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5 October 2016
Two Colombian Nationals Extradited to Los Angeles on Charges of Leading Multi-Ton Cocaine Conspiracy via Clandestine Air ShipmentsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two Colombian drug kingpins have been extradited to Los Angeles on federal charges of overseeing shipments of thousands of pounds of cocaine from Colombian laboratories to Central American distribution hubs, ultimately destined for sale in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the United States, including more than $70 million in cocaine recovered by international law enforcement.
In an indictment that was unsealed late yesterday, Dicson Penagos-Casanova, 36, and Juan Gabriel Rios Sierra, 34, are charged with spearheading the conspiracy to “coordinate aerial shipments of ton-quantities of cocaine” for sale to “cocaine-trafficking syndicates” in Central America.
Specifically, Penagos and Rios would “transport the cocaine via overland routes from production laboratories outside Meta, Colombia, to underground storage facilities near clandestine airstrips in the western Apure Department of Venezuela.” They would “arrange for bribes to be paid to Venezuelan military and government officials” in an effort to ensure that aircraft carrying cocaine loads “enjoyed safe passage through Venezuelan airspace.” Using jets that they acquired “through straw purchasers in the United States,” Penagos and Rios would hire pilots to fly the cocaine to the “Central American distribution hubs,” where the drugs would be offloaded “for further distribution” in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the United States and Mexico.
"By taking key players out of commission, we are disrupting the drug cartels’ ability to import their dangerous narcotics into our country,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “These defendants’ arrival in the U.S. for prosecution marks a significant victory for law enforcement here and in Central and South America, which have worked in concert to ensure justice is achieved in this case.”
The indictment focuses on two air shipments in January and May of 2015 with a combined 2,880 kilograms (approximately 3.2 tons) of cocaine, which has a black market wholesale value of approximately $72 million. Both shipments were ultimately recovered by international law enforcement after two aircraft crashed. The January 2015 cocaine shipment was shot down by the Venezuelan Air Force shortly after takeoff. Soon thereafter, Dutch law enforcement recovered kilogram-sized packages of cocaine that were floating in the Caribbean Sea near Aruba. The May 2015 aircraft crashed into the Caribbean Sea near the Colombian port of Barranquilla after its engine failed.
The indictment also outlines intercepted communications in which Penagos and Rios coordinated the cocaine shipments and discuss the two downed aircraft, including sharing an article from a Honduran newspaper reporting on the January 2015 shoot-down and speculating on whether the May 2015 crash was also the product of “intervention by the Venezuelan military.”
“The vast majority of cocaine imported to the U.S. originates in Colombia, and a substantial amount of it transits the Los Angeles area,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Steve Comer. “This investigation penetrated the highest levels of multiple drug cartels and disrupted the entire cocaine supply chain, from the production in Colombia to the distribution in the U.S. Continued collaboration between DEA and our foreign and domestic law enforcement partners will deliver similar blows to the cocaine industry, which is already being forced to rethink its logistics.”
Penagos and Rios were delivered to United States custody yesterday after Colombian courts approved the extradition request. They are expected to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Penagos and Rios each face a statutory maximum prison term of life in federal prison.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, both in Los Angeles and Colombia; the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The Colombian, Aruban and Dutch governments provided substantial assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Barron, Carol Alexis Chen and Ryan Weinstein of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section.
Twenty-Two Members of Bronx Drug Trafficking Organization Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Narcotics Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging 22 members of the “Flybridge” drug trafficking organization with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Gregory H. Woods. The defendants will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Ronald L. Ellis later this afternoon.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “With the indictment of 22 alleged members of a violent drug trafficking group, we seek to stem the flow of drugs and the cycle of violence in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. As alleged, these defendants trafficked in all types of drugs – heroin, crack cocaine, cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana – peddling it from restaurants, convenience stores, and apartment buildings and protecting their illegal trade with guns and violence. I thank our partners at the FBI and NYPD for their work in this investigation and for their commitment to making our city safer and drug-free.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As alleged, the ‘Flybridge’ crew conspired to sell narcotics including crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana in the Highbridge neighborhood out of the Bronx. Selling out of restaurants, convenience stores and apartment buildings, the Flybridge crew brought in violence too. The FBI New York Metro Safe Streets Task Force will continue to go after gangs to clear our communities of violence and drugs.”
Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “These defendants treated a segment of the Highbridge section of the Bronx as their own supermarket for illegal drugs, including marijuana, pills, heroin and cocaine without any regard for the adverse impact on the residents and businesses in the area. As is usually the case, this drug activity went hand-in-hand with illegal firearms and associated violence. Exceptional investigative and case development work went into building the case against these defendants. Once again, the combined efforts of our law enforcement and prosecution partners have paid off with the indictment of those responsible for infecting this Bronx community with the poison of drugs and violence.”
As alleged in the Indictment and in other court papers[1]:
The “Flybridge” drug trafficking organization (the “Flybridge DTO”) is a group of individuals who are engaged in narcotics trafficking and violence in the vicinity of 165th Street and Woodycrest Avenue, in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. From at least in or about 2014, up to and including in or about September 2016, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, MARC BENVENUTTI, JONATHAN PEREZ, a/k/a “G,” KENNETH LACEN, a/k/a “Montana,” VERDELL PICKNEY, a/k/a “Verdell Davis,” a/k/a “V-12,” PAUL GIST, a/k/a “Peewee,” a/k/a “Sweet Pea,” ROBERT GIST, a/k/a “G-Baby,” CICERO WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Tubes,” a/k/a “Boobie,” JOSEPH ENCARNACION, a/k/a “Cabeza,” KELVIN POLANCO, a/k/a “Psycho,” a/k/a “Fresh,” JABARI ADAMS, a/k/a “Flea,” a/k/a “Bari,” BRANDON SMITH, a/k/a “B Skillz,” JOSEPH RIVERA, a/k/a “Jojo,” LANCE WRIGHT, CYNTHIA WOODS, a/k/a “Brooklyn,” JUNIOR GRIFFIN, KEITH NESBITT, a/k/a “Baldy,” GREGORY HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Kane,” EDUARDO ROSA, a/k/a “Lil Bro Ed,” LUIS CABAN, a/k/a “Jay,” DANIEL RENVILL, a/k/a “D,” AMANDA LOPEZ, and MADELINE OLIVARES conspired to distribute significant amounts of narcotics, including crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and marijuana, in and around, among other places, the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx, on a daily basis. The Flybridge DTO controlled narcotics sales between 164th Street and 165th Street, between Ogden Avenue and Anderson Avenue, including by selling out of restaurants, convenience stores, and in and around apartment buildings in that area.
In addition, members of the Flybridge DTO protected and maintained their drug business through firearms and acts of violence. For example, in or about March 2016, KENNETH LACEN, a/k/a “Montana,” the defendant, bragged about an incident in which he had attempted to shoot at another individual because of a drug debt. In or about March 2014, JONATHAN PEREZ, a/k/a “G,” the defendant, engaged in a dispute with rival drug dealers that culminated in a shootout on the Major Deegan Expressway, during the course of which PEREZ was himself shot. Other members of the Flybridge DTO, such as VERDELL PICKNEY, a/k/a “Verdell Davis,” a/k/a “V-12,” ROBERT GIST, a/k/a “G-Baby,” PAUL GIST, a/k/a “Sweet Pea,” a/k/a “Peewee,” and AMANDA LOPEZ, stored firearms in the area in which the Flybridge DTO operated, in order to, among other things, protect their drug turf.
Count One of the Indictment charges MARC BENVENUTTI, JONATHAN PEREZ, a/k/a “G,” KENNETH LACEN, a/k/a “Montana,” VERDELL PICKNEY, a/k/a “Verdell Davis,” a/k/a “V-12,” PAUL GIST, a/k/a “Peewee,” a/k/a “Sweet Pea,” ROBERT GIST, a/k/a “G-Baby,” CICERO WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Tubes,” a/k/a “Boobie,” JOSEPH ENCARNACION, a/k/a “Cabeza,” KELVIN POLANCO, a/k/a “Psycho,” a/k/a “Fresh,” JABARI ADAMS, a/k/a “Flea,” a/k/a “Bari,” BRANDON SMITH, a/k/a “B Skillz,” JOSEPH RIVERA, a/k/a “Jojo,” LANCE WRIGHT, CYNTHIA WOODS, a/k/a “Brooklyn,” JUNIOR GRIFFIN, KEITH NESBITT, a/k/a “Baldy,” GREGORY HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Kane,” EDUARDO ROSA, a/k/a “Lil Bro Ed,” LUIS CABAN, a/k/a “Jay,” DANIEL RENVILL, a/k/a “D,” AMANDA LOPEZ, and MADELINE OLIVARES with participating in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics, including crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and marijuana.
Count Two of the Indictment charges KENNETH LACEN, a/k/a “Montana,” VERDELL PICKNEY, a/k/a “Verdell Davis” a/k/a “V-12,” and CICERO WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Tubes,” a/k/a “Boobie,” with possessing firearms in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy charged in Count One, which were discharged.
Count Three of the Indictment charges JONATHAN PEREZ, a/k/a “G,” ROBERT GIST, a/k/a “G-Baby,” PAUL GIST, a/k/a “Sweet Pea,” a/k/a “Peewee,” and AMANDA LOPEZ with possessing firearms in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy charged in Count One.
* * *
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentences imposed on the defendants will be determined by the Court.
A chart containing the names of the defendants, and the charges and maximum penalties they face, is attached.
