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Monday 6 March 2017
Donna Young Sentenced for Bankruptcy MisrepresentationRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Donna Young, 68, of Wilmington, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington following her guilty plea to a charge that she made false statements under penalty of perjury in a bankruptcy case she filed. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III placed Young on one year of probation.
On April 13, 2016, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned a three-count false statement indictment against Young. According to the indictment, on two dates in 2013 and a third time in October 2014, Donna Young filed bankruptcy petitions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Vermont. The petitions were fraudulent because they were filed in the name of Donna Young's daughter, Kelli-Ann Young, without Kelli-Ann’s knowledge or consent. According to the indictment, Donna Young forged Kelli-Ann Young’s signature on each of the petitions, which she swore to under penalty of perjury. At the time the petitions were filed, there was a foreclosure and eviction proceeding pending in Vermont state court involving a property in West Dover that Kelli-Ann Young had at one time owned. Donna Young was living in the West Dover house during the foreclosure and the filing of the bankruptcy petitions automatically stayed those eviction proceedings. Young pled guilty last November.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Young is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donathan Taylor, 19, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges stemming from two robberies and a home break-in, all committed in broad daylight and in different neighborhoods, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Taylor pled guilty on March 3, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of armed robbery, robbery, and destruction of property. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of seven years in prison. The Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles set a hearing for May 19, 2017 to determine whether the plea and sentence will be accepted.
In his guilty plea, Taylor admitted involvement in three crimes: damaging a door during a home break-in that took place at about 10:30 a.m. on April 1, 2015, in the 200 block of 17th Street NE; a robbery that took place at about 11:35 a.m. on May 25, 2016, in the 1600 block of G Street SE, and an armed robbery that took place at about 2:45 p.m. on June 24, 2016, in the 600 block of Buchanan Street NW. A co-defendant is awaiting trial in the latter robbery.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Latent Fingerprint Unit of the Forensic Science Laboratory of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Romano and Kamil E. Shields, who prosecuted the case.
Dexter Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Cocaine and Oxycodone Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Mark Tasker, 49, of Dexter, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and oxycodone and maintaining a drug involved premise. He pleaded guilty on July 20, 2016.
According to court records, between January 2002 and November 2014, Tasker conspired with Kelli Mujo and her father, Roger Belanger, to distribute cocaine and oxycodone in the Dexter area. The drugs were acquired by Mujo and Belanger in Rhode Island and transported to Maine. From January 2012 until November 2014, Tasker used his residence in Dexter to distribute them.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Levy observed that the length and breadth of the conspiracy was “extraordinary” and that Tasker had participated in it during its entire existence.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, with assistance provided by the Dexter Police Department, the Penobscot, Somerset and Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Offices.
Dallas Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS, Texas — On Friday, March 3, 2017, U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater sentenced Pablo Erick Quincosa-Cabrera, 42, of Dallas, Texas, to 210 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in November 2016, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
According to documents filed in the case, on five separate occasions between April 2016, and September 2016, Quincosa-Cabrera possessed with the intent to distribute or distributed half-kilogram to kilogram quantities of methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allen Police Department, the Garland Police Department, and Rockwall Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam prosecuted.
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Connecticut Man Sentenced to 13 Years’ Imprisonment for Committing Six Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Sandy Lee Parks, age 61, of New Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 156 months’ imprisonment for six bank robberies in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Parks previously pleaded guilty to all six counts in a criminal information charging the following bank robberies and armed bank robberies:
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Savings Institute Bank & Trust, Westerly, Rhode Island, on February 20, 2015;
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Coastway Credit Union, Warwick, Rhode Island, on June 16, 2015;
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Citizen’s Bank, Stonington, Connecticut, on June 24, 2015;
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People’s Security Bank, Duryea, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 2015;
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Wells Fargo Bank, Plymouth, Pennsylvania, on July 10, 2015; and
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First Niagra Bank, Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, on July 17, 2015.
Shortly after the First Niagra Bank robbery on July 17, 2015, officers from the Upper Macungie Police Department arrested Parks, who was driving the vehicle identified in surveillance footage as the getaway car. A search incident to arrest revealed a pellet gun and other evidence connecting him to the First Niagra robbery. Parks has been detained in federal custody since his arrest.
In addition to the 156-month term of imprisonment, Judge Mannion also ordered that Parks be placed on supervised release for a period of three years following the service of his sentence. Judge Mannion further ordered that Parks make restitution in the amount of $49,816, which represents the total amount of money stolen in the first five robberies. The amount of $8,140 stolen from First Niagra Bank was previously returned.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Duryea, Plymouth Township, Upper Macungie, Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, Wilkes-Barre Township, Plains Township, Jenkins Township, West Pittston, Edwardsville, Warwick, Rhode Island, Hanover, and Kingston Police Departments, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys John Gurganus and Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
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Columbia Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Bill Day (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Christopher Lee Holton, age 29, of West Columbia, South Carolina was sentenced Thursday, March 2, 2017, in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a). United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis, of Columbia, sentenced Holton to one year imprisonment to be followed by five years of Supervised Release.
Evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that Holton was convicted and sentenced for Molesting a Child and Sexual Misconduct with a Minor in Indiana. Holton's conviction resulted in his being required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORNA). SORNA requires sex offenders to register with law enforcement agencies by providing contact information such as their address and to notify the agencies if they intend to move or the information changes. Holton registered as a sex offender in Indiana when he was released from prison in January 2015 but in August 2015 the Whitley County Sheriff's Office (Indiana) discovered that Holton had moved without notifying them. Holton was located and arrested in West Columbia in August 2016. The investigation revealed that Holton had been living in South Carolina for approximately eight months but did not register, when he arrived in South Carolina, as a sex offender as required by SORNA.
The case was investigated by agents of the United States Marshal Service (USMS) and Whitley County Sheriff's Office (Indiana). Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day II of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
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Colombian Paramilitary Leader Sentenced to More than 15 Years in Prison for International Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A senior paramilitary leader and one of Colombia’s most notorious drug traffickers was sentenced on Friday to serve 198 months in prison for his role leading an international drug trafficking conspiracy responsible for the importation of ton-quantities of cocaine into the United States. Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Chief of Operations Anthony Williams of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.
Hernan Giraldo Serna, a Colombian national, pleaded guilty in 2009 to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine knowing and intending that it would be imported into the United States. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton imposed the sentence.
According to admissions in the plea agreement, Serna ascended to a leadership position in 1996 within the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (United Self Defense Forces of Colombia or AUC), a terrorist and paramilitary organization in Colombia. In September 2001, the AUC was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State. In May 2003, the AUC was placed on the Significant Foreign Narcotics Traffickers list by order of the President, pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. In February 2004, Giraldo Serna individually was designated as a Tier II Kingpin by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, subjecting him to severe economic sanctions under the Kingpin Act.
The statement of facts also established that Giraldo Serna became a senior commander in the AUC by 1996, and his armed force controlled a significant part of northern Colombia. In connection with his guilty plea, Giraldo Serna admitted that, from the early 1990s through the early 2000s, soldiers operating under his direction controlled large areas in northern Colombia where cocaine was cultivated, produced and distributed. Giraldo Serna also admitted to providing security for drug traffickers in the region under his control, including those individuals responsible for coca cultivation and distribution. Giraldo Serna also admitted to knowing that multi-ton quantities of cocaine were manufactured and transiting the region under his control and that significant quantities of that cocaine was transported to the United States. He further admitted his responsibility for the illegal importation of thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
“The sentence demonstrates the successful and vigorous partnership we have with our law enforcement colleagues in Colombia. We have been able to disrupt the flow of drugs coming from the north coast of Colombia, and punish the narco-traffickers responsible,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “This defendant, operating with the resources of an illegal para-military group that controlled drug trafficking in a large portion of northern Colombia, distributed large quantities of cocaine into international commerce, much of which was imported into the United States. International drug traffickers who believe they can operate with impunity learn the hard way that they cannot, and we will continue to work with our international partners to bring to justice those who knowingly transport cocaine to the United States.”
“DEA agents work every day to attack global criminal networks that use drug trafficking as a means to finance their terrorist activities and we are pleased that this AUC leader will finally face American justice,” said DEA Chief of Operations Williams. “We will continue to work with our international partners as DEA targets the transnational criminal groups destroying the lives of many people around the world.”
Today’s sentence does not account for violations of Colombian human rights-related laws allegedly committed by Giraldo Serna, which are being addressed in Colombia through the Justice and Peace process – a legal framework enacted in 2005 to facilitate the demobilization of its paramilitary organizations – and Colombian criminal justice system.
The case was investigated by DEA’s Bogota and Cartagena, Colombia Country Offices, and the DEA Special Operations Division. The government of Colombia provided invaluable assistance through the investigation, prosecution, and sentencing of this case, with specific assistance provided by the Judicial Police of the Prosecutor General’s Office in Colombia and the Colombian National Police.
This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Paul Laymon of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), with significant assistance provided by the NDDS Judicial Attachés in Bogotá, Colombia; the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs; and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Colombia (Fiscalía), including the Fiscalía’s Transnational Justice program.
Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Jesus Alberto Bueno-Meza was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Brian Stretch and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin.
Bueno-Meza, 48, a citizen of Mexico who was living in the San Jose area at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty on November 28, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A)(viii). According to the plea agreement, Bueno-Meza admitted he conspired with other individuals to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine between July 2013 and September 2015. He also admitted that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, he distributed cocaine and possessed with the intent to distribute cocaine on numerous occasions over his approximately two years of participation in the conspiracy.
