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16 March 2017
Sacramento Nail Salon Arsonist Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Paul La, 59, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to five years in prison, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to his plea agreement, in 2011, La set fire to his business, Golden Nails & Hair, located at 8335 Folsom Boulevard in Sacramento, using acetone as an accelerant. After burning down the business, La submitted fraudulent insurance claims based on purported losses from the fire.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Amanda H. Beck prosecuted the case.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Transportation Across State Lines for Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brandon Lamont Walton, 38, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 10 years in prison for transportation for illegal sexual activity, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in June 2013, Walton contacted an 18-year-old female using an online social networking website. Soon thereafter, they met in person, and he transported her from Washington state to California where he posted online advertisements that offered her for paid sexual services. In July of 2013, he transported her to New Mexico and Texas, where he continued that activity. In mid-July, the victim’s mother contacted police in Texas, and they helped to arrange the victim’s return to her mother. At an earlier sentencing hearing, the district court determined that the victim credibly testified that the defendant sexually assaulted her during the course of his crime.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes FBI agents and detectives from the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Michele Beckwith and Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.
Sacramento Area Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 34 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. sentenced Isreal “Puck” Washington, 43, of Sacramento, today to 34 years in prison for trafficking heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented in July 9, 2015, at a five-day trial, Washington and oversaw the distribution of thousands of doses of crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine between 2006 and 2013 in Sacramento. Washington used various businesses as a front to conceal and disguise his extensive drug trafficking and operated a large “crew” of gang members as his drug distribution organization. During an investigation in 2010 and 2011, one of Washington’s businesses, Wet Ways Auto Body and Paint Shop, was identified as a place where Washington and his associates conducted drug deals.
In 2012, an undercover operative bought heroin and methamphetamine from Washington’s organization. The drug traffickers operating under Washington included co‑defendants Deyonte Spears, 29, of Oakland, and Sacramento residents Tyrone Weathersby, 48; Anthony Joaquin Sanchez, 32; and Myron Meadows, 45. On May 21, 2013, DEA agents served search warrants at two Sacramento-area stash pads controlled by Washington. Agents seized a stolen firearm and more than three pounds of heroin at stash pads maintained by the group.
U.S. Attorney Talbert stated: “Washington oversaw an extensive drug trafficking operation for several years and is responsible for the distribution of large amounts of dangerous drugs into our community. That conduct has devastating effects on the lives of those who abuse such drugs, their family members, and the community as a whole. The sentence handed down today appropriately reflects the seriousness of Washington's crime and the harm he caused. I want to thank the DEA, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, whose hard work made this prosecution possible.”
“Motivated by greed and power, Washington led a gang-affiliated drug trafficking ring concealing criminal activity through a variety of his businesses,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin. “This type of behavior terrorizes a community and rips at its sense of security. Washington’s 34-year sentence pays a debt to society that he clearly owes.”
Co‑defendant Spears was sentenced on July 16, 2015, to 10 years in prison; co‑defendant Weathersby was sentenced to 18 months in prison on October 24, 2014; co‑defendant Sanchez was sentenced on December 17, 2015, to five years and 10 months in prison; and co‑defendant Meadows was sentenced on September 10, 2015, to three years in prison.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Jill M. Thomas prosecuted the case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program that was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
When prosecuted in federal court, drug traffickers typically receive much harsher sentences. In addition to the longer sentences imposed, unlike state court prisoners who are released early on parole, there is no early release on parole in the federal system.
Robert Pizarro and Juan Rivera Charged in Violent Robbery and Kidnapping of Bronx Man, Which Resulted in Man’s DeathRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), George P. Beach II, the Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), and James P. O’Neill, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced the arrest of ROBERT PIZARRO and JUAN RIVERA on charges of kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping resulting in death, robbery conspiracy, robbery, and firearms offenses. The defendants have been remanded and remain in custody.
Manhattan Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, Robert Pizarro and Juan Rivera robbed, terrorized, and ultimately killed 36-year-old Robert Bishun. Today’s arrests mark the end of an exhaustive investigation by the DEA, the NYPD, and the New York State Police, and the beginning of justice for Bishun’s family.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division James J. Hunt said: “This investigation led law enforcement through a violent series of events leading to a murder by strangulation. The New York Drug Enforcement Task Force’s REDRUM Group and the U.S. Southern District of New York identified the alleged crimes committed by Pizarro and Rivera and worked collaboratively to arrest them today.”
NYSP Superintendent George P. Beach II said: “I applaud the hard work of our law enforcement partners on the DEA New York Drug Enforcement Task Force. Through solid police work, two suspects have been put behind bars and two dangerous men are off of our streets. These men not only allegedly kidnapped a man from his business, robbing him of hard earned money – but they ultimately took his life. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the Task Force, and bringing those who commit these heinous types of crimes, to justice.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “As alleged, the brazen violence carried out by the defendants named in this indictment demonstrates a blatant disregard for both the law and human life. I commend the prosecutors, investigators, and agents who diligently brought this case to its swift conclusion.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment[1] and other documents in the public record, and statements made in court:
On September 20, 2016, PIZARRO and RIVERA robbed Robert Bishun at gunpoint in his auto body shop in the Bronx. They then kidnapped Bishun, forcing him into his own car, and driving it away. Bishun’s body was found several hours later in the back seat of his car. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City concluded that the cause of Bishun’s death was strangulation.
On a prior occasion, in January 2015, PIZARRO robbed Robert Bishun at gunpoint at the same auto body shop, taking approximately $10,000 cash from Bishun.
* * *
PIZARRO, 37, of the Bronx, and RIVERA, 39, of the Bronx, are each charged with one count of kidnapping conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of kidnapping resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of death; one count of robbery conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. PIZARRO is also charged with one count of robbery related to his January 2015 robbery of Bishun, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by a judge
Mr. Kim praised the investigative efforts of the DEA New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, which comprises agents and officers of the DEA, NYPD, and NYSP.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret Graham, Jessica Fender, and Jared Lenow are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
RGB, INC. Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Gambling ViolationsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced RGB, Inc., a business known as Godwin Music in Selma, NC, and Raleigh Amusements in Garner, NC to 4 years probation. RGB pled guilty to Conducting an Illegal Gambling Business and pursuant to the plea agreement, RGB paid $2,334,500 in forfeiture and a $150,000 fine. RGB pled guilty this morning and was sentenced shortly thereafter.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, the Government moved to dismiss the related gambling charges against David Ricky Godwin and David Ricky Godwin, Jr., and the Court dismissed those charges.
RGB was named in a Second Superseding Indictment filed on August 11, 2015. It was originally indicted on June 9, 2015. The charges related to RGB’s operation of a gambling business involving video sweepstakes machines that included games such as video poker, video keno, video lotto, and eight liner. RGB placed these machines in convenience stores, restaurants, bars, and other businesses in Eastern North Carolina.
Investigation of this case was conducted by Alcohol Law Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney David A. Bragdon represented the government.
Quincy Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Boston to multiple bank robberies throughout the Boston area.
Kyle P. Nathan, 28, pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2017.
According to court documents, on various dates in February and March 2016, a number of banks were robbed in the Greater Boston area. Due to the similarity of how the banks were robbed, and the physical description of the robber, law enforcement suspected that the same individual was involved in each of the robberies.
Law enforcement identified Nathan as the individual responsible for the robberies of a branch of the East Boston Savings Bank in South Boston on February 27, 2016; a branch of the East Boston Savings Bank in Dorchester on March 8, 2016; a branch of the Santander bank in Chelmsford on March 10, 2016; and a branch of the Citizens Bank in Chelmsford on March 18, 2016.
On March 18, 2016, following the robbery of the Citizens Bank in Chelmsford, law enforcement officers arrested Nathan. At the time of his arrest, Nathan was wearing the same clothing he had been wearing during the prior robberies.
The charging statue provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Poteau Man Sentenced to 9 Months for Stolen Money OrdersRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that ADRIAN VINCENT CROSS, age 52, of Poteau, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release for CONSPIRACY TO STEAL, POSSESS AND UTTER STOLEN UNITED STATES POSTAL MONEY ORDERS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; for POSSESSION OF STOLEN POSTAL MONEY ORDERS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500; and for multiple counts of PASSING AND UTTERING OF STOLEN POSTAL MONEY ORDERS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500.
The Indictment alleged that on or about December 24, 2015, and continuing thereafter until on or about January 13, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, did knowingly and willfully conspire, confederate and agree together, and with other persons both known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United States; namely, did knowingly steal, receive, possess, pass and utter, and attempt to pass and utter stolen United States Postal Service Money Order Forms with the intent to convert them to his or her own use or gain, and the use or gain of another, knowing said United States Postal Service Money Order Forms to have been stolen and converted.
