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Thursday 18 August 2016
Federal and State Authorities Arrest Seven in Madisonville for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Today, federal, state and local authorities arrested seven Madisonville, TX, residents charged in connection with a methamphetamine trafficking operation announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit, Houston Division, and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw.
Those arrested today include: 26-year-old Ezequiel Guevara (aka “Ziek”); 23-year-old Pedro Martinez-Castandeda (aka “Dro,” “Pedro”); 27-year-old Manuel Martinez (aka “Meme”); 19-year-old Victor Doubrovski; 28-year-old Steven Jerrell Manning (aka “Rell”); 23-year-old Dedrick Dondre Whaley (aka “Lowkey”); and 23–year-old Jeremy Shaffer (aka “Jergo”).
A federal grand jury indictment returned in Waco and unsealed this afternoon charges the defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine since April 2015. During this year-long investigation, authorities took possession of approximately 1.5 kilograms of “crystal” methamphetamine through undercover purchases from the defendants.
Upon conviction, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison.
All of the defendants remain in federal custody at this time. Detention hearings are expected to occur next week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Manske in Waco.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Texas Department of Public Safety -- Criminal Investigation Division together with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Houston Division, and Madison County District Attorney Brian Risinger. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), United States Marshals Service, and the Brazos County Sheriff’s office assisted with today’s arrests. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Kucera is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
FCI-Greenville Inmate Pleads Gulity to Possession of Contraband by A Federal InmateRead the Press Release
Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on August 17, 2016, Antonio M. Green, 26, pled guilty to an indictment charging him with Possession of Contraband by a Federal Inmate, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1791(a)(2). At the time the offense was committed, Green was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution located in Greenville, Illinois. Johnson faces a term of imprisonment of not more than five years, a fine up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than three (3) years. Green’s sentence must be served consecutively to the sentence he is currently serving. Green’s sentencing has been scheduled for December 2, 2016, in East St. Louis, Illinois. Green has been held without bond since his arraignment on July 11, 2016.
The charge arose when, on April 4, 2016, a correctional officer performed a random shakedown of Green’s cell and found a 7 inch, ice pick-style weapon with a handle in his locker. Green admitted the weapon was his, stating that he had it for his own protection.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigation Section. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
East Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Distributing Heroin and Illegally Possessing WeaponsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug and firearm laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The four-count indictment, returned on Aug. 17, named Douglas Tyrone Williams, age 36, of East Pittsburgh, PA.
According to the indictment, on or about July 20, 2016, Williams possessed with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance. The indictment further alleges that during July, 2016, Williams conspired with others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
According to the indictment, Williams also possessed a 9 mm caliber semi-automatic Ruger pistol bearing serial number 321-57348; a 9 mm caliber semi-automatic Beretta pistol with an obliterated serial number; a 45 caliber semi-automatic Para-Ordnance pistol bearing serial number P132015; a 22 caliber American Tactical Imports assault-style rifle bearing serial number A526980; and a 22 caliber CBC assault-style rifle bearing serial number ELB3341813 in furtherance of those drug offenses, after having been convicted of crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Those cases include one conviction for Aggravated Assault, one conviction for Illegally Carrying a Firearm Without a License, and one conviction for Murder.
The law provides for a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,500,000.00, and the forfeiture of the firearms. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Duval County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison on Counterfeit Currency and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Deryck Dean Barcous (27, Jacksonville) to 46 months in federal prison for selling counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. In a companion case, Judge Davis sentenced Barcous to 14 months’ imprisonment for violating his federal supervised release. At the time Barcous committed these new criminal offenses, he was on federal supervised release for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.
According to court documents, on October 20, 2015, Barcous sold $3,640 in counterfeit currency to a confidential source (CS) working on behalf of law enforcement. During that transaction, Barcous displayed a firearm and offered to sell it to the CS. In a follow-up meeting two days later, Barcous sold the CS $5,600 in counterfeit currency and a loaded firearm and ammunition. He was subsequently arrested. Further investigation revealed that Barcous had four prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service -Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Shooting at Anacostia Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demetri Goldsmith, 18, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from the shooting of a teenage girl last spring near the Anacostia Metro station, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Goldsmith pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of assault with significant bodily injury and unlawful possession of a firearm. The assault charge carries a statutory maximum of three years in prison and the firearms charge carries up to 10 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2016. Goldsmith has been in custody since his arrest three days after the shooting.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, May 29, 2016, during Memorial Day weekend, Goldsmith was at the Anacostia Metro station in the 1100 block of Howard Rod SE. At approximately 7:30 p.m., he was talking to the 16-year-old victim near the station’s entrance. He pulled a firearm from his jacket and fired in the direction of the girl, shooting her in the left leg. This action was intentional and not by mistake or accident. Goldsmith put the firearm back in his jacket and biked away. The victim was taken to a hospital.
At the time of this shooting, Goldsmith was on probation for an earlier conviction involving a robbery that took place in April 2015 in Northeast Washington. He was charged as an adult in that case and pled guilty in May 2015 to robbery. He was sentenced in September 2015 to 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. However, that time was suspended on the condition that he successfully complete 18 months of supervised probation. He now faces the revocation of his probation in that case.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips, Chief Pavlik, and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany A. Keil, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Delhi doctor pleads guilty to writing illegal prescriptionsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Delhi medical doctor pleaded guilty Tuesday to writing illegal prescriptions.
Dan J. LaFleur, 64, of Delhi, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of distribution of Suboxone, a Schedule III medication used to treat opiate addiction. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, Dr. LaFleur issued illegal prescriptions from 2012 through February 2013 from his residence in Delhi, from the Northeast Louisiana Health Center in Rayville, and from his suboxone clinic in Rayville, La. On February 6, 2013, law enforcement executed seven search warrants at the locations and several pharmacies in Rayville and Delhi. Illegal prescriptions, patient records, bags, cartons, packages, and prescription bottles containing Schedule III and IV controlled substances were seized at all of the locations.
LaFleur faces up to 10 years in prison, two years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
The DEA and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Sentenced for Role in May 2013 Murder of Southlake, Texas, ManRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — One of the Mexican citizens convicted for his role in the May 2013 murder of Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa in Southlake, Texas, was sentenced today, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Campano, 32, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to 20 years in federal prison. Ledezma-Campano pleaded guilty in March 2016 to one count of interstate stalking and testified for the government at trial.
Two co-defendants in the case, his father, Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Cepeda, a/k/a “Chuy” and “Juan Ramos,” 60, and his cousin, Jose Luis Cepeda-Cortes, 60, also Mexican citizens, were each convicted at trial in May 2016 on one count of interstate stalking and one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Each offense carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Cepeda-Cortes was also convicted on one count of tampering with documents or proceedings, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Both are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Means on September 22, 2016.
On May 22, 2013, at approximately 6:47 p.m., Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa was ambushed and shot multiple times with a 9mm pistol while seated in his Range Rover that was parked at Southlake Town Square. A Toyota Sequoia pulled up behind the Range Rover, a gunman got out of that vehicle, walked up to the Range Rover, and fired several times through the window at Mr. Chapa, who died at the scene. Nearby, Mr. Chapa’s wife was not harmed; Ledezma-Campano admitted seeing her screaming outside the vehicle.
According to evidence presented at trial and documents filed in the case, from approximately March 1, 2011, until May 22, 2013, the three defendants traveled in interstate and foreign commerce from Mexico to Southlake, and elsewhere, with the intent to kill, injure, harass and intimidate Mr. Chapa, and as a result of that travel, Mr. Chapa was killed. In addition, from approximately May 23, 2013, until September 5, 2014, Cepeda-Cortes took steps to destroy evidence on his computer related to the investigation.
The defendants were acting on orders from a man in Mexico, Rodolfo Villarreal Hernandez, known as “El Gato,” or “the Cat,” who wanted Mr. Chapa killed as revenge for his father’s murder. Over the course of the conspiracy, Ledezma-Campano and Ledezma-Cortes received money from Ledezma-Cepeda to pay for their expenses. Ledezma-Cepeda was paid by “El Gato.”
Ledezma-Cepeda asked his son, Ledezma-Campano, to assist in the search. Ledezma-Campano used his skill with electronic devices to assist in the search, and he created email accounts for Ledezma-Cepeda and “El Gato” to communicate with each other.
