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14 February 2017
Raytown Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing $86,000 from Two ChurchesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Raytown, Mo., man who worked or volunteered at two area churches pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling more than $86,000 from those parishes.
David Townley, 59, of Raytown, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert E. Larsen to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion contained in a June 29, 2016, federal indictment.
Nativity of Mary (Wire Fraud)
Townley admitted that he engaged in a scheme to defraud Nativity of Mary church and school in Independence, Mo., from 2007 through 2013.
Townley was employed by the Nativity of Mary church and school as the business manager from December 2006 through June 2013. Townley handled the payroll and had access to both cash and check collections/donations, and school tuition payments. From 2011 through 2013, Townley skimmed money from cash tuition payments made by parents. Townley recorded accurate tuition deposits in the school’s log but deposited a lesser amount into the church’s bank account.
Townley’s bank records revealed frequent cash deposits separate from his and his wife’s salary payments. Nativity of Mary banked at the Blue Ridge Bank and Trust in Kansas City, Mo. The processing of checks through the Federal Reserve System from Nativity of Mary constituted the wire fraud.
Sacred Heart of Guadalupe (Mail Fraud)
Townley admitted that he stole $47,705 from Sacred Heart of Guadalupe church in Kansas City, Mo., in a fraud scheme that lasted from 2006 through 2013.
Townley was a volunteer at Sacred Heart of Guadalupe from 2002 through 2013. Townley was in charge of paying the church’s bills, making QuickBooks entries, reporting to the financial committee and filing the church’s tax returns. From 2006 through 2013, Townley negotiated more than 20 checks, totaling $47,705, and deposited them into his personal bank account. Some of these checks were unauthorized salary payments and others were made out to third parties, such as the “Society of the Precious Blood” and the Diocese of Kansas City.
Sacred Heart of Guadalupe banked at U.S. Bank in Kansas City, Mo., which mailed statements to the church and constituted the mail fraud.
According to an analysis of his bank records, Townley used the money he embezzled mostly to pay off credit card debt. A conservative estimate of the total loss is $86,297. This includes $34,131 of Sacred Heart of Guadalupe checks payable to third parties but cashed by Townley, $32,194 in additional non-payroll checks from Nativity of Mary that were deposited by Townley, and $19,971 in cash deposits that appear to be from Nativity of Mary tuition payments.
Tax Evasion
Townley admitted that he failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2005 through 2013. During those years, Townley had taxable income that ranged from $54,633 to $115,721. The total tax loss for those years is $59,322.
Townley attempted to conceal his true sources of income at Nativity of Mary and Sacred Heart of Guadalupe. The acts of evasion in those years included making false entries in the accounts of Nativity of Mary and skimming cash from tuition payments made by parents at the Nativity of Mary school.
Under federal statutes, Townley is subject to a sentence of up to 45 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Randolph County man sentenced for unlawful possession of a stolen firearmRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony Blackburn, 26, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced to 19 month incarceration for illegally possessing a stolen firearm, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.In April 2016, Blackburn possessed a 9mm pistol and a .380 caliber pistol. Blackburn had previously been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence in Randolph County Magistrate County in April 2009. Blackburn pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in December 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the Barbour County Sheriff’s Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Preston County man is sentenced for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Warren Lee McDaniel, 43, of Albright, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 36 months incarceration for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.McDaniel was discovered in possession of a 9 mm caliber pistol in Preston County in February 2016. He had previously been convicted of Grand Larceny in Preston County Circuit Court. McDaniel pled guilty in federal court to one count of “Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm” in November 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Preston County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Pollock prisoners plead guilty to assaultRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced last week that three prisoners at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock pleaded guilty to the assault of an inmate that resulted in injuries requiring hospitalization.
Jason Dwight Mackenzie, 35; Robert Shipp Jr., 32; and Calvin Skelton, 42, inmates at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the guilty plea, the defendants beat a fourth inmate on October 21, 2015. The defendants jumped and punched the victim while he was reading a newspaper in the cell block causing the victim to fall to the ground. The assailants punched and kicked him in the head, upper body and legs until they appeared winded and tired. Once a guard approached, the defendants went back to their cells. The victim was taken to the prison infirmary then to a hospital where he underwent multiple surgeries to repair severe injuries from the assault.
The defendants face a maximum of 10 years in prison, one to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for May 26, 2017.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
Palm Beach County Resident is Sentenced to Prison in Connection with Jamaica Based Lottery ScamRead the Press Release
Julius Lorenzo George Jackson, 32, of Palm Beach County, was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge William J. Zloch for his role in a Jamaica-based fraudulent lottery scheme. Jackson previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Antonio J. Gomez, Postal Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), made the announcement.
According to court documents, including the criminal information and factual proffer, individuals throughout the United States were contacted and falsely informed that they had won millions of dollars in a lottery. The victims were persuaded to pay bogus fees of several hundred to several thousand dollars in order to collect their purported lottery winnings. During the course of the lottery scheme, Jackson would receive money from the victims, either directly into his bank account or through a wire transfer of funds. Jackson would keep a portion of the victims’ money and would wire transfer the remaining portion to a co-conspirator in Jamaica.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of USPIS and ICE-HSI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha R. Mitrani
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Owner of Idaho Falls Income Tax Preparation Business Sentenced to Federal Prison for Preparing Falsified Income Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – April Carrillo, 43, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to nine months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for preparing false income tax returns for clients of her business, “Carrillo’s Tax Service,” U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief United States District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Carrillo to pay $93,945.00 in restitution.
Carrillo pleaded guilty to one count of assisting, advising, and counseling clients to submit materially false federal income tax returns to the IRS. According to the plea agreement, from 2009 through 2011, Carrillo and some of her employees at Carrillo’s Tax Service submitted over 2,500 federal falsified income tax returns. They did this primarily by claiming tax credits to which their clients were not entitled. Specifically, Carrillo and her employees would prepare tax returns that claimed the “child tax credit” and the “additional child tax credit” for taxpayers who did not qualify for these credits. This had the effect of increasing clients’ tax refunds, which helped Carrillo’s Tax Service to generate business.
“Ms. Carrillo’s conviction and sentence make it clear that those who knowingly and falsely claim that the income tax laws do not apply to them will be prosecuted and ordered to pay,” U.S. Attorney Olson said. “I commend the fine work of the IRS criminal investigators in this case.”
“As we approach tax filing season, those who might consider preparing false tax returns should be aware of the negative consequences as evidenced with this sentence,” said Steven Osborne, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Field Office. “Ms. Carrillo’s sentencing again emphasizes that the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney's Office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who attempt to defraud America's tax system.”
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations division.
Orlando Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Possessing A Firearm and Distributing Drugs in Pine HillsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Nicholas Damion Paisley (34, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing cocaine; possessing with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, cocaine and marijuana; and possessing a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty on November 18, 2016.
According to court documents and sentencing testimony, Paisley, along with others, distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana out of a residence in the Pine Hills area of Orlando. On August 4, 2016, law enforcement officers arrested Paisley at the home and recovered four firearms, including an AK47-style assault rifle with a scope, collapsible stock, and an extended magazine. In addition, they seized distribution amounts of crack cocaine, cocaine, and marijuana.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.
Orange County Man Sentenced for Federal Violations Related to Port Acres MurderRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A 40-year-old Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal violations related to the murder of a Port Acres woman in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Ozzie Nelson Ibarra pleaded guilty on Aug. 9, 2016, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and conspiracy to use and carry firearms during a crime of violence and drug trafficking crime. Ibarra was sentenced to 420 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, beginning in 2001, Ibarra and others started robbing women in the parking lots of stores and businesses in Port Arthur, Texas. Ibarra admitted to committing the robberies for the purpose of supporting his crack cocaine habit. The robberies increased to almost daily between 2009 and 2011. During the investigation of these crimes, it was discovered that Ibarra and his co-defendants were responsible for the May 2010 death of a Port Acres, Texas woman who was shot while driving on West Port Arthur Road. Once law enforcement officers became aware of Ibarra’s involvement, they were able to obtain video surveillance from area businesses that verified Ibarra’s presence in the area at the time of the shooting. Ibarra was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 4, 2016.