It Indictment further alleged that on or about December 24, 2015, and continuing thereafter until on or about January 13, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, did knowingly receive and possess stolen and converted blank money order form provided by, and under the authority of, the United States Postal Service with the intent to convert it to his own use and gain and the use and gain of another.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Pocola Police Department, the Shady Point Police Department, the Leflore County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Service.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the nonparoleable sentence will be served.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Philadelphia Felon Charged with Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Darnell Peace, 33, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged today by Indictment[1] with 1 count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and 1 count of possession of controlled substances announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment alleges that on or about September 17, 2016, Peace, who has a prior felony conviction, possessed a HI-Point 9mm Model C, silver and black, semi- automatic firearm, bearing serial number P038255, loaded with 5, 9mm rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one in the chamber. Peace was also in possession of two controlled substances.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Virgil B. Walker.
[1]An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Hate Crime AssaultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on a charge of violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Jeffrey Allen Burgess, 54, was charged in a one-count indictment. According to the indictment, on or about Nov. 22, 2016, Burgess is alleged to have violated the Matthew Shepard and James Bryd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act by willfully causing bodily injury to A.M. because of A.M.’s perceived race, color, and national origin.
If convicted, Burgess faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
The FBI and the Bethel Park Police Department are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cindy K. Chung and Rachael L. Dizard and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Tona Boyd are prosecuting this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Hate Crime AssaultRead the Press Release
A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on a charge of violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Jeffrey Allen Burgess, 54, was charged in a one-count indictment. According to the indictment, on or about Nov. 22, 2016, Burgess is alleged to have violated the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act by willfully causing bodily injury to A.M. because of A.M.’s perceived race, color, and national origin.
If convicted, Burgess faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
The FBI and the Bethel Park Police Department are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cindy K. Chung and Rachael L. Dizard and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Tona Boyd are prosecuting this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pasco Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane– Joseph H. Harrington, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Sergio Magana, Jr., age 26, of Pasco, Washington, was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison as a result of his convictions for production and receipt of child pornography.
On November 1, 2016, Magana was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Production of Child Pornography and one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. Today, United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr., who presided over the trial, sentenced Magana to a 20-year term of imprisonment for Production of Child Pornography, and a 5-year term of imprisonment for Receipt of Child Pornography, to be served concurrently. Judge Mendoza further imposed a lifetime term of supervised release, and sex offender registration.
According to the evidence presented at trial or disclosed during court proceedings, Magana came to the attention of law enforcement in 2014, after a fourteen-year-old girl reported that she had been raped by an adult male at her family’s residence in Pasco. The adult male was later identified as Magana. During the course of the rape investigation, a Pasco police detective received Magana’s cellular phone from a third party. The cellular phone was subsequently examined, and determined to contain child pornography depicting a fifteen-year-old girl. The cellular phone also contained communications between Magana and the fifteen-year-old girl, during which Magana solicited child pornography depicting the minor, inquired where the minor lived, and stated that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with the minor. The Pasco Police Detective located and identified the fifteen-year-old minor. Evidence obtained by law enforcement officers during the course of the investigation revealed that Magana had engaged in a pattern of behavior whereby he contacted minor girls on Facebook and subsequently sought to meet or obtain photographs of said girls.
Joseph H. Harrington said, “The law enforcement officers with Homeland Security Investigations, the Pasco Police Department, and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force must be commended for their tireless work on this matter. Their seamless working partnership resulted in the successful prosecution of this case. Prosecuting offenders who produce and receive child pornography is a priority of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.”
“Predators who view pornographic images of children fuel the disturbing actions of like-minded criminals who create the illegal content. Both rob the innocence of their victims and leave permanent scars that can never be entirely healed,” said Brad Bench, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle. “This sentence is a testament to our dedicated HSI agents and law enforcement partners who aggressively hunt down these abusive pedophiles and bring them out of the shadows to ensure they receive the judgment they deserve.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May, 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
• Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Homeland Security Investigations, the Pasco Police Department, and Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation of this matter. The case was prosecuted by Laurel J. Holland, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Northern California Real Estate Investor Sentenced for Rigging Bids at Public Foreclosure AuctionsRead the Press Release
A Northern California real estate investor was sentenced yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, the Department of Justice announced.
John Michael Galloway was charged on Dec. 3, 2014, in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of California. He pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging in Oakland, California, on Nov. 16, 2016. Yesterday, Galloway was sentenced to serve 12 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay a $74,899 criminal fine and $265,050 in restitution.
Between June 2008 and January 2011, Galloway conspired with others not to bid against one another, instead designating a winning bidder to obtain selected properties at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Contra Costa County. The members of the conspiracy then held second, private auctions to award the properties to members of the conspiracy and determine payoffs for other conspirators who had agreed not to bid against each other at the public auctions. The private auctions often took place at or near the courthouse steps where the public auctions were held. The primary purpose of the conspiracies was to suppress and eliminate competition in order to obtain selected real estate offered at Contra Costa County public foreclosure auctions at noncompetitive prices. When real estate properties are sold at public auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with the remaining proceeds, if any, paid to the homeowner.
Yesterday's sentence is a result of the department’s ongoing investigation into bid rigging at public real estate foreclosure auctions in California’s San Francisco, San Mateo and Contra Costa counties. These investigations are being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s San Francisco Office
Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office at 415-934-5300 or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 20 Years Imprisonment in Interstate Heroin CaseRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LEJEUNE HARRIS, age 43, of New Orleans, was sentenced today. HARRIS previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more heroin, and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more heroin.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced HARRIS to 240 months imprisonment on the drug conspiracy and 120 months each on the possession and attempted possession charges, to run concurrently. HARRIS was also placed on ten years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to court records, during a traffic stop of a Fiat on Interstate-10 East in Calcasieu Parish, law enforcement officers found four packages of heroin weighing approximately one kilogram in total. The driver admitted that LARRY DUPOR of Houston had paid her $1,000 in cash to deliver the heroin to HARRIS at a car wash in New Orleans East. The driver stated that she had made similar trips before to deliver heroin between DUPOR and HARRIS. The driver agreed to assist law enforcement by following through with a delivery of ‘sham’ heroin to HARRIS. While under law enforcement surveillance, the driver was met by HARRIS, who took the ‘sham’ packages weighing approximately 750 kilograms in total and then handed the driver $2,000 in cash. HARRIS entered the car wash office and was detained by surveillance agents. Agents obtained a search warrant for the car wash office and recovered an additional 479 grams of heroin in a hidden area where HARRIS had stored the three packages of ‘sham’ heroin.
DUPOR pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and attempted distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin. DUPOR is scheduled for sentencing on April 6, 2017.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael B. Redmann and Shirin Hakimzadeh were in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Use of an Interstate Facility to Promote ProstitutionRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAVID MICHAEL WHITE, JR., a/k/a “Prince Loyalty,” age 33, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to use of an interstate facility to promote prostitution.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced WHITE to 33 months incarceration, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. WHITE was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment.
According to court documents, WHITE operated a prostitution business based in New Orleans, Louisiana. To recruit customers, WHITE used the internet website www.backpage.com (“Backpage”) to post “escort” ads and market women for prostitution. In August 2015, WHITE arranged for a victim, a 19 year-old woman from Shreveport, whom he met over the internet, to visit him for a date. When WHITE picked up the victim from the bus station, WHITE told the victim he was a pimp. WHITE persuaded and enticed the victim to engage in commercial sex acts for his personal financial benefit, by posting advertisements of her for commercial sex services on Backpage. WHITE also pled guilty to advertising a 19-year-old female victim from New Orleans on Backpage in January 2013. WHITE received all the proceeds from the commercial sex acts both victims performed as result of WHITE’S Backpage postings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julia K. Evans was in charge of this prosecution.
Mexican National Sentenced for Immigration OffenseRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARIO FUENTES-VELASQUEZ, age 29, a native of Mexico, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Indictment charging him with illegal entry of a removed alien.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced FUENTES-VELASQUEZ to time served (seven months), one year of supervised release and a $100 special assessment fee. The defendant will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
According to court documents, on September 7, 2016, FUENTES-VELASQUEZ was found in the United States after having been officially deported and removed on August 29, 2013. He also had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri was in charge of the prosecution.