Bueno-Meza was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 8, 2015. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, three counts of use of a communication facility (telephone) to commit a felony drug offense, and one count of illegal re-entry after deportation.
The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Edward J. Davila, U.S. District Judge. In addition to the prison term, Judge Davila also sentenced Bueno-Meza to a five-year period of supervised release. The defendant currently is released on bond and has been ordered to begin serving his sentence on June 22, 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chinhayi Cadet is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney. This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Clinic Manager Heads to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The 47-year-old owner and operator of Elite P. Care Medical Services has been sentenced for her role in a health care fraud conspiracy that billed Medicare and Medicaid for more than $1 million in fraudulent health care claims, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Verona Spicer, of Houston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and health care fraud charges in October 2015. Today, she was ordered to federal prison for 33 months.
Spicer had clinics located on Harwin Drive in Houston and in Port Arthur. She submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid that fraudulently billed for physician office visits not performed by a licensed physician, physical therapy services not provided or performed by a licensed physical therapist and medical diagnostic tests not ordered as medically necessary by a licensed physician.
Spicer paid Houston physician Dr. Jocelyn Pyles, 59, of Sugar Land, who formerly worked full-time as a physician for the City of Houston. After completing her work for the City of Houston, would go to Spicer’s clinics where she signed patient medical records for patients she had not seen or examined. Spicer and Pyles signed Medicare and Medicaid enrollment applications that enabled the fraudulent billing under Pyles’ Medicare and Medicaid provider numbers.
A foreign medical graduate who was not licensed to practice medicine in the United States was actually the person who saw the patients.
Pyles was also ordered to prison after a jury convicted her of 14 counts of health care fraud in November 2015.
Spicer and Pyles were both also ordered to pay Medicare and Medicaid $560,718.62 in restitution.
The Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, FBI, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation with assistance of Medicare Zone Program Integrity Contractor, Health Integrity LLC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Redlinger prosecuted the case.
City Man to Serve 96 Months in Federal Prison for Assaulting Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – CURTIS WESLEY THOMAS, SR., 37, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange to serve the statutory maximum of 96 months in federal prison for assaulting a postal carrier, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to court records, on October 21, 2015, Thomas assaulted and robbed a postal carrier who was working delivering the mail in Southwest Oklahoma City. Specifically, the carrier was stuck in the head, punched in the face several times, placed in a choke hold, and slammed to the pavement at which time he became unconscious. The carrier’s satchel containing mail, a package scanner, and cell phone were taken. Following a thorough investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service identified Thomas as the perpetrator.
Thomas was charged by criminal complaint on December 11, 2015, and later indicted by a grand jury on September 20, 2016. He pled guilty on November 2, 2016, to assaulting the postal carrier.
At his sentencing, Judge Miles-LaGrange ordered that Thomas serve the statutory maximum of 96 months in federal prison and that his federal sentence begin only after he first serves his 20-year sentence (the first 10 years suspended) on July 5, 2016, in Oklahoma County District Court for robbery with a firearm. After serving his state and then federal sentence, Thomas must also serve three years of supervised release.
This case is a result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Brown.
Cape Cod Man Sentenced for Drug and Money Laundering RingRead the Press Release
Boston - A Cape Cod man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with running a large-scale marijuana operation and then laundering the proceeds.
David Landry, 29, of Mashpee, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Landry is currently serving a four-year state sentence for heroin distribution. The federal sentence will run concurrently with the remainder of his state sentence. In December 2015, Landry, his mother, Diane Johnson, Justin Groom and Evan Lopes, were indicted with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, money laundering, possession with intent to distribute methylone (also known as “molly”), being a felon in possession of a firearm and money laundering conspiracy.
From May 2014 to January 2015, Landry and Groom conspired to manufacture and distribute marijuana, and possessed marijuana with the intent to distribute it. Landry, who was arrested and has been in state custody since Sept. 12, 2014, continued participating in the criminal offense while in jail on the state charges. On Jan. 6, 2015, law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant at a residence on Cheryl Lane in Pocasset, Mass., and seized numerous marijuana plants and extensive growing equipment. Groom is alleged to have used the proceeds of the illegal activities to pay the rent on the Cheryl Lane house.
It is alleged that Lopes, aided by Landry, possessed with intent to distribute methylone, a Schedule I controlled substance similar to MDMA. On Jan. 15, 2015, law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant at a residence on Point Pleasant Circle in East Wareham, Mass., and seized two kilograms of methylone and several letters Landry sent to Lopes while Landry was in jail.
Landry, a convicted felon, was in constructive possession of a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol on Jan. 21, 2015, when law enforcement officers recovered the pistol during a search of a residence on Acapesket Road in Falmouth, Mass. Landry pleaded guilty to constructively possessing the gun and directing an associate to its whereabouts. Finally, from 2010 to 2015, it is alleged that Landry and his mother, Diane Johnson, conspired to launder drug proceeds in order to disguise the nature of the funds and promote continued drug trafficking.
During the sentencing hearing, the government argued that Landry is a dangerous offender whose criminal conduct lasted from at least 2010 to 2015, and continued while he was in state custody. Moreover, it involved significant, wholesale quantities of heroin, methylone, and marijuana. The marijuana grow operation involved sophisticated, expensive equipment for which Landry paid over $40,000, and from which Landry expected to produce substantial illegal revenue for years. The money laundering involved multiple bank accounts and hundreds of thousands of dollars. The loaded firearm, hidden at an associate’s residence, apparently reflected Landry’s intention to continue to use threats and violence in furtherance of his drug trafficking and money laundering activity.
On March 2, 2017, Groom was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to marijuana and money laundering offenses. Lopes and Johnson are awaiting trial.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael D. O’Keefe; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts States Police; Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings; Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald; Falmouth Police Chief Edward A. Dunne; Mashpee Police Chief Scott Carline; Bourne Police Chief Dennis Woodside; and Wareham Police Chief Kevin D. Walsh, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Heinrich of Weinreb’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
California Clinic Owner Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Role in Occupational Therapy Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A rehabilitation clinic operator in Los Angeles County was sentenced to 63 months in prison today for his role in a $3.4 million Medicare fraud scheme that involved billing for occupational therapy services that were not medically necessary and not provided.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Eillen M. Decker of the Central District of California and Special Agent in Charge Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Regional Office made the announcement.
Simon Hong, 55, of Brea, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu of the Central District of California. Judge Wu also ordered Hong to pay $2,407,857 in restitution. Hong pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
As part of that guilty plea, Hong admitted that he owned JH Physical Therapy Inc., an occupational therapy clinic in Walnut, California, but hid his ownership in the name of a “straw”or nominee owner in an effort to execute and conceal the fraudulent scheme. Hong admitted that as part of the scheme, he billed Medicare for occupational therapy services when no such services were provided to the Medicare beneficiaries. Instead, the Medicare beneficiaries received acupuncture and massage services, which were not reimbursable by Medicare. Hong further admitted that he directed co-conspirator therapists to falsify medical records to make it appear as if the services billed had been actually provided and funneled 87 percent of the proceeds from Medicare to himself.
Through this scheme, Hong admitted that he and his co-conspirators billed Medicare approximately $3,454,485 from October 2009 until December 2012 in false claims and received approximately $2,407,857.
Hong was charged by indictment on June 16, 2016, along with Grace Hong, 51, of Brea, and Keith Canlapan, 38, of West Covina, California. Canlapan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud, and Grace Hong is scheduled for trial March 21, 2017. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In a separate case, Hong was convicted by a jury in October 2016 of eight counts of health care fraud, nine counts of illegal health care kickbacks and two counts of aggravated identity theft, involving a scheme to bill Medicare for physical therapy services that were never provided to beneficiaries. On Jan. 10, 2017, Hong was sentenced in that case by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter of the Central District of California to 121 months in federal prison and remanded into custody. The 63-month sentence imposed by Judge Wu will run concurrently to the sentence imposed by Judge Carter.
HHS-OIG investigated the case. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section Trial Attorney Niall M. O’Donnell and Former Fraud Section Trial Attorney Blanca Quintero prosecuted the case.
Buffalo Man Indicted on Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury returned a two count indictment charging Eli Clark, 25, of Buffalo, NY, with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, during the early hours of October 21, 2016, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s house on Crowley Avenue in Buffalo. Police recovered approximately 250 grams of crack cocaine inside Clark’s kitchen.
Clark was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and is detained pending further proceedings on March 10, 2017, at 2:00 p.m.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff James Voutour; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Timothy Howard; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Brentwood Doctor and Wife Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
Jeffrey Cephus McCoy, Jr. 70, and Andra McCoy, 68, of Brentwood, Tenn., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States in the collection of income taxes, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee; Stuart Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Tracy Montano᷉, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation-Nashville Division.
According to the indictment, Dr. McCoy, a radiologist, provided radiological services under contracts with healthcare providers. The McCoys filed false tax returns for the years 2003‑2007 that included fictitious withholding amounts, attached false Forms 1099‑OID, and failed to report taxable income. The indictment further alleges that the McCoys submitted false documents to IRS and placed their assets in the names of nominees or in nominee bank accounts.
At the plea hearing, the McCoys admitted that from July 25, 2002, until August 13, 2014, they conspired to defraud the United States by impeding the IRS’s collection of their income taxes. The McCoy’s further admitted that they signed and filed a false tax return for the 2003 tax year that reported $439,850 in false and fictitious withholdings.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by the court, and, when sentenced, the McCoy’s face a potential statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski and Alexander R. Effendi of the Tax Division represent the United States.
