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Monday 13 March 2017
Northern District of New York United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian to Remain Through June of 2017Read the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – “The Attorney General has graciously permitted me to remain as United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York through June of 2017 so that I can complete twenty years of service to the Department of Justice,” announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. “We will work diligently to combat violent crime, promote border security, and otherwise fulfill the mission and implement the law enforcement priorities of the Department of Justice. I am very grateful to the Attorney General and the Administration for this opportunity to finish up a twenty-year career and I will do everything I can to assist in the orderly transition to my successor,” said Hartunian.
Mr. Hartunian became an Assistant United States Attorney in 1997. He served as the Northern District’s Narcotics Chief and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator from 2006 until his appointment as United States Attorney in 2010. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hartunian served as an Assistant District Attorney in Albany County from 1990 to 1997, where his work on narcotics and violent crime cases led to his designation as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1994.
Non-Indian Man from Albuquerque Facing Charges for Assaulting Federal Officer on Isleta PuebloRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Earlier today, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Jonathan D. Lueras, 30, of Albuquerque, N.M., with assaulting a federal officer. The Magistrate Judge also entered an order requiring Lueras to remain in custody pending trial.
According to the criminal complaint, Lueras, a non-Indian, was arrested on March 9, 2017, for assaulting an officer of the Isleta Pueblo Tribal Police Department, who is commissioned as a Special Law Enforcement Officer by the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Lueras allegedly committed the assault on the Isleta Pueblo in Bernalillo County, N.M., while resisting arrest and attempting to gain control of the officer’s firearm. During the alleged assault, Lueras struggled with the officer on the ground and attempted to flee several times.
If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Lueras faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Charges in complaints are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Isleta Pueblo Tribal Police Department and the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle.
Nineteen People Indicted on Fraud Charges Related to Telemarketing EnterpriseRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Nineteen defendants have been charged in federal court in connection with a multi-count indictment arising from their participation in a fraudulent telemarketing enterprise that often targeted elderly victims.
In October 2016, a grand jury returned an indictment against nine individuals living in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. Last month, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against an additional ten defendants. The superseding indictment includes charges against individuals living in Missouri, Kansas and Nevada.
Defendants Michael McNeill, Joshua Flynn, Timothy Murphy, Shawn Casey, Thomas Silha, Jennifer Hansen, Dean Miller, Michael Silver, John Balleweg, Donald Schnock, Ashley Powell, Scott Shocklee, Jason Gallagher, Andre Devoe, Bruce Doll, Anthony Swiantek, Philip Hale, Cybill Osterman and Brian Phillips are alleged to have committed multiple offenses related to a fraudulent telemarketing scheme. The telemarketing enterprise sold false and fictitious business opportunities as part of scheme that reached across the United States and Canada and generated in excess of $20,000,000 in sales. The Phoenix, Arizona, based telemarketing enterprise operated under multiple business names and utilized multiple business entities over the course of the scheme, including Smart Business Pros LLC of Warson Woods, Missouri.
The charges include conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud; wire fraud; mail fraud; bank fraud; money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. All nineteen defendants are scheduled to be arraigned today by Magistrate Judge Shirley Padmore Mensah on those charges.
If convicted of wire fraud or mail fraud in connection with telemarketing, a defendant faces up to 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. If convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, a defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case is being investigated by the Office of the Arizona Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Charles Birmingham is handling the case for the
U.S. Attorney's Office.
As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Navajo Man from Kirtland Sentenced for Being Accessory After the Fact to March 2015 Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Maynard Shirley, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Kirtland, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 42 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction arising out of the March 21, 2015 death of a Navajo man.
According to court filings, Maynard Shirley and his brothers Elijah Shirley, 32, and Michael Shirley, 32, were charged with murdering a Navajo man and assaulting the murder victim’s father. The defendants committed the crimes on March 21, 2015, in Fruitland, N.M., in San Juan County, N.M. The three men were indicted on April 14, 2015, and charged with killing the victim by stabbing him with a knife, and assaulting the victim’s father with a dangerous weapon and causing him to suffer serious bodily injury.
Maynard Shirley pled guilty on Dec. 13, 2016, to a felony information charging him with being an accessory after the fact to the offense of voluntary manslaughter. In entering the guilty plea, Maynard Shirley admitted that from March 21, 2015 through March 23, 2015, he aided Elijah Shirley despite knowledge that Elijah Shirley had committed the crime of voluntary manslaughter. Maynard Shirley admitted helping Elijah Shirley by transporting him, securing housing for him, and burning his vehicle.
Elijah Shirley entered a guilty plea on Sept. 21, 2016, to a felony information charging him with voluntary manslaughter, and admitted stabbing and killing the victim in the heat of passion. Elijah Shirley was sentenced on Jan. 24, 2017, to 121 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
On Sept. 21, 2016, Michael Shirley also pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being an accessory after the fact, and admitted that after the victim was killed, he assisted Elijah Shirley by burning a BMW vehicle and Maynard Shirley by helping him secure housing and transportation. Michael Shirley was sentenced on Jan. 24, 2017, to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Shiprock and Kayenta offices of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niki Tapia-Brito and Nicholas Marshall.
Meth Charge Nets Man 200 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced today the sentencing of a man convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
James Daniel Miller, 32, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Today in District Court, Miller was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison.
According to evidence presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford, Miller, and others, conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Western District of Virginia beginning no later than 2013 and continuing until about December 2015.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Virginia State Police, Claytor Lake Task Force and the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Cultivation Operation on Federal LandRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Carlos Piedra-Murillo (“Piedra”), 30, a native and citizen of Mexico, entered a guilty plea today to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana in connection with a large-scale cultivation operation located in the Domeland Wilderness area in Tulare County in the Sequoia National Forest, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. In pleading guilty, Piedra also agreed to make restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the damage to public land and natural resources, including a prehistoric Tubatulabal Native American archaeological site, caused by his cultivation activities.
According to court documents, Piedra conspired with Juan Carlos Lopez, 32, of Lake Elsinore, California, Rafael Torres-Armenta (“Torres”), 30, and Javier Garcia-Castaneda (“Garcia”), 38, all citizens of Mexico, to cultivate marijuana in the Domeland Wilderness. The Domeland Wilderness is a federally-designated wilderness area about 55 miles northeast of Bakersfield and is known for its many granite domes and unique geologic formations. Law enforcement officers located over 8,000 marijuana plants at that location and seized fifteen pounds of processed marijuana, a .22 caliber rifle, a pellet rifle, and numerous rounds of .22 caliber ammunition.
The marijuana cultivation operation caused extensive environmental damage. It covered about 10 acres and was within the burned area of the 2000 Manter Fire. Some of the new vegetation and trees that sprouted after the fire had been cut and trimmed to make room for the marijuana plants. Water was diverted from a tributary stream of Trout Creek that supports trout. Fertilizer and pesticides, including illegal zinc phosphide, a highly toxic rodenticide from Mexico, were found at the site. Large piles of trash were found near the campsite. The northernmost area of the operation caused extensive damage to a large prehistoric Tubatulabal archaeological site. Holes were dug in the middle of the archaeological site and artifacts were found scattered on the surface among the marijuana plants.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Piedra is scheduled for sentencing on June 5, 2017 in federal court in Fresno. Piedra faces faces a maximum statutory penalty of twenty years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges as to the co-defendants are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Maine Resident Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Participating in A Multi-State Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy Based in StroudsburgRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stephon Davis, age 20, who resided in Maine at the time of his arrest, was sentenced Thursday to five years’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton, for his role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy that stretched from Stroudsburg to New York to Maine.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Davis, who used the street name “Chicken,” previously admitted to conspiring with others to sell heroin between 2010 and 2015. Davis admitted distributing more than 100 grams of heroin during the conspiracy, which is approximately equivalent to more than 4,000 retail bags of heroin.
The indictment alleged that Davis and his co-defendants participated in a street gang known as the Black P-Stones, obtained heroin from suppliers in New York, and distributed the heroin in Stroudsburg and locations in Maine. According to the indictment, couriers were used to transport heroin to Maine, where Davis and others distributed it to customers.