Meth Dealers Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven E. Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announced that three members of a methamphetamine ice distribution operation were sentenced in federal court last Friday. Kevin Espinosa, 19, of Galveston, Texas, Matthew Ramirez, 25, also of Galveston, and Miguel Trevino, 34, of Alvin, Texas, were indicted in Mobile last March for their participation in a methamphetamine ice distribution conspiracy. All three entered guilty pleas to the conspiracy charge.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a sentence of time served for Espinosa, finding his minimal participation, his age and cooperation in the investigation justified a departure from the advisory guideline range. She also ordered that Espinosa serve a three year term of supervised release and pay the mandatory $100 special assessment. In Ramirez’s case, Judge Dubose imposed a sentence of 120 months, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay the mandatory special assessment of $100. In Trevino’s case, the judge imposed a sentence of 188 months, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. The mandatory special assessment was imposed in his case as well. No fine was imposed in any of the cases.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Meadville Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Meadville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The three-count indictment named Dennis Michael Kerr, 27, of Meadville, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Kerr received, transported and possessed computer images and movies depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Massachusetts Man Charged with Online Enticement of A Child to Engage in Criminal Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Dracut, Massachusetts, man who allegedly made arrangements to engage in sexual conduct with a child was arrested this morning at a North Jersey hotel, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Richard Bly, 66, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct. He appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to the complaint:On Feb. 7, 2017, Bly posted an advertisement on an internet website seeking to meet a parent willing to make their child available to him for sexual activity. Over the course of several weeks, Bly had numerous e-mail exchanges with an undercover law enforcement agent posing as the mother of an eight-year-old girl. Bly repeatedly expressed his interest in engaging in sexual activity with the child and made plans to meet the child and her mother at a hotel in Ramsey, New Jersey. Law enforcement officers arrested Bly this morning at the hotel.
The online enticement of a minor charge carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terrence Opiola, with the investigation. He also thanked the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of under the direction of Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit.
Defense counsel: David Holman Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender
Mansfield Man Sentenced for Threatening President of the United StatesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mansfield man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with posting online threats to the President of the United States.
Andrew J. O’Keefe, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to time served, which was approximately six months, and two years of supervised release.
On May 13, 2015, an individual, later determined to be O’Keefe, posted a threat on a FBI website stating that he planned to kill President Barack Obama. On May 15, 2015, law enforcement officers attempted to interview O’Keefe regarding the posting; however, O’Keefe refused to speak with them outside of his residence. A search warrant executed at O’Keefe’s home and vehicle resulted in the recovery of over 100 weapons including swords, double-edged knives, hatchets, spears, an air gun and two laptop computers. O’Keefe was initially arrested on state charges and later charged federally.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service; and Mansfield Police Chief Ronald A. Sellon, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Concord, N.H.— Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Micky Garst, Jr., 26, previously of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to a federal indictment charging him with the illegal possession of two firearms.
According to the indictment, statements made in court, and other public records in the case, on the morning of August 19, 2015, Manchester Police investigating a reported fight outside a pizza parlor encountered a large crowd, including the defendant and a female companion. After investigating the source of the conflict, officers asked to search the companion’s vehicle, and she consented. Located in the trunk was a Colt .45 handgun that had been reported stolen from a home in Manchester four days earlier. Blood samples from the scene of the theft were later confirmed by the state crime lab as a match with Garst. Later, in February 2016, Garst took a Ruger firearm from the home of an acquaintance. The firearm was recovered after Garst stashed it in the dumpster of a nearby convenience store. Garst is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law as a result of a prior felony conviction.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 29, 2017.
This matter was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Manchester Police Department, with assistance from the New Hampshire State Police Forensic Laboratory. 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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Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy Charge Resulting from Substantial Methamphetamine SeizureRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Rigoberto Ramirez-Aldava (40), formerly of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements in the court proceeding, Ramirez-Aldava, a citizen of Mexico, operated El Patron Sports Bar and Grill, LLC, located on Wilson Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. In June, 2016, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) received information that Ramirez-Aldava was in possession of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. On June 21, 2016, an undercover DEA Task Force Officer met with Ramirez-Aldava at a location in Manchester, where Ramirez-Aldava provided the undercover officer with a sample of approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine. On June 29, 2016, the undercover officer met with Ramirez-Aldava at the same location in Manchester and purchased approximately 359 grams of methamphetamine for $8,000. On July 11, 2016, Ramirez- Aldava was arrested as he travelled to a pre-arranged location in Manchester where he intended to sell the undercover officer approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine for $85,000. Approximately 4.5 kilograms were recovered from Ramirez-Aldava’s vehicle at the time of his arrest.
As part of the investigation, DEA agents search of El Patron Sports Bar and Grill resulted in the seizure of approximately 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine. A large quantity of cash also was seized during a search of his apartment.
Ramirez-Aldava is scheduled to be sentenced on June 22, 2017.
“This record-setting seizure of methamphetamine in New Hampshire demonstrates DEA’s commitment to disrupt and dismantle Mexican drug trafficking organizations who have become the primary manufacturers and distributors of methamphetamine to cities throughout the United States.” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson
“Amid the opioid crisis, drug traffickers also continue their efforts to distribute other deadly substances in New Hampshire. This case is another example of the teamwork among the law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire that are working each and every day to protect the community. Thanks to quick and decisive investigative work, a very large quantity of methamphetamine has been removed from the streets before it could cause further harm.” said Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Manchester and Nashua Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.
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Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Naeem Smith, 25, of St. Thomas, was sentenced in federal court on March 16, 2017, to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on firearms trafficking, Acting United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett announced. District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez also ordered Smith to pay a $3,000 fine, $100 special assessment, to perform 400 hours of community service, and to forfeit 18 firearms, including two AK47s.
On August 17, 2016, Smith pleaded guilty to trafficking firearms in interstate and foreign commerce. According to the plea agreement, on April 27, 2016, at the Cyril E. King Airport, a law enforcement K-9 alerted to the presence of firearms inside of luggage checked in Smith’s name. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers examined Smith’s luggage, which revealed one Taurus pistol, 15 Glock pistols, and two AK-47 assault rifles. His luggage also contained two AK-47 magazines, 36 other pistol magazines with capacities ranging from 9 to 15 rounds, 10 speed loaders, twenty .40 caliber Smith and Wesson rounds, and a storage box.
This case was a result of Operation Gun Dog, which was formed by law enforcement agencies to interdict contraband traveling through the Cyril E. King Airport and deter criminal activity during the St. Thomas Carnival. Agencies included CBP, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service, Transportation Security Administration, Virgin Islands Port Authority and Virgin Islands Police Department It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia Smith.
Man Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez today sentenced Nathaniel Sumayah, 31, of St. Thomas, to 17 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett announced. Judge Gomez also ordered Sumayah to pay a $100 special assessment and complete 400 hours of community service.
On November 9, 2016, Sumayah pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the plea agreement, on August 13, 2016, federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant of Sumayah’s residence and discovered two firearms, six magazines, and approximately 280 rounds of assorted ammunition, all of which belonged to Sumayah.
The case was investigated by ATF and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith J. Edwards.
Lockport Man Arrested for Lewd Behavior on A Flight from Florida to BuffaloRead 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 the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Gerald McErlean, 46, of Lockport, NY, with performing a lewd act aboard an aircraft in violation of Title 49 of the United States Code. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 8, 2017, the defendant exposed himself and masturbated on a Southwest Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Buffalo. McErlean was observed engaging in the act by two women, who sought to block his behavior from the view of a toddler who was also traveling with them. When one of the woman "called [him] out on what he was doing," the defendant stopped.
Another passenger, who also noticed the defendant’s behavior, called for a flight attendant who subsequently moved McErlean to the back of the airplane. When the flight arrived in Buffalo, having traveled the distance with the cabin lights on, the defendant was arrested by officers from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police.
The defendant made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and was released on bail pending a detention hearing on March 17, 2017.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, under the direction of Chief George Gast; and the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Askey.
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.
Local Man Sentenced on Stolen Identity Tax Refund and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Precious Agobe, St. Louis County, Missouri, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $510, 358.48 on charges involving his participation in a stolen identity tax fraud and money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, on three occasions in February 2015, Agobe made withdrawals from a Bank of America account which contained the proceeds of fraudulently obtained federal income tax refunds. The total amount of these withdrawals was $8,800. The parties agreed that the loss from these fraudulently obtained income tax returns was between $250,000 and $550,000.
In December 2015, Agobe withdrew $3,000 from a Bank of America account which contained the proceeds of a scheme to defraud in which a business in Kelso, Washington, was induced by fraud to transfer $47,700 from its bank account to a bank account at Bank of the West, in Mission, Kansas. A portion of this money was subsequently transferred to the Bank of America account from which Agobe withdrew $3,000.
