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7 October 2016
Cranston Man Detained on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Michael Bermudez, a/k/a Michael J. Morales, 34, of Cranston, was ordered detained in federal custody following an initial appearance in federal court in Providence today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Lincoln D. Almond on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Bermudez was detained by Cranston Police on Thursday after a search of his residence resulted in the seizure of approximately 6,600 packets of heroin and approximately 153 grams of cocaine.
Bermudez’s arrest and initial appearance is announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist, and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA in New England.
According to information provided to the court, on Thursday, Cranston Police Department detectives, with the assistance of agents from the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, executed a court authorized search warrant at Bermudez’s residence. The search resulted in the seizure of approximately 6,600 packets of heroin and several plastic bags containing a total of approximately 153 grams of cocaine. The search warrant was authorized by the court during an investigation into Bermudez’s alleged drug trafficking activities, which allegedly included multiple controlled purchases of heroin from Bermudez.
According to information presented to the court, after being detained by Cranston Police, Bermudez allegedly described for investigators his involvement in the distribution of heroin and cocaine. This allegedly included Bermudez’s description of receiving approximately $12,000 worth of heroin from a supplier on multiple occasions and distributing this heroin within a two-day period, resulting in $1000 profit to him.
According to court records and information presented to the court, Bermudez was convicted in U.S. District Court in 2009 on fraud charges, and is currently on state probation, having been convicted in Rhode Island Superior Court in September 2015 on drug trafficking charges.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation 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.
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Contact:
Jim Martin (401) 709-5357
email: [email protected]
on Twitter @USAO_RI
Court Sets Oct. 11th Sentencing Date in Adulterated and Misbranded Cheese CasesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A federal judge has scheduled sentencing for two cheese companies and a cheese company executive who pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges relating to their introduction of adulterated and misbranded cheese products into interstate commerce.
On Tuesday, October 11, at 1 p.m., U.S. District Judge Mark R. Hornak for the Western District of Pennsylvania will sentence Castle Cheese Company executive Michelle Myrter, 44, of Harmony, Pennsylvania, on one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting the introduction of adulterated and misbranded cheese products into interstate commerce, in violation of provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Judge Hornak will sentenceUniversal Cheese &Drying, Inc. and International Packing, LLC at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively, on one count each of conspiring to introduce misbranded and adulterated cheese products into interstate commerce and to commit money laundering.
For the corporate defendants, the law provides for a fine of $500,000 for each defendant. Each company has already agreed to forfeit to the United States $500,000. For the individual defendant, the law provides for a total sentence of one year in prison, a fine of $100,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
In connection with the February 26, 2016, guilty pleas, the court was advised that the corporate defendants packaged and sold cheese under various labels at the Castle Cheese facility in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. The cheese was distributed through retail, food service, and wholesale customers throughout the United States. The corporate defendants had knowledge of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulations and standards of identity for parmesan and romano cheese products and were aware that the products did not conform to FDA standards of identity for real parmesan and romano cheese, but represented to customers that the products contained 100 percent real parmesan and romano cheese. The corporate defendants also knew that the cheese products were misbranded because they did not bear labels that accurately reflected the products’ ingredients. The corporate defendants likewise knew that the cheese products were also adulterated in that certain ingredients had been substituted or omitted and other ingredients had been added. The defendants used proceeds from the sale of the misbranded and adulterated cheese products to continue the operation of the cheese manufacturing and packaging at the Slippery Rock facility.
The adulterated romano and parmesan products were sold under several brand names, the owners of which were unaware of the fraud. The adulterated products are no longer available for sale. At no time did the adulterated products pose a threat to the health or safety of consumers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tonia Sulia Goodman is prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government.
Federal agents with the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecutions of Universal Cheese & Drying, Inc., International Packing, LLC and Michelle Myrter.
Couple Sentenced for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.—Ryan Patrick Wise, of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Jasmine Lynch, of Jacksonville, Florida, were sentenced to 210 months and 120 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl, announced United States Attorney Danny C. Williams Sr. of the Northern District of Oklahoma. United States District Court Judge John E. Dowdell presided over both cases.
Wise and Lynch were each charged by a second superseding indictment in May 2016. Both defendants pleaded guilty in June 2016.
According to court documents, in November 2015, Wise and Lynch recruited, enticed, provided, and advertised a 14-year-old girl from Tulsa to engage in commercial sex acts with adult men. They rented hotel and motel rooms in Tulsa to provide the underage girl for prostitution purposes and advertised the girl for sex on Backpage.com.
The case was investigated by the Tulsa Police Department; and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Shores.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Southbridge man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Worcester in connection with being a felon in possession of a firearm and distributing drugs.
Alehandros Medina, 24, pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine, ketamine, MDMA and Methylone; being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempted money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Feb. 3, 2017.
On several occasions between November 2014 and October 2015, Medina sold cocaine, MDMA (commonly referred to as ecstasy), and ketamine to an undercover federal agent. In August 2015, Medina traveled to Oregon and was stopped by police who confiscated approximately $22,000 from Medina that he intended to use to purchase marijuana. In October 2015, federal agents arrested Medina in Southbridge as he was delivering cocaine to an undercover agent. Later that day, agents seized cocaine and a loaded .38 caliber revolver from Medina’s residence.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of distribution of ketamine provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Michal J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Connecticut U.S. Attorney's Office Celebrates Community Policing AwardsRead the Press Release
To commemorate National Community Policing Week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut hosted a Community Policing Awards Ceremony this afternoon in New Haven that recognized 22 law enforcement officers and community members from cities and towns across the state.
“At heart, Community Policing is a philosophy that each of us, members of law enforcement and communities alike, have a stake in keeping our cities and towns safe and secure places to live,” said U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly. “During National Community Policing Week, we celebrate our commitment to supporting the practice of community policing. Police can never solve public safety problems alone. We encourage active community collaboration to improve safety, build public trust and deepen understanding between police and the communities they serve. The officers and community members recognized today are excellent examples of the best in community policing and community relations. I am confident that their efforts are making meaningful and lasting progress, and it is my great privilege to honor each of them and to thank them for their invaluable work.”
Below is a list of the award winners and the nominations that were submitted on their behalf.
The United States Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut, and with representing the federal government in civil litigation in the District. The District is composed of approximately 64 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 60 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.
Beacon Falls Police Department
Officer Caroline O’BarOfficer Caroline O’Bar is a 16-year member of the Beacon Falls Police Department who goes beyond the call of duty. Officer O’Bar networks with businesses and service organizations in town in order to provide for those families in need.
Officer O’Bar currently collects food at Thanksgiving, Easter baskets at Easter, backpacks for children going to school and runs a toy drive at Christmas. In addition, she helps Veterans and their families with their most immediate needs, O’Bar’s first priority is to make sure that everyone is fed and that children have something to open on Christmas.
In the past several years, Officer O’Bar’s hard work and dedication in the Town of Beacon Falls has changed lives for the better.
Officer O’Bar is always exploring new ways to protect and enhance the lives of those who are most vulnerable--juveniles, the elderly, minorities, the poor, and the disabled.
Bristol Police Department
Officer Jace DelucaOfficer Jace Deluca began his law enforcement career with the Bristol Police Department in 2008. In the 8 years since he was hired, he has immersed himself into several community events. Officer Deluca is assigned to the night shift. He devotes his days (while most other night shift officers are sleeping) to volunteering to put together community policing programs in the City of Bristol.
Officer Deluca is a volunteer advisor to the Bristol Police Explorers Program, a youth program that exposes those under 18 to the law enforcement profession. He has also organized “Cop on Top,” a weekend fundraising event that benefits the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Lastly, Officer Deluca is the Bristol liaison to the Special Olympics and as such has organized the Torch Run, Tip a Cop and Car Shows. These events raise money for the Special Olympics and educate the public about the good work of the organization.
Officer DeLuca is a credit to the Bristol Police Department. While on duty he is the true professional. What makes him special is that he takes professionalism a few steps further while he is off duty. Though you won't hear it from him, he truly believes in giving back to the Community he serves. Officer DeLuca is extremely humble. When you praise or acknowledge his performance, he will routinely respond that he doesn't deserve any credit. That the credit goes to the people around him and the Bristol Police Department. That the credit goes to the “kids,” usually referring to the Bristol Police Explorers, because they are the ones doing the “work.” Officer DeLuca has a remarkable way of bringing people together to do good things on and off the job. It’s his actions that speak for him. Officer DeLuca is an exemplary Police Officer and the Bristol Police Department is proud to have him among the rank and file. He and like-minded Officers are projecting us towards excellence and for that we thank him.
Connecticut State Police
Trooper First Class Stephen Pickett
Killingly Resident TrooperThe Connecticut State Police is not your ordinary state police force in that there are approximately 68 towns throughout the state which have no organized municipal law enforcement agency to provide police services; as a result, Connecticut State Troopers are responsible for providing all police services in these jurisdictions. One such jurisdiction is the Town of Killingly which has approximately 16,400 residents and is approximately 358 square miles in size.
Trooper First Class Stephen Pickett is the Killingly Resident State Trooper and has held that position since January of 1997. As a Resident Trooper, the equivalent of a Community Policing Officer, TFC Pickett is heavily vested in the quality of life for all Killingly Residents, has established a respectful rapport with all residents to include habitual criminal offenders, has immersed himself in the day to day happenings from the seemingly inconsequential to the significant, all while fostering a strong relationship with town officials, business owners and the community at large.
TFC Pickett is an individual who carries himself as a consummate professional, day in and day out, routinely outperforming his/her peers and quietly/humbly leading by example, ultimately having an indelibly positive impact on the community he serves. Throughout his almost 22-year tenure assigned to serve the Killingly Community, he has responded to almost 25,000 calls for service and investigated approximately 1800 criminal incidents. And today, just like his first day in uniform on January 23, 1992, he is proactive, enthusiastic, energetic, tenacious, “spit and polished,” physically fit and a role-model which all law enforcement officers should strive to emulate.
Coventry Police Department
Sergeant Michael McDonaghSergeant Michael McDonagh has been a member of the Coventry Police Department for 27 years and is the senior member of the agency. He is assigned as a patrol sergeant. Sergeant McDonagh has been an integral part of the community his entire career. He knows thousands of people in the community and uses his knowledge as both an investigator and a problem-solver. Everyone in our town either knows Sergeant McDonagh, or knows of him. He is active on his off-duty time in many community activities including high school sports. Sgt. McDonagh regularly works at the high school football games. He often goes into the grandstands with the band members and will play various instruments to the amusement of the students and the attendees. The high school band even has a song they dedicate to Sgt. McDonagh at each game.
Sergeant McDonagh maintains close ties with the Coventry School District and regularly communicates with the administration, principals, teachers and students. On a regular basis, he goes into each school and has lunch with the students. He has a special connection with members of the community, especially children and has a great sense of humor which often puts people at ease.
As a strong advocate of our agency and community policing, Sergeant McDonagh’s email signature includes: “Citizens never forget their experiences with Police Officers. You represent not only yourself, but the entire department and the community.”
Farmington Police Department
Officer Joseph P. CapodiferroOfficer Capodiferro recently retired after 26 years of service to the Town of Farmington. He is a 3rd generation Farmington Police Officer and has remained with the Department as a Supernumerary Officer.
We hear so much today about the need to embrace community policing as a department wide philosophy in order to repair relationships with our citizens. At Farmington PD we have lived that philosophy for decades. It’s engrained in who we are as an agency and are proud of the close relationship we have with our community. Officer Capodiferro has been an integral part of developing that relationship; I can comfortably say that he exemplifies the face of community policing in Farmington. Officer Capodiferro truly understands how important it is to be up close and personal with the community he serves.
Officer Capodiferro’s personality, demeanor, and commitment to Farmington made him the perfect choice when we were looking to reintroduce our K-9 program that had been active for decades. It was a position where he truly perfected his community policing skills, carving out his legacy at Farmington PD. We knew we wanted someone who could seamlessly integrate a K-9 into our community. We wanted a dog that could perform all the typical police K-9 functions, yet be social enough to promote a positive feeling among our residents, especially the children, the elderly, and special needs individuals. Some handlers and trainers said it couldn’t or shouldn’t be done, but Officer Capodiferro took on the challenge and excelled. Side by side with his partner Drak, they spent years as a team, building strong bonds between the police department and the community.
Hartford Police Department
Lieutenant Michael Cacioli
Lieutenant Gabriel LaureanoHartford Police Department Lieutenants Gabriel Laureano and Michael Cacioli are longtime members of the Department who continually strive to improve police and community relations. These individuals bear policing responsibility for uniformed patrol and community service efforts in North & South Hartford and, as such, have dedicated themselves to public service, outreach and a commitment to making the City a safer place. Although constantly on call with 24/7 area responsibility, Lieutenants Laureano & Cacioli have embraced their positions and do so at the sacrifice of their personal and family lives. They have formulated and maintained relationships with the faith based community, neighborhood leaders and organizers, business groups, youth groups and peacebuilding groups. Over the course of time, those relationships and the continual dialogue with those groups have decreased the potential for street level violence and anti-police sentiment and have increased the potential for better, constructive and goal oriented cooperation with the police.
Lieutenants Laureano and Cacioli constantly spearhead and oversee initiatives to combat gun and drug related violence, improve neighborhood quality of life and positively interact with area schools. They keep their fingers on the pulse of neighborhood activity, do so with zeal and enthusiasm and continually motivate their personnel to embrace the tenets of professionalism and effective public service. Their ongoing efforts continue to bring noticeable reductions in crime as well as improvements in neighborhood quality of life.
Ledyard Police Department
Officer Rick McSwainOfficer Rick McSwain serves as Ledyard Police Department’s Youth Officer and School Resource Officer. He is a great example of how effective one officer can be in a community while interacting with its youth.
