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Thursday 8 December 2016
Mexican citizen sentenced to 10 months in prison for producing fake identificationRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican citizen was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in prison for manufacturing fake identification, immigration and Social Security documents.
Marco Antonio Damian-Presno, 32, of Puebla, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must forfeit items seized during the investigation.
According to the July 12, 2016 guilty plea, Shreveport police arrested two undocumented aliens attempting to use fake driver’s licenses, resident alien cards and Social Security cards in April 2015. The aliens told police their source was Damian-Presno. During their investigation, agents bought a number of fake documents from Damian-Presno including identification cards, driver’s licenses, resident alien cards and Social Security cards, which he made in his Bossier City, La., home. On September 9, 2015, agents arrested Damian-Presno. He told agents that he sold three or four cards a week. Agents searched his home and seized cash, a computer, electronic storage devices, paper cutting devices and laminating devices.
Homeland Security Investigations, Shreveport Police Department and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Federal Heroin Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Martin Segoviano-Fierro, 35, a Mexican national, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 120 months in prison for his heroin trafficking conviction. Segoviano-Fierro will be deported following his prison sentence.
Segoviano-Fierro was arrested in Sept. 2015, and charged by criminal complaint with possession of heroin with intent to distribute in Bernalillo County, N.M., on Sept. 9, 2015. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers discovered approximately one kilogram of heroin in the trunk of the vehicle in which Segoviano-Fierro was a passenger during a routine traffic stop.
Segoviano-Fierro was subsequently indicted on Oct. 7, 2015, on the same charge. On March 23, 2016, Segoviano-Fierro pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Sept. 9, 2015, he transported more than 100 grams of heroin into Albuquerque and was to be paid $5,000 for the delivery.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Mescalero Apache Man Sentenced for Failing to Update his Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dabert Wayne Comanche, 35, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 15 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Comanche will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.
Comanche was charged in a criminal complaint on Feb. 23, 2016, with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. On March 23, 2016, Comanche was indicted on that same charge. According to the indictment, Comanche failed to update his registration between April 7, 2014 and Feb. 20, 2016, San Juan County, N.M.
According to the criminal complaint, Comanche was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country in April 2003 and was sentenced to a 78-month prison term. On June 1, 2011, Comanche registered as a sex offender in Mescalero, and agreed to notify the jurisdiction to which he moved if he relocated outside of the jurisdiction. On July 6, 2016, Comanche pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that he was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in April 2003, and was required to register as a sex offender as a result of that conviction. Comanche further admitted that he last reported to the Mescalero Apache Nation on Jan. 7, 2014 and should have reported in April 2014, but failed to comply.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall prosecuted the case.
Medical Director at a “Pill Mill” Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Oxycodone Without a Medical NeedRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Daniel Alexander, age 53, of Pikesville, Maryland today to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam. Chief Judge Blake also ordered Alexander to forfeit $30,000.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
“Physician Daniel Alexander prescribed opioid drugs to people who had no medical need for the drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “In doing so, he violated his medical oath and distributed misery instead of medicine. Pharmaceutical pills can be just as harmful as illegal drugs when they are prescribed without a legitimate medical purpose.”
According to his plea agreement and court documents, in March 2011, co-defendants Michael Resnick, Alina Margulis and Gerald Wiseberg opened Healthy Life in Owings Mills, Maryland as a purported pain management clinic. Healthy Life later moved to a larger space in Timonium, Maryland, until it closed on May 15, 2012. Both Healthy Life locations attracted large and unruly crowds. Customers caused disturbances outside the locations, used narcotics inside the clinic itself, and engaged in narcotics transactions in the parking lot. Over 80% of the customers of Healthy Life were from out of state.
Wiseberg hired physician William Crittenden to serve as the medical director at Healthy Life because Wiseberg believed that Crittenden would write prescriptions for narcotics to customers without a legitimate medical need. Crittenden resigned as the medical director in August 2011, when the Maryland Board of Physicians—the agency authorized to issue licenses to practice medicine in Maryland and to discipline licensees—initiated an investigation into his prescribing practices. This investigation ultimately led the Maryland Board of Physicians to suspend Crittenden’s medical license.
In September 2011, Resnick, Margulis and Wiseberg hired Alexander because they believed that Alexander would likewise write drug prescriptions to customers without a legitimate medical need. Specifically, Margulis told Alexander that Healthy Life only prescribed pills and did not offer any alternative therapies.
In order to increase profits, Alexander spent a limited amount of time with each patient so that he could see a very large number of patients each day. Indeed, the owners nicknamed Alexander “Speedy Gonzalez” because of the rapidity with which he processed patients seeking narcotics. From September 2011 to March 2012, Alexander issued prescriptions to 627 patients on 946 separate office visits. Of those 946 visits, the customer received a prescription for oxycodone 97% of the time, and a prescription for alprazolam 23% of the time, despite Alexander’s knowledge that many of the customers did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. In a few instances, Alexander prescribed oxycodone to customers who he simultaneously discharged from Healthy Life, based on indications they were abusing illicit drugs. Alexander was paid $150 per hour, and received a total of $30,000 for his activities in the scheme.
Resnick, Margulis and Wiseberg, who were not doctors, established the standard operating procedures for Healthy Life, including which drugs the prescribing physician could prescribe and the maximum dosage amounts of these drugs. Healthy Life accepted cash payments in exchange for providing prescriptions for large amounts of oxycodone, alprazolam and other drugs, to customers who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs.
To maximize profits, they also encouraged the prescribing physicians to prescribe the maximum amount of oxycodone to each customer; and established that prescriptions would be written for 28-day cycles as opposed to 30-day cycles. Additionally, Margulis and Resnick handled complaints by Healthy Life customers who were unhappy with the prescriptions they received, particularly when a medical provider might prescribe less oxycodone than the customer wanted. In those instances, Margulis and Resnick would intervene and ask the prescribing medical provider to reconsider, knowing it would lead the provider to give the customer what the customer wanted.
Michael Resnick, a/k/a Michael Reznikov, age 55, and his wife, Alina Margulis, age 49, both of Brooklyn, New York, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam. Margulis also pleaded guilty to money laundering, and Resnick also pleaded guilty to structuring currency deposits. Chief Judge Blake sentenced Resnick to three years in federal prison and sentenced Margulis to a year and a day in prison and ordered that Resnick and Margulis forfeit $280,000, the amount of illicit profits they received from the scheme. Gerald Wiseberg, a/k/a Gerry Wiseberg and Jerry Wiseberg, age 82, of Boca Raton, Florida, also pleaded guilty to his participation in the conspiracy and was sentenced to three years in prison. Chief Judge Blake also entered an order that Wiseberg forfeit $273,000.
Physician William Crittenden III, age 52, of Kensington, Maryland, who served as a medical director at Healthy Life before Alexander, was convicted at trial of conspiring to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam, and eight separate counts of unlawfully distributing oxycodone and was sentenced to three years in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended DEA, IRS-CI, Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County State’s Attorneys’ Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger and Peter J. Martinez, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Mandeville Man Sentenced for Theft of Veterans’ BenefitsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Politc announced that RICKY P. TEMPLET, age 54, of Mandeville, was sentenced today for Theft of Government Funds.
According to court records, this investigation was initiated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), Office of Inspector General (“VA-OIG”) after the VA determined TEMPLET was fraudulently obtaining VA benefits. The VA-OIG determined that TEMPLET had become his mother’s VA Fiduciary the day before his mother passed away in 2013. As a VA Fiduciary, TEMPLET was obligated to notify the VA when his mother passed away. After his mother’s death, TEMPLET received and deposited fifteen U.S. Treasury checks totaling approximately $16,673. TEMPLET was arrested by special agents with the VA-OIG at the St. Tammany Parish Jail.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced TEMPLET to nine months incarceration and was ordered to report to Northlake Behavioral Hospital for drug treatment within 24 hours of release from prison. Additionally, TEMPLET was ordered to pay $16,760 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. Fraud Unit Chief, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba was in charge of the prosecution.
Louisville Men Guilty of Possession and Attempted Distribution of A Large Quantity of Heroin and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Drugs were packaged for distribution, more than $100,000 seized
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Two Louisville residents recently pleaded guilty in United States District Court before Magistrate Judge Colin H. Lindsay to multiple charges including aiding and abetting and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
Oscar Portillo, age 39, and Jose Luis Madrigal II, age 24, pleaded guilty to the charges and remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service. Charges were dismissed against a third defendants.