Mr. Bharara thanked the FBI and the NYPD, in particular, the New York Metro Safe Streets Task Force, as well as the Criminal Investigators at the United States Attorney’s Office, for their work on the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Donaleski, Kimberly J. Ravener, and Jilan J. Kamal are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States v. Marc Benvenutti, et al., 16 Cr. 656 (GHW)
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics
21 U.S.C. § 846
MARC BENVENUTTI JONATHAN PEREZ KENNETH LACEN VERDELL PICKNEY PAUL GIST
ROBERT GIST
CICERO WILLIAMS
JOSEPH ENCARNACION
KELVIN POLANCO
JABARI ADAMS
BRANDON SMITH
JOSEPH RIVERA
LANCE WRIGHT CYNTHIA WOODS
JUNIOR GRIFFIN
KEITH NESBITT
GREGORY HERNANDEZ
EDUARDO ROSA
LUIS CABAN
DANIEL RENVILL
AMANDA LOPEZ MADELINE OLIVARES
Life in prison
2
Discharge of Firearms in Furtherance of Narcotics Trafficking
18 U.S.C. 924(c)(1)(A)(iii)
KENNETH LACEN
VERDELL DAVIS
CICERO WILLIAMS
Life in prison
3
Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Narcotics Trafficking
18 U.S.C. 924(c)(1)(A)(i)
JONATHAN PEREZ
ROBERT GIST
PAUL GIST
AMANDA LOPEZ
Life in prison
DEFENDANT
AGE
RESIDENCE
MARC BENVENUTTI
22
Bronx, New York
JONATHAN PEREZ,
a/k/a “G”
24
Bronx, New York
KENNETH LACEN,
a/k/a “Montana”
21
Bronx, New York
VERDELL PICKNEY,
a/k/a “Verdell Davis”
a/k/a “V-12”
20
Bronx, New York
PAUL GIST,
a/k/a “Peewee”
a/k/a “Sweet Pea”
22
Bronx, New York
ROBERT GIST,
a/k/a “G-Baby”
25
Bronx, New York
CICERO WILLIAMS,
a/k/a “Tubes”
a/k/a “Boobie”
35
Bronx, New York
JOSEPH ENCARNACION,
a/k/a “Cabeza”
39
Bronx, New York
KELVIN POLANCO,
a/k/a “Psycho”
a/k/a “Fresh”
23
Bronx, New York
JABARI ADAMS,
a/k/a “Flea”
a/k/a “Bari”
24
Bronx, New York
BRANDON SMITH,
a/k/a “B Skillz”
19
Bronx, New York
JOSEPH RIVERA,
a/k/a “Jojo”
22
Bronx, New York
LANCE WRIGHT
46
Bronx, New York
CYNTHIA WOODS,
a/k/a “Brooklyn”
54
Bronx, New York
JUNIOR GRIFFIN
41
Bronx, New York
KEITH NESBITT,
a/k/a “Baldy”
52
Bronx, New York
GREGORY HERNANDEZ,
a/k/a “Kane”
40
Bronx, New York
EDUARDO ROSA,
a/k/a “Lil Bro Ed”
21
Bronx, New York
LUIS CABAN,
a/k/a “Jay”
37
Bronx, New York
DANIEL RENVILL,
a/k/a “D”
23
Bronx, New York
AMANDA LOPEZ
21
Bronx, New York
MADELINE OLIVARES
36
Bronx, New York
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Treasure Valley Drug Dealers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Stacy Duane Wilfong, 40, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 220 months in prison for his role in organizing and directing a drug conspiracy involving ten other individuals in the Treasure Valley, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Wilfong was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2015 and entered his guilty plea on June 2, 2016.
Wilfong came to the attention of investigators in January of 2015 when a co-conspirator, Elizabeth Gaytan, who sold methamphetamine to undercover officers, referred to Wilfong as her source of supply. Investigators applied for and received a court order authorizing the interception of Wilfong’s telephone communications. During the course of approximately twenty days, Wilfong made hundreds of calls dealing with drug distribution. The investigation revealed that Wilfong and his co-conspirators bought and sold methamphetamine, heroin, pills including oxycodone, and a synthetic controlled substance called Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone, known as "a-PVP," or “bath salts” to individuals throughout the Treasure Valley.
In addition to Wilfong, four other co-defendants have been sentenced. Anthony “Tony” Kitchen was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy today and will be serving 71 months in federal prison. Jocelin Jessica Gonzalez, 19, and Elizabeth Ann Gaytan, 37, both from Nampa, were sentenced on July 28, 2016. Gonzalez was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment. Gaytan was sentenced to 100 months of imprisonment. Regina Wade, 50, of Boise was sentenced on August 9 to 41 months in prison.
Two co-defendants are awaiting sentencing. Breeannyn Nicole Pederson, 25, of Parma, and Isela F. Garza, 36, of Nampa, are scheduled to be sentenced on November 9th and 10th respectively. Co-defendant, David Anthony Wales, 31, of Boise, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on October 6, 2016. Three other co-defendants, John Matthew Caviness, Jr., 34, of Caldwell, Adam William Dillon, 28, of Nampa, and Jason Lee Burgess, 44, of Garden City are currently set for trial.
The crime of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000 and three years of supervised release.
These cases are the result of a joint investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
Tohono O’odham Man to Serve 46 Months in Prison for Stabbing Another Tribal MemberRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, Lauterio Keanu Ace Valenzuela, 24, of Tucson, Ariz, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 46 months in prison. Valenzuela had previously pleaded guilty to an assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
On Oct. 18, 2015, Valenzuela stabbed another Tohono O’odham Nation member following an argument. The incident occurred in the San Xavier District within the Tohono O’odham reservation. The victim was stabbed several times in the arm and suffered a laceration to the ear. The injuries were not life-threatening. Valenzuela was on federal supervision at the time of the assault. He absconded following the assault and was arrested two months later.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tohono O’odham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Raquel Arellano, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-15-2147-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2016-089_Valenzuela
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news and updates.
Three Texas Sources of ICE Methamphetamine and Local Distributor Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – Three sources of ICE methamphetamine—who supplied a local conspiracy with large quantities of the drug for multiple years—have pled guilty in federal court, along with a local man who was part of the drug distribution network, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today.
Recently in separate hearings before the District Court, Angel Soliz Jr., 37, Angel Soliz Sr., 56, and Ysidro Juarez III, 53, all of Houston, Texas, pled guilty to a lesser-included count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. As part of his guilty plea, Soliz Jr. agreed to forfeit more than $800,000 which was seized from his home in Texas.
According to evidence presented by prosecutors, the Texas-trio admitted to being the source of much of the ICE methamphetamine that was sold in a multi-defendant conspiracy and which has resulted in more than a dozen federal convictions in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. Soliz Sr. and Soliz Jr. coordinated the supply of methamphetamine from Texas, while Juaerz worked under them to help distribute the drug. During the course of the conspiracy, various persons from Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia would travel to Texas to purchase methamphetamine and subsequently transport it back via interstate highways, avoiding law enforcement detection along the way. Once the ICE methamphetamine had arrived in Kentucky and Virginia, it would be distributed to others.
Also in District Court, Ronald Sizemore, 56, of Kentucky, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute ICE methamphetamine. Sizemore acted as one of the local distributors of the drug.
“This case is a prime example of law enforcement working together to not only stop a conspiracy at the distribution level but following the chain to the source and prosecuting those folks as well,” U.S. Attorney Fishwick said today. “Methamphetamine abuse is still a major problem in our area and there is still work to be done, but the community should feel good about the amount of drugs that have been taken off their streets with this prosecution.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; United States Drug Enforcement Administration; Virginia State Police; Kentucky State Police; Harris County, Texas Sherriff’s Office; and Russell County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne prosecuted the case for the United States.
Three Ohio men indicted for conspiring to transport explosives that could be used to crack safesRead the Press Release
Three Ohio men were indicted for conspiring to transport explosives that could be used to crack safes, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
Indicted are: Frank Michael Susany, Jr., 52, of Boardman, Ohio; Robert Thomas Courtney, Jr., 44, of North Jackson; and James Patrick Quinn, 51, of Youngstown.
They are charged with with receipt and transportation of explosive materials, conspiracy and operation of an apparatus to interfere with the transmission of communications and signals.
Susany, Courtney and Quinn, from February through April 2013, conspired to receive and transport explosive materials that could be used to crack safes at jewelry stores and coin shops, according to the indictment.
It was part of the conspiracy that Susany, Quinn and Courtney would break into jewelry stores and coin stores to steal valuable items; that the money obtained by selling the stolen items would be used to buy explosive materials; and that once they obtained the explosive materials, they would use the materials to crack safes at other jewelry stores and coin shops, according to the indictment.
On April 19, 2013, Susany possessed and used a device that jammed cellular telephone communications and store alarm systems connected to cellular back-ups to disable a coin store’s alarm system, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Three Individuals Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Edgar Amador-Carrillo, age 23, and Atenedoro Hernandez-Gomez, age 28, both of Malta, Idaho, were sentenced yesterday for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Hernandez-Gomez was also sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Amador-Carrillo to 135 months in prison and Hernandez-Gomez to 150 months in prison. Yesterday, Judge Winmill sentenced co-defendant Sheyla Aguilar, age 25, of Ventura, California to 18 months in prison for money laundering related to the drug offense. Amador-Carrillo and Hernandez-Gomez pleaded guilty on June 21, 2016, and Aguilar pleaded guilty on June 29, 2016.
According to the plea agreements, on January 21, 2016, Amador-Carrillo agreed to provide an undercover officer with one pound of methamphetamine. While traveling to the location of the meeting, Amador-Carrillo and Hernandez-Gomez were stopped by law enforcement in Bonneville County, Idaho. A search of the vehicle uncovered 454 grams of actual methamphetamine. Additionally, a search of the vehicle recovered a Star Arms .45 ACP handgun, serial number 2060457, in the glove compartment of the car. A fingerprint of Amador-Carrillo’s was found on the handgun. Prior to that, Aguilar received $1,000 from Amador-Carrillo in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Aguilar knew this money represented the proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine. At Amador-Carrillo’s direction, Aguilar wired this money via Money-Gram to a person out of state.
The case was investigated by the Idaho Falls Police Department, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney in cooperation with the Bonneville Prosecutor’s Office.
Thousand Oaks Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun Sales Months After Firearm Conviction in State CourtRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man who illegally sold five firearms in less than a month and agreed to sell three more during an undercover operation last year has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison.
Joshua Pineda, 24, of Thousand Oaks, was sentenced on Monday to 57 months in prison after admitting that he illegally sold five rifles during transactions in October and November of 2015 that took place in parking lots in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. After selling the rifles for thousands of dollars, Pineda agreed to sell three more to an undercover law enforcement officer.
