Bhutta, to pick up $240,000 in drug proceeds from Rabinovitch.
In July 2014, Bhutta was sentenced to 28 months in prison for his role in the money laundering conspiracy. In February 2015, Rabinovitch was sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role in the drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. In December 2016, Nguyen was sentenced to 120 months in prison for his role in the drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Kanwal was sentenced to 24 months of probation for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney acknowledges the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance in securing Singh’s temporary surrender to the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Timothy E. Moran of Weinreb’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Boone County woman sentenced to over four years in federal prison for heroin crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Boone County woman who was part of a heroin trafficking ring was sentenced today to four years and three months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Joyce Ann Zornes, 33, of Seth, previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.
In 2013, Daymeon Damar Johnson, 31, of Detroit, came to Boone County where he met Zornes. Shortly after meeting, Johnson and Zornes began selling oxycodone pills from a residence on Harper Lane in Seth. In early 2015, Johnson and Zornes began selling heroin supplied by sources in Detroit. Zornes sold heroin to local users and also made trips to Detroit in order to bring the heroin back to Boone County. In July 2015, members of the U.S. Route 119 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force began making purchases of heroin from local dealers being supplied by Johnson or Zornes. On March 22, 2016, Zornes was stopped in Jackson County while transporting heroin from Michigan. Two days later, in an effort to obtain bond money for Zornes, Johnson recruited Gregory Runion to sell an SKS assault rifle. Runion sold the rifle to an informant working for the Task Force.
On August 1 and 2, 2016, Task Force officers used an informant to buy heroin directly from Johnson and Zornes at their residence. Officers executed search warrants at the residence and seized more than 40 grams of heroin, ecstasy tablets, cash, and distribution paraphernalia.
This long-term investigation of heroin trafficking in Boone County has led to several convictions and prison sentences. Johnson was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. Christopher Priestly, of Bloomingrose, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for distribution of heroin. Robert Donavan Buzzard, also of Bloomingrose, was sentenced to a year and nine months in federal prison for distribution of heroin. Runion, of Seth, was sentenced to a year and a half in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Darrell Woodside, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to using a telephone to facilitate heroin trafficking and faces up to four years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 22, 2017. Other individuals implicated in this investigation have also been prosecuted in state court.
The U.S. Route 119 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the West Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence and is presiding over these cases.
These cases are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Bonner Ferry Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE - Thurlo Eugene Clark, 72, of Bonner Ferry, Idaho, pleaded guilty on April 25, 2017, to possession of sexually explicit images of minors, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced. Clark was charged by an information that was filed on April 3, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, Clark admitted that on May 6, 2016, law enforcement officers contacted Clark because officers received information that Clark tried to send child pornography through the wires. Clark admitted to law enforcement that he knowingly possessed child pornography, receiving them from people via email. With Clark’s consent, law enforcement officers recovered computer equipment containing child pornography.
The charge of possession of sexually explicit images of minors is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to 5 years to life of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for July 26, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.
The case was investigated by Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Belvidere Physician Sentenced to Nine Years and Ordered to Pay More Than $2.7 Million for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A suspended physician was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala on charges of federal health care fraud.
CHARLES S. DEHAAN, 62, of Belvidere, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,787,054.
DeHaan pleaded guilty on May 20, 2016, to two counts of health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare that included overbilling and billing Medicare for treatment of patients that were already deceased.
According to a written plea agreement, DeHaan during the course of the scheme was a physician licensed in Illinois. Between January 2009 and January 2014, DeHaan primarily billed Medicare for in-home patient visits and certifications for patients he deemed homebound. DeHaan admitted in the plea agreement that he knew Medicare authorized payment for home visits and physician services only if those services were actually provided and were medically necessary because of disease, infirmity, or impairment. The plea agreement further states that DeHaan billed Medicare for medical services purportedly provided to patients, when he knew he did not provide any reimbursable medical service. This included DeHaan billing Medicare at the highest reimbursement levels for routine, non-complex visits with new and established patients, even though DeHaan knew the visit did not qualify for the highest levels of reimbursement, and further included billing Medicare for patients DeHaan never actually treated. According to the plea agreement, some of the patients DeHaan billed for had died prior to the date of the alleged visit.