They were arrested and charged separately by criminal complaint on October 30, 2015. According to the complaint, on October 30, 2015, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, the defendants knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Further, on October 30, 2015, federal officers and others executed a state search warrant at 3921 Bishop Lane in Louisville. During the execution of the warrant, officers seized 3230 grams (more than one kilogram) of heroin, 5288 grams of methamphetamine, $109,774 in United States Currency, a .38 caliber loaded Rossi pistol, a 7.62 mm century arms rifle, and a bullet-proof vest. The large quantity of heroin was packaged for distribution. The defendants lived at the residence, a tire warehouse, giving them direct access to and control over the contraband.
If convicted at trial, the defendants faced a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison for each charge, a possible fine of up to $10,000,000 and a ten year period of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled before Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr. on March 6, 2017, in Louisville.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Larry Fentress and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Louisville Metro Police.
portillo_plea_11-29-16.pdf portillo-madrigal_plea.pdfLongtime fugitive sentenced to more than four years in prison for $3 million food stamp fraudRead the Press Release
A longtime fugitive was sentenced to more than four years in prison for stealing $3.2 million through food stamp fraud more than two decades ago, U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon said.
Najeh Ottallah, 54, formerly of Lakewood, was sentenced to 54 months in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Donald Nugent also ordered Ottallah to pay $3.2 million in restitution to the Department of Agriculture, which administers the food stamp program, and $35,576 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Ottallah pleaded guilty in 1994 to food stamp fraud and tax charges. He did not appear for his sentencing and was a fugitive until this year, when he was arrested in Jerusalem.
"This defendant ripped off taxpayers by abusing a program designed to help our most destitute," Rendon said. "He fled the country for more than two decades and the sentence he receivfed today reflects those actions."
"More than 20 years passed since Mr. Ottallah pleaded guilty for his role in what was, at the time, one of the first investigations of a massive food stamp fraud scheme in Northern Ohio," said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. "Today's sentence is a direct result of the collaborative efforts of the IRS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Attorney's Office has in combating violations of federal law."
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karrie D. Howard following an investigation by the IRS and U.S. Department of Agriculture, with assistance from the U.S. Marshal Service.
Jury convicts Warrensville Heights man of straw purchase of firearmRead the Press Release
A Warrensville Heights man was convicted of engaging in the straw purchase of a firearm, said Carole Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Malcolm Roberson, 26, was found guilty by a jury of engaging in a straw purchase of a Jimenez Arms 9 mm pistol on Feb. 20 at Taylor Firearms LLC in Vermillion when Chimere Turner said she was the buyer of the firearms when Roberson was the actual buyer of the firearm. The jury also convicted Roberson of being a felon in possession of a firearm, for having the 9 mm pistol despite a 2011 conviction for assault.
Turner, 32, of Cleveland, previously pleaded guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benedict Gullo following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jury Convicts Final Defendant in Racketeering, Murder CaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A United States District Court jury convicted the final defendant in the current federal Short North Posse racketeering and murder case today.
Johnathan Holt, 24, of Columbus, was convicted on all counts and now faces up to life in prison.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the verdict reached today.
Holt is the final of 20 individuals who were indicted in October 2014 in a racketeering case, with charges that include murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, extortion and robbery.
Of the 20 total defendants, five others were convicted, 13 pleaded guilty and one has died.
Holt’s specific charges include murder in aid of racketeering and murder through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
“Today’s verdict completes an unprecedented investigation and series of prosecutions, thanks to which central Ohio is a safer and more just place,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “This success only strengthens our resolve to reduce violence and bring to justice violent offenders.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the two-year investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office, Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, and officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers, Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe with Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who are representing the United States in this and the related cases.
Jury Convicts Columbia Man of Threatening a Lawyer in Drug-trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that the father of a man convicted of leading a large-scale drug-trafficking conspiracy in Columbia, Mo., was found guilty by a federal trial jury of threatening the attorney who represented one of his son’s co-defendants.
Bruce Wayne Stephens, 70, of Columbia, was found guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, of obstructing justice by threatening to retaliate against another person because of his participation in an official proceeding.
Stephens is the father of Malcolm Desean Redmon, who was sentenced on Sept. 29, 2016, to 24 years and four months in federal prison without parole. Redmon pleaded guilty to leading a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of powder cocaine and crack cocaine in Boone County from November 2011 to August 2014. Court documents also cite Redmon’s involvement in numerous shooting incidents and his history of criminal activity, including violent crimes and drug use. To date, 18 defendants in that case have been sentenced; eight more defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Stephens made a series of threats intended to retaliate against those involved in the prosecution of Redmon. The primary person Stephens threatened was Brian Risley, the attorney who represented one of Redmon’s co-defendants, Vershawn Edwards.
While the case against him was pending, Redmon was involved in threatening witnesses and cooperators, as documented by recorded phone conversations between Redmon and his mother, as well as postings on various social media sites and documents obtained via search warrant that contained the names of individuals next to witness statements of persons Redmon believed were responsible for cooperating against him.
When Risley arrived at the federal courthouse for Edwards’s sentencing hearing on Sept. 29, 2016 (the same afternoon as Redmon’s sentencing hearing), he was met by several persons outside the courtroom who asked him who he represented. When he replied that he represented Edwards, Stephens repeatedly stated, “snitches, snitches belong in ditches.”
Inside the courtroom, Stephens again repeatedly stated the phrase, “snitches, snitches belong in ditches,” and this time appeared to direct the comments toward Edwards’s family members in the courtroom. After the Edwards sentencing hearing concluded, Stephens moved toward Edwards’s family in the courtroom. Risley, fearing that Stephens would attempt to confront family members, attempted to physically block Stephens’s access by placing himself between Stephens and the family. The family left the courtroom and Risley kept himself positioned between Stephens and the family as the family moved toward the elevator. During this time, Stephens was again repeating the phrase “snitches, snitches belong in ditches.”
Risley raised his arm at one point to prevent Stephens from passing him and Stephens then began to curse loudly and accused Risley of pushing him. Two court security officers then escorted Stephens out of the courthouse. One of the officers heard Stephens threaten Risley and the officers.
A few minutes later, Risley left the courthouse and walked to his car parked on the street across from the courthouse. Stephens then accosted Risley as Risley got to his car and opened the car door. Stephens stated to Risley, “snitches, you a … snitch … I will kill you, kill your wife, kill your family.” Risley did not respond, finished getting into his car, shut the car door and drove off.
While there is no direct evidence that Stephens participated in his son’s drug-trafficking conspiracy, according to court documents, there is ample evidence that Stephens supported Redmon’s drug-dealing lifestyle as well as the culture associated with drug dealing, one part of which is to threaten harm to those who testify against drug dealers. For example, in his post-arrest statement, Stephens reaffirmed his belief that physical harm should be inflicted on “snitches.”
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for four and a half hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Dec. 5, 2016.
Under federal statutes, Stephens is subject to a sentence of up to 20 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 Deputy U.S. Attorney Gene Porter and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Orsinger. It was investigated by the FBI.
Joplin Man Sentenced to 100 Years for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.
James Hajny, 51, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 100 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Hajny to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration.
Hajny entered a plea of no contest during the second day of his trial on July 19, 2016, to two counts of using minors to produce child pornography, one count of receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet and one count of possessing child pornography.
His wife, Gina Hajny, 41, of Joplin, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and was sentenced on March 1, 2016, to five years in federal prison without parole. Gina Hajny admitted that she occasionally used her husband’s laptop and saw images of child pornography. Gina Hajny admitted that even though she knew the laptop contained images of child pornography, she did not report the matter to law enforcement.
On Jan. 17, 2014, federal law enforcement agents received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding an e-mail that contained child pornography. The e-mail included a pornographic image of a 7-year-old victim, identified in the indictment as Jane Doe #2.
On May 14, 2014, federal law enforcement agents received a referral from the Queensland, Australia, Police Service regarding a user – later identified as James Hajny – uploading child pornography to a Russian-hosted Web site that allows users to store and share images. Among the images of child pornography were seven photos of a 9-year-old victim, identified in the indictment as Jane Doe #1. Hajny’s user information for the Web site stated, “I am into younger girls and boys ages 8-13 also into taboo.”
