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Tuesday 15 November 2016
Construction Company Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud GovernmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michelle Cho, an officer of Far East Construction Corporation (Far East) and other construction companies, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud. Cho also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $169,166 and pay a criminal fine in the amount of $35,000.
The plea agreement was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Renata Hesse of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division; U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Inspector General Peggy E. Gustafson for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); Inspector General Carol Fortine Ochoa of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Reihms of the Central Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Director Frank Robey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).
According to court documents filed as part of the plea, Cho utilized two straw companies, including Far East, to conspire with MCC Construction Company (MCC) and others to defraud the SBA. Cho’s two companies were eligible to receive federal government contracts set asides for small, disadvantaged businesses. Cho and MCC understood that MCC would, illegally, perform all of the work on these contracts. In so doing, MCC was able to win 27 government contracts worth over $70 million from 2008 to 2011. The scope and duration of the scheme resulted in a significant number of opportunities lost to legitimate small and disadvantaged businesses.
“Michelle Cho knowingly participated in a long-standing scheme that manipulated federal contracts designated for small, disadvantaged businesses,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Hesse. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the procurement system.”
“Michelle Cho sought to unjustly enrich herself by participating in a fraudulent scheme that blatantly undermined a program to designate federal contracts for small disadvantaged businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Companies that benefit from the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program are expected to perform the agreed-upon work in return for taxpayer dollars. This prosecution shows our determination to maintain the integrity of federal contracting programs so that benefits go only to deserving businesses.”
“This conspiracy to deceive and defraud the federal government caused funds to be diverted illegally and cheated small businesses out of fair federal contracting opportunities,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI remains vigilant to such abuses of the system and will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice anyone who perpetrates fraud against the government.”
“Today’s guilty plea signifies our commitment to bringing individuals that conspire to fraudulently gain access to set-aside Federal contracting opportunities to justice,” said SBA Inspector General Gustafson. “Fraudulently passing work to ineligible businesses subverts the intent of SBA’s preferential contracting programs to assist small businesses as engines of economic development and job creation. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their leadership and dedication to serving justice.”
“We will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who game the government procurement process at the expense American taxpayers and legitimate small businesses,” said GSA Inspector General Ochoa.
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to working with our partner agencies to combat fraud impacting the Department of Defense's vital programs and operations and maintain the integrity of the procurement system,” said Special Agent in Charge Reihms.
“Today's plea is a fitting end for those who conspire to defraud the government,” said Director Robey. “The Major Procurement Fraud Unit is proud to work with our federal law enforcement partners to protect the coffers of the U.S. government from those who break the law and threaten the readiness of the U.S. Army.”
Cho, 45, of Downers Grove, Illinois, was charged in a criminal information on October 12, 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud. She waived the requirement of being charged by way of federal indictment, agreed to the filing of the information and accepted responsibility for her criminal conduct. The charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties.
The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2017.
The court documents state that Cho and MCC violated the provisions of the SBA 8(a) program, which is designed to award contracts to businesses that are owned by “one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.” To qualify for the 8(a) program, a business must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen (or citizens) of good character who meets the SBA’s definition of socially and economically disadvantaged. The firm must also be a small business (as defined by the SBA) and show a reasonable potential for success. Participants in the 8(a) program are subject to regulatory and contractual limits. Also, under the program, the disadvantaged business is required to perform a certain percentage of the work. For the types of contracts under investigation here, the SBA 8(a)-certified companies were required to perform 15 percent or more of the work with its own employees.
Court documents also state Cho conspired with MCC and others for MCC to exercise impermissible control over Far East, to obstruct a U.S. Government Agency proceeding, and to reach an agreement whereby MCC would provide all labor, equipment, materials, safety, and supervision and, in return, receive 97 percent of the contract task order amount. This agreement by its terms meant that Cho’s company would violate SBA rules and regulations and would collect a 3 percent fee for allowing its small business status to be used.
Earlier this year, MCC pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud on the United States by illegally obtaining government contracts that were intended for small, disadvantaged businesses and agreed to pay $1,769,924 in criminal penalties and forfeiture. In June, Thomas Harper, another former officer and owner of MCC, pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct proceedings before a department or agency. In August, Walter Crummy, another former officer and owner of MCC, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the Central Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU).
The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marston and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Graves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Kevin B. Hart, Justin P. Murphy and former Assistant Chief Craig Y. Lee of the Antitrust Division.
Child Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – On Tuesday, November 15, 2016, U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane sentenced Darryl Tyrone Norwood Jr., 29, of Lane County, Oregon, to 160 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor. Following his prison sentence, Norwood will be on lifetime supervised release.
In February of 2014, the FBI and the Eugene Police Department (EPD) were investigating the solicitation of commercial sexual activity on the website Backpage.com, and identified a sixteen-year-old minor female. On February 27, 2014, an undercover EPD detective posed as a customer, contacted the minor female and purported to arrange for commercial sex at a Eugene hotel. The minor female victim was driven to the hotel by Wayne Ratliff. Both were detained and interviewed by police. Law enforcement learned that the victim had been trafficked by Norwood on and off for a period of four months, and that Ratliff had at times assisted. Both Norwood and Ratliff were arrested and charged in federal court with sex trafficking of a minor. Ratliff was convicted in July 2016 and sentenced to 63 months in prison.
While trafficking the minor female victim, Norwood rented hotel rooms for her to stay and use for commercial sex acts, told her where to post an online solicitation, drove her to locations to engage in sexual activity and bought her a phone. The victim gave all of the proceeds from the sexual encounters to Norwood who knew that she was sixteen years old for most of the time he was trafficking her. Law enforcement also learned that Norwood trafficked several other women, including a female who was convicted in state court for assault.
Norwood engaged in a pattern of threats, manipulation, and controlling behavior toward the women he trafficked. He has prior convictions in Oregon for Assault in the Second Degree in 2007, and Assault in the Fourth Degree in 2014.
“Sex traffickers use violence, threats and power to manipulate and take advantage of vulnerable victims,” said Billy J. Williams, United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Stopping sex trafficking throughout Oregon is a top priority for our office. We will continue to work closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to find, convict and punish those responsible for these horrible and degrading crimes. Furthermore, we will continue to do everything possible to prevent these and similar crimes through outreach and education.”
The investigation of this case was a collaborative effort between the FBI and the EPD Special Investigations Unit. The case was prosecuted by Jeffrey Sweet, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Broken Bow Man Found Guilty of Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that RICHARD DALE HENRY, age 62, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, was found guilty, by a federal jury, of FELON IN POSSESSION OF FIREARM, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2) and 924(e)(1). The jury trial began with testimony on Monday, November 14, 2016 and concluded on the same day with the guilty verdict. The statutory range of punishment is no more than 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both; however, should the Court determine the defendant, who has prior convictions for Murder First Degree, Murder Second Degree and Sales of Controlled Dangerous Substances, is an Armed Career Criminal offender, the range of punishment is not less than 15 years imprisonment, up to life, a fine of up to $250,000.00 or both.
Evidence at trial proved that from on or about December 23, 2013, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, RICHARD DALE HENRY, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, an AK-47 style firearm, which had been shipped and transported in interstate or foreign commerce. Henry sold the rifle, along with a nylon case and 5 high capacity magazines, to Jo’s Pawn in Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
The verdict obtained was the result of an investigation by the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable James H. Payne, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following its completion. The defendant will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Edward Snow of the Eastern District of Oklahoma Receives Attorney General AwardRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - On November 10, 2016, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch recognized 376 department employees for their distinguished public service at the 64th Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony. Forty-seven other individuals outside of the department were also honored for their work. This annual ceremony recognizes individuals for their outstanding service and dedication to carrying out the missions of the Department of Justice.
“The Attorney General’s Awards provide us with a rare opportunity to honor the efforts of outstanding department employees and our invaluable partners across the federal government and at the state and local levels,” said Attorney General Lynch. “Their work has made our nation – and our world – stronger, safer and more just, and I am proud of and inspired by each and every one of them.”
In particular, the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service in Indian Country recognizes extraordinary efforts by department employees who demonstrate the department’s commitment to fighting crime in Indian Country. This year’s award is presented to, from the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney J. Michael Sheckels; from the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section, Trial Attorney Richard A. Friedman; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Snow; from the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent John W. Fitzer and Special Agent Joshua W. Martin; from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent John Jones; and from the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police, Chief Kent Dowell.