The defendants exchanged information via email to locate Mr. Chapa – exchanging personal information about Mr. Chapa and his family as well as information regarding vehicles associated with them and photographs of the Chapa residence in Southlake.
The defendants used various means to locate and track Mr. Chapa and members of his family. Cepeda-Cortes purchased surveillance cameras that were placed in various locations in Mr. Chapa’s neighborhood. In addition, while in the area, the defendants purchased and rented several vehicles that allowed them to frequently change vehicles and use non-descript rental vehicles to avoid detection by Mr. Chapa and his family. They placed automobile tracking devices not only on their own vehicles, but on vehicles owned and operated by Mr. Chapa and his relatives, including the Range Rover Mr. Chapa was in when he was murdered.
After the defendants located Mr. Chapa, “El Gato” sent two assassins from Mexico to Southlake to kill him. Ledezma-Campano met the two, whom he identified as “Clorox” and “Captain,” and concluded they were sent to kill Mr. Chapa. One of the men was, in fact, the gunman who killed the victim on May 22, 2013, and the other drove the Toyota Sequoia.
On the day of the murder, Ledezma-Campano and Ledezma-Cepeda followed the victim around Southlake, and that afternoon, while the victim’s Range Rover was parked in a Walmart parking lot, Ledezma-Campano and Ledezma-Cepeda switched the tracking device on the Range Rover.
At approximately 6:00 p.m. on May 22, 2013, Mr. Chapa and his wife drove to Southlake Town Square. Ledezma-Campano and Ledezma-Cepeda, who had been parked near Chapa’s home, followed them. Mr. Chapa parked in his regular parking spot near a yogurt store, and Ledezma-Campano and Ledezma-Cepeda parked directly across from them and used binoculars to watch them.
As they waited, Ledezma-Cepeda was in regular contact, via Blackberry Messenger, with “El Gato.” Ledezma-Campano saw “Clorox” and “Captain” drive by in a Toyota Sequoia. Ledezma-Campano went into a coffee shop in Town Square and while inside he heard a commotion outside. He returned to Ledezma-Cepeda who told him “they shot him”
Ledezma-Campano and Ledezma-Cepeda waited several minutes as law enforcement responded before leaving the scene. “El Gato” told both of them to stop using the tracking device they carried in their vehicle. The next morning, they returned the rental car and drove directly into Mexico, along the way destroying the phones they had used.
The investigation was led by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Southlake Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Texas Department of Public Safety, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, Fort Worth Police Department and Grapevine Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Burgess and Aisha Saleem are prosecuting the case.
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Darren Sharper Sentenced on Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that DARREN SHARPER, age 40, formerly of New Orleans, was sentenced today after having previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute Alprazolam, Diazepam and Zolpidem, with intent to commit rape and two counts of distributing these substances with intent to commit rape.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced SHARPER to 220 months of incarceration, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $20,000 fine.
SHARPER has previously pled guilty to similar charges in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. He has also entered into a conditional plea in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. According to court records, SHARPER admitted that he and others distributed controlled substances to unsuspecting women and then had sexual relations with them while they were incapacitated. SHARPER also admitted that he conspired with other persons in committing these offenses.
Co-defendants Brandon Licciardi and Erik Nunez, who both pled guilty last month, are scheduled for sentencing on October 13, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. U.S. Attorney Polite also thanked the victims for their courage and willingness to come forward. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael E. McMahon, Theodore Carter, and Brandon Long were in charge of the prosecution.
Dallas Insurance Agent Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Kyle Scott Boyd, an insurance agent from Dallas, appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney and pleaded guilty to a felony Information charging one count of making or subscribing to a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
According to the factual resume filed in the case, Boyd, a licensed insurance agent, owned and operated Insurance 3 Group, Inc. in Dallas. During tax years 2008 and 2009, Boyd received insurance commissions (income) of approximately $526,465 and $572,942, respectively. The majority of those commissions, paid by various insurance companies, were deposited into an account, held by Insurance 3 Group, Inc., at Amegy Bank, for which Boyd was the sole signatory at least during tax years 2007 to 2009. Boyd used the funds in that account for both personal and business expenses.
In early September 2010, Boyd filed his federal income tax returns for tax years 2008 and 2009 in connection with obtaining financing for his residence in Dallas. Prior to that, according to the factual resume, Boyd had not filed any tax returns on behalf of Insurance 3 Group, Inc., nor any individual tax returns for tax years 2007 through 2009. With both returns, Boyd filed Schedule C forms that identified his income source as “insurance agent license rental,” and he reported $12,000 in income for tax years 2008 and 2009.
In reality, according to the factual resume, Boyd had not rented out his insurance agent license, and he received insurance commissions of more than $500,000 for each of those years, as noted above. Based on bank records, Boyd’s business expenses for tax year 2008 totaled approximately $371,591, which left a net business income of approximately $154,874. His business expenses for tax year 2009 totaled approximately $349,670, netting a business income of approximately $223,272. The resulting tax loss, according to the factual resume, was $43,364 for tax year 2008 and $62,516 for tax year 2009.
The maximum statutory penalty for making or subscribing to a false return is three years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Boyd will be required to pay $105,880 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A sentencing date has not been set.
The investigation was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Walker and Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller are prosecuting.
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Dallas Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Iran Zavala, 28, of Dallas, was sentenced this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 235 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in April 2016 to a felony Information charging one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Zavala’s co-conspirator in the case, Santiago Veliz, 29, pleaded guilty in May 2016 to the same offense and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Boyle on October 6, 2016. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.
According to documents filed in the case, beginning in approximately June 2015, Zavala, Veliz and others agreed to distribute methamphetamine. On approximately June 29, 2015, Zavala negotiated the sale of two kilograms of methamphetamine for $32,000 to a person he later learned was an undercover law enforcement officer.
A few days later, on July 2, 2015, Zavala and Veliz traveled to a gas station on N. Beltline Road in Grand Prairie, Texas, to distribute one kilogram of methamphetamine to a person Zavala believed to be customer. They had both the methamphetamine and a firearm in their pickup truck. However, prior to the drug transaction being completed, law enforcement in marked patrol cars attempted to pull over Zavala’s vehicle. Rather than stop, Zavala fled in the truck at a high rate of speed, and during the chase, Zavala threw the methamphetamine out of the driver’s side window. The firearm was thrown out of the passenger side window.
At today’s sentencing hearing, testimony was presented that Zavala intentionally drove his pickup truck at a high rate of speed toward an officer with the Grand Prairie Police Department who was attempting to lay a spike strip in the road to deflate the tires on Zavala’s fleeing vehicle. Zavala is charged in a pending Dallas County case with Aggravated Assault of a Public Servant.
The pursuit ended when Zavala drove his vehicle into Mountain Creek Lake where it collided with a sailboat near the boat ramp. Both Zavala and Veliz were arrested. The firearm, a 9-milimeter semi-automatic pistol, was recovered and ordered forfeited to the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Grand Prairie Police Department investigated the case. Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert was in charge of the prosecution.
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Buffalo Man Sentenced on Drug ChargeRead 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 Larry White, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of distributing crack cocaine, was sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on April 1, 2014, the defendant sold approximately 26 grams of crack cocaine at 74 Woltz Avenue in Buffalo to a confidential informant working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). On June 3, 2014, White again sold crack cocaine, approximately 25 grams, to a confidential informant working with the DEA.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Trying to Renew the Passport of A Dead ManRead 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 Porfirio Rosa, a/k/a Luis Rosa, 74, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of making false statements in application for a passport, was sentenced to time served (six months) by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott S. Allen, Jr. and Stephanie Lamarque, who handled the case, stated that on October 9, 2015, the Western Passport Center in Tucson, Arizona received a United States Passport Renewal Application from an individual identifying himself as Luis Rosa. The application was mailed from the defendant’s residence in Buffalo. As proof of identity and citizenship, the defendant submitted an expired U.S. passport issued in 2003 in the name of Luis Rosa.
Further investigation revealed that the name, social security number, and date of birth provided on the passport renewal application and original passport belonged to a man who died in 1995.
At the time of his arrest, the defendant was in possession of several New York State identification cards as well as federal Social Security cards containing several different names, dates of birth, and social security numbers.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of State, under the direction of William Ferrari and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John Grasso.