Agents executed a search warrant at Hajny’s residence on May 16, 2014. Gina and James Hajny refused to allow officers to enter, attempting to slam the door shut. Officers were able to push the door open and enter the home. James Hajny was patted down for officer safety and a marijuana pipe was located in his front left pocket. James Hajny was placed under arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Investigators examined a laptop computer seized from the residence and located 124 video files containing child pornography and 2,110 images of child pornography. Investigators also discovered numerous images of child pornography on James Hajny’s cell phone, as well as messages regarding the sexual abuse of children. Investigators also located numerous images containing child pornography of Jane Doe #1, Jane Doe #2, and an 11-year-old child victim identified in court documents as John Doe on James Hajny’s laptop and cell phone.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ami Harshad Miller and James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Hotevilla Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – This week, Nicholas Cooper, 32, of Hotevilla, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 37 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cooper, an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe, had previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.
Because he had previously been convicted of a felony, Cooper was prohibited from possessing firearms. In December 2014 and January 2015, Cooper possessed two firearms in violation of this prohibition. One of the firearms he possessed had been stolen from another enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services (Hopi Agency). The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-16-8004-PCT-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2016-100_Cooper
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Harrisburg Man Indicted on Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Michael Depugh-King, age 20, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on December 7, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg, on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Depugh-King distributed synthetic marijuana on August 30, 2016, in Harrisburg. The indictment also alleges that Depugh-King possessed a loaded Kel-Tec .9mm semi-automatic handgun during and in relation to his drug trafficking activities.
The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) and the Harrisburg Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Behe
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
Indictments 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 the drug trafficking offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for the firearm offense is life imprisonment including a mandatory 5-year term of 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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Harrisburg Man Indicted for Distributing Heroin Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Erik Palmer, age 29, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on December 7, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg, for distributing heroin that led to the death of another person, heroin distribution and criminal conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Palmer unlawfully distributed heroin on January 13, 2016, that led to the death of another person whose body was found in her home on January 14, 2016. The cause of death was determined to be acute morphine toxicity. The indictment also alleged that Palmer distributed heroin in March and April 2016 and conspired with individuals known to the grand jury to distribute heroin on those occasions.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dauphin County Drug Task Force, and the Lower Paxton Township Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.]
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 a mandatory minimum of 20 year’s imprisonment up to a maximum of life 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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Greenville Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Cocaine and Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that in federal court today, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced JARRKU NATU BENNETT, 32, from Greenville, N.C., to 70 months in prison and 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a quantity of heroin and a quantity of marijuana. BENNETT pled guilty to this charge on August 17, 2015.
On March 3, 2015, the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force arrested BENNETT after a traffic stop during which detectives found 62 grams of cocaine and 111 grams of marijuana in BENNETT’S car. Further investigation revealed that BENNETT was responsible for the distribution of 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 49 grams of crack cocaine, 1.8 kilograms of marijuana and an indeterminate amount of heroin between August 2014 and March 3, 2015.
The case was investigated by the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The federal prosecution was handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Perry. Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office. Pitt County District Attorney Kimberly Robb has assigned Mr. Perry to the United States Attorney’s Office, pursuant to funding provided by the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.
Grayson County Convicted Felon Sentenced for Federal Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas - A 24-year-old Denison, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal violations related to the murder of a man in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Jordan Tyrel Ballard pleaded guilty on Jan. 27, 2016, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and four counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Ballard was sentenced to a total of 30 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on Dec. 7, 2016.
According to information presented in court, on Apr. 21, 2015, family members of Ballard’s pregnant girlfriend received information that Ballard was threatening her at her residence in Denison. Two of the girlfriend’s male cousins, Justyn Simmons and Victor Simmons, traveled from their home in Celina to Denison to check on her welfare. After arriving to West Monterey Street in Denison, the Simmons brothers were confronted by Ballard at gunpoint. Despite the fact that neither man was armed and they put their hands up and repeatedly indicated they were just there to talk, Ballard shot Justyn Simmons in the chest. Ballard continued to shoot at Victor as he fled on foot and Justyn was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation revealed Ballard was a convicted felon having been previously found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2012 in Grayson County, Texas. Convicted felons are prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Ballard was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 14, 2015.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Mazzant ruled that Ballard did not act in self-defense, and further found that Ballard committed first degree murder. Based on his history of violence and lack of remorse, Ballard was sentenced to a total of 30 years in federal prison for federal firearms violations. He has also been indicted by a Grayson County Grand Jury for murder. That case is pending.
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 Denison Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lesley D. Brooks and Maureen Smith.
Georgia Bank Teller Sentenced to Prison for Cashing Fraudulently Obtained Income Tax Refund ChecksRead the Press Release
A Columbus, Georgia resident was sentenced to 37 months in prison today for her role in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney G.F. Peterman III for the Middle District of Georgia.
Between June 2012 and December 2013, Tonya Alexander worked as a bank teller at SunTrust Bank in Columbus. Alexander received and cashed fraudulently obtained income tax refund checks in exchange for a fee. Alexander’s co-conspirators, including Tracy Mitchell, Keisha Lanier and others, filed fraudulent income tax returns using stolen identities and directed other co-conspirators to bring the fraudulently obtained refund checks to Alexander to cash. Alexander received and cashed approximately 330 fraudulently obtained tax refund checks that totaled more than $600,000. Alexander also recruited another bank teller, co-conspirator Vicky Wheeler, to assist in cashing the tax refund checks.
On Aug. 5, Alexander pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of public money. In addition to the term of prison imposed, Alexander was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $606,008.38 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Keisha Lanier was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison on Sept. 25, 2015. Tracy Mitchell was sentenced to 13 years and 3 months in prison on Aug. 7, 2015.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Peterman commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Michael C. Boteler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford L. Seals of the Middle District of Georgia, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Four Boston-Area Men Detained on Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four Boston-area men appeared in U.S. District Court in Boston on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, in connection with gun trafficking in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood.
“Every illegal firearm on the street poses a danger to the community,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “We will continue to pursue those who circumvent the legal process to sell firearms on our streets thereby endangering the children and families who call these neighborhoods home.”
“This investigation targeted the intersection of illegal guns and illicit drugs,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. “The violence and despair associated with the drug trade have claimed too many lives. In Charlestown and across Suffolk County, we will continue to work with our local and federal partners to protect the rights of good and decent people to live, work, and go to school free of fear and intimidation from drug dealers and armed offenders.”
“Thursday’s arrests demonstrate the effective law enforcement partnerships ATF has with the Boston Police Department Violent Youth Strike Force and the Boston Housing Authority Police, in identifying and investigating armed narcotic trafficking criminal street gangs in the City of Boston” said Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division. “We will continue our efforts to dismantle these violent criminal street gangs and their illegal possession, use and trafficking of firearms.”
Samuel Jean, 22, of Everett, and Deon Young, 32, of Hyde Park, were charged with conspiracy and dealing in firearms without a federal license. Jeffrey Joseph, 31, of Boston, was charged with dealing in firearms and ammunition without a federal license and being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. Troy Armstrong, 27, of Boston, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. The defendants were arrested on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016.
In a series of probable cause and detention hearings held on Dec. 5 and 6, 2016, before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell, the Court found probable cause that Jean, Young and Armstrong committed the offenses as charged in their respective criminal complaints. All three men have been ordered detained pending trial. The probable cause and detention hearing for Joseph is scheduled for December 12 at 2:00pm.
According to court documents and testimony at the hearings, in April 2016, law enforcement officers commenced an investigation of drug and firearm trafficking in the Bunker Hill Housing Authority neighborhood of Charlestown with the use of a cooperating witness (CW) who made controlled buys of guns and drugs at the direction of law enforcement. During the controlled purchases, which were recorded on video, Jean and Joseph sold seven firearms to the CW over a one-month period, including at least one stolen firearm. Young and Armstrong sold two firearms to the CW during approximately the same period, including one firearm with an obliterated serial number. Joseph and Armstrong are both also charged with being prohibited persons in possession of a firearm as a result of their criminal histories, and Joseph is the subject of an outstanding civil restraining order.