Most of the eight firearms in this case were AR-15-type assault rifles, several of which did not have serial numbers. According to court documents, Pineda also sold more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition to the undercover agent.
“Parking lot sales of untraceable assault rifles by a convicted felon pose a serious danger to the community,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Transactions like these supply an illegal market for firearms that endangers law-abiding citizens when the deadly weapons make their way into the hands of criminals.”
Pineda pleaded guilty in February to federal offenses of selling firearms without a license and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pineda previously pleaded guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2015 to a felony offense involve an assault rifle.
Pineda was sentenced this week by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer.
“Illegal acquisition and disposition of untraceable firearms presents a significant challenge and a major concern to our community” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric D. Harden. “These offenses circumvent regulations in place intended to thwart firearm possession by prohibited individuals.”
The case against Pineda was investigated by the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which received substantial assistance from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
This case was prosecuted by Gregory S. Scally of the Santa Ana Branch Office
Thousand Oaks Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun Sales Months After Firearm Conviction in State CourtRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man who illegally sold five firearms in less than a month and agreed to sell three more during an undercover operation last year has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison.
Joshua Pineda, 24, of Thousand Oaks, was sentenced on Monday to 57 months in prison after admitting that he illegally sold five rifles during transactions in October and November of 2015 that took place in parking lots in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. After selling the rifles for thousands of dollars, Pineda agreed to sell three more to an undercover law enforcement officer.
Most of the eight firearms in this case were AR-15-type assault rifles, several of which did not have serial numbers. According to court documents, Pineda also sold more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition to the undercover agent.
“Parking lot sales of untraceable assault rifles by a convicted felon pose a serious danger to the community,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Transactions like these supply an illegal market for firearms that endangers law-abiding citizens when the deadly weapons make their way into the hands of criminals.”
Pineda pleaded guilty in February to federal offenses of selling firearms without a license and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pineda previously pleaded guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2015 to a felony offense involve an assault rifle.
Pineda was sentenced this week by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer.
“Illegal acquisition and disposition of untraceable firearms presents a significant challenge and a major concern to our community” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric D. Harden. “These offenses circumvent regulations in place intended to thwart firearm possession by prohibited individuals.”
The case against Pineda was investigated by the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which received substantial assistance from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
This case was prosecuted by Gregory S. Scally of the Santa Ana Branch Office
Third Kingsmen Motorcycle Club Member Pleads Guilty to Rico ConspiracyRead 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 Ryan Myrtle, 32, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant admitted to being a member of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club (KMC), a criminal organization which engaged in such crimes as distribution of controlled substances, maintaining premises for use and distribution of controlled substances, possession, use and sale of firearms, sales of untaxed cigarettes, and promoting prostitution. The KMC sought to preserve and protect their power, territory, and reputation through intimidation, violence, threats of violence, assaults, attempted murder and murders, and was involved in placing victims, potential witnesses, and others in fear of the enterprise, its members, and associates, through violence and threats of violence.
Myrtle further admitted that the Kingsmen operated by a strict chain of command serving under the direction of Kingsmen National President, David Pirk. On June 7, 2013, KMC forcibly shut down the Springville Chapter and stripped members of their colors because they were deemed non-compliant. The defendant participated in the forced shutdown during which other KMC members struck a victim in the head with a blunt object and stole items from the Springville clubhouse. They then used bleach to clean areas where the victim bled and cut and removed portions of the rug which contained blood.
In addition, on September 21, 2012, Myrtle participated in a drive-by shooting in order to retaliate against a former KMC member who assaulted a KMC Regional President. On that date, two car loads of KMC members, including the defendant, drove to the residence of the person in the Riverside section of Buffalo and opened fire at the residence. No injuries were reported.
Other acts of alleged violence by the Kingsmen include the murders of KMC members Paul Maue and Daniel "DJ" Szymanski who were murdered behind the North Tonawanda KMC Chapter clubhouse on September 6, 2014.
Myrtle is one of 16 defendants arrested in this case and the third to be convicted. Charges are pending against the remaining 13 defendants. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Today’s plea is the culmination of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen. Assisting in the investigation: the FBI Knoxville, TN, and Jacksonville, FL Field Offices, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, the Buffalo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York State Police, the Olean Police Department, the Lancaster Police Department, the Amherst Police Department, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hamburg Police Department.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – A Tennessee man, who conspired with others to traffic ICE methamphetamine into Southwest Virginia for further distribution, pled guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Roger Coley, 60, pled guilty today to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent distribute ICE methamphetamine. Coley will be sentenced on December 28, 2016, at the federal courthouse in Abingdon.
“This conspiracy brought large quantities of this very potent form of ICE methamphetamine into Southwest Virginia and preyed on the addictions of others for financial gain,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “Law enforcement in this case worked cooperatively to dismantle this conspiracy and bring this defendant, and others involved in this activity, to justice.”
According to evidence presented at today’s guilty plea hearing by Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne, Coley assisted in a conspiracy to traffic ICE methamphetamine from Tennessee into Virginia. Specifically, Coley, and co-defendant Randy Doss, who were both located in Tennessee, supplied ICE methamphetamine to co-conspirators Mike Warren, Summer Delp, Kevin Roark and Tim Montgomery, and others, who would typically travel from Virginia to Tennessee to purchase the methamphetamine. Once the methamphetamine arrived in Virginia, the group would further distribute the drug.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; United States Drug Enforcement Administration; United States Marshals Service; and Virginia State Police. Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne prosecuted the case for the United States.
Tax Return Preparer Charged with Preparing False Tax Returns, Bankruptcy Fraud and Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
A former tax return preparation business owner was indicted by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas for aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false income tax returns, making a false bankruptcy declaration, false testimony under oath in connection with a bankruptcy matter and unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Beall of the District of Kansas.
According to the indictment filed on Sept. 7 and unsealed today, Geoffrey Rotich, owned and operated Inventax, a tax return preparation business in Shawnee, Kansas. The indictment alleges that Rotich prepared false and fraudulent tax returns for other individuals, claiming false deductions for medical and dental expenses and false education expenses. The indictment further alleges that, in connection with a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, Rotich made false declarations in his bankruptcy petition and related schedules and made false statements under oath during a meeting of creditors. The indictment also alleges that Rotich obtained naturalization and citizenship to which he was not entitled on the basis of false representations on his application for naturalization.
If convicted, Rotich faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for each of the tax counts, a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the bankruptcy counts and a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the naturalization count. Rotich also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and Acting U.S. Attorney Beall commended the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security investigators and the U.S. Trustee’s Office in Wichita, who conducted the investigation and Trial Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Christopher Oakley of the District of Kansas, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Tamaqua Pennsylvania Woman Charged with Taking Narcotics from the Veterans Administration HospitalRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Janice M. Matrician, age 50, of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania has been charged with acquiring narcotics by fraud or misrepresentation in connection to an incident at the Veterans Administration Hospital located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on May 22, 2015.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Matrician, a Nurse employed by the Veterans Administration Hospital, is charged with obtaining narcotics by fraud or misrepresentation. Matrician is alleged to have stolen narcotics by representing in the hospital’s computerized automated distribution system that she had disposed of them, when in fact she was keeping the drugs for her own personal use.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is four years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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St. Louis County Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Charles Hicks, Fenton, Missouri, pled guilty to a one-count mail fraud indictment this afternoon.
According to his plea agreement, Hicks devised a false invoice scheme to defraud two successive employers, RockTenn Company and MarChem Company, over the course of two and a half years. Hicks had authority to identify vendors and authorize purchases and used dummy companies to submit and receive payments for false invoices. In all, Hicks admitted to defrauding the two companies of $370,000.
Hicks appeared before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. Sentencing has been set for January 4, 2017.
Hicks faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges. Restitution to the victims is also mandatory.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Albus is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
St. James Resident Sentenced for Selling and Possessing Migratory BirdsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that ROYLEY A. FOLSE, JR., age 69, a resident of St. James Parish, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to one count of selling migratory game birds, in violation of 16 U.S.C. §§703 and 707.
U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval sentenced FOLSE to a probationary term of two years.
According to court documents, from June 2010 to December 2011, FOSLE illegally bartered and sold for cash four yellow-crowned night herons and sixty-two white ibis, which are migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis was in charge of the prosecution.
Springfield Man Convicted of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man has been found guilty in federal court of illegally possessing a firearm.
Scott Goodwin-Bey, 49, of was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool issued the verdict on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, following a one-day bench trial on Aug. 23, 2016.
According to the court’s findings of fact, Goodwin-Bey entered the Star Mart on W. Chestnut Expressway on Nov. 30, 2014, carrying a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol. Goodwin-Bey placed the gun on the counter and the store clerk took the firearm and handed it to the store manager. Both the clerk and the manager recognized Goodwin-Bey from earlier interactions because he had behaved in a strange manner. The clerk escorted Goodwin-Bey outside the store and Goodwin-Bey left in a white Lincoln. The store manager dialed 911 and requested that officers come to the Star Mart because of concern over Goodwin-Bey’s actions.
When an officer arrived, the store manager turned over the firearm. Another officer stopped Goodwin-Bey, who was driving the Lincoln, and he was arrested. Officers found loose 9mm ammunition on the floor of his vehicle and in the parking lot in front of the store in the vicinity of where the vehicle had been parked.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Goodwin-Bey has two prior felony convictions for carrying a concealed weapon and prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of crack cocaine, resisting arrest and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
Under federal statutes, Goodwin-Bey is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
South Pekin Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography and Impersonating U.S. MarshalRead the Press Release
Peoria, Ill. – Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid sentenced Arthur D. Wheeler, 31, of South Pekin, Ill., to serve 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography and impersonating a federal officer. Wheeler appeared yesterday before Judge Shadid, who ordered that Wheeler remain on supervised release for a period of five years following completion of his prison term. Wheeler pled guilty to the charges on Feb. 25, 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna prosecuted the case. The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Secret Service; task force members of the Central Illinois Cyber Crime Unit, including the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomington Police Department; the Pekin Police Department; Illinois State Police; and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
According to court documents, in May 2015, Wheeler obtained nude photos on his phone from a minor female in Missouri and by accessing the minor’s Facebook account. Wheeler appeared June 1, 2015, in the Circuit Court of Tazewell County seeking an order of protection against the minor’s family. Wheeler stated to the court that the minor’s family had threatened him because of his communications with the minor during the preceding two weeks. During the court proceeding, Wheeler produced his phone, which was ultimately seized and examined by law enforcement. The forensic review revealed that on three separate occasions, in late May and early June 2015, Wheeler used the cellphone’s text function to send naked images of the minor to approximately 120 people in the area code where the minor lives. Wheeler also acknowledged that on June 1, 2015, he impersonated a U.S. Marshal in an attempt to get information from an individual about the minor’s whereabouts.