Brooke County man pleads guilty to firearm, drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Patrick Hauck, 34, of Wellsburg, West Virginia, has been convicted of federal drug and gun charges, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Hauck, who has prior felony convictions for “Breaking and Entering” in Brooke County and “Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm” in federal court, was discovered in possession of a 7.62 caliber rifle in January 2015. In February 2015, he possessed pseudoephedrine that was to be used to make methamphetamine.
He pled guilty on Wednesday to one count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm” and one count of “Possession of Pseudoephedrine to be Used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine.”
Hauck faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearm charge and up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the drug charge. 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 David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the West Virginia State Police, and the Follansbee Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.
Bellmead Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
In Waco, 28-year-old William Ervin Taylor of Bellmead, TX, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio Division, and McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara.
During yesterday’s sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Walter S. Smith, Jr., also ordered that Taylor pay $10,000 restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing his prison term.
On April 14, 2016, Taylor pleaded guilty to the charge. By pleading guilty, Taylor admitted that beginning in March 2015, he distributed images and videos depicting child pornography to individuals he later discovered were undercover HSI agents.
In August 2015, federal and state authorities arrested Taylor following the execution of a search warrant at his residence. A subsequent forensics examination of seized materials, including the defendant’s computer tablet and cellphone, revealed the presence of child pornography. Taylor has remained in custody since his arrest.
“By conducting these types of investigations, Homeland Security Investigations is taking child predators off the Internet, off the streets, and putting them behind bars,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, HSI San Antonio. “This sentence sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those who exploit children in any way. Targeting crimes of this nature is a high priority for HSI. We will continue to dedicate resources and work with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice these individuals.”
This investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations together with the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Kucera prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
This 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 and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Bay Area Woman Arrested on Federal Stalking and Computer Hacking Charges Stemming from Harassment of Kris Jenner and AssociatesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Northern California nurse’s assistant was arrested this morning on federal cyberstalking and hacking charges related to harassment and threats targeting television personality Kristen Jenner, members of her family and two assistants.
Christina Elizabeth Bankston, 36, of Newark, California, was arrested at her residence Thursday morning by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bankston was arrested pursuant to a 15-count indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on July 26 and unsealed today. Bankston is scheduled to make her first appearance Friday morning in United States District Court in Oakland.
“This defendant is charged with stalking her victims over six months,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The defendant’s criminal conduct included hacking personal accounts, impersonating her victims, extortion, and ‘swatting.’ This case illustrates that stalking is a very serious criminal offense. Such conduct can put lives in danger, cause considerable stress and anxiety to victims, and consume considerable law enforcement resources to respond to the false emergency calls. We take seriously the defendant's reckless and outrageous electronic intrusion into the private lives of the victims, and will prosecute such conduct to the fullest extent of the law.”
Most of the stalking and hacking was conducted anonymously while Bankston was in Northern California and consisted of her sending large numbers of text messages and e-mails, as well as making harassing phone calls, according to the indictment. Bankston allegedly used a variety of electronic means that caused or were intended to cause substantial emotional distress to the victims and their families.
“The defendant in this case went to great lengths to stalk and even impersonate her victims to concoct disturbing scenarios that could have put lives in danger,” said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The violations alleged are egregious and the criminal charges should serve as a warning to anyone contemplating similar behavior targeting victims, whether they are celebrities or not.”
According to the indictment, among other things, Bankston:
· made multiple phone calls in which she impersonated Kristen Jenner, some of which involved false claims that Kristen Jenner had cancer and needed help, and one in which Bankston falsely told law enforcement that a family member was attempting to commit suicide at Kristen Jenner's residence;
· sent numerous electronic messages to Kristen Jenner, in which Bankston claimed to be tracking Kristen Jenner and to have put tracking devices on Kristen Jenner’s vehicle, with some messages specifically referencing that Bankston was stalking Kristen Jenner and her family;
· sent harassing and threatening text messages to Caitlyn Jenner;
· gained unauthorized access to Kristen Jenner’s iCloud account, which allowed Bankston to impersonate Kristen Jenner in text messages to Caitlyn Jenner and one of Kristen Jenner’s children, some of which Bankston later threatened to release publically;
· hacked into the email account of another member of the Jenner family;
· made Internet postings that published telephone numbers for Kristen Jenner, two family members and a friend;
· gained unauthorized access to Kristen Jenner’s Instagram account and publicly posted comments under Kristen Jenner's name and likeness that include disparaging comments about a member of Jenner’s family; and
· falsely told law enforcement that someone was going to Kristen Jenner's residence to commit a massacre.
Bankston specifically is charged with six counts of stalking, one count for each victim discussed in the indictment – Kristen Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner, two of Kristen Jenner assistants and two unnamed Jenner family members. The indictment further charges four counts of computer hacking, one count of extortion by threat targeting one of Kristen Jenner’s assistants, and four counts of aggravated identity theft related to the computer hacking offenses.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Each of the cyberstalking and computer hacking offenses carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
This case is being investigated by the FBI.
Babulal Bera Sentenced for Making Illegal Contributions to His Son’s Congressional CampaignRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Babulal Bera, 83, of La Palma, was sentenced today to 12 months and a day in prison for making excessive campaign contributions and making campaign contributions in the name of another. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert made the announcement.
According to court documents, in 2010 and 2012, Bera’s son was a candidate for a seat in the United States Congress representing District 3 (2010) and District 7 (2012) from the state of California. With respect to both elections, the defendant made the maximum allowable individual contributions to his son’s campaign, and he also solicited friends, family members and acquaintances to make contributions, which he then reimbursed with his own funds. Bera did this to make contributions to his son’s campaign in excess of the contribution limits established by federal law. With respect to the 2010 and 2012 elections, the government has identified over 130 improper campaign contributions totaling over $260,000 and involving approximately 90 contributors living in multiple states.
In imposing the sentence recommended by the government, the Court balanced the serious nature of Bera’s offense with the defendant’s advanced age and associated health issues. The Court said the defendant’s conduct was “calculated,” and “cuts to the heart of the integrity we expect of elections.”
“The District Court gave thorough and thoughtful consideration to the arguments of both parties in imposing sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Talbert. “That sentence, which is significant given this defendant’s age, sends a clear message that campaign finance crimes are serious offenses that will result in real consequences.”
“Mr. Babulal Bera knew the law when it came to campaign contributions, but he tried to beat the system using straw donors,” said Monica Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “His sentence demonstrates the U.S. Government takes these crimes seriously and will spare no effort to defend the integrity of the electoral process which is the foundation of American democracy.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys John K. Vincent and Philip A. Ferrari, and Department of Justice Public Integrity Section Trial Attorney Richard Evans prosecuted the case.
Avon man charged in child pornography caseRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today that an Avon man has been charged in a federal complaint with ten counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Jerry Boucher, 43, Avon, had his initial appearance before a magistrate judge this afternoon and remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshal.
On July 22, 2016, agents and task force officers conducted an on line Internet investigation, when a computer was allegedly found to be sharing child pornography using the BitTorrent network. The computer was tracked through the IP address to Boucher’s computer at his residence in Avon. On August 17, 2016, a federal search warrant was obtained and computers and storage media were allegedly located in Boucher’s bedroom containing child pornography videos and images.
This investigation was jointly conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force.
Boucher works as a children’s volleyball coach. The public is encouraged to call Homeland Security Investigations if they have any information about this case at 317- 216-0252.
Senior Litigation Counsel Steven DeBrota, who is prosecuting the case for the government, said Boucher could receive 20 years in prison if convicted.
A complaint is merely a charge and not evidence of guilt. All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in federal court.
Authorities Arrest 24 in Maverick and Zavala Counties on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 24 individuals in Maverick and Zavala counties based on federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit today.