The charges of conspiracy and dealing in firearms without a federal license each provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Ortiz; Suffolk County DA Conley; ATF SAC Leadingham; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Holik, Chief of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Former Sacramento Resident Charged with Murdering British Couple in 1978Read the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Silas Duane Boston, 75, charging him with two counts of first degree maritime murder, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Boston was arrested last week in Paradise, California. He was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney and entered a plea of not guilty.
According to court documents, between June and July 1978, Boston, a U.S. citizen, owned a sailboat named the Justin B., which he sailed throughout the western Caribbean Sea, sometimes taking tourists on various excursions in the area. The indictment alleges that Boston killed a 25-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, both originally from Manchester, England, who had chartered his boat. Boston allegedly bound them, covered their heads with plastic bags, attached weights to their bindings, and pushed them overboard, drowning them. The bodies were found on about July 8, 1978, off the coast of Punta de Manabique, Guatemala. The investigation into their deaths stalled and eventually the case went cold.
U.S. Attorney Talbert stated: “This case is the product of diligent work by the Sacramento Police Department’s Cold Case Unit, the FBI, and the Greater Manchester Police Department. Kudos are especially due to the Sacramento Police Department’s Cold Case Unit, whose persistent investigative efforts made this prosecution possible. Nothing would have happened if the Sacramento Police Department had not thought to consult with this office about what could be done with a 38-year-old homicide in the Caribbean Sea. We look forward to working with them as the case continues.”
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Segal, Heiko P. Coppola, and Jeremy J. Kelley are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Boston faces a maximum statutory penalty of death or life in prison, but the United States is not seeking the death penalty in this case. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Chicago Police Sergeant Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Passing Government Information to Store Clerk in Exchange for CashRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former sergeant in the Chicago Police Department was sentenced today to six months in federal prison for taking cash payments from a liquor store clerk in exchange for disclosing government information.
RAY M. RAMIREZ served as a sergeant in the 12th Police District on the city’s Near West Side. Ramirez admitted in a plea agreement that he obtained information from law enforcement databases and passed it to the store clerk in exchange for cash payments of $150 to $200. The information included a criminal background check on a prospective store employee, a vehicle registration check, and a review of police incidents occurring in and around the store.
Ramirez also admitted that he shook down the clerk and other store employees for cash payments ranging from $70 to $200. Ramirez often wore his police uniform and was on duty when he demanded the payments.
Ramirez, 53, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to one misdemeanor count of exceeding his authorized use a police department computer. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman imposed the six-month sentence in federal court in Chicago.
The sentencing was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Cunniff Church.
Foreign National Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Kidnapping U.S. Citizen in MexicoRead the Press Release
A Mexican national was sentenced yesterday to 24 years in federal prison for kidnapping a U.S. citizen in Mexico.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Felix Becerra Herrera, 35, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Darrin P. Gayles to 288 months’ imprisonment. On September 20, 2016, Becerra Herrera pled guilty to one count of hostage taking and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a violent felony.
“International borders do not shield foreign based kidnappers and violent offenders from U.S. prosecution,” stated U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will utilize the long-arm of our American legal system to seek justice on our soil for these egregious offenses.”
“The FBI arrested Felix Becerra Herrera at his place of work in Odessa, TX, in May 2016 after receiving a tip as to his whereabouts,” said Xanthie C. Mangum, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Miami. “He participated in a gruesome shooting and kidnapping involving two naturalized U.S. Citizens in Mexico in December, 2012, and now faces a 288 month sentence for his crimes.”
According to the court record, Becerra Herrera was involved in the December 2012 armed assault of two nationals of the United States, in Veracruz, Mexico. During the assault, Becerra Herrera and others used handguns to shoot at the truck containing the nationals, seriously wounding the driver. Becerra Herrera and others then kidnapped one of the passengers and held her for ransom before finally releasing her, nearly a week later. Becerra Herrera was ultimately apprehended in Texas, several years after he had illegally entered the United States following the violent kidnapping.
Mr. Ferrer commended the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Fels.
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.
Financial Advisor Pleads Guilty in $1.1 Million Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mark F. Speakman, 60, of Grove City, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to one count each of wire fraud, money laundering and filing a false federal income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As part of his offered guilty plea, he agreed to pay nearly $1.2 million in restitution to the victims of his investment fraud scheme.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and Grove City Police Chief Jeff Pearson announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.
According to court documents, between 2000 and 2015, Speakman was a financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial, and between 2002 and 2015 Speakman defrauded his clients by misappropriating their funds.
Speakman persuaded his clients to remove their funds from their Ameriprise Financial accounts and invest them in Centrax, a fraudulent real estate investment trust. Rather than investing the funds in real estate, he stole the money. He took $870,000 from seven victims for the real estate scheme and used the money to pay his own expenses.
As part of this same scheme to defraud, Speakman stole from others to avoid detection by a client he had previously defrauded. In 2014, one of his clients who had previously agreed to invest in Centrax told Speakman that he wanted to cash out his investment. Speakman had already misappropriated those funds and had no way to pay back his client.
Speakman convinced another client and three of their family members to invest in gold coins so he could divert the money in order to pay back the previous victim.
In total, Speakman received $1,192,450 from others in furtherance of his fraudulent scheme.
In addition, Speakman filed a false federal income tax return with the IRS for the 2014 income tax year on which he omitted $275,000 in income generated by his fraudulent conduct. The total tax loss to the IRS for 2002 through 2014 was approximately $300,000.
"This investigation uncovered a complicated investment fraud scheme laced with a web of financial lies that generated more than a million dollars through false promises and deceit,” said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “Investment fraud schemes are often described as a house of cards. The underlying structure can fall apart at any time and expose the individuals responsible."
Wire fraud is a crime punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment; money laundering is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and filing a false income tax return is a crime punishable by up to three years of prison time.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS and the Grove City Police Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate, who is prosecuting the case.
Felon in Possession of A Firearm SentencedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Marcus Champion was sentenced for his conviction for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(1).
In court documents, Marcus Champion admitted that he was a convicted felon and that on April 29, 2016, he entered the home of his 88-year old grandfather and forced him to sign checks made out to the defendant. He also stole collector coins and firearms belonging to the victim. When police arrived, they found Champion outside the home with a loaded and cocked pistol in his pocket that had been stolen from the victim.Senior District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade sentenced the defendant to serve 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant has additional related charges pending in Clarke County.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's office for the Southern District of Alabama by AUSA Maria Murphy.Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Man of Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A convicted felon who sold guns out of his garage in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago has been found guilty of illegally possessing firearms.
On July 23, 2014, JAMEL DAVIS participated in a gun transaction involving two .38-caliber revolvers in the garage of his home in the 7600 block of South Seeley Avenue in Chicago. Davis was previously convicted of a felony and was not legally authorized to possess the firearms.
The case against Davis arose during the course of a larger federal investigation that has removed more than 100 guns from the streets of Chicago. The probe involved controlled firearm sales to cooperating individuals.
The jury on Wednesday convicted Davis, 28, of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 14, 2017.
The verdict was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and George Lauder, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Evidence at trial revealed that Davis provided one of the firearms to an individual in the garage of Davis’ home. Unbeknownst to Davis, the individual was cooperating with law enforcement and had surreptitiously recorded the transaction.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Kim and Carol Bell.
Fayetteville Black Market Purchaser Sentenced for Receiving Stolen Military Property from Fort Bragg, NcRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that today in Federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced JOSEPH W. HORNER, JR., 73, of Fayetteville, North Carolina to 24 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. HORNER was further ordered to pay restitution to the Department of Defense/United States Army in the amount of $277,901, which HORNER paid in full at his sentencing. On August 17, 2016, HORNER pleaded guilty to a one-count Criminal Information which charged him with receiving stolen government property between July 2011 and February 2013.
According to the charges on file, the government’s factual proffer at the plea hearing, and other public information, HORNER was a civilian black market purchaser in Fayetteville who engaged in a scheme to buy stolen military property from Christopher A. Mann, a former sergeant assigned to the United States Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg. During the offense period, Mann worked as a unit supply specialist in the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion, with responsibility for ordering and military supplies and equipment that was the property of the United States Department of Defense.