On March 3, 2004, David Magnan entered a house on an Indian allotment in rural Seminole County, Oklahoma, and with premeditation shot three Native American occupants to death as they lay in their beds. Originally convicted in state court under the misapprehension of the status of the land where the house was located, that conviction was set aside in 2013 after the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the Indian title to the land had not been extinguished. Working at great disadvantage given the passage of time, this team worked tirelessly to locate the witnesses and evidence necessary to secure a conviction at trial on all three murder counts, keep a dangerous killer off the streets and obtain justice for the victims’ families.
A Mitchell Man Charged with Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mitchell, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Corey Johnson, age 30, was indicted on October 14, 2015. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on November 4, 2016, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 8 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on September 13, 2015, Johnson did forcibly assault, resist, impose, impede, intimidate and interfere with a Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer by the use of physical contact.
The charge is merely an accusation and Johnson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Johnson was detained in U.S. Marshal custody pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Monday 14 November 2016
Youngstown man sentenced to 10 years in prison for firearms crimeRead the Press Release
A Youngstown man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, said U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon and ATF Special Agent in Charge Trevor Velinor.
Arian O'Connor, 39, also known as Noble Bullhorn Sirius O’Connor Bay, possessed a Maddi Company, Model Arm, 7.62 rifle on or about August 12, 2015, O’Connor, despite prior convictions for felonoius assault and two convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according court documents.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer following investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Youngstown Police Department and the U.S. Probation Office.
Washington, Iowa Woman Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA- On November 9, 2016, Brandy Kay Reschly, age 35, of Washington, Iowa, was sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to 50 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Reschly was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and to pay $100 to the Crime Victims Fund.
On June 3, 2016, Reschly pleaded guilty and admitted she participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine beginning as early as May 2015 and continuing through November 2015. This charge was a result of an investigation conducted by law enforcement of methamphetamine trafficking that occurred in Washington, Johnson, Muscatine, and Blackhawk counties in Iowa and Phoenix, Arizona.
This matter was investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the Johnson County Drug Task Force, the Washington Police Department, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
United States Attorney’s Office and City Year Miami Celebrate American Education Week and Read to Local Students as Part of Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP)Read the Press Release
VRP Program Reaches 23 Schools in Miami-Dade and Over 12,000 Students Every Month
WHO: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Wifredo A. Ferrer, City Year Miami Executive Director Keith “Fletch” Fletcher, and elementary students at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center for the Visual and Performing Arts.
WHAT: To celebrate the National Education Association’s American Education Week, Director Fletcher and U.S. Attorney Ferrer will read to students as part of the Violence Reduction Partnership’s monthly readings to more than 1,200 pre-kindergarten and elementary school students in 23 schools across the Southern District of Florida. The joint effort brings books and the joy of reading into the lives of students in many of Miami’s highest-need schools, in order to combat the potential correlation between low literacy levels and poverty, crime and unemployment. Following each reading session, the children receive books to take home – often the only books they have ever owned. Since 2014, the program has distributed more than 11,000 books.
WHERE: Charles R. Drew K-8 Center for the Visual and Performing Arts
1775 NW 60th St.
Miami, Fla. 33142
(Media, please meet in the front lobby of the school)
WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 15th
9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
About City Year:
City Year is an education-focused organization, founded in 1988 dedicated to helping students and schools succeed. City Year partners with public schools in 26 urban, high-poverty communities across the U.S. and through international affiliates in the U.K. and Johannesburg, South Africa. Diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide high-impact student, classroom and school-wide support to help students stay in school and on track to graduate from high school and prepare for college and career success. A member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is made possible by support from the Corporation for National and Community Service, school district partnerships, and private philanthropy from corporations, foundations and individuals. More information about City Year is available at www.cityyear.org/miami.
To learn how you can partner with the VRP, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office Community Outreach Team at (305) 961-9134 or [email protected].
To partner with City Year Miami and sponsor a Miami-Dade County School, you can contact Keith “Fletch” Fletcher at (305) 778-5579 or [email protected].
Interviews are available after the event. Photograph and video opportunities are available before, during and after the event.
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger's Statement Regarding Sentencing of Abdullahi YusufRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger said: “The hard work of rehabilitating those who seek to engage in ideological violence must continue. Judge Davis recognized that fact today with a sentence for Abdullahi Yusuf that allows him to continue his rehabilitation. The United States thanks Mr. Yusuf for his cooperation.”
U.S. Attorney Reaches Agreement with City of Yonkers to Enhance Police Department Policies and ProceduresRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Vanita Gupta, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights for the Department of Justice, announced today that the United States has entered into an agreement with THE CITY OF YONKERS (the “City”) and THE CITY OF YONKERS POLICE DEPARTMENT (“YPD”), which is the product of the United States’ comprehensive investigation of YPD police practices and furthers the parties’ commitment to constitutional policing.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “This agreement ensures that the Yonkers Police Department polices in a way that keeps its citizens safe, while protecting their constitutional rights. The measures put in place with this agreement, including clear and reasonable use-of-force policies and guidance on how to properly evaluate and respond to use-of-force incidents, will make Yonkers safer for citizens and police alike. We thank the Yonkers Police Department and the City of Yonkers for cooperating with our investigation, and for joining our effort to ensure that the Yonkers Police Department protects its citizens not only from physical harm, but also from violations of their constitutional rights.”
Head of the Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta said: “This agreement will ensure that the Yonkers Police Department continues to advance constitutional, effective and community-oriented policing. Through clear policy guidance, data analysis and accountability systems, we believe these reforms will make the entire community safer and strengthen public trust in the police.”
The agreement is the result of the United States’ comprehensive investigation of YPD police practices that began in August 2007 under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. In June 2009, the United States sent the City a technical assistance letter that identified necessary reforms to YPD practices and policies in the areas of use of force, citizen complaints, investigations, supervisory oversight, and training. After receiving the United States’ technical assistance letter, the City and YPD made substantial changes to its policies and procedures. The agreement implements and further improves those policies and procedures and addresses the United States’ remaining concerns. Under the agreement, the YPD will, among other things:
• Maintain and implement clear use-of-force policies that require officers to use only that force which is reasonable in light of the resistance encountered and to de-escalate force immediately as resistance decreases, and provide that the use of unreasonable force may subject officers to discipline, possible criminal prosecution, and/or civil liability.
• Thoroughly and timely evaluate, document, and review use-of-force incidents, arrests, and citizen complaints of officer misconduct.
• Maintain and implement clear policies on investigatory stops and detentions, which permit investigatory stops and detentions only where the officer has the reasonable suspicion, under the totality of the circumstances, that criminal activity or a violation of law has been or is about to be committed.
• Develop a system to collect data on all investigatory stops and searches, except stops purely for traffic enforcement, whether or not they result in an arrest or issuance of a citation. The system shall require recording of, among other things, the officer’s name and badge number; the subject’s apparent race, ethnicity, gender and age; and the reason for the stop, including a description of the facts creating reasonable suspicion.
• Permit onlookers or bystanders to witness, observe, record, and/or comment on officer conduct, including stops, detentions, searches, arrests, or uses of force, with some limitations.
• Continue to develop and implement a computerized risk management system to identify and respond to potentially problematic incidents, officers, units, training, and tactics.
• Continue to maintain and build community relationships and engage constructively with the community to ensure collaborative problem-solving efforts and to increase community confidence in the Department, including by developing a survey to measure officer outreach to a cross-section of community members in each precinct, with an emphasis on community partnerships and problem-solving strategies that build mutual respect and trusting relationships with community stakeholders.
• Ensure that officers and supervisors receive appropriate levels of training in constitutional policing.
The agreement also provides that consultants retained by the United States will conduct compliance reviews to ensure that YPD has implemented the measures required by the agreement, and issue public reports of those compliance reviews.
This case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Tomoko Onozawa of the Office’s Civil Rights Unit and the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney Hickton to ResignRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – David J. Hickton, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, has announced his resignation effective midnight on November 28. U.S. Attorney Hickton has served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania since August 12, 2010.
“The opportunity to serve as a United States Attorney in this administration has been the professional privilege of a lifetime and the highlight of my career,” said U.S. Attorney Hickton.
During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Hickton’s signature achievements include:
Addressing the Cyber Threat
- Brought first of its kind indictment against five members of the Chinese military for economic espionage against Pittsburgh-based companies and organizations.
- Created a dedicated section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office to focus on cybercrime and national security.
- Prosecuted ground-breaking cases such as Darkode, the largest English-speaking cybercrime forum, and Evgeniy Bogachev, creator of GameOver Zeus and Cryptolocker malware, among others.
Combatting the National Heroin and Opioid crisis
- Co-Chaired the National Heroin Task Force.
- Formed U.S. Attorney’s Working Group on Drug Overdoses and Addiction which includes key federal, state and local law enforcement along with public health and public safety staff.