The sentencing was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation assisted in the investigation.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott R. Paccagnini and Talia Bucci.
Bay Area Residents Charged in Scheme to Export Components for Production of Night Vision Rifle ScopesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Naum Morgovsky and Irina Morgovsky were charged today for their respective roles in an alleged scheme to export components for the production of night vision rifle scopes in violation of the Arms Export Control Act, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The superseding indictment supplements bank fraud charges that were leveled in September of last year against Naum Morgovsky and Mark Migdal.
According to the superseding indictment, Naum and Irina Morgovsky owned night vision businesses in the United States and purchased numerous scope components including image intensifier tubes and lenses. The superseding indictment alleges the Morgovskys conspired to ship these items to a night vision manufacturing company in Moscow, Russia that was partly owned by Naum Morgovsky. The United States Munitions List prohibits export of the items unless the exporter obtains a license from the Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. According to the superseding indictment, the Morgovskys did not have such a license.
In addition, the superseding indictment alleges the Morgovskys took steps to conceal their crimes so that they could continue to run their illegal export business undetected. According to the superseding indictment, Naum Morgovsky laundered the proceeds of the export conspiracy, used a bank account in the name of a deceased person to conceal the ownership and control of the scheme’s proceeds. The superseding indictment further alleges that Irina Morgovsky allegedly used a passport that she fraudulently obtained in the name of another individual to travel to Russia three times in 2007.
The superseding indictment includes the charges against Naum Morgovsky and Mark Migdal in the indictment filed in September of 2016. Specifically, the superseding indictment repeats that between June 2009 and April 2016, Morgovsky and Migdal conspired to defraud two federally-insured banks, now Bank of America and EverBank, by seeking those banks’ approval for a short sale of two condominiums owned by Migdal. The two condominium units were in the same building in Kihei, Maui. The superseding indictment alleges that Morgovsky and Midgal conspired to convince the banks to allow the properties to be sold in a short sale to an individual who was, in reality, deceased. A short sale is a sale in which a lender allows a property to be sold at a price that is less than the amount owed on the loan. According to the superseding indictment, the conspiracy also involved submission of false statements to the bank about Midgal’s employment status and income. After the banks approved the short sales in 2009 and 2010, Migdal continued to treat the property as his own, including collecting rent and paying taxes and homeowners’ association dues. The properties allegedly were transferred to Migdal’s wife in 2016.
In addition, the superseding indictment alleges that, during 2009 and 2010, Migdal submitted false statements to a federally insured bank. According to the superseding indictment, Migdal sought to obtain loan modifications for his residence in Portola Valley and his rental property in Mountain View by falsely stating he had rented part of his residence, by submitting a false employment offer letter, and by falsely stating his rental property in Mountain View was his principal residence.
In sum, the charges and maximum statutory sentences against Naum Morgovsky are as follows:
Count
Charge
Statue
Maximum Sentence
One
Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
18 U.S.C. § 1349
30 years; $1,000,000 fine
Two
Bank Fraud
18 U.S.C. § 1344
30 years; $1,000,000 fine
Three
Bank Fraud
18 U.S.C. § 1344
30 years; $1,000,000 fine
Four
Aggravated Identity Theft
18 U.S.C. § 1028A
2 years consecutive to any other sentence; $250,000 fine
Nine
Armed Export Control Act Conspiracy
22 U.S.C. § 2778
20 years; $1,000,000 fine
Ten
Money Laundering
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)
20 years; $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds involved
Eleven
International Money Laundering
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A)
20 years; $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds involved
The charges against Irina Morgovsky are as follows:
Count
Charge
Statue
Maximum Sentence
Six
Misuse of Passport
18 U.S.C. § 1544
10 years; $250,000 fine
Nine
Armed Export Control Act Conspiracy
22 U.S.C. § 2778
20 years; $1,000,000 fine
The charges against Mark Migdal are as follows:
Count
Charge
Statue
Maximum Sentence
One
Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
18 U.S.C. § 1349
30 years; $1,000,000 fine
Two
Bank Fraud
18 U.S.C. § 1344
30 years; $1,000,000 fine
Three
Bank Fraud
18 U.S.C. § 1344
30 years; $1,000,000 fine
Five
Aggravated Identity Theft
18 U.S.C. § 1028A
2 years consecutive to any other sentence; $250,000 fine
Seven
False Statement to Federally Insured Financial Institution
18 U.S.C. § 1014
30 years; $1,000,000 fine
Eight
False Statement to Federally Insured Financial Institution
18 U.S.C. § 1014
30 years; $1,000,000 fine
Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. The Superseding Indictment also seeks forfeiture of the false passport, a residence in Portola Valley, a condominium in Mountain View, and the two Hawaii condominiums.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on the superseding indictment on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at 9:30am, before the Honorable Jacqueline Scott Corley, United States Magistrate Judge.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecutions and National Security Unit of the United States Attorney’s office in San Francisco and the Counterintelligence and the Export Control Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Commerce.