Officer McSwain often can be found helping students and staff in Ledyard’s Public Schools. He has developed tremendous ties and relationships within the school community. He makes safety presentations, eats lunch with students in the schools, and is a 24/7 resource for Ledyard’s youth and families.
In addition to his school based interactions, Rick gives tours of our police department to community groups, scouts, and other youth groups. He is involved with Ledyard’s “Stuff a Cruiser” toy drive in the holiday season. He has been invited to throw out the first pitch on opening day of little league, heads up our participation in Ledyard Children’s Day, and serves on the Ledyard Schools Crisis Team.
He makes appearances without compensation at Ledyard Lions Club meetings, and in June, he was invited to speak at the American Legion Boys’ State Leadership Program at Eastern Connecticut State University. He is also a member of Ledyard’s newly formed Juvenile Review Board for court diversion.
Middletown Police Department
Sergeant Michael LukanikIn October of 2015, the north end of the city experienced a significant increase in violent crime. Sgt. Michael Lukanik was tasked with the assignment of addressing this problem. Sgt. Lukanik conducted an initial threat assessment. The main issues were stemming from a specific one block area known as Wharfside Commons (90+ unit housing complex). Sgt. Lukanik began by meeting with the citizens, NEAT (North End Action Team) and the management team of Wharfside Commons. He identified problematic areas and people. Sgt. Lukanik was critical in implementing directed patrols, adding cameras and fencing in areas of concern, and evicting problematic tenants. He continually meets with the citizens, NEAT and housing management on a monthly basis. He has assigned Police personal to attend meetings, established long term beats and personally monitored his strategy. Sgt. Lukanik deployed a community policing approach in which he encourages citizen partnership, community policing through environmental design and officer involvement. Since the inception of Sgt. Lukanik’s many contributions, violent crime in this area decreased significantly.
Sgt. Michael Lukanik’s passion for his work has resonated throughout the community and made the north end of Middletown a safer and better place to live. Further, his efforts have expanded beyond the north end and are being used as an example for other areas of the City of Middletown.
New Haven Police Department
Officer Elsa BerriosElsa Berrios is a 21-year veteran of the New Haven Police Department. Recently, she “adopted” an 80 year-old Veteran who suffers with mental health challenges. She made regular visits with his clinician and was instrumental in getting him into the VA for treatment and later into the Mary Wade Home where he resides today. Before Officer Berrios intervened, the Veteran had no family support, and was living in squalor in a third floor apartment where he had to crawl up the stairs each day after going to Tip Top Deli for food. The toilet and shower were not in working order and he had holes in his shoes and clothing. He was often taunted by kids on the street and sometimes pushed to the ground.
Due to his mental illness, he was afraid of people and would not accept any food or clothing except from the owner of Tip Top. Once the veteran became familiar with Elsa, who made regular visits to the VA and now the Mary Wade Home, he looks for her to visit. Elsa has purchased much needed items for him, without Elsa, the Veteran would not have any visitors or the “comforts” of home.
There are many families in the Hill that Elsa has helped including one on Asylum St. After meeting the mother, she discovered that her children were lacking in bedding and other essentials. She contacted the Police Academy and recruited the cadets to help this family and provide them with much needed items.
Many kids in the Church Street South Housing Complex have hats and mittens due to Elsa’s kindness. She is always the first to volunteer to help out needy families, especially at the holidays.
Elsa is always, and continues to be, a “go to person” for any resident, officer or supervisor.
Norwalk Police Department
Lieutenant Terrence Blake
Sergeant Sophia Gulino
Officer Felipe TabordaBeginning in January 2016, the Norwalk Police Department (NPD) partnered with Pathways, an alternative high school to create a curriculum to educate its students about policing in a fun and positive manner. The inaugural class was offered as a semester-long elective for 11 students that met for a weekly 2½ hour seminar. The class is taught entirely by members of the NPD, and is principally led by Lieutenant Terrence Blake, Sergeant Sophia Gulino, and Office Felipe Taborda. Scholastically, the program provides the students with insight into law enforcement as a career. More importantly, the program seeks to bridge a gap between the police and younger members of the community, many of whom did not previously hold a positive opinion of law enforcement.
Over the course of the 17-week program, the students have participated in police officer training through academic and practical offerings. For example, the students spent three weeks learning about different roles within the NPD by investigating a mock homicide. This scenario–a domestic violence homicide–was also used as an opportunity to discuss family violence, which is a pervasive issue in many of the kids’ homes.
The NPD team also arranged for the students to meet with key participants in the justice system, including a state’s attorney, a public defender, police chiefs, a Superior Court Judge, and a U.S. District Judge. All of these individuals met with the students in informal settings to discuss the educational and career choices they had made and the hardships they overcame along the way.
The sincere commitment by the NPD to connect with its city’s youth in such a constructive and innovative manner has been an inspiration to all. The program is built on hard work, trust and understanding, and enhanced by healthy doses of laughter and fun. With these critical cornerstones securely in place, the officers and students have begun to tackle the heady and all too often polarizing issue of car stops–but this time in an atmosphere of respect.
Norwalk Police Department
Officer Cesar RamirezOn August 3, 2016, in the wake of officer-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota and the subsequent murders of five police officers in Dallas, the Norwalk Department of Police Service sought to find ways to ease tensions and to promote unity between the community and law enforcement. To that end, Police Officer Cesar Ramirez, a Norwalk resident who has also been a member of the Norwalk Police Department for over 25 years, planned an Interfaith Prayer Vigil.
On the day of the vigil, more than 200 people gathered on the courtyard in front of the police department. The widely diverse crowd joined hands, prayed, and sang together in a great show of solidarity. Representatives from twenty of Norwalk’s faith-based institutions spoke and prayed in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Creole, Hindi, and Hebrew. The event not only fostered a positive dialogue between law enforcement and the community, but also joined together different segments of the community who displayed a great respect for one another’s cultures and beliefs.
Norwich Police Department
Officer Christopher ChastangOfficer Chastang has been a member of the Norwich Police Departments’ Community Policing Unit since its start in 2011.
Officer Chastang engages with a broad spectrum of community members and helps to create a sustainable atmosphere in which the citizens of Norwich can work, play, and raise families. Officer Chastang’s comprehensive approach includes the community in which he serves, and together they focus on the root of problems. He builds partnerships in which officers and citizens are the “problem solvers.” Officer Chastang’s work has been creative and empowering — and as a result has resonated throughout the Norwich Police Department and the City of Norwich. Through his efforts, Norwich Police Department has become a proactive and highly collaborative department.
Officer Chastang has volunteered as a Police Athletic League (P.A.L.) basketball coach and spent his off duty hours away from his family to coach 5-6-year-old Norwich children in the fundamentals of team support, friendships, good sportsmanship, and athletic abilities.
Officer Chastang has spearheaded the National Night Out Event in the City of Norwich for approximately three years. Some of his duties were to plan the entire event, raise donations from local businesses, coordinate the efforts of the vendors, and evaluating each years’ events. The 2016 NNO event was a huge success which brought in over 3,000 citizens which is a direct result of his efforts.
Officer Chastang attends monthly Neighborhood watch meetings and assists those citizens solve problems within their area. He has repeatedly recognized by The St Vincent DePaul “Soup Kitchen” for assisting citizens in need.
Town of Southington
Chris Conlon
Smokin With ChrisChris Conlon, a former West Hartford and Southington Fireman continually gives back to his community. Having worked as a career first responder, he knew he wanted to thank those who protect and serve his community. While he had been thinking about putting on such an event for four years, he knew now was the time to act. On August 29, 2016, Chris Conlon, the owner of Smokin with Chris Restaurant in Southington, held a First Responder Appreciation Night. In an effort to accommodate all shifts of personnel, this event was held throughout the day from 2:00 pm through 8:00 pm. Smokin with Chris provided free food and drink to Southington Police, Fire and EMS personnel and their families. Even his employees volunteered to work on their day off to support local first responders. Overall, Chris served meals to 200 first responders and family members at the event that brought together community and first responders in a genuine show of appreciation.
This is not the first time Chris Conlon has been honored for his community service. In March of 2015 he was awarded the Southington Stars Community Service Award by the United Way of Southington for continually donating food from his restaurant to support local organizations like the Southington Chamber of Commerce, Southington High School Marching Band, the United Way and many others. During that award ceremony, Conlon stated “I’m humbled because there are so many people that do so much more than I do,” said Conlon. “One grain of sand does not make the beach nor does one tree make a forest, but together we are a community, and this is what it’s about.”
Stamford Police Department & Domus Kids, Inc.
Sergeant Joe Kennedy
Francesca PrincipeThe Stamford Police Department has had successful community outreach programs with longevity that improve each year such as our School Resource Officer Camp(co-ed), Mighty Mite basketball(co-ed), Domestic Home Visitation, and a host of others but the girls deserved and needed their own program.
The Stamford Police Department therefore partnered with Domus Kids, Inc. — together they have had a long history of collaborating on many youth initiatives. The Young Girls Leadership program unites middle school aged girls from Domus Chester Addison Community Center with female police officers. The core principal of the program is to promote positive youth/police relationships by promoting positive youth development by enhancing life skills competencies. It seeks to build trust and mutual respect between the youth and officers. The program includes activities designed to increase the opportunity for youth and officers to proactively engage with the larger community through community service events. The youth are expected to assume leadership roles in planning and implementation of these events. One of the most impactful outcomes of the community service events is to make the youth realize that they possess the capacity to be agents of positive change in our community. For youth, program activities will significantly enhance their life skills, competencies and promote better life choices that lead to better outcomes at school and at home, as well as improved interactions with their peers and the larger community.
Stamford Police Department
Officer Jerry JunesOne of the Stamford Police Department’s largest volunteer programs is the Mighty Mites Basketball Program. This program involves hundreds of Stamford children ages 5 through 16 in a variety of programs that are administered by police officers in conjunction with community members, and the corporate world. The main part of this program is basketball where kid’s families act as coaches, and to get the whole family involved girls are the cheerleaders. The corporate world helps in part to subsidize our program. Each year approximately 200 boys and girls participate many of whom are repeat participants in the Mighty Mite Basketball league. Over 50 girls participate as cheerleaders. As you might imagine, the gymnasiums bring together the police officers who act as coaches, mentors, and referees, the families including older siblings, and the guardians cheering and rooting for each other. A good time is had by all during the game and the games are talked about all week long.
By getting to know each other in a relaxed environment, a positive view of law enforcement personnel is reinforced for these youngsters and their families will become more comfortable confiding in officers and sharing concerns with them. The Police Officers benefit too. Spending time with these families gives officers insight into their personalities, backgrounds, struggles and needs that come in handy in future encounters.
Mighty Mites basketball is run for 4 months of the year in two different parts of town in their respective community centers. Each child is given a uniform (which they proudly wear everywhere including to school), backpacks, a basketball, and a trophy.
Suffield Police Department
Sergeant Geoffrey Miner|
Dispatcher Nicholas FasanoDispatcher Fasano and Sergeant Miner are lifelong residents of Suffield and have been friends for several years. In an effort to implement some of the recommendations from the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, they were asked to take charge of our social media accounts.
After last April’s snow storm, Sergeant Miner and Dispatcher Fasano posted booking photos of Chuckles the state groundhog on the Suffield Police Department’s Facebook page indicating that they had arrested him for false statement about predicting an early spring. These postings on Facebook went viral throughout the country and media stations from throughout the area wanted to interview them. They furthered the idea and turned it into a fundraiser for the Lutz Children’s Museum, where Chuckles lives, by having sponsors “Post” his bond. Chuckles was eventually pardoned by the Suffield First Selectwoman. The project drew a large amount of media attention and raised nearly $970 for the museum.
Sergeant Miner and Dispatcher Fasano also started a community policing event called “Chill with a Cop,” which is hosted at our local ice cream shop. Instead of “Coffee with a Cop,” this idea was formed to allow people to come out and join us on hot days in the summer. Sergeant Miner also hosted a Pokémon Go Event, which drew hundreds of people out of their houses to take part. Sergeant Miner is a fellow Pokémon player and was able to interact with the attendees in ways that most of us cannot. This was a safe event for all ages to spend some time with Suffield Police Officers. Sergeant Miner and Dispatcher Fasano are two young and outgoing members of the Suffield Police Department and their community policing contributions have helped bring a lot of positive feedback to the Suffield Police Department.
Windsor Police Department
Officer Joshua AmaroSince taking his role as School Resource Officer (SRO) at Windsor High School, Officer Joshua “Josh” Amaro has quickly become the “ultimate” community policing officer to students, faculty and staff, family members, and all community members in Windsor. Even prior to his appointment as SRO, Officer Amaro began developing ways to communicate in a timely and transparent manner to all members of the community, young and old, via social media. He developed and implemented a “WindsorHighSRO” public Facebook page and @WindsorSRO Twitter feed. Most recently, during August 2016, SRO Amaro received the happy endorsement of Windsor Public School District administrators to create and maintain a webpage on the Windsor Public School website. On these social media applications, SRO Amaro has discussed laws relevant to teenagers and their families such as Teen Driving statutes, Texting and driving laws, Halloween safety tips, bicycle safety, and seatbelt laws among other topics.
A recent video which SRO Amaro created and distributed prior to the start of the school year, depicts various members of the Windsor Police welcoming students back to school. Another video reminds parents of traffic patterns at Windsor High School.
SRO Amaro not only promotes and attends as many community events as he possibly can, he also creates them such as a Video Game Tournament night for students.
SRO Amaro seeks out every opportunity to engage his school based community and the larger community of Windsor. SRO Amaro is not just the well-recognized face of the Windsor Police Department. More significantly, SRO Amaro has fostered relationships and built bridges with youth and community residents through his use of social media and his community involvement. His postings have allowed citizens, especially youth in the multi-cultural community of Windsor, to see police officers as “people” too.