“The murder of Allison Neil Clark in 2010 was long held as an unsolved cold case, but it was never forgotten by detectives with the Port Arthur Police Department or Allison’s family,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “This tenacious team, joined by federal prosecutor Lesley Woods and Port Arthur Police detectives Alton Baise and Paul Arvizo, focused their time and skills to piece this case together. Today, justice was finally served for the family of Allison, and for the investigators, and the citizens of Port Arthur who were egregiously harmed by these individuals. Ozzie Ibarra will harm no one else in the future!”
This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods.
Olyphant Man Charged with Attempted Enticement of A Minor for Sexual PurposesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Criminal Information was filed on February 13, 2017, charging Brian LaChance, age 27, of Olyphant, Pennsylvania, with using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, LaChance is charged with using the internet and a cell phone to attempt to entice and persuade a 15-year-old female to send him sexually explicit photographs of her in November 2015.
The charge stems from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Army criminal investigators. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.
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.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The charge also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Oakland Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Arnold Fischman was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Special Agent in Charge Ryan Spradlin The sentence, entered yesterday by the Honorable Haywood Gilliam, U.S. District Judge, follows a guilty plea entered by the defendant.
Fischman, 69, of Oakland, pleaded guilty on September 12, 2016, to one count of possession of pornography depicting minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct. According to his guilty plea, Fischman acknowledged that he was in possession of more than 600 images of child pornography on January 8, 2015, when federal agents executed a search of his residence. Papers filed by the government reveal that a search warrant executed by HSI agents at Fischman’s home found more than 10,000 images and videos of child pornography on his electronic devices, including images depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as three to five years old. The government charged Fischman with possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B).
The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Haywood Gilliam, U.S. District Judge. Judge Gilliam ordered Fischman to self-surrender to begin serving his sentence no later than March 27, 2017. Judge Gilliam also imposed a five year period of supervised release to follow Fischman’s prison term.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas R. Green prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trina Khadoo. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the HSI.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-843-5678.
New York Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud the FDARead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A New York man, who was involved in a conspiracy that illegally manufactured and sold pro-hormone/designer steroids, was sentenced yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon after having previously pled guilty to related federal charges, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Matthew S. Greacen, 50, of Pt. Byron, N.Y., previously pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Food and Drug Administration. Yesterday in District Court, Greacen was sentenced to two years’ probation, four months of which must be spent on home confinement. In addition, he was ordered to forfeit $55,000. A Co-conspirator in the case, James Mills, was previously sentenced to two years’ probation and a $1,000 fine.
“Selling dangerous drugs disguised as harmless dietary supplements places the health of U.S. consumers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark A. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office. “Our office will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who ignore this very real threat to public health.”
Greacen was prosecuted as part of an ongoing operation that involved the illegal importation of raw drug powders from China to the Danville, Va., area. The powders were then shipped to various locations throughout the United States, including Nature’s Chemistry, the Skaneateles, N.Y.-based business Greacen owned and where he served as the former president. The illegal product contained methasterone, commonly known as Superdrol. The product was illegally marketed as a nutritional supplement when, in fact, it was a dangerous drug.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer is prosecuting the case for the United States.
New York Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud the FDARead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A New York man, who was involved in a conspiracy that illegally manufactured and sold pro-hormone/designer steroids, was sentenced yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon after having previously pled guilty to related federal charges, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Matthew S. Greacen, 50, of Pt. Byron, N.Y., previously pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Food and Drug Administration. Yesterday in District Court, Greacen was sentenced to two years’ probation, four months of which must be spent on home confinement. In addition, he was ordered to forfeit $55,000. A Co-conspirator in the case, James Mills, was previously sentenced to two years’ probation and a $1,000 fine.
“Selling dangerous drugs disguised as harmless dietary supplements places the health of U.S. consumers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark A. McCormack, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office. “Our office will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who ignore this very real threat to public health.”
Greacen was prosecuted as part of an ongoing operation that involved the illegal importation of raw drug powders from China to the Danville, Va., area. The powders were then shipped to various locations throughout the United States, including Nature’s Chemistry, the Skaneateles, N.Y.-based business Greacen owned and where he served as the former president. The illegal product contained methasterone, commonly known as Superdrol. The product was illegally marketed as a nutritional supplement when, in fact, it was a dangerous drug.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer is prosecuting the case for the United States.
New York Man Sentenced for Attempted Robbery of Two Wausukee BanksRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 13, 2017, Ross A. Bertucci (age: 32) of New York State, was sentenced in Federal Court in Green Bay to 72 months in prison for the crime of attempted bank robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).
As a condition of the plea agreement, Bertucci acknowledged that he was responsible for attempting to rob while armed with a loaded firearm, the State Bank of Florence and Stephenson National Bank both located in the Town of Wausaukee, in Marinette County. Bertucci’s attempts were thwarted when an observant citizen notified law enforcement of Bertucci’s strange behavior and manner of dress. Workers at both banks were able to secure their entry doors just prior to Bertucci’s arrival.
While handing down his sentence, Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted Bertucci’s criminal history and his pattern of committing crimes for financial gain. Judge Griesbach called the robberies “very serious” and highlighted the lasting impact that the defendant’s actions had on his victims, several of whom addressed the court at the hearing.
The case was investigated by the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Marinette County District Attorney. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
New Jersey Man Guilty of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Janeski, age 38, of Edison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on February 13, 2017, before United States Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson to production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Janeski admitted that between November 2015 and February of 2016, he used an application on a web-enabled cell phone to coerce a minor into engaging in illegal sexual activity and subsequently stored images of the minor on a cloud-based storage system.
The case was investigated by the Northern York County Regional Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Schinnour is prosecuting the case.
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.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Janeski faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum penalty under federal law of 30 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years for Crack Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey and Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jermaine Mitchell, a/k/a “Melo,” 44, of New Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 260 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack.” He was convicted following a six-day jury trial on June 27, 2016.
The trial evidence revealed that between January 2010 and August 2013, the defendant was part of a conspiracy that acquired crack cocaine in New Haven and brought it into the Bangor area where it was distributed through a network of New Haven dealers staying in the Bangor area and local residents. Proceeds of the sales were transported back to New Haven and used to purchase, among other things, more crack cocaine to send to Bangor. The defendant and his cousin, Jeffrey Benton, also of New Haven, organized the crack distribution business. At the time, Benton was a member of the Red Side Guerilla Brims, a New Haven street gang affiliated with the Almighty Blood Nation.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the New Haven, Connecticut Office of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the City of New Haven Department of Police Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Spector and Peter Markle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting a related case.
Nevada Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for $5 Million Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. - A Nevada man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for defrauding investors out of more than $5 million, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Lee Vaccaro, 45, of Las Vegas, Nevada, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one substantive count of securities fraud. Judge Martini imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Vaccaro was the chief marketing officer and vice president of investor relations for eAgency, a California-based company developing mobile security products. Vaccaro admitted that he and an individual identified as “Conspirator #1” sold investors interests in companies they controlled, and falsely represented to investors that the companies held warrants in eAgency. Warrants are derivative securities that give the holder the right to purchase common stock at a specific price within a certain time frame.
Vaccaro also admitted that he and Conspirator #1 made oral and written misrepresentations concerning the existence, number, validity, and term of eAgency warrants purportedly owned by the investment companies, as well as about the amount of money Conspirator #1 had personally invested in and raised for eAgency, and Conspirator #1’s current position at eAgency.