Davis was indicted along with six other people by a federal grand jury in Scranton in September 2015, as a result of an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police, Maine State Police, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and local police in Monroe County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
Judge Mannion ordered Davis to serve four years on supervised release following his prison sentence.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the heroin initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
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LRGP Member Sentenced for Rico Conspiracy Involving Murder and Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Philip Brown, 24 of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of RICO conspiracy, was sentenced to 240 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between 2009 and January 23, 2012, Brown was an associate of the LRGP gang which operates primarily in the area of Lombard, Rother, Gibson, and Playter Streets in the City of Buffalo. It is alleged to be an organization engaged in violent criminal activity, including the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine and the use of firearms.In April 2011, the defendant and others, while at 318 Sobieski Street in Buffalo, agreed that a member of the Cold Springs Gang, a rival criminal organization, should be murdered in retaliation for the killing of Alonzo Scott, one month earlier. Scott was the brother of LRGP leader Dewayne Gray. The individuals settled upon killing Amir Chambers, whom they believed to be associated with the Cold Springs Gang, and who had an ongoing social relationship with Alexis Mills.
After a failed attempt by Mills to poison Amir Chambers, it was agreed that co-defendant Fred Keys would kill Chambers by shooting him. Mills was to use her relationship with Chambers to get the victim to open his residence door. On April 20, 2011, the defendant, along with Mills and two others – Fred Keys and Timothy Finch - went to a residence at 111 Mills Street in Buffalo where they dropped off Keys and Mills. Chambers opened the residence door upon seeing Mills at which time Keys killed Chambers by shooting him in the head. Mills, for her part, kicked the victim in the head following the shooting to ensure that Chambers was in fact deceased. Keys later called 911 to report that there was a “body” at 111 Mills Street.
Philip Brown is the final defendant out of 17 individuals to be convicted and sentenced in this case.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Office; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.Kevin W. Techau Resigns as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
On Friday, March 10, 2017, Kevin W. Techau announced his resignation as United States Attorney effective midnight on that date.
Techau stated, “Iowa has excellent federal, state and local law enforcement officers across the state. It has been a fulfilling and rewarding experience to have served in this office for the past three years with those professionals. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to lead the men and women who work so hard in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa. They are a top-notch group of public servants and I am very honored to have been their colleague."
Techau was appointed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa by President Barack Obama on November 7, 2013, and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on February 12, 2014.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sean R. Berry will serve as Acting United States Attorney pending an interim or permanent appointment by the Attorney General or the President.
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Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against California Janitorial CompaniesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department reached an agreement today with Paragon Building Maintenance, Inc. (Paragon) and Pegasus Building Services Company, Inc. (Pegasus), related janitorial companies headquartered in Long Beach, California. The settlement resolves the department’s investigation into whether the companies violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against work-authorized immigrants when checking their work authorization documents.
The department concluded, based on its investigation, that Paragon and Pegasus routinely requested that lawful permanent residents show their Permanent Resident Cards to prove their work authorization while not requesting specific documents from U.S. citizens. Lawful permanents residents often have the same work authorization documents available to them as U.S. citizens, and may choose other acceptable documents besides the Permanent Resident Card to prove they are authorized to work. The investigation further revealed that the companies required lawful permanent resident employees to re-establish their work authorization when their Permanent Resident Cards expired, even though federal rules prohibit this practice. The antidiscrimination provision of the INA prohibits employers from subjecting employees to unnecessary documentary demands based on the employees’ citizenship or national origin.
“Employers may not discriminate against employees when verifying that their employees are authorized to work in the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Civil Rights Division. “We encourage employers everywhere to familiarize themselves with their legal obligations, as Paragon and Pegasus have committed to do by reaching this settlement.”
Under the settlement, Paragon and Pegasus will pay a civil penalty of $115,000 and pay up to $30,000 to compensate any eligible workers who lost pay due to these documentary practices. The companies also have agreed to post notices informing workers about their rights under the INA’s antidiscrimination provision, train their human resources personnel, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
The division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the antidiscrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits, among other things, citizenship, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Jury Convicts 2 Steubenville Brothers of Running Heroin RingRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A United States District Court jury convicted Frederick A. McShan, 37, and David McShan, 42, both of Steubenville, Ohio, of running a Steubenville-area heroin-trafficking organization.
Specifically, Frederick McShan was convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, 12 counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. David McShan was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia Betsy, Karl Colder, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Washington, D.C. field office, Jefferson County Prosecutor Jane M. Hanlin and members of the Jefferson County Drug Task Force and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force announced the verdict reached early Friday evening, which was returned following a trial that began on Monday, March 6th before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
According to court documents and testimony, the McShan brothers helped lead a drug organization that was supplied out of Chicago and was responsible for street-level heroin sales in Steubenville, Ohio, including in the Market Street apartment public housing area, Weirton, W.Va., Wheeling, W.Va. and Bellaire, Ohio.
A yearlong investigation in this case by local, state and federal law enforcement culminated in the seizure of eight firearms, three vehicles and approximately $110,000 of narcotics proceeds.
Four co-defendants in this case have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. They include:
Donae F. Grier, 38, of Irving, Texas, sentenced to 60 months in prison;
Christopher J. Bishop, 32, of Weirton, W.Va., sentenced to 120 months in prison;
Kerris D. Moncrease, 32, of Weirton, W.Va., sentenced to 42 months in prison; and
Perrier D. Coleman, 21, of Steubenville, Ohio, sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Terrence J. Smith, 27, Michael K. Greathouse, 25, and Erica L. Jury, 37, all of Steubenville, Ohio have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin is a federal crime punishable by 10 years to up to life in prison. Both conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy to commit money laundering are crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative efforts of law enforcement, as well as Deputy Criminal Chief Michael Hunter, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jane M. Hanlin who are prosecuting the case.
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Joseph H. Harrington to Serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of WashingtonRead the Press Release
By operation of the Vacancies Reform Act, Joseph H. Harrington is serving as the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington following the recent resignation of Michael C. Ormsby. The Eastern District of Washington comprises the twenty counties east of the crest of the Cascade Mountains
Harrington has served in the United States Attorney’s Office since 1990. During his tenure in the office he has held the positions of First Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Chief, Deputy Criminal Chief, Anti-Terrorism Advisory Coordinator, and Health Care Fraud Coordinator. Harrington was involved with the prosecutions of: Kevin W. Harpham, an avowed white supremacist who planted a sophisticated remotely-controlled IED along the route of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Unity March in Spokane; the Phineas Priest domestic terrorism case involving bank robberies and bombings of a Planned Parenthood office and a Spokane newspaper facility; and the Karl F. Thompson / Otto Zehm civil rights case.
Harrington received his J.D. from Gonzaga University in 1986, where he was a Thomas Moore Scholar (full academic scholarship) and served as the Editor-in- Chief of the Gonzaga Law Review. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics and a B.S. in Engineering.
Jefferson County woman pleads guilty to heroin distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Brandi Kern, 22, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was convicted of heroin distribution, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Kern admitted to using a telephone to distribute heroin in Jefferson County and elsewhere, including Baltimore, Maryland, in May 2016.
Kern pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” She faces up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Jefferson County man pleads guilty to heroin distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –William John Holmes, 29, of Ranson, West Virginia, was convicted of heroin distribution, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Holmes admitted to possessing heroin in Jefferson County in December 2015.
Holmes pled guilty to one count of “Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin.” He faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Agency, West Virginia State Police, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Israeli Executive Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the Foreign Military Financing ProgramRead the Press Release
A former executive of an Israel-based defense contractor pleaded guilty for his role in multiple schemes to defraud a multi-billion dollar United States foreign aid program, the Department of Justice announced today.
Yuval Marshak pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud and one count of major fraud against the United States in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut today. He was previously charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the District of Connecticut on Jan. 21, 2016, and then extradited from Bulgaria in October.
According to court documents, Marshak carried out three separate schemes between 2009 and 2013 to defraud the Foreign Military Financing program (FMF). Marshak and others falsified bid documents to make it appear that certain FMF contracts had been competitively bid when they had not. Marshak further caused false certifications to be made to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) stating that no commissions were being paid and no non-U.S. content was used in these contracts, when, in fact, Marshak had arranged to receive commissions and to have services performed outside the United States, all in violation of the DoD’s rules and regulations. Marshak arranged for these undisclosed commission payments to be made to a Connecticut-based company that was owned by a close relative to disguise the true nature and destination of these payments.
“Today’s guilty plea marks the successful culmination of a complex investigation that required us to work closely with the Israeli government, the DoD and the Office of International Affairs to gather foreign-located evidence and to secure Marshak’s extradition,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent Snyder of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “This result reflects the division’s deep commitment to identifying and prosecuting schemes to defraud American taxpayers.”
“This conviction is the result of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service's (DCIS) ongoing effort to identify and investigate fraudulent activity targeting the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and its programs that support America's national security and foreign policy objectives,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “DCIS will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of fraud and abuse threatening the DoD and the Foreign Military Sales Program.”