Cheektowaga Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Robert Acker, 34, of Cheektowaga, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography depicting minors less than 12 years of age. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott S. Allen, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on September 1, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and seized several electronic devices and DVDs. A forensic examination revealed that Acker was in possession of more than 7,000 images of child pornography, some of which depict prepubescent children less than 12 years of age.
Acker made an initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr., and was ordered to abide by the conditions of the Home Confinement Program, which requires that he be electronically monitored.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crimes Against Children program, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.Business Owner Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Defrauding over 400 Victims of $809,205.43Read the Press Release
Owner of Patriot Computers ordered to pay full restitution to victims
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mark Allen Hartley, the owner of Patriot Computers, a Virginia corporation, was sentenced this week, in United States District Court, by Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr., to 36 months in prison, on multiple wire fraud charges related to the theft of $809,205.43 from 434 victims, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
“In stealing this money, Hartley victimized many men and women of our armed services,” stated U.S. Attorney Kuhn. “His crime not only exemplifies a shockingly selfish avarice, it is also an affront to the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and their military families. My office will do everything in its power to recover every penny of the unpaid restitution for these victims.”
According to the four count indictment and facts admitted in court by the defendant, from December 1, 2012, through April 14, 2014, Hartley, age 56, devised a scheme to defraud First Citizens Bank and its customers. At the time, Hartley operated a business called Spartan Group Inc., dba Patriot Computers. Patriot Computers sold computer equipment to its customers on installment sales contracts. Customers of Patriot Computers agreed to have specified amounts of money taken from their paychecks on a regular basis until their purchases were paid in full. These customers completed payment authorization forms for these payment arrangements, and then Patriot Computers submitted these forms to First Citizens Bank in Hardin County, Kentucky. First Citizens Bank, through its bill payment service, would then transfer the payments from each customer’s paycheck to Patriot Computers’ account at Wells Fargo Bank until the customer’s contract with Patriot Computers was paid in full.
As part of the scheme and artifice to defraud, Hartley created fraudulent payment authorization forms and transmitted those, by e-mail, to First Citizens Bank. This caused First Citizens Bank to transfer unauthorized payments from victims’ paychecks to an account at Wells Fargo Bank, controlled by Hartley. These unauthorized payments totaled approximately $809,205.43. The average loss Hartley caused to each of his 434 individual victims was $1,864. The court ordered full restitution for each individual victim in the amount of the loss they sustained, in addition to restitution to First Citizens Bank for the loss of $126,338.38 it sustained due to Hartley’s scheme.
In entering his plea of guilty, Hartley agreed that the United States could put Patriot Computers’ accounts receivable into receivership, with collections from those accounts being directed to pay restitution to victims.
Hartley’s sentence includes not only the three-year prison sentence but also requires the payment of $809,205.43 in restitution to his victims and a three-year term of supervised release after his prison term. The United States has already collected $150,000 in funds from Hartley that, pending a court order, will be disbursed among victims.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Snyder and Jessica R.C. Malloy and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Bandidos National Sergeant at Arms Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering, Drug Trafficking and Extortion ChargesRead the Press Release
In San Antonio, 32-year-old Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Organization (OMO) National Sergeant at Arms Justin Cole Forster faces up to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal racketeering, drug trafficking and extortion charges announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Western District of Texas; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit, Houston Division; Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division; Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw; and San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.
Appearing before United States Magistrate Judge Pamela Mathy today, Forster pleaded guilty to four charges contained in a superseding indictment, namely, count one -- conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute; count three -- conspiracy to commit violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR); count six -- conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine; and, count ten -- conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion. The superseding indictment is attached.
By pleading guilty, Forster, a member of the Bandidos OMO since 2006 and its National Sergeant at Arms since 2011, admitted that he conspired with others to participate in the affairs of the organization through a pattern of racketeering activity consisting of murder, attempted murder, robbery, extortion, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and drug trafficking.
Forster remains in custody pending sentencing scheduled for January 9, 2017, before Senior United States District Judge David A. Ezra in San Antonio.
Bandidos OMO National President Jeffrey Pike, age 61 of Conroe, TX; National Vice President John Portillo, age 57 of San Antonio; and, member Frederick Cortez (aka “Fast Fred”), age 48 of (San Antonio), who are also charged in the same superseding indictment, are currently scheduled for trial on August 7, 2017. While awaiting jury selection, Portillo and Cortez remain in federal custody; Pike is out on bond.
The superseding indictment accuses Pike and Portillo of directing, sanctioning, approving and permitting other members of the organization to carry out racketeering acts including murder, attempted murder, assault, intimidation, extortion and drug trafficking to protect and enhance the organization’s power, territory, reputation and profits. It alleges Portillo and Cortez were involved in the retaliation murder of Robert Lara in Atascosa County for killing one of their own. Javier Negrete, a member of the same Bandidos OMO chapter as Portillo and Cortez, was killed outside a San Antonio bar in October 2001.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI, DEA and Texas DPS together with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New Braunfels Police Department, Seguin Police Department, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, Atascosa County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
6 October 2016
Winslow Man Sentenced to 14 Months on Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Ervin Morrison III, 24, of Winslow, Maine, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 14 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay $26,900 in restitution. The defendant pled guilty to the charges on June 16, 2016.
According to court records, between about June 2014 and July 2015, Morrison entered into contracts promising goods and services to five individuals and companies and for which he collected over $26,000 in advance payments. At the time he entered the contracts, Morrison had no intention or ability to provide the goods and services and he did not provide them.
At sentencing, Judge Woodcock described him as a “serial fraudster” whose life has “been a series of frauds” and noted that he “stole” money from his victims with a “stunning display of amorality.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Maine State Police, the Brunswick and Belfast Police Departments, and the Monson (Massachusetts) Police Department.
Wheeling man pleads guilty to failing to register as a sex offenderRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph J. Weidman, 49, of Wheeling, West Virginia pled guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in federal court today, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Weidman failed to register and update his registration as a sex offender in Ohio County, West Virginia, after having moved from Massachusetts in May, 2016. Weidman is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by reason of a conviction under state law.
He faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.
West Tennessee Man Indicted for Distributing Heroin Responsible for Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A man allegedly responsible for distributing a large amount of heroin that resulted in the fatal overdose of at least one person has been indicted. Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the indictment today.
According to the indictment, Marvin Foster, aka "Pookie," 49, of Halls, Tennessee, distributed more than 100 grams of heroin throughout the counties of Lauderdale, Tipton, and Dyer between January 2013 and January 2015. The heroin distributed by Foster is responsible for the death of at least one person.
On Thursday, September 29, 2016, Foster was indicted on one count of possession with the intent to distribute and to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, which resulted in the death of a person.
Foster is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tu M. Pham on Monday, October 24, 2016.
If convicted, Foster faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $10 million.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the 25th Judicial Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Webster Man Pleads Sentenced for Failing to Pay Income TaxesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Brent Derouen, 37, of Webster, NY, who was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal income tax returns, was sentenced to 30 days in jail, six months of weekend confinement in jail and 400 hours of community service by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman. The defendant was also ordered to pay $460,707.47 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who handled the case, stated that Derouen operated a stock promotion business, OTC Advisors LLC. In 2009 and 2010, the defendant earned income of approximately $181,000 and $390,000. Derouen knew he was obligated to report this income to the Internal Revenue Service, and pay taxes on it, but deliberately failed to do so.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Shantelle P. Kitchen, Special Agent in Charge.
Waterford Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that LUIS ZAYAS, also known as “Guichan,” 40, of Waterford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 85 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2012, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the U.S. Secret Service and the New London Police Department initiated an investigation to combat the large-scale trafficking of heroin and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico into and around southeastern Connecticut. The investigation revealed that certain members of the conspiracy coordinated the shipment of heroin, and sometimes cocaine, via human couriers from the Dominican Republic to the United States. Other members of the conspiracy obtained kilogram-quantities of cocaine in Puerto Rico and then mailed the drug to locations in and around New London where it was sold to distributors and customers. Narcotics were also obtained from sources in New York City and Rhode Island.
ZAYAS and Pedro Rivera, also known as “Cheito,” arranged the shipment of cocaine from sources in Puerto Rico to the New London area. ZAYAS and Rivera then distributed the cocaine to customers in southeastern Connecticut through a network of associates.
More than 100 individuals were charged with federal and state offenses as a result of this investigation.
ZAYAS was arrested on April 3, 2013. On January 29, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Rivera also pleaded guilty and on December 9, 2015, he was sentenced to 116 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine; Connecticut State Police; New London Police Department, Norwich Police Department, Waterford Police Department, Groton Town Police Department, East Lyme Police Department and Putnam Police Department. The United States Marshals Service; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; Drug Enforcement Administration; HSI Assistant Attaché, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; HSI Arecibo, Puerto Rico Resident Office; Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services; and the Groton City, Willimantic, New Haven and Bristol Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan, Alina P. Reynolds and Henry K. Kopel. The state cases were prosecuted by the State’s Attorney for the New London Judicial District and Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Paul Narducci and Stephen Carney.
U.S. Attorney’s Office staff in Shreveport, Lafayette celebrate Community Policing Week, National Night OutRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE, La. – Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office staff members, local law enforcement and community leaders met in neighborhoods throughout Caddo, Bossier and Lafayette parishes Tuesday in conjunction with Community Policing Week and National Night Out.
National Night Out takes place for one night usually the first Tuesday in August or October and is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local anti-crime efforts, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. It sends a clear message that neighbors are organized and fighting back.
Residents unlocked their doors, turned on porch lights and spent the evening outside with family, friends, neighbors, emergency response personnel and city officials. Many neighborhoods throughout Caddo and Bossier parishes hosted a variety of special events such as block parties, cookouts, parades, flashlight walks, contests, youth activities and anti-crime rallies.
In Lafayette, residents met at the Martin Luther King Center near Willow Street. The events included music, food, games, fun jumps and other displays by local agencies including the Lafayette Police Department SWAT Team, Horse Patrol, Motorcycle Unit, Bicycle Patrol and the Police Command Bus.
Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect and serve. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community, both officer and civilian, have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work.
As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to building stronger relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve, the Department of Justice is leading nearly 400 events in support of community policing efforts around the country. To further that effort, President Obama designated the week of October 2 to 8, 2016, as National Community Policing Week. The week is also an extension of Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s 12-city Community Policing Tour that highlights collaborative programs and policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations, and foster mutual trust and respect between law enforcement and citizens. National Community Policing Week builds on President Obama’s efforts to engage with law enforcement and other members of the community to implement key recommendations from the 21st Century Policing Task Force report.
“This year Community Policing Week and National Night Out took place during the same week,” Finley stated. “The aim of both is to foster a strong bond among community members and law enforcement. It is also a great way to acknowledge the accomplishments of neighborhood organizations that keep communities safe, and especially to thank and acknowledge our law enforcement community for putting their lives on the line for us every day.”
In Shreveport and Bossier City, various member of the U.S. Attorney’s Office staff joined Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler, Shreveport Interim Police Chief Alan Crump, Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator’s Office, the Shreveport Fire Department and other agencies in Caddo and Bossier parishes. In Lafayette, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office staff joined the Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Fire Department and other agencies at the community center on Cora Street.
Thousands of communities across the United States took part in the 33nd Annual National Night Out starting in August. To find out more about National Night Out, visit the National Association for Town Watch at http://www.natw.org.
Two meth mules sentenced to federal prison for roles in California-to-West Virginia drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two women caught transporting significant quantities of crystal methamphetamine from California to West Virginia were sentenced to federal prison today, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Kelly Newcomb, 56, of Nevada, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime. Danielle Dessaray Estrada, 21, of Los Angeles, was also sentenced to a year and a day in prison for interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime.
Newcomb admitted that on March 10, 2016, she rented a vehicle in Las Vegas and drove with Cara Linn Monasmith, a codefendant, to California, where 10 pounds of crystal methamphetamine were concealed in the vehicle for transportation to West Virginia. Newcomb and Monasmith then began the drive to West Virginia, and during the course of the trip Newcomb learned about the concealed drugs. Newcomb further admitted that on March 18, 2016, she arrived in West Virginia, rented a room at the Super 8 Motel in Huntington, and followed the instructions of another codefendant by leaving the vehicle unlocked in the parking lot. After Newcomb’s arrival, an undercover officer, in accordance with instructions obtained through a cooperating individual, removed the spare tire where the drugs were concealed.
Estrada admitted that in March 2016, she picked up approximately five pounds of crystal methamphetamine in California. Estrada also admitted that with the help of Rafael Garcia Serrato and Cesar Garcia, two codefendants, she repackaged the methamphetamine and concealed the drugs in the back seat of her car. Estrada further admitted that she and Rachel Arlene Garay, another codefendant, drove from California to West Virginia and they were stopped by officers in South Charleston on March 26, 2016. Law enforcement discovered the drugs during the traffic stop. Estrada additionally admitted that she had previously driven to Charleston in December 2015 to deliver drugs.