Brandon Woman Sentenced for Medicaid FraudRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Misti Baker, 36, of West Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced on Friday by United States District Court Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford for healthcare fraud. Judge Crawford sentenced Baker to time served plus two years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $77,306.57 in restitution.
According to court records, between 2012 and 2015, Baker defrauded the State of Vermont’s Children’s Personal Care Services (CPCS) program. CPCS, which is jointly funded by federal and Vermont Medicaid dollars, is designed to provide supplemental assistance with self-care and activities of daily living to Medicaid-eligible children with significant disabilities or health conditions. Three of Baker’s children qualified for the CPCS program. Baker signed and submitted approximately 100 time sheets to Aris Solutions, a company that administered the CPCS program, falsely indicating that her three children had received CPCS program care. In fact, despite their eligibility, the children had not received the claimed care. Baker had Aris Solutions send the payment checks for the purported care giver to various addresses and Post Office boxes over which she had access. Baker’s actions resulted in the fraudulent payment of approximately $77,306.57.
This matter was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Boston Regional Office, and the Vermont Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and John J. Boscia. The defendant was represented by Christopher L. Davis, Esq., of Langrock Sperry & Wool LLP.
Bergen County Doctor Convicted of Taking Bribes in Test-Referral Scheme with New Jersey Clinical LabRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A family doctor practicing in Bergen County, New Jersey, was convicted today of all 10 counts of an indictment charging him with accepting bribes in exchange for test referrals as part of a long-running and elaborate scheme operated by Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services LLC (BLS), of Parsippany, New Jersey, its president and numerous associates, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Bernard Greenspan, 79, of River Edge, New Jersey, was convicted of one count of conspiring to commit violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Federal Travel Act and wire fraud; three substantive violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute; three substantive violations of the Federal Travel Act; and three substantive violations of wire fraud. Greenspan was convicted following a 11-day trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court. The jury deliberated just over four hours before returning the guilty verdict.
“We rightfully expect doctors to make their medical decisions based solely on what’s in the best interest of a patient,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “Whether they are dealing with a routine procedure or grappling with a potentially serious condition, patients should never have to worry that a doctor has violated that trust for personal greed. As we showed at trial – and the jury agreed – Greenspan abused his position and broke a wide range of federal laws when he accepted cash bribes and other illicit services in return for blood test referrals to BLS.”
“Patients have every right to insist that their physician is making medical referrals based on what is best for the patient—not what’s best for the doctor’s bank account,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher of the Newark FBI Field Office. “Bernard Greenspan decided to accept bribes in exchange for referrals and deprived patients of their right to honest services. These types of kickback arrangements cripple the healthcare industry and severely impact patient care. The FBI remains committed to investing its resources to combat these types of schemes.”
According to the indictment and testimony at trial, between March 2006 and April 2013, Greenspan received bribes totaling approximately $200,000 from BLS employees and associates. Greenspan periodically solicited and received monthly bribe payments in the form of sham rental, service agreement, and consultant payments.
In addition, Greenspan solicited and received other bribes, including payment for holiday parties for Greenspan and his office staff and additional cash bribes for ordering specific blood tests. In addition, BLS hired – at Greenspan’s specific request –a patient of Greenspan’s with whom he was having a sexual relationship. Greenspan’s referrals generated approximately $3 million in lab business for BLS.
The investigation has thus far resulted in 43 convictions – 29 of them of doctors – in connection with the bribery scheme, which its organizers have admitted involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in payments to BLS from Medicare and various private insurance companies. It is believed to be the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a bribery case.
“This verdict should serve as a warning to any health care provider that dares to put personal profit ahead of proper patient care,” said Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “HHS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to undermine the federally funded health care programs intended for our most vulnerable Americans.”
“Dr. Greenspan violated the Hippocratic Oath taken by medical professionals when he pledged to ‘come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice,” said Inspector in Charge James V. Buthorn of U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Newark Division. “The culture of kickbacks and bribery have no place in our healthcare system, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service was proud to do our part, working with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice was served today. Congratulations on the successful outcome to the agents and prosecutors who untiringly worked on investigating this case and preparing for trial.”
The investigation has recovered more than $12 million through forfeiture. On June 28, 2016, BLS, which is no longer operational, pleaded guilty and was required to forfeit all of its assets.
The conspiracy, Anti-Kickback, and Federal Travel Act counts are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. The wire fraud charges are punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison per count. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Greenspan’s sentencing is scheduled for June 20, 2017.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gallagher; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Buthorn; IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Lampert with the ongoing investigation.
The government was represented at trial by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph N. Minish and Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman reorganized the health care fraud practice at the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office shortly after taking office, including creating a stand-alone Health Care and Government Fraud Unit to handle both criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions of health care fraud offenses. Since 2010, the office has recovered more than $1.32 billion in health care fraud and government fraud settlements, judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture under the False Claims Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and other statutes.
Defense counsel: Damian Conforti Esq. and Eric Kanefsky Esq., Newark, NJ
BP Imposter Sentenced for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A legal permanent resident from Cuba who resided in Mission has been sentenced to federal prison for impersonating an officer of the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Eugene Agustin Munoz-Canellas, 55, pleaded guilty Nov. 16, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Munoz-Canellas to 18 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane considered the defendant’s extensive criminal history of theft and fraud and noted the need to impose a sentence that protected the community and promoted respect for the law.
From July 2015 to Sept. 23, 2016, Munoz falsely claimed to be an U.S. Border Patrol agent. Using that position, Munoz illegally solicited bribe payments from multiple individuals seeking legal status in the United States.
Munoz-Canellas has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Rees prosecuted the case.
Attorney Pleads Guilty for Role in Multi-Million Dollar Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain Copyright Infringement Settlements from Victims Who Downloaded Pornographic MoviesRead the Press Release
An Illinois attorney pleaded guilty today for his role in a multi-million dollar scheme to fraudulently obtain payments to settle sham copyright infringement lawsuits by lying to state and federal courts throughout the country.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota, Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and Special Agent in Charge Richard T. Thornton of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division made the announcement.
John L. Steele, 45, currently residing in Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen of the District of Minnesota. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
According to Steele’s admissions in the plea, between 2011 and 2014, Steele and co-defendant Paul Hansmeier, both practicing lawyers, executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $6 million by threatening copyright lawsuits against individuals who supposedly downloaded pornographic movies from file-sharing websites. Steele admitted that he and Hansmeier created a series of sham entities to obtain copyrights to pornographic movies – some of which they filmed themselves – and then uploaded those movies to file-sharing websites like “The Pirate Bay” in order to lure people to download the movies. Steele and Hansmeier then filed bogus copyright infringement lawsuits that concealed their role in distributing the movies, as well as their personal stake in the outcome of the litigation. After fraudulently inducing courts into giving him and co-defendants the power to subpoena Internet service providers and thereby identify the subscriber who controlled the IP address used to download the movie, Steele and Hansmeier used extortionate tactics such as letters and phone calls to threaten victims with enormous financial penalties and public embarrassment unless they agreed to pay a $3,000 settlement fee.
To distance themselves from the specious lawsuits and any potential fallout, Steele admitted that he and co-defendants created and used Prenda Law, among other firms, to pursue their claims.
According to the plea, after various courts began to restrict the defendant’s ability to sue multiple individuals in the same copyright lawsuit, the defendant changed his tactics and began filing lawsuits falsely alleging that computer systems belonging to their sham clients had been hacked. To facilitate their phony “hacking” lawsuits, Steele and Hansmeier recruited “ruse defendants,” who had been caught downloading pornography from a file-sharing website, to be sued in exchange for Steele and Hansmeier waiving their settlement fees while pursuing claims against their supposed “co-conspirators.”
According to the plea agreement, as courts began to uncover the defendant’s unscrupulous litigation tactics, judges began denying the defendant’s requests to subpoena ISPs, dismissing lawsuits, accusing Steele and co-defendants of deceptive and fraudulent behavior and imposing sanctions against the Steele and his associates. For example, on May 6, 2013, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued an order imposing sanctions against the defendant. In total, the Steele and co-defendants obtained approximately $6 million from the fraudulent copyright lawsuits.
Paul R. Hansmeier, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was charged as a co-defendant in an indictment filed on Dec. 16, 2016. The charges contained in the indictment against him are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
FBI and IRS-CI are investigating the case. Senior Trial Counsel Brian Levine of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Langner of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
steele_plea_agreement_1.pdfAppleton Man Sentenced to 72 Months Incarceration on Heroin Distribution ChargeRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on Wednesday, March 1, 2017, Jesse J. Wohlrabe (age: 30) of Appleton, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in the Fox Valley.
In pronouncing sentence, Chief U.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of Wohlrabe’s crime and the heroin addiction epidemic occurring in Northeast Wisconsin to which Wohlrabe contributed. The judge strongly condemned Wohlrabe’s prior criminal record. He concluded that Wohlrabe was deserving of a substantial prison sentence. Following his release from prison, Wohlrabe will serve 5 years on federal supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area MEG Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
Saturday 4 March 2017
Long Island Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in the Eastern District of New York charging Elvis Redzepagic with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the al-Nusrah Front, which have both been designated by the U.S. Secretary of State as foreign terrorist organizations. Redzepagic was arrested yesterday at his residence in Commack, New York, and his initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy at the United States Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers of the Eastern District of New York, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord, of the U.S. Department of Justice, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Special-Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez, of HSI New York.