Those arrested today include:
Name Age Residence
SONIA BALBOA 52 Eagle Pass, TX
SUCEL BALBOA a.k.a. “Susan” 27 Eagle Pass
BALDEMAR BALBOA 24 Eagle Pass
WILIBALDO MORA, SR. a.k.a. “Willie” 50 Crystal City, TX
WILIBALDO MORA, JR. 23 Crystal City
JORGE RIVERA 37 Crystal City
PURA GARZA ESQUIVEL 49 Eagle Pass
TERESA SANTA LOPEZ 48 Eagle Pass
ANGEL LEE RAMIREZ 28 Del Rio, TX
DAVID DAVALOS, SR. 47 Crystal City
DAVID DAVALOS, JR. 26 Crystal City
JACINTO DAVALOS 41 Crystal City
MARICELA ALVARADO DAVALOS 32 Crystal City
BRUCE DAVALOS 34 Crystal City
GERARDO FIGUEROA a.k.a. “Bebo” 50 Crystal City
ROBERT TELLES 49 Crystal City
RAMIRO RAMIREZ a.k.a. “Ram” 55 Crystal City
RONALD DAVALOS a.k.a. “Gato” 46 Crystal City
ROGELIO DAVILA JR. a.k.a. “Roy” 23 Crystal City
ROGELIO DAVILA SR. 61 Crystal City
ARTURO HERNANDEZ a.k.a. “Cheffy” 38 Crystal City
ARNOLDO ALMEDIA a.k.a. “Ernie” 57 Crystal City
ABELARDO RODRIGUEZ a.k.a. “AB” 24 Crystal City
SIMON CONTRERAS 59 Crystal City
Genaro Balboa-Falcon, age 47 of Mexico, and Joseph Garza (a.k.a. “Cain”), age 30 of Crystal City, are considered fugitives.
A nine-count federal grand jury indictment, returned on Tuesday and unsealed this morning in Del Rio, charges the above-named defendants--with the exception of David Davalos, Jr. and Maricela Alvarado Davalos--with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The indictment charges David Davalos, Jr. and Maricela Alvarado Davalos with using a cellular telephone to facilitate drug trafficking. David Davalos, Sr., Jacinto Davalos, and Bruce Davalos are also charged with one count of maintaining a residence for the distribution of cocaine. Genaro Balboa-Falcon, Sonia Balboa, Sucel Balboa, Baldemar Balboa, Wilibaldo Mora, Sr., Jorge Rivera, Pura Esquivel and Teresa Lopez are also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The indictment alleges that since October 1, 2012, the defendants were part of a cocaine distribution conspiracy operating primarily in the Eagle Pass and Crystal City areas.
The indictment also seeks the criminal forfeiture of nine real estate properties—two in Eagle Pass and seven in Crystal City—alleged as proceeds derived from the illegal drug trafficking activities. The indictment also seeks a $5.98 Million money judgement which represents the alleged proceeds derived from, and the value of property involved in, the criminal enterprise.
During this investigation, authorities have seized more than 2.5 kilograms of cocaine, approximately 660 pounds of marijuana, 36 firearms, 35 vehicles, a bullet-proof vest, and approximately $110,000 in U.S. Currency attributed to the criminal enterprise.
Upon conviction of the drug conspiracy count and in accordance with individually charged cocaine amounts, Genaro Balboa-Falcon, Sonia Balboa, Wilibaldo Mora Sr, Jorge Rivera, David Davalos Jacinto Davalos and Bruce Davalos face between ten years and life in federal prison; Sucel Balboa, Baldemar Balboa, Wilibaldo Mora, Jr., Pura Esquivel, Teresa Lopez, Angel Ramirez, Gerardo Figueroa, Robert Telles, Ramiro Ramirez, Ronald Davalos, Rogelio Davila, Jr., Rogelio Davila, Sr., Arturo Hernandez, Joseph Garza, Arnoldo Almedia, Simon Contreras, and Abelardo Rodriguez face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Upon conviction of maintaining a residence for the purpose of drug trafficking, the defendants face up to 20 years imprisonment. Upon conviction of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the defendants face up to 20 years imprisonment. David Davalos, Jr. and Maricela Alvarado Davalos each face up to four years in federal prison upon conviction of the use of a cellular telephone to facilitate drug trafficking charge.
All of the arrested defendants remain in federal custody at this time. Detention hearings are scheduled for August 29, 2016, before United States Magistrate Judge Victor Roberto Garcia in Del Rio.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Zavala County Sheriff’s Office, Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle Pass Police Department and the U.S. Border Patrol. The U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Texas Department of Public Safety assisted in making the arrests.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Artesia Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Violating Federal Narcotics Trafficking and Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joe Anthony Reza, 33, of Artesia, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., for his conviction on federal firearms and drug trafficking offenses. Reza will serve 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Reza was arrested on June 6, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Feb. 24, 2015, in Eddy County, N.M. According to the complaint, agents with the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Reza’s residence on Feb. 24, 2015, and seized approximately 117 grams of methamphetamine, three firearms, a marijuana plant and digital scales. At the time, Reza was arrested on state charges which were later dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.
Reza pled guilty on Aug. 19, 2015, to a felony information charging him with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In entering his guilty plea, Reza admitted that on Feb. 24, 2015, law enforcement officers seized 117 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun from his residence. Reza further admitted that he possessed the handgun for protection of his drug trafficking activities.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force with assistance from the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department and Artesia Police Department and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Ankeny Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography and Related ChargeRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On July 27, 2016, Aaron Lawrence Storm, 35, of Ankeny, Iowa, was sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to a total of 12 years in federal prison and 15 years of supervised release. Storm had previously pleaded guilty to the offense of possession of child pornography, as well as the offense of attempted kidnapping which was based on threats the defendant made that were directed toward the family of the prosecutor handling his child pornography case.
The child pornography case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Ankeny Police Department, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
The attempted kidnapping case was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Federal Drug Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ernest Cordova, 44, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 96 months in prison for his conviction on heroin and methamphetamine trafficking charges. Cordova will be on supervised release for fouryears after completing his prison sentence. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division.
Cordova, who has six prior felony convictions, was arrested in Feb. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with trafficking in heroin and methamphetamine from Jan. 22, 2016 through Feb. 18, 2016. According to the criminal complaint, DEA agents observed Cordova engage in several drug deals in the Albuquerque-area during this period. During the execution of a search warrant at Cordova’s residence on Feb. 18, 2016, the DEA found 134 grams of heroin and 82 grams of methamphetamine.
Cordova and his co-defendant Sara Marie Martinez, 36, also of Albuquerque, were indicted on March 8, 2016. The three-count indictment charged Cordova with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy, and Cordova and Martinez with possessing heroin and methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to the indictment, Cordova and Martinez committed the three crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M. The indictment included forfeiture provisions seeking an order requiring Cordova and Martinez to forfeit $8,840.27 to the United States.
Cordova pled guilty to the indictment on March 14, 2016, without the benefit of a plea agreement. Martinez entered a guilty plea yesterday to heroin and methamphetamine trafficking charges without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Martinez faces a statutory minimum of five years and maximum of 40 years in federal prison. She remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and Cordova is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander M. Uballez as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. In recognition that New Mexico’s violent crime rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community has come together to is collaborating the initiative is significantly exceed the national average.
The case is also being prosecuted as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Abilene Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to More than 21 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ABILENE, Texas — An Abilene, Texas, man, Pascual Jamie Avalos, 34, has been sentenced to 262 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, following his guilty plea in April 2016 to an indictment charging one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement today.
According to documents filed in the case, on November 14, 2015, special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with investigators with the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, received information that Avalos would be transporting an unknown quantity of methamphetamine from the Dallas-Fort Worth area to Abilene, Texas, in a gray 2015 Toyota Avalon.
On November 14, 2015, a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper working in Eastland County, Texas, observed that vehicle travelling westbound on Interstate 20 at a speed in excess of the posted speed limit. The DPS Trooper stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Avalos. An adult female and an infant child were passengers in the vehicle. Avalos was found to be operating the vehicle while his license was suspended, and he was taken into custody.
A K-9 gave a positive alert to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle. It was searched and approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, with a purity of 82.5% was found. Avalos admitted he had picked up the methamphetamine and was going to deliver it to a person in Abilene.
ICE HSI, FBI, Texas DPS and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Juanita Fielden prosecuted the case.
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Wednesday 17 August 2016
Two men sentenced to Federal prison for drug crimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Two men were sentenced to prison today for federal drug crimes, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto.