Wheeler is a registered sex offender as a result of a prior conviction for a sex crime involving a minor in Illinois in 2011. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since he was arrested on Aug. 24, 2015.
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 (CEOS), 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.
South Florida Resident Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Scheme Involving the Cashing of over $140,000 from Altered Tax Refund ChecksRead the Press Release
A South Florida resident pled guilty for his involvement in an identity theft scheme involving the cashing of over $140,000 in altered tax refund checks.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Contreas Faison, 44, pled guilty to one count of theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. As part of his plea agreement, Faison agreed to restitution in the amount of $140,000.
According to court documents, in 2013 and 2014, Faison obtained U.S. Treasury tax refund checks that had been fraudulently altered so that the taxpayer's name did not appear on the check. Instead, the check contained the name of the defendant's company or the name of another bank account holder. Faison deposited these checks into bank accounts in his name or in the name of other people, and then Faison used the proceeds for his own benefit. In total, the defendant cashed over $140,000 from fifteen different altered U.S. Treasury tax refund checks that were stolen or otherwise fraudulently obtained.
Faison is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2016 before United States District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. At sentencing, the defendant faces up to ten years in prison.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the IRS-CI and the USSS. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vanessa S. Snyder.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Seventeen Individuals Indicted for Respective Roles in Human Trafficking Scheme that Exploited Hundreds of Thai Women for Commercial Sex in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Sex Trafficking Organization Engaged in Visa Fraud and Debt Scheme to Recruit Victims into the United States for Prostitution
An indictment unsealed late yesterday in St. Paul, Minnesota, charges 17 members of an international sex trafficking organization with transporting hundreds of women from Thailand and profiting from advertising them for commercial sex throughout the United States.
The charged defendants include 12 Thai nationals and five U.S. nationals. Eight of the 17 charged defendants were arrested yesterday at various locations in Minnesota, California, Illinois, Georgia and Hawaii. One charged defendant was previously arrested in Belgium and four defendants remains at large.
The announcement was made by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch; U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Special Agent in Charge Alex Khu of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Division and Special Agent in Charge Shea Jones of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) St. Paul Field Office.
“Human trafficking is a degrading crime that undermines our nation’s most basic promises of liberty and security," said Attorney General Lynch. “This case demonstrates the Justice Department’s determination to hold traffickers accountable and to help the survivors of this appalling practice reclaim their freedom and dignity. As part of our nationally recognized Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team Initiative, the District of Minnesota is playing a crucial role in those vital efforts, and I want to commend all of the team members whose cooperation led to today’s action.”
“The 17 people charged in this indictment ran a highly sophisticated sex trafficking scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “They promised women in Thailand a chance at the American dream, but instead exploited them, coerced them and forced them to live a nightmare. In short, the victims lived like modern day sex slaves. Today’s indictment is our ninth sex trafficking case since 2014, but it is the first that targets an entire organization. We will continue to work closely with our federal and local law enforcement partners to target and dismantle these types of far-reaching organizations.”
“The Justice Department created the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) Initiative to bring together federal law enforcement agencies to enhance our impact in investigating and prosecuting human trafficking,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “This case is an outstanding example of these efforts. We will continue to work tirelessly with them to bring traffickers to justice and vindicate the rights of vulnerable victims.”
“This week’s arrests reflect HSI’s global reach and ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal organizations that engage in human trafficking activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Khu. “HSI also remains firmly committed to rescuing victims and getting them help they desperately need to begin recovering from the depredations forced on them by these criminals.”
“From coast to coast, IRS Criminal Investigation is determined to team with our law enforcement partners to track down the individuals who facilitate and launder the proceeds of sex trafficking crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “Those who seek to enrich themselves by exploiting the desperate circumstances of their victims will not be tolerated in our cities.”
According to the indictment, which was returned under seal on Sept. 28, 2016, since at least 2009, the criminal organization has recruited and transported hundreds of women, which the organization refers to as “flowers,” from Thailand to various locations across the United States, including Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas and Austin, for purposes of exploiting them for prostitution. Once in the United States, victims were allegedly placed in houses of prostitution where they were forced to work long hours – often all day, every day. As alleged in the indictment, the women were not allowed to leave the prostitution houses unless accompanied by a member of the criminal organization.
According to allegations in the indictment, which identifies several of the women as victims of human trafficking, the organization often recruited women from impoverished backgrounds who spoke little English. Recruiters exploited these vulnerabilities during the recruitment process, promising the victims access to a better life in the United States in exchange for a debt of between $40,000 and $60,000, which the women were required to pay off through prostitution earnings. As alleged in the indictment, before transporting the women to the United States, the organization would typically arrange to have the women photographed for purposes of advertising them for sex on websites like backpage.com and eros.com. The organization also encouraged the women to have breast implants in Thailand to make them “more appealing” to potential sex buyers in the United States and added the cost to the victims’ debt.
The organization engaged in widespread visa fraud to facilitate the international transportation of the women into their commercial sex enterprise, the indictment alleges. Members of the criminal organization assisted in obtaining fraudulent visas and travel documents for the women, and members of the conspiracy used personal information on the women and their families, which they gathered in the course of obtaining the fraudulent documents, to threaten victims who became non-compliant or tried to flee.
The defendants include:
- Sumalee Intarathong, 55, who was a boss in the scheme is currently incarcerated in Liege, Belgium, is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; sex trafficking by use of force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy to commit forced labor; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering; conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution and conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
- Chabaprai Boonluea, 42, of Winder, Georgia, was a house boss in the operation and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; sex trafficking by use of force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy to commit forced labor; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
- Watcharin Luamseejun, 46, was a house boss in the scheme and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; conspiracy to commit forced labor; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
- Pantilla Rodpholka, 31, of Mount Prospect, Illinois, was a house boss in the operation and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; conspiracy to commit forced labor; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
- Noppawan Lerslurchachai, 35, of Lomita, California, was a facilitator in the scheme and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; sex trafficking by use of force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy to commit forced labor; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
- Khanong Intharathong, 44, of Dunwoody, Georgia, was a facilitator in the operation and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
- Andrew Flanigan, 51, of Winder, was a facilitator in the operation and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
- Patcharaporn Saengkham, 41, of Los Angeles, was a facilitator in the scheme and is charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
- Yadaporn Panngoen, 30, Los Angeles, was a facilitator in the scheme and is charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
- Supapon Sonprasit, 31, of St. Paul, was a facilitator in the operation and is charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
- Thi Vu, 48, of Atlanta, was a runner in the operation and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
- Todd Vassey, 54, of Lahanina, Hawaii, was a runner in the scheme and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
- John Zbracki, 59, of Lakeville, Minnesota, was a runner in the operation and is charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution; transportation to engage in prostitution; conspiracy to engage in money laundering and conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution.
According to the indictment, Intarathong served as a boss before her arrest in Belgium earlier this year. As alleged in the indictment, each woman identified as a victim of human trafficking was “owned” by Intarathong or another boss until the victim could repay the debt.
According to the indictment, other members of the criminal organization served as “house bosses,” who owned one or more of the houses of prostitution where the “flowers” were exploited for commercial sex. House bosses were responsible for day-to-day operations, including advertising the “flowers” for commercial sex, maintaining the houses of prostitution, scheduling appointments with sex buyers and ensuring that a significant portion of the prostitution proceeds were routed back to the trafficker/boss to pay down the debt. The house boss kept the remainder of the prostitution proceeds, while the women were not permitted to retain any of their earnings, except for the occasional tip offered by a sex buyer.
As set forth in the indictment, other members of the criminal organization served as “facilitators,” who were primarily responsible for laundering the criminal proceeds of the organization and for directing the movement of victims within the United States, while other co-conspirators served as “runners.” The runners were typically men who were paid, in part, by receiving access to sex acts with the women. Runners accompanied the women anytime they were permitted to leave a house of prostitution to obtain personal items, travel as directed by the criminal organization or deposit money into accounts set up by the organization for repayment of the women’s debts. Runners were also sometimes asked to rent hotel rooms, apartments or other facilities for the organization.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The District of Minnesota is one of six districts designated through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II ACTeam, through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by HSI; IRS-CI; Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; St. Paul Police Department; Anoka County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office; and Cook County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda Williams and Laura Provinzino of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Seventeen Indicted for Their Roles in Trafficking Hundreds of Thai Sex Slaves in the United StatesRead the Press Release
SAINT PAUL – An indictment unsealed late yesterday in Saint Paul, Minn., charges seventeen members of an international sex trafficking organization with transporting hundreds of female Thai sex slaves from Thailand and trafficking them throughout the United States.
The charged defendants include 12 Thai Nationals and five U.S. Nationals. Eleven of the seventeen charged defendants were arrested yesterday at various locations in Minnesota, California, Illinois, Georgia, and Hawaii. One charged defendant was previously arrested in Belgium. Four defendants remain at large.
The announcement was made by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch; U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger of the District of Minnesota; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Special Agent in Charge Alex Khu of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Division and Special Agent in Charge Shea Jones of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division’s St. Paul Field Office.
“Human trafficking is a degrading crime that undermines our nation's most basic promises of liberty and security,” said Attorney General Lynch. “This case demonstrates the Justice Department’s determination to hold traffickers accountable and to help the survivors of this appalling practice reclaim their freedom and dignity. As part of our nationally recognized Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team Initiative, the District of Minnesota is playing a crucial role in those vital efforts, and I want to commend all of the team members whose cooperation led to today’s action.”