- Brought community impact prosecutions against large-scale heroin traffickers and worked to reduce stigma, minimize the criminalization of addiction and improve access to treatment.
Enhancing Community Police Trust
- Assembled a Community Police Working Group in 2011 to build trust for and from law enforcement and the citizens they serve.
- Established a civil rights section in U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- Pittsburgh selected as one of six pilot cities for the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice by Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
Significant Civil Recoveries and Achievements
- EDMC - Achieved a historic settlement of $95.5 million, the largest ever False Claims Act (FCA) recovery of Department of Education funds.
- PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS – Secured fundamental changes throughout the prison system to humanely address the issues of unconstitutional confinement conditions for those suffering from serious mental illness and for victims of institutional sexual assault.
- GAMEOVER ZEUS BOTNET– Utilized civil injunctions in conjunction with criminal prosecution to dismantle a global network of infected victim computers used by cyber criminals to steal millions of dollars from businesses and consumers.
As of November 29, Soo C. Song will assume leadership of the office as Acting U.S. Attorney. Ms. Song is currently the First Assistant U.S. Attorney and has served in the Department of Justice since 1995. She is a graduate of Yale University and the George Washington Law School.
Two Men Charged with Stealing Trade Secrets from Connecticut Defense ContractorRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a 29-count indictment charging JARED DYLAN SPARKS, 33, of Ardmore, Okla., and JAY WILLIAMS, 45, of Griswold, Conn., with offenses related to a scheme to steal trade secrets from a Connecticut-based defense contractor. The indictment was returned on November 3. SPARKS was arrested on November 7 and WILLIAMS was arrested on November 8.
According to court documents and statements made in court, SPARKS, an electrical engineer, and WILLIAMS, an electronic technician, both worked at LBI Inc., a Connecticut-based defense contractor that designs and builds, among other things, unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research. From January 4, 2010, until December 2, 2011, SPARKS was employed by LBI as the Lead Electrical Engineer for design, prototyping and testing for prototypes of unmanned vehicles. From May 10, 2010, until November 23, 2011, Williams was employed by LBI as an Electro-Mechanical Technician tasked with the fabrication, installation, testing and operation of various prototypes of unmanned vehicles.
During the course of their employment with LBI, SPARKS and WILLIAMS collaborated with employees of Charles River Analytics, a Massachusetts-based software company that developed software to be integrated into LBI’s unmanned underwater vehicles. In late 2010 and early 2011, Charles River Analytics sought to expand into the hardware business and eventually agreed with the Office of Naval Research that it would complete the testing for a number of the unmanned vehicles designed and developed by LBI. However, Charles River Analytics had never done that work before and had no staff that could carry out that work. Sometime after April 2011, SPARKS and WILLIAMS began exploring employment with Charles River Analytics, and were eventually hired by that company in the fall of 2011.
Information obtained from the execution of various search warrants revealed that beginning in at least May 2011 and continuing until November 2011, WILLIAMS and SPARKS, without authorization, uploaded LBI proprietary information to accounts in Dropbox, a cloud-based storage application.
SPARKS and WILLIAMS ended their employment with LBI in December 2, 2011, and November 23, 2011 respectively, and both began working with Charles River Analytics on January 3, 2012. SPARKS and WILLIAMS continued to possess stolen trade secrets belonging to LBI after the end of their employment with LBI. During the course of their employment at Charles River Analytics, they both continued to work on at least one of the unmanned underwater vehicles that LBI had designed and developed.
“Connecticut’s defense contractors are critical to our country’s national security,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that intellectual property is protected, and that those who profit from stealing trade secrets are prosecuted.”
“The need to protect the intellectual property of the U.S. Department of Defense contractors is now more important than ever,” said Craig W. Rupert, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Northeast Field Office. “The theft of defense contractors’ trade secrets in particular, poses a grave threat to our national economic security and harms the Department of Defense’s investment in research and development. DCIS remains committed to working with our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Justice to ensuring those who actively steal our nation’s trade secrets are prosecuted.”
The indictment charges SPARKS and WILLIAMS with one count of conspiracy to steal, upload, transmit and possess stolen trade secrets, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. The indictment also charges SPARKS with seven counts of theft of trade secrets, seven counts of upload of trade secrets, two counts of transmission of trade secrets and five counts of possession of stolen trade secrets. WILLIAMS is also charged with seven counts of possession of stolen trade secrets. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Both defendants are released on bond pending trial.
This matter is being investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss and Trial Attorney Brian Resler from the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division.
Two Burlington County, New Jersey, Pharmacists Charged with Illegally Distributing Oxycodone, Other Pain Killers from Medford, New Jersey, ‘Pill Mills’Read the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Two pharmacists were arrested today and charged in a long-running conspiracy to illegally distribute and dispense large quantities of oxycodone and other controlled substances from two pharmacies located in Medford, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Michael Ludwikowski, 44, of Medford, and David Goldfield, 58, of Medford Lakes, New Jersey, were charged in a 16-count indictment with conspiracy to illegally distribute and dispense oxycodone and other Schedule II controlled substances, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and multiple substantive counts of illegal distribution. Ludwikowski was also charged with using his cellphone in furtherance of the conspiracy. Both defendants are scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider in Camden federal court.
“There is a real opioid epidemic in the United States, one that’s responsible for personal tragedy, widespread suffering, and enormous financial loss,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “Doctors, pharmacists, and other health care professionals have a unique opportunity to address this epidemic by ensuring prescription opiates are dispensed only for legitimate medical purposes. Instead, Ludwikowski and Goldfield allegedly chose to exacerbate the problem by selling opiates to customers with fake prescriptions or to individuals whom they knew to be addicts.”
“Opioid and prescription drug abuse is sweeping the country. By allegedly participating in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone within our community, the defendants engaged in a behavior that ultimately contributes to this epidemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher. “Today's arrests are not only a victory for the FBI and our partners, but for everyone who confronts the tragic outcomes of opioid addiction and abuse.”
Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New Jersey Division said, “Unfortunately, this is another alleged case of two pharmacists violating the public trust. They should have been doing their part to help in the reduction of the opioid epidemic we are facing. Instead, based on the charges, they have played a part in adding to the epidemic.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2008 through August 2013, Ludwikowski, the owner of both Olde Medford Pharmacy and Medford Family Pharmacy, and his employee, Goldfield, knowingly distributed and dispensed oxycodone and other controlled substances to individuals, including addicts, who presented phony prescriptions.
Ludwikowski ordered tens of thousands of dosage units of oxycodone, among other products, from a large national distributor. The distributer established thresholds for the quantity of controlled substances that it supplied to certain pharmacies. These thresholds could not be exceeded unless a pharmacy provided sufficient justification for an increase. As part of the conspiracy, Ludwikowski fraudulently requested and received increases to the thresholds of oxycodone supplied to his pharmacies, even though he knew they were not going to be used for legitimate medical reasons.
In some instances, the customers presented fraudulent prescriptions that had been blatantly “washed,” or “bleached,” through a chemical process that removed the original writing for a non-narcotic substance. The customers then rewrote the prescriptions for their drug of choice, including oxycodone. Ludwikowski and Goldfield even allegedly ignored concerns raised by an employee who pointed out an obviously altered prescription.
Customers who used the fraudulent prescriptions generally paid in cash and provided gifts to Ludwikowski and Goldfield. In some instances, these customers filled fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone multiple times a week.
In furtherance of the scheme, Ludwikowski and another pharmacist he employed – referred to in the indictment as “Pharmacist 3” – reached an agreement with a physician –referred to in the indictment as “Doctor 1” – to “steer” Doctor 1’s patients to Ludwikowski’s pharmacies. In a text message from Pharmacist 3 to Ludwikowski on Jan. 11, 2013, Pharmacist 3 wrote: “I talked to [Doctor 1] and he is going to direct all of his patients to us he is the pain doc in Cherry Hill.”
Following that exchange, Ludwikowski received a voicemail from an individual referred to in the indictment as “Individual 3” who claimed to be a patient of Doctor 1 and was looking for a monthly supplier. After Ludwikowski passed along his number to Pharmacists 3, Individual 3 was able to fill prescriptions for oxycodone and other controlled substances at Olde Medford Pharmacy or Medford Family Pharmacy.
In another instance, a Pennsylvania resident referred to in the indictment as “Individual 4” informed Ludwikowski that he was “in a bit of a pickle” because he had been unable to fill a prescription written by Doctor 1 in Pennsylvania, but had heard that Ludwikowski would be able to help. Subsequently, Individual 4 was able to acquire oxycodone and other controlled substance prescriptions from Ludwikowski’s pharmacies.