Ronald Ray McMillion, 64, of Renick in Greenbrier County, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for a crime involving the distribution of oxycodone, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. McMillion previously pleaded guilty to interstate travel to facilitate an unlawful activity. McMillion admitted that in February 2014, he traveled from Renick to the Baltimore area to obtain oxycodone pills, and that he then traveled back to Renick and sold some of the pills. He further admitted that he had sold oxycodone in Greenbrier County on other occasions, and that he possessed a firearm while receiving payment for a drug debt.
In a separate drug prosecution, Nicholas Thomas Novak, 33, of Brentwood, New York, was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin. Novak previously pleaded guilty and admitted that on September 22, 2015, he possessed approximately 150 stamps or packets of heroin at a residence in Frankford in Greenbrier County. Novak further admitted that he brought the heroin to Greenbrier County for distribution.
The McMillion case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated the Novak case under the Greenbrier Valley Heroin and Pill Initiative. Assistant United States Attorney John File is handling the prosecutions. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentences.
These prosecutions are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Tax Return Preparer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — Michael McCrary, a tax return preparer who managed a tax preparation business in Fort Worth, Texas, appeared this morning in federal court in Fort Worth, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray, Jr., and pleaded guilty to an Information charging one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
McCrary, who remains on bond, faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution. Sentencing is set for December 15, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.
According to the factual resume filed in the case, McCrary managed Tax Breaks, a tax return preparation business that was located on Meadowbrook Drive in Fort Worth. In March 2011, McCrary knowingly aided and assisted in the preparation and presentation of a taxpayer’s individual 2010 federal income tax return that was false and fraudulent. That tax return, according to the factual resume, represented the taxpayer was entitled to claim a $26,993 deduction, based mostly on claiming unreimbursed employee expenses related to 39,875 in business mileage, when as McCrary knew, the taxpayer worked for Walmart and did not use his vehicle for business purposes, and was not entitled to claim that deduction. The statement was material in that it resulted in lowering the taxpayer’s taxable income thereby decreasing the taxpayer’s tax liability.
The investigation was conducted by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. Allen is in charge of the prosecution.
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St. Louis Man Sentenced for East St. Louis Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Gregory Forest, 55, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois to 188 months in prison and three years of supervised release for charges stemming from a bank robbery at First Bank, located at 300 River Park Drive, East St. Louis, on May 8, 2015, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today. Forest was also ordered to pay $2,310 in restitution to First Bank.
Evidence showed that on May 8, 2015, Forest entered First Bank, approached a teller, and told her that he had a gun and demanded money. After receiving $2,310, Forest fled the scene. He had been on federal supervised release for a less than three months for a string of bank robberies he committed in 2004 when he committed this robbery.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the East St. Louis Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Reppert.
Smithton Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitaton of A Minor and Possession of Prepubescent Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on August 16, 2016, Kyle W. Oberg, 40, Smithton, IL, pled guilty to a three-count Superseding Indictment charging him with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (Counts 1 and 2) in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a), and Possession of Prepubescent Child Pornography (Count 3), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2). On each of Counts 1 and 2, Oberg faces a term of imprisonment of not less than fifteen (15) but not more than thirty (30) years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of five (5) years to life. On Count 3, Oberg faces a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty (20) years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of five (5) years to life. Oberg has been detained since his arraignment on August 22, 2013. His sentencing date is January 27, 2017, in East St. Louis, Illinois.
On July 18, 2013, the Smithton Police Department executed a state search warrant at Oberg’s residence and seized Oberg’s desktop computer. Oberg’s hard drive was later searched pursuant to a federal warrant. A forensic analysis of the hard drive revealed approximately 337 images and three videos of a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At the times the images and videos were taken the minor child was five and six years old. Police obtained the warrant to search Oberg’s residence after receiving a complaint from the minor child’s mother, who was concerned about Oberg’s behavior towards the minor child. Oberg took advantage of his familiarity with the minor child to induce or coerce the child into engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing the images and videos.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
The case was investigated by the Smithton Police Department and the United States Secret Service’s Cyber-Crime Unit. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Sex Trafficker Charged with Victimizing Girls and Women Between New York and FloridaRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing this morning of an indictment charging GREVY GERARD PIERRE-LOUIS, a/k/a “Cadillac Slim,” a/k/a “Caddy,” in four counts stemming from his long-running criminal enterprise that turned the violent sexual exploitation of girls and women into his own profit. The defendant was arrested this morning at his home in Miami, Florida, and was presented this afternoon in Miami federal court before Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman. The case is assigned to Chief United States District Judge Colleen McMahon.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, the defendant victimized girls and women for the better part of 20 years through extreme violence, threats, and other types of abuse, all for profit. Along with our partners at the FBI, we are committed to protecting vulnerable victims from those alleged predators who seek to hurt and sexually exploit them.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said: “People see human trafficking every day in this city, but may not realize it because this crime that can be hidden in plain sight. The subject in this case allegedly used violence and intimidation as weapons, using these women as disposable chattel to line his pocket. The FBI and our law enforcement partners need the general public to watch for things that don’t seem right, and call us if they suspect someone is being trafficked or held against their will.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
Starting in or about 1998 and continuing through 2016, PIERRE-LOUIS has been compelling minor girls and women to engage in prostitution through extreme violence, psychological and verbal abuse, coercion, and threats of violence to his victims and their family members. PIERRE-LOUIS victimized minor girls and women in and around New York, including in Manhattan and the Bronx, and in a number of other states between New York and Florida, all for his own profit.
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PIERRE-LOUIS, 44, from Queens, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, one count of interstate transportation of minors for the purpose of prostitution, one count of use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity, and one count of operating a child exploitation enterprise. The defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentences imposed on the defendant will be determined by the Court.
Anyone with information concerning GREVY GERARD PIERRE-LOUIS, a/k/a “Cadillac Slim,” a/k/a “Caddy,” that may be relevant to the investigation should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-212-384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, and noted that the investigation is continuing. Mr. Bharara also thanked the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Miami Field Office of the FBI, the United States Secret Service, the City of Miami Police Department, the Miami Beach Police Department, and the Miramar Police Department for their critical support and cooperation throughout the investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica K. Fender and Amanda Kramer are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Crack Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ray A. Perkins, age 29, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of crack cocaine.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Perkins faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on December 12, 2016 by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
As part of his plea, Perkins admitted that between December 2015 and March 2016, he and a co-conspirator sold about 106 grams of crack cocaine in the city of Schenectady.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
San Jose Resident Sentenced to over 12 Years’ Imprisonment for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Edgardo Reyes was sentenced to 154 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin. Reyes’s co-conspirator, Armando Solorio, was sentenced to 73 months’ imprisonment for his part in the drug trafficking scheme. The sentences were handed down by the Honorable Edward J. Davila, United States District Judge on August 15, 2016, following guilty pleas entered earlier this year.
Reyes, 34, of San Jose, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. Section 846, and two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. Section 841. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Reyes acknowledged as true the facts set out in a complaint filed on February 20, 2015. The complaint describes two transactions in which Reyes took part. The first transaction took place January 30, 2015, and involved Reyes’ efforts to sell a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover Task Force Officer of the DEA. This transaction led to a second transaction in February of 2015 in which Reyes attempted to sell another twelve pounds of the drug to the same undercover officer.
Solorio, 27, of San Jose, pleaded guilty on February 29, 2016, for his part in the drug trafficking scheme. Solorio acknowledged his role as a courier for both the January and February transactions which led to Reyes’ arrest.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Davila sentenced each defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. Remarking on the large quantity of drugs at issue, Judge Davila referred to the case as a tragedy and stated that methamphetamine is “not good for anyone.” Both Reyes and Solorio have been in custody since their arrest in February 2015 and both will begin serving their sentences immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffery Nedrow and Scott Simeon are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA.
Salem Man Charged in Home Depot Fraud ScamRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salem man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with a scheme to defraud Home Depot of over $45,000.
Robert Dooley, 56, of Salem, Mass., pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with 10 counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Senior Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2016.
Between January 2016 and February 2016, Dooley engaged in a scheme to defraud Home Depot by “returning” items he never purchased from the store to receive store credit. On each occasion, Dooley, entered Home Depot stores empty handed and gathered merchandise totaling $500 to $900. At the returns desk, Dooley falsely claimed that he previously purchased the items, but did not have a receipt. When he provided this driver’s license number to the clerk, Dooley often varied the number so the “return” would not immediately be detected as fraudulent. Dooley was then issued a Home Depot gift card for the fraudulent return. Dooley perpetrated the scam over forty times at Home Depot stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine, resulting in over $35,000 in fraudulent returns.