This prosecution is the result of a multi-agency investigation that led to an eight-count indictment implicating several defendants. All of the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Two other women who were used as mules to transport methamphetamine, Garay, of California, and Monasmith, of Nevada, pleaded guilty to interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime. Garay is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2016. Monasmith is scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2016. Additionally, as part of this conspiracy, Rafael Garcia Serrato, of Los Angeles, Cesar Garcia, also of Los Angeles, Daniel Ortiz-Rivera, a Mexican national, Velarian Sylvester Carter, of Beckley, Miguel Tafolla-Montoya, a Mexican national, and Brian Ashby, of Kanawha County, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Serrato and Garcia are scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2016. Ortiz-Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on October 11, 2016. Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2016. Tafolla-Montoya is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2016. Ashby is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2016. Also, as part of this conspiracy, Marco Antonio Bojorquez-Rojas, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty to interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime, and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2016.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of these prosecutions. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentences.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Two Men Indicted for Marijuana Cultivation Operation in Giant Sequoia National MonumentRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Mexican nationals Audencio Pineda-Gaona, 36, and Calendario Jimenez-Ramirez, aka Calendario Rodriguez-Jimenez, 54, charging them with conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute and manufacturing marijuana on federal land, and with damaging public land and natural resources as a result of the marijuana cultivation activities, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, the defendants and several other men were found trimming marijuana buds at the grow site in the federally designated Giant Sequoia National Monument in Tulare County in the Sequoia National Forest. Agents found 5,707 marijuana plants and 200 pounds of processed marijuana.
The marijuana cultivation operation caused extensive damage to the land and natural resources. Native trees and shrubs had been cut down to make room for the marijuana plants. Water had been diverted from a tributary stream of the Kern River, which supports Kern River Rainbow Trout. Agents found harmful, banned pesticides and large amounts of trash.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
The defendants were previously ordered detained as a flight risk and danger to the community. The men are scheduled for arraignment on the indictment on October 11 in federal court in Fresno. If convicted of the most serious drug offenses as charged in counts one and two, Pineda-Gaona and Jimenez-Ramirez face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine as to each count. If convicted of the environmental crime, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tribal Communities Awarded Federal Grants to Enhance Youth Programs, Help Crime Victims and Combat Alcohol and Drug AbuseRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded tribal communities in Western Washington more than $8 million aimed at providing important services to tribal members, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. The grants come from various programs designed to provide resources for tribal youth, victims of crime and those fighting drug and alcohol addiction.
“These grant funds go to support programs important to Western Washington Tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “From drug courts to youth engagement the Department of Justice is supporting innovative programs to improve the lives of those who are members of our twenty-five federally recognized Tribes.”
Three Tribal communities were awarded grants to enhance youth outreach. Each of the supported programs is designed by the Tribes to address specific needs in their communities. The grants include:
- Chehalis Tribes (Oakville, WA) - $346,791 – an engagement program to provide one-on-one support for high-risk youth.
- Stillaguamish Tribe (Arlington, WA)- $339,053- a program to engage youth through cultural activities building on partnerships with Tribal council, elders and leaders.
- Squaxin Island Tribe (Shelton, WA) -$349,909 – A teen engagement program to promote Tribal culture, inclusion, and leadership skills.
Three Tribal communities received grant funding for drug and alcohol courts and treatment services:
- Lummi Nation (Bellingham, WA) - $480,895 – To establish a Family Drug Treatment Court to develop a comprehensive and effective program for treatment and reunification of families that have been torn apart by drug abuse.
- Lummi Nation -$573,284 – To establish a reentry program for community members who are incarcerated in state or local jails and help reorient them back into the community prior to their release.
- Squaxin Island Tribe - $554,224 – To support a family wellness team to provide services to those who have been involved with courts and substance abuse.
- Chehalis Tribes - $709,862 – To continue the offender reentry program including services to combat drug abuse and domestic violence.
Four tribes received grant funding to support victims of crime with a comprehensive, collaborative approach including culturally appropriate services for the victims, family and community:
- Skokomish Tribe (Shelton, WA) - $447,040
- Puyallup Tribe - $349,020
- Chehalis Tribes - $287,132
- Stillaguamish Tribe -$372,561
For additional information on the grants please contact the Office of Justice programs http://ojp.gov/ or the grant recipients.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Fraud Scheme to Overcharge Medicaid, Medicare at Four ClinicsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, and Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced that a Springfield, Mo., man who operated four Family Medical Center clinics in southern Missouri was sentenced in federal court today for health care fraud.
Michael A. Tucker, 47, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to one year and one day in federal prison. The court also ordered Tucker to pay $54,273 in restitution.
On March 30, 2016, Tucker pleaded guilty to health care fraud. Tucker was the owner of four Family Medical Center clinics in Carthage, Mo., Branson, Mo., Nevada, Mo., and Lamar, Mo. In June 2015, Tucker closed his clinics and Family Medical Centers ceased doing business.
Tucker admitted that he defrauded Medicaid and Medicare by submitting claims to the government for more expensive treatment than was provided at his clinics. Although the physicians and nurse practitioners at Tucker’s clinics accurately recorded the services they provided, Tucker billed Medicaid and Medicare for more expensive services. The Medicaid scheme lasted from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2014. The Medicare scheme lasted from April 15, 2013, to Sept. 24, 2014.
Specifically, Tucker routinely billed Medicaid for more complex office visits than were actually provided. In addition, Tucker routinely billed both Medicaid and Medicare for the services of physicians when the patient had actually been seen by a nurse practitioner. Lastly, Tucker billed Medicaid for physician office visits when only laboratory services had been provided. In each of these instances Tucker’s conduct resulted in his clinics receiving greater reimbursement than they were entitled to from Medicaid and Medicare.
The Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division led the initial investigation into Tucker’s conduct and then assisted the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri and the Office of the Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services in Tucker’s prosecution.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindi Woolery. It was investigated by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
Smithfield Man Found Guilty of Heroin and Methamphetamine Distribution Charges and Maintaining a DwellingRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that yesterday, FRANKY LOUIS HOSTON, 26, was found guilty in a jury trial of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of distributing, manufacturing and using methamphetamine and heroin.
HOSTON, along with two others, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 15, 2015.
In late spring, 2015, a Smithfield Police Officer received information from a confidential source who stated that there was a male in Smithfield that sells heroin. This confidential source stated that the individual was selling multiple ounces of heroin.
At the beginning of June, 2015, another officer of the Smithfield Police Department, received an anonymous tip regarding illegal drug activity HOSTON’s residence on Boyette Circle in Smithfield, North Carolina. As a result, the Smithfield Police Department began to conduct surveillance on the residence. Just as the first concerned citizen noted, Smithfield officers observed multiple vehicles briefly stopping for short times at the residence.
A roadside trash pull was conducted by Smithfield Police Department on July 16, 2015, at the residence. Numerous items commonly associated with narcotics were discovered. A search warrant of the residence was obtained and on July 17, 2015, officers from the Smithfield Police Department arrived at the residence to serve the search warrant.
The defendant along with two others were discovered in the residence. During the search of Hoston’s room, officers found a Diamondback DB380 handgun with six rounds of .380 ammunition in the magazine, and two cell phones. Additionally, officers located two bindles of suspected heroin on a counter between living room and kitchen. While shining their light in the common area, multiple crystals consistent with methamphetamine were illuminated on the floor. In addition, there was a plastic cup containing approximately three fourths of an ounce of crystal methamphetamine in the coffee table. Approximately $6,000.00 was located along with ammunition and heroin in a kitchen cabinet. A large wrapper with meth crystal residue and large scale were located in the laundry room.
In addition to locating a large amount of methamphetamine, heroin, currency, and two loaded pistols in one of the bedrooms, officers located methamphetamine and marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a phone, and $531.00, in another bedroom.
The case was investigated by the Smithfield Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, North Carolina State Crime Lab, and the Johnston County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Burnette handled the prosecution on behalf of the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Six Fort Campbell Soldiers and Two Others Charged with Stealing and Selling Sensitive Military EquipmentRead the Press Release
Eight individuals, including six Fort Campbell soldiers, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn. yesterday and charged in connection with a conspiracy to steal sensitive U.S. Army equipment which was ultimately sold and shipped to anonymous eBay bidders, including some located in foreign nations.
Federal law enforcement agents began arresting those charged early this morning. Five are currently in custody and two others are expected to surrender later.
This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney David Rivera at a mid-morning press conference in Nashville. Rivera was joined by Robert Hammer, Resident Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Tracey D. Montan᷉o, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) in Nashville.
“The actions of the soldiers charged today should in no way stain the honor of the brave men and women who proudly serve in our country’s armed forces and selflessly give everything to protect America’s freedom,” said U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “To the contrary, we never want to allow the illegal and self-serving actions of a few to cast a shadow on the thousands of military heroes who every day place themselves in harm’s way to protect this great nation. Today we seek both to hold accountable all those who seek to financially profit from the illegal sale of stolen, sensitive and restricted military equipment as well as to thank the U.S. military personnel around the world whose dedication and service safeguards us all.”
Those charged in the indictment are:
- John Roberts, 26, of Clarksville, Tenn;
- Cory Wilson, aka Jason Cory Wilson, 42, of Clarksville;
- U.S. Army Sergeant Michael Barlow, 29, of Clarksville;
- U.S. Army Sergeant Jonathan Wolford, 28, of Clarksville;
- U.S. Army Specialist Kyle Heade, 29, of Fort Campbell, Kentucky;
- U.S. Army Specialist Alexander Hollibaugh, 25, of Fort Campbell;
- U.S. Army Specialist Dustin Nelson, 22, of Fort Campbell; and
- U.S. Army Specialist Aaron Warner, 24, of Fort Campbell.
According to the indictment, the soldiers charged stole more than $1 million worth of sensitive military equipment from the U.S. Army installation at Fort Campbell and sold it to others, including Roberts and Wilson, who then re-sold the equipment on eBay. The items sold included sniper telescopes and rifle accessories, machine gun parts and accessories, grenade launcher sights, flight helmets, communication headsets, body armor and medical supplies. Many of these items were advertised as “Army Special Forces” and U.S. Government Issued (“USGI”).
The indictment also alleges that Roberts and Wilson illegally sold certain restricted U.S. Army equipment, including night vision helmet mounts, to eBay customers located in foreign nations including Russia, China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania, Moldova, Malaysia, Romania, and Mexico. The indictment also alleges that Wilson sold flight helmet mounts, advertised as USGI, to buyers in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan and Roberts sold advanced communications headset helmets to buyers in Russia and China.
The indictment charges each defendant with conspiring to steal or receive U.S. Army property and to sell or convey U.S. Army property without authority. In addition, Roberts was charged with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act, and Wilson was charged with 7 counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act. Barlow was also charged with three counts of selling or conveying U.S. Army property without authority.
"As reflected by our name, HSI considers the national security interests of our nation among our top priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer, of HSI New Orleans. “It's especially disturbing when we identify corrupted members of our military who undermine the welfare of this this country, so we, along with our law enforcement partners, shall continue to aggressively investigate this type of criminal activity." Parmer is the Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans field office with responsibility for Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
“The security of our nation is also a top priority for IRS Criminal Investigation,” stated Tracey D. Montaño, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Those who compromise the safety of the American public and our military personnel in the interest of greed will be held accountable for their actions. IRS-CI remains committed to its partnership with other law enforcement agencies to investigate these types of egregious acts”. Montaño is the Special Agent in Charge of the Nashville Field Office with responsibility for Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
Each defendant faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the conspiracy charge. Roberts and Wilson face up to 20 years for each count of wire fraud and violating the Arms Export Control Act and Wilson faces up to an additional 20 years on the money laundering charge. In addition, Barlow faces up to 10 years in prison on each conveying charge. The defendants also face forfeiture of the proceeds of their crimes. Any sentences would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes.
An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by HSI, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and the IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely and Thomas J. Jaworski.
Six Fort Campbell Soldiers and Two Others Charged with Stealing and Selling Sensitive Military EquipmentRead the Press Release
Indictment Alleges Some Restricted Equipment Sold to Customers in Foreign Nations
Eight individuals, including six Fort Campbell soldiers, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Nashville, Tennessee, yesterday and charged in connection with a conspiracy to steal sensitive U.S. Army equipment which was ultimately sold and shipped to anonymous eBay bidders, including some located in foreign nations.
This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney David Rivera for the Middle District of Tennessee at a mid-morning press conference in Nashville. U.S. Attorney Rivera was joined by Resident Agent in Charge Robert Hammer of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Special Agent in Charge Tracey Montan᷉o of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) in Nashville.
“The actions of the soldiers charged today should in no way stain the honor of the brave men and women who proudly serve in our country’s armed forces and selflessly give everything to protect America’s freedom,” said U.S. Attorney Rivera. “To the contrary, we never want to allow the illegal and self-serving actions of a few to cast a shadow on the thousands of military heroes who every day place themselves in harm’s way to protect this great nation. Today we seek both to hold accountable all those who seek to financially profit from the illegal sale of stolen, sensitive and restricted military equipment as well as to thank the U.S. military personnel around the world whose dedication and service safeguards us all.”
Those charged in the indictment are:
- John Roberts, 26, of Clarksville, Tennessee;
- Cory Wilson aka Jason Cory Wilson, 42, of Clarksville;
- U.S. Army Sargent Michael Barlow, 29, of Clarksville;
- U.S. Army Sargent Jonathan Wolford, 28, of Clarksville;
- U.S. Army Specialist Kyle Heade, 29, of Fort Campbell, Kentucky;
- U.S. Army Specialist Alexander Hollibaugh, 25, of Fort Campbell;
- U.S. Army Specialist Dustin Nelson, 22, of Fort Campbell; and
- U.S. Army Specialist Aaron Warner, 24, of Fort Campbell.
According to the indictment, the soldiers charged stole more than $1 million worth of sensitive military equipment from the U.S. Army installation at Fort Campbell and sold it to others, including Roberts and Wilson, who then re-sold the equipment on eBay. The items sold included sniper telescopes and rifle accessories, machine gun parts and accessories, grenade launcher sights, flight helmets, communication headsets, body armor and medical supplies. Many of these items were advertised as “Army Special Forces” and “U.S. Government Issued” (USGI).