The conspiracy charge and each substantive count of illegal distribution of oxycodone and other Schedule II controlled substances carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The count of using a telephone in furtherance of the drug trafficking crimes carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The counts of maintaining a drug-involved premises each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gallagher; the DEA New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kotowski; the Medford Police Department under the direction of Chief Richard J. Meder; the Moorestown Police Department under the direction of Chief Lee R. Lieber; the Florence Police Department under the direction of Chief John Bunce; and the Lumberton Police Department under the direction of Chief Tony Diloreto, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin C. Danilewitz and Senior Litigation Counsel Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Devlin of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Twin Cities Men Sentenced for Providing Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
The first three of nine defendants expected to be sentenced this week for conspiring to provide material support to ISIL were sentenced today in three separate hearings in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. ABDULLAHI YUSUF, 20, was sentenced to time already served. ABDIRIZAK WARSAME, 21, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. ZACHARIA ABDURAHMAN, 21, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew M. Luger, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis Division Richard T. Thornton, and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division Mary B. McCord.
“The hard work of rehabilitating those who seek to engage in ideological violence must continue,” said United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “Judge Davis recognized that fact today in his considered sentences for those defendants who cooperated with the government and have begun to disengage from ISIL’s violent ideology.”
According to his guilty plea, in April 2014, YUSUF applied for an expedited U.S. Passport at the Minneapolis Passport Office. The following month, YUSUF attempted to travel from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport to Istanbul, Turkey, to join ISIL. He was stopped at the airport by federal agents. YUSUF pleaded guilty on February 26, 2015. YUSUF cooperated with the United States and testified at the trial of three of his co-conspirators.
According to his guilty plea, WARSAME participated in the conspiracy throughout 2014 and early 2015 in various capacities, including serving briefly as “emir” of the co-conspirators, and helping unindicted co-conspirator, Yusuf Jama, obtain contact information to aid his joining ISIL in Syria. WARSAME pleaded guilty on February 11, 2016. WARSAME cooperated with the United States and testified at the trial of three of his co-conspirators.
According to his guilty plea, in November 2014, ABDURAHMAN and three co-conspirators traveled by bus from Minneapolis to New York City’s JFK airport, where they attempted to fly overseas to join ISIL in Syria. They were stopped from flying and questioned by federal agents before returning to Minnesota. Despite being stopped from traveling in November 2014, ABDURAHMAN and the co-conspirators continued to discuss and plan another attempt to travel to Syria to join ISIL. ABDURAHMAN pleaded guilty on September 17, 2015.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by members of the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF includes members from the following departments: the United States Marshals Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Bloomington Police Department, St. Paul Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Air Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Defense, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Minneapolis Police Department, Burnsville Police Department, Department of State, the Airport Police, Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, and the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Winter, John Docherty and Julie Allyn.
Defendant Information:
ABDULLAHI YUSUF, 20
Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 1 count
Sentenced:
- Time already served
- 20 years of supervised release
ABDIRIZAK WARSAME, 21
Eagan, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 30 months in prison
- 20 years of supervised release
ZACHARIA ABDURAHMAN, 21
Columbia Heights, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 10 years in prison
- 20 years of supervised release
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Three Minnesota Men Sentenced for Providing Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
The first three of nine defendants expected to be sentenced this week for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization, were sentenced today in three separate hearings in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. Abdullahi Yusuf, 20, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, received time served and a sentence of 20 years supervised release. Abdirizak Warsame, 21, of Eagan, Minnesota, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and 20 years supervised release. Zacharia Abdurahman, 21, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and 20 years supervised release.
The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division Mary B. McCord, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota and Special Agent in Charge Richard T. Thornton of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division.
“The hard work of rehabilitating those who seek to engage in ideological violence must continue,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “Judge Davis recognized that fact today in his considered sentences for those defendants who cooperated with the government and have begun to disengage from ISIL’s violent ideology.”
According to his guilty plea, in April 2014, Yusuf applied for an expedited U.S. Passport at the Minneapolis Passport Office. The following month, Yusuf attempted to travel from the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport in Minneapolis to Istanbul, Turkey, to join ISIL. He was stopped at the airport by federal agents. Yusuf pleaded guilty on Feb. 26, 2015. Yusuf cooperated with the U.S. and testified at the trial of three of his co-conspirators.
According to his guilty plea, Warsame participated in the conspiracy throughout 2014 and early 2015 in various capacities, including serving briefly as “emir” of the co-conspirators, and helping unindicted co-conspirator, Yusuf Jama, obtain contact information to aid his joining ISIL in Syria. Warsame pleaded guilty on Feb. 11. Warsame cooperated with the U.S. and testified at the trial of three of his co-conspirators.
According to his guilty plea, in November 2014, Abdurahman and three co-conspirators traveled by bus from Minneapolis to JFK airport in New York, where they attempted to fly overseas to join ISIL in Syria. They were stopped from flying and questioned by federal agents before returning to Minnesota. Despite being stopped from traveling in November 2014, Abdurahman and the co-conspirators continued to discuss and plan another attempt to travel to Syria to join ISIL. Abdurahman pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2015.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by members of the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF includes members from the following departments: U.S. Marshals Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Bloomington Police Department in Minnesota, St. Paul Police Department in Minnesota, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota, Federal Air Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Defense, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Minneapolis Police Department, Burnsville Police Department in Minnesota, Department of State, Airport Police, Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS and the FBI.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Winter, John Docherty and Julie Allyn of the District of Minnesota with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Tampa Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Hiding Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Joe Manuel Gonzalez (66, Tampa) to 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for structuring financial transactions to avoid currency reporting requirements. The Court also ordered him to pay a $15,000 fine. Gonzalez pleaded guilty on August 24, 2016.
According to court documents, Gonzalez, an attorney with his own law practice in Tampa specializing in financial and tax matters, established a fictitious trust and bank account for a confidential source (CS) and undercover DEA agent. The CS and the undercover agent posed as brothers seeking to launder proceeds from their marijuana grow house operations. The “brothers” told Gonzalez that they made approximately $30,000-$50,000 per month from their marijuana operation and needed somewhere safe to put their money. Gonzalez advised the “brothers” how to set up and make deposits into bank accounts to avoid detection by law enforcement. Gonzalez established a bank account for the “brothers” in the name of a fictitious trust and made the initial deposits into the bank account with what Gonzalez understood to be proceeds from the marijuana business. On two occasions, Gonzalez structured the cash provided to him by the undercover agent, breaking up the bank deposit into separate transactions to avoid the currency reporting requirements.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.
Tahlequah Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that NATHAN ROWDEN GREEN, age 28, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, pled guilty to DRUG CONSPIRACY, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), punishable by not less than 5 years or more than 40 years imprisonment, and up to a $5,000,000.00 fine or both.
The Information alleged that or about December 14, 2015, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did willfully and knowingly combine, conspire, confederate and agree together, and with other persons known and unknown, to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of Methamphetamine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance.
The charges arose from a joint investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Tahlequah Police Department, the Muskogee Police Department, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The investigation was coordinated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) of the Eastern District of Oklahoma. OCDETF is an initiative led and coordinated by the Office of the United States Attorney.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The defendant will remain in custody pending a sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson represented the United States.
Suspended Attorney William O’Brien Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that William O’Brien, 60, an attorney who lives in Winooski, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge of wire fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss released O’Brien on conditions pending sentencing, which has been set for May 31, 2017 in Brattleboro.
On October 13, the United States filed a criminal information charging O’Brien with one count of wire fraud, the charge which he admitted today. The information charges O’Brien with defrauding two former law clients. In one case, O’Brien became the trustee of a trust established by the clients. As trustee, O’Brien was to use trust funds to make charitable contributions in the memory of the clients. Between 2008 and 2013, O’Brien did make a number of contributions of trust funds in the total amount of $97,500, but also improperly diverted about $270,000 in trust funds to his law firm account. In another case, O’Brien received in his capacity as attorney more than $247,000 in client funds, which were also meant to be used for charitable purposes. Although O’Brien did make one contribution of $15,000, he again used the remaining funds for his own benefit.
In early 2016, O’Brien did repay about $472,000 to these two clients, but those payments were made only after O’Brien became aware he was under investigation by counsel for the Vermont bar. The Vermont Supreme Court suspended O’Brien’s law license in January.
O’Brien faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence will be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Burlington Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Vermont Judiciary’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
O’Brien is represented by Scott McGee of Norwich. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Statement by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch on the Passing of Gwen IfillRead the Press Release
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch today released the following statement on the passing of Gwen Ifill:
“Gwen Ifill was a pioneering figure in American journalism who quite literally changed the face of the evening news. She met discrimination and bigotry with talent and focus, rising to become one of the most prominent journalists of her generation. She pursued her reporting with grace, intelligence and integrity, earning her the trust of countless Americans who counted on her to present the facts of a story without slant or spin. She asked tough questions and told hard truths, but she always did so in a way that elevated, rather than coarsened, our national discourse. Our country is a better place because of her commitment to the truth, and she will be sorely missed, both on the air and off.”