In 2007, Dooley was convicted of federal wire fraud charges arising out of a nearly identical scheme in which he defrauded Home Depot in excess of $330,000 from July 2004 through October 2005. In that case, he was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Ortiz’s Public Corruption Unit.
Roswell Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Conviction on Federal Firearms and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Israel Luna, 38, of Roswell, N.M., was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on firearms and methamphetamine trafficking charges.
Luna was arrested on Sept. 28, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime on Sept. 24, 2015, in Chaves County, N.M. According to the complaint, on Sept. 24, 2015, the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant on Luna’s residence and seized approximately 7.75 ounces of methamphetamine, $5,726 in cash, drug paraphernalia and a firearm.
On March 8, 2016, Luna pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. In entering the guilty plea, Luna admitted that on Sept. 24, 2015, agents found a firearm and approximately 217 grams of methamphetamine from a safe in his bedroom. Luna further admitted that he used the firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
This case was investigated by the Roswell office of the FBI and the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
The HIDTA Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Roswell Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Chaves County Sherriff’s Office. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Rochester Man Sentenced for Armed Crack Cocaine TraffickingRead 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 Nicholas Davis, a/k/a Holiday, a/k/a Hollywood, 34, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to 210 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that Davis and other members of the conspiracy were responsible for the distribution of significant quantities of crack cocaine throughout the Rochester area. The defendant, an admitted leader/organizer of the conspiracy, was involved in the purchase of kilogram quantities of cocaine, the manufacture of crack cocaine from cocaine, and the direct distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine to others. Davis also possessed and maintained firearms for protection in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
The investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force resulted in the federal arrest of 11 defendants between May and October 2012. All defendants stand convicted.
The investigation included involvement by the Rochester Police Department under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli, Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Division, Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Sandra Doorley.
River Ridge Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that CRAIG QUINTAL, age 41, of River Ridge, pled guilty today to crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.
According to court records, beginning at an unknown time to on or about July 15, 2015, QUINTAL knowingly accessed child pornography with the intent to view images depicting the sexual victimization of minors. QUINTAL accessed visual depictions of minors under the age of twelve years-old engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Sentencing by U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle is scheduled for November 16, 2016. QUINTAL faces a penalty of up to twenty years imprisonment, followed by up to a lifetime term of supervised release, and a $250,000.00 fine.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, High Tech Crime Unit in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Fraud Section Chief, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.
Redmond Regional Medical Center Agrees to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has reached a settlement agreement with Redmond Regional Medical Center (Redmond), a health care provider located in Rome, Georgia, to resolve an investigation into allegations that it violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.
“Medical providers have an obligation under the ADA to provide effective communication to the deaf or hard of hearing,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Failure to provide effective communication could create a terrifying experience for the patient and compromised medical care.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated an investigation after receiving complaints alleging that Redmond failed to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services when necessary to ensure effective communication. The complainants, who are all deaf or hard of hearing and rely on American Sign Language as their primary means of communication, were either patients or the primary caregivers of patients at Redmond. Two of the complainants are a deaf mother and daughter who went to the Redmond ER when the daughter developed a rash on her leg. They allege she was treated without effective communication and then discharged. Two days later, they returned to the Redmond ER after her symptoms worsened. The daughter was diagnosed with a staph infection and had to undergo a surgical procedure with a four-day stay at the hospital. During this procedure and stay, they allege that they requested but were denied interpretive services. The third complainant is a deaf woman who made three separate visits to the Redmond ER, and alleged that on each visit she requested, but was denied interpretive services.
Under the settlement agreement, Redmond agreed to ensure effective communication to patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. Among other things, Redmond has agreed to provide mandatory in-service training to all its personnel and provide reports to the United States Attorney’s Office regarding its compliance with the settlement agreement. The training will address the needs of deaf or hard-of-hearing patients and companions. Redmond also agreed to pay $50,000 to the complainants.
The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by health care professionals. Under the ADA, health care providers are required to provide effective communication to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. When complex, lengthy communication is involved, the ADA generally requires health care professionals to provide qualified sign language interpreters for the person who is deaf or hard of hearing.
This agreement is part of the Department of Justice’s Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, which is a partnership of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the nation, to target enforcement efforts on a critical area for individuals with disabilities. The initiative, launched on the 22nd anniversary of the ADA in July 2012, includes the participation of more than 40 U.S. Attorneys’ offices, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Information about the initiative can be found at www.ada.gov/usao-agreements.htm.
Assistant United States Attorney Emily Shingler and Assistant United States Attorney Aileen Bell Hughes are representing the United States in this matter.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh resident has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, on his conviction of Possession of a Stolen Firearm, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Gustave Diamond imposed the sentence on Michael Giles, age 38, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about Nov. 29, 2013, Giles was found to be in possession of a stolen 9 millimeter pistol. Federal law prohibits an individual from possessing a stolen firearm.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney David Hickton commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pittsburgh Police Department for conducting the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Michael Giles.
This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent, deter, and prosecute gun crimes.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to 60 months Incarceration on Cocaine ChargesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 15, 2016, Koleh B. Wilson (age: 37) of Phoenix, Arizona, (formerly of Milwaukee and Sheboygan Counties) appeared in federal court in Green Bay and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Manitowoc County.
In pronouncing sentence, Chief United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of Wilson’s crime and its ramifications for the Manitowoc community. The judge condemned Wilson’s prior record which included convictions in state court for possession of illegal narcotics. He concluded that Wilson was deserving of a substantial prison sentence. Following his release from prison, Wilson will serve 8 years on federal supervised release.
The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office, the Manitowoc Area MEG Unit, with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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Ohio inmate sentenced to federal prison for running multi-state drug distribution network from inside prisonRead the Press Release
The leader of a multi-state conspiracy that distributed heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine while he was an inmate inside an Ohio prison was sentenced to more than six years in prison, law enforcement officials said.
Fernando Auces, 52, was sentenced to 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge James Gwin.
Auces, while an inmate at Allen Correctional Institute in Lima, Ohio, controlled a multi-state drug operation by communicating through a contraband cell phone with others outside the prison to arrange the delivery and sale of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, according to court documents.
Between 2010 and 2014, Auces and others arranged for deliveries of large amounts of heroin to Ohio from suppliers in Indiana and Texas. Auces recruited friends and relatives to receive and distribute the heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine to Cleveland, Toledo and elsewhere, according to court documents.
Auces, as part of the conspiracy, agreed with an inmate at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio, to share customers and drug suppliers. Auces arranged for Alexander Gonzales to distribute drugs to various locations throughout Ohio, including Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Dayton and Cincinnati, according to court documents.
“This defendant added more time onto his sentence, and the drug ring he ran from prison has been disrupted,” said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
“Refuge from law enforcement can't be found behind a prison wall,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Office. “The Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force will continue to bring to justice drug dealers that distribute pois0n to our streets, no matter where they reside."
“Our collective enforcement efforts in this investigation have effectively shut down an operation that allegedly funneled copious amounts of illegal drugs into the community," Marlon Miller, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit, which covers Michigan and Ohio. "This sentence is the culmination of an extensive multi-agency approach to combating drug trafficking organizations."
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vasile C. Katsaros and Christian H. Stickan following an investigation by the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force. The NOLETF is a task force comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cleveland Division of Police, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the police departments of Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Lakewood, the Regional Transit Authority, Westlake and Shaker Heights. The NOLETF is also one of the initial Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiatives, which supports and helps coordinate numerous Ohio drug task forces in their efforts to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking in Ohio.
Ohio Credit Union President Sentenced to Prison for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Charles Robert Poore has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months imprisonment, followed by five years supervised release, on his conviction of embezzlement by an officer of a credit institution. Poore was also ordered to pay $251,438.08 in restitution, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Charles Robert Poore, age 46, of Pittsburgh, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, from September 2011 continuing to July 2014, Poore, while serving as President of Toledo Metro Federal Credit Union (hereinafter “TMFCU”), willfully misapplied, embezzled, abstracted, and purloined the sum of approximately $233,933.02. This case was transferred to the Western District of Pennsylvania from the Northern District of Ohio. The defendant formerly resided in the Northern District of Ohio and the crime was commissioned there.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney David Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for conducting the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Charles Robert Poore.