The United States spends billions of dollars each year through the FMF program to provide foreign governments, including Israel, with money which must be used to purchase American-made military goods and services. The rules and regulations of the FMF program require the disclosure of and approval for any FMF-funded commissions and require that all goods and services be of United States origin to qualify for FMF funding. These same rules also strongly encourage the use of competitive bidding in the award of all FMF contracts. American vendors who receive FMF funded contracts are required to certify their compliance with these regulations to the DoD.
The Antitrust Division’s New York Office and DCIS prosecuted the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Anyone with information on price fixing, bid rigging or other anticompetitive conduct related to government contracts should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
Homer man pleads guilty to methamphetamine distribution chargeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a man from Homer pleaded guilty last week to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine after a bag containing the drug was found in a relative’s dryer.
Vincent McDaniel, 44, of Homer, La., pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to the guilty plea, a relative of the defendant contacted law enforcement on November 12, 2015 to report that she had found something suspicious in a bag, which was left in a dryer at her home in Homer. After examining and testing the contents of the bag, law enforcement determined it was 526.7 grams of methamphetamine. McDaniel had asked for access to the home while the relative was away, and after his arrest, had asked other relatives to retrieve the bag for him before law enforcement could obtain it.
McDaniel faces 10 years to life in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of June 28, 2017.
The DEA and the Homer Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles is prosecuting the case.
Grocery Store Owner Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Federal Food Stamp ProgramRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Young Hwa Jung, 57, of North Wales, PA, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for committing fraud against a government assistance program, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The defendant had been charged by criminal information with one count of conspiracy and one count of trafficking in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”), benefits, formerly known as food stamps. The SNAP is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”)’s Food and Nutrition Service, with the goal of alleviating hunger in the United States.
The defendant owned and operated Jung & Hong Inc, a retail grocery store located at 2501 South 70th Street in Philadelphia. As he admitted at his guilty plea hearing on December 13, 2016, the defendant trafficked SNAP benefits by purchasing those benefits from customers of Jung & Hong, Inc. in exchange for cash, which is illegal. As the defendant admitted further, between January 2011 and May 2016, as a result of his trafficking activities, the defendant caused a loss of approximately $607,017.17 to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.
In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter, United States District Judge, sentenced the defendant to three years of supervised release to follow incarceration; full restitution of $607,017.17; and a special assessment of $200. The Court also ordered forfeiture of a 2013 Toyota Tundra that the defendant had purchased with the proceeds of the fraud.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary E. Crawley.
Greensburg Man Sentenced to Probation for Using Fake Secret Service CredentialsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Westmoreland County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 2 years of probation and $500 fine on his conviction of Fraudulent Official Seals, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Christopher Diiorio, 53, of Greensburg, PA.
According to the information presented to the court, Christopher Diiorio conspired with others to produce false United States Secret Service identification cards. He also misrepresented that he was an agent of the United States Secret Service, possessed, and displayed an imitation United States Secret Service badge to a hotel manager in order to obtain the government rate for a hotel stay. Finally, he misrepresented that he was an agent of the United States Secret Service and displayed the false United States Secret Service identification card during an encounter with a local police officer.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney commended the United States Secret Service for the successful investigation of Christopher Diiorio.
Former Wells Fargo Branch Manager Convicted of Laundering Proceeds of Trademark ScamRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former manager of a Wells Fargo branch in Glendale, California, was convicted on Friday of money laundering and false bank entry charges in connection with laundering the proceeds of a trademark scam.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Brown of the Central District of California, Acting Inspector in Charge William H. Hedrick from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Los Angeles Division, Inspector in Charge Regina L. Faulkerson of USPIS Criminal Investigation and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
After a four-day jury trial, Albert Yagubyan, 37, of Burbank, California, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, four counts of concealment money laundering and one count of false bank entries. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 22, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson of the Central District of California, who presided over the trial.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from June 27, 2014 to Sept. 18, 2015, Yagubyan laundered over $1 million of proceeds from a mass-mailing scam run by co-conspirator Artashes Darbinyan, 37, of Glendale, California, who used companies that they called “Trademark Compliance Center” (TCC) and “Trademark Compliance Office” (TCO) in order to make fraudulent offers to trademark applicants for registration and monitoring services.
Yagubyan laundered the funds by instructing subordinates at the bank to open bogus bank accounts, into which proceeds of the TCC and TCO scam were deposited, and process fraudulent withdrawals, wire transfers and cashier’s checks for co-conspirators Darbinyan and Orbel Hakobyan, 42, also of Glendale, the evidence showed. The cashier’s checks and wire transfers were made out to gold dealers. The bank accounts were opened using the identities of individuals from Eastern Europe who were not in the United States at the time the accounts were opened. The evidence at trial further showed that Darbinyan paid Yagubyan a percentage of the laundered proceeds. Yagubyan, in turn, made payments and promises of promotion to subordinates to induce them to conduct the fraudulent transactions. When Wells Fargo’s loss prevention office flagged the bogus accounts for closure, Yagubyan intervened to try and keep them open, the evidence showed.
Darbinyan and Hakobyan pleaded guilty in December 2016 to mail fraud and money laundering charges and are scheduled for sentencing on June 19, 2017, before Judge Wilson. The investigation has resulted in a total of five convictions.
USPIS and IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys William E. Johnston and Alison L. Anderson and Assistant Chief Brian K. Kidd of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Former Wells Fargo Branch Manager Convicted of Laundering Proceeds of Trademark ScamRead the Press Release
A former manager of a Wells Fargo branch in Glendale, California, was convicted on Friday of money laundering and false bank entry charges in connection with laundering the proceeds of a trademark scam.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Brown of the Central District of California, Acting Inspector in Charge William H. Hedrick from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's (USPIS) Los Angeles Division, Inspector in Charge Regina L. Faulkerson of USPIS Criminal Investigation and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
After a four-day jury trial, Albert Yagubyan, 37, of Burbank, California, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, four counts of concealment money laundering and one count of false bank entries. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 22, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson of the Central District of California, who presided over the trial.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from June 27, 2014 to Sept. 18, 2015, Yagubyan laundered over $1 million of proceeds from a mass-mailing scam run by co-conspirator Artashes Darbinyan, 37, of Glendale, California, who used companies that they called “Trademark Compliance Center” (TCC) and “Trademark Compliance Office” (TCO) in order to make fraudulent offers to trademark applicants for registration and monitoring services.
Yagubyan laundered the funds by instructing subordinates at the bank to open bogus bank accounts, into which proceeds of the TCC and TCO scam were deposited, and process fraudulent withdrawals, wire transfers and cashier’s checks for co-conspirators Darbinyan and Orbel Hakobyan, 42, also of Glendale, the evidence showed. The cashier’s checks and wire transfers were made out to gold dealers. The bank accounts were opened using the identities of individuals from Eastern Europe who were not in the United States at the time the accounts were opened. The evidence at trial further showed that Darbinyan paid Yagubyan a percentage of the laundered proceeds. Yagubyan, in turn, made payments and promises of promotion to subordinates to induce them to conduct the fraudulent transactions. When Wells Fargo’s loss prevention office flagged the bogus accounts for closure, Yagubyan intervened to try and keep them open, the evidence showed.
Darbinyan and Hakobyan pleaded guilty in December 2016 to mail fraud and money laundering charges and are scheduled for sentencing on June 19, 2017, before Judge Wilson. The investigation has resulted in a total of five convictions.
USPIS and IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys William E. Johnston and Alison L. Anderson and Assistant Chief Brian K. Kidd of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Former Vice Principle of Lake Roosevelt Elementary School Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane– Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Nathan Piturachsatit, age 38, of Grand Coulee, Washington, was sentenced today, after having previously pleaded guilty on November 29, 2016 to Receipt of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. sentenced Piturachsatit to a seven- year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a ten-year term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. In addition, Piturachsatit agreed to forfeit to the United States the iPhone he used to request and receive child pornography images and videos. Upon release from prison, Piturachsatit will be required to register as a Sex Offender.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, in January of 2016, an officer of the Janesville Police Department in Janesville, Wisconsin responded to a report of a mother of a fourteen-year-old girl who had received a suspicious package. The package was determined to have been sent by Nathan Piturachsatit and was a shirt from “Pink”, a sister store to Victoria’s Secret. Further investigation revealed from November 2015, until early January 2016, Piturachsatit had been communicating with the fourteen-year-old girl over the Internet using “Instagram”. Piturachsatit had sent the minor child explicit naked images of himself and had asked for sexually explicit images and videos of the minor, who was a freshman in high school at the time of the crime. Piturachsatit’ s communication with the minor was graphic and sexually explicit. Piturachsatit not only requested child pornography from the minor, but also said he wanted to have sexual intercourse with the minor. With the assistance of agents from Homeland Security, a federal search warrant was obtained and executed on February 3, 2016 at Piturachsatit’ s place of employment, the Lake Roosevelt Elementary School where he was the Vice Principle, his residence, and vehicle in Grand Coulee, WA. Law enforcement officers discovered Piturachsatit had installed the application “Instagram” on his iPhone. During the execution of the search warrant, Piturachsatit confessed to sending the package to the minor and to also sending the minor clothed and unclothed images, as well as videos of him naked or masturbating. In addition, Piturachsatit confessed to requesting and receiving sexually explicit images and videos of the minor he had been communicating with via “Instagram”.