Assistant Track Coach Charged with Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wellesley High School assistant track coach, who is also a former Harvard University track coach, was arrested and charged today with distribution and possession of child pornography.
Walter Johnson, 69, of Framingham, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Johnson was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston late this afternoon. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler scheduled a detention and probable cause hearing for May 1, 2017.
According to the charging document, in January 2017, federal agents began an investigation into child pornography being traded by a Craigslist user. The investigation led to Johnson, a track coach at Wellesley High School and a former Harvard University track coach. Earlier this morning, federal agents executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home in Framingham. Johnson allegedly admitted to sending and receiving child pornography with various individuals he met on Craigslist. A preliminary on-scene forensic analysis confirmed child pornography on devices in his home.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and no greater than 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release and a fine $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by HSI Boston’s Cyber Crimes and Child Exploitation Group, with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and the Framingham Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Paruti, Weinreb’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Armed Bank Robber Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Lamarlvin Arkeena Watts, 22, from Savannah, was sentenced earlier this week by Senior U. S. District Judge William T. Moore, Jr. to 148 months in federal prison for bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during the commission of that crime. Watts’ convictions followed a two-day jury trial in January 2017.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Watts invaded the Wells Fargo bank branch at 1900 E. Victory Drive in Savannah on July 14, 2015 and threatened to shoot two tellers if they refused to give him cash. Searches of Watts’ house and vehicle uncovered items Watts had worn during the robbery, several hundred dollars of cash and ammunition matching the gun he had used to threaten the tellers.
At sentencing, Watts asked the Court to recommend to that he be allowed to serve his sentence at a federal prison close to Savannah. Citing the violent nature of Watts’ crimes, prosecutors successfully opposed that request.
Acting U. S. Attorney James D. Durham stated, “The U. S. Attorney’s Office is committed to targeting and combatting violent crime in our community. Parole doesn’t exist in the federal system, and with nearly 125 federal prisons in more than 35 different states, violent criminals prosecuted by this Office should expect to serve long sentences, far away from home.”
The FBI and the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department investigated the robbery. The ATF and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Division of Forensic Sciences also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Tania D. Groover prosecuted the case. For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 201-2522.
Allentown Physican Pleads Guilty of Failure to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Harry W. “Buck” Buchanan, 63, of Allentown, PA, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of willfully failing to file tax returns, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. According to the information, Buchanan, who operated Harry Buchanan IV MD PC, failed to file federal tax returns in 2009 and 2010, although his income substantially exceeded the minimum income establishing the requirement to file.
The charges, the defendant faces up to one year in federal prison on each of two counts, as well as restitution, fines, supervised release, and special assessments.
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bea Witzleben.
Acting United States Attorney Farley Encourages Participation in DEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 29, 2017Read the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley encourages the public to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 29, 2017.
“As our state continues to battle with an epidemic of opioid overdoses, we must acknowledge that many individuals start on the path toward addiction through the misuse of prescription drugs. Often, this can start when unneeded prescription drugs are used for recreational purposes. That initial experimentation sadly can lead to opioid addiction and, in far too many cases, untimely deaths. I encourage every citizen to take the time to dispose of unneeded medicine on Saturday. Your efforts will help improve the safety of both your household and your community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley.