Northern California Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the Internal Revenue Laws and Harboring Illegal Aliens for ProfitRead the Press Release
A Ukiah, California, restaurateur pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen for the Northern District of California to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the due administration of the internal revenue laws and to harboring illegal aliens for profit, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch of the Northern District of California, Special Agent in Charge Ryan Spradlin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Yaowapha Ritdet, 56, admitted that she knowingly hired Thai nationals who were illegally present in the United States to work at her restaurants, Ruen Tong Thai Cuisine and Walter Café, both located in Ukiah.
Ritdet further admitted that she underpaid employees and instructed them not to speak to anyone about their immigration status. Ritdet also admitted that she willfully filed false individual income tax returns for tax years 2007 through 2011, failing to disclose gross receipts, sales and income received from her two restaurants, as well as rental income and a foreign bank account and failed to accurately report employment taxes owed for her restaurant employees, who were paid in cash.
Ritdet is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 22, 2017.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch commended special agents of IRS-CI and HSI, who investigated the case; the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, which identified the underpayment of wages and overtime; and Trial Attorney Charles A. O’Reilly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Olivera, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Northern California Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the Internal Revenue Laws and Harboring Illegal Aliens for ProfitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Ukiah restaurateur pleaded guilty today to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the due administration of the internal revenue laws and to harboring illegal aliens for profit, announced U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Ryan Spradlin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Yaowapha Ritdet, 54, admitted that she knowingly hired Thai nationals who were illegally present in the United States to work at her restaurants, Ruen Tong Thai Cuisine and Walter Café, both located in Ukiah. Ritdet further admitted that she underpaid employees and instructed them not to speak to anyone about their immigration status. Ritdet also admitted that she willfully filed false individual income tax returns for tax years 2007 through 2011, failing to disclose gross receipts, sales and income received from their two restaurants, as well as rental income and a foreign bank account and failed to accurately report employment taxes owed for her restaurant employees, who were paid in cash.The guilty plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen. The maximum statutory penalty for a violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7212 is three years’ imprisonment and $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the criminal activity. The maximum statutory penalty for a violation of 8 U. S. C. § 1324(a)(1) is 10 years’ imprisonment and $250,000, or twice the gain or loss resulting from the criminal activity. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Ritdet is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Chen on Feb. 22, 2017.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch commended special agents of IRS-CI and HSI, who investigated the case; the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, which identified the underpayment of wages and overtime; and Trial Attorney Charles A. O’Reilly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Olivera, who are prosecuting the case.New Orleans Man Sentenced in Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that KENNETH MIXON, age 33, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after having previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute heroin. According to court documents, between July 2014 and July 2015, MIXON conspired with co-defendants LEROY SMITH and JAMIE JONES to distribute heroin in the New Orleans area. SMITH and JONES have both pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing on November 2, 2016 and September 2, 2016, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced MIXON to 34 months of incarceration, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Customs and Border Protection, United States Postal Service, Louisiana State Police, New Orleans Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Office, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Office, St. Charles Parish Sheriff Office, and Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon S. Long and Nicholas D. Moses were in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to BP FraudRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced that GRAEGG L. HOLMES, age 43, of New Orleans, pled guilty today to a one-count Indictment charging him with wire fraud related to the 2010 British Petroleum Oil Spill. According to court documents, HOLMES admitted that he filed a fraudulent application for relief relating to the April 20, 2010 explosion and fire, which occurred on the Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico where BP had been drilling a well. In reality, HOLMES admitted that he worked at Abide Home Care from approximately 2001 through 2014. HOLMES used false documentation related to a non-existent catering business that he claimed lost money because of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster. The loss from the fraudulent claims HOLMES submitted and received totals $33,900.
On August 4, 2016, HOLMES was ordered detained pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld after his arrest for home invasion in Orleans Parish. Following his guilty plea, HOLMES remains detained and faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense, forfeiture, and restitution to the GCCF. U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance set sentencing for December 14, 2016.
This case was brought as part of this District’s partnership with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), a nationwide initiative to protect available funds and assistance for those victims of both natural and man-made disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and the recent Gulf oil spill. If you have knowledge of fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, you can contact the NCDF by either calling the hotline at (866) 720-5721, faxing (225) 334-4707, emailing at [email protected] or in writing to National Center for Disaster Fraud, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrice Harris Sullivan and Hayden Brockett were in charge of the prosecution.
Miami Woman Used Counterfeit Credit Cards at Western Pennsylvania Outlet MallsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of the state of Florida has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Jeisy Camejo-Escandell, 30, of Miami, Fla., pleaded guilty yesterday to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Camejo-Escandell and her conspirator Gean Carlos Del Valle-Barquin arrived in Pittsburgh on June 25, 2015, for the purpose of using counterfeit credit cards to make purchases of merchandise at the outlet stores in Washington and Grove City on June 26, 2015.
The Judge scheduled sentencing for Dec. 6, 2016. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force (WPFCTF) conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Del Valle Barquin and Camejo Escandell. The WPFCTF was established as a collaborative, multi-agency effort to effectively combat financial crimes, including identity fraud, in Western Pennsylvania. Partnering in this effort are the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Selling False Social Security CardsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that VIDAL OROSCO-BARRIOS, age 29, pled guilty today to a four-count Indictment charging him with transferring false Social Security Cards in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028(a)(2).
According court records, OROSCO-BARRIOS sold counterfeit Social Security Cards to confidential informants working with the Department of Homeland Security on four separate occasions.
OROSCO-BARRIOS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman set sentencing on
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Massachusetts Man Indicted on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Rancourt, age 56, of Palmer, Massachusetts, was indicted today for attempting to coerce and entice a minor into sexual activity, after he posted an online advertisement soliciting sexual encounters and travelled to Colonie, New York, to meet what he believed to be a 14-year-old boy in order to engage in sexual activities. Rancourt is also charged with having distributed, received, and possessed child pornography.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On April 9, 2016, Rancourt was charged by complaint with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He was detained on that charge and has remained in custody ever ince.
If convicted, he faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison on the attempted coercion and enticement charge, and at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison on the charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography. He also faces a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon B. Shinerock.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/
Managing Director of Investment Bank Found Guilty of Insider Trading ChargesRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SEAN STEWART, a former Managing Director at an investment advisory firm headquartered in Manhattan, was found guilty of providing inside information to trade and cause another to trade in the securities of five different health care companies, the acquisitions of which were announced between 2011 and 2014. He was convicted after trial before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Another insider trading defendant stands convicted after trial by jury. Time and time again, Sean Stewart took his clients’ most sensitive corporate secrets and fed them to his father on a silver platter for quick and illegal profits. Insider trading rigs the securities markets in favor of cheaters, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute this crime aggressively.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment as well as the evidence presented during trial:
In early 2011, SEAN STEWART, who at the time held the position of Vice President in the Healthcare Investment Banking Group of a global bank headquartered in Manhattan (“Investment Bank A”), began tipping his father, Robert Stewart, with material nonpublic information about upcoming mergers and acquisitions, including with the names of the companies that were acquisition targets, both when the target was an Investment Bank A client and when the bank represented the acquirer, as well as with information that indicated the likely timing of an upcoming deal.
The first of these deals involved the acquisition of Kendle International Inc. by INC Research, LLC, which was announced publicly on May 4, 2011. SEAN STEWART worked on the deal, representing Kendle. Robert Stewart made about $7,900 in profits on purchases of Kendle stock executed in February and March of 2011. When questioned by the Securities and Exchange Commission about his Kendle trades in May 2013, Robert Stewart reported that he used the proceeds of those trades to pay expenses related to SEAN STEWART’s June 2011 wedding.
The second deal about which SEAN STEWART tipped Robert Stewart was the acquisition of Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (“KCI”) by Apax Partners, announced on July 13, 2011. Although Robert Stewart purchased some stock in KCI based on SEAN STEWART’s tip, he sold that stock before the acquisition was announced, around the same time that SEAN STEWART learned the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) was conducting an inquiry into Robert Stewart’s Kendle trading.