In February 2016, 21 counterfeit checks in amounts totaling $99,055, which purported to be drawn on an account of a business in Mustang, Oklahoma, at All America Bank, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, were deposited into an account at Bank of America. Agobe subsequently withdrew $1,990 from this Bank of America account. The parties agreed that the loss from Agobe’s money laundering activity was $68,968.
“Those who commit identity theft and fraud of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Karl Stiften, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Stealing identities and filing false tax returns is a serious crime that causes immense hardship to innocent victims.”
Agobe pled guilty in December to three counts of theft of government property and two count of money laundering. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Ronnie L. White.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Kelso, Washington, Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Muchnick is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Lafayette man sentenced to 5 years in prison for firearm chargeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Lafayette man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possessing a revolver while trafficking marijuana.
Anthony Von Fisher Jr., 31, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the November 29, 2016 guilty plea, police investigated a parked vehicle because of suspicious drug activity around 1 a.m. on March 6, 2016, at the 200 block of West Grant Street in Lafayette. When police spoke to Fisher, he admitted to possessing marijuana. Twenty-seven grams of marijuana were found in nine small clear plastic bags in his front right pocket, and 34 grams were found in a bag in his front left pocket. Police also found and seized a loaded .25 caliber handgun in Fisher’s pant leg. Fisher admitted the marijuana was pre-packaged for distribution.
This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.
The ATF and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.
Kingston Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Kenneth Chapman (62), formerly of Kingston, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to unlawful distribution of fentanyl.
According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the court proceeding, on June 12, 2016, Chapman sold a quantity of fentanyl to “M.W.”, a 31-year old male from Atkinson, New Hampshire. Because of a 911 call the following morning, emergency personnel responded to a residence in Atkinson, where they found M.W. dead from a suspected drug overdose. In the immediate vicinity of the body, law enforcement officers found a tied-off plastic bag that contained a white powdery substance that was determined to be fentanyl. An autopsy determined M.S.’ death was caused by acute fentanyl intoxication.
Chapman is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, 2017. The plea agreement contains a binding stipulation that the parties agree to recommend to the Court that Chapman be sentenced within a range of ninety-six (96) months to one hundred and forty-four (144) months of imprisonment; however, the Court deferred acceptance of the stipulation until the time of sentencing.
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Fentanyl is causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley said, “Fentanyl continues to be the cause of far too many deaths in the Granite State. The aggressive investigation and prosecution of individuals engaged in fentanyl trafficking in New Hampshire remains a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners at the local, state. and federal level. While we support access to treatment for those who suffer from addiction, those who distribute these deadly drugs need to be held accountable for the substantial damage they are causing in our community.”
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Kingston and Atkinson Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis.
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Kenner Man Sentenced for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ARTHUR RESPERT, age 26, of Kenner, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to one-count of theft of mail.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced RESPERT to two years of probation. A hearing on restitution is set for May 11, 2017 at 9:30 a.m.
According to court documents, RESPERT worked at the Armstrong International Airport for Air General, Inc. From on or about October 24, 2014 to September 3, 2015, RESPERT stole letters and other packages addressed to individuals across the United States.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharan E. Lieberman is in charge of the prosecution.
Kansas City Area Laboratory Owner Charged for Illegally Storing Hazardous Waste and Obstructing Environmental Protection AgencyRead the Press Release
Ahmed el-Sherif, the owner/operator and radiation safety officer for Beta Chem Laboratory in Lenexa, Kansas, was charged today with illegally storing hazardous waste and obstructing an agency proceeding, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeff Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall for the District of Kansas, and Jessica Taylor, Director of the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to allegations contained in the two-count indictment:
El-Sherif, 61, a chemist, started Beta Chem in the mid-1990s, which he owned and operated. Beta Chem used radioactive Carbon-14 and solvents in the operation, under license by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). KDHE has assumed certain regulatory authority from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission under the Atomic Energy Act. In September 2005, KDHE performed an inspection of Beta Chem and discovered extensive radioactive contamination in the laboratory, and the next day issued an Emergency Order of Suspension of License. U.S. EPA conducted a hazardous waste inspection the same month, and subsequently notified el-Sherif of hazardous waste violations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). During the ensuing years, KDHE communicated with el-Sherif about the radioactive contamination at Beta Chem. On October 4, 2013, after issuing an Emergency Order to Seize and Secure Radioactive Materials, KDHE took control of Beta Chem and secured the facility.
The Criminal Investigation Division of EPA executed a search warrant at Beta Chem on January 22, 2014, where agents discovered numerous containers containing hazardous wastes and contaminated with radiation. EPA’s Superfund program subsequently engaged in a removal action and disposed of the hazardous waste at a cost of over $760,000. In the process of assessing el-Sherif’s ability to pay for cleanup costs, EPA requested financial information. El-Sherif submitted three Beta Chem tax returns to EPA that he falsely claimed had been filed and that contained fictitious and misleading information.
An indictment is an allegation based upon a grand jury finding of probable cause. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted. If convicted of both charges, el-Sherif faces up to ten years in prison, and also could be fined.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Wood and U.S. Attorney Beall thanked the U.S. EPA for its work in this investigation. This case is being prosecuted by the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Senior Counsel Krishna S. Dighe with the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section in Washington, D.C., and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mattivi are in charge of the prosecution.
Kansas City Area Laboratory Owner Charged with Illegally Storing Hazardous WasteRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ahmed el-Sherif, the owner/operator and radiation safety officer for Beta Chem Laboratory in Lenexa, Kansas, was charged today with illegally storing hazardous waste and obstructing an agency proceeding, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeff Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall for the District of Kansas, and Jessica Taylor, Director of the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to allegations contained in the two-count indictment:
El-Sherif, 61, a chemist, started Beta Chem in the mid-1990s, which he owned and operated. Beta Chem used radioactive Carbon-14 and solvents in the operation, under license by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). KDHE has assumed certain regulatory authority from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission under the Atomic Energy Act. In September 2005, KDHE performed an inspection of Beta Chem and discovered extensive radioactive contamination in the laboratory, and the next day issued an Emergency Order of Suspension of License. U.S. EPA conducted a hazardous waste inspection the same month, and subsequently notified el-Sherif of hazardous waste violations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). During the ensuing years, KDHE communicated with el-Sherif about the radioactive contamination at Beta Chem. On October 4, 2013, after issuing an Emergency Order to Seize and Secure Radioactive Materials, KDHE took control of Beta Chem and secured the facility.
The Criminal Investigation Division of EPA executed a search warrant at Beta Chem on January 22, 2014, where agents discovered numerous containers containing hazardous wastes and contaminated with radiation. EPA’s Superfund program subsequently engaged in a removal action and disposed of the hazardous waste at a cost of over $760,000. In the process of assessing el-Sherif’s ability to pay for cleanup costs, EPA requested financial information. El-Sherif submitted three Beta Chem tax returns to EPA that he falsely claimed had been filed and that contained fictitious and misleading information.
An indictment is an allegation based upon a grand jury finding of probable cause. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted. If convicted of both charges, el-Sherif faces up to ten years in prison, and also could be fined.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Wood and U.S. Attorney Beall thanked the U.S. EPA for its work in this investigation. This case is being prosecuted by the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Senior Counsel Krishna S. Dighe with the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section in Washington, D.C., and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mattivi are in charge of the prosecution.
Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Shut Down Tax Return Preparers in Southern Florida and Require Them to Give Their Fees to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Jean-Philippe Boursiquot, B&C Royalty Multi-Services Inc., Roberton Boursiquot, and RBS Flamboyant Solutions Inc. prepare false federal income tax returns for their customers, according to a new civil suit filed by the Department of Justice. The complaint filed in federal court in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, asks a federal judge to bar the Boursiquots and their businesses from preparing tax returns for others. The complaint also requests a court order requiring the Boursiquots and their businesses to disgorge the gross receipts they obtained from the preparation of federal tax returns that made false or fraudulent claims.
According to the complaint, Jean-Phillipe Boursiquot of Margate, Florida, owns and operates B&C Royalty Multi-Services, a tax return preparation business located in Oakland Park, Florida. Roberton Boursiquot of Tamarac, Florida, owns and operates RBS Flamboyant Solutions Inc., a tax return preparation business that is located in Hollywood, Florida.
The complaint alleges that the defendants prepare tax returns for customers that understate liabilities and overstate refunds by falsifying information, fabricating deductions, and claiming bogus credits. The complaint alleges that just one of the defendants’ schemes — bogus federal education credits claimed in 2016 — cost the United States over $470,000 in tax revenue. The complaint further alleges that the defendants tell customers they are due a certain refund amount, file returns on their behalf requesting a larger amount, and keep the excess as preparation fees without the customers’ knowledge or consent.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2017 and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jamaican Law School Student Sentenced to Prison for Role in Lottery SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Teresa Wilson (27, Jamaica) to 16 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $270,000, which are proceeds of the offense.