In addition, Vaccaro admitted that he and Conspirator #1 created and showed to investors numerous forged documents purporting to reflect the issuance of warrants to entities controlled by Vaccaro, and the transfer of those warrants to a company controlled by Conspirator #1. He admitted that most of the eAgency warrants purportedly transferred by Vaccaro to Conspirator #1’s company had, in fact, never been issued.
Beginning in January 2011, the dollar amount of interests Vaccaro and Conspirator #1 sold in the investment companies began to surpass the dollar amount of valid warrants held by the investment companies. Neither Vaccaro nor Conspirator #1 disclosed to investors the risk that their investments would be diluted by the sale of additional interests in the companies.
Vaccaro and Conspirator #1’s actions defrauded investors of more than $5 million.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini ordered Vaccaro to serve three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s New York Regional Office, under the direction of Sanjay Wadhwa and the New Jersey Bureau of Securities, under the direction of Acting Chief Amy G. Kopleton, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Shapiro and Deputy Chief Zach Intrater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
If you believe you are a victim of or otherwise have information concerning this alleged scheme, you are encouraged to contact the FBI at 973-792-3000.
Today’s sentencing is due to efforts by the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, which was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
Defense counsel: Robert C. Scrivo, Esq., Newark
Monroe woman pleads guilty in connection to scheme to defraud insurance companyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Monroe woman pleaded guilty Monday to mail fraud for a scheme where she lied on U.S. Bankruptcy Court filings and insurance documents.
Lasandra Laverne Edwards, 54, of Monroe, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of mail fraud. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks. According to the guilty plea, Edwards filed for bankruptcy in October 2013 and valued her furniture and clothing at $1,000. In November of 2013, Edwards purchased a renters’ policy that valued her assets at $100,000. Edwards’ house caught fire and burned on December 1, 2013. The defendant attended a creditors’ hearing associated with her bankruptcy case on December 10, 2013. She reaffirmed the information in the previous filings that her furniture and clothing were valued at $1,000. However, the next day on December 11, 2013, Edwards filed a claim under her insurance policy with State Farm falsely stating that her personal property was valued at $116,063.
Edwards faces up to 20 years in prison, one to three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of June 1, 2017.
The U.S. Trustee’s Office – Region V, Louisiana State Police and Monroe Fire Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Cytheria D. Jernigan are prosecuting the case.
Middlesex County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Role in Ethylone Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Carteret, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for conspiring to traffic approximately four kilograms of ethylone from China to New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Thomas Seymore, 38, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute ethylone, a Schedule I controlled substance. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 10, 2014, Seymore conspired with Michael Correa, 33, of Rahway, New Jersey, to distribute approximately four kilograms of ethylone, which had been ordered from China and shipped to a location in Teaneck, New Jersey. Ethylone, sometimes referred to as “bath salts” and “molly,” is an illegal synthetic drug that stimulates the central nervous system and can cause hallucinogenic effects.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Seymore to three years of supervised release. Correa previously pleaded guilty to his role and was sentenced Dec. 20, 2016 to 57 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence S. Opiola, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service under the direction of Inspector in Charge James V. Buthorn.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan M. Peck and Tazneen Shahabuddin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense Counsel: Susan C. Cassell Esq., Ridgewood, New Jersey
Mexican citizen sentenced to 24 months in prison for reentering the U.S. illegallyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican citizen was sentenced Monday to 24 months in prison for reentering the United States illegally on four separate occasions.
Miguel Rosales-Sanchez, 46, of Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, Rosales-Sanchez was arrested in St. Mary Parish on February 7, 2016. He was previously removed from the United States in 1999, 2004, 2006 and 2010.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gabino Lopez-Lopez, age 27, of Saratoga Springs, New York, was sentenced yesterday to time served (88 days in jail) for immigration fraud.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Thomas P. Brophy, Acting Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
As part of his guilty plea, Lopez-Lopez admitted that he presented a counterfeit alien registration receipt card (a “green card”) to a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, in Latham, New York, on November 10, 2016. Lopez-Lopez presented the card in support of his claim to being lawfully present in the United States. As part of his plea, Lopez-Lopez admitted that he is a citizen of Mexico and that he was unlawfully present in the United States.
Following his sentencing, Lopez-Lopez was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, which will place Lopez-Lopez into removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Maryland man is sentenced for unlawful delivery of a firearmRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Sales, 34, of Mt. Airy, Maryland, was sentenced to four years probation for violating the Maryland Firearm Safety Act, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Sales traveled from Pocahontas County to Maryland and unlawfully delivered two .223 caliber pistols in March 2014. He pled guilty to one count of “Procure the Delivery of a Firearm into a State Where Possession is Illegal” in September 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Marty Man Charged with Sexual Abuse Appears in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Marty, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Sexual Abuse.
Burton Wayne Rainbow, Jr., age 34, was indicted on February 7, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica Duffy on February 10, 2017, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 5 years and up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, in August 2015, Rainbow engaged in a sexual act with a juvenile female. To perpetrate the sexual assault, Rainbow placed the juvenile female in fear.
The charge is merely an accusation and Rainbow is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yankton Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Rainbow was ordered detained pending trial. A trial date has been set for April 18, 2017.
Longtime Fugitive Enters Plea in Federal Hates Crimes Case Alleging Racially Motivated Murders of African AmericansRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A member of the Avenues street gang who was on the run for well over a decade pleaded not guilty this morning to federal hate crimes charges stemming from the racially motivated murders of two African-American men in Highland Park.
Merced Cambero Jr., 38, whose street name was “Shadow,” entered not guilty pleas before United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who scheduled a trial on March 28.
Cambero was repatriated to the United States and turned over to the custody of special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department on February 3 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry after he was deported by Mexican immigration authorities. In the weeks leading up to his deportation, Cambero had been detained in Baja California by Mexican law enforcement officers on an unrelated matter and was found to be using a false identification. Further investigation by Mexican authorities and members of the San Diego Police Department verified Cambero’s true identity and the outstanding federal civil rights charges in Los Angeles. At his initial court appearance later that day in United States District Court in Los Angeles, Cambero was ordered held in custody without bond.
Cambero faces three felony counts, including conspiring to violate the civil rights of African Americans who resided in Highland Park. Among the victims of the plot was Kenneth Kurry Wilson, a 38-year-old African-American man who was fatally shot in Highland Park on April 18, 1999. Members of the conspiracy also murdered Christopher Bowser, an African-American man who was shot while waiting at a bus stop in Highland Park on Dec. 11, 2000.
The conspiracy charge specially alleges that Cambero:
- participated in a 1997 attack on African-American men who were playing basketball in a park;
- was among several gang members who ambushed an African-American man in 1998 and struck him in the head with a metal object;
- attacked an African-American man in a park in 1999;
- directed racial slurs at an African-American girl in a supermarket and an African-American man walking down a street in 1999; and
- was one of two triggermen in the murder of Kenneth Wilson.
The indictment also charges Cambero with violating Wilson’s civil rights by murdering him because he was African American and because he was using the public streets of Los Angeles. The third count of the indictment charges Camero with using a firearm during the commission of the federal conspiracy and hate crime charges.
Cambero was among five Avenues members who were indicted in 2004 in the first case in the nation to allege civil rights crimes against members of a street gang. The other four defendants were convicted at trial, and each was sentenced in 2006 and 2007 to life-without-parole in federal prison.
“The victims in this case were targeted simply because of their skin color and because members of the gang wanted to rid their neighborhood of African Americans,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The heinous conduct with which this defendant is charged has no place in this nation, and the Department of Justice will stand steadfastly against hate crimes like those charged. Despite this defendant’s efforts to avoid prosecution over the course of many years, his appearance in court today demonstrates that law enforcement and my office will be tenacious in pursuing justice against such criminal conduct.”