The indictment also alleges that Roberts and Wilson illegally sold certain restricted U.S. Army equipment, including night vision helmet mounts, to eBay customers located in foreign nations including Russia, China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania, Moldova, Malaysia, Romania and Mexico. The indictment also alleges that Wilson sold flight helmet mounts, advertised as USGI, to buyers in Russia, China and Kazakhstan and Roberts sold advanced communications headset helmets to buyers in Russia and China.
The indictment charges each defendant with conspiring to steal or receive U.S. Army property and to sell or convey U.S. Army property without authority. In addition, Roberts was charged with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act and Wilson was charged with seven counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act. Barlow was also charged with three counts of selling or conveying U.S. Army property without authority.
“As reflected by our name, HSI considers the national security interests of our nation among our top priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer of HSI New Orleans Field Office. “It's especially disturbing when we identify corrupted members of our military who undermine the welfare of this this country, so we, along with our law enforcement partners, shall continue to aggressively investigate this type of criminal activity.”
Parmer is the Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Field Office with responsibility for Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
“The security of our nation is also a top priority for IRS Criminal Investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Montaño. “Those who compromise the safety of the American public and our military personnel in the interest of greed will be held accountable for their actions. IRS-CI remains committed to its partnership with other law enforcement agencies to investigate these types of egregious acts.”
Montaño is the Special Agent in Charge of the Nashville Field Office with responsibility for Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas.
Each defendant faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the conspiracy charge. Roberts and Wilson face up to 20 years for each count of wire fraud and violating the Arms Export Control Act and Wilson faces up to an additional 20 years on the money laundering charge. In addition, Barlow faces up to 10 years in prison on each conveying charge. The defendants also face forfeiture of the proceeds of their crimes. Any sentences would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes.
An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by HSI, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely and Thomas J. Jaworski.
Sissonville man pleads guilty to federal methamphetamine crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Sissonville man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Jacob Reed, 43, entered his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Reed admitted that on February 14, 2016, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Reed’s vehicle. In a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement discovered a camera bag in the floor of the front passenger side that contained cash and several plastic bags of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also found additional cash and a set of digital scales in the center console of the vehicle. In total, officers recovered over 230 grams of methamphetamine and nearly $15,000 in cash.
Reed faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on January 4, 2017.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is responsible for the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
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 illegal drugs in our communities, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Shreveport man pleads guilty to felony possession of firearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing two pistols after being convicted of a felony.
Terrell Kellum, 29, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, a member of the public informed law enforcement on November 6, 2015 that an individual was carrying two pistols near the intersection of Linwood and 70th Street in Shreveport. The individual was seen leaving in a vehicle some time later. A Shreveport police officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and searched it. Kellum was found to be in possession of two .380 caliber Lorcin Model L380 pistols. Kellum had been previously convicted of a felony and was not allowed to possess a firearm.
Kellum faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of the seized items and a $10,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 10, 2017 was set.
This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Drucker is prosecuting the case.
Seven Men Plead Guilty for Illegally Harvesting and Selling American EelsRead the Press Release
Between the dates of October 4 and October 6, seven individuals pleaded guilty in Federal District Court in Portland, Maine, to trafficking more than $1.9 million worth of juvenile American eels, also known as “elvers,” in violation of the Lacey Act.
Yarann Im, Mark Green, John Pinkham, Thomas Reno, Michael Bryant and George Anestis each pleaded guilty to selling or transporting elvers in interstate commerce, that they had harvested illegally, or knew had been harvested illegally, in various East Coast states, including Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, among others. Thomas Choi pleaded guilty to exporting elvers that he knew had been harvested illegally in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and elsewhere.
The guilty pleas were announced today by Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Director Dan Ashe of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The pleas were the result of “Operation Broken Glass,” a multi-jurisdiction USFWS investigation into the illegal trafficking of American eels.
“Without the robust enforcement of our nation’s wildlife laws, trafficking in species like the protected American eel will undermine vital marine resources to the point of no return,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The American eel is a unique and economically important species in river systems along the U.S. east coast. These convictions should send a strong message that we will investigate and prosecute poaching as a serious crime, standing side by side with our state law enforcement partners.”
“Skyrocketing prices for juvenile American eels in Asia have led to a surge in poaching and trafficking in this unique species, threatening to wipe it out in the rivers of the Northeast,” said Director Ashe. “The prosecution of these poachers demonstrates our resolve to work with our state and federal law enforcement partners to halt illegal trade in American eels and sustain the species for future generations. The success and scope of Operation Broken Glass would not have been possible without this unparalleled collaboration, which will serve as a model for future investigations.”
“Elver landings are one of Maine’s largest revenue producing marine resources,” said Maine Marine Patrol Colonel Jon Cornish. “Strong enforcement of both state and federal statutes are a key to the success of this fishery. Maine Marine Patrol is proud to have been a participant within Operation Broken Glass. These cases represent the results of what can be accomplished when agencies partner effectively.”
“This investigation is an example of excellent collaboration between wildlife law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local level,” said Assistant Administrator Eileen Sobeck of NOAA Fisheries. “NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement will continue to support investigations to ensure that those fishermen who obey the rules reap the benefits of fair competition and those who do not are caught and justice served.”
“The waters of New Jersey provide ideal conditions for migrating juvenile American eels,” said Director Dave Chanda of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish &Wildlife. “Despite laws banning American eel harvest, New Jersey continues to experience pressure from those looking to illegally target this highly desired resource to meet overseas demand. In their pursuit of financial gain, these individuals demonstrated deliberate indifference to the health and viability of our state's natural resource.”
Eels are highly valued in east Asia for human consumption. Historically, Japanese and European eels were harvested to meet this demand; however, overfishing has led to a decline in the population of these eels. As a result, harvesters have turned to the American eel to fill the resulting void.
American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, an area of the North Atlantic Ocean bounded on all sides by ocean currents. They then travel as larvae from the Sea to the coastal waters of the eastern United States, where they enter a juvenile or elver stage, swim upriver and grow to adulthood in fresh water. Elvers are exported for aquaculture in east Asia, where they are raised to adult size and sold for food. Harvesters and exporters of American eels in the United States can sell elvers to east Asian buyers for more than $2000 per pound.
Because of the threat of overfishing, elver harvesting is prohibited in the United States in all but three states: Maine, South Carolina and Florida. Maine and South Carolina heavily regulate elver fisheries, requiring that individuals be licensed and report all quantities of harvested eels to state authorities. Although Florida does not have specific elver-related regulations, the limited population of elvers in Florida waters makes commercial elver fishing impossible.
The seven defendants all illegally harvested, sold, transported, or exported elvers, knowing they had been harvested in violation of state law. Further, as a means of concealing the illegal sale and export of elvers, the defendants used Maine or Florida eel harvest licenses, whether theirs or someone else’s, to claim in required paperwork that the elvers were obtained legally from Maine or Florida waters. Elver export declaration packages submitted to the USFWS included this false documentation in order to disguise the illegal origins of the elvers and to facilitate their export from the United States to buyers in east Asia.
The offenses in the case are felonies under the Lacey Act, each carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ incarceration, a fine of up to $250,000 or up to twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, or both.
Operation Broken Glass was conducted by the USFWS and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section in collaboration with the Maine Marine Patrol, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police, Virginia Marine Resources Commission Police, USFWS Refuge Law Enforcement, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Law Enforcement, New York State Environmental Conservation Police, New Hampshire Fish and Game Division of Law Enforcement, Maryland Natural Resources Police, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Yarmouth, MA Division of Natural Resources, North Myrtle Beach, SC Police Department and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
The government is represented by Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorneys Cassandra Barnum and Shane Waller.
Scott County man sentenced in federal court for drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
Distributed heroin, methamphetamine and prescription painkillers
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis - United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler, announced today the sentencing of a Scottsburg man for his role in distributing large quantities of prescription drugs, heroin and methamphetamine to the Scott County area. Bennito L. Rodriguez, 39, was sentenced today to 20 years’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
“Scott County was targeted by an organization with the goal of infesting that community with drugs, including the prescription painkiller Opana,” said Minkler. “This became an epidemic and local law enforcement asked for our help. Today, I am pleased to announce that the organization has been dismantled and justice has been served.”
In June 2015, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Indianapolis began working with Scott County law enforcement officials to determine the source of the powerful prescription painkiller Opana (oxymorphone) and methamphetamine which were prevalent in Austin, Indiana, and other parts of Scott County. Investigators quickly determined that Bennito L. Rodriguez and his wife Brooklynn G. Mack both of Scottsburg, orchestrated the supply of Opana and methamphetamine for redistribution into the Scott County community.
Through various investigative techniques law enforcement officials determined that Rodriguez and Mack would obtain their supply of methamphetamine and Opana from sources in Louisville, Kentucky, Indianapolis and Detroit, Michigan. The two then organized a redistribution network using other members of the conspiracy to sell the drugs in Scott County. In total, Rodriguez was responsible for bring nearly 10,000 Opana pills as well as pound quantities of methamphetamine and heroin into the Scott County area.
Nine other defendants have agreed to plead guilty and are awaiting sentencing:
Brooklynn G. Mack, 30, Scottsburg, IN.
Rashawn A. Vaughn, a/k/a Ray, 42, Louisville, KY.
Eric L. Gude, 37, Indianapolis
Rashaan S. Perkins, a/k/a Phil, a/k/a D, 22, Detroit, MI.
Anthony L. Hardy, 40, Indianapolis
James D. Haney, 57, Austin, IN.
Justin M. Roberts, a/k/a Booger, 39, Austin, IN.
Travis D. Brock, 35, Scottsburg, IN.
Michael A. Doyle, 39, Scottsburg, IN.
“Heroin and opioid prescription drug abuse is priority number one for the DEA,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Greg Westfall with the DEA Indianapolis office. “Studies show that 80 percent of the new heroin users started with prescription painkillers. This case shows that people who poison our communities with drugs will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
"We are very pleased with the cooperation our local agencies have gotten from the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this investigation. They have resources that are not available in state prosecutions, which make these types of outcomes difficult for us to pursue locally,” said Scott County Prosecutor, Jason Mount. “We are happy to see that this offender will not be able to bring any more harm to our community for quite some time, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the federal authorities."
According to Drug and Violent Crime Chief Bradley A. Blackington who prosecuted this case for the government, Rodriguez must serve 10 years of supervised release following his sentence and pay a $5,000 fine.
Sarasota Woman Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Mazie Hill (50, Sarasota) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and identity theft. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Hill and others processed debit and credit cards in other people’s names containing tax refunds generated by fraudulent tax returns through a Square, Inc. account. Square, Inc. is a merchant processor that provides terminals to businesses to process credit and debit card payments. Hill and others set up the merchant accounts related to a restaurant located in the Middle District of Florida where Hill worked. The accounts were supposed to be used to process payments for restaurant and bar services only. Instead, they were used to process credit and debit card transactions for both legitimate restaurant-related sales and for tax fraud transactions using prepaid debit cards such as Green Dot. After the payments were processed, Square, Inc. electronically transferred the funds to Hill’s bank account and to the accounts of others, where the proceeds were shared and used for personal items.
The Green Dot cards containing fraudulent tax refunds were brought to Hill at the restaurant by others. Often, Hill and her co-conspirators would swipe the cards in declining amounts until a transaction was accepted. Between August and November 2012, Hill conducted 115 successful transactions with Green Dot cards had been funded with false tax refunds, in the amount of nearly $90,000. Almost $55,000 in transactions were declined.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on October 4, 2016, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Joseph Hatchett, age 40, was sentenced to time served in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hatchett pleaded guilty to the charge on June 17, 2016.
The charge related to Hatchett failing to register as a convicted sex offender between January 15, 2016, and March 10, 2016.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on October 3, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Johnny Lunderman, age 33, was sentenced to 15 months in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lunderman was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 17, 2016. He pled guilty on August 8, 2016.
Lunderman was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in federal court in August 2009. He was sentenced to 40 months of custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Lunderman is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocating or changing employment. In December 2015, Lunderman registered with an address in Rapid City. On April 3, 2016, Lunderman was arrested in Jackson County, South Dakota, and charged with Driving Under the Influence. He was subsequently released on bond, and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest. On April 7, 2016, a Rapid City police officer conducted a compliance check at Lunderman’s address and discovered he no longer resided there. On April 20, 2016, Lunderman was arrested in Kyle, South Dakota, without incident. Lunderman did not update his sex offender registration between April 4, 2016, and April 20, 2016, as required by law.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Lunderman was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Patrick Black Spotted Horse, age 27, was indicted on January 20, 2016. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on October 4, 2016, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
On March 8, 2010, Black Spotted Horse was sentenced to 40 months in federal custody for Sexual Abuse of a Minor. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. It is alleged that between December 3, 2015, and January 20, 2016, Black Spotted Horse, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender in Pennington County and elsewhere.
The charge is merely an accusation and Black Spotted Horse is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk W. Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Black Spotted Horse was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Providence Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking 14-Year-OldRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Paul J. Monteiro, a/k/a “Peezy,” 31, of Providence, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to sex trafficking of a minor, admitting to the court that he transported a 14-year-old girl from Rhode Island to New Jersey for the purpose of engaging in commercial sexual activity.
Monteiro and the minor female were located in a hotel room in Franklin Township, New Jersey, on April 6, 2015, by agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI and Franklin Township police.
Monteiro’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for New England; Lieutenant Colonel Kevin M. Barry, Acting Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI.
According to information presented to the court, on March 23, 2015, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported to Rhode Island State Police that they had received a report of a juvenile female from Rhode Island who had allegedly been sexually molested by an adult male and that she was afraid to end the relationship due to threats of bodily harm.
Rhode Island State Police determined that the young female was reported missing on November 20, 2014, from a group home in Rhode Island. Through further investigation, Rhode Island State Police learned that the girl had traveled to New Jersey with an individual identified as “Peezy.”