Also around this time, in the spring of 2011, Robert Stewart expressed a concern to co-conspirator Richard Cunniffe that Robert Stewart was “too close to the source” to be trading in KCI stock his own account, and asked Cunniffe to make purchases of KCI call options for Robert Stewart in Cunniffe’s brokerage account. Cunniffe agreed to do so, and also mirrored for his own benefit the KCI trades that Robert Stewart was directing.
In connection with the FINRA inquiry, FINRA prepared a list of persons and entities that had traded in advance of the Kendle deal. The list included Robert Stewart’s name. When Investment Bank-A asked SEAN STEWART whether he knew anyone on the list, he initially denied recognizing the name of his father; later, when confronted by lawyers from Investment Bank-A, SEAN STEWART acknowledged that his father was on the list but told a series of lies designed to make it seem as if Robert Stewart had independently decided to invest in Kendle. SEAN STEWART told these lies one day after meeting with his father to apprise his father of the FINRA inquiry and to get their stories straight.
When the KCI/Apax Partners deal was announced, Robert Stewart and Cunniffe reaped profits totaling approximately $107,790. At around this time, Robert Stewart told Cunniffe that the source of the KCI tip and the earlier Kendle tip had been Robert’s son. Later, around the spring of 2012, Robert Stewart clarified for Cunniffe that the son in question was SEAN STEWART, who worked on the “sell side” on Wall Street.
In October 2011, SEAN STEWART left Investment Bank A. A few months later, he joined an investment banking advisory firm headquartered in Manhattan (“Investment Bank B”) as a Managing Director.
During SEAN STEWART’s tenure with Investment Bank B, based on tips concerning nonpublic acquisition-related information supplied by SEAN STEWART, Robert Stewart had Cunniffe conduct options trading in advance of the public announcements of three more deals: (1) the acquisition of Gen-Probe Inc. by Hologic, Inc., announced on April 30, 2012; (2) the acquisition, by tender offer, of Lincare Holdings Inc. by Linde AG, announced on July 1, 2012; and (3) the acquisition of CareFusion Corp. by Becton, Dickinson & Co. (“Becton”), announced on October 5, 2014. Investment Bank B represented Hologic in connection with its acquisition of Gen-Probe; Linde in connection with its acquisition of Lincare; and CareFusion in connection with its acquisition by Becton. The profits that Robert Stewart and Cunniffe reaped from illegal insider trading in advance of the announcements of these three deals totaled over $1 million.
During the course of the scheme, SEAN STEWART because aware that his father was having financial problems. Rather than loan his father money, SEAN STEWART gave his father stock tips, the proceeds of which Robert Stewart used to benefit himself and his son.
In March and April of 2015, Cunniffe, who was then cooperating with the Government, recorded meetings he had with Robert Stewart. During one such meeting, Robert Stewart accepted a payment of $2,500 cash from Cunniffe, which was the balance of the proceeds owed to Robert Stewart for profitable trading executed in Cunniffe’s account in advance of the CareFusion acquisition announcement. Also during this meeting, Robert Stewart admitted that SEAN STEWART once chastised him for failing to make use of a tip, saying, “I can’t believe I handed you this on a silver platter and you didn’t invest in it.”
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SEAN STEWART, 35, of New York, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and fraud in connection with a tender offer, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of securities fraud, and one count of fraud in connection with a tender offer. The securities fraud, tender offer fraud, and wire fraud conspiracy charges each carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. The charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud carries a maximum prison term of five years. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Robert Stewart pled guilty on August 12, 2015, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and fraud in connection with a tender offer and was sentenced to four years’ probation, with the first year to be served in home detention, and $150,000 in forfeiture.
Richard Cunniffe pled guilty on May 12, 2015, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and fraud in connection with a tender offer, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of securities fraud, and one count of fraud in connection with a tender offer.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI and also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The charges were brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. McCallum and Brooke E. Cucinella are in charge of the prosecution.
Loomis Man Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Submitting Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Slavic Khudoy, 37, of Loomis, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 10 months in prison for a fraudulent tax refund scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between 2010 and 2012, Khudoy and Clint D. Bonderer, 38, of Stockton, submitted income tax returns to the IRS for others that contained false information about the taxpayers’ income, filing status, and address, and fraudulently claimed credits that the taxpayers were not entitled to receive. Bonderer and Khudoy submitted 842 fraudulent tax returns, requesting more than $600,000 in refunds in the names of other people. In most cases, they kept the refunds for themselves. Khudoy pleaded guilty on April 13, 2016.
On March 10, 2016, Bonderer was sentenced to three years in prison for conspiring to submit false claims.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Morris prosecuted the case.
Leominster Restaurant Owner Sentenced for Restaurant ArsonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of the West End Diner in Leominster was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Worcester in connection with setting fire to his restaurant in order to collect the insurance proceeds.
Jeffrey Cordio, 51, of Leominster, Mass. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2016, Cordio pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to use fire to commit mail fraud.
In January 2006, Cordio and his wife purchased the West End Diner at 270 West Street in Leominster. Due to significant financial distress and a desire to relocate to Florida, Cordio and an accomplice set fire to the diner and fled the scene during the afternoon of Nov. 13, 2013. The Leominster Fire Department responded to the alarm and was able to largely contain the blaze to the basement of the building. The following day, Cordio initiated an insurance claim with Norfolk & Dedham Mutual Fire Insurance Company; however, the claim was ultimately denied after investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set.
Cordio’s accomplice previously pleaded guilty in state court to accessory before the fact.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Leominster Police Chief Michael Goldman, made the announcement today. The Massachusetts State Police Fire and Explosive Investigation Section, the Leominster Fire Department and the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg A. Friedholm of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office.
Leader of Cheko’s Crew/7th Street Gang Sentenced on Rico Charge for His Role in Four Murders and Seven Attempted MurdersRead 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 Efrain Hildalgo, AKA Cheko, 30, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, was sentenced to 330 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
“This case serves as a textbook example of how federal resources can remove entire gangs from a community,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “At the same time, this prosecution shows that once criminals are removed from our streets, a community can heal and thrive. Both the public – and any remaining criminals – can rest assured that we will not rest until all violent predators are brought to justice.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was a member of the Cheko’s Crew/7th Street Gang which was responsible for multiple acts of violence and the distribution of illegal narcotics on the West Side of Buffalo between 2000 and 2012. The narcotics included heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, and marijuana.
The defendant admitted his role in the murders of four people including:
• November 11, 2004 murder of Nelson and Miguel Camacho in their Niagara Street residence. Josue Ortiz served 10 years in state prison for these murders. His conviction was vacated by an Erie County Court judge based on the findings of this federal investigation.
• August 11, 2009 murder of 10th St. Gang associate Eric Morrow.
• June 5, 2010 murder of Virgil Page on 19th Street.Hildalgo also participated in seven attempted murders including rival gang members Desmond Ford, Darnell McIntosh, Edwin Rivera and Saul Santana.
A total of 18 defendants have been charged and convicted in this case.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Steven Nigrelli, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid.
Lawrence Elementary Teacher Assistant Indicted for Opioid DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A 4th grade classroom assistant at a Lawrence public school was indicted today in connection with an undercover operation involving the distribution of kilogram-quantities of cocaine and thousands of oxycodone pills.
Reynaldo Sanchez, 26, of Lawrence, was indicted on attempted possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In March 2016, Sanchez was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint.
According to court documents, in August 2015, federal agents began investigating Sanchez for his involvement in a narcotics and money laundering organization operating in the Boston area. During the investigation, Sanchez arranged to purchase from undercover federal agents 10 – 15 kilograms of cocaine for a price of $33,000 per kilogram. The complaint further alleges that between March 29, 2016, and March 31, 2016, Sanchez sought to purchase what he believed were 11,000 oxycodone pills for $13 per pill from an undercover agent posing as a drug courier. At the time of his arrest, Sanchez was carrying a duffle bag containing $48,000. After executing a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence, agents recovered approximately 2.6 kilograms of cocaine.
The charge of attempted possession with intent to distribute oxycodone provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of no greater than 40 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. 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; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Field Office; and Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police and the Lawrence, Franklin, Wareham and Dartmouth Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos A. López of Ortiz’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.