“The apprehension of Mr. Cambero is the latest example of success among agencies cooperating internationally,” said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “In addition, this arrest proves that leaving the country and evading capture for 15 years will not deter law enforcement in finding justice for victims of crime; in Mr. Cambero’s case, civil rights violations involving the alleged murder of an innocent man based on the color of his skin.”
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If he is convicted of the charges in the indictment, Cambero would face a potential sentence of life without parole in federal prison.
The arrest of Cambero is a result of a collaborative effort by Mexican law enforcement and immigration authorities; the San Diego Police Department; the FBI’s Los Angeles and San Diego Field Offices; and the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Mexico City. The investigation that led to the civil rights charges against Cambero was conducted by the FBI in Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. O’Brien of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Jennifer Chou of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Lewis County man is sentenced for stealing firearmsRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jacob Daniel Anthony, 22, of Weston, West Virginia, was sentenced to five years probation for possession of stolen firearms, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Anthony stole a .45 caliber pistol, a 12-guage shotgun and a 20-guage shotgun in Lewis, Upshur and Harrison Counties in August 2015. He pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Stolen Firearms” in March 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Weston Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Leader Sentenced in String of Violent Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Four of five defendants involved in a string of violent armed robberies have been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. The group was responsible for the armed robberies and attempted robbery of Jet Pawn, Cash America Pawn and Mad Dog Smoke Shop in January 2015.
Jerrieus Williams, 32, Alonzo Flowers, 24, Kye Rue, 23, Andre Coleman, 25, and Paul McCoy Jr., 24, all of Houston, pleaded guilty last year to two counts of aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal sentenced Williams to a total of 219 months in federal prison - 135 months for the robbery and a consecutive 84 months for the firearms conviction. He will also be required to serve three years of supervised release following completion of the prison term. In handing down the sentence, Judge Rosenthal noted the need for a substantial sentence based on the managerial role Williams played in the crimes. He was ultimately held accountable for the conduct of his co-defendants, which included the theft of 26 firearms, substantial monetary losses and abducting victims within the business by moving them at gunpoint to the safe and jewelry cases.
Williams was the leader and organizer of this armed robbery crew and sat outside of the robbery locations acting as a lookout while the others conducted the robberies. He also scouted the locations and provided the firearms to his co-defendants prior to each robbery. Flowers and McCoy each ran inside the business locations carrying guns and stole firearms, jewelry and cash.
During the attempted robbery of Mad Dog Smoke Shop, Flowers and Rue entered the store and pointed a gun at the lone employee. At that time, the employee retrieved his personal firearm and shot at the robbers, causing them to flee without getting away with any property. Flowers suffered a gunshot wound. As they were fleeing, they dropped a gun stolen from Jet Pawn.
Flowers and McCoy were sentenced earlier this year to 154 and 130 months, respectively. Rue was previously sentenced to 124 months based on his conduct during these three robberies, which included being a getaway driver and entering the Cash America Pawn and Mad Dog Smoke Shop with the intent to rob them.
The final defendant – Coleman - was also on the entry team and carried a gun during the Cash America Pawn and Jet Pawn robberies. He is scheduled for sentencing March 22, 2017.
All have been and will remain in custody.
The ATF conducted the investigation along with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Winter and Richard Hanes prosecuted the case.
Leader of Local Sex Trafficking Conspiracy Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
TULSA, OKLAHOMA—A 21-year-old Tulsa man pleaded guilty in federal court today to charges stemming from a sex trafficking operation conducted by Tulsa Police Department’s Vice Unit, United States Attorney Danny C. Williams, Sr. announced.
Joshua Harring (a/k/a “Maniack”) pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge John E. Dowdell to Child Sex Trafficking and Conspiracy to Engage in Child Sex Trafficking. A federal grand jury had previously returned a six-count Second Superseding Indictment in October 2016, charging Harring with conspiracy, child sex trafficking violations, obstruction of justice, and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and drug trafficking crimes. Federal prosecutors claimed Harring was the head of a child sex trafficking venture that victimized at least three Tulsa teenagers. Prosecutors noted that Harring was the sixth defendant to admit his guilt in this case and related cases. Morgan Palmer, Tajuan Alexander, Steven Gonzalez, Latisha Perkins, and Dawaune Allen all previously admitted their guilt in Federal court for the roles they played in related sex trafficking violations. Several of the co-conspirators had ties to the 52 Red Mob Gang set, a Tulsa street gang.
Beginning in late December 2015, Harring conspired with his girlfriend, Morgan Palmer, and others to recruit girls under the age of 18 to perform commercial sex acts at various Tulsa motels. On January 4, 2016, Tulsa Police Department Vice Unit officers encountered a 16-year-old victim during an undercover operation in which TPD responded to an online advertisement on Backpage.com. Shortly thereafter, officers identified and arrested Harring for his role in the sex trafficking operation.
Despite Harring’s arrest, Vice Unit officers determined from their investigation that the sex trafficking conspiracy was still ongoing and conducted a second undercover operation targeting a related Backpage ad. On January 19, 2016, TPD Vice Unit officers arrested Palmer, who had continued the child sex trafficking operation from her apartment at The Enclave near Brookside in midtown Tulsa. In total, officers identified three minors who had been victimized by Harring’s child sex trafficking venture. A fourth minor victim was identified in a related child sex trafficking operation involving Latisha Perkins and Dawaune Allen.
Harring’s plea agreement sets forth an agreed upon sentence of twenty-two years in Federal prison, where parole has been abolished. His sentencing hearing is set for May 11, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
The Tulsa Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Trent Shores and Andrew J. Hofland prosecuted this matter on behalf of the United States.
“Human traffickers prey on vulnerable teenagers in our community and exploit them for their personal profit by selling them in the commercial sex trade. I commend the Tulsa Police Department’s Vice Unit for their excellent work in investigating this matter,” stated United States Attorney Williams.
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.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Laurel Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Victims of Millions of Dollars Through Internet Dating ScamRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Victor Oyewumi Oloyede, age 42, of Laurel, Maryland today to 234 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering, and for aggravated identity theft arising from a scheme to defraud vulnerable victims of millions of dollars. Judge Grimm also ordered Oloyede to forfeit and pay restitution of $1,641,959.74. Oloyede and three co-conspirators were convicted on November 18, 2016, after a 17-day trial.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to evidence presented at his trial, from January 2011 to May 18, 2015, members of the conspiracy searched online dating websites to initiate romantic relationships with vulnerable male and female individuals. They phoned, emailed, texted and used internet chat messenger services to form romantic relationships with the victims, who lived in Maryland and around the country.
Witnesses testified that members of the conspiracy used false stories and promises to convince the victims to provide money to the conspirators, including fake hospital bills, plane trips to visit the victims, problems with overseas businesses and foreign taxes. Oloyede and other conspirators opened bank accounts, called “drop accounts,” in order to receive millions of dollars from the victims. Testimony at trial showed that victims provided money to the defendants as a result of the false stories and promises, either depositing money directly into drop accounts controlled by the defendants, or by checks sent to the conspirators. The payments from victims ranged from $1,720 to $50,000. Oloyede and others used victims’ names, bank account numbers or driver’s licenses in furtherance of the fraud scheme.
Oloyede and his co-conspirators dispersed money received from the victims by transferring funds to other accounts controlled by the conspirators, by obtaining cashier’s checks, and by writing checks to individuals or entities, in order to conceal the nature, source, and control of those assets.