Mann used his position and privileges as a supply sergeant to coordinate the theft of bulk quantities of Meals-Ready-to-Eat or “MREs,” as well as assorted military equipment, including sunglasses and knives. Mann transported many of the stolen items off the base to HORNER, who would buy them for a fraction of their cost to the government. According to the investigation, between July 2011 and February 2013, HORNER purchased stolen military property from Mann valued at over $270,000. Notably, in 2006, HORNER entered into and completed a pretrial diversion agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for receiving stolen property that originated from Fort Bragg.
On May 4, 2016, Mann pleaded guilty to theft of government property and aiding and abetting in United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The charges related, in part, to Mann’s unlawful sales of stolen military property to HORNER. On October 26, 2016, Mann was sentenced to 20 months of imprisonment, among other terms of the judgment.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, Major Procurement Fraud Unit, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
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News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s webpage at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.
Father, Mother and Sons Plead Guilty in Case Involving Food Stamp Fraud and Door-to-Door Meat, Drugs DeliveryRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A father, mother and two sons pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for their roles in a food stamp fraud case related to retail meat home delivery services and that involved the exchange of Oxycodone, heroin and marijuana for food stamps in the Dayton area.
Scott Andrew Traum, 46; Joey Lightcap Traum, 44; Brandon Scott Traum, 22; and Dalton Andrew Traum, 21; all of Fairfield, Ohio, pleaded guilty today. The parents, Scott and Joey Traum, as well as son Dalton Traum each pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States to include: illegally acquiring, possessing and using U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Brandon Traum pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of SNAP benefits.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and other members of the District’s electronic and financial crimes task force, announced the pleas entered into today before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
The Southern District of Ohio Task Force is made up of approximately 60 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Ohio. This task force, along with an additional 80 electronic and financial networks across the United States, has been established to prevent, detect and investigate various forms of criminal activity that have large community impact.
According to court documents, since 2011, individuals associated with U.S. Beef Cincinnati LLC in Fairfield, Ohio actively engaged in illegal/fraudulent SNAP EBT (Food Stamp) transactions in exchange for cash. The owners, managers and other employees of the door-to-door meat retailers repeatedly, continually and illegally acquired and redeemed SNAP benefits in exchange for ineligible items including money, Oxycodone, heroin and marijuana.
Scott and Joey Traum owned and operated U.S. Beef Cincinnati LLC. USDA records show that between December 2011 and May 2015, approximately 8,145 suspected fraudulent SNAP EBT transactions were completed via voucher for their employees for a total amount of approximately $1.1 million.
The other three defendants in this case have already been sentenced. They include:
- Keith Blankenship, 37, of Loveland, Ohio, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $764,000 in restitution;
- Gregory M. Brown, 37, of Cincinnati, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $9,000 in restitution; and
- William N. King, 24, of Fairfield, Ohio, who was sentenced to 6 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $373,000 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Southern District of Ohio Task Force and Assistant United States Attorney Dwight K. Keller, who is representing the United States in this case.
Farmington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Rupesh Bhakta, 38, of Farmington, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Bhakta will be sentenced within the range of 24 to 60 months in prison.
Bhakta was arrested on March 4, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with trafficking methamphetamine in San Juan County, N.M. According to the complaint, Bhakta sold approximately 57 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent on Feb. 16, 2016.
Bhakta and his co-defendant David Kingsbeck, 43, also of Farmington, were subsequently indicted on March 23, 2016. Kingsbeck was charged individually with being a felon in possession of a firearm on July 1, 2015 and Dec. 30, 2015, and distribution of heroin on Dec. 30, 2015. Bhakta and Kingsbeck were charged jointly with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine on Feb. 16, 2016. According to the indictment, the offenses took place in San Juan County. Kingsbeck was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for criminal conspiracy theft and escape attempt from felony.
During today’s proceedings, Bhakta pled guilty to an information charging him with distribution of methamphetamine. In entering the guilty plea, Bhakta admitted that on Feb. 16, 2016, he distributed methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent. Bhakta remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
Kingsbeck has entered a plea of not guilty. He remains in custody pending trial which is currently scheduled for Jan. 2017. Charges in criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo is prosecuting the case.
Extradited Drug Smuggler Gets Nearly 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old man extradited to the U.S. and later convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine cocaine and heroin has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Fernando Arturo Flores-Fang, 32, of Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, pleaded guilty May 1, 2015.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña sentenced him to 340 months in federal prison. He is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release from prison.
Between August 2009 and March 13, 2012, Flores-Fang participated in a conspiracy to smuggle methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin into Laredo. During the investigation, authorities seized more than 35 kilograms of cocaine on April 8, 2011; more than 43 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than one kilogram of heroin on May 3, 2011; and 894 grams of methamphetamine on July 31, 2011. Flores-Fang was also held accountable for 47 kilograms of methamphetamine shipped to Dallas on April 16, 2011.
An arrest warrant was issued for Flores-Fang on March 13, 2012. He was later taken into custody by Mexican authorities and then extradited to the United States on Oct. 24, 2014.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Nine others have been convicted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation dubbed Operation Nemesis”. Each of those defendants received sentences ranging from 108 to 327 months in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the two-year investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys, James Hepburn and José Angel Moreno prosecuted the case.
Essex Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Carl Javan Ross, age 30, of Essex, Maryland, for receipt and possession of child pornography. The verdict was returned on December 7, 2016, after 30 minutes of deliberation.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to the evidence presented at his three-day trial, on July 2, 2015, an undercover Baltimore County detective was conducting an online investigation looking for offenders sharing child pornography on certain file sharing networks. The detective downloaded two video files documenting the sexual abuse of prepubescent children from an IP address later identified as being used by Ross.
Trial testimony showed that a search warrant was executed at Ross’ residence on July 28, 2015, and law enforcement recovered his laptop computer. A preview of the computer showed that it contained a user hash, which is a unique value assigned by the file sharing program, that was identical to that of the computer that shared the two videos of child pornography downloaded by the detective. In addition, investigators found search terms indicative of child pornography and digital images of child pornography.
As a result of his conviction, Ross will be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Ross faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the two counts of receipt of child pornography, and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz has not set a date for sentencing. Ross was previously convicted in Baltimore County Circuit Court on related sex offense charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced in that case on January 4, 2017. Ross remains detained pending sentencing.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended HSI Baltimore, the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Paul Riley, who are prosecuting the federal case.
Doctor Found Guilty of Drug Distribution and Causing the Death of A PatientRead the Press Release
.PHILADELPHIA – Following a three-month jury trial, Jeffrey Bado, formerly a physician with two practices in the Philadelphia area, was convicted today in federal court of 308 felony counts, including two counts of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of drug distribution resulting in death, 269 counts of drug distribution, 33 counts of health care fraud, and two counts of making false statements to federal agents, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Bado faces a twenty-year mandatory minimum sentence for the charge of drug distribution resulting in death, and up to twenty years in prison for each of the other drug distribution counts.
“We are tremendously gratified with the jury’s verdict in this important prosecution,” said United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. “This verdict represents the culmination of an outstanding effort from our prosecutors and law enforcement partners to hold accountable those individuals, particularly those in the medical profession, whose illegal conduct fuels the epidemic of prescription drug abuse that is wreaking havoc on our society. We will continue to investigate and prosecute these dangerous drug dealers, whether they are doctors, pharmacists, or otherwise, as well work with the community to help reverse the trend of serious drug abuse.”
Bado maintained medical offices in Roxborough, in 2010 and 2011, and in Bryn Mawr, from 2011 to 2013. Evidence at trial showed that Bado had prescribed large amounts of oxycodone and methadone to clients of his practice outside the usual course of professional practice and without medical necessity. In one instance, Bado’s illegal drug distribution caused the death of a drug addicted patient. By the time Bado’s practice closed in 2013, Bado was charging new patients $800 cash per visit, returning patients $400 cash, and refusing to accept medical insurance. Bado’s patients received at most a cursory physical examination and little other medical care or treatment. However, they did receive what government expert Stephen Thomas, M.D., testified were prescriptions for staggering amounts of opioids.
Bado issued prescriptions tailored to the needs of drug addicts and dealers; he complied with patients’ requests for specific concentrations of oxycodone and, without medical justification, switched patients’ prescriptions to pill concentrations commanding a higher street value. Even when Bado knew patients were addicted to oxycodone, were using illegal drugs, or were not taking the oxycodone prescribed, he continued to provide prescriptions for large amounts of oxycodone. Multiple former patients testified to becoming addicted to oxycodone prescribed by him. There was no evidence at trial suggesting Bado had referred patients to opioid addiction treatment.