As set forth in court documents, Redzepagic is a 26-year old citizen of the United States. Over the last two years, Redzepagic twice traveled to the Middle East to attempt to join a foreign terrorist organization. Specifically, in 2015, Redzepagic communicated with an individual he believed to be the commander of a battalion in Syria and a member of ISIS or the al-Nusrah Front and made attempts to join him to engage in violent jihad. In July 2015, Redzepagic traveled to Turkey and made multiple attempts to cross the border into Syria to join his associate’s organization. Unable to enter Syria from Turkey, Redzepagic traveled to Jordan in August 2016, but was stopped and deported by Jordanian authorities. In Facebook messages from October 2015, Redzepagic explained that “jihad” is when “you fight for the sake of God” and “die for the sake of Allah,” and he explicitly stated that he traveled to Turkey to “perform Jihad and join Jabhat Al-Nusra.” In subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Redzepagic admitted that at the time he attempted to enter Syria from Turkey, he was prepared to strap a bomb to himself.
“This defendant made numerous attempts to travel to Syria to wage violent jihad,” stated United States Attorney Capers. “We will continue to track down and prosecute individuals like the defendant before they are able to become foreign fighters or harm the United States and its allies.” Mr. Capers extended his grateful appreciation to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which comprises a number of federal, state, and local agencies from the region. Mr. Capers also thanked the Suffolk County Police Department, Nassau County Police Department and the Port Authority Police Department for their assistance.
“According to the complaint, the defendant traveled overseas as part of his attempt to join and provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations that were engaged in fighting in Syria,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord. “The National Security Division’s highest priority is countering terrorist threats. We will continue to work to stem the flow of foreign fighters abroad and bring to justice those who attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations.”
“As we alleged, Elvis Redzepagic was persistent in his efforts to travel overseas to ‘perform jihad’ as he said in social media posts. Traveling not once, but twice to the Middle East where he attempted to join ISIS or al-Nusrah Front in 2015 and 2016. Homegrown violent extremists, especially individuals who demonstrate determination like Redzepagic, are only mitigated through the joint efforts of local and federal law enforcement working together to protect our communities,” said Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
“Redzepagic, a U.S. citizen living in Long Island, made multiple attempts to join ISIS or al-Nusrah Front in Syria where he wanted to engage in violent jihad, which could have resulted in the death of countless individuals” said Special Agent in Charge, Melendez of HSI New York. “This arrest underscores the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies across the globe in identifying and bringing these extremists to justice before they are able to commit terrorist attacks.”
The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy and Artie McConnell, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Dan E. Stigall of the National Security Division’s Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section.
The Defendant:
ELVIS REDZEPAGIC
Age: 26
COMMACK, NY
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-M-199
Friday 3 March 2017
Utah Gang InitiativeRead the Press Release
UTAH GANG INITIATIVE CASE EXAMPLES
U.S. v Jonah Robinson
Age: 18
Orem, UT
Robinson is charged with possession of a firearm/ammunition and possession of a stolen firearm in a two-count indictment returned March 1, 2017. Robinson, a self-proclaimed member of the Kearns Town Bloods, came to law enforcement’s attention in February when he posted a video on Snapchat in which he pointed a firearm, from the window of a residence, at a group of Provo City police officers. He stated, in the video, that for “15 snapshots I’ll shoot every last one.” A concerned citizen saw the video, took screen shots, and called it to law enforcement’s attention. Robinson was on state court probation at the time of the offense. With a felony conviction, possession of the firearm used in the video, which the indictment alleges was stolen, is a violation of federal law. The case is being investigated by the Provo City Police Department, the FBI, and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force.
U.S. v Pedro Valdez-Camacho aka Pedro Chofer; aka Cota Cota; aka Jesus Gonzalez-Valdez; aka Cota Valdez-Camachor; aka Pedro Choffer; aka Jesus Cota Gonzalez-Chofer; aka Jesus Valdez; aka Pedro Valdez-Camachor; aka Jesus Gonzales Valdez-Chofer
Age: 33
Coalville, UT
A Felony Information filed Wednesday charges Valdez-Camacho with re-entry of a previously removed alien. He is scheduled for an initial appearance Tuesday at 11 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Warner. The defendant is a confirmed member of Los Paisanos. Because he has a previous federal conviction for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, he is subject to a potential 20-year sentence in the Utah case. (He was sentenced to 87 months in 2008 for the conviction in Wyoming.) Valdez-Camacho has five previous deportations/voluntary departures from the country. Law enforcement believed he posed a threat to officer safety before he was taken into custody. The case is being investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
U.S. v Joseph Hores Medina
Age: 30
Roy, UT
Medina was sentenced to 98 months in federal prison on Feb. 27, 2017, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm following a felony conviction and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He will be on supervised release for four years when he finishes his federal prison sentence. According to documents filed by prosecutors in federal court, Medina is reputed to be the leader of the Nortenos, a local criminal gang in Ogden. Following a three-month investigation, law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for his home and person. During the execution of the warrant, they found a pistol directly under the driver’s side seat. The firearm was loaded and had a high capacity magazine. They also found a red bandana, which officers recognized as representing the colors of the Nortenos. They also found several baggies of meth containing around 8.629 grams of meth, around $900 in cash, a police scanner, a stolen police badge, and other firearms, among other things. Medina is a convicted felon and prohibited from possession a firearm under federal law. He admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine with intent to distribute it to others. The case was investigated by member agencies of the Weber/Morgan Strike Force and ATF. It was prosecuted in federal court by Branden B. Miles, Chief Criminal Deputy in the Weber County Attorney’s Office, who is cross designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.
U.S. v Mahyar Movahhed
Age: 28
Iranian citizenship; Sandy, UT
Movahhed was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison on Feb. 22, 2017, after pleading guilty possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Movahhed was involved in a traffic stop executed by Unified Police Department officers in August 2016. He was found with 27.3 grams of meth. Law enforcement officers say Movahhed is an active member of the Taliban Bloods/Rose Park Taliban. As a part of his supervised release conditions following his prison term, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby ordered that he not get any new tattoos associated with a criminal street or prison gang and not wear clothing or other items that may be identified with a criminal street gang. He will be on supervised release for 36 months. Officers with the UPD/Metro Gang Unit and the FBI investigated the case. The ATF is a member of the Metro Gang Unit.
U.S. v Hector Renteria
Age: 29
Salt Lake City
Renteria was convicted of four counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense by a jury in May 2016. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in December 2016. According to a sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors in the case, Renteria is a long-time active member of the Avenues street gang. Renteria negotiated narcotics sales, including one that involved a firearm sale as well, on multiple occasions from November 2013 to June 2014. Investigators recovered about 25 grams of heroin, 595 grams of meth, and a firearm from these sales. When he was arrested, agents seized more than $2,000 cash from his wallet as well as several cell phones. A search of the phones revealed pictures of Renteria, who was not allowed to possess a firearm following a felony conviction, firing assault rifles and pistols with known gang members. Other photos show him posing with large stacks of $100 bills and making gang signs. The case was investigated by the FBI.
U.S. v Colton Paul Poore
Age: 26
Roy, UT
Poore, an Ogden Trece affiliate well-known to gang detectives in Salt Lake and Weber counties, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison Feb. 15, 2017, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. Gang officers were looking for Poore, at the time a parole fugitive, in the area of 2100 South State Street in Salt Lake City in mid-September. When Poore saw the officers, he attempted to flee. Even after he was taken to the ground, Poore continued to resist officers. Once he was taken into custody, he told officers they would find a gun in the bag he was carrying. He admitted he found the handgun and kept it for protection. The semi-automatic handgun was fully loaded with a round in the chamber. As a part of Poore’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish imposed several conditions of release he must follow after he is released from prison. The conditions preclude him from having contact of any kind with any member or associate of a criminal street gangs. He also is prohibited from getting new tattoos associated with a criminal street gang and cannot wear clothing or other items that may be associated with a gang. The case was investigated by the UPD/Salt Lake Metro Gang Unit, including the ATF.
Unlicensed Medical Professional Convicted for Role in $1.3 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Houston convicted an unlicensed medical professional who was posing as a physician yesterday for his participation in a $1.3 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office made the announcement.
Rex Duruji, 56, of Houston, was convicted yesterday of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay healthcare kickbacks and one count of healthcare fraud following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt of the Southern District of Texas. Duruji is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2017.According to evidence presented at trial, from January 2012 until May 2015, Duruji engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare by posing as a licensed physician, although he did not possess a medical license in the State of Texas. The evidence presented at trial showed that Duruji posed as a physician to induce Medicare beneficiaries to sign up for fraudulent home-health services with Koby Home Health (Koby) that were not actually provided and paid illegal cash kickbacks to the beneficiaries for those claims. According to evidence at trial, Medicare paid approximately $1.3 million in false and fraudulent claims for home-health services submitted by Koby.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Scott Armstrong and Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Two Women Plead Guilty to Orchestrating $20 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme at Seven Miami Area Home Health AgenciesRead the Press Release
Two Miami residents pleaded guilty today to fraud charges stemming from their roles in a $20 million home health care fraud scheme.
U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office, and Special Agent-in-Charge Brian Swain of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS)’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Mildrey Gonzalez, 61, of Miami, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez of the Southern District of Florida. Milka Alfaro, 40, also of Miami, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud before Judge Martinez. Sentencing for both defendants has been scheduled for May 11 before Judge Martinez.