Joseph H. Harrington stated, “Prosecuting offenders who entice minors to produce child pornography and receive child pornography is a priority of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. This Office is, and will continue to be, committed to prosecuting aggressively and seeking appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May, 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
• Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Mark Mischke and the Janesville Police Department in Janesville, Wisconsin. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and PSC Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.
Former Bank Officers and Walton County Man Convicted in Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – On Friday, March 10, after a five-day trial, Anthony J. Atkins, 51, of Eufaula, Alabama, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, four counts of false statements to a federally insured financial institution, bank fraud, and mail fraud affecting a financial institution.
Today, co-conspirator Bruce A. Houle, 57, of Inlet Beach, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of false statement to a federally insured financial institution.
On February 27, 2017, co-conspirator Samuel D. Cobb, 37, of Destin, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy, four counts of false statement to a financial institution, and bank fraud.
The jury’s verdict and the guilty pleas were announced today by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In 2007, an individual went to Anthony Atkins, the president of GulfSouth Private Bank, and notified Atkins that the individual’s company, which had been loaned $3.4 million, was no longer going to be able to make payments on the mortgage loans issued by GulfSouth Private Bank that had been secured by three condominiums. an effort to conceal that the loans were going into default, and instead of recognizing that the $3.4 million in loans were losses to the bank, Atkins devised a scheme to conceal the bad debt.
As a part of the scheme, Atkins and Cobb solicited Houle, Mark W. Shoemaker, Michael Bradley Bowen, and William Blake Cody to take out new loans with the bank to purchase the three condominiums. To persuade Houle, Shoemaker, Bowen, and Cody to engage in the scheme, Atkins and Cobb told these individuals that the loans would be non-recourse, meaning that, if the men defaulted, GulfSouth would have no recourse against them.
Thereafter, Atkins and Cobb caused new mortgage loans and additional lines of credit to be issued for approximately $3.8 million to the men they had solicited. According to the terms of the fraudulent loans issued during the scheme, the men Atkins and Cobb solicited were not required to make any payments on the loans until the loans came due months down the road. These new loans were then used to pay off the old loans that were going into default. Issuing these new loans and new lines of credit created the appearance that the debt was “performing”, which allowed Atkins to avoid having to report the loans associated with the condominiums as bad debt, as required. Further, as a part of the scheme, Atkins and Cobb caused fraudulent security agreements to be prepared that falsely represented that Houle, Shoemaker, Bowen, and Cody were obligated to repay their respective new mortgage loans and lines of credit.
In September 2009, GulfSouth received $7,500,000 in Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”) funds from the United States Treasury. Thereafter, Atkins and Cobb allowed the condominiums that were collateral for the mortgage loans to be sold in short sales, resulting in a loss to GulfSouth. Further, Atkins allowed the deficiencies and the lines of credit to be charged off of GulfSouth’s books and records.
The defendants face a maximum of 30 years in prison for each count. The sentencing hearings are scheduled at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, as follows:
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Atkins: May 31, 2017, at 10:30 a.m.
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Houle: May 31 at 2:00 p.m.
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Cobb: May 16 at 10:30 a.m.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG). Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers prosecuted the case.
“This bank fraud case is a reminder that my office will vigorously prosecute those who do not conduct ethical transactions, especially financial representatives who abuse their positions of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Canova. “I commend the hard work of the investigators and prosecutors who enforce our federal laws and ensure that justice is served.”
“In 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, former GulfSouth Private Bank president Anthony Atkins had a decision to make: tell the truth about the bank’s troubled finances or take intricate steps to criminally conceal millions of dollars in bad loans,” said Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General for TARP. “Unlike most bank executives, Atkins chose the latter and, along with former vice president Samuel Cobb, hatched a scheme to hide the loans and make the bank appear healthier than it actually was. GulfSouth then received $7.5 million from TARP, a program designed for healthy banks. But GulfSouth was not a healthy bank and later failed—causing taxpayers to lose their entire investment. SIGTARP will continue to bring justice to bankers who commit bailout-related fraud.”
“The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General is committed to working with U.S. Attorneys and law enforcement partners throughout the country in investigating and prosecuting individuals whose fraudulent activities threaten the safety and soundness of our nation’s banks,” said Jason Moran, Special Agent in Charge, FDIC-OIG. “It is particularly troubling when those individuals are bank insiders like Messrs. Atkins and Houle, who violate the public trust, conspire with others, and engage in activities that ultimately cause losses to their banks. Today’s verdict and the associated guilty pleas should deter others from pursuing similar criminal activity.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer(850) 216-3854, [email protected]
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Floridian Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of bank fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Andres Prieto, 34, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around January 2009, to in and around January 2013, Prieto and his co-defendants engaged in a “loan program” in which a hierarchy of “brokers”, “managers”, “processors” and “straw borrowers” falsified bank loan documents and supporting documentation in order to obtain various auto and consumer loans and lines of credit from 21 banks and credit unions.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Prieto on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Prieto.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett Named Acting United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, with the resignation of former United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe, First Assistant United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett has been named Acting United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands. In her capacity as Acting United States Attorney, Hewlett serves as the chief Federal law enforcement officer for the District of the Virgin Islands.
Hewlett has served in the United States Attorney’s Office since 1998. Prior to serving as First Assistant United States Attorney, she served as Chief of the Civil Division from 2006. In addition to her duties in the district, Hewlett serves on the Executive Office for U.S. Attorney’s Evaluation and Review Staff, which provides onsite management assistance to U.S. Attorney’s offices throughout the country to assure compliance and internal controls are met. She also served for a term of four years on the Civil Chief’s Working Group, a subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.
Prior to serving as an AUSA, Hewlett served as legal counsel with the Virgin Islands Legislature, Assistant Attorney General with the Virgin Islands Department of Justice, Law Clerk to Territorial Court Presiding Judge Verne A. Hodge, and as an associate at Bryan Cave, an international law firm in Washington, D.C. She also served as president of the Virgin Islands Bar in 2006.
Hewlett is a 1986 graduate of the College of the Virgin Islands and a 1992 graduate of Howard University Law School. Prior to law school, Hewlett worked at the Virgin Islands Daily News as a news reporter and editor.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch Named Acting United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, with the departure of former United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, First Assistant United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch has been named Acting United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. In his capacity as Acting United States Attorney, Mr. Dambruch serves as the chief Federal law enforcement officer for the District of Rhode Island.
Mr. Dambruch, named First Assistant United States Attorney in January 2014, was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney in January 2004 and Criminal Division Chief in February 2007. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Dambruch worked on, among other things, a number of significant narcotics and public corruption matters.
Prior to his tenure with the United States Attorney’s Office, Mr. Dambruch served as a state prosecutor with the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for over sixteen years, including appointments as Chief of the Narcotics Prosecution Unit, Chief Prosecutor for Kent, Newport and Washington Counties, and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.
Mr. Dambruch is a 1982 graduate of Providence College and received his law degree from Boston College Law School in 1985.
Mr. Dambruch announced today that the leadership team in the United States Attorney’s Office will remain the same.
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Federal Jury Convicts Murfreesboro Man of Smuggling Silencers into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Paul Gratton, 50, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., was found guilty today by a federal jury of delivering of a firearm to a common carrier without written notice; illegal shipment of a firearm with intent to commit a felony; illegal importation of a firearm; illegal receipt of a firearm that had been imported; and unlawful possession of unregistered silencers, announced Jack Smith, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. The jury acquitted Gratton of tampering with evidence.
The jury returned its verdict following a two-day trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Kevin H. Sharp.
The evidence at trial showed that, in the spring of 2015, Gratton, who owns a helicopter servicing business in Murfreesboro, traveled to England, where he purchased six firearm silencers, none of which had serial numbers, from a firearms dealer in Sheffield. Gratton put some of the silencer parts into a DHL package, which he deliberately mislabeled in order to ensure that those silencers got through U.S. Customs without being discovered by the authorities. Gratton put other silencer parts into his checked baggage, and flew back to Murfreesboro. Federal law enforcement officers later obtained a search warrant for Gratton’s residence, where they recovered the silencers and obtained a confession from Gratton.