“The 17 people charged in this indictment ran a highly sophisticated sex trafficking scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “They promised women in Thailand a chance at the American dream, but instead exploited them, coerced them and forced them to live a nightmare. In short, the victims lived like modern day sex slaves. Today’s indictment is our ninth sex trafficking case since 2014, but it is the first that targets an entire organization. We will continue to work closely with our federal and local law enforcement partners to target and dismantle these types of far-reaching organizations.”
“The Justice Department created the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) Initiative to bring together federal law enforcement agencies to enhance our impact in investigating and prosecuting human trafficking,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “This case is an outstanding example of these efforts. We will continue to work tirelessly with them to bring traffickers to justice and vindicate the rights of vulnerable victims.”
“This week’s arrests reflect HSI’s global reach and on-going efforts to dismantle criminal organizations that engage in human trafficking activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Alex Khu, of HSI St. Paul. “HSI also remains firmly committed to rescuing victims and getting them help they desperately need to begin recovering from the depredations forced on them by these criminals.”
“As this operation clearly shows, human trafficking—in this case the trafficking of vulnerable Thai women for sex—knows no boundaries,” said Sgt. Sean Johnson, an investigator with the Saint Paul Police Department Human Trafficking Unit. “We’re proud to be part of a community in which agencies work together to send a clear message to anyone who would traffic or purchase women for sex: Your actions will not be tolerated here, and we will hold you accountable for your actions.”
“From coast to coast, IRS Criminal Investigation is determined to team with our law enforcement partners to track down the individuals who facilitate and launder the proceeds of sex trafficking crimes,” said Shea Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the St. Paul Field Office. “Those who seek to enrich themselves by exploiting the desperate circumstances of their victims will not be tolerated in our cities.”
According to the indictment, which was returned under seal on September 28, 2016, since at least 2009, the criminal organization has trafficked at least hundreds of women, which the organization refers to as “flowers,” from Bangkok, Thailand, to various cities across the United States, including Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, and Austin, among others. Once in the United States, victims are placed in houses of prostitution where they are forced to work long hours – often all day, every day – having sex with strangers. The victims are not allowed to leave the prostitution houses unless accompanied by a member of the criminal organization.
According to the indictment, victims are often from impoverished backgrounds and speak little English. Recruiters exploit these vulnerabilities during the recruitment process. Victims are promised access to a better life in the United States, in exchange for an exorbitant “bondage debt” of between $40,000 and $60,000. Before being transported to the United States, the organization would typically arrange to have professional-quality escort-style photographs taken of the victims, which would ultimately be sent to traffickers in the United States and used to advertise the victims for sex on websites like backpage.com and eros.com. The organization also encouraged victims to have breast implants in Thailand to make the victims “more appealing” to potential sex buyers in the United States. The cost of the cosmetic surgery was added to the victims’ bondage debt.
According to the indictment, the organization engaged in widespread visa fraud to facilitate the international transportation of the victims. Members of the criminal organization assisted the victims in obtaining fraudulent visas and travel documents. As a part of obtaining visa documents, members of the criminal conspiracy gathered personal information from the victims, including the location of the victims’ families in Thailand. This information was later used to threaten victims who became non-compliant or tried to flee the organization in the United States.
According to the indictment, SUMALEE INTARATHONG, a/k/a
“Joy,” served as a boss/trafficker before her arrest in Belgium on August 5, 2016. Each trafficked victim was “owned” by INTARATHONG or another boss/trafficker, until the victim could repay the bondage debt. The trafficker arranged for victims to travel from Thailand to the United States and placed the victims in a house of prostitution somewhere in the United States.According to the indictment, other members of the criminal organization served as “house bosses,” who owned one or more of the houses of prostitution to which the flowers were trafficked. House bosses were responsible for day-to-day operations of the houses of prostitution they controlled, which included advertising the “flowers” for commercial sex, maintaining the houses of prostitution, scheduling sex buyers, and ensuring that a significant portion of the money earned by the victims was routed back to the trafficker/boss to pay down the bondage debt. The house boss kept the remainder of the money earned by the victim. The victim was not allowed to keep any money, except for the occasional tip offered by a sex buyer.
According to the indictment, other members of the criminal organization serve as “facilitators.” These individuals were primarily responsible for laundering the criminal proceeds of the organization and for directing the movement of victims within the United States.
According to the indictment, others among the co-conspirators served as “runners.” The runners were typically men who were paid, in part, in sex with the victims. Runners accompanied the victims anytime they were permitted to leave a house of prostitution. Victims were allowed to obtain personal items, to travel at the direction of the criminal organization, or to deposit money into bank accounts set-up by the organization for the victims to repay their bondage debt. Runners were also sometimes asked to rent hotel rooms, apartments or other facilities for the organization.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, Diplomatic Security Service, St. Paul Police Department, Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and Cook County Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2).
The District of Minnesota is one of six districts designated through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam), through the interagency ACTeam Initiative of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor. ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda Williams and Laura Provinzino are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Defendant Information:
Boss/Trafficker
SUMALEE INTARATHONG, a/k/a “Joy,” 55
Liege, Belgium (Incarcerated)
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Sex trafficking by use of force, fraud, and coercion, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit forced labor, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit visa fraud, 1 count
House Bosses
CHABAPRAI BOONLUEA, 42
Winder, Ga.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Sex trafficking by use of force, fraud, and coercion, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit forced labor, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
WATCHARIN LUAMSEEJUN, 46
Unknown
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit forced labor, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
PANTILLA RODPHOLKA, 31
Mount Prospect, Ill.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit forced labor, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
Facilitators
NOPPAWAN LERSLURCHACHAI, 35
Lomita, Calif.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Sex trafficking by use of force, fraud, and coercion, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit forced labor, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
KHANONG INTHARATHONG, 44
Dunwoody, Ga.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
ANDREW FLANIGAN, 51
Winder, Ga.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
PATCHARAPORN SAENGKHAM, 41
Los Angeles, Calif.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit visa fraud, 1 count
SUPAPON SONPRASIT, 31
St. Paul, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit visa fraud, 1 count
Runners
THI VU, 48
Atlanta, Ga.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
TODD VASSEY, 54
Lahanina, Hawaii
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
JOHN ZBRACKI, 59
Lakeville, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, 1 count
- Conspiracy to commit transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Transportation to engage in prostitution, 1 count
- Conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 1 count
- Conspiracy to use a communication facility to promote prostitution, 1 count
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Sentencings for October 3 - October 5, 2016Read the Press Release
Jesse Wade Penfield, 27, of Newcastle, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 5, 2016, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Penfield was arrested in Newcastle, Wyoming. He received 41 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and a $250.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Charles Michael Carsten, 28, of Pittsburg, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 4, 2016, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Carsten was arrested in Wellington, Colorado. He received 24 months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Dakota Stanley, 24, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 3, 2016, for uttering counterfeit currency. Stanley was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 18 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. Restitution will be determined at a later date. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Second former lab manager pleads guilty to tampering with water samplesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A former lab manager from Raleigh County who falsified data pleaded guilty today to a violation of the Clean Water Act, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. John Brewer, 62, of Beaver, is the second former employee of Appalachian Laboratories to be prosecuted for a federal crime involving the Clean Water Act.
Appalachian Laboratories performed water sampling and analysis for coal mining operations to ensure that the discharges of pollutants into public waterways were within the limits of permits issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. From at least 2008 through the summer of 2013, law enforcement found evidence of irregularities in the sampling. Brewer admitted that he knew and approved of employees falsifying the date that water samples were taken, as well as falsifying dates himself. Brewer further admitted that Appalachian Laboratories employees would falsify the date a sample was taken in order to avoid collecting samples that they believed to be in violation of permit limits. Instead, the employees would wait until they believed the water was within permit limits and then take a sample. They then backdated the samples to make it appear as though the samples had been collected in the previous month as required. Brewer additionally admitted that he caused this falsified data to be submitted in a report to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
Brewer faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 when he is sentenced on January 18, 2017. John Shelton, another former lab manager at Appalachian Laboratories, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act. Shelton was sentenced in February 2015 to a year and nine months in federal prison.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Eric Bacaj and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry McDaniel are in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
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Roswell Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Brandy Lynn Matthewson, 38, of Roswell, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Matthewson and her co-defendant Gilbert Nick Montes, 36, also of Roswell were arrested on May 24, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging them with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in March 2016, in Chaves County, N.M. According to the complaint, in March 2016, Matthewson was distributing methamphetamine on behalf of Montes, following Montes’ arrest on other methamphetamine trafficking charges.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Matthewson pled guilty to a felony information charging her with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and admitted that she participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Chaves County between Nov. 2015 and March 2016, in Chaves County. At sentencing, Matthewson faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Montes was previously arrested in a separate case in Nov. 2015, and was indicted on March 8, 2016, on methamphetamine trafficking offenses. On Sept. 16, 2016, he pled guilty to that indictment and admitted receiving four pounds of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute to others. At sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled, Montes faces a statutory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.
While in custody on the aforementioned case, Montes was charged, together with Mathewson, with methamphetamine charges in this case. Montes has entered a not guilty plea to the charges in this case and remains in custody pending trial. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations, and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 is prosecuting 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.
Raytown Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Raytown, Mo., man who formerly worked at a karate studio in Lee’s Summit, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for distributing and receiving child pornography over the Internet.
Jered Scott Faulkner, 37, of Raytown, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On May 25, 2016, Faulkner pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography over the Internet and one count of receiving child pornography over the Internet.
An FBI Child Exploitation Task Force officer identified Faulkner’s computer as sharing videos of child pornography during an investigation into a peer-to-peer file-sharing network in September and October 2014. The undercover agent, on multiple occasions, downloaded numerous video files from Faulkner’s computer that contained child pornography. According to court documents, a recurring theme in the images was the graphic depiction of the rape and sodomy of pubescent and prepubescent girls, some as young as babies, by adult men. Some of the files also depicted child bondage.
According to court documents, the same officer was conducting a separate investigation and located a second and distinct IP address sharing images and videos of child pornography between November 2014 and December 2014. Though not known to the officer at that time, this IP address was also later determined to be Faulkner’s.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Faulkner’s residence on Jan. 15, 2015. Officers seized Faulkner’s laptop computer and hard drive. A forensic analysis confirmed the presence of at least 300 videos and 2,552 images of child pornography.