Statement by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch on the Departure of David Hickton from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released the following statement on the planned departure of U.S. Attorney David Hickton of the Western District of Pennsylvania:
“For the last six years, U.S. Attorney David Hickton has served the people of the Western District of Pennsylvania – and all the American people – with fidelity, integrity and distinction. Under David’s outstanding leadership, his office has been at the forefront of some of the Justice Department’s most consequential achievements of the last few years. These include the indictment of five Chinese military hackers for committing cyber espionage, the dismantling of the Darkode hacking forum and the first human trafficking cases to be brought in the Western District of Pennsylvania. In addition, David has been a tireless advocate of stronger community-police relations and he has been a crucial partner in the fight against the devastating heroin and prescription opioid epidemic. There is no doubt that the United States is a stronger and safer place because of David’s many contributions. I thank him for his distinguished service, and I wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Statement by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch on the Departure of David Hickton from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released the following statement on the planned departure of U.S. Attorney David Hickton of the Western District of Pennsylvania:
“For the last six years, U.S. Attorney David Hickton has served the people of the Western District of Pennsylvania – and all the American people – with fidelity, integrity and distinction. Under David’s outstanding leadership, his office has been at the forefront of some of the Justice Department’s most consequential achievements of the last few years. These include the indictment of five Chinese military hackers for committing cyber espionage, the dismantling of the Darkode hacking forum and the first human trafficking cases to be brought in the Western District of Pennsylvania. In addition, David has been a tireless advocate of stronger community-police relations and he has been a crucial partner in the fight against the devastating heroin and prescription opioid epidemic. There is no doubt that the United States is a stronger and safer place because of David’s many contributions. I thank him for his distinguished service, and I wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Reno Was a Public Serveant Who Didn't Take Herself Too SeriouslyRead the Press Release
Commentary by Wifredo Ferrer, Daily Business Review
November 7, 2016
Though it was a long time ago, I vividly remember the day I met the woman who would eventually become my boss, my colleague, my friend and my mentor.
As a high school student at Hialeah-Miami Lakes, Janet Reno came to our class to talk about community safety and the value of public service. At the time, Reno was the Miami-Dade state attorney. Despite the demands of her job, Reno always made it a priority to connect with our community's youth. Her accessibility and core belief in the principle of justice for all was as clear to me that day as it was when I had the honor to work closely with her when she was the attorney general of the United States.
Though she would ultimately return to the community she loved, Reno left Miami to begin her tenure as U.S. attorney general in 1993. In 1995 I was fortunate enough to begin working with her, serving as her counsel and deputy chief of staff. She was the ideal and consummate public servant who believed deeply in the mission of the Department of Justice. She was tough and believed that those who violate our nation's laws must be punished and deterred.
But her view of justice transcended the role of the nation's top prosecutor. Reno also firmly believed that all Americans should have true and meaningful access to the law, and she demanded that we always remember that those in need, especially children, deserve a voice. The country witnessed these traits over and over again during her tenure. Indeed, as a member of the president's Cabinet, much of what she did played out in the public eye.
But I was blessed to also work with Reno behind closed doors, out of the glaring lights that she became accustomed to as attorney general. It is hard to appreciate the number of decisions an attorney general must make on a daily basis. Some are small and some are large, but each one is important to someone.
And regardless of the magnitude of the issue before her, the players involved or the gravity of the decision with which she was faced, her approach was consistent – she was guided by the evidence and the law and called it as she saw it.
As a young lawyer navigating the halls of Justice, I saw Reno lead by her values and principles. She was guided by an unwavering sense of right and wrong, and that was a powerful thing to witness. She was firm and decisive but never arrogant. Reno was a good listener but never allowed herself to be swayed by popular opinion. Reno was never tempted to take the easy way out simply to avoid hard choices. Her character and integrity would not allow that.
In addition to witnessing her leadership and character as attorney general, I also had the great fortune to be touched by her warmth, humanity and sense of humor.
Many Americans fondly recall Reno dancing with Will Ferrell on "Saturday Night Live." She reminded us to always take our responsibilities seriously but never to take ourselves too seriously.
Reno cared deeply about the professional and personal lives of all of her colleagues and tried to know everyone's name and life story. Reno taught me and so many others what it means to be a leader.
When I had the privilege to be sworn in as U.S. attorney, Reno was there. Although she was in very poor health, it meant so much to have her by my side.
Though she has left us, in many ways she will always be by my side, and her life and work will continue to inspire us all.
Wifredo Ferrer in U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida.Quincy Woman Charged with Distribution of Heroin Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Quincy, Ill., woman, Andrea Nicole Tate, 39, made her initial appearance in federal court last week, on Nov. 10, after a grand jury returned an indictment that charges her with distribution of heroin that resulted in death. The indictment alleges that Tate, of the 400 block of N. 7th Street, distributed and possessed with intent to distribute heroin on June 24, 2016, and that death resulted from use of the heroin.
Tate appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins, who ordered that Tate remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date of Jan. 3, 2017, has been scheduled.
The investigation was conducted by the West Central Illinois Task Force and the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crystal Correa is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the statutory penalty for the offense of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and death and serious bodily injury resulted is no less than 20 years and up to life in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Property Manager Charged with Fraudulently Pocketing Fees from Chicago Condominium AssociationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A property manager has been charged in federal court with fraudulently pocketing more than $150,000 in illegal fees from a condominium association in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood.
ALAN P. GOLD, the owner and operator of Chicago-based A.P. Gold Realty & Management Inc., overbilled the Edgewater condo association for management services that were never performed, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. He also skimmed from the association’s reserve account by paying himself monies to which he was not entitled, the complaint states.
Gold is suspected of pilfering an additional $750,000 from eight other Chicago condominium associations, according to the complaint.
The complaint charges Gold, 65, of Chicago, with one count of mail fraud. He was arrested on Nov. 9, 2016, and made an initial appearance that day before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Cox. Judge Cox ordered Gold released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.
The complaint 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.
According to the complaint, Gold had signature authority over the Edgewater condo association’s bank accounts and was supposed to draw a monthly fee of $650 for management services, which included collecting special assessments and paying utility providers. Gold overbilled the association by withdrawing multiple $650 checks in the same month, and he tapped into its reserve fund to write substantially higher checks to himself, the complaint states. All told, Gold stole approximately $154,271 from the Edgewater condo association between 2010 and 2014.
Gold defrauded the other associations in a similar manner, the complaint states. He concealed the frauds by furnishing fraudulent monthly statements to the condo associations that showed their balances to be higher than they actually were, according to the complaint.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Didwania.
Palmer Man Pleads Guilty to Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Palmer man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Springfield to possessing child pornography.
Charles Benoit, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni who scheduled sentencing for Feb. 14, 2017.
From 2009 to 2010, Benoit used Limewire, an online peer-to-peer file sharing program, to search for and download child pornography. Benoit used search terms such as “preteen hard core” and “PTHC.”
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than five 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.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Alex Grant of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Owner of Clackamas Property Management Companies Sentenced to 33 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – On Monday, November 14, 2016, U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez sentenced Cody C. Halsey, 37, to 33 months in federal prison followed by three years’ supervised release. Halsey plead guilty in July 2016 to defrauding nearly 250 clients of his former property management companies, Cascade Community Management and Noah and Associates, both of which were located in Clackamas, Oregon. District Judge Hernandez also ordered Halsey to pay restitution of $1,545,487 to his client victims.
Halsey admitted to embezzling $1,545,487 in tenant rents and security deposits entrusted to his property management companies from 2010 through July 2015. He falsified company records and sent clients false account statements to conceal these thefts. According to the Receiver who took over the property management companies after Halsey’s embezzlement came to light, many property owners who were Halsey’s clients experienced severe emotional and financial distress as a result of his crimes.
“This sentence is a significant sanction for violating your clients’ trust,” said Billy J. Williams, United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Business owners who are entrusted with their clients’ money have a special obligation to handle it properly. We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to identify and prosecute those in positions of trust who steal their clients’ money to enrich themselves.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Seth D. Uram, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Owner of Aerospace Company Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - The owner of a Wichita-based aerospace company pleaded guilty Monday to filing a false federal tax return, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
John J. O’Neill, 62, Wichita, Kan., president of Omni Aerospace, Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement on a federal tax return. In his plea, he admitted he filed a return seeking s special depreciation allowance of more than $2.7 million to which he was not entitled.