Wilson pleaded guilty on October 19, 2016 and is the third defendant to plead guilty during this investigation. Yanique Coach and Dwayne Breary were previously sentenced to 12 months and a day, and 6 months’ imprisonment, respectively.
According to court documents, an 89-year-old victim in Virginia received phone calls from two people in October and November 2014, advising that she had won $3.5 million dollars from the Mega Millions Sweepstakes. One of the callers identified himself as being associated with the sweepstakes, and the other purported be an attorney. The callers told the victim that her name had been entered into the lottery through a magazine subscription, but that the victim needed to pay fees and taxes before receiving her winnings. From October 31, 2014 to November 25, 2014, at the direction of the callers, the victim complied and mailed $282,600 in cash to various locations in Florida and Georgia, concealing the money in magazines and cereal boxes.
The family of the victim learned about the large withdrawals of money from the victim’s bank account and contacted the FBI. On March 6, 2015, the victim was instructed by the callers to send $150,000 in cash to an apartment in Orlando, Florida. On March 19, 2015, a third co-conspirator signed for and accepted the package upon delivery. Agents then executed a search warrant and recovered the package.
During the fraud scheme, Wilson, who was attending law school in Jamaica, had co-conspirators hold packages for her containing hundreds of thousands of dollars, which they had received from the victim in the United States. Wilson would then travel from Jamaica to retrieve the money or make arrangements for another co-conspirator to travel from Jamaica to do the same. Wilson then either transported the money, or clothes purchased with the victim’s money, back to Jamaica and delivered the items to the leaders of the scheme.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James D. Mandolfo.
Indictment: Mail Carrier Stole Gift Cards from MailRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A grand jury Thursday returned a federal indictment charging a mail carrier in Sheridan County with stealing mail, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
James N. Stephenson, 25, Hoxie, Kan., is charged with one count of theft by a postal employee, one count of unlawful possession of 15 or more stolen gift cards and debit cards, and one count of aggravated identity theft. The crimes are alleged to have occurred from August 2016 to January 2017 in Sheridan County, Kan.
The indictment alleges Stephenson stole the cards from the mail while he worked for the Post Office in Hoxie. If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison, and a $250,000 fine on the theft charge, 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on possession of the stolen cards, and a mandatory two years (consecutive) on the identity theft charge. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Davonte Chaney, 24, Lawrence, Kan., is charged with five counts of hiding and delaying mail while he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and assigned to Rural Route 21 in Lawrence, Kan. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in May and June 2016 in Douglas County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton is prosecuting.
Fabian Nahum-Aguirre, 36, a citizen of Mexico, Victor Butzoc-Ramirez, 20, a citizen of Guatemala, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (count one), one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin (count two), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (count three), and one count each of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien (counts four and five). The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 7, 2017, in Sedgwick County.
If convicted, they face up 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on counts one and two, not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on count three, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on counts four and five. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Zoyla Vital-Chairez, 58, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of making a false statement on a U.S. passport application (count one), one count of falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen (count two), one count of misusing a Social Security number (count three), one count of possession of false documents (count five) and two counts of aggravated identity theft (counts four and six). The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2015 and 2016 in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on count one, up to three years and a fine up to $250,000 on count two, up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on count three, up to 15 years and a fine up to $250,000 on count five, and a mandatory two years (consecutive) on counts four and six. The U.S. Department of State investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Interpol Washington Collaborates with Indonesian PartnersRead the Press Release
On March 14 – 16, 2017, officials from INTERPOL Washington – U.S National Central Bureau (USNCB) met with their counterparts in Indonesia to participate in a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Workshop to assist INTERPOL Jakarta and Immigration with improving their submissions of Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) to the INTERPOL SLTD database and use of INTERPOL tools and services for enhanced border screening capabilities.
INTERPOL Washington’s Office of the Chief Information Officer has partnered with the U.S. Department of State on a Southeast Asia Capacity Building Initiative. Indonesia is one of four countries targeted by the United States to receive assistance in upgrading their access to INTERPOL information sharing resources. The other countries are Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Funding provided by the State Department enables INTERPOL Washington to collaborate with member countries lacking the infrastructure, resources and funding to regularly submit Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) to the INTERPOL SLTD database, or to integrate INTERPOL’s tools and services for automated border screening and national network connectivity to INTERPOL’s I-24/7 network.
INTERPOL Washington is implementing a standardized methodology for integrating the full suite of INTERPOL tools and services into each country’s existing national architecture. The integration will be done in three phases. First, INTERPOL Washington will assess what adjustments and equipment are required to enhance the country’s information sharing capabilities. Second, the initiative will enhance border or immigrations screening capabilities by integrating INTERPOL’s I-24/7 network allowing the country to seamlessly screen travelers against INTERPOL data during routine border or immigration encounters. Third, INTERPOL Washington will help the member country’s technical personnel to integrate I-24/7 services into their existing national immigration and border screening systems.
This initiative seeks to operationalize compliance with United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2178 section 13 and 14. The resolution encourages member countries to “… prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups by effective border controls …” and to improve international, regional, and sub-regional cooperation through increased sharing of information.
Technical consultation services and assessments are being provided to each country by the INTERPOL Washington Development and Operations Team in collaboration with the INTERPOL General Secretariat. The consulting service is provided to the member country at no cost. The INTERPOL Washington Capacity Building initiative will expand the global use of the suite of INTERPOL tools and services for implementing effective border security safeguards and management techniques.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to the International Criminal Police Organization on behalf of the Attorney General, INTERPOL Washington serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.
Hogansburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Contraband CigarettesRead 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 Ian Tarbell, 44, of Hogansburg, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of contraband cigarettes before U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested on February 18, 2016, in Pembroke, NY, following a traffic stop by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. Tarbell was driving a truck that was pulling a trailer loaded with untaxed and unstamped cigarettes. In total, the defendant was transporting more than 900,000 unstamped and untaxed cigarettes.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict; the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of William A. Sheron, Jr.; and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, under the direction of Commissioner Thomas Mattox.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Goodlettsville Man Indicted in Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Brian Wimsatt, 29, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday and charged with conspiracy, possession and distribution of heroin, the use of which resulted in death, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the indictment, on May 13, 2016, Wimsatt sold heroin to an individual who died shortly after using it. On May 17, 2016, Wimsatt was arrested by law enforcement officers and was again in possession of heroin.
Wimsatt is currently in custody and if convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum term of twenty years in prison up to life, and up to a $1,000,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force; and the Goodlettsville, Tenn. Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed A. Safeeullah.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Frederick County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Toddler to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced William H. Steinhaus IV, age 34, of Brunswick, Maryland, today to 25 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography. Judge Blake also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Steinhaus must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; and Acting Chief Peter Newsham of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, between December 8 and 9, 2014, Steinhaus had a number of sexually explicit conversations on Kik, an instant messaging application, with other Kik users regarding their shared sexual interest in prepubescent children. Steinhaus took pictures using his iPhone or iPad of a two year old girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct and distributed them to approximately 25 other Kik users.
Steinhaus admitted that during those two days, he and another Kik user exchanged approximately 290 messages, including a discussion as to how Steinhaus could best sexually abuse the toddler. Also on December 8, 2014, Steinhaus and a second Kik user exchanged approximately 293 messages. Steinhaus sent both users images of the child and Steinhaus engaged in sexually explicit conduct; and pictures of a couch, stating to the first user “That’s where tw[sic] assault will happen,” and to the second, “That’s where the assault is going to happen.”
According to his plea agreement, between December 8 and 9, 2014, Steinhaus exchanged approximately 419 messages on Kik with an undercover law enforcement officer, whom Steinhaus had emailed earlier on December 8, 2014. Steinhaus sent the undercover officer approximately 30 pictures he had taken of the toddler, several of which contained images of the child and Steinhaus engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Through emergency legal requests, on December 9, 2014, officers identified Steinhaus as the subscriber to the Kik and Yahoo accounts used to communicate with the undercover officer. Officers began surveillance of Steinhaus’ residence in advance of the execution of a search warrant. During the surveillance, Steinhaus began sending the undercover officer images of himself with the victim in the background. Steinhaus told the undercover officer that he would be alone with the victim and would continue the sexual abuse of the child. Officers used a ruse to get Steinhaus out of the residence. Steinhaus came out of the house with his iPhone, and the officers identified themselves. Steinhaus fought with the officers as they tried to secure his iPhone, but they were able to secure and access the device. Steinhaus was arrested and the victim was rescued by the officers.