As part of their guilty pleas, Gonzalez and Alfaro admitted that they were co-owners and operators of seven home health care agencies purported to do business in Miami-Dade County: Inar Home Care Service Corp., MA Home Health Inc., Golden Home Health Care Inc., Nova Home Health Care Inc., Finetech Home Health Inc., Homestead Home Health Care LLC and Metro Dade Home Health Inc. According to admissions made as part of their guilty pleas, Gonzalez and Alfaro recruited and paid nominees to falsely represent themselves as the owners of the home health care agencies, thereby concealing their ownership interests from Medicare and the general public. Gonzalez and Alfaro further admitted that they paid bribes and kickbacks to medical professionals, including doctors, in return for the provision of prescriptions for home health care services and referrals of Medicare beneficiaries to their home health care agencies; that they paid patient recruiters bribes and kickbacks in return for referrals of Medicare patients to the home health care agencies; and that in some cases, the Medicare beneficiaries did not need the home health care services for which Medicare paid.
Gonzalez and Alfaro admitted that as a result of the fraudulent scheme, Medicare paid approximately $20 million to the above-referenced home health care agencies.
and Alfaro were charged in a superseding indictment returned on July 20, 2016, along with Adriana Jalil, 66, of Miami, who served as a patient recruiter, and Luis Luzardo, 48, also of Miami, who utilized sham staffing companies to launder money. Jalil and Luzardo pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge Martinez earlier this year to 24 and 37 months in prison, respectively.
The USSS, FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa H. Miller, Evelyn B. Sheehan and Alison W. Lehr of the Southern District of Florida, and Fraud Section Trial Attorney L. Rush Atkinson, are prosecuting the case.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 3,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $11 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
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.
Two Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Steal Merchandise Under Control of United States CustomsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Richard Calvin Harper, 52, of Clinton, Mississippi, and Andrew Sneed, 57, of North Las Vegas, Nevada, were sentenced on March 2, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, for their convictions on charges of conspiracy to steal merchandise under the control of the United States Customs Service, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis.
Harper was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and Sneed was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison. Both defendants were also ordered to pay $1,483,011.50 in restitution to Levis Strauss and Company and its insurance company.
On July 4, 2015, Harper and Sneed conspired with others to steal long-haul trailers full of Levi’s merchandise from the United States Customs bonded warehouse located at the Levi’s facility in Madison County, Mississippi. Several hundred palettes of merchandise were stolen.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Madison County Sheriff’s office. It was prosecuted by Criminal Division Chief Darren J. LaMarca.
Two Cubans Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Possession of Stolen Account Numbers and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Eriberto Ricardo Gomez, 42, and Yasmanis L. Oduardo Fonseco, 28, have both been sentenced to two years in federal prison on their convictions for possession of fifteen or more stolen account numbers and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced. Ricardo Gomez and Oduardo Fonseco, are both Cuban Nationals who currently reside in Houston, Texas. They were sentenced in federal court in Benton, IL on March 2, 2017.
The stolen account numbers were discovered by an officer of the Caseyville, Illinois, Police Department on October 8, 2015, during a traffic stop on I-70 in Madison County. At that time, Ricardo Gomez and Oduardo Fonseco had in their possession over 100 gift cards. The magnetic strips on 19 of these gift cards had been re-encoded with account numbers registered to customers of a financial institution in the state of Pennsylvania. During their plea hearings in November of last year, both Ricardo Gomez and Oduardo Fonseco acknowledged that they used these gift cards to make fraudulent purchases at Walmart stores located in Arkansas and Manchester, MO.
In addition to all the gift cards, a computer was also seized from the vehicle that Ricardo Gomez and Oduardo Fonseco were travelling in. When this computer was searched, the FBI found 301 stolen bank account and credit card numbers. An MSR X6 credit card re-encoder was also recovered from Ricardo Gomez’s jacket pocket.
"Unfortunately, these types of crimes involving stolen account numbers are all too frequent," U.S. Attorney Boyce stated. "In addition to their financial impact, these crimes leave the victims feeling violated and vulnerable. Our office will prosecute, and seek federal prison sentences, for anyone who engages in this type of crime in Southern Illinois."
The investigation was conducted by the Springfield Division, Fairview Heights Resident Agency, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"). The Caseyville and Pontoon Beach Police Departments, assisted in the investigation. Walmart’s Global Security Department also provided significant assistance in the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.
Two Corrections Officers Sentenced for Smuggling Drugs into Middleton JailRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two former corrections officers at the Essex County Correctional Facility were sentenced recently in U.S. District Court in Boston for their involvement with smuggling Suboxone into the Essex County House of Corrections – Middleton for inmates.
Katherine Sullivan, 32, of Londonderry, N.H., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 36 months of probation, 120 hours of community service, and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. In November 2016, Sullivan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with inmates to distribute Suboxone, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, between October and December 2015.
In January 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns sentenced John S. Weir, 34, of Danvers, Mass., to the same sentence after Weir pleaded guilty to conspiring with inmates to distribute Suboxone between September and November 2014. Both Sullivan and Weir have resigned from their positions as corrections officers.
The investigations revealed that Weir and Sullivan obtained Suboxone strips from sources outside the jail and smuggled the contraband into the facility when reporting for their shifts. Inmates receiving the Suboxone from Weir and Sullivan then sold the drug to other prisoners inside the correctional facility.
Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger said, “We have a zero tolerance policy for this type of behavior and we will take swift and decisive action in all cases.”
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Essex County Sheriff Coppinger, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Bloomer of Weinreb’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the cases.
Three Plead Guilty to Firearm Straw PurchasingRead the Press Release
Concord, N.H.—Emily Gray Rice, United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, announced that Matthew Bergeron, 30, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Rashawn Dunn, 30, of Manchester, New Hampshire, and Jessica Fithian, 33, of Manchester, New Hampshire, have all pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy charges arising out of the straw purchase of firearms in 2016.
According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, Bergeron and Dunn conspired to have Dunn purchase two firearms on Bergeron’s behalf in June and July 2016 from Riley’s Sport Shop, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Hooksett, New Hampshire. Bergeron conspired with Fithian to have her purchase one firearm on his behalf in July 2016, also at Riley’s. In connection with each firearm purchase, Dunn and Fithian were required to complete an ATF Form 4473 where they falsely stated that they were purchasing the firearms for themselves, rather than for Bergeron. Bergeron also had each co-defendant purchase ammunition and extended clip magazines on his behalf. Shortly after Dunn and Fithian left the store, they provided the firearms, magazines and ammunition to Bergeron. At the time, Bergeron was a previously convicted felon and a resident of Massachusetts, and could not legally purchase firearms for himself in New Hampshire. A federal indictment was returned by a grand jury sitting in Concord on November 2, 2016.
Dunn and Fithian each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and Bergeron pleaded guilty to two counts of the same. Separate sentencing hearings for each defendant have been scheduled for June 2017, in front of Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante. At that time, each defendant will face a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years for each count of conviction. Their actual sentences will be determined by the court following completion of a presentence investigation report.
This matter is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Manchester Police Department. The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.
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Texas Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Running Fraudulent Investment Companies and Obstructing Securities and Exchange Commission InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A San Angelo, Texas, man was sentenced to 78 months in prison today for running two investment fraud schemes that defrauded investors out of approximately $900,000 over a four-year period and obstructing a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John R. Parker of the Northern District of Texas and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Costanzi of the FBI’s Dallas Office made the announcement.
Stanley Jonathan Fortenberry, 51, was sentenced by U.S. Districst Judge Sam R. Cummings of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Cummings also ordered the defendant to pay $890,310 in restitution and to forfeit $311,254. On Nov. 18, 2016, Fortenberry pleaded guilty on to two counts of mail fraud and one count of obustruction of justice.
In November 2016, when Fortenberry pleaded guilty to fraud and obstruction of justice charges, he admitted that he ran an investment company called Premier Investment Fund (Premier), which raised funds from investors for social media projects run by another company with ties to the country music industry. Fortenberry misled investors about the profitability of the company and about the destination of the investors’ funds. Fortenberry admitted that he diverted approximately half of investors’ funds into his own pocket and to pay the expenses of his fundraising operation.
Fortenberry also admitted that, from 2013 to 2014, he ran Wattenberg Energy Partners (Wattenberg), which raised funds for oil and gas drilling projects in northern Colorado. Fortenberry admitted that he set up the company in his son’s name because he was then under investigation by the SEC for misusing the Premier investors’ funds. He used a network of salespeople to solicit individuals over the phone to invest in drilling projects. Fortenberry admitted that he spent the vast majority of the funds on himself and the company’s fundraising operation. In October 2014, at an administrative hearing with the SEC, Fortenberry falsely denied having control of or working for Wattenberg.
Fortenberry admitted that the total loss to victims of both schemes was $887,311.
The FBI’s Dallas Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The SEC has provided substantial assistance in this case and referred this matter to the department.
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Texas Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Running Fraudulent Investment Companies and Obstructing Securities and Exchange Commission InvestigationRead the Press Release
A San Angelo, Texas, man was sentenced to 78 months in prison today for running two investment fraud schemes that defrauded investors out of approximately $900,000 over a four-year period and obstructing a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John R. Parker of the Northern District of Texas and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Costanzi of the FBI’s Dallas Office made the announcement.
Stanley Jonathan Fortenberry, 51, was sentenced by U.S. Districst Judge Sam R. Cummings of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Cummings also ordered the defendant to pay $890,310 in restitution and to forfeit $311,254. On Nov. 18, 2016, Fortenberry pleaded guilty on to two counts of mail fraud and one count of obustruction of justice.