Gbenga Benson Ogundele, a/k/a “Benson Ogundele,” age 58, of Laurel, Maryland; Babatunde Emmanuel Popoola, a/k/a “Emmanuel Popoola” and “Tunde Popoola, age 34, of Bowie, Maryland; and his sister, Mojisola Tinuola Popoola, a/k/a “Mojisola Oluwakemi Tin Popoola” and “Moji T. Popoola,” age 42, of Laurel, were also convicted for their roles in the fraud scheme. Judge Grimm has scheduled sentencing for Babatunde Popoola on February 22, 2017; and for Mojisola Popoola and Ogundele on March 22, 2017.
The Maryland Identity Theft Working Group has been working since 2006 to foster cooperation among local, state, federal, and institutional fraud investigators and to promote effective prosecution of identity theft schemes by both state and federal prosecutors. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Working Group, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to work with financial institutions and businesses to address identity fraud, identify those who compromise personal identity information, and protect citizens from identity theft.
Today’s announcement is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Windom and Leah Jo Bressack, who are prosecuting the case.
Kanawha County man sentenced to over four years in federal prison for role in California-to-West Virginia drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man was sentenced today to four and a half years in federal prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for his role in a California-to-West Virginia methamphetamine conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Brian Ashby, 38, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Ashby admitted that in December 2015, he received approximately five pounds of crystal methamphetamine that he acquired from a source in California. Ashby further admitted that he distributed the methamphetamine in the Charleston area. On January 11, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Ashby’s property and located over 15 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Ashby also admitted that near the end of February 2016, he traveled to Louisville to obtain 10 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and paid approximately $40,000 to an individual for the drugs. Ashby additionally admitted that he attempted to obtain another 10 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in March 2016. Law enforcement later seized $70,000 in cash from Ashby that he intended to use in that drug deal.
This prosecution is the result of a multi-agency investigation that led to an eight-count indictment implicating several defendants, some of whom have already been sentenced to prison. Velarian Sylvester Carter, of Beckley, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Daniel Ortiz-Rivera, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Miguel Tafolla-Montoya, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 10 years and 11 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 of methamphetamine. Kelly Newcomb, of Nevada, and Danielle Dessaray Estrada, of Los Angeles, were both sentenced to a year and a day in prison for interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime. Marco Antonio Bojorquez-Rojas, a Mexican national residing in California, was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime.
Three other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Rafael Garcia Serrato, of Los Angeles, Cesar Garcia, also of Los Angeles, and Miguel Alejandro Robles-Ibarra, a Mexican national, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of these prosecutions. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence and is presiding over these cases.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Jefferson County Man Sentenced for Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A 34-year-old Beaumont, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Billy Ray Joseph, Jr., pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2016, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, on Mar. 28, 2016, acting on leads from investigators in Houston, agents and investigators conducted surveillance of an address in Beaumont, Texas on McLean Street where they observed Joseph exit the residence with a Styrofoam cup in his hand and get in a vehicle. Joseph was then detained by officers after committing multiple traffic violations. Investigators searched the residence, which was Joseph’s home at the time, and recovered a firearm, crack cocaine, and plastic wrapping for a kilogram of narcotics that contained heroin residue. Detectives also found drug paraphernalia and ecstasy. Joseph was indicted by a federal grand jury on Apr. 6, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Beaumont Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods.
Jefferson County Convicted Felon Sentenced for Gun ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A 44-year-old Beaumont, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Michael Jon Gelagotis pleaded guilty on Aug. 17, 2016, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, on Sep. 24, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Gelagotis’s residence after he had violated the terms of his state probation for impersonating a public servant. Inside the residence, the officers found 34 firearms, including high-caliber rifles, semi-automatic pistols, and a shotgun. The officers also found more than 30,000 rounds of assorted ammunition and more than 40 large capacity 223 caliber magazines, and a ballistic vest. As a convicted felon, Gelagotis is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Gelagotis was previously convicted of risk of injury in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1993, and grand larceny, in Newport, Vermont, in 1997. Gelagotis was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 4, 2016 and charged with federal firearms violations.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition and body armor, and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
Jefferson County Convicted Felon Sentenced for Drug and Gun ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A 43-year-old Beaumont, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Deshawn Paul Hall, also known as Deshawn Paul Davis, was convicted at trial on Aug. 31, 2016, of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of crack cocaine and was sentenced to 155 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, Hall was found to be distributing crack cocaine out of a home on Magnolia Street in Beaumont, Texas for over a year. During the investigation it was also revealed that Hall was a convicted felon having been previously convicted in Jefferson County, Texas of sexual assault in 1993; failure to comply with sex offender registry in 2007; and possession of a controlled substance in 2012. When detectives and officers with the police department executed a search warrant at the residence where Hall was living illegally, investigators discovered that Hall was also living with a juvenile female. Hall was also in possession of three firearms and crack cocaine on that same occasion. Hall was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sep. 5, 2015.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition and body armor, and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods.
Jefferson City Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearms After Posting Photos on FacebookRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., man who posted photos of stolen property, illegal drugs, guns and cash on his Facebook page pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing two firearms.
Tremaine Cordell Smith, also known as “Sak Boy Fatt Maine,” 27, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to being a felon in possession of firearms.
Jefferson City police officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence on Jan. 7, 2016. The warrant was based upon a Columbia, Mo., Police Department investigation of stolen property. Smith had posted photos of several stolen items on his Facebook profile.
During the search, several stolen items were recovered, including two stolen handguns – a Ruger 9mm pistol and a Springfield 9mm pistol.
According to today’s plea agreement, Smith posted a picture on his Facebook profile on Oct. 5, 2014, that showed a pistol covered up with $100 bills. The handgun in the picture appeared to be a Springfield 9mm like the stolen firearm recovered from Smith’s residence. Smith also posted photos on his Facebook profile between Nov. 12, 2011, and Dec. 15, 2015, that showed what appeared to be large quantities of money, marijuana and firearms. One photo showed Smith with money inside a bag that appeared to be the same bag that contained the stolen firearms located during the search of his residence.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Smith has three prior felony convictions in Cole County, Mo., for distributing a controlled substance.
As an armed career criminal, Smith is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
Jamaica Man Sentenced for Threatening A JudgeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney G. F. “Pete” Peterman, III announces that Delroy Anthony McLean, age 42, from Jamaica, was sentenced today to serve 41 months in Federal prison for threatening a Federal official. The sentence was handed down by Honorable Clay D. Land, Chief U.S. District Court Judge, in Columbus.
Mr. McLean’s case was tried before a jury on October 4-5, 2016 in Columbus. Evidence at trial showed that he was a detainee awaiting deportation at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. During a hearing at the facility, Mr. McLean threatened to “bash the head” of Judge Sandra Arrington-Dempsey. He also threatened the judge’s husband and repeated his threats outside the courtroom. After serving his sentence, it is expected that Mr. McLean will be deported to his native Jamaica.
U.S. Attorney Peterman said, “Federal judges are public servants who should be free from threats and intimidation while carrying out their duties. Respect for law and the courts is essential to the functioning of our judicial system. This substantial sentence should make clear that behavior such as that of Mr. McLean will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Melvin E. Hyde, Jr. prosecuted the case on behalf of the Government.
Inquiries regarding this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2603.
Human Resources Manager for Information Technology Companies Admits Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A human resources manager for two information technology companies today admitted that she obstructed a federal investigation as part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain foreign worker visas, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Hiral Patel, 34, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
According to the document filed in this case and statements made in court:
SCM Data Inc. and MMC Systems Inc. offered consultants to clients in need of IT support. Both companies recruited foreign nationals, often student visa holders or recent college graduates, and sponsored them for H-1B visas. The H-1B program allows businesses in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers with specialized or technical expertise in a particular field, such as accounting, engineering or computer science.