Nine of the Kik users to whom Steinhaus sent photographs of the victim were arrested and charged – seven of them federally. Of the federal defendants, five have pleaded guilty to distribution, possession, or transportation of child pornography and two other have charges pending. Three of the convicted defendants were sentenced to between five and 10 years in federal prison and the two defendants are awaiting sentencing.
As part of his plea agreement in the federal case, Steinhaus pleaded guilty to related charges filed against him in the Circuit Court for Frederick County, Maryland, and is scheduled to be sentenced on those charges on March 21, 2017, at 9:00 a.m.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office and Metropolitan Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted the case.
Former project manager at Wilhelm construction sentenced in fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Embezzled nearly $2.7 million from local construction company.
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis - United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today the sentencing of a Greenwood man for fraud and filing false tax returns. Troy L. Sissom, 53, Greenwood, Indiana, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
“Internal theft costs all consumers through higher prices on goods and services,” said Minkler. “Fraud, tax evasion, and other white collar crimes, are offenses which ultimately take money out of the pockets of hard working Hoosiers and such crimes will be aggressively prosecuted by this office.”
Sissom was employed by the F.A. Wilhelm Construction Company (WCC) as a project manager. His responsibilities there included creating estimates for jobs, overseeing the financial aspects of construction projects, and approving material purchases for his projects.
In 2003, Sissom created a corporation named LTEE Source and rented a commercial UPS mailbox under that name. Between 2003 and 2015, Sissom created 185 false invoices in the name of LTEE and submitted them to the accounting department at WCC for payment. These invoices were for materials purported to have been for construction projects supervised by Sissom. WCC would then mail the checks for payment of the fraudulent invoices to Sissom’s UPS mailbox. Sissom would then deposit the checks into an account he opened under the LTEE name and used the money for his own purposes.
The estimated loss to WCC was over $2.7 million. Tax loss to the IRS was over $381,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
"IRS-Criminal Investigation is committed to stopping criminals engaged in tax fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation, James D. Robnett. "The investigation of Mr. Sissom proves no matter how hard criminals try to hide their fraud, IRS-CI special agents will uncover it."
“Protecting the public is a core function of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service," said Patricia Armstrong, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Detroit Division. "This case shows our diligence in pursuing criminal schemes and ruining a fraudster's ability to continue them."
According to Assistant United States Attorney James M. Warden who prosecuted this case for the government, Sissom must serve two years of supervised release following his sentence make full restitution to Wilhelm Construction and pay the entire tax liability to the government.
Former Pharmacy Technician from Carlsbad Sentenced for Misdemeanor Crime for Unlawful Possession of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Amber Kay Otero, 31, of Carlsbad, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to two years of probation for her conviction on a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully possessing a controlled substance. Otero also was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service and to pay a $1,000.00 fine.
Otero was arrested on Sept. 23, 2016, following an investigation initiated after the DEA received a report of theft or loss of controlled substances from the Southwest Pharmacy located at 2402 West Pierce Street in Carlsbad. According to the criminal complaint, Otero was employed as a pharmacy technician at Southwest Pharmacy and allegedly stole approximately 20,344 oxycodone tablets of various strengths.
On Dec. 20, 2016, Otero pled guilty to a misdemeanor information charging her with unlawful possession of a controlled substance. In entering the guilty plea, Otero admitted that from May 2012 through April 2015, she was employed as a pharmacy technician at the Southwest Pharmacy in Eddy County, N.M. She further admitted that on Jan. 15, 2015, she intentionally took oxycodone pills from a bottle at Southwest Pharmacy for her own consumption.
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in El Paso, Texas, and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force.
DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squads combine DEA resources with those of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in an innovative effort to investigate, disrupt and dismantle those suspected of violating the Controlled Substances Act or other appropriate federal, state or local statutes pertaining to the diversion of licit pharmaceutical controlled substances or listed chemicals.
The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department and Artesia Police Department and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Beck of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Former NC Superior Court Judge Arnold O. Jones, II Pleads Guilty to Felony Payment of Gratuity to a Public OfficialRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce announced that today in federal court before United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, former North Carolina Superior Court Judge ARNOLD OGDEN JONES, II pled guilty to Promising and Paying Gratuities to a Public Official, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 201(c)(1)(A).
During the hearing on the defendant’s guilty plea, the Government summarized the evidence supporting the defendant’s guilty plea. The evidence established that between October 10, 2015 and November 3, 2015 JONES gave, offered, and promised cases of beer and $100 to a Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force Officer in contemplation of the Task Force Officer’s act of compelling Verizon to produce JONES’s wife’s text messages in order to disclose those messages to JONES, even though JONES was not permitted to receive them by law.
The evidence showed that, as a judge, JONES was familiar with the processes and procedures law enforcement must undertake to obtain private text message content, including the need for the FBI to have an ongoing investigation and a legitimate law enforcement need for such text content. The evidence established that JONES desired the text messages to investigate his suspicions that his wife was having an affair. Multiple recorded conversations established JONES’s desire to conceal the FBI Task Force Officer’s involvement in obtaining the texts. JONES agreed to destroy evidence of the crime, including a disk that purported to contain the text messages and text messages coordinating the exchange of cash and a disk. The evidence also included a video of JONES exchanging the cash and disk on the steps of the Wayne County Courthouse in his judicial robe. No text messages were obtained or delivered to JONES.
At sentencing, on the charge of Promise and Payment of Gratuities to a Public Official, the defendant faces not more than 2 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorneys William M. Gilmore and Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to 18 Months for Attempted Possession of a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Chief District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis on March 15, 2017, sentenced Kalomi Kambui, 41, of St. Croix, to 18 months in prison for attempted possession of a controlled substance, Acting United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett announced. Judge Lewis also sentenced Kambui to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay a fine of $500 and a special assessment of $100.
On September 20, 2016, Kambui pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a controlled substance. According to documents filed in court, on June 12, 2013, while she was employed as a corrections officer at Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility (Golden Grove), Kambui accepted what she believed to be ecstasy pills, along with payment, for the purpose of delivering the pills to an inmate inside Golden Grove. Ecstasy is a street name for the controlled substance methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alphonso G. Andrews, Jr.
Former Cashier Sentenced for Defrauding WalmartRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Jamie Schoen (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Kianna Kateri Spurgeon, age 25, of Greenville, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court in Anderson, South Carolina, for Access Device Fraud, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson, sentenced Spurgeon to three years’ probation, community service, and repayment of restitution.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that when Spurgeon worked as a cashier, she loaded $10,900.00 of Walmart’s money onto cards possessed by a co-defendant. Spurgeon performed the transactions without receiving any payment for the money credited on the cards.
The case was investigated by agents of the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
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Former Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Bank Robbery Charge Arising Out of Robbery of Bank in Taos CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jennifer Marissa Miera, 23, of Questa, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a federal bank robbery charge. The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI and Sheriff Jerry L Hogrefe of the Taos County Sheriff’s Department.
Miera and co-defendants Troy Montoya, 24, of Espanola, N.M., and Shawn Michael Goodrum, Jr., 20, of Pima, Ariz., were arrested in Oct. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with offenses arising out of the robbery of the People’s Bank located at 121 East Main Street in Red River, N.M., on Oct. 6, 2016.
According to the complaint, Miera conspired with Montoya to rob the bank by planning the robbery and purchasing items used to carry out the robbery, including gloves and medical masks, on Oct. 5, 2016. It further alleged that Miera and Montoya robbed the bank on Oct. 6, 2016. At the time, Miera was employed as a personal banker by the bank. The complaint alleged that Miera had attempted unsuccessfully to solicit Goodrum’s participation in the bank robbery conspiracy. Instead, Goodrum allegedly blackmailed Miera into giving him part of the proceeds from the robbery by threatening to report her role in the robbery to the police.
Miera, Montoya and Goodrum were indicted on Nov. 1, 2016. The three-count indictment charged Miera and Montoya with conspiracy to rob the bank and with bank robbery, and Goodrum with receiving proceeds from the bank robbery. According to the indictment, the defendants committed the crimes in Taos County, N.M.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Miera pled guilty to Counts 1 and 2 of the indictment charging her with conspiracy and bank robbery without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Miera faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Montoya and Goodrum have entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in the indictment and are pending trial, which currently is scheduled for April 7, 2017 in Santa Fe, N.M. Charges in criminal complaints and indictment are merely accusations. Criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Taos County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.