The judge will determine at sentencing how much O’Neill owes in taxes. Sentencing is set for Jan. 17, 2017. He faces a penalty of up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Beall commended the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Orwell Man Charged with Armed Robbery of Fair Haven Maplefields Store in September 2015Read the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Matthew Hinton, 26, of Orwell, has been charged with an armed robbery of the Maplefields convenience store in Fair Haven, which occurred in the early morning hours of September 30, 2015.
The federal grand jury, sitting in Rutland, returned a four-count superseding indictment against Hinton. Hinton was previously charged with felon-in-possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm, each of which carry a maximum prison sentence of ten years. Hinton pled not guilty to those charges. He is currently being detained by the Vermont Department of Corrections on separate unrelated state charges.
The two new federal charges are a Hobbs Act federal robbery charge, which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years. The second new charge is that of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of seven years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He is scheduled to be arraigned on these new charges on November 21, 2016 before Magistrate-Judge John Conroy in Burlington, Vermont.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Fair Haven Police Department, and the Vermont State Police. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Perella and Mr. Hinton is represented by David McColgin of the Federal Public Defenders Office.
One Individual Pleads Guilty to Importation of CocaineRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – Eduard Bueno-Beltrán pled guilty to all counts of an indictment which charged him with importation of controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances, and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance on board a vessel under the jurisdiction of the United States, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This guilty plea finalized a drug trafficking investigation and prosecution by the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the US Coast Guard, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. United States District Court Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí presided the case.
On March 17, 2015 at around 2:00 am, a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) detected a go-fast vessel heading eastbound in international waters, approximately 20 nautical miles north of the coast of Miches, Dominican Republic. The vessel was operating without navigation lights at night along a known smuggling route. The patrol aircraft observed packages being jettisoned from the go-fast vessel. The boarding team intercepted the go-fast vessel in international waters and conducted a search. They recovered nine (9) bales containing brick-shaped objects with a white powdery substance, one (1) cellular telephone and one (1) Global Positioning System (GPS) device. A field test of the substance within the bales was conducted by USCG personnel and yielded a positive result for cocaine.
An individual identified as Eduard Bueno-Beltrán claimed to be the master of the vessel. The other two subjects involved were identified as Ismael King-Almeida, who already pled guilty, and Pedro Antonio Berroa-Bonilla, who passed away due to preexisting conditions; all Dominican Republic nationals. A total of approximately 205 bricks of cocaine weighing approximately 229.2 kilograms were seized. These defendants are exposed to a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison for the drug trafficking conspiracy.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Eugenio Lomba and Nicholas Smith.
Ohio man sentenced to nearly two years in prison for stealing $350,000 through fraudulent horseracing ventureRead the Press Release
A Logan man was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for stealing more than $350,000 from investors through a fraudulent horseracing venture and using the money to buy expensive clothes, vehicles and pay for gambling expenses, law enforcement officials said.
Jonathan Pippin, 30, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay $358,370 in restitution.
He previously pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Pippin created PJH Horse Racing, Inc. in 2011. The company was headquartered in Cleveland and purported to be in the business of purchasing race horses. Pippin had sole control over the company and its various bank accounts, according to court documents.
Pippin solicited investors to his company under false pretenses. He told potential investors that they were investing in a venture with a wealthy businessman and widely-known horse racing figure – identified in the charges only as M.R. – when in reality Pippin did not know M.R.
Pippin falsely represented to investors that they would receive a percentage of the winnings of M.R.’s horses when he knew it was not true. He also told investors that he had stud rights to M.R.’s horses when he did not, according to court documents.
Pippin used the investors’ money to enrich himself and pay personal expenses, such as the purchase of a Cadillac Escalade, tickets to sporting events, gambling expenses, rent and expensive clothing. Four investors lost a combined $358,370, according to court documents.
“This defendant created a web of lies to pay for fancy cars, expensive clothes and gambling expenses,” Rendon said. “He defrauded investors to pay for a lifestyle he couldn’t afford. Now he’ll be held accountable for his actions.”
"When you knowingly mix deceit and trickery into the financial well-being of individuals, you create a recipe for devastation that could last a lifetime," said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. "Today's sentence demonstrates how federal law enforcement will band together to help put an end to the criminal behavior of those who prey on investors for their personal financial gain."
“This case is another example of the success of the task force concept where multiple federal agencies bring expertise to an investigation resulting in a successful conviction,” said Craig Wisniewsky, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service's Cleveland office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christos M. Georgalis following an investigation by the IRS-CI and United States Secret Service.
North Royalton man faces child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Shawn L. Hicks, 20, of North Royalton, with receiving, distributing, and accessing with intent to view visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that from on or about September 5, 2014, through on or about July 15, 2015, Hicks knowingly received and distributed numerous computer files that contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment also alleges that from on or about December 19, 2014, through on or about March 4, 2015, Hicks knowingly accessed with intent to view on his computer visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, to include at least one image involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
Assistant United States Attorney Megan R. Miller is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If convicted, the court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing and Filing False Tax Returns with the IRSRead the Press Release
A Guilford County, North Carolina resident was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison today for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Ripley Rand of the Middle District of North Carolina.
Marvin Flythe admitted that he ran “TAXHOVA,” a tax preparation business in Greensboro, and maintained a YouTube video channel on which he advertised TAXHOVA. Between January 2012 and January 2015, Flythe prepared and filed numerous individual income tax returns for clients on which he reported false business losses and false unreimbursed employee business expenses. Flythe admitted to filing at least 36 false returns for clients, for which $130,949 in fraudulent refunds were paid. Flythe also admitted to filing false personal returns which underreported his income for tax years 2011, 2012 and 2013 and failing to file his 2014 return.
Flythe pleaded guilty in August to four counts of preparing false individual income tax returns for clients. In addition to the term of prison imposed, Flythe was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $105,128.04 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Rand commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Ramaswamy of the Middle District of North Carolina, who prosecuted this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the Division’s website.
North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing and Filing False Tax Returns with the IRSRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Guilford County, North Carolina resident was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison today for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Ripley Rand of the Middle District of North Carolina.
Marvin Flythe admitted that he ran “TAXHOVA,” a tax preparation business in Greensboro, and maintained a YouTube video channel on which he advertised TAXHOVA. Between January 2012 and January 2015, Flythe prepared and filed numerous individual income tax returns for clients on which he reported false business losses and false unreimbursed employee business expenses. Flythe admitted to filing at least 36 false returns for clients, for which $130,949 in fraudulent refunds were paid. Flythe also admitted to filing false personal returns which underreported his income for tax years 2011, 2012 and 2013 and failing to file his 2014 return.
Flythe pleaded guilty in August to four counts of preparing false individual income tax returns for clients. In addition to the term of prison imposed, Flythe was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $105,128.04 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Rand commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Ramaswamy of the Middle District of North Carolina, who prosecuted this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the Division’s website.
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Non-Profit Head Ordered to Prison in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A local minister and head of several area non-profit organizations has been ordered to federal prison for fraud in connection with a natural disaster, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Jesse Dunn, 58, of Houston, pleaded guilty March 17, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes, who accepted the guilty plea, handed Dunn a 66-month sentence. He was further ordered to pay $1,305,800 in restitution to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Dunn will also be required to serve a term of five years of supervised release following completion of the prison term.
From about September 2008 to about December 2010, Dunn falsified numerous documents to the SBA in order to receive disaster relief funds. Hurricane Ike made landfall on Sept. 13, 2008. Shortly thereafter, Dunn applied for an SBA loan on two of his properties for disaster relief funds for his non-profit organization the Aldine Community Care Center. The SBA disbursed a total of $1,300,800 to him in order to fix his properties. Several of those disbursements were based on fictitious documents and/or invoices that he had submitted. A great deal of the money was used for his own personal use, such as numerous gambling trips. To this day, the SBA is still owed the outstanding amount from Dunn.
Dunn was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The SBA and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Elmilady and Andrew Leuchtmann are prosecuting the case.
Nine Southwest Missouri Residents Indicted for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that nine southwest Missouri residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury in relation to a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Jasper County, Mo.
Donald B. Loomis, 34, Katherine A. Stein, 26, Torrey L. Nigro, 25, Brice J. Bresee, 36, and Kelly C. Walker, 25, all of Joplin, Mo.; Alisha D. Courtney, 46, and Terrance E. Romero, 41, both of Webb City, Mo.; Adrian K. Gire, 30, of Lamar, Mo.; and Lisa M. Allison, 38, of Neosho, Mo., were charged in a 16-count indictment returned under seal on Nov. 2, 2016. That indictment has been unsealed and made public following the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants.