In November 2016, when Fortenberry pleaded guilty to fraud and obstruction of justice charges, he admitted that he ran an investment company called Premier Investment Fund (Premier), which raised funds from investors for social media projects run by another company with ties to the country music industry. Fortenberry misled investors about the profitability of the company and about the destination of the investors’ funds. Fortenberry admitted that he diverted approximately half of investors’ funds into his own pocket and to pay the expenses of his fundraising operation.
Fortenberry also admitted that, from 2013 to 2014, he ran Wattenberg Energy Partners (Wattenberg), which raised funds for oil and gas drilling projects in northern Colorado. Fortenberry admitted that he set up the company in his son’s name because he was then under investigation by the SEC for misusing the Premier investors’ funds. He used a network of salespeople to solicit individuals over the phone to invest in drilling projects. Fortenberry admitted that he spent the vast majority of the funds on himself and the company’s fundraising operation. In October 2014, at an administrative hearing with the SEC, Fortenberry falsely denied having control of or working for Wattenberg.
Fortenberry admitted that the total loss to victims of both schemes was $887,311.
The FBI’s Dallas Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The SEC has provided substantial assistance in this case and referred this matter to the department.
Texas Man Sentenced for His Role in A Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced David Chambers Opembe (25, Texas) to three years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The Court also ordered him to forfeit $252,107.07, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense.
Chambers pleaded guilty on November 14, 2016.
According to court documents, in December 2014, Opembe’s sister, Ebony Chambers Stillwell, began working as the onsite manager for St. Giles Manor, an apartment complex located in Pinellas Park. St. Giles Manor, which was managed by SPM Property Management, was being refurbished. As part of her duties, Stillwell received and processed invoices from vendors and contractors for payment.
During the refurbishment, SPM and St. Giles Manor contracted with Erickson’s Drying Systems, a cleaning and restoration company based in Ft. Myers. Pursuant to this work, Erickson’s submitted invoices for payment to St. Giles Manor and Stillwell that were paid by checks from an SPM LLC bank account.
On January 22, 2015, Opembe registered a shell company called Erickson’s Drying Systems with the Harris County Clerk in Texas. On the same date, he opened a bank account at Regions Bank in the name of Erickson’s Drying Systems, listing himself as the sole signatory on the account and his home address in Texas. No one at the actual Erickson’s in Ft. Myers was aware of or approved the establishment of the Texas corporation or business bank account.
Between January 22, 2015, and October 23, 2015, Stillwell caused to be issued approximately 21 checks from the SPM disbursing account to the “fake” Erickson’s Drying Systems. She facilitated the automated issuance of these checks by submitting fabricated invoices that she altered using prior legitimate invoices from Erickson’s. Stillwell directed that all of these checks be delivered to her office, rather than mailed to Erickson’s in Ft. Myers. She then deposited those checks into the “fake” Erickson’s bank account opened by her brother at Regions Bank. Once the funds were deposited into the Erickson’s account at Regions Bank, Opembe withdrew cash and transferred funds to his personal checking account. The Erickson’s account at Regions was also used by Opembe and Stillwell to make their car payments and for other personal expenses. In total, approximately $262,067 in fraudulently obtained checks were deposited into the “fake” Erickson’s Regions Bank account by Opembe and Stillwell.
Ebony Chambers Stillwell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud On October 25, 2016. She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Pinellas Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Tennessee Doctor and his Wife Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Brentwood, Tennessee doctor and his wife pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Rivera for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the indictment, Jeffrey Cephus McCoy Jr., 70, and Andra McCoy, 68, filed 2003 to 2007 income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that underreported their income and claimed fake income tax withholding amounts. The indictment further alleges that the McCoys submitted false documents to the IRS and placed their assets in the names of nominees and in nominee bank accounts.
At the plea hearing, the McCoys admitted that from July 2002 through August 2014, they conspired to defraud the United States by impeding the IRS’s collection of their income taxes. The McCoys further admitted that they filed a 2003 tax return, which falsely reported income tax withholdings of $439,850.
Sentencing dates have not been set. The McCoys face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Rivera thanked special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski and Trial Attorney Alexander R. Effendi of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the divsion’s website.
Taos County Businessman Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Robert Baños, 45, of Red River, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a federal tax charge. The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Ismael Nevarez Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation.
Baños is an owner and operator of the Old Tymer’s Café and Bighorn Sports and Rental, both of which are located in Red River in Taos County, N.M. Baños was indicted on April 12, 2016, and charged with five counts of filing false tax returns. According to the indictment, Baños violated the federal tax laws during five tax years – 2009 through 2013 – by filing tax returns that failed to report his true income. During each of those tax years, Baños falsely reported that he had a negative income in the individual income tax returns he filed with the IRS.
During today’s proceedings, Baños pled guilty to Count 5 of the indictment charging him with making and subscribing a false tax return for tax year 2013. In entering the guilty plea, Baños admitted that during tax years 2009 through 2013, he underreported his businesses’ true income to a tax return preparer knowing the tax return preparer would rely on this false information to prepare and submit Baños’ tax returns. Baños also acknowledged signing, under penalty of perjury those tax returns, which he knew to be materially false for the purpose of evading federal income taxes.
At sentencing, Baños faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Baños will be required to pay restitution to the IRS that covers the amount involved in the all of the criminal activity charged in the indictment, not just the count to which he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Margaret M. Vierbuchen.
St. Croix Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Possession of Firearm by Drug UserRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – District Court Judge Raymond L. Finch, on March 2, 2017, sentenced Dwayne Wesselhoft, 29, of St. Croix, to 24 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a drug user, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Judge Finch also sentenced Wesselhoft to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a fine of $1,000 plus a special assessment of $100.
According to court records, on October 1, 2015, agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a consent search at Wesselhoft’s residence located on St. Croix. The search uncovered a 9mm Luger pistol in the master bedroom which Wesselhoft admitted was his. Agents also found a container with marijuana. Wesselhoft admitted to smoking two marijuana "joints" per day for the past five to six years.
The case was investigated by the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alphonso Andrews, Jr.
Springfield Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Cristan Taylor, 48, of Springfield was sentenced today to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Taylor pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2016. According to court documents, Taylor sold cocaine from November 2014 until February 2016. During much of this time period, Taylor obtained quantities ranging from one ounce to one kilogram at a time from Hameed Jide Bello of Fort Washington, Maryland. Taylor would then redistribute this cocaine to others in Fairfax County and Pennsylvania. In total, Taylor admitted to distributing between 3.5 and 5 kilograms of cocaine.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina A. Cuellar prosecuted the case.
The case began as a narcotics investigation initiated by the Fairfax County Police Department, and was federally investigated by the FBI and DEA as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Fifty Pounder. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
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-280.
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty to Dog-Fighting ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Randall J. Frye, 58, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring to participate in a dog-fighting ring in central Ohio.
In November 2016, Charles A. Granberry, 40, of Columbus pleaded guilty to the same dog-fighting charge and to illegally possessing a firearm.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Anthony Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge, Midwest Region, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Ron O’Brien, and Capital Area Humane Society Executive Director Rachel D.K. Finney announced the plea entered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Terrance P Kemp.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers found dogs at the homes of Frye and Granberry. Each house was used to train, fight and sell dogs, including at least 20 fighting dogs in the rear yard and attic of one house and at least nine dogs at Frye’s residence, some that were chained to heavy automobile axles buried in the ground.
Officers executed search warrants on April 5, 2016 at five Columbus houses. Agents seized evidence including more than 40 dogs along with cages, treadmills, heavy chains and collars and other items. Agents found canine blood on the floor and walls of the basement of one home indicating that the area was used as a dog fighting pit.
Items seized specifically at Frye’s residence also included dog fighting publications, articles authored by Frye about his well-known fighting dogs “Stein” (circa 1987) and “Miles Davis” (circa 1997) and shipping documents showing interstate and international shipment of fighting dogs.
Frye was charged by a Bill of Information on February 16.
Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the ongoing investigation by the USDA-OIG, Columbus Police and the Humane Society, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Michael Marous and Jessica Knight, and Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Heather Robinson, who are representing the United States in this case.
Seattle Gang Member Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Trafficking Guns and DrugsRead the Press Release
A 24-year-old Seattle man who admits being a member of a violent street gang, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. DEVONTEA ROSEMON pleaded guilty to four felony charges in November 2016: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Between January and June 2016, ROSEMON repeatedly sold guns and drugs to a person working with law enforcement. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said, “Truly dangerous weapons were being trafficked in a community where a rise in shootings is simply shocking…. There must be consequences for funneling weapons into the hands of people who commit violent crimes.”
“This defendant was a one stop shop for multiple firearms, including high powered assault style weapons,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “I commend ATF for their ongoing work to identify and stop sources of firearms that end up being used to harm our communities.”
According to records filed in the case, ROSEMON repeatedly sold cocaine from a marijuana dispensary he operated in Seattle and from his car. After a few of the sales, ROSEMON offered to sell a firearm. ROSEMON first sold the person working with law enforcement a .38 caliber pistol. Between March and June 2016, ROSEMON sold the informant several more firearms including a Ruger with an extended clip, a Century Arms rifle, a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol, a Walther PPK .380 caliber pistol, a Canik55 pistol, a Sig Sauer .38 caliber pistol, a Zastava .762 caliber pistol and a Springfield Armory .45 caliber pistol. ROSEMON also sold body armor. When law enforcement searched ROSEMON’s apartment after his arrest, they found a Norinco MAK 90 Sporter 7.62X39mm assault rifle, equipped with a 100-round drum. The weapon was simply stored on the floor of a bedroom closet where ROSEMON’s two nieces (both under the age of 5) could have accessed it.