On April 6, 2015, Rhode Island State Police tracked a cell phone in the possession of the missing teenager to Franklin Township, New Jersey. HSI and FBI agents, and police officers from Franklin Township located the missing girl and Paul Monteiro in a hotel room in Franklin Township. Monteiro was arrested by Franklin Township police on New Jersey state charges and detained. A court authorized search of a cell phone belonging to Monteiro resulted in the discovery of photographs of the 14-year-old girl that had been posted in advertisements on Backpage.com offering the young victim for commercial sex.
Monteiro, who has been detained since his arrest on April 6, 2015, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on December 22, 2016.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
President Obama Grants CommutationsRead the Press Release
Today, the President granted commutation of sentence to the following 102 individuals:
· Benjy Neil Allums – Niceville, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine; Northern District of Florida
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $500 fine (June 28, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Anthony Anderson – Trenton, TN
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base, and in excess of five kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine; Southern District of Indiana
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (July 25, 2006)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Martavious Devonn Anderson – High Point, NC
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (crack); Middle District of North Carolina
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (July 2, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 188 months' imprisonment.
· Norwood Wallace Barber, Jr. – Harrisonburg, VA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; Western District of Virginia
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $2,500 fine (December 21, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment and unpaid balance of fine remitted.
· Shawn Leo Barth – Bismarck, ND
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute methamphetamine; distribution of a controlled substance methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance marijuana; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; felon in possession of a firearm/ammunition; District of North Dakota
Sentence: Life plus 60 months’ imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (March 22, 2004)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 322 months' imprisonment.
· Ronald Baskin – Madison, WI
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine); Western District of Wisconsin
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (October 1, 2007)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Desmond Belle – Columbia, SC
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; District of South Carolina
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 24, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 188 months' imprisonment.
· Michael Jay Bertram – Dumont, IA
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute a mixture of methamphetamine containing more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense; Northern District of Iowa
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (February 23, 2011)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 168 months' imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Randy Boler – Indiana, PA
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine; Middle District of Pennsylvania
Sentence: 327 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release; $2,500 fine (April 18, 2002); amended to 267 months' imprisonment (December 18, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Christopher Steven Bowen – Kalamazoo, MI
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base; Western District of Michigan
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $6,000 fine (May 26, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 262 months' imprisonment and unpaid balance of fine remitted.
· Gary Brown – Portland, ME
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base; District of Maine
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 11, 2006)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment.
· Philander Butler – Memphis, TN
Offense: Possession of 120 grams cocaine base with intent to distribute; Western District of Tennessee
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 13, 1999)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 262 months’ imprisonment.
· Ivan Calhoun – Cleveland, TN
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture; Eastern District of Tennessee
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (March 1, 2004); amended to 238 months' imprisonment (August 1, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Alonzo Devon Campbell – Bay City, MI
Offense: Distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base; Eastern District of Michigan
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (February 13, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Angel Cardona – Wilmington, DE
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine; Northern District of Ohio
Sentence: 210 months' imprisonment; four years' supervised release (December 15, 2003)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Lemond Carmickel – St. Louis, MO
Offense: Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine; Eastern District of Missouri
Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (February 25, 2000)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Arthur Clinkscale – Youngstown, OH
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Northern District of Ohio
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (November 19, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Marc Collins – St. Louis, MO
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base (mixture); Southern District of Indiana
Sentence: 210 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $1,000 fine (March 4, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Aaron Keith Covington – Newport News, VA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; distribution of cocaine base (four counts); possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (six counts); distribution of cocaine (six counts); possess with intent to distribute cocaine (two counts); money laundering; Eastern District of Virginia
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 6, 2000)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· Eladio Cruz – Newark, NJ
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base (crack cocaine); District of New Jersey
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (June 24, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Virgil Leon Darville – Boynton Beach, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute at least 50 grams of cocaine base and at least 500 grams of powder cocaine; Southern District of Florida
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (February 20, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Ernest Mordeau Deas – Stone Mountain, GA
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; District of South Carolina
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (January 18, 2006)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Nicholas Jolise Deering – Des Moines, IA
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of cocaine base; Southern District of Iowa
Sentence: 223 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 29, 2010)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Delvin R. Dixon – Rockford, IL
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine; Southern District of Iowa
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (February 10, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Martin Leroy Dwyer – Columbia, SC
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as "crack" cocaine), five kilograms or more of powder cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana; District of South Carolina
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (July 17, 2008); amended to 188 months' imprisonment (August 23, 2010)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 4, 2017.
· Nathan Robert Engel – Willmar, MN
Offense: Distribution of methamphetamine; Southern District of Iowa
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 21, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Julio Figueroa – Philadelphia, PA
Offense: 1. Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilogramsor more of cocaine; unlawfully maintaining a place for the manufacture of controlled substances; distribution of cocaine and aiding and abetting (four counts); Eastern District of Pennsylvania
2. Supervised release violation (conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of cocaine; distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine and aiding and abetting); Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Sentence: 1. 360 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 19, 2008)
2. 6 months’ imprisonment (consecutive) (November 4, 2008)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment.
· Anthony P. Flemming – Pittsburgh, PA
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute and/or distribution of five (5) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute five (5) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute less than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine (two counts); Western District of Pennsylvania
Sentence: 188 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (March 22, 2007)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Leroy Fondren, Jr. – Kansas City, KS
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime; District of Kansas
Sentence: 180 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (March 26, 2007)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Todd Fitzgerald Frazier – Largo, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base, crack cocaine; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (November 10, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 262 months' imprisonment.
· Leticia Garcia – Weslaco, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute heroin; Central District of Illinois
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (July 18, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Lee Aaron George – Beaumont, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Eastern District of Texas
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 14, 2010)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Alvin Green – Los Angeles, CA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of cocaine base, aiding and abetting; use of a communications facility to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base, aiding and abetting (two counts); money laundering, aiding and abetting; District of Colorado
Sentence: Life imprisonment; three years' supervised release (April 7, 2004)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Roosevelt Hamlin – Chicago, IL
Offense: Distribution of cocaine base (crack); Central District of Illinois
Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 5, 2010)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 236 months' imprisonment.
· Lancell Maurice Harris – Little Rock, AR
Offense: Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (two counts); carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime (two counts); Eastern District of Arkansas
Sentence: 421 months' imprisonment; four years' supervised release (December 1, 1993); amended to 397 months' imprisonment (July 1, 2008); amended to 363 months' imprisonment (November 3, 2011); amended to 360 months' imprisonment (November 25, 2014)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Lavelle Henderson – Topeka, KS
Offense: Continuing criminal enterprise; money laundering; District of Kansas
Sentence: Life imprisonment; five years' supervised release (November 22, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· Lincoln Cardell Henderson – Kansas City, MO
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of “crack” cocaine; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of “crack” cocaine; Western District of Missouri
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 31, 2004)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment.
· Marty Herndon – Jenkinsville, SC
Offense: Possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine); District of South Carolina
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (April 13, 2004)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Willi J. Hill – Indianapolis, IN
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Southern District of Indiana
Sentence: 500 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release; $25,000 fine (January 11, 1995)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· Dontae Lamont Hunt – Atlanta, GA
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of cocaine base (two counts); carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; District of Oregon
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (September 23, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Arthur Jarrod Jackson – Dallas, TX
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute crack and aiding and abetting; carrying or use of a firearm during a drug crime and aiding and abetting; felon in possession of a firearm; Northern District of Texas
Sentence: 420 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (May 19, 1994)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Jesse Jackson, Jr. – Fort Worth, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; distribution of cocaine base and aiding and abetting; Northern District of Texas
Sentence: 320 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (December 3, 1996)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Rodrickus Antonio Jamison – Portsmouth, VA
Offense: Distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base; Western District of Virginia
Sentence: 188 months' imprisonment; four years' supervised release (July 31, 2006)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Cesar R. Jara – El Paso, TX
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana; Western District of Missouri
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (February 10, 2006)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· James Curtis Johnson – Fayetteville, NC
Offense: Distribution of 55.4 grams of cocaine base; Eastern District of North Carolina
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (March 20, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Christian Jones – Fountain, CO
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and five grams or more of cocaine base; District of Colorado
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (February 20, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Mark Louis Katzin, Sr. – Philadelphia, PA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; Use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 15, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on May 1, 2017.
· Roger Law – Boise, ID
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (two counts); possession of a listed chemical with knowledge of its wrongful intended use; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; District of Idaho
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release; $2,000 fine (November 8, 2001)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, and unpaid balance of fine remitted, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Jefferson Levine – Hollywood, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Southern District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; five years' supervised release (July 16, 2001)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 327 months' imprisonment.
· Brandon J. Lewis – Houston, TX
Offense: Drug trafficking conspiracy; use of telephone in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; Central District of Illinois
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (February 17, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 120 months' imprisonment.
· David Fitzgerald Lightner – Charlotte, NC
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of cocaine base; possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base and aid and abet same; Western District of North Carolina
Sentence: Life imprisonment; $25,000 fine (May 16, 1994)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2017, and unpaid balance of fine remitted.
· Gerald Lofton – Warren, OH
Offense: Conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine base; felon in possession of a firearm; Northern District of Ohio
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 18, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Maria Conchita Marino – West Point, NE
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; Southern District of Iowa
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (February 29, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Victor Matias, Jr. – Baraboo, WI
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; knowingly and intentionally distribute cocaine (three counts); knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute cocaine; Western District of Wisconsin
Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (March 29, 2001); amended to 292 months' imprisonment (March 16, 2015)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Jerald McCullough – Altoona, PA
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Western District of Pennsylvania
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (July 2, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 188 months' imprisonment.
· Lamont Alvin McElveen – Darlington, SC
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine; District of South Carolina
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (March 29, 2004)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Jimmy Phillip Medina – Ogden, UT
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; District of Utah
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 27, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Joseph Mike – Charlotte, NC
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; Western District of North Carolina
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 1, 2010)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· Ricky Gene Minor – Niceville, FL
Offense: Attempt to manufacture methamphetamine; Northern District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 22, 2001)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 262 months' imprisonment.
· Arlana Doris Moore – Grand Falls, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine list I chemicals with intent to manufacture methamphetamine; Western District of Texas
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 25, 2010)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Rodger Lee Moran – Des Moines, IA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute at least 50 grams of actual methamphetamine; Southern District of Iowa
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 25, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment.
· Krishna Mote – Montross, VA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 280 grams of cocaine base (crack) and in excess of 500 grams of cocaine; distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), aid and abet; Middle District of Pennsylvania
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 15, 2013)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment.
· Robert Lee Nickens – Front Royal, VA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine; Western District of Virginia
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; seven years' supervised release; $500 fine (March 31, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 5, 2016.
· Tesmone Darin Paschal – Maryville, TN
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; aided and abetted in the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Eastern District of Tennessee
Sentence: 300 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 2, 2007)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 188 months' imprisonment.
· Randy Patterson – Dalton, GA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture; Eastern District of Tennessee
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (November 3, 2003)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Karl Eugene Peacock – Bossier City, LA
Offense: Conspiracy to violate 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; Western District of Louisiana
Sentence: 241 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (May 13, 2005); amended to 240 months' imprisonment (November 1, 2014)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 217 months' imprisonment.
· Raul Perez – Miami, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 27, 2001)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 292 months' imprisonment.
· Jerry Pirtle – Springfield, IL
Offense: Distribution of 50 or more grams of cocaine base (crack); Central District of Illinois
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 5, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Ronald Pirtle – Bronx, NY
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (incorrectly listed on the judgment as cocaine); District of Maryland
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (December 22, 2004)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment.
· Cornelius D. Porter – Mount Rainer, MD
Offense: Felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of cocaine base; District of Maryland
Sentence: 360 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (December 9, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Derrick Drake Price – Midland, TX
Offense: 1. Conspiracy to distribute more than 5 grams of cocaine base; WesternDistrict of Texas
2. Violation of supervised release (possession with intent to distribute cocaine base); Western District of Texas
Sentence: 1. 188 months' imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (October 25,
2004)
2. 60 months' imprisonment (consecutive) (October 25, 2004)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 211 months' imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· John Purcell – Philadelphia, PA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine; manufacturing methamphetamine, aiding and abetting; Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 16, 2007)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Jason Rakel – Shreveport, LA
Offense: Conspiracy to violate 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); Western District of Louisiana
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (February 22, 2006)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Ronald Lee Razz – West Palm Beach, FL
Offense: Maintaining a drug-involved premises; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base; Southern District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 14, 2006)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· Andre Lefell Reese – San Angelo, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of cocaine base and aiding and abetting; distribution of less than five grams of cocaine base within 1,000 feet of public elementary school and aiding and abetting; possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of cocaine base within 1,000 feet of public elementary school and aiding and abetting; Northern District of Texas
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (May 1, 1998)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 300 months' imprisonment.
· Jose Ramon Rivas – Philadelphia, PA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base ("crack"); Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 22, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Chris Robinson – Winchester, TN
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride; use of a communication device (two counts); Eastern District of Tennessee
Sentence: Life imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (April 5, 2007)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment.
· Kevin Dwayne Rodgers – Big Spring, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; Western District of Texas
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 23, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Eduardo Rodriguez-Velez – Mayaguez, PR
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; District of Puerto Rico
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 31, 2007)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· Dameon Russell – Saginaw, MI
Offense: 1. Supervised release violation (Possession with intent to distributecocaine base); Eastern District of Michigan
2. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base; distribution of cocaine base (four counts); Eastern District of Michigan
Sentence: 1. 30 months' imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release (October 14,
2010)
2. 292 months' imprisonment (concurrent); (December 15, 2010); amended to 210 months' imprisonment; six years' supervised release (January 24, 2013)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 168 months' imprisonment.