Patel’s conspirators recruited foreign workers with purported IT expertise who sought work in the United States. The conspirators then sponsored the foreign workers’ H-1B visas with the stated purpose of working for SCM Data and MMC Systems’ clients throughout the United States. When submitting the visa paperwork to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS), the conspirators represented that the foreign workers had full-time positions and were paid an annual salary, as required to secure the visas.
Contrary to these representations and in violation of the H-1B program, the conspirators paid the foreign workers only when they were placed at a third-party client who entered into a contract with SCM Data or MMC Systems. The conspirators told the foreign workers who were not currently working that if they wanted to maintain their H-1B visa status, they would need to come up with what their gross wages would be in cash and give it to SCM Data and MMC Systems so the companies could issue payroll checks to the foreign workers.
The conspirators then encouraged the foreign workers to submit the bogus payroll checks to USCIS as proof that the workers were engaged in full-time work despite the fact that they were not working for the companies. Once the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) launched an audit of SCM Data and MMC Systems, the conspirators fabricated leave or vacation slips to USDOL for the time periods that the foreign workers were not working to conceal the fact that they were not paid during those time periods as required by federal law.
Patel – who was a human resources manager for SCM Data and MMC Systems – admitted that in February 2015 and March 2015, in response to a USDOL audit, she was involved in preparing false leave slips for the foreign workers on behalf of SCM Data and MMC Systems.
Patel faces a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 1, 2017.
U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence Opiola, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Mikulka, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce M. Malliet of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit in Newark.Defense Counsel: Michael V. Gilberti, Esq.
Honduran citizen sentenced to 87 months in prison for reentering the U.S.. illegally, firearm possessionRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Honduran citizen was sentenced Monday to 87 months in prison for reentering the United States and illegally possessing firearms.
Hector Alexander Cruz, 37, of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the July 25, 2016 guilty plea, Lafayette police responded to a complaint of marijuana odor coming from a residence on University Avenue. Upon contacting the inhabitants, they found Cruz and two others inside the apartment as well as a strong odor of marijuana. After questioning them and obtaining a search warrant, police found a 9 mm pistol, a .22 caliber pistol, a .380 caliber pistol and ammunition. After further investigation, law enforcement agents determined that Cruz had been removed from the country in December of 2011 after being convicted of an aggravated felony.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Hardy County man sentenced for heroin distributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jason Wayne Russell, 39, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced to 33 months incarceration for distributing heroin, Acting United States Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen, announced.
Russell collaborated with other individuals to travel to and from Baltimore to distribute heroin in June 2015. He pled guilty to one count of “Interstate Travel in Furtherance of a Drug Crime” in August 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Hardin County Man Sentenced for Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas - A 28-year-old Silsbee, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Seth Deandre Turner pleaded guilty on Aug. 9, 2016, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and was sentenced to 250 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, on July 21, 2010, law enforcement officers searched a residence in Beaumont where Turner resided during which officers recovered a handgun, a rifle and 7.93 grams of crack cocaine. Also recovered during the search was drug paraphernalia commonly used for “cooking” or manufacturing cocaine powder into crack cocaine and $1,050 in cash from controlled substance sales. On Feb. 17, 2015, Turner was apprehended as the suspect of a burglary and found in possession of over 20 grams of crack cocaine and another $2,013 in his pocket from illegal crack cocaine sales. Turner was indicted on May 4, 2016, along with co-defendants responsible for dealing crack cocaine from a Beaumont residence on Avenue A for over 10 years.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods.
Greenville Man Sentenced in Access Device Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2105
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Dalvin Michael Davenport, Jr., age 23, of Greenville, South Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release and restitution of $30,857.89, after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and money laundering, violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029 and 1956. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain, of Anderson sentenced Davenport on February 9, 2017.
At an earlier guilty plea hearing, Assistant U. S. Attorney Jeanne Howard, established that Davenport, along with other members of the conspiracy, recruited cashiers at various businesses to credit funds onto Green Dot, Visa and other prepaid cards without receiving payment. Immediately after obtaining the prepaid cards, members of the conspiracy activated and depleted the cards of the fraudulently loaded funds. In total, the conspiracy resulted in a loss of over $264,000.00, to several businesses in South Carolina and Georgia.
Other members of the conspiracy who previously entered guilty pleas and have been sentenced include the following: Vincenzo Mikkel Byers, age 26, of Greenville, South Carolina, sentenced to 36 months imprisonment; Cierra Andreous James, age 24, of Greenville, South Carolina, sentenced to 30 months imprisonment; Brandon Christopher Davis, age 26, of Simpsonville, South Carolina, sentenced to 30 months imprisonment; Tony Christopher Robinson, age 24, of Fountain Inn, South Carolina, sentenced to 18 months imprisonment; Davario Rashad Clinkscale, age 23, of Greenville, South Carolina, sentenced to 30 months imprisonment; Eric Ross Wilson, age 26, of Greenville, South Carolina, sentenced to 30 months imprisonment; Terrance Justin Davis, age 27, of Mauldin, South Carolina, sentenced to 21 months imprisonment; Quentin Nathaniel McClinton, age 25, of Greenville, South Carolina, sentenced to time served; and, Adam Isaiah Posley, age 21, of Greenville, South Carolina, sentenced to 3 years’ probation.
The case was investigated by agents of the FBI Upstate Gang Task Force and the U. S. Treasury Department, IRS Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Green Bay Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 13, 2017, Lucycan Ly (age: 36) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison by Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach. Ly previously entered a guilty plea to a charge of possession a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking charge in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A).
According to the plea agreement and other documents filed with the court, police searched Ly’s residence and found large amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana, along with 3 loaded firearms. As a felon, Ly was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on prior convictions in state court.
In pronouncing the sentence, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the debilitating effect that methamphetamine has on individuals and the great harm the drug causes in Northeast Wisconsin. He further noted that the quantity of methamphetamine and the presence of firearms made this a particularly dangerous crime.
The case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
Grape Street Crips Crack-Cocaine Wholesaler Pleads Guilty to Racketeering, Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A crack-cocaine wholesaler for the New Jersey set of the Grape Street Crips today admitted his involvement in racketeering and drug trafficking conspiracies operating in Newark, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
James S. Gutierrez, a/k/a “Bad News,” 26, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to Count 1 and Count 18 of a sixth superseding indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute crack-cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The New Jersey Grape Street Crips controlled drug trafficking and other criminal activities in various areas of Newark. Gutierrez and other members of the gang accepted orders for, and distributed, thousands of clips of crack-cocaine to other distributors, including other gang members.
To protect their gang and drug territory, the New Jersey Grape Street Crips operating in the area of 6th Avenue and North 5th Street in Newark used “community guns” that were easily accessible to gang members. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents seized numerous firearms, including a .410 caliber assault rifle, a.45 caliber Thompson semi-automatic carbine, a 7.62 caliber assault rifle, and numerous semi-automatic handguns.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Gutierrez will be sentenced to between 10 years and 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2017.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski in Newark, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked prosecutors and detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray; police officers and detectives of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose; and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Armando B. Fontoura, for their assistance in this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Osmar J. Benvenuto and Barry A. Kamar of the Criminal Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Defense counsel: Edward J. Plaza Esq., Little Silver, New Jersey
Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Erie Residents in Food Stamp Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - Four residents of Erie, Pennsylvania have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and food stamp fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The six count indictment named Nureden Jibul, 33; Jibul R. Jibul, 28; Samia R. Jibul, 24; and John L. McDowell, 67 as defendants.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Nureden Jibul, Jibul, Jibul and Samia Jibul were all engaged in food stamp fraud primarily involving exchanging food stamps for cash. Nureden Jibul also enlisted Johnnie McDowell to submit a fraudulent application for a food stamp license so that the food stamp terminals in use at the convenience stores owned and operated by Nuerden Jibul and Jibul Jibul would not be in their names. The defendants then used the food stamp terminals at locations where they were not authorized.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $270,000, or both for Nureden Jibul, Jibul R. Jibul and Samia R. Jibul and 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both for John L. McDowell. 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 defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, and the Erie Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Gary Man Sentenced to 40 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- United States Attorney David A. Capp announced that Manuel Ramos, 42, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced on February 14, 2017 by District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Ramos was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release.