ROSEMON is prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior robbery convictions. ROSEMON was arrested in June 2016 following the last of the gun sales.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Seattle Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years for Being A Felon in Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Anthony Leroy Haygood (28, Sarasota) to six years and five months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Court also ordered him to forfeit a Smith & Wesson revolver and six rounds of ammunition.
Haygood pleaded guilty on November 10, 2016.
According to court documents, on May 3, 2016, law enforcement officers in Sarasota attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle that was traveling at a high rate of speed. Haygood was a passenger in that car. The vehicle crashed and the driver fled. Haygood then moved from the passenger seat into the driver’s seat and drove off. After a brief chase, the officers executed an immobilization maneuver and stopped the vehicle. Haygood then fled from the vehicle on foot and was later apprehended. Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .357 caliber revolver in the car that Haygood admitted belonged to him.
At the time of this offense, Haygood had several felony convictions, including aggravated fleeing and eluding, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and battery on a law enforcement officer. As a result, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Sarasota Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program – a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Daryl R. McCray, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law-enforcement officials.
San Ildefonso Pueblo Man Arrested for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jordan Roybal, 25, an enrolled member of the San Ildefonso Pueblo who resides in San Felipe Pueblo, N.M., made his initial appearance today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer.
According to the criminal complaint, Roybal was arrested on Nov. 21, 2016, after he allegedly assaulted a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer. The assault allegedly occurred on San Ildefonso Pueblo in Santa Fe County, N.M., when Roybal was allegedly resisting arrest and challenging the officer to a fight. During the assault, which occurred while the officer was arresting Roybal, Roybal bit the officer on the wrist. In addition, the officer sustained skinned knees, a scrape on his left hand, swelling of his right knee and soreness to his left wrist.
Roybal remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing, which are currently scheduled for March 6, 2017.
If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Roybal 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 Santa Fe office of the FBI and the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas is prosecuting the case.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery and Criminal ThreateningRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Eric Rouleau, 37, of Rochester, pled guilty to robbing the Northeast Credit Union in Rochester. Rouleau also pled guilty to mailing a threatening communication to another.
According court records and statements in court, on April 22, 2016, Rouleau, who was identified through surveillance video, entered the Northeast Credit Union and produced a note which demanded, “Money Now and No One Gets Hurt.” The teller gave Rouleau the money in her drawer and Rouleau fled the bank. He later was arrested at a residence in Rochester. After his arrest, Rouleau sent a letter containing death threats to another individual.
Rouleau will be sentenced on June 13, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Rochester Police Department and the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, with assistant from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Helen White Fitzgibbon.
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Red Eagle Sentenced to Prison for Shooting Girlfriend with a .270 RifleRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced that on March 2, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris, Delvin Conrad Chad Red Eagle was sentenced to 158 months of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and required to pay a special assessment of $100.
Red Eagle shot his girlfriend with a .270 rifle in Poplar, Montana, in January of 2016. Immediately after the shooting, Red Eagle stuck the .270 under his girlfriend, called 911, and claimed that his girlfriend “committed suicide.” Authorities arrived on scene and initially believed Red Eagle’s story. The family of the victim was informed of the alleged suicide.
But local law enforcement and the FBI preserved the scene and continued to investigate for any foul play. In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon, an autopsy concluded that due to the measurements of the rifle and the victim’s physical traits, “[I]t would not have been physically possible for the decedent to sustain a self-inflicted, close-range gunshot wound with the rifle recovered from the scene.”
The FBI re-interviewed Red Eagle on March 2, 2016, who finally admitted that he took the gun away from the victim and pointed it at her. Red Eagle then pulled the trigger, claiming he did not expect the firearm to fire a round. The bullet, however, struck the victim in the head and killed her.
At sentencing, the family of the victim explained to the Court that they knew the case was not a suicide, the victim was an integral part of their family, and Red Eagle’s actions had catastrophic consequences. As a result, the Court sentenced Red Eagle to 158 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the truth in sentencing guidelines mandate that Red Eagle will likely serve all of the time imposed by the Court. In the federal system, Red Eagle does have the opportunity to shorten the term of custody by earning credit for good behavior. However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice.
Puerto Rico Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – District Court Judge Raymond L. Finch, on March 2, 2017, sentenced Gamalier Rohlsen-Arizmendi, 24, of Puerto Rico, to 63 months in prison for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Judge Finch also sentenced Rohlsen-Arizmendi to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a special assessment of $100.
Rohlsen-Arizmendi had pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute on July 27, 2016. On November 12, 2015, he along with other co-conspirator arrived on St. Croix to retrieve a load of cocaine at sea. Law enforcement agents observed Rohlsen-Arizmendi leave St. Croix by boat on November 13, 2015. At about 1:30 a.m. the next day, law enforcement tracked the same boat returning to St. Croix to Knight’s Bay Beach. Upon arriving there, they located Rohlsen-Arizmendi with two of his co-conspirators in close proximity to four suitcases which contained 87 kilograms of cocaine. All three men were charged as part of a large drug conspiracy involving 15 defendants. Seven of them have entered guilty pleas. The others are scheduled for trial on April 25, 2017.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alphonso G. Andrews, Jr.
Plant Manager for Willapa Bay Oyster Processor Sentenced for Violating Clean Water ActRead the Press Release
The manager of an Ocean Park, Washington oyster processing company who falsified important tests of the plant’s wastewater discharge and lied to state regulators about those readings was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for a felony violation of the Clean Water Act, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. LONNY HOWARD, 56, was employed as the plant manager of Wiegardt Brothers, Inc. (WBI). HOWARD admitted that, for 12 years, he falsified data to understate the amount of fecal coliform the plant was discharging into Willapa Bay. U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton imposed a sentence of one year of probation.
“Over a dozen years, this defendant consistently falsified readings intended to protect the health and safety of people using and enjoying Willapa Bay,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Fecal Coliform contamination can have particularly serious consequences for children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. The felony conviction in this case is an appropriate sanction for this defendant whose callous disregard for his legal obligations harmed the environment we Northwesterners hold dear.”
According to records filed in the case, HOWARD was the General Manager of Wiegardt Brothers between 2002 to 2014. During that period, the company was required to perform monthly tests of the wastewater by taking samples of the wastewater at the point it was discharged into Willapa Bay. HOWARD admitted that instead of doing so, he tested diluted water from source known as “bubbler,” causing the tests to understate the amount of fecal coliform in the wastewater. On some occasions, the level of fecal coliform in the bubbler was still higher than the permit allowed. In those instances, HOWARD falsified the data submitted to the state to make it appear the plant was in compliance. When asked by inspectors whether he was taking tests from the location specified in the permit, HOWARD falsely told the inspectors that he was doing so.
On August 22, 2014, the company reported the violations to the Department of Ecology and has been working with environmental regulators on a remediation plan. Regulators were unable to assess whether the violations resulted in any environmental harm.
The company and its President pleaded guilty to misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act in June 2015. Wiegardt Brothers, Inc. agreed to pay a $100,000 fine, make a $75,000 community service payment, implement an EPA approved environmental management system to insure future compliance, and publish a public apology in the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association’s quarterly newsletter. Company President Frederic “Fritz” Weigardt was jointly responsible for payment of the $100,000 criminal fine was required to complete 75 hours of community service.
HOWARD is no longer employed in the food industry or other industry with environmental compliance issues.
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and James Oesterle and Special Assistant United States Attorney Karla Perrin, with assistance from EPA Regional Enforcement Counsel Bradley Roberts.
Personal Care Attendant Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement as it Relates to a Health Care BenefitRead the Press Release
Charlottesville, VIRGINIA – A personal care attendant, who for four years lied about the amount of hours she worked for a homebound retiree, pled guilty yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville to federal false statement charges, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle and Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced.
Valteen Green, 36, of Charlottesville, waived her right to be Indicted and pled guilty yesterday to a one count Information charging her with making a false statement as it related to a health care program. Specifically, she pled guilty to defrauding the Medicaid program, implemented by the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, which allows people to hire a personal care attendant as an alternative to placement in a nursing home.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will aggressively pursue defendants who use vulnerable victims like the elderly to defraud Medicaid and other government programs,” Mountcastle said. “This defendant neglected the needs of an elderly, home-bound victim to satisfy her greed for a few thousand dollars. I commend the members of the Jefferson Area Coalition to End Elder Abuse (JACEEA) and look forward to our continuing strong partnership with that coalition to address the serious problem of elder fraud and elder abuse.”
“Billing while absent is an all too frequent form of fraud that cheats the public and endangers seniors who rely on home care,” said Attorney General Herring. “The strong relationship between my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, our federal partners, and community partners like JACEEA is what allows us to identify and stop this sort of fraud, and hold people accountable for cheating the system and their patients.”
According to evidence presented at yesterday’s guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber and University of Virginia Third-Year Law Student Kierstin Fowler, Green served as a personal care attendant for Victim A (a retiree who was primarily confined to his Charlottesville home) from September 2011 and May 2016. During this time, Green provided in-home personal care services to Victim A.