· Jose Elias Salinas – Houston, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and 100 grams or more but less than one kilogram of heroin; Eastern District of Texas
Sentence: 180 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (October 13, 2010)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Russell Charles Seidel – Mandan, ND
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a controlled substance, aiding and abetting; District of North Dakota
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 120 months' supervised release (June 28, 2011)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 180 months' imprisonment.
· Eugene Durst Self – Odessa, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Western District of Texas
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 29, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Frank Lavelle Sharpe – Pinetta, FL
Offense: Distribution of cocaine base (four counts); Northern District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (January 14, 1999)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· Bart Ellis Shoupe – San Antonio, TX
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana; Western District of Texas
Sentence: 235 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 20, 2003)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Kenny Siepker – Carroll, IA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture; unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine while on pretrial release; Northern District of Iowa
Sentence: 372 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 11, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 300 months' imprisonment.
· Christopher Alan Simmons – Moline, IL
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; Central District of Illinois
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 7, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 188 months' imprisonment.
· Kamal Sims – Evansville, IN
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base (mixture); Southern District of Indiana
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (December 18, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· James Harold Smith – Waynesboro, VA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (two counts); Western District of Virginia
Sentence: 411 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (November 2, 2006)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Alan Jerome Spears – Cleveland, OH
Offense: Possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (crack); possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base (crack); Northern District of Ohio
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (January 15, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Lamarcus Walthugh Stilling – Seffner, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: 188 months' imprisonment; eight years' supervised release (March 6, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 168 months' imprisonment.
· Charles E. Stokes – Gifford, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Southern District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (June 3, 1996)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· James A. Stone – Detroit, MI
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and aiding and abetting; Eastern District of Kentucky
Sentence: Life imprisonment (June 23, 2000)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 262 months' imprisonment.
· Ausby Stowers – St. Paul, MN
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; District of Minnesota
Sentence: 262 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (April 19, 2002)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Shane Alan Taylor – Colorado Springs, CO
Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine; District of Utah
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release; $3,039.03 restitution (April 26, 2005)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018 and unpaid balance of restitution obligation remitted, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Chip J.W. Teague – Sallisaw, OK
Offense: Possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of firearm moved in interstate commerce (three counts); possession of firearm during drug trafficking crime (two counts); possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; manufacture methamphetamine (two counts); maintain place for manufacture of methamphetamine; Eastern District of Oklahoma
Sentence: 495 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (May 25, 2000)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Lawrence Kemp Tennille – Detroit, MI
Offense: Conspiracy with intent to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing detectable amount of cocaine base, a Schedule II controlled substance; Eastern District of Kentucky
Sentence: Life imprisonment (September 12, 1997)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months' imprisonment.
· Wilfredo Vasquez – New Port Richey, FL
Offense: 1. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more ofcocaine; possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; Middle District of Florida
2. Supervised release violation (conspiracy to import narcotics); Middle District of Florida
Sentence: 1. Life imprisonment (February 19, 2002)
2. 27 months' imprisonment (consecutive) (March 7, 2002)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months' imprisonment.
· Manuel Viera – Miami, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: 240 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (August 21, 2009)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 120 months' imprisonment.
· Shannon Alexander Washington – Lexington, KY
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; carrying firearm and ammunition during and in relation to drug trafficking crime; Eastern District of Kentucky
Sentence: Life plus 60 months' imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (September 28, 2007); amended to 240 months' imprisonment (October 6, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on October 6, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
· Henry Lee White – Orlando, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a drug trafficking crime; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: 420 months' imprisonment; five years' supervised release (October 21, 1998); amended to 340 months’ imprisonment (May 18, 1999)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on February 3, 2017.
· Charles M. Woolsey – West Baden Springs, IN
Offense: Possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture); possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession of marijuana; possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; prohibited person in possession of a firearm; Southern District of Indiana
Sentence: 300 months’ imprisonment; 10 years' supervised release (October 27, 2006); amended to life imprisonment (October 21, 2008)Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 300 months' imprisonment.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Second Degree Murder was sentenced on October 4, 2016, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Terry Goings III, a/k/a Baby T, age 23, was sentenced to 210 months’ custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Goings pleaded guilty to the charge on April 29, 2016. The charge related to Goings and others striking the victim with a cinder block, kicking the victim in the head and face, beating the victim with a stick, and striking the victim in the back of his head with a machete on July 12, 2015. The cause of death was multiple blunt trauma injuries to the head, including a skull fracture and hemorrhaging.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Goings was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Parkersburg man headed to federal prison for heroin crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man was sentenced to federal prison today for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Lawrence Matthew Garner, 34, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin. In today’s hearing, he was sentenced to two years and nine months for that offense. He was also sentenced to an additional two years in prison for violating his federal supervised release. The sentences will be served consecutively.
Garner admitted that on July 16, 2015, he was arrested by members of the South Charleston Police Department for delivery of a controlled substance. During a search incident to arrest, officers found over 37 grams of heroin in Garner’s possession.
The case against Garner was investigated by the South Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence.
This case 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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Owner of Los Angeles Medical Supply Company Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Los Angeles man who was the owner of a medical supply company was sentenced to 60 months in prison for his role in a scheme that fraudulently billed more than $4 million to Medicare.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker of the Central District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Deirdre L. Fike of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Christian Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Region made the announcement.
Valery Bogomolny, 44, was convicted of six counts of health care fraud following a jury trial on Nov. 6, 2015, before U.S. District Court Judge S. James Otero of the Central District of California. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Otero ordered Bogomolny to pay $1,266,860.03 in restitution.
According to evidence presented at trial, between January 2006 and October 2009, Bogomolny used his company, Royal Medical Supply, to bill Medicare $4 million for power wheelchairs (PWCs), back braces and knee braces that were medically unnecessary, not provided to beneficiaries or both. The evidence further showed that Bogomolny created false documentation to support his false billing claims, including creating fake reports of home assessments that never occurred. PWCs were delivered to beneficiaries who were able to walk without assistance and Bogomolny signed documents stating that he had delivered equipment when, in fact, the equipment was not actually delivered.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Ritesh Srivastava and Claire Yan are prosecuting the case.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,900 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for over $10 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Owner of Los Angeles Medical Supply Company Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A West Los Angeles man who was the owner of a medical supply company has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in a scheme that fraudulently billed more than $4 million to Medicare.
Valery Bogomolny, 44, of Westwood, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge S. James Otero, who also ordered the defendant to pay $1,266,860 in restitution.
The sentencing of Bogomolny was announced today by Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker; Assistant Director in Charge Deirdre L. Fike of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christian Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Los Angeles Region.
Bogomolny was found guilty by a federal jury in November 2015 of six counts of health care fraud. According to evidence presented at trial, between January 2006 and October 2009, Bogomolny used his company, Royal Medical Supply in the Beverly Grove district of Los Angeles, to bill Medicare $4 million for power wheelchairs, back braces and knee braces that were medically unnecessary, not provided to beneficiaries or both.
The evidence further showed that Bogomolny created false documentation to support his false billing claims, including creating fake reports of home assessments that never occurred. Power wheelchairs were delivered to beneficiaries who were able to walk without assistance. In other cases, Bogomolny signed documents stating that he had delivered equipment when, in fact, the equipment was not actually delivered.
“Royal Medical Supply was a complete fraud,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Many purported patients lived over 100 miles away from the storefront, most of the prescriptions were issued under the names of doctors either associated with or the victims of fraud, and most of the patients never received the equipment paid for by Medicare. Mr. Bogomolny supervised this scheme victimizing U.S. taxpayers, warranting this significant sentence.”
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California. DOJ Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Ritesh Srivastava and Claire Yan prosecuted the case.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which now operates in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,900 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $10 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine Involved in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EMETH SOLOMAN, 43, of New Haven, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine. The charge stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 23, 2016, 17 individuals in New Haven overdosed after consuming narcotics. Three of the victims died. An investigation conducted by the DEA and New Haven Police Department revealed that many or all of the victims believed the substance they were consuming was cocaine. However, DEA laboratory testing indicated the cocaine was laced with fentanyl, a powerful opioid that can be at least 50 times more powerful than heroin.
The investigation revealed that SOLOMAN purchased a quantity of the fentanyl-laced cocaine from his supplier, Frank Pina. SOLOMAN intended to, and did, in fact, consume some of the cocaine and sold the remainder to his niece for her consumption. SOLOMAN’s niece overdosed and died.
When questioned by federal law enforcement officers shortly after the overdose death of his niece, SOLOMAN intentionally provided false information concerning his knowledge of Pina’s drug trafficking activities and his involvement in his niece’s overdose death. SOLOMAN’s false statements during an ongoing public health crisis significantly impeded law enforcement’s investigation and efforts to ensure that the lethal cocaine/fentanyl mixture was removed from circulation on the streets of New Haven.
Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2017, at which time SOLOMAN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Pina was arrested on June 27, 2016. On August 4, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 31, 2016.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the New Haven Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad includes members from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton, Milford, Monroe, Fairfield and Manchester Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi M. Perry.
New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to $2.25 Million Internet Steroids DistributionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a New Hampshire man, who formerly lived in Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a $2.25 million conspiracy to sell anabolic steroids over the Internet.
Michael G. Peters, 28, of Pelham, N.H., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to participating in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute anabolic steroids and to a conspiracy to commit money laundering.
By pleading guilty today, Peters admitted that he and co-conspirators operated an Internet-based company, Power Trip, which sold various anabolic steroids to customers throughout the United States.
Peters became involved in the steroids and money-laundering conspiracies in June 2012. Initially his role was primarily to collect the illegal drug proceeds from customers who were required to pay via MoneyGram and Western Union, and also later via debit cards. Conspirators used stolen identities to produce or obtain debit cards, such as Green Dot MoneyPak, MyVanilla, ReloadIT, NetSpend ReloadIT and BlackHawk. They required their customers to send payments to these cards in order to conceal and disguise the proceeds of the illegal transactions.
Peters became more involved in purchasing supplies and assisting in the steroid manufacturing process, as well as handling online customer orders and shipping steroids to customers. Peters further acted in recruiting others to obtain their means of identification, which was used to produce various access devices that would be used to obtain the illegal drug proceeds.
In late summer 2013, Peters relocated the operation to the Kansas City, Mo., area, but relocated to North Carolina in the fall of 2014 in an effort to avoid detection of the operation.
Peters was arrested on Dec. 23, 2014, in a residence in North Carolina that was being used to manufacture and distribute illegal anabolic steroids. Peters was in possession of anabolic steroids (Oxandrolone and Methandrostenolone, Schedule III controlled substances). Also in the residence were firearms, numerous unauthorized debit cards, several vials with PowerTrip labels, a PowerTrip customer list, sheets of PowerTrip labels and various steroid product shipping labels. Peters also had a notebook that contained a handwritten recipe for the manufacture of several anabolic steroids offered for sale by PowerTrip.
During the conspiracy, Peters personally sent more than $3,000 in drug proceeds to China via Western Union and MoneyGram. Conspirators sent a total of approximately $200,000 in drug proceeds to China to purchase additional raw materials to manufacture anabolic steroids.
According to today’s plea agreement, a reasonable conservative estimate of the dosage units of anabolic steroids which were reasonably foreseeable to Peters is over 60,000 dosage units of Testosterone Propionate, Halotestin, and other anabolic steroids. This estimate is based upon the ingredients and amounts indicated in the steroid recipe notebook recovered when Peters was arrested in North Carolina.
Utilizing the least expensive raw ingredients for the manufactured finished product (Testosterone Propionate), and utilizing the known dollar amount of raw ingredients purchased by Peters and other conspirators (approximately $200,000, less shipping costs), would yield nearly 1 million grams of raw materials that could manufacture approximately 90,000 vials (approximately 900,000 dosage units based upon a 10 – 100mg dosage unit per vial). PowerTrip sold this product for $25 per vial, which results in a conservative estimate of gross proceeds of at least $2.25 million in sales.
Under federal statutes, Peters is subject to a sentence of up to 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.
Peters must forfeit to the government $2.25 million, which was derived from the proceeds of the illegal drug trafficking.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelsen. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Nashville Woman Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Former Metro Nashville Police Officer Sentenced for Unauthorized Use of Police ComputerRead the Press Release
Lakenya Anderson, 37 of Nashville, Tennessee, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kevin H. Sharpe, to serve 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Anderson was also ordered to pay restitution of $4,000.00 to the IRS.
On July 1, 2016, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of a 16-count indictment filed on December 9, 2015, charging her and co-defendant, Mackovis Peebles, Jr., with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, filing false claims and aggravated identity theft. As part of the plea agreement, Anderson admitted that on March 7, 2012, she asked Mackovis Peebles, an officer with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD), to obtain the social security numbers of her mother and her father so that she could file income tax returns in their names. On or about March 7, 2012, Peebles used a MNPD issued computer to search for information on Anderson's mother and father. After the search, he provided the social security numbers for both individuals to Anderson without any legitimate law enforcement purpose.
On March 8, 2012, Anderson used the social security numbers and birth dates of her parents that were provided to her by Peebles to file tax returns with the IRS for the tax year 2011, in the names of Anderson's parents, falsely claiming a refund was due to each of them in the amount of $1,000. Anderson received the refund from the IRS claimed for her mother in the form of a bank card. The refund claimed for her father was eventually received in the form of a check which Anderson cashed, keeping part of the money for herself.