Also discovered by the forensic analyst were two images of an approximately 7-year-old female that had been taken by a cell phone in July 2014 and downloaded onto Faulkner’s computer. Investigators learned that the child victim was a prior student at a local martial arts studio where Faulkner was employed at the time of the investigation.
Faulkner also admitted that his mother, whom law enforcement officers had initially contacted, alerted him about the investigation before officers arrived at his residence to execute the search warrant. When officers arrived, Faulkner was in the process of reformatting his laptop computer. Despite the attempt to reformat the computer, however, the forensic examiner was able to successfully recover the contents of the computer.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Prior Sex Offender from Ohio Sentenced to 15 Years for Federal Child Pornography Conviction in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Glover, 37, of Canton, Ohio, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his conviction on federal child pornography charges in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M. Glover will also be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Glover was arrested in April 2015, in Ohio on an indictment alleging child pornography charges that was filed in Albuquerque. Thereafter, Glover was transported to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in Albuquerque to face the charges against him.
The six-count indictment charged Glover, a former Albuquerque resident, with three counts of distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and three counts of possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The three distribution counts alleged that Glover distributed child pornography in Bernalillo County, N.M., on May 27, 2013, Aug. 11, 2013, and Aug. 12, 2013. The three possession counts alleged that Glover possessed child pornography in Bernalillo County during three periods in 2013. The indictment included forfeiture provisions seeking forfeiture of Glover’s laptop computer and computer media.
On March 28, 2016, Glover entered guilty pleas to Counts 4 through 6 of the indictment charging him with distribution and possession of child pornography. In entering his guilty plea, Glover admitted to possessing child pornography between May 23, 2013 and Aug. 19, 2013, on three devices (a computer, a Kindle and a flash drive).
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations, the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shammara H. Henderson prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Glover, who has a prior sexual assault conviction and a conviction for violating the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act, was also being prosecuted under 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 primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Bernalillo County, N.M., under this initiative.
Police and Prosecutors Join Students for a Day of LearningRead the Press Release
BLAST (Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community) Program Brings Law Enforcement and Youth Together
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – In recognition of National Community Policing Week (October 2-8, 2016), the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, together with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and Twin Oaks Juvenile Development, Inc., will present a BLAST Program event on Friday to 40 youth from the Juvenile Unit for Special Treatment, located in Wilma, Florida.
The BLAST Program offers students an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community and ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with officers in a familiar setting. Officers also provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations.
Event: BLAST Program
Location: Veterans Memorial Civic Center
10405 NW Theo Jacobs Way
Bristol, FL 32321
Date: Friday, October 7, 2016
Press: A media availability will take place at 1:45 p.m. The youth discussion sessions are closed to the media and the public, and videography and photography of students is not permitted.The schedule will include the following discussion sessions, during which students will have a chance to participate in role play with law enforcement officers: • Crime and Justice Overview: Students will learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.
• Domestic Violence: Students will participate in a scenario in which police respond to an injured victim. Discussion topics will include de-escalation in a stressful environment, rights of witnesses and suspects, and the benefits of providing information to the police.
• Traffic Stop Simulation: Students will take turns playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop scenario in which some participants are compliant and some are argumentative. Discussion topics include vehicle searches based on probable cause and the dangers faced by officers during a traffic stop.
• Use of Force: Facilitators and students will discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation.Participating agencies include: • United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Liberty County Sheriff’s Office
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office
• Drug Enforcement AdministrationThe United States Attorney’s Office is expanding the BLAST program across the district, building on a successful event in Pensacola last month.
About National Community Policing Week:
Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community, both officer and civilian, have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work.
In support of community policing efforts around the country, the United States Department of Justice will lead nearly 400 events, and President Obama will designate the week of Oct. 2-8, 2016, as National Community Policing Week. The week is also an extension of the Attorney General’s 12-city Community Policing Tour that highlighted collaborative programs and policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations, and foster mutual trust and respect between law enforcement and citizens.
• 21st Century Policing Task Force report
• Attorney General’s Community Policing Op-EdThe United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Owner of Tax Preparation Franchises in Illinois, Kansas and Missouri Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Underreported More Than $1.5 Million in Gross Receipts
A federal jury sitting in St. Louis, Missouri, found the local owner of a tax return preparation businesses guilty of two counts of tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
“While Semere Tsehaye was operating tax return preparation franchises in three states, he was generating false financial summaries and filing fraudulent returns to evade paying his own taxes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo. “No one is above the law, and the department will continue to prosecute those who seek to violate our nation’s tax laws.”
According to the evidence at trial, Semere Tsehaye, 39, was the owner and operator of at least 20 Instant Tax Service (ITS) franchise locations operating in and around East St. Louis, Illinois; Kansas City, Kansas; and Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, from 2005 to 2011. ITS was a brand name of ITS Financial LLC, a nationwide tax preparation business headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. Tsehaye owned and operated his ITS franchise locations using two entities named A&S Tax Service LLC (A&S) and ERI Enterprises LLC (ERI).
The evidence at trial showed that during the years 2010 and 2011, Tsehaye generated fraudulent financial summaries that understated the gross receipts generated by A&S and ERI and provided them to his tax return preparer. The evidence also showed Tsehaye’s tax return preparer used these financial summaries to prepare Tsehaye’s individual income tax returns, which Tsehaye then filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These tax returns were false in that they underreported A&S and ERI’s gross receipts by a total of approximately $547,000 in 2010 and $1.03 million in 2011, causing a tax loss of more than $580,000.
“Mr. Tsehaye’s attempt to evade his taxes by creating false financial summaries to conceal over $1.5 million of income and by filing false tax returns is a theft from the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Karl Stiften of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “We all pay when others swindle the government.”
In 2013, a Kansas City, Kansas federal court permanently barred A&S from further operating or preparing federal tax returns. Tsehaye was also permanently enjoined from engaging in certain abusive practices as well as preparing tax returns for any person other than himself beyond a 50 mile radius from his permanent residence.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2017. Tsehaye faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion, as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey Smith and Trial Attorney Mark McDonald of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri for their assistance.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Owner of Tax Preparation Franchises in Illinois, Kansas and Missouri Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal jury sitting in St. Louis, Missouri, found the local owner of tax return preparation businesses guilty of two counts of tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
"While Semere Tsehaye was operating tax return preparation franchises in three states, he was generating false financial summaries and filing fraudulent returns to evade paying his own taxes," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo. "No one is above the law, and the department will continue to prosecute those who seek to violate our nation’s tax laws."
According to the evidence at trial, Semere Tsehaye, was the owner and operator of at least 20 Instant Tax Service (ITS) franchise locations operating in and around East Saint Louis, Illinois; Kansas City, Kansas; and Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, from 2005 to 2011. ITS was a brand name of ITS Financial LLC, a nationwide tax preparation business headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. Tsehaye owned and operated his ITS franchise locations using two entities named A&S Tax Service LLC (A&S) and ERI Enterprises LLC (ERI).
The evidence at trial showed that during the years 2010 and 2011, Tsehaye generated fraudulent financial summaries that understated the gross receipts generated by A&S and ERI and provided them to his tax return preparer. The evidence also showed Tsehaye’s tax return preparer used these financial summaries to prepare Tsehaye’s individual income tax returns, which Tsehaye then filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These tax returns were false in that they underreported A&S and ERI’s gross receipts by a total of approximately $547,000 in 2010 and $1.03 million in 2011, causing a tax loss of more than $580,000.
"Mr. Tsehaye’s attempt to evade his taxes by creating false financial summaries to conceal over $1.5 million of income and by filing false tax returns is a theft from the American public," said Special Agent in Charge Karl Stiften of IRS-Criminal Investigation. "We all pay when others swindle the government."
In 2013, a Kansas City, Kansas, federal court permanently enjoined Tsehaye and A&S from further operating a tax preparation business or preparing federal tax returns.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 4, 2017. Tsehaye faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion, as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey Smith and Trial Attorney Mark McDonald of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri for their assistance.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Orleans County Sentenced for Distributing MethyloneRead 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 Allen M. Young, 40, of Barker, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methylone, was sentenced to 200 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank T. Pimentel, who handled the case, stated that between October 21, 2011, and December 13, 2012, the defendant conspired with Peter Viera to obtain methylone from China, which Young then distributed. On December 13, 2012, while members of the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force were attempting to execute a search warrant on Young and his car, he fled at a high rate of speed before crashing the car in Ridgeway, NY. Young fled the scene on foot. Nine rounds of .50 caliber ammunition were found in the car. As he fled, the defendant discarded a backpack near the scene of the crash which contained 1.8 pounds of methylone and just over one pound of marijuana.
Young was subsequently arrested in Erie, Pennsylvania on February 14, 2013. On April 5, 2013, officers executed a search warrant at his residence and seized seven firearms belonging to the defendant.
Peter Viera was also convicted and sentenced to 70 months in prison.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation on the part of the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, under the direction of District Attorney Joseph V. Cardone and Sheriff Randall Bower, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division.Oregon Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
HELENA – Joseph Lee Eldabaa, 46, of Albany Oregon was sentenced today to 120 months in prison and 60 months’ supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Charles C. Lovell issued the sentence.
Eldabaa was charged by superseding information on June 6, 2016 and pleaded guilty to the single count on June 15, 2016. In documents filed with the court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart stated that, if required to prove its case at trial, the government was prepared to introduce evidence that Eldabaa and various co-defendants transported between three and twelve pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona to Montana with the intent that it be distributed in the Helena area.
Eldabaa was arrested on February 20, 2015 in Helena. Following his arrest, law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for the truck he was driving at the time of the arrest. Officers found approximately three ounces of methamphetamine in the truck. Eldabaa told law enforcement that he had also brought eight ounces of methamphetamine into Montana on a prior trip.