Gratton faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms & Explosives; the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office; and the Murfreesboro Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Schrader and Ahmed Safeeullah.
Erie Felon Unlawfully Possessed FirearmRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
Kevin Dimitri Tate, 24, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Tate unlawfully possessed a .380 ACP firearm while being prohibited from firearm possession because he is a convicted felon.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent, deter, and prosecute gun crime.
The Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, Erie Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Tate.
Drug Conspirator Sentenced to Federal Prison TimeRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – A North Carolina woman, who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in and around the Hillsville and Galax regions of Virginia, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Bianca Victoria Aroche, 24, of Sparta, N.C., previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Today in District Court, Aroche was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison.
According to evidence presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley B. Neese, Aroche, and others, distributed methamphetamine in and around Hillsville and Galax beginning around the spring of 2014 and continuing until at least August 2014.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police, the Galax Police Department, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley B. Neese prosecuted the case for the United States.
Criminal Organization Indicted and Arrested for Narcotics, Aggravated Identity Theft and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 6, 2017, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a superseding indictment against twelve defendants charged with various federal offenses, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Drug Enforcement Administration is in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Department.
This criminal organization led by Alex Baez-Espinal participated in different illegal schemes which are detailed in the superseding indictment. Defendants Baez-Espinal, Norman Guzmán-Ramos, Kelvin Hernández and Bryan Santiago are charged in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Defendant Kelvin Hernández is facing one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Baez-Espinal, Hernández, and Guzmán-Ramos are facing charges for use of a communication facility in the commission of felonies under the Controlled Substances Act. That is, using a cellular telephone, in facilitating the commission of a felony under Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841 and 846, offenses set forth in the superseding indictment.
Defendants Baez-Espinal and Hernández were the leaders of the Drug Trafficking Organization and the Cellphone and Rental Car Fraud Schemes, described below. Baez-Espinal and Hernández obtained personal individual information (including but not limited to Social Security Numbers and Dates of Birth) of unsuspecting victims from defendants Melton Pinilla and Luis Roberto Dávila. During the conspiracy, after receiving the victim’s personal information, Baez-Espinal and Hernández checked each victim’s personal credit rating. If the victim possessed a good credit rating, Baez-Espinal and Hernández then contacted credit card companies utilizing the fraudulently obtained personal information and applied for credit cards in the victim’s name. These credit cards were then sent via the mail to Puerto Rico by the credit card companies.
According to the indictment, Baez-Espinal and Hernández would provide the fraudulently obtained personal information to Luis Roberto Rivera-Ortiz, who created fraudulent Puerto Rican driver’s licenses in the victim’s names with the photos of the “runners” or “jockeys” and other members of the conspiracy. Ultimo Carrera-Rosario also made fraudulent documents such as fraudulent social security cards and fake utility bills in the victims’ names.
Defendants Bryan Santiago-Rivera, José Vásquez-Rodríguez, Leidy Baez-Espinal and Veronica Sierra-Pabón, acted as runners or jockeys for the organization. The different fraud schemes charged are as follows:
Mail fraud conspiracy:
According to the indictment, defendants Baez-Espinal, Hernández, Santiago-Rivera, Michael Alicea, Luis Roberto Rivera-Ortiz, Ultimo Carrera, Luis Roberto Dávila, José Vázquez, Kathya Andino-Aragonés, Leidy Bez-Espinal, and Verónica Sierra-Pabón utilized the U.S. mails to obtain fraudulent credit cards in victims’ names and then use those fraudulent credit cards, along with other fraudulent documents, to purchase goods and services.
Cellphone fraud conspiracy:
During the conspiracy, Baez-Espinal, Hernández and Alicea (after obtaining fraudulent credit cards and driver’s licenses and/or social security and utility bills), paid runners or jockeys to make purchases of cellphones at retail outlets in Puerto Rico. The runners or jockeys, utilizing the fraudulent identifications, would then purchase as many cellphones as allowed by the retail outlet using the victim’s information. The runners or jockeys would make a cash down payment on the cellphone(s), and finance the remaining portion of the cost of the cellphone on the victim’s credit.
The leaders of the conspiracy, Baez-Espinal and Hernández then sold the cellphones via the internet through AMBE Group Inc., to individuals in the United States, Italy, Peru, Canada, and Mexico. From on or about 2012 until 2016, the conspiracy made approximately $3,000,000.00 from the sale of the fraudulently obtained cellphones and other electronic devices.
Rental car fraud scheme:
Baez-Espinal and Hernández also used the fraudulent credit cards and driver’s license and/or social security and utility bills to rent vehicles at car rental outlets. They paid runners or jockeys to rent automobiles from car rental outlets in Puerto Rico using the victim’s identification. The runners or jockeys made these rentals knowing that the runner and/or members of the conspiracy were not going to return the rental vehicle to the car rental outlet. Baez-Espinal and Hernández and other members of the conspiracy would then utilize the fraudulently obtained vehicle, before selling it.
In Counts 6 through 9, Alex Baez-Espinal, Hernández and Leidy Baez-Espinal are charged with wire fraud, for transmitting illegal moneys in interstate and foreign commerce by means of wire communications. In Count 10 members of the conspiracy are charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. The defendants listed in Count 10, used other persons’ Social Security Number and Date of Birth to open and utilize fraudulent credit cards affecting interstate and foreign commerce. Counts 11, 12 and 13 detail the aggravated identity theft these defendants committed including but not limited to eight victims. Counts 14, 15 and 16 are money laundering counts derived from specified unlawful activities, which were the different schemes explained above.
“These individuals were involved in different criminal schemes in which they violated several federal statutes, defrauded and stole the identity of many individuals simply to enrich themselves quickly and illegally,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The US Attorney’s Office will work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue and hold accountable those who perpetrate these schemes to enrich themselves at the expense of honest people.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Zander is in charge of the prosecution of the case, under the supervision of Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Díaz-Rex, Deputy Chief of the International Narcotics Unit. If convicted the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison in Counts 1-2. If convicted of the aggravated identity theft charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of two years in addition to the sentence imposed for the underlying felony. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated by agents from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) that investigates South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics using the Caribbean as a transshipment point for further distribution to the United States. The initiative is composed of DEA, HSI, FBI, US Coast Guard, US Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and PRPD's Joint Forces for Rapid Action.
Court Approves Desegregation Plan for Cleveland, Mississippi, SchoolsRead the Press Release
Cleveland School District to Open Consolidated Middle and High Schools by August 2017
U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown of the Northern District of Mississippi today approved a joint settlement agreement filed on Feb. 8 by the Justice Department, private plaintiffs, and the Cleveland School District. The agreement will lead to the effective desegregation of Cleveland’s middle and high schools by the start of the next school year.
Under the terms approved today, the school district agrees to comply with a May 13, 2016 court ruling mandating consolidation of Cleveland middle and high schools to remedy decades-long segregation in the school district. The consolidated high school, to be named Cleveland Central High School, will open by August at the current Margaret Green/Cleveland High campus. Also by August, the district will open the consolidated middle school (seventh and eighth grades), Cleveland Central Middle School, at the current East Side High facility. Under the agreement, sixth grade students will attend district elementary schools rather than the consolidated middle school.
As part of the agreement, the district and plaintiffs have withdrawn all alternative desegregation proposals from consideration by the Court. The district has also withdrawn its pending appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
“The Department is pleased to have reached agreement with the Cleveland School District and private plaintiffs to settle this decades-long litigation,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The plan approved today allows the community to move forward together. It reflects the parties’ shared commitment to high quality equal educational opportunities for all Cleveland students.”
Additional information is available on the Justice Department’s website at: www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-court-orders-justice-department-desegregation-plan-cleveland-mississippi-schools.
Promoting school desegregation and enforcing Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Gun PossessionRead 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 Joseph Green, 33, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in passion of a loaded firearm, was sentenced to 42 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who handled the case, stated that on August 9, 2016, Green was arrested by United States Marshals and Rochester Police officers on Child Street in Rochester. The defendant was wanted on an outstanding bench warrant for an unrelated felony matter being handled in Monroe County Court. At the time of his apprehension, Green was in possession of a Raven Arms .25 caliber pistol, loaded with one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli; the United States Marshals Service, under the direction of Charles Salina; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Ashan Benedict, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division.
Cheektowaga Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Justin Griffin, 38, of Cheektowaga, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine, before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Felicetta, who is handling the case, stated that on four occasions in August and September of 2016, the defendant sold cocaine to a confidential source. On September 21, 2016, DEA agents executed a search warrant at 2067 Broadway Avenue (upper) in the Town of Cheektowaga. Griffin was located inside the apartment in the possession of three cellphones. A plastic bag with cocaine residue was located inside a closet of the apartment. One of the three cellphones in the defendant’s possession matched the phone number used by Griffin to set up the undercover sales he made with the confidential source.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 21, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.