Former Attorney and U.S. Marine Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison in Vallejo KidnappingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Matthew Muller, 39, of South Lake Tahoe, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on March 23, 2015, in Vallejo, Muller broke into the Mare Island home of Aaron Quinn and Denise Huskins. Armed with a stun gun and a simulated firearm with a laser sight, Muller ordered the victims to lie still while he bound them, blindfolded them, and forced them to drink a sedative. Muller played the victims a prerecorded message, which threatened that any noncompliance would be punished by face cutting or electric shock. Muller then placed Ms. Huskins in the trunk of a car and drove her to his residence in South Lake Tahoe. Once there, Muller kept her under his complete control, at times bound and blindfolded. Muller sent Mr. Quinn two emails demanding ransom for a total of $17,000. Muller released Ms. Huskins on March 25, 2015 in Huntington Beach, with no ransom ever being paid.
During and after the kidnapping, Muller sent emails to a reporter in San Francisco that falsely claimed, among other things, that the kidnapping had been carried out by a group of elite criminals who were perfecting their kidnapping-for-ransom tactics.
The case remained unsolved until after June 8, 2015, when Dublin Police Services of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department arrested Muller and searched his South Lake Tahoe residence. The officers had been investigating a home invasion burglary, which led them to Muller’s residence where they located and seized evidence related to the Vallejo kidnapping.
The FBI then conducted its own follow-up investigation and searches that included Muller’s South Lake Tahoe residence, a vehicle in Reno, two other residences, and Muller’s Vallejo storage locker. The storage locker, which contained aerial drones referred to in Muller’s email to the media, had been located by an officer of the Vallejo Police Department.
FBI analysis of Muller’s computers uncovered a sound recording that simulated people whispering to each other and a sound recording consistent with the instructions given to Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins. FBI analysts also discovered video recordings of Muller together with Ms. Huskins in his South Lake Tahoe residence. She was blindfolded and fully under Muller’s control. FBI analysts also discovered video recordings of Muller in his South Lake Tahoe residence arranging cameras in a bedroom, trying out their viewing angles, and then twice sexually assaulting the blindfolded Ms. Huskins.
In sentencing Muller, Judge Nunley referred to the defendant’s actions as heinous and held him responsible for his actions.
U.S. Attorney Talbert said, “The sentence imposed today reflects the egregiousness of Muller’s conduct in this case. Muller had advantages in life that most people only dream of, yet he used his considerable intelligence to plan and execute the physical assault and psychological torture of two innocent strangers. It is difficult to imagine the level of suffering that Muller inflicted on his victims. The sentence handed down today takes into account that suffering and strives to ensure that Muller will never again commit such crimes.”
U.S. Attorney Talbert also said, “This serious violent crime was solved because Alameda County authorities responded so effectively to the Dublin burglary and then provided the evidence necessary for the effective federal investigation and prosecution of this case. The quality of local and federal investigative work is reflected in Muller’s two criminal convictions in Alameda County and in the Eastern District of California. I am grateful for the outstanding cooperation between the FBI, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, the Alameda County District Attorney, and the Vallejo Police Department.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI, the Dublin Police Services of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, and the Vallejo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Segal and Heiko P. Coppola prosecuted the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to over 6 Years for Fraudulently Seeking $470,000 in Tax Refunds, Retaliating Against IRS Officials with LiensRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Florida man who filed fraudulent tax returns that sought approximately $470,000 with the Internal Revenue Service – and then filed bogus false liens to retaliate against IRS employees who refused to pay his frivolous claims – has been sentenced to 77 months in federal prison.
Taquan Gullett, who also used the name “Maalik Rashe El,” 38, of Jacksonville, Florida, was sentenced yesterday afternoon by United States District Judge Christina Snyder.
Gullett was convicted in August of two counts of making false claims against the United States and two counts of retaliating against a federal employee by attempting to file a false lien or encumbrance.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Gullett filed a 2009 income tax return, in which he claimed that he earned $52,591 in wages as an exercise physiologist and falsely stated that he generated $221,306 in interest income, all of which had been withheld as federal income tax payments. Gullett therefore claimed that he was due a tax refund of $149,296, and requested that the refund be paid to his account at a Los Angeles-based credit union. Gullett also submitted to the IRS several fake Forms 1099, many of which were handwritten by Gullett, to support his fraudulent tax refund claim.
Once the IRS determined that Gullet’s 2009 tax return was frivolous and denied his claim for refund, Gullett retaliated by filing a “commercial lien” with the California Secretary of State. In the purported lien, Gullett falsely asserted that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the then-IRS Commissioner and other IRS employees owed him over $20 million for his “lawful 2009 claim refund.”
After the IRS denied the 2009 refund claim because his tax return was frivolous, Gullett attempted the same scheme again by filing a fraudulent 2010 tax return that sought a refund of $320,336. Ultimately, Gullett’s 2010 tax return was also deemed frivolous by the IRS, and a frivolous return penalty was assessed.
Gullett “has a long history of attempting to retaliate against or harass other government employees, law enforcement, and court personnel by filing false liens and frivolous lawsuits,” prosecutors wrote in sentencing papers filed with the court. Prosecutors noted that Gullett filed other liens with the California Secretary of State and the Recorder of Deeds in Washington D.C. that claimed the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the then-IRS Commissioner and other IRS employees owed him more than $20 million. He also filed a $37 million lien against Los Angeles Police officers and the clerk of the Los Angeles Superior Court after he was arrested several years ago.
“Finally, on July 20, 2016, just a few days before trial in this case was scheduled to begin, defendant filed a civil action in this district in which he named the Court, government counsel, and 25 others as defendants,” according to the government sentencing memo. “Defendant’s frivolous and incomprehensible complaint appeared to seek between 550 million and 600 billion dollars in damages and alleged, among other things, that the Court, government counsel, and others engaged in genocide, slavery, and treason.”
The case against Gullett was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julian L. André.
Financial Advisor Sentenced for Operating $21M Ponzi Scheme, Stealing Investors' Money, Tax FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Patrick E. Churchville, 48, owner and president of ClearPath Wealth Management, LLC, formerly located in Providence and Barrington R.I., was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for orchestrating a $21 million dollar Ponzi scheme that deceived more than 110 investors; stealing $2.5 million dollars of investors’ funds to purchase a waterfront home; and failing to pay more than $820,000 in personal federal income taxes.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Churchville to serve 3 years supervised release and to perform 2,000 hours of community service upon completion of his prison term. Churchville pleaded guilty on August 4, 2016, to five counts of wire fraud and one count of tax fraud.
Churchville’s sentence is announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation; and Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
An investigation by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office determined that from the spring of 2008 through October 2011, Churchville and ClearPath, on behalf of their client investors, invested approximately $18 million dollars in JER Receivables, an entity incorporated in Maryland. At the time of his guilty plea, Churchville admitted to the court that in June 2010, he became aware that the investments with JER were no longer producing returns and that ClearPath had been subjected to fraudulent and misleading representations by the principals of JER. He failed to notify his client investors that he had lost millions of dollars of invested funds.
Churchville admitted that in order to hide the fact that he had lost millions of dollars of client investor funds through his dealings with JER Receivables, and to continue to operate his business and reap his investment fees, he misappropriated approximately $21 million dollars of investment money. Churchville admitted that he misused investor money already under his control and obtained new investor funds. He used this money to pay back the JER investors and told them, falsely, that the money was the return on their investments. Churchville admitted to induce new investments to carry out the schemes, he lied and told investors that ClearPath’s previous investments with JER Receivables had been successful and produced high rates of return.
Additionally, the investigation determined that in 2011, Churchville created a scheme to obtain $2.5 million dollars, using investors’ funds as collateral without their knowledge, to purchase a personal residence in Barrington. Churchville failed to report the $2.5 million dollars as income on his personal tax returns, resulting in a loss to the IRS of $820,528.
Churchville, who has been in court-ordered home detention with GPS electronic monitoring since the date of his guilty plea, was ordered by Chief Judge William E. Smith to self-surrender to begin serving his prison term by April 10, 2017.
A Restitution Order will be issued by the Court at a later date.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan.
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Felon with A Gun Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven E. Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announced that George Ralph Leverette, Jr., 45, of Satsuma, was sentenced today in federal court on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm. Leverette pled guilty to that charge in December of 2016.