During the time in which Green was employed as Victim A’s home health attendant, she was simultaneously employed at two Charlottesville business. Although she did not have fixed daily work hours at these other two jobs, Green would often work at these locations during times which she reported she was working for Victim A.
Over the course of the investigation, it was determined that between that between October 2012 and May 2016, Green submitted false time sheets claiming she was working for Victim A, when in actuality she was working elsewhere. This fraudulent billing resulted in a total loss to Medicaid in an amount exceeding $6,000.
The investigation of the case was conducted by United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Office of the Virginia Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber and University of Virginia Third-Year Law Student Kierstin Fowler prosecuted the case for the United States.
Peridot Man Sentenced to Prison for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Yesterday, Jeremiah Johnson, 26, of Peridot, Ariz., a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 45 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting a victim on the San Carlos Indian Reservation. Johnson had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
The evidence showed that in June 2015, Johnson threw a full, 40-ounce bottle of alcohol at the victim, who was holding a child at the time. The bottle hit the child, who suffered serious injury as a result. The victim and child are also members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The prosecution was handled by Christine Keller, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-15-01409-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2017-021_Johnson
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Panama City Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Federal Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Gerald Michael Ward, 31, of Panama City, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release yesterday after pleading guilty on December 15, 2016, to receipt and distribution of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In September 2016, law enforcement officers became aware that child pornography had been posted in an online chat room, which was traced back to Ward. A search of Ward’s e-mail accounts and electronic devices revealed dozens of images and videos of child pornography, including a girl as young as two years old, bound by her wrists and tied to a bed, in addition to the discovery of images of infants being sexually assaulted. Ward also distributed at least 160 images of child pornography online to various others engaged in the trafficking of child pornography.
“Children deserve to be protected from online exploitation, and my office and our law enforcement partners are committed to pursuing child predators who target innocent children,” said United States Attorney Canova.
“Seeing this criminal behind bars is a satisfying outcome for HSI special agents, who work diligently to identify child sexual predators and bring them to justice,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “The sexual exploitation of children is a despicable crime and there are serious consequences. HSI remains committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners, as in this case with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, to aggressively pursue those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society, our children.”
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Thielemann.
The United States 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 United States 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]
Palm Beach County Resident Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Palm Beach County resident Frank Earle Noyes III was sentenced today to 384 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Kenneth A. Marra, after previously pleading guilty to the production of child pornography, in violation of Title, United States Code, Section 2251(a)(e) and enticing a minor to engage in an illegal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b).
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
According to the court record, Noyes entered into an online chat with a 12-year old minor female who lived in Minnesota. During the chat, Noyes sent the minor child pornographic images that he produced of a 5-year old minor engaged in illegal sexual conduct. Noyes was arrested and law enforcement found additional child pornographic images that he produced on his phone of a 3-year old minor female engaged in illegal sexual conduct. During the chat session with the 12-year old child, Noyes repeatedly enticed her to send him pornographic images of herself.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, Plymouth Police Department, Minnesota, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and the South Florida Minor Vice Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lothrop Morris and Ellen Cohen.
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.
Pair Charged with Manufacturing Child Pornography and Numerous Sex Offenses Against a Minor ChildRead the Press Release
Louis D. Lappen, Acting United States Attorney, announced the unsealing of a Forty-Two count indictment issued against Lawrence Jamieson, 57, of Malvern, PA, and John Brown, 25, of Norristown, PA. The pair was charged yesterday with enticing a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, manufacturing child pornography, transferring obscene materials to a minor, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of a collection of images and videos of children being sexually abused and in sexually explicit positions on various dates in 2015 and 2016. The charges involve Jamieson and Brown’s sexual abuse of the minor child on multiple occasions over more than 18 months, and their photographing, videotaping, and distributing images and videos of the abuse. Brown is also charged with taking sexually explicit photos of a second victim, an infant girl. Lastly, the indictment also charges Jamieson and Brown with maintaining collections of sexually explicit images of children taken from the Internet.
Defendant Jamieson was transported from Chester County Prison today, where he had been incarcerated on local charges for his sexual abuse of the minor child. His initial appearance was held before the Honorable Elizabeth T. Hey, Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He was detained in federal custody until Tuesday, March 7, 2017, when Jamieson is listed for arraignment and a detention hearing.
If convicted, both defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, which includes a 15-year mandatory minimum term of incarceration, and five years up to a lifetime of supervised release. Jamieson also faces a $5,750,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment of $110,100, and Brown faces a $4,750,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment of $90,100.
The case was investigated by the Willistown Police Department, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed
innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pair Charged with Manufacturing Child Pornography and Numerous Sex Offenses Against a Minor ChildRead the Press Release
Louis D. Lappen, Acting United States Attorney, announced the unsealing of a Forty-Two count indictment issued against Lawrence Jamieson, 57, of Malvern, PA, and John Brown, 25, of Norristown, PA. The pair was charged yesterday with enticing a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, manufacturing child pornography, transferring obscene materials to a minor, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of a collection of images and videos of children being sexually abused and in sexually explicit positions on various dates in 2015 and 2016. The charges involve Jamieson and Brown’s sexual abuse of the minor child on multiple occasions over more than 18 months, and their photographing, videotaping, and distributing images and videos of the abuse. Brown is also charged with taking sexually explicit photos of a second victim, an infant girl. Lastly, the indictment also charges Jamieson and Brown with maintaining collections of sexually explicit images of children taken from the Internet.
Defendants Jamieson and Brown were transported from Chester County Prison where they were incarcerated on local charges for their sexual abuse of the minor child for their initial appearance in Magistrate Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania today.
If convicted, both defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, which includes a 15-year mandatory minimum term of incarceration, and five years up to a lifetime of supervised release. Jamieson also faces a $5,750,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment of $110,100, and Brown faces a $4,750,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment of $90,100.
The case was investigated by the Willistown Police Department, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Owners of Fine Dining Restaurants Indicted for Obstructing Federal Labor Department Investigation into Failure to Pay Minimum Wages and OvertimeRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. - On March 2, 2017, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging José Manuel Abreu-Ramírez and Milagros De los Santos-De Abreu with obstructing a U.S. Department of Labor investigation into their failure to pay minimum wage and overtime to their employees at the restaurants José José and El Catador D’Abreu in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Both restaurants were owned and operated by the defendants and located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez Vélez and Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Mikulka of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Regional Office made the announcement.
The 25 count Indictment charges Abreu-Ramírez and De los Santos with eight counts of false statements to a federal agency, three counts of wire fraud, eight counts of aggravated identity theft and five counts of tampering with a witness, victim or informant by intimidation, threats, corrupt persuasion or misleading conduct.
The allegations in the indictment indicate that instead of making payment to the employees in the amounts the defendants had agreed to pay pursuant to an investigation conducted by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor, the defendants made their employees endorse checks that had been issued to prove compliance with federal law and then withheld the checks from the employees. Abreu‑Ramírez and De los Santos either cashed or deposited the endorsed checks into their own bank accounts and kept the funds for their own benefit. The amounts Abreu‑Ramírez and De los Santos unlawfully retained from their employees in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was approximately $23,448.47.
According to the Indictment, on different occasions between April and July, 2014, Abreu‑Ramírez and De los Santos also procured the signature of U.S. Department of Labor forms from 20 employees. In those forms the employees were coerced to falsely represent to the U.S. Department of Labor that they had been paid amounts owed to satisfy minimum wage and overtime payment obligations under federal law. Abreu‑Ramírez delivered those forms and other fraudulent documents in person and through email communications to the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor knowing that they contained false statements.
The Indictment also alleges that Abreu‑Ramírez and De los Santos forged the signature of an employee in forms and documents submitted to the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor.
“This Indictment is evidence of our commitment to work closely with our law enforcement partners to enforce U.S. Department of Labor programs and protect workers from unscrupulous employers. We will support federal agencies in their efforts to uphold the workplace protections and wages to which workers are entitled under federal law,” said Rosa E. Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The United States Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute individuals who exploit their employees and attempt to conceal their actions by obstructing investigations into employer compliance with federal law.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate alleged obstruction of Department of Labor agencies, including the Wage and Hour Division. We will continue to work with our Department of Labor and law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate these types of allegations,” stated Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Mikulka of the New York Regional office of the U.S Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and Office of Inspector General in coordination with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. Assistance has been provided by the United States Marshal Service and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennise N. Longo Quiñones of the Financial Fraud and Corruption Unit.
Pursuant to the charges, Abreu- Ramírez and De los Santos face potential penalties of up to five years of imprisonment for making false statements to a federal agency, up to 20 years of imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a mandatory minimum term of two years of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft, and up to a term of imprisonment of 20 years for tampering with a witness. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Minden man sentenced to 15 months in prison for role in scheme to sell company propertyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Minden man was sentenced Thursday to 15 months in prison for selling his employer’s equipment and pocketing the money.
Brian C. Campbell, 41, of Minden, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of wire fraud. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,800 in restitution. According to the May 19, 2016 guilty plea, Campbell worked in the well tester division of a well construction and testing company’s sub-yard in Minden. From at least February 2015 through July 2015, Campbell sold company property to unsuspecting third parties, including trailers and a pickup truck, without the company’s permission. Campbell conspired with company personnel in Houston to send certificates of title and registration paperwork to his residence. The ownership documents were changed to show Campbell as the owner, and he would either sell the vehicles or keep them for personal use. He kept a portion of the sale proceeds for himself and sent kickbacks to the employee who aided him.
The FBI, Louisiana State Police and Texas Department of Public Safety-Texas Rangers Division conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.