Charles River Laboratories International Inc. Agrees to Pay United States $1.8 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Charles River Laboratories International Inc. has agreed to pay the U.S. government $1.8 million to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act by improperly charging for labor and other associated costs that were not actually provided on certain National Institutes of Health contracts, the Justice Department announced today. Charles River is a for-profit corporation headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts.
“Contractors are expected to deal fairly with federal agencies when receiving taxpayer funds,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to ensure that contractors spend taxpayer dollars appropriately and that those who do not are held accountable.”
Charles River holds contracts with National Institutes of Health (NIH) for services relating to the development, maintenance, and distribution of colonies of animals as well as the provision of laboratory animals to the NIH. Charles River billed to NIH labor and associated costs of employees at its Raleigh, North Carolina and Kingston, New York facilities despite the fact these individuals did not render the services as Charles River had claimed. Charles River disclosed the improper billing to the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Companies that do business with the federal government must bill honestly,” said Special Agent in Charge Phillip M. Coyne of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
“We expect companies that contract with HHS to provide the services as claimed and paid for by the taxpayers,” said Chief Counsel to the Inspector General, HHS-OIG, Gregory E. Demske. “Charles River’s self-disclosure and resolution of this matter underscores the importance of contractors preventing, detecting, and remediating overcharges of labor costs to HHS. Under our contractor self-disclosure program, OIG is committed to working with HHS contractors that detect fraud issues to review, take any appropriate action, and resolve these matters fairly.”
The case was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the HHS-OIG. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Cambodian National Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHHAY LIM, age 45, a citizen of Cambodia, pled guilty today, on the day of trial, to a two-count Indictment charging him with violations of the Federal Gun Control Act.
According to the court documents, on or about March 2, 2015, LIM, an illegal alien, was found in possession of a TriStar 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Marlin Model 6082, .22 caliber rifle.
LIM faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a fine of $250,000, three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt set sentencing for May 17, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
California Man Convicted of Multi-State Heroin Conspiracy and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney’s Office announced today another conviction in connection with a Middle District of Louisiana Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation of a significant multi-state heroin conspiracy involving the distribution and sale of heroin disguised as oxycodone.
On March 9, 2017, LOGAN BRANNON, age 37, of Newport Beach, California, was convicted on all counts charged against him in an Indictment filed in October 2015, including conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, distributing heroin, and conspiring to commit money laundering. BRANNON’s guilty pleas ended a jury trial that had been in its third day before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson. BRANNON was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal and will be sentenced on June 29, 2017.
BRANNON admitted that, between December 1, 2013, and October 2015, he conspired with individuals in California and Louisiana to distribute thousands of pills that had been pressed to resemble oxycodone that, in fact, contained over 1 kilogram of heroin. Upon delivery of the pills in Baton Rouge from California, they were then distributed to mid-level drug dealers and ultimately sold to drug abusers in East Baton Rouge and Livingston Parishes. Throughout the period of the conspiracy, BRANNON knew that the pills contained heroin, and his intent was to sell and profit from the sale of significant amounts of heroin. In January, February, and March 2015, BRANNON supplied over 30,000 heroin pills for distribution in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In addition, between July 2014 and April 2015, LAMBERT and others agreed to engage in financial transactions involving the proceeds of the heroin-trafficking offenses in order to conceal and disguise the source, ownership, and control of the illegally obtained drug proceeds.
BRANNON was identified, along with 9 others, as part of a substantial heroin-trafficking and money laundering conspiracy investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Tactical Diversion Squad, Baton Rouge District Office, and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations New Orleans Field Office Division.
U.S. Attorney Green stated: “This conviction is another example of our continuing efforts to join with federal, state, and local law enforcement to neutralize the heroin epidemic sweeping our country and make our community safer. This organization sold and distributed press heroin pills disguised as oxycodone presents into our district from California. The risk created by such activity is unconscionable, particularly concerning the number of overdose deaths due to heroin use throughout our community and the nation. I greatly appreciate the hardworking team of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents and prosecutors who handled this important and impactful case.”
“The successful prosecution of the members of this drug trafficking organization should be a warning to others who engage in this type of activity,” stated DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley. “This case highlights the impact multiple agencies can have when they join forces. We will continue to work together and pursue those who threaten our communities through the smuggling and distribution of illegal and dangerous drugs and bring them to justice.”
Jerome R. McDuffie, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS – Criminal Investigation New Orleans Field Office, stated: “The prosecution of these individuals is a victory in the ongoing war against drugs. It is our extreme honor to serve alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. It is vital to follow the money of illicit drug activity. Adding the particular skills of an IRS Special Agent to the investigation of drug enterprises, such as this one, is, in part, what allows the government to seize and forfeit the monetary proceeds of the organization, and convert those funds to use in the protection of the very communities these individuals would seek to destroy.”
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Unit in the Baton Rouge District Office, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, the DEA in Orange County, California, and Newport Beach Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul L. Pugliese and Frederick A. Menner, Jr.
California Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Concealing over $23.5 Million in Israeli Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
Evaded More than $8.3 Million in Federal Taxes Over Seven Years
A Los Angeles, California businessman was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for hiding more than $23.5 million in offshore bank accounts, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to court documents, Masud Sarshar, a U.S. citizen, maintained several undeclared bank accounts at Bank Leumi and two other Israeli banks, both in his name and in the names of entities that he created. Sarshar owned and operated Apparel Limited Inc., a business that designed, manufactured and sold clothing and other apparel. For decades, with the assistance of at least two relationship managers from Bank Leumi and a second Israeli bank (Israeli Bank A), Sarshar hid tens of millions of dollars in assets in these accounts in an effort to conceal income and obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Between 2006 and 2009, Sarshar diverted more than $21 million in untaxed gross business income to those undeclared accounts and earned more than $2.5 million in interest income from the funds. Sarshar reported none of this income on his 2006 through 2012 individual and corporate tax returns. He also filed false Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, commonly known as FBARs, with the U.S. Department of Treasury on which he omitted his ownership and control of these offshore accounts.
“Masud Sarshar used every trick to avoid paying his taxes: he moved his money from foreign bank to foreign bank; switched passports and had his statements smuggled to the United States on a thumb drive secreted in the necklace of a bank manager,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg. “He even tapped the funds in his offshore accounts through financial maneuvers that he thought would not leave a paper trail. However, Sarshar found out today -- with the imposition of a two-year prison sentence -- that secret foreign bank accounts can no longer be safely hidden from the Department of Justice and the IRS.”
“Mr. Sarshar’s conduct was both egregious and staggering,” said Chief Richard Weber of IRS Criminal Investigation. “He knew the laws and purposefully hid his income to avoid paying taxes, cheating not only the U.S. government, but other law abiding tax payers who uphold their tax obligations. Hiding income in offshore banks is not tax planning, it’s fraud.”
Sarshar’s relationship managers at Israeli Bank A (RM1) and Bank Leumi (RM2) visited him frequently in Los Angeles. At Sarshar’s request, neither bank sent him his account statements by mail. Instead, RM1 and RM2 provided Sarshar with his account information in person. RM2 concealed Sarshar’s account statements on a USB drive hidden in a necklace that she wore when she visited Sarshar in the United States. Sarshar’s meetings with RM1 sometimes occurred in Sarshar’s car. RM1 and RM2 used their visits to offer Sarshar other bank products, including “back-to-back” loans. Through back-to-back loans, which Bank Leumi made to Sarshar through its branch in the United States and which Sarshar collateralized with funds from his account at Israeli Bank A, Sarshar was able to bring back to the United States approximately $19 million of his assets without creating a paper trail or otherwise disclosing the existence of the offshore accounts to U.S. authorities. At the direction of RM1 and RM2, Sarshar also obtained Israeli and Iranian passports in an effort to avoid being flagged as a U.S. citizen by the banks’ compliance departments. The banks still flagged Sarshar as a U.S. citizen after Sarshar received these two passports, so RM1 and RM2 advised him to transfer his remaining funds from Israeli Bank A to Israeli Bank B, which Sarshar did in late 2011. In addition, with the help of someone identified as Individual 1, Sarshar transferred approximately $5.8 million from his Bank Leumi accounts to an account at Hong Kong Bank A, which Individual 1 then helped transfer to Sarshar in the United States, disguising it as a loan to Apparel Limited.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, Sarshar was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay more than $8.3 million in restitution to the IRS, plus interest and penalties. Sarshar also agreed to pay an FBAR penalty of more than $18.2 million for failing to report his Israeli bank accounts.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant Chief Tino M. Lisella and Trial Attorney Timothy M. Russo of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their substantial assistance in the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Billerica Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Brian Ashley, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. scheduled sentencing for June 19, 2017.