United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed a sentence of 21 months imprisonment, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Leverette was ordered to pay a special mandatory assessment of $100, and no fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Federal Jury Convicts Man in Conspiracy to Illegally Manufacture Firearms That Were Sent to MexicoRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, a federal jury convicted Gary Busby, 63, formerly of Flower Mound, Texas, on one count of conspiracy to manufacture firearms without a license and four counts of structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Specifically, in December 2010, Busby met an individual at a gun show and sold him firearms knowing he did not have federal firearms licenses (FFL). Busby agreed to manufacture AR-15 and AK stripped receivers into fully functional firearms in a series of transactions until December 2011. At some time during that period, Busby became aware that the firearms he was manufacturing, and the firearms he agreed to manufacture, had and would be sent to Mexico.
In January 2011, officers with the Hidalgo Police Department recovered fifteen firearms, hidden in a gas tank of a vehicle attempting to enter Mexico. Seven of those firearms were traced directly to the conspirators in this case, including Gary Busby.
In February 2011, officers with the Fort Worth Police Department saw Busby at a gun show negotiating gun purchases for this individual. Busby would contact potential sellers and negotiate the price. A firearm purchased at this gun show was later recovered in Mexico.
During a search of Busby’s residence in July 2011, federal agents catalogued all the firearms and ammunition at the residence. That same day, Busby signed a letter putting him on notice that he was to cease and desist in engaging in the business of selling firearms without a license and advising him that several of the firearms he had sold had been recovered during criminal activities. In spite of the notification, one of the firearms catalogued that day at Busby’s residence was later found in Mexico by authorities.
Over the course of 2010 and 2011, evidence showed that Gary Busby manufactured hundreds of AR-15 and AK firearm receivers into fully functional firearms and made thousands of dollars doing so. Law enforcement found approximately fifty of those firearms as they were being smuggled into or recovered in Mexico. The government also presented evidence showing that Busby lied on ATF forms related to firearm purchases, specifically of receivers, by stating that he was the actual buyer of the receiver, knowing that he would sell or trade that receiver to third parties.
Evidence also showed that from approximately December 2010 to September 2012, Busby purchased hundreds of postal money orders at dozens of post offices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, in an effort to hide the proceeds of his illegal firearm activity. Busby would only purchase two $1,000 money orders at a time at one post office, using cash, and would travel to up to six post offices in one day, purchasing $2,000 in money orders at each. Doing so, he was knowingly evading the federal reporting requirement for when a customer purchases $3,000 or more in money orders. In 2011 alone, Busby purchased approximately $236,000 in postal money orders, in order to hide the money made manufacturing firearms. Evidence presented to the jury showed that he knowingly structured these cash transactions.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Rumsey and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham are in charge of the prosecution.
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Federal Grand Jury IndictmentsRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2105
United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that a Federal Grand Jury in Greenville, South Carolina, returned Indictments against the following:
North Carolina Resident Indicted on VA Theft. Nikki M. Williamson, age 44, of Gastonia, North Carolina, was charged in a one-count indictment with theft of government funds, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. The maximum penalty Williamson could receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by agents of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William J. Watkins, Jr., of the Greenville office for prosecution.
Illegal Alien Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. Mario Josue Hernandez-Padilla, age 24, of Honduras, was charged in a one-count indictment with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5). The maximum penalty Hernandez-Padilla could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens of the Greenville office for prosecution.
Spartanburg Man Indicted on Federal Gun and Drug Charges. Jamarr Shavarya Brown, age 26, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, was charged in a three-count indictment with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1); possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). The maximum penalty Brown could face is a fine of $1,500,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 35 years. This case was investigated by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Wells of the Greenville office.
Boiling Springs Man Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. Shantrese Demarkeds Young, age 25, of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count indictment with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The maximum penalty Young could face is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Wells of the Greenville office.
Cowpens Man Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. Adam Noel Cobb, age 37, of Cowpens, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count indictment with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(9). The maximum penalty Cobb could face is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Wells of the Greenville office.
Greer Man Indicted on Federal Gun and Drug Charges. Tyrone Chadrick Grady, age 32, of Greer, South Carolina, was charged in a two-count indictment with possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1); and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). The maximum penalty Grady could face is a fine of $1,000,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 20 years. The case was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Brewer of the Greenville office.
Greenville Man Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. Travis Lee Nixon, age 26, of Greenville, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count indictment with possession of a firearm by a person after being convicted of a federal offense, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The maximum penalty Nixon could face is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Brewer of the Greenville office.
Greenville Man Indicted on Federal Gun and Drug Charges. Cleveland Harris Watkins, II, age 34, of Greenville, South Carolina, was charged in a five-count indictment with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1); possession with the intent to distribute heroin, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). The maximum penalty Watkins could face is a fine of $1,000,000.00 and/or a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to a maximum term of life. This case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Brewer of the Greenville office.
Anderson Group Indicted on Federal Gun and Drug Charges. Shemika Alfrida Parson Williams, age 35, Kevin Lynn Hargraves, age 32, and Johnny Lee Smith, age 26, all of Anderson, South Carolina, were charged in a four-count indictment with possession of firearms by prohibited persons, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1); conspiracy possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). The maximum penalty they could face is a fine of $10,000,000.00 and/or a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of life. This case was investigated by the Anderson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Brewer of the Greenville office.
Walhalla Man Indicted on Federal Gun and Drug Charges. Matthew Vinson Leopard, age 38, of Walhalla, South Carolina, was charged in a four-count indictment with possession of firearms by a prohibited person, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1); possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1); and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). The maximum penalty Leopard could face is a fine of $5,000,000.00 00 and/or a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to a maximum term of life. This case was investigated by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Brewer of the Greenville office.
Two Norcross, Georgia Men and A Greenville Man and Woman Indicted on Federal Gun and Drug Charges. Diego Javier Beltran, age 35, and Savannah Rose Schwarz , age 19, both of Greenville, South Carolina, and Fermin Mata-Bustos, age 29, and Manuel De Jesus Gordillo-Escandon, age 23, both of Norcross, Georgia, were charged in a four-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846; and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). Beltran, Mata-Bustos, and Gordillo-Escandon were also charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). The maximum penalty Beltran, Mata-Bustos, and Gordillo-Escandon could face is a fine of $5,000,000.00 00 and/or a minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to a maximum term of life. The maximum penalty Schwarz could face is a fine of $1,000,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 20 years. This case was investigated by the Union County Sheriff’s Office and ICE–Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joe Brewer of the Greenville office.
Kinards Man Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. James Andrew Gardner, age 27, of Kinards, South Carolina, is charged in a one-count indictment with felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The maximum possible penalty Gardner could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by agents of the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office.
Piedmont Man Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. Tarrance Dieon Albert, age 42, of Piedmont, South Carolina, is charged in a one-count indictment with felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The maximum possible penalty Albert could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by agents of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office.
Travelers Rest Man Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. Billy Raymond Emery, age 48, of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, is charged in a one-count indictment with felon in possession of firearms, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The maximum possible penalty Emery could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by agents of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office.
Westminster Man Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. Matthew Blake Sosby, age 43, of Westminster, South Carolina, is charged in a one-count indictment with felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The maximum possible penalty Sosby could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by agents of the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office.
Inman Man Indicted on Bank Robbery Charge. Justin Ashley Bott, age 45, of Inman, South Carolina, is charged in a one-count indictment with bank robbery, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113. The maximum possible penalty Bott could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 20 years. This case was investigated by agents of the Lyman Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office.
Honea Path Man Indicted on Federal Gun Charge. Edisto Hulon Patton, age 36, of Honea Path, South Carolina, is charged in a one-count indictment with felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). The maximum possible penalty Patton could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 10 years. This case was investigated by agents of the Anderson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office.
Greenwood Man and Mother Indicted on Federal Drug Charges. Demetris Antwon Goode, age 32, and his mother, Malissa Ann Goode, age 53, of Greenwood, South Carolina, were charged in a four-count indictment alleging one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846; and three counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). Demetris Goode is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000.00. The maximum penalty Malissa Ann Goode could face is 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00. This case was investigated by the Greenwood Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office.
Greenwood Man Indicted on Federal Gun and Drug Charges. Winston Dennis Hill, Jr., age 32, of Greenwood, South Carolina, was charged in a six count indictment with two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1); two counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances including, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), and marijuana, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1); and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). Hill is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.00. This case was investigated by the Greenwood Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in these indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.#####
Federal Grand Jury IndictmentRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2105
United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that a Federal Grand Jury in Charleston, South Carolina, returned an Indictment against the following:
Ladson Man Indicted on Drug Charges. Robert Bryan Mansfield, age 60, of Ladson, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). The maximum penalty Mansfield could face is a fine of $10,000,000.00 and/or imprisonment for life. The case was investigated by ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Bianchi of the Charleston office.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this Indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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