The court concurred with the government’s argument that Eldabaa’s sentence should be enhanced because Eldabaa had weapons with him in the truck. In addition to the Methamphetamine, law enforcement found a loaded .40 caliber handgun with nine rounds in the magazine, brass knuckles, a small folding knife, and marijuana and cash.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Missouri River Drug Task Force.
Oak Lawn Real Estate Executive Arrested for Trying to Hire a Hit Man to Murder Attorney Who Filed Cases Against HimRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An Oak Lawn real estate executive was charged today with trying to hire a hit man to murder an attorney who was involved in litigation against him.
LYLE ANASTOS, 35, of Oak Lawn, was arrested yesterday afternoon. He is charged with using interstate commerce in the commission of murder for hire, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Anastos was ordered to remain in federal custody after an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert. Judge Gilbert scheduled a detention hearing for Oct. 7, 2016, at 2:00 p.m.
According to the complaint, Anastos sought the murder of an attorney who represented the husband of Anastos’ maternal grandmother in cases filed against Anastos. In June the attorney helped secure legal judgments of more than $900,000 for the grandmother’s husband against Anastos and his real estate company, Skyline 1, Inc., as well as against the company’s secretary and a related entity, S12 LLC, where Anastos served as manager. In a secretly recorded conversation last week, Anastos is heard talking to an acquaintance and agreeing to pay up to $10,000 to a hit man to murder the attorney, the complaint states. Anastos is heard on the recording referring to the attorney as “the catalyst to get out of the picture,” according to the complaint.
The complaint and arrest were announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Substantial assistance was provided by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the complaint, the acquaintance last month informed the FBI that Anastos had requested assistance in locating an individual to murder the attorney. At the direction of law enforcement, the acquaintance subsequently engaged in multiple recorded conversations with Anastos.
In a conversation yesterday, Anastos guaranteed to convey title to a $5,000 dump trailer to the hit man as collateral, with the understanding that Anastos would pay cash to the hit man after the murder and then get back the trailer, the complaint states. Anastos is heard confirming the murder for hire, and he requested to see photographs after it was carried out, according to the complaint. Law enforcement arrested Anastos after this conversation, the complaint states.
No one was injured as part of the alleged scheme.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charge in the complaint carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The government is represented by Stephen Chahn Lee.
ComplaintNorth Carolina Man Sentenced to Prison in Fraudulent U.S. Treasury Check SchemeRead the Press Release
A Smithfield, North Carolina man was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the government and commit theft of public money, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to documents filed with the court and court proceedings, Oscar Barahona Fiallos owned and operated a tax preparation business in Smithfield under the names El Caracol Inc. and Oscar’s Income Tax Service. In 2011 and 2012, Fiallos cashed large numbers of U.S. Treasury checks issued as a result of fraudulent tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the names of third parties. The checks were provided to Fiallos by co-conspirators and Fiallos never met the third-party payees, who purportedly lived in New York, New Jersey and North Carolina. Fiallos deposited the checks into his bank account and then provided co-conspirators with cash equal to the value of the check, minus a check cashing fee. After a bank account was closed, Fiallos obtained a check cashing license so that he could continue cashing checks for his co-conspirators. He also prepared Individual Taxpayer Identification Number applications and false tax returns for third parties he did not meet and who did not sign the documents. Fiallos agreed that the intended loss to the IRS was more than $2.8 million.
Fiallos pleaded guilty on Feb. 18 to one count of a conspiring to defraud the United States and commit theft of public money. In addition to his prison sentence, Fiallos was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $2.8 million.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Trial Attorneys Lauren M. Castaldi and Nathan P. Brooks of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for their assistance.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Nitro man sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Nitro man was sentenced today to 12 years in federal prison for a sex crime involving a minor, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Mark Anthony Levitt, 38, previously pleaded guilty to using an app on his cell phone to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. After Levitt is released from prison, he will be on federal supervised release for 25 years and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Levitt admitted that from June 2015 through July 2015, he used his cell phone to send sexually explicit messages to persuade and induce a 14-year-old minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who exploit and abuse minors face serious consequences,” stated United States Attorney Carol Casto. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue making it a top priority to hold sexual predators accountable by working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. We are willing to dedicate whatever resources are necessary to make sure these cases are prosecuted.”
The Nitro Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.
This prosecution was brought as part of an ongoing initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that JOHN WAYNE THOMAS, age 36, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information for possession of stolen mail, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1708.
U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced THOMAS to 37 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
According to the Bill of Information, THOMAS was found in possession of mail matter that he had taken from a mail receptacle on or about May 23, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González was in charge of the prosecution.
New Bedford Gym Owner Pleads Guilty to Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a New Bedford gym pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy that distributed heroin throughout Bristol County, Mass. and Providence, RI.
Sharik Mendes, 39, of New Bedford, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin. Mendes had been previously charged by criminal complaint in June 2016 with Tyson Depina and Eric Desousa, both of whom have pleaded not guilty and who have been indicted by a federal grand jury. U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for January 11, 2017.
In 2015 and 2016, Mendes, the owner and operator of the HEART gym in New Bedford, was receiving large quantities of heroin from two suppliers based in Rhode Island. Mendes then distributed the heroin to lower-level distributors in the New Bedford area. In total, Mendes agreed to accept responsibility for conspiring to distribute between 600 and 700 grams of heroin.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 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.
This case was brought as part of the federal response to the growing opioid abuse epidemic in Massachusetts and other New England states. Heroin is highly addictive, and users can quickly develop a tolerance, prompting them to seek higher potencies and greater quantities of the narcotic. Between 2000 and 2014, opioid overdose deaths have more than tripled with a spike in recent years in Massachusetts.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Fall River Police Chief Daniel S. Racine; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric S. Rosen of Ortiz’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit.
National Center for Disaster Fraud Press ConferenceRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – The National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”) will hold a press conference on Friday, October 7, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at Johnston Hall, Louisiana State University, regarding the efforts of the NCDF to combat fraud related to the recent record flooding that took place in the area in August 2016. The NCDF – which is a partnership among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies - was established by the U.S. Department of Justice following Hurricane Katrina and is led by United States Attorney Walt Green who serves as its Executive Director. The NCDF provides a nationwide call center for members of the public to report all types of disaster fraud, as well as a team of law enforcement agents who review those reports and make referrals to the appropriate investigative agencies. Confirmed attendees include:
- Walt Green, U.S. Attorney and NCDF Executive Director of the NCDF
- Jeff Landry, Louisiana Attorney General
- Jeff Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Hillar Moore, District Attorney of the 19th Judicial District
- Representatives from numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies
Methamphetamine Conspirator SentencedRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A Cana, Virginia woman, who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Lindsay Elease Berrier, 23, of Cana, Virginia, who previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison. Two co-conspirators, Rebel Akers and Sharon Gallimore have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
“Methamphetamine continues to devastate communities across Virginia and destroy lives,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “We will continue to work with law enforcement at all levels to dismantle distribution conspiracies, both large and small, to make our communities safer.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Surry County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
Member of Heroin Conspiracy SentencedRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A man who conspired with others to distribute heroin was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Jesse Ray Little, who previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, was sentenced today in District Court to 108 months in federal prison.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to combat the growing threat of heroin abuse,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “While vigorous enforcement of our drug laws is key in fighting the heroin epidemic, we must also work with prevention and treatment specialists to help those addicted to this deadly drug get the help they need to lead productive lives.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
Maryland Man Charged with Removal of Classified Materials and Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint has been filed charging Harold Thomas Martin III, 51, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, with theft of government property and unauthorized removal and retention of classified materials by a government employee or contractor.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office made the announcement today.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Martin was a contractor with the federal government and had a top secret national security clearance. Martin was arrested late on Aug. 27, 2016. The complaint was filed on Aug. 29, 2016 and unsealed today.
On Aug. 27, 2016, search warrants were executed at Martin’s residence in Glen Burnie, Maryland, including two storage sheds, as well as upon his vehicle and person. During execution of the warrants, investigators located hard-copy documents and digital information stored on various devices and removable digital media. A large percentage of the materials recovered from Martin’s residence and vehicle bore markings indicating that they were property of the U.S. government and contained highly classified information, including Top Secret and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). In addition, investigators located property of the U.S. government with an aggregate value in excess of $1,000, which Martin allegedly stole.
The complaint alleges that among the classified documents found in the search were six classified documents obtained from sensitive intelligence and produced by a government agency in 2014. These documents were produced through sensitive government sources, methods and capabilities, which are critical to a wide variety of national security issues. The disclosure of the documents would reveal those sensitive sources, methods and capabilities.
The documents have been reviewed by a person designated as an original classification authority, and in each instance, the authority has determined that the documents are currently and properly classified as Top Secret, meaning that unauthorized disclosure reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the U.S.
If convicted, Martin faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison for the unauthorized removal and retention of classified materials and ten years in prison for theft of government property. An initial appearance was held for Martin in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Aug. 29, 2016. Martin remains detained.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Assistant Attorney General Carlin and U.S. Attorney Rosenstein commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland State Police for its assistance. Mr. Rosenstein and Mr. Carlin thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Harvey E. Eisenberg, and Trial Attorney David Aaron of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, who are prosecuting the case.
Marion Man Sentenced on Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A Marion, Virginia man, who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke on Federal drug trafficking charges, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick announced today.
Jason Dee Howell, 36, of Marion, who previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, was sentenced today to 138 months in federal prison.
“Methamphetamine is one of the most addicting and destructive substances we in law enforcement encounter,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “We must continue to use all resources available to stop the flow of this drug into Virginia.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police, the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
Man Convicted of Racially Motivated Hate Crime Sentenced to Maximum Term of ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
A man who repeatedly stomped on and kicked the head of an African American man in a racially targeted attack was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Randy Metcalf, 40, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the maximum allowable prison term after a March 30, 2016, jury verdict finding him guilty of committing a federal hate crime.
The evidence at trial showed that on January 12, 2015, Metcalf, while in a bar in Dubuque, had been using racial slurs in reference to an African American man who was also in the bar. Metcalf also displayed a swastika tattoo to other people while bragging about having burned crosses. Later in the night, Metcalf assaulted the African American man by repeatedly stomping on and kicking his head as the victim lay barley conscious on the floor of the bar. Metcalf assaulted the victim and was then pushed away from him by another person in the bar, but then returned to kick and stomp the victim in the head again.