"Many Americans are not aware that medicines which languish in home cabinets are highly vulnerable to diversion, misuse, and abuse," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. "Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisoning and overdoses due to the illegal use of these drugs. Please take the time to clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse."
Prior Take-Back Days have been quite successful. On October 22, 2016, the public turned in 731,269 pounds—almost 366 tons—of medication to DEA and more than 4,000 of its community partners at almost 5,200 collection sites nationwide. Over the life of the program, 7.1 million pounds (more than 3,500 tons) of prescription drugs have been removed from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and nightstands by citizens around the country.
Unused medicines in the home are a problem because millions who have abused prescription painkillers say they obtained those drugs from friends and family, including from home medicine cabinets, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers. Almost 30,000 people—78 a day—died from overdosing on these painkillers or heroin in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Collection sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide. To locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Office of Diversion Control web site at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback where you can search by zip code.
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26 April 2017
Wichita Woman Sentenced in Identity Theft CaseRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita woman who used stolen mail to create counterfeit checks and credit cards was sentenced Wednesday to 34 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Lateasha Linthicum, 36, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive stolen mail and to commit theft. In her plea, she admitted she caused a loss of more than $300,000 to victims. When Wichita police served a search warrant at Linthicum’s room in the Inn at Tallgrass they found a large storage trunk containing documents credit cards, mail and checks in the names of other people.
Beall commended the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.
Wichita Man Sentenced for Brandishing Firearm in RobberyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in federal prison for brandishing a firearm during a robbery at a convenience store, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Quincy D. Hadley, 36, Wichita, admitted that on Oct. 26, 2016, he pointed a .40-caliber pistol at a clerk during a robbery at the Presto gas station at 4414 W. Maple in Wichita. Hadley demanded and received cash and cigarettes before he fled the store.
He was arrested when an officer responding to a 911 call found him changing clothes in a parked car.
Beall commended the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.
Wasilla Man Sentenced for Online ExtortionRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Michael Thomas McTigue, 33, resident of Wasilla, Alaska, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to two years in prison, to be followed by a one-year term of supervised release, for making threats online and extorting money in return.
According to documents filed in this case, the defendant trolled women he met online through the Meetme.com and Kik Messenger applications. In several instances, the defendant formed online romantic relationships with women, and received sexually explicit photographs from them. On at least one occasion, the defendant then took the photographs that he received and threatened to publish them unless the victim worked for him as a prostitute and sent to him some of the money that she earned. The defendant went so far as to post online prostitution advertisements for the victim. In response to this threat, the victim complied, sending the defendant more than $1,000.
During the investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) located two other women who had sent money to the defendant. In addition, the FBI located three other women for whom the defendant has posted online prostitution advertisements.
The case was the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Safe Streets/Crimes Against Children/Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children through sex trafficking, as well as to identify and recover victims. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Obtains ADA Settlement with Dayton Township to Ensure Civic Access for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has reached a settlement with Dayton Township in Tuscola County to ensure full access to township services for individuals with disabilities.
The agreement, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), resolves a complaint filed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleging that many township services were inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. The complaint, filed by a local resident, alleged that Dayton Township’s government offices were located in the private homes of its elected officials, and that because of physical barriers present in those homes, the government services provided in them were inaccessible to individuals with disabilities.
The settlement agreement requires Dayton Township to adopt an ADA policy, and to establish a mechanism to provide township services in an alternative location or in an alternate manner to ensure that all Dayton Township residents have access to township services.
“Access to public facilities and services are essential to meaningful participation in civic life, and individuals with disabilities are entitled to the opportunity to participate in local government programs, services, and activities on an equal basis with their neighbors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel L. Lemisch.
For more information on the ADA or today’s agreement with Dayton Township, visit www.ada.gov or call the United States Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) or the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights hotline at (313) 226-9151.
U.S. Attorney for Oregon Encourages Community Members to Participate in Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Billy J. Williams, United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, invites all community members to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 29, 2017.