Anderson also filed tax returns for the tax year 2011 in the names of two other individuals, that she knew, one of whom was living and one who she knew was deceased in 2010, falsely claiming a refund was due to each of them in the amount of $1,000. Anderson received one refund in the form of a check that was cashed for her by Peebles and one in the form of a bank card. Anderson received at least $1,000 in IRS tax refunds to which she was not entitled.
None of the four individuals whose names Anderson used to file the tax returns above gave her permission to file the returns, and none was entitled to the refund claimed on the returns she filed. When Anderson was confronted by law enforcement officers, she admitted that she asked Peebles to run her parents' names in his police computer to get information she could use to file the tax returns.
On May 17, 2016, Peebles pleaded guilty to one count of a Superseding Information charging him with computer fraud, specifically exceeding authorized access. Peebles admitted that, as a Metro Nashville Police officer, he was trained, tested and certified in the use of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system which is a data base that includes a wide range of personal information about individuals. Based on this training and certification, Peebles was allowed to access the NCIC system for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
Peebles admitted that he accessed personal information of Anderson’s parents and provided their social security numbers to Anderson without any legitimate law enforcement purpose in order to maintain his personal relationship with Anderson. On August 22, 2016, Peebles was sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $2,000.00.
This investigation was conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmie Lynn Ramsaur represented the government.
McLaughlin Man Charged with Aggravated AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Maurice Thundershield, age 22, was indicted on September 13, 2016. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on October 4, 2016, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on August 5, 2016, Thundershield aided and abetted in the assault of another individual with a bat, causing serious bodily injury.
The charge is merely an accusation and Thundershield is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Thundershield was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
McLaughlin Man Charged with Aggravated AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Leonard Red Horse, age 32, was indicted on September 13, 2016. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on October 4, 2016, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on August 5, 2016, Red Horse assaulted another individual with a bat, causing serious bodily injury.
The charge is merely an accusation and Red Horse is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Red Horse was temporarily remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney to Host Education Forums on Opioid Abuse EpidemicRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that he, along with representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the medical field, and representatives from the community, will host a number of education forums to discuss how best to confront the epidemic of opioid abuse that is ravaging so many of our communities, and the federal government’s response.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Close to 80 Americans die every day from opioid abuse. Indeed, more people die from drug overdoses now than automobile accidents or guns. This growing epidemic is everywhere – in our cities, our suburbs and our rural communities. This problem will not be solved by prosecutions alone, although law enforcement certainly must play its part. All of us – law enforcement, pharmaceutical companies, schools and parents – must work together to combat the scourge of opioid abuse. And that effort starts with education. That is why, over the coming weeks, I will be holding education forums in communities throughout our District to discuss this evolving challenge and will be talking about how our Office, the DEA, and others can help.”
Since 2000, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses has increased 137 percent, including a 200 percent increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (prescription opioid pain relievers and heroin). Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes and deaths from firearms. Each day, 78 Americans die of an opioid overdose. This increase mirrors large increases in heroin use across the country and has been shown to be closely tied to opioid pain reliever misuse and dependence. Past misuse of prescription opioids is the strongest risk factor for heroin initiation and use, specifically among persons who report past-year dependence or abuse. The increased availability of heroin, combined with its relatively low price (compared with diverted prescription opioids) and high purity, are major drivers of the upward trend in heroin use and overdose.[1]
Mr. Bharara will host the first educational forum on Thursday, October 20, 2016, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at New York University School of Law. Parents, teachers, medical professionals, and members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the urgent challenge of opioid addiction. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP here.
A second forum will be held Thursday, December 1, 2016, at Pace Law School in White Plains, New York, and a third forum will be held Thursday, December 8, 2016, at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. Details concerning these forums will be available on our website www.justice.gov/usao-sdny.
[1] http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6450a3.htm
Manatee County Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years for Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Virginia Covington today sentenced Ledale Johnson (51, Bradenton) to four years and three months in federal prison on charges relating to tax refund fraud and identity theft. He also was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $57,415 to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to the plea agreement and court documents, Johnson conspired with others in a scheme involving the filing of false tax returns that generated tax refunds, which were then downloaded onto prepaid debit cards in other people’s names, including deceased individuals. On several dates from October 2011 through March 2012, Johnson possessed and used unauthorized and counterfeit debit cards that had been loaded with fraudulent tax refunds. Funds from these fraudulent tax returns were withdrawn by Johnson at local ATMs, used to purchase money orders, or otherwise spent at local merchants on personal items. On two separate occasions, Johnson was found to be in possession of numerous fraudulent cards during traffic stops by law enforcement.
Attempts were made to file fraudulent income tax returns seeking refunds of more than $250,000, with nearly $58,000 obtained in fraudulent tax refunds.
This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen. This case is part of an ongoing initiative dedicated to combating the growing problem of identity theft and the fraudulent filing of electronic tax claims.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Donnail Lee Bailey, Jr., 29, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court to violating the federal firearms laws without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Bailey was arrested on June 18, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on April 1, 2016, in Dona Ana County, N.M.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Bailey pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Bailey was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition on April 1, 2016, because of his previous felony convictions for robbery and possession of a controlled substance.
At sentencing, Bailey faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Awards $7 Million to Improve Responses to Violence, Including Officer ShootingsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch today announced that the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) in the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) awarded $7 million to help communities respond to high profile violence, including shootings that involve law enforcement officers. The award, made to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in collaboration with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Yale School of Medicine, will help cities develop strategies to defuse tension and promote healing following events that cause collective community trauma.
“Violence does not occur in a vacuum,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. “It has a powerful effect on the psyche of an entire community, stirring painful emotions and raising difficult tensions. The Department of Justice is determined to stand with our citizen and law enforcement partners as they grapple with the aftermath of painful incidents. As part of that commitment, these vital grants will help communities acknowledge the effects of violence, address collective trauma, and promote unity and healing where it is needed most.”
The grant, awarded by OVC as part of its Vision 21 Initiative, will provide resources to law enforcement agencies to develop, implement and assess preventive and responsive trauma-informed interventions intended to promote community engagement and address the consequences of violent acts, including shootings of and by law enforcement officers. The IACP and its partners, in consultation with OVC, will select up to six demonstration sites to create and test evidence-based models. They will also provide training and technical assistance to the sites and recruit and train a rapid response team that will be deployed to help law enforcement agencies and communities in the wake of a crisis. The rapid response team comprises consultants and subject matter experts from law enforcement departments, victim assistance organizations and mental health agencies.
This award strengthens the Department of Justice’s commitment to building bridges of trust between communities and the agencies that serve them. Vision 21 is designed to marshal data, research and technology to help criminal justice agencies and victim service organizations meet both the long-standing and emerging challenges facing crime victims in the United States. The initiative is central to OJP’s efforts to improve the effectiveness of the justice system and heighten confidence in the system’s operations.
Justice Department Announces Statewide Investigation into Conditions in Alabama’s Prisons for MenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a statewide investigation into the conditions in Alabama’s prisons for men. The investigation will focus on whether prisoners are adequately protected from physical harm and sexual abuse at the hands of other prisoners; whether prisoners are adequately protected from use of excessive force and staff sexual abuse by correctional officers; and whether the prisons provide sanitary, secure and safe living conditions.
“The Constitution requires that prisons provide humane conditions of confinement,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We hope to work cooperatively with the state of Alabama in conducting our inquiry and ensuring that the state’s facilities keep prisoners safe from harm.”
“Our obligation is to protect the civil rights of all citizens, including those who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama. “This investigation provides us with an opportunity to work collaboratively with the state of Alabama to assess current conditions and ensure constitutionally sufficient conditions exist for all prisoners.”
“The vulnerability of a prisoner makes it even more important that basic hygiene and safe accommodations are afforded the inmates,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama.
“I am very pleased to have my office join the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama as well as the Civil Rights Division in opening an investigation into the Alabama prison system,” said U.S. Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama. “All citizens, even those who are incarcerated, should expect sanitary conditions of habitation that are free of physical harm and sexual abuse.”
The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). Under CRIPA, the department has the authority to investigate violations of prisoners’ constitutional rights that result from a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights.” The department has conducted CRIPA investigations of many correctional systems, and where violations have been found, the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama are conducting this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at (205) 244-2001 or by email at [email protected].
Justice Department Announces Statewide Investigation into Conditions in Alabama’s Prisons for MenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a statewide investigation into the conditions in Alabama’s prisons for men. The investigation will focus on whether prisoners are adequately protected from physical harm and sexual abuse at the hands of other prisoners; whether prisoners are adequately protected from use of excessive force and staff sexual abuse by correctional officers; and whether the prisons provide sanitary, secure and safe living conditions.
“The Constitution requires that prisons provide humane conditions of confinement,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We hope to work cooperatively with the state of Alabama in conducting our inquiry and ensuring that the state’s facilities keep prisoners safe from harm.”
“Our obligation is to protect the civil rights of all citizens, including those who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama. “This investigation provides us with an opportunity to work collaboratively with the state of Alabama to assess current conditions and ensure constitutionally sufficient conditions exist for all prisoners.”
“The vulnerability of a prisoner makes it even more important that basic hygiene and safe accommodations are afforded the inmates,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama.
“I am very pleased to have my office join the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama as well as the Civil Rights Division in opening an investigation into the Alabama prison system,” said U.S. Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama. “All citizens, even those who are incarcerated, should expect sanitary conditions of habitation that are free of physical harm and sexual abuse.”
The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). Under CRIPA, the department has the authority to investigate violations of prisoners’ constitutional rights that result from a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights.” The department has conducted CRIPA investigations of many correctional systems, and where violations have been found, the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama are conducting this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at (205) 244-2001 or by email at [email protected].
Justice Department Announces Statewide Investigation into Conditions in Alabama’s Prisons for MenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a statewide investigation into the conditions in Alabama’s prisons for men. The investigation will focus on whether prisoners are adequately protected from physical harm and sexual abuse at the hands of other prisoners; whether prisoners are adequately protected from use of excessive force and staff sexual abuse by correctional officers; and whether the prisons provide sanitary, secure and safe living conditions.
“The Constitution requires that prisons provide humane conditions of confinement,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We hope to work cooperatively with the state of Alabama in conducting our inquiry and ensuring that the state’s facilities keep prisoners safe from harm.”
“Our obligation is to protect the civil rights of all citizens, including those who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama. “This investigation provides us with an opportunity to work collaboratively with the state of Alabama to assess current conditions and ensure constitutionally sufficient conditions exist for all prisoners.”
“The vulnerability of a prisoner makes it even more important that basic hygiene and safe accommodations are afforded the inmates,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama.
“I am very pleased to have my office join the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama as well as the Civil Rights Division in opening an investigation into the Alabama prison system,” said U.S. Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama. “All citizens, even those who are incarcerated, should expect sanitary conditions of habitation that are free of physical harm and sexual abuse.”
The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). Under CRIPA, the department has the authority to investigate violations of prisoners’ constitutional rights that result from a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights.” The department has conducted CRIPA investigations of many correctional systems, and where violations have been found, the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama are conducting this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at (205) 244-2001 or by email at [email protected]
Justice Department Announces Statewide Investigation into Conditions in Alabama's Prisons for MenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a statewide investigation into the conditions in Alabama’s prisons for men. The investigation will focus on whether prisoners are adequately protected from physical harm and sexual abuse at the hands of other prisoners; whether prisoners are adequately protected from use of excessive force and staff sexual abuse by correctional officers; and whether the prisons provide sanitary, secure and safe living conditions.
“The Constitution requires that prisons provide humane conditions of confinement,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We hope to work cooperatively with the state of Alabama in conducting our inquiry and ensuring that the state’s facilities keep prisoners safe from harm.”
“Our obligation is to protect the civil rights of all citizens, including those who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama. “This investigation provides us with an opportunity to work collaboratively with the state of Alabama to assess current conditions and ensure constitutionally sufficient conditions exist for all prisoners.”
“The vulnerability of a prisoner makes it even more important that basic hygiene and safe accommodations are afforded the inmates,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama.
“I am very pleased to have my office join the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama as well as the Civil Rights Division in opening an investigation into the Alabama prison system,” said U.S. Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama. “All citizens, even those who are incarcerated, should expect sanitary conditions of habitation that are free of physical harm and sexual abuse.”
The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). Under CRIPA, the department has the authority to investigate violations of prisoners’ constitutional rights that result from a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights.” The department has conducted CRIPA investigations of many correctional systems, and where violations have been found, the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama are conducting this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at (205) 244-2001 or by email at [email protected].
Judge Sentences Pittsburgh Man for Role in Cross-Country Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh resident has been sentenced in federal court to 18 months’ imprisonment on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Kelvin Whittle, 58.
According to information presented to the Court, in 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies joined forces in a multi-agency wiretap investigation of drug trafficking and violence in the Homewood section of Pittsburgh. The interception of wire and electronic communications began in December 2013 and continued through the end of August 2014. During that timeframe, Kelvin Whittle was intercepted over the wire conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute cocaine, which was shipped from California to the Western District of Pennsylvania through the United States Postal Service or commercial carrier.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to fulfill the purposes of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, Wilkinsburg Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Munhall Police Department, Duquesne Police Department, Monroeville Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Whittle.
Judge Sentences Munhall to Almost 4 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute HeroinRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months’ imprisonment on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute heroin, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence yesterday on William Blair, 35, of Munhall, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, in 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies joined forces in a multi-agency wiretap investigation of drug trafficking and violence in the Homewood section of Pittsburgh. The interception of wire and electronic communications began in December 2013 and continued through the end of August 2014. During that timeframe, William Blair was intercepted over the wire conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute heroin, which the conspirators obtained in Cleveland, Ohio, and transported to the Western District of Pennsylvania for further distribution.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, Wilkinsburg Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Munhall Police Department, Duquesne Police Department, Monroeville Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Blair.