Bado was also convicted of health care fraud, having fraudulently billed Medicare and private insurers for patient visits that occurred when Bado was out of the country. Bado directed his staff to see patients, provide them with pre-signed prescriptions, and submit fraudulent insurance claims as if he had seen the patients himself. Bado was convicted of making false statements to federal agents concerning these billings.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen McCartney, Jason P. Bologna, Andrew J. Schell, and Nancy Beam Winter.
Denver Man, Michael Yellowhorse, Sentenced to Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DENVER – Michael Yellowhorse, age 29, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson to serve 252 months (21 years) in federal prison for the production of child pornography using a minor in his care, Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Denver Division Acting Special Agent in Charge John Eisert announced. Following his prison sentence, Judge Jackson ordered the defendant to serve 10 years on supervised release. He is also required to register as a sex offender. The defendant, who appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, was remanded at its conclusion.
Yellowhorse was charged by Criminal Complaint on December 23, 2014. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on January 7, 2015. He pled guilty before Judge Jackson on March 3, 2016. He was sentenced on December 7, 2016. The day Yellowhorse was originally scheduled to be sentenced he cut off his court-ordered ankle monitor and fled. He was ultimately caught and arrested in Texas following a high speed pursuit after he crashed into a civilian vehicle. Judge Jackson then ordered him held without bond pending a new sentencing date.
According to court documents, including the stipulated facts contained in the defendant’s plea agreement, due to investigative work of international law enforcement, including Queensland Police Service (QPS) in Australia, and HSI’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3), Child Exploitation Investigations Unit (CEIU), Victim Identification Program (VIP), sophisticated investigators identified a photo sharing website that was being used to facilitate the exchange of child pornography. After observing a user profile offering to exchange child pornography, a QPS investigator operating in an undercover capacity contacted Yellowhorse by email. After exchanging emails, Yellowhorse sent the investigator an image of child pornography. Information from the website obtained by a foreign law enforcement agency was able to be used to identify Yellowhorse. A search warrant executed at the home where Yellowhorse resided resulted in the seizure of laptops, cellphones, and an item that was observed in the background of the child pornography picture.
Yellowhorse’s laptop contained images of child pornography, as did the cellphone found on his person. During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the defendant had produced the image of child pornography that was sent to the QPS investigator. A forensic review of the child pornography images included images with an adult male hand, later determined to be Yellowhorse’s. Yellowhorse had access to the minor child depicted in the images, who was in his care when the child pornography was created. Forensic examination showed that Yellowhorse produced child pornography depicting the minor child on two separate dates. The minor child depicted in the images was eight years old and appeared to be sleeping while the pictures were taken. Examination of the defendant’s cellphone and laptop also reflected the fact that he was in possession of more than 250 child pornography images depicting children other than the minor child under his care. Forensic evidence also showed that he visited the website in question that started this investigation thousands of times.
“Thanks to the outstanding cooperation between international law enforcement and HSI, and their extraordinarily complex computer forensics work, HSI was able to identify this child pornographer who made numerous efforts to remain anonymous,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “Where ever you are, if you’re involved in exploiting children, we will find you, you will be prosecuted, and you will face the same consequence as Yellowhorse.”
HSI’s active Operation Predator program has removed another predator from the streets for a long time,” said John Eisert, acting special agent in charge of HSI Denver. “Just as importantly, we rescued at least one innocent victim from this predator’s clutches — and an untold number of potential future victims if he were not caught.”
This case was investigated HSI. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts.
Del Rio Man Sentenced to Sixty Months in Federal Prison for Retaliating Against a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, a federal judge sentenced 59–year-old Leandro Cardenas Luna, to five years in federal prison for retaliating against a federal judge by filing false documents in bankruptcy court announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
In addition to the prison term, Senior United States District Judge Nancy F. Atlas ordered that Luna be placed on supervised release for a period of two years after completing his prison term.
On July 18, 2016, Luna plead nolo contendre to one count of mail fraud. Prior to his conviction for mail fraud, Luna was sentenced to two consecutive terms of federal imprisonment of 120 months and 12 months by a United States District Judge sitting in the Del Rio Division of the Western District of Texas. On or about July 30, 2014, Luna for the purpose of executing a scheme to defraud, caused a false document to be filed in the Western District of Texas Bankruptcy Court in the name of the United States District Judge who sentenced him in 2007, claiming the Judge was indebted to him for $5,781,600. During sentencing the court found that Luna committed the mail fraud in order to retaliate against the Judge for sentencing him to prison in the two federal cases.
This case was investigated by the FBI together with the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Christina Playton prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
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Del Rio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Cyberstalking and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
In Del Rio yesterday, 27-year-old Michael Martinez was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for online sextortion, cyberstalking and child exploitation announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Alia Moses ordered that Martinez pay a $2,000.00 fine and be placed under supervised release for a period of 5 years after completing his prison term. Martinez has remained in federal custody since his arrest on August 13, 2015.
In April 2016, Martinez pleaded guilty to two counts of cyberstalking and one count of receipt of child pornography. By pleading guilty, Martinez admitted that from October 2013 to August 2014, he caused emotional distress to multiple female victims--one of whom was a minor--by using a fictitious Facebook account, email accounts and text messages to harass, threaten and intimidate them. Furthermore, Martinez admittedly threatened to post nude photographs he had of the victims on the Internet and send the photographs to their respective family and friends unless the victims continued to supply him with additional sexually explicit photographs. The minor victim complied with his threat and sent him nude photographs that he received and stored on multiple electronic devices.
On August 21, 2014, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence. During the execution of the search warrant, investigators seized several computers, an assortment of computer related storage devices and the defendant’s cell phone. A forensics examination of the seized items revealed the presence of approximately a dozen images of the minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case is being 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ralph Paradiso prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
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Defendant Pleads Guilty to Hauling 15 Kilograms of Cocaine Across AlabamaRead the Press Release
Montgomery, AL - Robert Francis Kelly (55), of Minersville, Pennsylvania, pled guilty earlier today to a one count indictment for possessing more than five kilograms of cocaine with the intent to distribute, announced George L. Beck, Jr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.
According to court documents, Kelly was a professional truck driver, who was driving his eighteen-wheeler on I-85 when he was pulled over by an Alabama State Trooper near Exit 16, on the east side of Montgomery.
When asked, Kelly first told law enforcement that he was driving down from Delaware. After being confronted with contrary records, Kelly admitted that he lied to law enforcement, and added that he was actually driving from an area just a few miles from the United States-Mexican Border and was heading up towards Atlanta. Based on other contradictions and suspicious evidence, law enforcement initiated a search of the vehicle.
Agents found approximately fifteen (15) kilograms of cocaine in a secret compartment in the truck. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimates that the street value of 15 kilograms of cocaine is approximately a half-million dollars.
Kelly is currently facing sentence of 10 years to life in prison for this offense. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the next few months.
“Despite the influx of heroin, fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, cocaine continues to be a menace throughout Alabama,” stated U.S. Attorney Beck. “The abuse of illegal drugs destroys families and businesses and we will continue to fight to keep our streets free from this poison.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration DEA and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bradley Bodiford.
Conroe Man Arrested for Bank Fraud and Stealing from EmployerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old man who resides in Conroe has been taken into custody following the return of an indictment alleging he stole more than $484,000 from his former employer, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
On Nov. 30, 2016, a grand jury returned a 12-count indictment under seal against Kiran Andhavarapu. The indictment was unsealed today upon his arrest by federal authorities. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo this morning.
The indictment alleges Andhavarapu executed a scheme to steal money from his employer, Weatherford, and its subsidiary, EProduction Solutions, L.L.C. Andhavarapu allegedly opened bank accounts in the name of “EProduction Solutions” and listed himself as the owner and sole proprietor of the business. According to the indictment, he then stole refund checks made out to and belonging to his employer and fraudulently deposited those checks in the accounts he had created.
The indictment alleges Andhavarapu stole a total of $484,873.95.