In February 2016, federal agents in Montana executed a search warrant at the home of an individual who had been sending and receiving images of child pornography. During the search, the individual was interviewed and agreed to allow agents to assume his online identities – including his Kik Messenger account. Kik Messenger is an online service that allows users to send messages, pictures and videos.
On Feb. 23, 2016, law enforcement initiated an undercover operation on Kik by sending out a message to the Montana individual’s contact list. An individual using the Kik username “orcusvox,” with the display name Brian Ashley, responded and a conversation ensued during which orcusvox asked whether the Montana individual had “anything new?” The undercover agent told orcusvox that he had lost everything and had to start over. The Kik user orcusvox then sent the undercover agent several images of child erotica and child pornography. On March 1, 2016, the Kik user orcusvox sent the undercover agent three video files also containing child pornography.
Agents obtained customer account and IP login information for the Kik user orcusvox and confirmed that the account was registered to Brian Ashley. It was also determined that the account had been accessed on the dates of the transfers from Ashley’s Billerica home as well as from his place of employment. Investigators subsequently obtained a search warrant for Ashley’s home, which resulted in seizure of his cell phone. Forensic review of phone revealed that Ashely had exchanged child pornography with other Kik users as well. In total, 246 images and 77 videos containing child pornography were found on Ashely’s cell phone.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime 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 Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordi de Llano and Anne Paruti of Weinreb’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Berkeley County man indicted on firearm chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Martinsburg man was arrested today for a firearm violation, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Michael Eugene Decker, age 37, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was indicted on February 22, 2017 by a federal grand jury sitting in Elkins for “Armed Career Criminal Act.” The crime is alleged to have occurred on December 1, 2016 in Berkeley County.
Decker faces at least fifteen years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Auburn Man Sentenced to over Five Years for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Contact: David Joyce
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Derrick Favreau, 33, of Auburn, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was also fined $5,000. He pleaded guilty July 26, 2016.
According to Court records, in May 2014, law enforcement officers seized distributable amounts of cocaine from a hidden compartment in Favreau’s vehicle. Later, officers seized $19,000 from a hidden compartment in a second vehicle operated by Favreau and $10,000 during the execution of a search warrant.
This case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Maine State Police, the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments, and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office.
Albuquerque Felon Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Manuel Herrera, 50, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Herrera was arrested in Jan. 2017, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Sept. 11, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the indictment, Herrera was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for forgery, aggravated driving while intoxicated, bribery or intimidation of a witness, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a controlled substance, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
During today’s proceedings, Herrera entered a guilty plea to the indictment, and admitted possessing a firearm and ammunition on Sept. 11, 2016. At sentencing, Herrera faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of AlabamaRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Alabama announces that Steve Butler is the Acting United States Attorney as of midnight, March 10th 2017. Mr. Butler is a career attorney with the Department of Justice with over 20 years of service.
Mr. Butler has spent approximately the past 14 years serving the United States Attorney Office for the Southern District of Alabama. During his time in the office he has served as the First Assistant United States Attorney (FAUSA) and Chief of the Civil Division from 2013 to present.
Prior to becoming the FAUSA and the Chief of the Civil Division, he served as the Chief of the Appellate Division from 2007 to 2013; as the Deputy Criminal Chief from 2008 to 2012; and was an Assistant United States Attorney assigned to the Criminal Division from 2003 to 2007, where he prosecuted general crimes, white collar, and public corruption. Prior to arriving at the United States Attorney’s Office in 2003, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Kristi DuBose. He also served two tours of duty in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC.
Acting United States Attorney AnnouncedRead the Press Release
Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: The United States Attorney’s Office announced that on Friday the President of the United States requested the resignation of U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II. Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, Richard W. Murphy, previously the First Assistant U.S. Attorney (“FAUSA”) is now the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Murphy has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for nearly 27 years and as FAUSA since September 2010. He is a South Portland native. He graduated from Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts and from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor. He was a partner in the Portland law firm of Pierce Atwood before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1990.
Saturday 11 March 2017
Statement Regarding US Attorney David CappRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- The United States Attorney’s Office announced that David Capp has submitted his resignation as United States Attorney as requested by the President.
Capp stated: After 31 years at the United States Attorney’s office I have submitted my resignation as United States Attorney. I had advised my office last summer that it was my plan to retire in 2017. I had been looking toward a June retirement, so this is just a few months earlier.
It has been my greatest honor and privilege to serve all these years. The work we do in the United States Attorney’s Office has such an important positive impact on the citizens of northern Indiana. I want to thank the men and women of the USAO for their dedication and professionalism, day-in and day-out. They are the people that do the hard work!
Some years ago I spoke one evening at a church in Gary. We had just made some arrests and closed down a drug operation in the neighborhood the church served. Afterwards a gentleman came up to me, shook my hand, thanked me for our efforts and told me “now my grandchildren can play in the yard again.” That has always stuck with me and kept me focused on what our work is really about. I hope that I have played a part in making more yards in the Northern District of Indiana safe for “grandchildren to play in.”
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Statement by U.S. Attorney Preet BhararaRead the Press Release
“Today, I was fired from my position as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Serving my country as U.S. Attorney here for the past seven years will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life, no matter what else I do or how long I live. One hallmark of justice is absolute independence, and that was my touchstone every day that I served. I want to thank the amazing people of the Southern District of New York, the greatest public servants in the world, for everything they do each day in pursuit of justice. They will continue to do the great work of the Office under the leadership of Joon H. Kim, the current Deputy U.S. Attorney, who will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney.”
Statement by U.S. Attorney Preet BhararaRead the Press Release
“Today, I was fired from my position as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Serving my country as U.S. Attorney here for the past seven years will forever be the greatest honor of my professional life, no matter what else I do or how long I live. One hallmark of justice is absolute independence, and that was my touchstone every day that I served. I want to thank the amazing people of the Southern District of New York, the greatest public servants in the world, for everything they do each day in pursuit of justice. They will continue to do the great work of the Office under the leadership of Joon H. Kim, the current Deputy U.S. Attorney, who will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney.”
Friday 10 March 2017
Woodbridge Resident Convicted of Robbery and MurderRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Bernardo Eugene Ford, Jr., 26, of Woodbridge, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury on charges related to his robbery and murder of a drug dealer in Falls Church.
On Jan. 5, 2017, Ford was charged in an indictment with conspiracy, armed robbery of a drug dealer, and using firearms in committing that robbery. According to the evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 23, 2016, Ford and another person, his co-conspirator, went to the victim’s apartment located on the 23rd floor of the South Tower of Skyline Towers off Seminary Road in Falls Church, intending to rob him of his drugs and drug proceeds. When the drug dealer resisted, Ford and his co-conspirator shot him, first in the arm and then in the back as he attempted to flee, severing his spine. Ford and his co-conspirator then fled, leaving behind approximately $2400 in cash hidden in the drug dealer’s closet, but taking with them one of the victim’s iPhones.
Telephone records introduced by the prosecution showed Ford’s and the victim’s phones contacting the same cell phone tower minutes after the murder and approximately two miles away from the apartment. Ford’s Facebook records contained communications in which he discussed with two different persons his intention to rob drug dealers. Cartridge casings and bullets recovered from the apartment were fired from two different semi-automatic handguns, leading to the conclusion that two persons were involved in committing the crime.
Ford faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison when he is sentenced on June 9, 2017. 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.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Rich and Carina Cuellar are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-149.
Volkswagen AG Pleads Guilty in Connection with Conspiracy to Cheat U.S. Emissions TestsRead the Press Release
Volkswagen AG (VW) pleaded guilty in federal court in Detroit today to three felony counts charging: (1) conspiracy to defraud the United States, engage in wire fraud, and violate the Clean Air Act; (2) obstruction of justice; and (3) importation of merchandise by means of false statements. As part of the plea, VW agreed to pay a $2.8 billion penalty as a result of the company’s decade-long scheme to sell diesel vehicles containing software designed to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. In January 2017, VW had agreed to plead guilty to resolve these criminal charges.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Martinez of the Chicago Area Office of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) and Special Agent in Charge David Gelios of the FBI Detroit Field Office, made the announcement.