“DEA’s Drug Take Back Day offers a completely anonymous way to dispose of unused prescription medications,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “We encourage all community members to do their part to combat the opioid abuse epidemic. Unused prescription pain medications stored in your home pose a significant risk of drug addiction for family members and youth. These medications,” continued Williams “are every bit as dangerous as illegal narcotics purchased on the street. Join us in this effort to help stem the tide of abuse in our communities.”
“This is the 13th DEA National Drug Take Back event and is an opportunity to save lives by cleaning out medicine cabinets,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Cam Strahm. “Last October, Oregonians turned in four tons of unused medications and this Saturday, April 29th, we hope to surpass that number and drive down the growing opioid crisis. You can find a site near you at www.dea.gov.”
On average, three Oregonians die every week from prescription opioid overdose. The prescription drug overdose rate in Oregon was 2.8 times higher in 2013 than in 2000. Between 2012 and 2013, an estimated 212,000 Oregonians self-reported using prescription painkillers for non-medical purposes. Opioid-related overdose death rates in Oregon vary by race/ethnicity with the highest rates occurring among American Indians and Alaska Natives.
On the October 2016 Take Back Day, the DEA collected over 731,000 pounds of unwanted prescription medications turned in by the public at more than 5,000 collection sites nationwide. Over the life of the take back program, citizens around the country have removed more than 7.1 million pounds of prescription drugs from their homes.
Unused medications stored in the home pose a significant threat of abuse. In 2015, nearly 4 million people who abused prescription painkillers say they obtained the drugs from family members or friends. It is well documented that abusing prescription painkillers can lead to abuse of illegal narcotics. Statistics show that four out of five new heroin users began their drug abuse by taking prescription painkillers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2014 alone, nearly 30,000 people died from overdosing on prescription painkillers or heroin.
To locate a drug collection site near you, please visit www.dea.gov and click on the “Got Drugs?” icon or call 1-800-882-9529.
Two Former Arkansas Juvenile Detention Officers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Assaulting Juvenile DetaineesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that two former White River Juvenile Detention Center supervisors, Captain Peggy Kendrick, 43, and Lieutenant Dennis Fuller, 40, pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to assault juvenile inmates. Kendrick also pleaded guilty to assaulting a sixteen-year-old girl using pepper spray, and for obstructing justice by falsifying an incident report about that assault.
According to the guilty pleas, Kendrick, Fuller, and other unnamed former officers assaulted and physically punished juvenile detainees who posed no threat, by means that included spraying them in the face with pepper spray. In some instances, they then shut the compliant juveniles in their cells after pepper spraying them to “let them cook,” rather than immediately decontaminating them. Kendrick also encouraged the juvenile detention officers who unjustifiably assaulted juveniles to falsify their incident reports to cover up the assaults.
“Corrections officers who use excessive force against inmates in their custody violate the Constitution,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously investigating and prosecuting officers who break the public trust in this way.”
“When correction officers violate laws and the Constitution, they will be prosecuted. There is no exception,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Harris for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “I understand the difficult job they have, but that is not an excuse for assaulting a juvenile and obstructing an investigation. In fact, there is no excuse for that. That is a crime and we will prosecute the criminals.”
“We at the FBI are appalled at what occurred to these minors,” said Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch with the FBI Field Office in Little Rock, Arkansas. “Along with our partners at the Justice Department, we are steadfast in our commitment to investigate and punish those responsible for these incomprehensible actions.”
Kendrick faces a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in prison; Fuller faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Little Rock Division and the investigation is ongoing. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Peters of the Eastern District of Arkansas and Trial Attorney Samantha Trepel of the Civil Rights Division.
Two Former Arkansas Juvenile Detention Officers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Assault on Juvenile DetaineesRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Patrick C. Harris, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today that two former White River Juvenile Detention Center supervisors, Captain Peggy Kendrick, 43, and Lieutenant Dennis Fuller, 40, pleaded guilty today in federal court before U.S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr. to conspiring to assault juvenile inmates. Kendrick also pleaded guilty to assaulting a sixteen-year-old girl using pepper spray and to obstructing justice by falsifying an incident report about that assault. The White River Juvenile Detention Center is located in Batesville, Arkansas.