Each count of bank fraud carries a possible sentence of 30 years in federal prison, upon conviction.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Collinsville Resident Pleads Guilty to Access with Intent to View Prepubescent Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on December 8, 2016, Jeremy T. Blair, 41, of Collinsville, Illinois, pled guilty to an indictment charging him with Access with Intent to View Prepubescent Child Pornography. Because Blair has a prior qualifying state predicate offense, he faces a term of imprisonment of not less than ten years but not more than twenty years, a fine up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release from five years to life. Blair will also have to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. Blair’s sentencing has been scheduled for March 17, 2017, in East St. Louis, Illinois.
The charge arose when, in May 2015, during an undercover investigation conducted by the FBI in Fairview Heights, Illinois, an Internet Protocol ("IP") address was discovered that was sharing child pornography on a peer-to-peer network. A subpoena requesting subscriber information for this IP address eventually led the FBI to Jeremy T. Blair, a registered sex offender.
On July 17, 2015, a federal search warrant was executed at Blair’s residence. Among the items seized from the home was a Compaq desktop computer. A forensic examination of the Compaq desktop computer revealed 26 videos of child pornography in the recycle bin, all of which had been downloaded on June 16, 2015, and the majority of which involved prepubescent children.
These videos had all been previewed by Blair while he attempted to download the video to his computer via a file sharing program.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
CFO of Local Drywall Company Pleads Guilty in Employment Tax Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shannon C. Boston, 44, of Sunbury, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District court today to one count of failing to account for and pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge, the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, Brad Geary, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, announced the guilty plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, in 2013, Boston was the Chief Financial Officer of Porter Drywall, Inc. Boston submitted employer’s quarterly income tax returns for the company but failed to pay over their employees’ federal withholdings and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) – which includes Social Security and Medicare withholdings amounts – for the fourth quarter of 2013, totaling $120,406.
The company’s Vice President, Robert Porter, 52, of Westerville, Ohio, was also charged in relation to this case when a federal grand jury returned an indictment on June 14 for five counts of willfully filing a false income tax return with the IRS, and one count of making a false statement.
The indictment alleges that Porter filed false personal income tax returns with the IRS for the 2009 through 2013 income tax years in which he omitted $236,064 in income, and that between June 2011 and December 2011 Porter, as a contractor for a HUD project, made false statements and representations relative to the filing of 29 false U.S. Department of Labor Forms.
"IRS Criminal Investigation realizes the detrimental consequences of employment tax evasion. It results in the loss of tax revenue to the United States government and the loss of future social security or Medicare benefits for the employees," stated Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
Failing to account for and pay over employment taxes with the IRS is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security Investigations, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Brown, who is prosecuting the case.
Buffalo Man Sentenced on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.—Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today Antonio Eldridge, 28, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 12 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who handled the case, stated that on March 11, 2016, the Buffalo Police Department received information that the defendant, a convicted felon, had displayed a firearm to children. During this investigation, officers located Eldridge hiding in a basement crawl space of the children’s residence. Officers further recovered a Winchester Model 69A .22 caliber rifle hidden under a mattress in the residence.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Committing Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that John Evans, 33, and Timothy Finch, 28, both of Buffalo, NY, who were convicted of RICO conspiracy, were sentenced to 188 months and 168 months in prison respectively, by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Evans was also convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Duszkiewicz and Joel L. Violanti, who handled the case, Evans and Finch were members of L.R.G.P., a violent street gang named after the East Side streets of Lombard, Rother, Gibson and Playter. On April 20, 2011, the defendants planned the murder of rival gang member Amir Chambers who was shot dead by co-defendant Fred Keys.
The defendants also sold crack cocaine from a “trap house” on Sobieski Street in Buffalo utilized by gang members. The house was run by L.R.G.P. leader Dewayne Gray who was sentenced to 188 months in prison on September 9, 2016.
The defendants are two of 19 L.R.G.P. members and associates indicted and convicted in this case. On May 8, 2015, another 11 L.R.G.P. members and associates were also indicted on crack cocaine charges. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Today’s sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen.
Boones Mills Sentenced on Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A Boones Mills man, who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
William Morgan Jr., 34, of Boones Mills, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute a measurable quality of methamphetamine. Today in District Court, Morgan was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison.
“Methamphetamine is a dangerously addictive substance that ruins lives and communities,” United States Attorney Fishwick said. “We must continue to stop those who traffic in this dangerous substance.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford, Morgan Jr. admitted to having packages mailed from California to his father’s address in Roanoke that contained methamphetamine. Morgan Jr. would then sell the methamphetamine and split the profits of the sales with his father, William Morgan Sr., who has also been convicted, along with others, as part of this conspiracy.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Roanoke City Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Roanoke HIDTA and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
Ava Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Producing Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an Ava, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography.
Brett Corcoran, 27, of Ava, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Corcoran has been in federal custody since his arrest.
Corcoran, who pleaded guilty on March 29, 2016, admitted that he used a minor victim to produce child pornography between Jan. 1 and May 13, 2015. According to court documents, Corcoran engaged in numerous text conversations with a 14-year-old victim. He sent pornographic images of himself to her, and solicited images from the child victim.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the St. Mary’s County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Austell, Georgia, Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Possession of Counterfeit ObligationRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that MARQUE DESHARD THOMAS, age 41, of Austell, Georgia, was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment for POSSESSION OF A COUNTERFEIT OBLIGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 472 and 2.
The Indictment alleged that on or about February 28, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did with intent to defraud, possess counterfeit obligations and securities of the United States, which he knew to be falsely made, forged and counterfeited.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the United States Secret Service.
The Honorable Judge Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in the custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which, the nonparoleable sentence will be served.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Hammer represented the United States.
Arrest and Indictment of Seven Individuals for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. - On December 6, 2016, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned five separate Indictments charging seven individuals with fraud against the Social Security Administration (SSA) disability insurance benefits in Puerto Rico, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez Vélez.
The SSA is responsible for the implementation of the Disability Insurance Benefits Program. The SSA provides monetary benefits to workers with severe, long-term disabilities, who have worked in SSA covered employment for a required length of time. Spouses and dependent children of disabled workers may also be eligible to receive benefits.
Pursuant to SSA regulations, a claimant must prove to SSA that he or she is disabled by furnishing medical and other evidence with the application. The application and supporting evidence would then be evaluated by SSA to determine the individual’s medical impairments and determine the effect of the impairment on the claimant’s ability to work on a sustained basis.
The five indictments charge seven individuals of theft of government property, concealment or failure to disclose work activity to SSA and false statements or representations to the SSA. These defendants knowingly and willfully embezzled, stole, and converted to their own use the Social Security Disability Insurance Benefit payments to which the defendants knew that they were not entitled.
Two of the seven individuals, namely, Arturo Santiago-Acevedo and Erick Malavé-Hernández, were also charged with healthcare fraud. These defendants, as part of their SSA disability benefits, became eligible, applied for and received benefits under the Medicare Program.
Once a person is receiving SSA disability benefits for 24 months he/she automatically starts receiving Part A of the Medicare Program (hospitalizations) and they become eligible to apply for Part B and C of the Medicare Program. If they decide to apply for Part B and/or C of the Medicare Program, the monthly premium is deducted from their monthly disability benefits.
The other five defendants are: Ferdinand Negrón-Candelaria, a.k.a. “Yuca;” Jorge M. Bultrón-Casas, a.k.a. “Ernesto Bultrón Casas,” a.k.a. “George Bultrón;” Nancy López-Villanueva; Aracely Amadeo-Pumarejo and Luz B. Hiraldo-Rivera. They reported during a Continuing Disability Review (CDR) that the disability beneficiary had not been able to work due to different health conditions, when in truth they were working.
“This is a great example of ongoing efforts by the Government to deter fraud against the social security programs,” said United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The Department of Justice is committed to investigate and prosecute those who engage in fraudulent schemes. Hopefully this round of arrests will discourage more people from getting involved in these types of schemes, because we will continue investigating these crimes.”
SSA-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge John Grasso said: “The Social Security Disability Insurance program is intended to support individuals truly in need of this important and earned benefit, not those who are willing to lie about their true condition to steal from the Social Security Trust Fund. I am very grateful for the efforts of all of our law enforcement partners involved in this investigation, and for the continued commitment from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to aggressively pursue these important cases. I strongly encourage the public to report suspected instances of Social Security fraud to the OIG’s Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report.”