According to Court filings, in May and June of 2016, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted an investigation that revealed that Ramos acquired and possessed firearms for the purpose of selling them for profit within the Northern District of Indiana.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.
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Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering, Money Laundering Charges; Admits Role in 2 Murders in 2011Read the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KEITH YOUNG, also known as “Capo,” “Bapo” and “Poncho,” 27, of Hamden. pleaded guilty yesterday before Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to federal racketeering and money laundering offenses, and admitted that he participated in two murders in 2011
This matter stems from an investigation into a criminal enterprise known as the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a sect of the Bloods street gang that operated in New Haven from 2011 through 2015, which was engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies. In addition to distributing crack cocaine and other narcotics in and around New Haven, members and associates of the RSGB, transported crack and heroin to Bangor, Maine, and sold the drugs in Bangor and its surrounding communities. The RSGB also traded narcotics for firearms, brought the firearms back to New Haven and distributed them to gang members.
According to court documents and statements made in court, YOUNG was a member and leader of the RSGB. On June 24, 2011, YOUNG was present when a RSGB member shot and killed Donell Allick in New Haven, and, on September 19, 2011, YOUNG was present when another RSGB member shot and killed Darrick Cooper in Hamden.
YOUNG also participated in the gang-related trafficking of crack cocaine in Maine, and the transferring drug proceeds from Maine to Connecticut by using Western Union.
“The Red Side Guerilla Brims wreaked havoc from New Haven to Bangor, Maine,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “RSGB members were not only responsible for multiple murders and non-fatal shootings locally, they trafficked drugs and firearms from one end of New England to the other. I thank our law enforcement partners who put this gang out of business, particularly the ATF, New Haven Police Department and Hamden Police Department, for their tireless dedication during this long-term and ongoing investigation. They are providing justice for the many victims of this brutal gang, and making New Haven a safer and better place to live.”
“ATF’s mission is to combat violent criminals and criminal organizations,” said Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division. “With today’s guilty plea, we have succeeded in taking a very violent gang member off the streets of our communities.”
“The outcome of this case is an example of what happens when agencies cooperate,” said Assistant Chief Achilles Generoso of the New Haven Police Department. “The collaboration between the NHPD, ATF, U.S. Attorney’s Office and State’s Attorney’s Office, once again resulted in dangerous people – involved in gun violence in New Haven and our neighboring communities – being taken off our streets.”
YOUNG pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity, which, because it involves the commission of murder, carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. He also pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
YOUNG has been detained since his arrest on September 30, 2015.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hamden Police Department. The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office also provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of the investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Spector, Peter Markle and Jocelyn Kaoutzanis. A related case in the District of Maine is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey.
Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROY ISIAH JACKSON, also known as “I”, 22, of New Haven, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to federal racketeering and firearm offenses stemming from his participation in a violent New Haven-based street gang.
This matter stems from an investigation into a criminal enterprise known as the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a sect of the Bloods street gang that operated in New Haven from 2011 through 2015, which was engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies. In addition to distributing crack cocaine and other narcotics in and around New Haven, members and associates of the RSGB, transported crack and heroin to Bangor, Maine, and sold the drugs in Bangor and its surrounding communities. The RSGB also traded narcotics for firearms, brought the firearms back to New Haven and distributed them to gang members.
According to court documents and statements made in court, JACKSON was a member of the RSGB. In pleading guilty, he admitted that, on March 19, 2012, he was involved in an exchange of gunfire with a rival gang on Genesee Street in New Haven. Although approximately 30 shots were fired during the incident, no one was injured.
In addition, on May 30, 2012, JACKSON and others, armed with firearms, committed a home invasion robbery of a residence located on Putnam Street in New Haven, during which they threatened the residents and removed a safe containing an amount of cash from the home.
JACKSON also participated in the trafficking of crack cocaine in Connecticut and Maine from 2011 until approximately June 2012.
JACKSON pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, one count of attempted assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years, and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Chief Judge Hall scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2017.
JACKSON is detained.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hamden Police Department. The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office also provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of the investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Spector, Peter Markle and Jocelyn Kaoutzanis. A related case in the District of Maine is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey.
Four Erie Residents Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the U.S. and Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - Four residents of Erie, Pennsylvania have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and food stamp fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.
The four count indictment named Abdul Alquraishi, 50; Hussain K. Al-Maliki, 50; Dhia Almaleki, 46; and Muntather Alquraishi, 24, as defendants.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Abdul Alquraishi, Hussain K. Al-Maliki, Dhia Almaleki and Muntather Alquraishi were engaged in exchanging food stamps for cash on a regular basis at The Lotto World, also known as Samir’s and Lotto World Convenience, a convenience store located at 832 State Street in Erie. The four defendants also allowed customers to pay off store credit with food stamps. Alquraishi was also using customers’ food stamp cards to buy items at various stores in the area.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both for Abdul Alquraishi, Hussain K. Al-Maliki and Dhia Almaleki and 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both for Muntather Alquraishi. 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 defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, and the Erie Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Forty-One VRN Indictments Target Violent Offenders in Pulaski CountyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Jeffrey Reed, Resident Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Larry Jegley, Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District, Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kenton Buckner, Chief of Little Rock Police Department (LRPD), and Mike Davis, Chief of North Little Rock Police Department (NLRPD), announced today 41 separate federal cases brought under the Violence Reduction Network (VRN) initiative in recent months.
These VRN cases target some of the most violent offenders in Pulaski County, and highlight law enforcement’s commitment to widespread collaboration between federal and local law enforcement partners in Pulaski County to help reduce violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas has worked with the ATF, LRPD, NLRPD, and Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to return 41 indictments charging individuals with various gun and drug crimes, with most of the indictments being returned in the past six months. All 41 defendants are convicted felons, and many have examples of violence in their past.
“The individuals targeted in our VRN initiative are among the most dangerous members of their community,” Thyer said. “Removing them and their guns from the streets of Pulaski County is a top priority, and makes our community a safer place to live. But know this—while we are pleased to announce these 41 indictments, by no means are the law enforcement officers of this community finished with the work of seeking out and stopping those individuals who unfortunately bring gun violence into everyday life.”
The indictments are all part of the VRN initiative, a network Little Rock joined in 2015. The VRN uses a comprehensive approach to reducing violent crime in select communities around the country. Through the VRN, the Justice Department enlists tactical and operational expertise available from its various federal components to assist local police forces in targeted efforts to eliminate the worst criminals from communities. Little Rock, along with West Memphis, will be a part of the VRN through September.
“The pursuit of justice concerning the judicial presentation of 41 defendants through the VRN initiative demonstrates the focus and commitment of the ATF to serve the citizens of the Little Rock and North Little Rock municipalities,” Reed said. “The ATF is committed to working with the Little Rock Police Department, the North Little Rock Police Department, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), and the United States Attorney Office concerning investigations involving violent offenders who illegally possess firearms within Arkansas. The ATF will continue these investigative efforts with our law enforcement partners in a determined fashion to provide the service expected by the citizens of Arkansas. Note that these collaborative efforts are in the pursuit of a safer living environment for the citizens of both Little Rock and North Little Rock, and that the ATF will be unwavering in that mission.”