According to the guilty pleas to the felony Information, Kendrick, Fuller, and other unnamed former officers assaulted and physically punished juvenile detainees, who posed no threat, by spraying them in the face with pepper spray. In some instances, they then shut the compliant juveniles in their cells after pepper spraying them to “let them cook,” rather than immediately decontaminating them. Kendrick also encouraged the juvenile detention officers, who unjustifiably assaulted juveniles, to falsify their incident reports to cover up the assaults.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Harris stated, “When correction officers violate laws and the Constitution, they will be prosecuted. There is no exception. I understand the difficult job they have, but that is not an excuse for assaulting a juvenile and obstructing an investigation. In fact, there is no excuse for that. That is a crime and we will prosecute the criminals.”
“Corrections officers who use excessive force against inmates in their custody violate the Constitution,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously investigating and prosecuting officers who break the public trust in this way.”
“We at the FBI are appalled at what occurred to these minors,” said Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch with the Little Rock FBI Field Office. “Along with our partners at the Justice Department, we are steadfast in our commitment to investigate and punish those responsible for these incomprehensible actions.”
The maximum potential penalty for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights) is up to ten years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential penalty for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) is up to ten years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential penalty for a violation of 18 U.S.C. 1519 (Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations) is up to twenty years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. Accordingly, Kendrick faces a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and Fuller faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
The court will set a sentencing hearing date after Presentence Investigation Reports are completed.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Little Rock Field Division and the investigation is ongoing. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Peters of the Eastern District of Arkansas and Trial Attorney Samantha Trepel of the Civil Rights Division.
Two Albuquerque Men Sentenced for Convictions on Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Albuquerque, N.M., men were sentenced yesterday for their convictions on federal firearms and drug trafficking charges. Marcus Sowell, 19, was sentenced in Albuquerque to a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release for possession of an unregistered firearm. Shawn Anthony Burns, 31, was sentenced yesterday in Santa Fe, N.M., to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for crack cocaine trafficking.
Sowell and Burns were arrested during an ATF-led investigation that resulted in the filing of 59 federal indictments and a federal criminal complaint charging 104 Bernalillo County residents with federal firearms and narcotics trafficking offenses. The investigation began in mid-April 2016, when ATF personnel from throughout the country joined forces with federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to combat the high rate of violent crime in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The investigators utilized a number of investigative techniques, including undercover operations, historical investigation and targeting of multi-convicted felons in possession of firearms.
The investigation was undertaken in support of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution primarily based on their prior criminal convictions with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Sowell and his co-defendants Damon Giles, 23, Michael Borrego, 25, Adrian Banks, 28, and Marcus Lewis, 27, were charged in a 12-count indictment filed on June 30, 2016. The indictment charged the following:
-
Sowell with possession of a firearm not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license on May 19, 2016;
-
Giles with being a felon in possession of a firearm on May 19, 2016;
-
Giles and Borrego with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license on May 31, 2016;
-
Giles and Banks with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license on June 7, 2016;
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Banks with being a felon in possession of firearms on June 7, 2016;
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Borrego with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license on June 7, 2016 and June 10, 2016;
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Giles and Lewis with distribution of cocaine on June 9, 2016;
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Borrego with possession of a firearm not registered to him in the NFRTR on June 10, 2016;
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Giles with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and being a felon in possession of firearms on June 13, 2016.
According to the indictment, the offenses were committed in Bernalillo County, N.M.
On Nov. 4, 2016, Sowell pled guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and admitted that on May 19, 2016, he possessed a firearm not registered to him in the NFRTR.
Burns was arrested in July 2016, on an indictment charging him with distributing crack cocaine on April 19, 2016, April 20, 2016, and April 29, 2016, in Bernalillo County. On Dec. 9, 2016, Burns pled guilty to distributing crack cocaine and admitted that on April 29, 2016, he distributed 28 grams and more of crack cocaine.
To date, 43 of the 104 defendants have entered guilty pleas, and 18 have been sentenced. The remaining defendants have entered not guilty pleas. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated by the Albuquerque office of ATF. The case against Sowell was prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and the case against Burns was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley.