These cases were investigated by the Social Security-OIG with the collaboration of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, and the Puerto Rico Police Department and were indicted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Vanessa D. Bonano-Rodríguez.
If convicted, the defendants could face a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment and/or fines of up to $250,000.00. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Another Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for role in California-to-West Virginia drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national heavily involved in a California-to-West Virginia drug conspiracy was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in federal prison for a drug charge, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Daniel Ortiz-Rivera, 24, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Ortiz-Rivera admitted that from January 2015 to June 2015, he was involved in a drug conspiracy with multiple individuals that included the transportation and distribution of methamphetamine. He admitted that in January 2015, he conspired to have methamphetamine delivered from California to West Virginia and supplied drugs to individuals in West Virginia. Ortiz-Rivera additionally admitted that he had methamphetamine delivered to him in West Virginia and traveled himself to California to pick up methamphetamine. From January 2015 through May 2015, he delivered at least eight pounds of methamphetamine to an individual in West Virginia. He also admitted that on June 5, 2015, he was driving from California to transport methamphetamine to Charleston and was stopped by law enforcement in Kansas. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement discovered approximately four pounds of methamphetamine.
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. All of the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 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.
Several of the defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Two other women who were used as mules to transport methamphetamine, Rachel Arlene Garay, of California, and Monasmith, of Nevada, pleaded guilty to interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime. Additionally, as part of this conspiracy, Rafael Garcia Serrato, of Los Angeles, Cesar Garcia, also of Los Angeles, Velarian Sylvester Carter, of Beckley, Miguel Tafolla-Montoya, a Mexican national, and Brian Ashby, of Kanawha County, 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., is presiding over these cases and imposed the sentences.
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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Aggravated Felon Arrested on Charge of Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jose Manuel Salazar Estrada, 38, of Mexico, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after a conviction for an aggravated felony. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque, who is handling the case, stated that on December 7, 2016, the defendant was encountered at the Peace Bridge port of entry after getting lost and turning around on the bridge before reaching Canada. When Estrada was initially questioned, the defendant claimed to be a citizen of the United States, born in Arizona. Standard record checks revealed that Estrada is a citizen of Mexico and had been deported from the United States on five prior occasions. The most recent deportation occurred in 2015 after the defendant was convicted in Arizona of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit, an aggravated felony, and banned from entering the United States for life.
The defendant made an initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being detained pending trial.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Hilmey.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Wednesday 7 December 2016
United States Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Orthopedic Surgery Practice for $4,488,000Read the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that Southeast Orthopedic Specialists (SOS), a Jacksonville, Florida-based orthopedic medical group, has agreed to pay the government $4.488 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act.
The United States contends that it has certain civil claims against SOS arising from SOS billing federal healthcare programs for services that were not medically necessary and reasonable. Specifically, the United States contends that SOS sought reimbursement for millions of dollars of healthcare claims that were questionable. The United States alleges that these questionable bills include:
1. SOS certified that it met certain standards related to the “meaningful use” of electronic health records when the practice had, in fact, not met those standards;
2. SOS knowingly billed for certain claims as “incident to” physician supervision when no physician was present or there was no verification of any physician being present;
3. SOS knowingly billed for certain claims using Modifier 25 signifying that a separate evaluation and management service was performed even when there was no such separate service;
4. SOS knowingly billed for certain claims using Modifier 59 signifying that two procedures, rather than one, were billable even when these procedures should have more appropriately been billed as one such procedure;
5. SOS knowingly scheduled patients’ follow-up operative visits from 12 weeks following surgery to 14 weeks in an effort to bill for a separate visit outside the normal Medicare 90 days Diagnosis-Related Group charge;
6. SOS knowingly used and billed for ultrasound-guided injections routinely even in the absence of medical necessity; and
7. SOS knowingly billed for certain physical therapy claims using Modifier KX so as to exceed the Medicare cap on physical therapy, despite the absence of medical necessity.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to taking the steps necessary to protect Medicare and other federal health care programs from fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Bentley. “When health care practitioners submit fraudulent claims for reimbursement, we will hold them accountable.”
“The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General will relentlessly seek out those who defraud the Medicare program,” said Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond. “Obtaining tax dollars which Medicare providers are not entitled to impacts our entire healthcare system and the OIG will hold health care providers accountable who misrepresent services to boost profits.”
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $31.6 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $19.2 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
U.S. Attorney Sues Landlord for Refusing to Allow Disabled Tenant to Keep an Assistance AnimalRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States has filed a lawsuit against 111 EAST 88TH PARTNERS, a partnership, for violating the Fair Housing Act. The Government alleges that 111 EAST 88TH PARTNERS discriminated against a disabled tenant, Gregory Reich, by failing to permit a reasonable accommodation of the tenant’s psychiatric disability.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “We have repeatedly filed lawsuits of this sort, and will continue to do so, until housing providers understand that the Fair Housing Act plainly allows tenants with disabilities to keep assistance animals.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
Reich is a statutory lessee of an apartment in a building located at 111 East 88th Street, New York, New York. Reich suffers from depression and a personality disorder, and has long suffered from chronic kidney disease. In March 2015, Reich was diagnosed with end stage renal disease, which led to a significant deterioration of his mental health and a reduced capacity to care for himself. On June 18, 2015, Reich requested a reasonable accommodation to keep an emotional support dog based on updated medical information related to his recent diagnosis of end stage renal disease. Reich attached letters from his physician and his therapist. In response, 111 EAST 88TH PARTNERS requested that Reich provide copies of all of the therapist’s notes from his sessions with Reich from May 2014 through present, and copies of Reich’s medical records and medical history. 111 EAST 88TH PARTNERS also reserved the right to have Reich examined by a physician it had selected, and to require Reich, his physician, and his therapist to appear to answer questions under oath relating to Reich’s disability and accommodation request.
Believing that 111 EAST 88TH PARTNERS’ requests for medical information were so burdensome as to constitute a denial of the reasonable accommodation request, Reich filed an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). Upon investigation, HUD determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that the Fair Housing Act had been violated. Thereafter, 111 EAST 88TH PARTNERS elected pursuant to the Fair Housing Act to have HUD’s determination resolved in federal court.
In these circumstances, the Fair Housing Act authorizes the Department of Justice to commence an action in United States District Court on behalf of Reich. The Complaint seeks declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief for Reich.
Mr. Bharara thanked HUD for its efforts in the investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sharanya Mohan is in charge of the case.
Two Puerto Rico Police Officers Indicted and Arrested for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – On December 1st, 2016, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a two-count indictment against José Reyes-Alicea and Edgardo Meléndez-Silva, a.k.a. “Wong”, for drug trafficking, announced today Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Today’s arrests are the result of an investigation led by the FBI, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD).
On or about December 14, 2011, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute detectable amounts of cocaine. Both defendants are also charged with carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. At the time of the offense, Reyes-Alicea and Meléndez-Silva were police officers with the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) assigned to the Drugs Division in San Juan.
“We expect police officers to enforce the law and protect our citizens. These two officers broke the trust we placed in them and it is our responsibility to bring them to justice,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Zapata-Valladares is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Citizens of Puerto Rico with allegations of law enforcement corruption are encouraged to contact the FBI’s San Juan Division at (787) 754-6000.
Two Joplin Men Indicted for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two Joplin, Mo., men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for the armed robbery of Pinnacle Bank in Joplin.
Sean Ladue, 29, and Jimmy Eisenhour, 36, both of Joplin, were charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2016.
The federal indictment alleges that Ladue and Eisenhour used a firearm to rob Pinnacle Bank, 1316 E. 32nd Street, Joplin, on Nov. 14, 2016.
Ladue and Eisenhour are also charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Joplin, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Two Detroit Men Indicted for Robbing Springfield Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two Detroit, Mich., men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for robbing a Springfield, Mo., jewelry store.
Mark Anthone Pitts, 32, and Justin B. Anderson, 32, both of Detroit, were charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016.
The federal indictment alleges that Pitts and Anderson robbed Maxon’s Diamond Merchants, 2622 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, on Sept. 1, 2016. Pitts and Anderson allegedly brandished hammers and threatened and pushed employees to steal Rolex watches from the store.
The indictment also charges Pitts and Anderson with transporting stolen goods across state lines.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Carney and Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the FBI and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.