The prior convictions of the 41 defendants include manslaughter, rape, aggravated assault, car-jacking, robbery and aggravated robbery, residential burglary, domestic battery, delivery of controlled substances and possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Forty of the 41 indictments announced today contain various federal gun charges, including being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, possessing a firearm while under a felony information, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug- trafficking crime (see attached list). In addition, several defendants are charged with stand-alone drug crimes. Four of the defendants are still pending arrest, while the remaining 37 are in various stages of prosecution.
“The Little Rock Police Department is proud of our relationships with The US Attorney's Office and all of our federal partners,” Chief Buckner said. “We have at least one officer assigned to ATF, FBI, DEA, USMS, and IRS. These relationships are essential to providing public safety in the capitol city.”
The indictments primarily stemmed from cases initially investigated by the Little Rock Police Department or the North Little Rock Police Department. Following state arrests in many instances, these cases were then recommended for federal prosecution by the Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Cases targeted for federal prosecution include those with defendants who have extensive or violent criminal history, or whose present crime is particularly egregious or violent.
Today’s announcement, and the federal and local components’ continued efforts as part the VRN in Little Rock and West Memphis, illustrate the Department of Justice and new administration’s commitment to reducing crime in the nation, as detailed in a series of Executive Orders recently enacted. This commitment to public safety will remain the steadfast mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and all law enforcement officers in our community who are sworn to protect and serve.
Forsyth Man Convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—David Crosby, 44, of Forsyth, was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender following a one-day jury trial. United States District Judge Susan Watters presided over the trial. Sentencing has been set for June 14, 2017.
A February 2016 indictment alleged that Crosby failed to register as a sex offender from in or about September 2015 until November 11, 2015. During that same time period, Crosby committed felony offenses for assault with a weapon and sexual abuse of children, for which he was later prosecuted by the Rosebud County Attorney’s Office. In September 2016, the Montana Sixteenth Judicial District Court, Rosebud County, sentenced Crosby to a 50-year term of imprisonment at the Montana State Prison for those offenses.
In 2007 in Colorado, Crosby was convicted of sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust. As a result, Crosby is required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. At trial, the government introduced evidence that in May 2015, Crosby informed law enforcement in Fort Morgan, Colorado, of his intention to de-register as a sex offender in Colorado and move to New York. In September 2015, however, Crosby’s vehicle broke down in Forsyth, Montana. While in Forsyth, Crosby began working full-time as a welder’s helper. He and his family also rented a home, where they lived until November 11, 2015, when Crosby was arrested by the Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office for the sexual and violent assaults, for which he was later charged and convicted.
Representatives of the Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office and the Montana Sexual Violent Offender Registry testified at trial that Crosby did not register as a sex offender at any point while living in Forsyth. Crosby also testified at trial. He admitted that he did not register as a sex offender while in Montana, stating instead that he believed he had 90 days in which to do so. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, however, Crosby was required to register within three working days after a change in residence or employment.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sullivan.
Former Town Administrator of Nahant and Saugus Sentenced for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former town administrator of Nahant and Saugus was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with failing to report over $375,000 of his income on his federal tax returns from 2010 to 2013.
Andrew R. Bisignani, 70, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year of probation, the first four months of which is to be served in Coolidge House and the following six months on home confinement. In December 2017, he pleaded guilty to four counts of filing false tax returns.
Bisignani, the former town administrator of Nahant and Saugus, admitted that from 2010 to 2013, he collected rental income from three real properties in Revere, Mass. During the same years, Bisignani collected interest and loan income by making multiple, private, short-term loans that were secured by Massachusetts real estate. Bisignani underreported his total rental real estate income when submitting his individual tax returns to the IRS in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He also underreported the interest income he received in connection with his private loans for 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of Weinreb’s Public Corruption Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Bergen County, New Jersey, Coin Dealer Admits Income Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A former resident of Old Tappan, New Jersey, today admitted evading personal income taxes on more than $400,000 in income in 2013, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
William Dominick, 68, of Collier County, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of tax evasion and one count of identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Dominick owned and operated Westwood Rare Coin out of his home in Old Tappan. He was required to include income earned by Westwood Rare Coin on his individual IRS 1040 form. During calendar year 2013, Dominick failed to report $400,000 in income earned by Westwood Rare Coin. He did this by using other people’s identities to open credit cards to purchase bulk quantities coins from the U.S. Mint in order to corner the market. Dominick then sold those coins through his business, retained the proceeds for his personal use, and failed to include the proceeds on the tax return that he signed and filed with the IRS.
The count of identity theft to which Dominick pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison; the count of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison; both counts also carry a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 23, 2017.
Under terms of his plea agreement, Dominick will file amended returns and make full restitution for years 2010 through 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of special agent in charge Timothy Gallagher; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen; and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge James V. Buthorn, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana Chen of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: John Whipple Esq., Morristown, New Jersey
Former Baruch College Basketball Coach and Athletics Official Charged with EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Catherine Leahy Scott, New York State Inspector General, and Brian M. Hickey, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Northeast Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General (“ED-OIG”), announced today that MACHLI JOSEPH was arrested this morning and charged in Manhattan federal court with embezzling more than half a million dollars in funds intended for Baruch College for the rental of their athletic facilities. JOSEPH was arrested by ED-OIG agents in New Jersey. He will be presented before Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein in Manhattan this afternoon.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Machli Joseph, Baruch College’s former basketball coach, allegedly drew up his own game plan for fraud, stealing more than half a million dollars meant for the college that he instead spent on himself. Embezzling money from a public college is no game, and for allegedly taking criminal advantage of his control over Baruch’s basketball courts, Joseph will now face federal charges in a court of law. We thank the New York State Inspector General and Department of Education Office of Inspector General for their excellent investigative work in this case.”
New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott said: “This once-trusted college athletic official allegedly abused his position and the facilities he was entrusted with to steal more than a half million dollars in public funds to use for his own personal benefit. These crimes, as alleged, were clearly symptoms of the problematic policies and oversight throughout CUNY facilities that I am currently investigating as a separate matter. I truly believe critical criminal cases like this one today come together only through effective law enforcement partnerships, and I thank U.S. Attorney Bharara and Agent-in-Charge Hickey and their offices for their work on this case.”
ED-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Brian M. Hickey said: “Today’s action alleges that Mr. Joseph knowingly abused his position of trust to steal funds from the very ones he promised to serve – Baruch College students. That is unacceptable. As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Education, we will continue to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own purposes. America’s students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint filed yesterday in Manhattan federal court[1]:
MACHLI JOSEPH served as an athletic department official at Baruch College between 2002 and 2016. He served as Baruch’s women’s basketball head coach between 2004 and 2014, its men’s basketball coach in 2002, as assistant athletic director from 2003 to 2011 and as associate athletic director from 2011 until August 2016. At times when the Baruch College gym was not being used by the school’s athletic teams, it could be rented out to outside parties. In his administrative capacity, JOSEPH had sole control over those gym rentals and their scheduling.
On numerous occasions between 2010 and 2016, JOSEPH rented the gym to outside parties, ostensibly on behalf of Baruch College. In instructing the renting parties on how to provide payment, however, JOSEPH directed that payment be made to entities that were not, in fact, connected to Baruch College. Instead, they were entities with bank accounts over which JOSEPH had personal control, some of which merely sounded like Baruch-affiliated entities. On several occasions, JOSEPH simply directed that payment be made directly to himself or individual associates of his. Many of these funds were ultimately spent on personal expenses and items for JOSEPH and his family, including renovations to his home in New Jersey. All told, and as alleged in the Complaint, the scheme improperly diverted approximately $600,000 of payments intended for Baruch College.
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JOSEPH, 42, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, has been charged with one count of embezzlement and misapplication concerning a program receiving federal funds. The charge carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of ED-OIG and the New York State Inspector General’s Office, and noted that the investigation is continuing.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Martin S. Bell and Catherine E. Geddes are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint 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 Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.