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Toledo ministers indicted for sex trafficking of minors and production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
Two Toledo men were indicted on federal charges including sex trafficking of minors and production of child pornography, said Acting U.S. Attorney David A. Sierleja and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.
Cordell Jenkins, 46, and Anthony Haynes, 37, are named in the seven-count indictment.
Haynes is charged with two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of production of child pornography and one count of obstruction of a sex trafficking investigation. Jenkins is charged with two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of production of child pornography, and one count of receipt of child pornography.
Haynes sexually assaulted a 14-year-old in his custody, beginning in 2014. This conduct continued through 2017, according to court documents.
Some of this conduct took place at Greater Life Christian Center in Toledo, where Haynes was pastor at the time. Haynes used his cellular telephone to record these sexual assaults, according to court documents.
Haynes routinely gave the victim money after the acts and told her not to say anything. He told her that if she said anything, it would ruin his family and his church, according to court documents.
Haynes also facilitated the victim being sexually exploited by several other men, including Jenkins, according to court documents.
Jenkins repeatedly sexually exploited the minor at his home on Barrington Drive, at his office at Abundant Life Ministries and at a motel in Toledo. He paid her and referred to the payment as “hush money.” He often recorded these interactions with his cellular telephone, according to court documents.
“Adults in a position of trust taking advantage of children for their own sexual gratification is beyond reprehensible,” Anthony said. “These defendants are a stark reminder that human trafficking can be hidden in plain view. Law enforcement, in partnership with our communities, must remain vigilant in protecting our children.”
The investigation is ongoing.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Freeman following an investigation by the FBI’s Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of members of the FBI, Toledo Police Department, Perrysburg Township Police Department, Lima Police Department, Oregon Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Lucas County Sheriff’s Office.
Three-Time Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announced that James Wesley Peterson, 32, of Kiln, Mississippi, was sentenced to 204 months (17 years) in prison for traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and committing a felony sex offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender. Peterson was also sentenced to lifetime supervision by the United States Probation Office following his release, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and payment of a $200 special assessment.
Peterson was previously convicted of four counts of exploitation of children in Harrison County, Mississippi in 2004, and one count of exploitation of a child in Forrest County, Mississippi in 2011. As a result of these convictions, Peterson was required to register as a sex offender. Court documents indicate that in September of 2016, the FBI was contacted by a detective with the Fairhope Police Department about a 13-year old who had been in electronic communication with Peterson. In those communications, Peterson told the 13-year old that he wanted to engage in sexual conduct with her. Law enforcement agents took over the communications with Peterson, and according to documents filed in connection with his plea, Peterson arranged to meet the 13-year old on November 1 in Daphne. When Peterson arrived from Mississippi to meet the victim, he was arrested and confessed to arranging to meet the girl to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Robert Lasky, Special Agent in Charge of the Mobile Division of the FBI, said, "The FBI will always be a resource for our state and local partners when investigating these types of cases. I am very pleased with the court’s decision and thank the Fairhope Police Department for allowing us to assist them."
This case was investigated by the Fairhope Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Costello prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office. This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama at http://www.justice.gov/usao/als/
Three RGV Residents Plead Guilty in Illegal Kickback SchemesRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Three Rio Grande Valley residents have been convicted for their roles in receiving illegal kickback payments in exchange for the referral of patients, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Today, Brenda De La Cruz, 39, of Mission, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to receive illegal kickbacks before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane. At plea hearings yesterday before U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez, Sonia Garcia, 51, of McAllen, and Luis Manuel Garza, 39, of Brownsville, also pleaded guilty to the same offense. All were previously charged in separate criminal informations on April 10 following an operation conducted by the RGV health care fraud task force targeting Medicare fraud and the payment of illegal kickbacks.
At their respective hearings, each admitted they engaged in conspiracies to refer Medicare beneficiaries to a home health agency in exchange for illegal kickback payments.
Sentencing for both Garcia and Garza has been set for July 20, 2017. De La Cruz will be sentenced July 11, 2017. At those times, all three face a maximum punishment of five years in federal prison.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services ‐ Office of Inspector General (OIG), Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission – OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Michael Day are prosecuting the case.