The federal indictment alleges that Loomis, Stein, Walker, Courtney and Romero participated in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in Jasper County from March 1, 2015, to Sept. 24, 2016.
The indictment also alleges that Stein, Nigro, Bresee and Gire participated in a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Jasper County from May 10 to May 12, 2016.
In addition to the conspiracies, the indictment charges Stein, Nigro, Bresee and Gire together in one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and in one count of using cell phones to facilitate the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Romero is also charged with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Romero allegedly was in possession of an F.I.E. Corp. Titan .25-caliber handgun on June 1, 2016.
Courtney is also charged with four counts of distributing methamphetamine.
Walker is also charged with one count of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Stein and Allison (who is not charged in either of the drug-trafficking conspiracies) are charged together in one count of distributing methamphetamine and in one count of using a cell phone to facilitate a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
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 Abram McGull, II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Webb City, Mo., Police Department, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Jasper County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Newton County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Federal Assault and Crack Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT HARRIS, also known as “Skully Mack,” 20, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by 6 years in supervised release, for gang-related assault and drug distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, HARRIS was a member of the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a sect of the Bloods street gang that operated in New Haven from 2011 through 2015, which was engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies. On December 23, 2014, HARRIS and another RSGB member, Christopher Graham, a.k.a. “Ugg,” committed a violent assault of an individual over a .40 caliber pistol that the victim allegedly stole from him. Graham had called HARRIS to the scene after realizing the victim had stolen the gun. Shortly after HARRIS arrived, the victim showed them where he had hidden the gun. HARRIS then retrieved the gun and pistol whipped the victim with it.
In addition, in June 2014, HARRIS sold approximately 10 grams of crack cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement.
On September 30, 2015, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a 34-count indictment charging HARRIS, Graham and four other individuals with various racketeering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, firearms, money laundering and narcotics distribution offenses. Other RSGB members and associates have been charged and convicted separately in state and federal courts in Connecticut and Maine.
HARRIS has been detained since his arrest on October 1, 2015. On February 3, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of assault in aid of racketeering and one count of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Graham pleaded guilty to one count of assault in aid of racketeering and one count of possession with the intent to distribute crack. On August 24, 2016, he was sentenced to 66 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hamden Police Department. The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office also provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of the investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert M. Spector and Peter D. Markle. A related case in the District of Maine is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey.
Meriden Construction Company Fined $250K for Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill today ordered Meriden-based SRC CONSTRUCTION, INC. to pay a $250,000 fine for filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, SRC CONSTRUCTION, a real estate development and construction management firm, employed an internal accounting department that handled the general ledger, journal entries and bank accounts for the business, including the receipt and payment of invoices. At least one individual employed by the company was responsible for overseeing and coordinating the business and financial matters for the company’s owner. That individual and others under the individual’s control reviewed payments made by the company to employees, vendors and others, and directed how the items should be expensed. The individual instructed others that most, if not all, invoices be paid out of company funds, including a series of expenses that the individual knew were not deductible business expenses. The individual, who also was responsible for providing to the company’s outside accountants all information to prepare audited financial statements and tax returns, knowingly provided to the accountants a substantial number of non-deductible expenses knowing that they were non-business expenses.
In February 2006, SRC CONSTRUCTION willfully made and subscribed a false corporate tax return, a 2004 Form 1120 for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2005, that overstated expenses. As a result, for the 2004 tax year, the company failed to report corporate income totaling $296,642, resulting in tax loss of $112,609.
On July 15, 2016, SRC CONSTRUCTION pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return.
SRC CONSTRUCTION has paid the $250,000 fine, as well as the identified back taxes due of $112,609. The company also itemized for the court the various accounting and other internal changes made as a result of the investigation that are intended to ensure future tax and accounting compliance.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Schmeisser and Jennifer Laraia.
Men Convicted at Trial for Interfering with a Flight Crew are SentencedRead the Press Release
AMARILLO, Texas — Two men who were convicted after an eight-day trial in June 2016 on the felony offense of interference with a flight crew and aiding and abetting were sentenced today, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Jonathan Khalid Petras, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to seven months in federal prison, and Wisam Imad Shaker, 23, was sentenced to five months in federal prison. Judge Fitzwater also ordered them to pay $6,890 in restitution, jointly and severally. They must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on January 3, 2017.
At trial, the government presented evidence that on August 31, 2015, the defendants, both residents of the San Diego area, were aboard Southwest Airlines flight 1522, from San Diego to Chicago. During that flight, the defendants, who were sitting together in two adjacent rows, repeatedly failed to comply with safety instructions, were loud and disruptive, screamed profanities at flight attendants when they were denied alcohol, and some of the men lunged and made other aggressive movements toward the flight attendants.
The flight was diverted to Rick Husband International Airport in Amarillo so law enforcement could remove the defendants from the flight.
The FBI, the Amarillo Police Department and the Rick Husband International Airport Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Penley, Joshua Frausto and Amy Burch prosecuted the case.
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Mansfield man indicted on child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
A Mansfield man was indicted in federal court on child pornography charges, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Mitchell A. Owens, 29, was charged with receiving, distributing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Owens knowingly received and distributed, using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, numerous computer files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and which files had been shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce. This took place between August and September 2016, according to the indictment.
The indictment also charges that on or about October 11, 2016, Owens possessed a computer hard drive which contained child pornography.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Sullivan following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mansfield Police Department and the Canton Police Department.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Large Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Omar Bell, age 33, of Wilkes-Barre, pleaded guilty on November 10, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley in Scranton to conspiring with others to distribute large amounts of heroin during February through November 2014.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Bell admitted to regularly obtaining multiple bricks of heroin from Desmond Mercer and his associates and distributing that heroin to customers in Luzerne County. Bell admitted to distributing between 100 and 400 grams of heroin, which is equivalent to between 4,000 and 16,000 retail bags of heroin.
Mercer, the leader of the drug operation, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Shaliek Stroman and Shaquan Murphy, two key associates of Mercer, were each sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for their roles in the conspiracy. Another member of the conspiracy, Antuan Jamison, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Judge Munley scheduled Bell’s sentencing for February 9, 2017. Bell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and Kingston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.
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 40 years in prison, 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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Louisville man charged in child pornography caseRead the Press Release
New Albany—United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today charges against a Louisville, Ky., man for knowing receipt of child pornography, possession with intent to view child pornography, possession of a computer containing child pornography and destruction of evidence in a federal investigation. Adrian Grisanti, 44, was arrested this morning on the charges.
“Protecting the most vulnerable of our society is a responsibility I take personally and remains a high priority in this office,” said Minkler. “Every time child pornography is viewed on the internet it revictimizes a child.”
According to the indictment, in February 2015, the FBI took over a website that contained a network of users who posted and accessed child pornography via hidden network services not readily available to the internet community. Grisanti is alleged to have utilized the website to receive and access files containing child pornography.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Bradley P. Shepard who is prosecuting this case for the government, Grisanti could face a minimum of five years up to 20 years’ imprisonment for knowing receipt of child pornography, and up to 10 years for each count of accessing with intent to view child pornography, up to 20 years for possession of child pornography, and up to 20 years for destruction of evidence if convicted.
An indictment is only charge and not evidence of guilt. All parties are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.
Last of 17 Defendants Sentenced in Web-Based Steroid Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Robert Gonzalez (41, Orlando) to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute anabolic steroids, and for violating his supervised release on a previous federal conviction. Gonzalez, who was found guilty by a federal jury on August 19, 2016, was the last of 17 defendants to be sentenced for his role in the operation of an Internet-based anabolic steroid trafficking ring that operated out of Central Florida.
According to court documents, the steroid drug trafficking conspiracy operated from 2012 to 2014. Its members were responsible for shipping illegal steroids throughout the United States and internationally. The members of the conspiracy played various roles in the operation of the Internet-based, steroid trafficking operation - some as organizers, others as manufacturers and shippers, some who sent money to China for the purchase of raw steroids, and some who picked up the proceeds of the steroid sales. The group sold all types of illegal steroids, including oral capsules and oil-based injectable steroids. The orders were made through web sites maintained in foreign countries, and the steroids were processed and sent to customers from Central Florida via United States Mail.
In October 2016, David Arroyo, the leader of the steroid trafficking ring, was sentenced to five years in federal prison. Fifteen others previously pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in this case. One other, Steven Groden, was also found guilty by a federal jury.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr.