VW pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sean F. Cox of the Eastern District of Michigan. Specifically, VW pleaded guilty, first, to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and VW’s U.S. customers and to violate the Clean Air Act by lying and misleading the EPA and U.S. customers about whether certain VW, Audi and Porsche branded diesel vehicles complied with U.S. emissions standards, using cheating software to circumvent the U.S. testing process and concealing material facts about its cheating from U.S. regulators. Second, VW pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying documents related to the scheme. And third, VW pleaded guilty to importing these cars into the United States by means of false statements about the vehicles’ compliance with emissions limits. After accepting VW’s plea, Judge Cox scheduled the company’s sentencing for April 21, 2017.
The FBI and EPA-CID investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by members of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, including: Chief of the Securities and Financial Fraud Unit Benjamin D. Singer, as well as Trial Attorneys David Fuhr, Alison Anderson, Christopher Fenton and Gary Winters. Also prosecuting the case are members of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section, including: Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Blackwell. Additionally, the case is being prosecuted by members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, including Criminal Division Chief Mark Chutkow, Economic Crimes Unit Chief John K. Neal and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Wyse. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also assisted in the case. The Justice Department extends its thanks to the Office of the Public Prosecutor in Braunschweig, Germany.
Volkswagen AG Pleads Guilty in Connection with Conspiracy to Cheat U.S. Emissions TestsRead the Press Release
Volkswagen AG (VW) pleaded guilty in federal court in Detroit today to three felony counts charging: (1) conspiracy to defraud the United States, engage in wire fraud, and violate the Clean Air Act; (2) obstruction of justice; and (3) importation of merchandise by means of false statements. As part of the plea, VW agreed to pay a $2.8 billion penalty as a result of the company’s decade-long scheme to sell diesel vehicles containing software designed to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. In January 2017, VW had agreed to plead guilty to resolve these criminal charges.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Martinez of the Chicago Area Office of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) and Special Agent in Charge David Gelios of the FBI Detroit Field Office, made the announcement.
VW pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sean F. Cox of the Eastern District of Michigan. Specifically, VW pleaded guilty, first, to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and VW’s U.S. customers and to violate the Clean Air Act by lying and misleading the EPA and U.S. customers about whether certain VW, Audi and Porsche branded diesel vehicles complied with U.S. emissions standards, using cheating software to circumvent the U.S. testing process and concealing material facts about its cheating from U.S. regulators. Second, VW pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying documents related to the scheme. And third, VW pleaded guilty to importing these cars into the United States by means of false statements about the vehicles’ compliance with emissions limits. After accepting VW’s plea, Judge Cox scheduled the company’s sentencing for April 21, 2017.
The FBI and EPA-CID investigated the case. This case is being prosecuted by members of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, including: Chief of the Securities and Financial Fraud Unit Benjamin D. Singer, as well as Trial Attorneys David Fuhr, Alison Anderson, Christopher Fenton and Gary Winters. Also prosecuting the case are members of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section, including: Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Blackwell. Additionally, the case is being prosecuted by members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, including Criminal Division Chief Mark Chutkow, Economic Crimes Unit Chief John K. Neal and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Wyse. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also assisted in the case. The Justice Department extends its thanks to the Office of the Public Prosecutor in Braunschweig, Germany.
United States Postal Service Letter Carrier Convicted of Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
A United States Postal Service letter carrier was convicted at trial of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Max Eamiguel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and Cissy Proctor, Executive Director, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), made the announcement.
Yvenel Clotaire, of West Palm Beach, was convicted yesterday, following a four-day federal jury trial in West Palm Beach, Florida of conspiring to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2017, before United States District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg.
According to the court record, including evidence introduced at trial, Clotaire engaged in a scheme to obtain fraudulent unemployment benefits from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), while the defendant was working as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service. Clotaire provided coconspirators with the residential addresses of approximately 50 to 60 individuals on his postal route, to be used in furtherance of the scheme. Fraudulent unemployment applications, using the addresses and stolen identities of postal customers, were then submitted to DEO and resulted in the issuance of Florida Visa debit cards. The debit cards were mailed through interstate commerce to the residential addresses on the defendant’s postal route. The cards were ultimately transferred to at least one other co-conspirator and used to make withdrawals from ATMs. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the State of Florida sustained approximately $90,000 in financial losses.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DOL-OIG, USPS-OIG, USPIS and DEO. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley retiring after 25 years of federal serviceRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Stephanie A. Finley, United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, announced today that she is retiring after 25 years of federal service.
Finley began her public service in the military in 1988 after she was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, competing nationally and being designated as a Distinguished Graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. She served for four years on active duty at England Air Force Base, Louisiana and Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where she also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for both installations. Ms. Finley served as a member of the Judge Advocate Corps for 25 years and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. She is a graduate of Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College. Ms. Finley is the recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal, four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal, one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Air Force Longevity Service, one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the Air Force Training Ribbon. She retired in November of 2016.
During her Reserve career, she was assigned to Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, the 8th Air Force, and the 2nd Bomb Wing. As a JAG officer, she served as a hearing officer for criminal cases and administrative discharge boards, worked in the areas of contract and labor law and military justice, as well as providing legal assistance services for active duty, reservists and dependents of the military.
Ms. Finley began her career with the Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney in October of 1995. Prior to her appointment as U.S. Attorney in June of 2010, Ms. Finley served as the District’s Senior Litigation Counsel and was responsible for the District’s training and mentoring programs. She also served as the Deputy Criminal Chief for the Lafayette Office. In her 21-plus years with the Department of Justice, she prosecuted cases involving white collar crimes, violent crimes, civil rights, environmental crimes, drug trafficking, public corruption and tax evasion.
Finley served on Attorney General Eric Holder’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) from 2011-2013. The Attorney General Advisory Committee was created to serve as the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and to advise the attorney general on policy, management and operational issues impacting the offices of the U.S. Attorneys. In addition, she also served as Co-Chair and Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Office of Management and Budget Committee, and on a number of subcommittees and working groups for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, to include the Civil Rights Subcommittee, Native American Issues Subcommittee, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Working Group, Environmental Issues Working Group, Racial Disparities Working Group, and the Service Members and Veterans Rights Working Group. Finley also served as a board member of the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Board.
Under Ms. Finley’s leadership, transparency and outreach were District priorities. Her office initiated and conducted numerous outreach efforts designed to strengthen relationships between law enforcement partners, citizens, schools, and community groups. Ms. Finley also focused her attention on developing in-house programs designed to develop leadership among both attorneys and support staff. As the chief law enforcement officer of 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, her emphasis was on civil and criminal cases with a strong federal nexus. Between 2010 and 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through its amped up Financial Litigation Unit, collected more than $101 million in civil and criminal actions.
Known for her commitment to the children of this District, Ms. Finley engaged the district’s clergy, civic, nonprofit, and business communities through community forums, roundtable discussions and a myriad of speaking engagements. She often on her own time and at her own expense visited the District’s youth at schools, community centers, and nonprofit organizations. Ms. Finley was also a frequent speaker at law enforcement events. She prioritized the District’s Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC) efforts to provide countless training sessions for federal, local and state law enforcement agencies designed to enhance their enforcement abilities to keep our communities safe.
Ms. Finley ensured that all five of the division offices were operational and the Lafayette and Shreveport offices were fully staffed, navigating through several financial challenges, including a hiring freeze, government shutdown and budget sequestration.
Ms. Finley is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Grambling State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Southern University Law Center where she received her Juris Doctorate in 1991 and was the Editor in Chief of the Law Review.
Ms. Finley has been recognized for her longstanding dedication and commitment to the community. She previously served as the Criminal Bar Examiner and an Assistant Bar Examiner for the Louisiana Bar, is a frequent youth conference lecturer on the local and state level, and has been honored as a “Top 20 Under 40” recipient, one of Lafayette’s “Women Who Means Business,” a “Person of Excellence” recipient from the National Association of University Women, a Torchbearers’ Award recipient, a Southern University Law Center Hall of Fame inductee, a recipient of Grambling State University’s Beacon Award for Public Service, a Public Service Award recipient at Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Regional Conference, and various other Achievement Awards
“I have been truly blessed to serve my nation in the capacity of the United States Attorney, Assistant United States Attorney, Special Assistant United States Attorney, and Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force. I am extremely proud of the District’s accomplishments over the last six and a half years; there are too many to mention. But, as I have said from day one, no one does this alone. Today, I would like to thank all of the unsung men and women of the Western District of Louisiana who are some of the finest public servants in our state and nation. They are the reasons why my service has been so gratifying and successful. I want to also thank the men and women who serve in our partner federal agencies and our tribal, state and local partners. The public will never know the magnitude of our ongoing collaboration to keep the citizens of our communities safe and to represent the United States. I also thank my family and friends who have been supportive throughout my career.
The work of the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office will continue. My service to our nation and state will also continue; it will now be in my private capacity. I am excited about what the future holds, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the United States Attorney.”