The following individuals were previously convicted and sentenced for their respective roles in the conspiracy:
Vincent Sperti, 37, Lake Mary
John Walker, 42, Lake Mary
Jeffrey Berrios, 44, Lake Mary
Hunter Rawls, 37, Heathrow
Jeffrey Walker, 23, Lake Mary
Jason Bergstresser, 27, Longwood
Christopher Eaddy, 44, Winter Springs
Allison Eaddy, 33, Winter Springs
John Erber, 42, Lake Mary
Brea Tato, 41, Lake Mary
Guillermo Otero, 32, Deltona
David Centeno, 30, Sanford
Melissa Sperti, 34, Lake Mary
Eric Boccard, 42, Mount Dora
Kentucky man pleads guilty to federal gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to federal gun and drug charges, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Marques Stephon Dawson, 31, entered his guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute crack, cocaine, and marijuana.
On August 30, 2016, deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at 1030 21st Street in Huntington. Deputies previously utilized a confidential informant to make multiple controlled purchases of cocaine from Dawson at the residence. During the search, deputies located Dawson inside the residence. Deputies also seized approximately 17 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 137 grams of cocaine, approximately 555 grams of marijuana, digital scales, $1,372 in cash, and a Raven Arms, MP-25, .25 caliber pistol. Dawson was arrested and admitted to selling drugs from the residence from at least May of 2016 because he “needed extra money.” Dawson was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2013 felony conviction in federal court in Kentucky for possession with intent to distribute crack.
Dawson faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the drug crime and up to 10 years in federal prison for the gun crime for a total of up to 30 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2017.
The Cabell County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is handling the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
This prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime. This prosecution was also brought 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. 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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KC Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Porn, Faces at Least 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to using a two-year-old victim to produce child pornography.
Conner Michael Webb, 28, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of producing child pornography.
According to today’s plea agreement, the subject of an ongoing federal investigation and prosecution for child pornography in the District of Kansas was arrested in November 2015. Federal agents searched his computer and cell phone and found numerous chat conversations with Webb. During one of those conversations, the Kansas subject (who is not identified in court documents) sent Webb several images and videos of child pornography. Webb sent a pornographic video of the victim, taken with his cell phone, to the Kansas subject.
On Oct. 15, 2015, Webb asked the Kansas Subject to send him something to “get me in the mood” before he picked up the 2-year-old victim, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe.” The Kansas subject sent Webb several images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone. On the afternoon of the same day, Webb sent a pornographic video he had just taken of Jane Doe to the Kansas subject’s cell phone.
A federal search warrant was executed at Webb’s residence on Dec. 2, 2015. Officers seized Webb’s computers, phones and computer media. Webb, who was at home during the search, was arrested.
Webb admitted that he been communicating with the Kansas subject for approximately six years.
Under federal statutes, Webb is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the FBI.
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."
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with City of Yonkers, New York, to Enhance Police Department Policies and ProceduresRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with the city of Yonkers, New York, and the Yonkers Police Department (YPD) to resolve the department’s investigation of YPD and ensure constitutional policing.
The agreement is the result of the department’s investigation of YPD under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. In June 2009, the United States sent the city a technical assistance letter that identified necessary reforms to YPD practices and policies in the areas of use of force, civilian complaints, investigations, supervisory oversight and training. After receiving the department’s technical assistance letter, the city and YPD made substantial changes to its policies and procedures. This agreement implements and further improves those policies and procedures and addresses the department’s remaining concerns.
“This agreement will ensure that the Yonkers Police Department continues to advance constitutional, effective and community-oriented policing,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through clear policy guidance, data analysis and accountability systems, we believe these reforms will make the entire community safer and strengthen public trust in the police.”
“This agreement ensures that the Yonkers Police Department polices in a way that keeps its citizens safe, while protecting their constitutional rights,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York. “The measures put in place with this agreement, including clear and reasonable use-of-force policies and guidance on how to properly evaluate and respond to use-of-force incidents, will make Yonkers safer for citizens and police alike. We thank the Yonkers Police Department and the city of Yonkers for cooperating with our investigation, and for joining our effort to ensure that the Yonkers Police Department protects its citizens not only from physical harm, but also from violations of their constitutional rights.”
The agreement is carefully tailored to address the department’s remaining concerns while also taking into account and seeking to build upon the positive reforms YPD has already made following the department’s investigation. Under the agreement, the YPD will, among other things:
- maintain and implement clear policies to avoid using excessive and unreasonable force and timely document and review uses of force;
- maintain and implement clear and appropriate policies on investigatory stops and detentions, as well as searches and arrests;
- develop a system to collect data on all investigatory stops and searches, except stops purely for traffic enforcement, whether or not they result in an arrest or issuance of a citation;
- permit onlookers or bystanders to witness, observe, record and/or comment on officer conduct, including stops, detentions, searches, arrests or uses of force, consistent with applicable law and best practices;
- ensure the transparency and accessibility of the misconduct complaint process and investigate all misconduct complaints fully and fairly;
- continue to develop and implement a computerized risk management system to identify and respond to potentially problematic incidents, officers, units, training and tactics;
- continue to maintain and build community relationships and engage constructively with the community to ensure collaborative problem-solving efforts and to increase community confidence in the department;
- develop a survey to measure officer outreach to a cross-section of community members in each precinct, with an emphasis on community partnerships and problem-solving strategies that build mutual respect and trusting relationships with community stakeholders; and
- ensure that officers and supervisors receive appropriate levels of training in constitutional policing.
The agreement also provides that consultants retained by the department will conduct compliance reviews to ensure that YPD has implemented the measures required by the agreement and issue public reports of those compliance reviews.
This case is being handled by the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York.
Yonkers Police Department AgreementJustice Department Files Lawsuit Against Washington Potato Company and Pasco Processing Alleging Discrimination Against ImmigrantsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against two Washington-based companies, Washington Potato Company and Pasco Processing LLC, alleging that they violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against immigrants during the employment eligibility verification process because of their citizenship status.
According to the complaint, from at least November 2013 until at least October 2016, Washington Potato and Pasco Processing requested specific limited documentation for the Form I-9 and/or E-Verify from non-U.S. citizen employees, but allowed U.S. citizens the flexibility to present a variety of documents. Under the INA, all workers, including non-U.S. citizens, must be allowed to choose freely from among the valid documentation that proves their work authorization. The INA prohibits employers from discriminating by unlawfully limiting some workers’ choices based on their citizenship status.
“Federal law protects individuals with legal work authorization from facing discriminatory obstacles during employment eligibility verification,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “All people with legal employment status in the United States must receive an equal opportunity to prove they can work, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status.”
The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/webinars.php, email [email protected]; or visit OSC’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to: different documentary requirements based on their citizenship status, immigration status or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship status, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact OSC’s worker hotline for assistance.
Washington Potato ComplaintJackson Man Sentenced to 120 months in Prison for Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
Jackson—Jeremy Cousin, 29, of Jackson, was sentenced on November 10, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate, to 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for an attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis. Cousin was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
In the morning of August 17, 2015, Cousin attempted to rob the Super Star Gas Station located at 914 Terry Road, Jackson, Mississippi. Cousin entered the store, pulled a bandana over his face, brandished a firearm and proceeded to open the door to the area behind the counter. At that moment, the store clerk opened fire and shot Cousin in the leg. After the shooting, the store clerk called 911. The 9mm handgun that was used by Cousin was recovered from the scene.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of ATF and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Wansley.
Isleta Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Felipe Lucero, 25, an enrolled member of the Isleta Pueblo who resides in Los Lunas, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an assault charge.
Lucero was arrested on May 12, 2016, on an indictment charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, a vehicle, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, Lucero committed the crimes on Dec. 27, 2015, on the Isleta Pueblo in Valencia County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Lucero pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and admitted that on Dec. 27, 2015, he injured the victim by intentionally driving a motor vehicle into the victim.
At sentencing, Lucero faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Isleta Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle is prosecuting the case.
Huntington heroin dealer sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for drug crimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to seven and a half years in federal prison for a heroin crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Lamont Walter Haywood, 38, previously pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin.
Haywood admitted that on January 22, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force. The drug deal took place at Star Communications, located on 8th Avenue in Huntington, and was captured on video. Haywood further admitted that he was responsible for selling up to 700 grams of heroin during 2014 and 2015.
The Huntington FBI Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory McVey is responsible for the prosecution. Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
This prosecution is 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 prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Huntington drug dealer pleads guilty to federal heroin crimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington heroin dealer pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Gerald Harris, 23, entered his guilty plea to distribution of heroin.
On March 22, 2016, Harris sold approximately 11.8 grams of heroin to a confidential informant working with the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force. Harris met the confidential informant on Rear Monroe Avenue in Huntington to conduct the sale.
Harris faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on February 14, 2017.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory McVey is handling the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
This case was brought 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 prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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