Metcalf was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. He was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed and he was ordered to make $1874.56 in restitution to the victim. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Kevin W. Techau stated after sentencing, “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of all people. Hate crimes represent an attack not just on the individual victim but also on the entire community. The federal hate crime of which Randy Metcalf was found guilty is as reprehensible as it was violent. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to vindicate the rights of victims of violent hate crimes. “This vicious attack threatened the most basic standards of human decency and dignity,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While no sentence, including this one, can undo the harm inflicted, it does send an unequivocal message that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute hate crimes.”
The case was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was jointly prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and Trial Attorney Christopher Perras of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 15-CR-1032.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Maine Resident Pleads Guilty to Participating in A Multi-State Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy Based in StroudsburgRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 22-year-old Maine resident pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton, to participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy that stretched from Stroudsburg to New York to the state of Maine.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the defendant, Ricquell Lindo, who used the street name “Snaxx,” admitted to conspiring with others to sell heroin between 2010 and 2015. Lindo admitted responsibility for distributing between 100 grams and 700 grams of heroin during the conspiracy, which is approximately equivalent to between 3,300 and 21,000 retail bags of heroin.
Lindo was indicted along with six other people by a federal grand jury in Scranton in September 2015, as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, Maine State Police, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and local police in Monroe County.
The indictment alleges that Lindo and his co-defendants participated in a street gang known as the Black P-Stones, obtained heroin from suppliers in New York, and distributed the heroin in Stroudsburg and locations in the state of Maine. According to the indictment, couriers were used to transport heroin to Maine, where Lindo and others distributed it to customers.
Lindo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Judge Mannion will schedule sentencing after completion of a pre-sentence investigation and report.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the heroin initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 40 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Long Time Manager of Hoquiam Wood Shavings Business Convicted of Mail Fraud, Tax Evasion, Money Laundering and Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
The long-time manager of a Hoquiam wood shavings business was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma of thirteen federal felonies following a six-day jury trial, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. WILLIS D. “BILL” LONN, JR., 68, of Aberdeen was convicted of nine counts of mail fraud, two counts of income tax evasion, one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. The jury deliberated about two hours before returning the guilty verdicts. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle scheduled sentencing for January 9, 2017.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, LONN was a long time manager for Long Beach Shavings Company (LBS). The company was owned by LONN’s uncle and cousins and was based in California. The company had one plant in Hoquiam, Washington where it processed wood shavings for use on farms, at horse shows or in pet stores. LONN had worked at the Hoquiam plant for about a decade when he launched a scheme in the 2000s to steal and sell the wood shavings products for his own enrichment. LONN did this by selling the shavings directly to customers in Washington and Oregon without turning the proceeds over to the company. Later in the scheme, LONN arranged to get wood chips for free from a Montesano lumber mill, but he informed the parent company that an entity named M & R Lumber needed to be paid for the wood shavings. LONN posed as M & R Lumber and created phony invoices to bill LBS for the shavings. LONN then kept the money. Between the two schemes LONN obtained more than $1.3 million from LBS. He was terminated by the company in 2011 when the full scope of the scheme came to light.
Testimony at trial revealed that LONN never paid income taxes on the ill-gotten gain in tax years 2009 and 2010. Had LONN reported the income his tax bill for those years would have increased by more than $80,000.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Werner and Nicholas Manheim.
Law Enforcement Officers and Federal Prosecutors Participate in "Coffee with Cop" EventRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – In recognition of National Community Policing Week (October 2-8, 2016) and the first national Coffee with a Cop Day, representatives of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, together with law enforcement officers across the district, will share a cup of coffee and conversations with members of their communities on Thursday, October 6, and Friday, October 7, 2016.
Community members will have a chance to discuss issues of concern with police and federal prosecutors in a familiar restaurant setting during the morning commute. This event is also an excellent opportunity to meet law enforcement officers and prosecutors who work and live in the community they serve.
PENSACOLA AREA
Date and Time: Thursday, October 6, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Location: Starbucks at 346 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL
Participating Agencies:
- United States Attorney’s Office
United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova will participate in this event.
- Gulf Breeze Police Department
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Date and Time: October 7, 2016, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Location: Oscar’s Restaurant at 2805 W. Cervantes St, Pensacola, FL
Participating Agencies:
- Pensacola Police Department
- United States Attorney’s Office
TALLAHASSEE AREA
Date and Time: Friday, October 7, 2016, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Locations:
- Red Eye Coffee at 1122-7 Thomasville Rd., Tallahassee, FL
- Red Eye Coffee at 1184 Capital Circle, NE, Tallahassee, FL
Participating Agencies:
- United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
- Leon County Sheriff’s Office
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PANAMA CITY AREA
Location:
- McDonald’s at 3608 U.S. Highway 98, Panama City Beach, FL
Date and Time: Thursday, October 6, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Participating Agencies:
- United States Attorney’s Office
- Panama City Police Department
- Homeland Security Investigations
GAINESVILLE AREA
Date and Time: Thursday, October 6, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Location:
- McDonald’s at 1030 E University Avenue, Gainesville, FL
Participating Agencies:
- Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
- United States Attorney’s Office
- Gainesville Police Department
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Date and Time: Friday, October 7, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Location:
- McDonald’s at 3826 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608
Participating Agencies:
- Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
- United States Attorney’s Office
- Gainesville Police Department
- Internal Revenue Service
Date and Time: Friday, October 7, 2016, 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.
Location:
- McDonald’s at 16018 NW US Hwy 441 in Alachua, FL
Participating Agencies:
- Alachua Police Department
- High Springs Police Department
- Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
- United States Attorney’s Office
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
About the "Coffee with a Cop" initiative:
The United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has partnered with the Hawthorne (California) Police Department to conduct the
first national Coffee with a Cop Day on October 7, 2016. Coffee with a Cop is an innovative program started by the Hawthorne Police Department in 2011 to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community. Today, more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve have participated in this program, both throughout the United States and abroad.
For more information about the Coffee with a Cop program, please visit http://coffeewithacop.com/. For more information about the United States Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), visit http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/about.
About National Community Policing Week:
Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community, both officer and civilian, have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work.
In support of community policing efforts around the country, the United States Department of Justice will lead nearly 400 events, and President Obama will designate the week of Oct. 2-8, 2016, as National Community Policing Week. The week is also an extension of the Attorney General’s 12-city Community Policing Tour that highlighted collaborative programs and policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations, and foster mutual trust and respect between law enforcement and citizens.
- 21st Century Policing Task Force report
- Attorney General’s Community Policing Op-Ed
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact: Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Arnulfo Vasquez, 35, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a cocaine trafficking charge.
Vasquez was arrested in Jan. 2011, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in Doña Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, on Jan. 20, 2011, law enforcement agents seized approximately 96.6 grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia from Vasquez and his residence during the execution of a search warrant. Vasquez was subsequently indicted on the same charge on April 20, 2011.
During today’s proceedings, Vasquez pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Jan. 20, 2011, law enforcement agents seized a total of 73.1 grams of cocaine from his residence and vehicle which he intended to distribute to others.
At sentencing, Vasquez faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of Homeland Security Investigations and the HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers from the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, HSI and the New Mexico State Police. 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.
Lam Research Corp. and KLA-Tencor Corp. Abandon Merger PlansRead the Press Release
Lam Research Corp. and KLA-Tencor Corp. abandoned their plans to merge after the Department of Justice informed the companies that it had serious concerns that the proposed transaction would harm competition.
"Innovation in the semiconductor industry is critically important to the American economy, and the proposed transaction presented concerns about the ability of the merged firm to foreclose competitors' development of leading edge fabrication tools and process technology on a timely basis,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Renata Hesse of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.
The proposed merger of Lam Research and KLA-Tencor would have combined a leading supplier of semiconductor fabrication equipment with a leading supplier of metrology and inspection equipment. Metrology and inspection technologies are growing increasingly important to the successful development of semiconductor fabrication equipment and process technology. KLA-Tencor's leading position in several metrology and inspection markets could have created the potential for Lam Research to foreclose its competitors by reducing their timely access to key KLA-Tencor equipment and related services.
During the investigation, the division cooperated with the Korean Fair Trade Commission, the Japanese Fair Trade Commission and China's Ministry of Commerce.
Lam Research, based in Fremont, California, is a leading provider of etch, deposition and clean tools and process technology used in the fabrication of semiconductors with approximately $6 billion in 2015 revenue.
KLA-Tencor, based in Milpitas, California, is the leading provider of semiconductor fabrication metrology and inspection equipment with approximately $3 billion in 2015 revenue.
KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Jasper County Meth Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Jasper County, Mo., and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Dustin S. Parrish, 30, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 15 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
On March 16, 2016, Parrish pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Jasper County from May 1 to Oct. 1, 2015, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
On Oct. 1, 2015, Joplin police officers stopped Parrish, who was driving a white Chevrolet Cruz, at 32nd Street and Rangeline in Joplin. Parrish did not immediately stop his vehicle, but continued driving slowly west on 32nd Street. An officer saw Parrish lean down in the seat. After Parrish stopped his vehicle, the officer approached and noticed that Parrish was leaning forward in his seat, sweating, breathing heavily, and appeared nervous. The officer ran his driver’s license, and it showed that Parrish’s driver’s license was revoked.
After Parrish got out of the vehicle, the officer located a Taurus .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol on the driver’s side floorboard. A service canine indicated on a black nylon bag on the front passenger side floorboard. The officer searched the bag and found six clear plastic bags containing a total of 66 grams of methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Release Advancing Diversity in Law Enforcement ReportRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a comprehensive report today that examines barriers and promising practices – in recruitment, hiring and retention – for advancing diversity in law enforcement. The report, developed with support from the Center for Policing Equity, aims to provide law enforcement agencies, especially small and mid-size agencies, with a resource to enhance the diversity of their workforce by highlighting specific strategies and efforts in place in police departments around the country.
The department and EEOC engaged with dozens of law enforcement leaders, officials and officers; researchers; civil rights advocates and other experts to produce the report. The report, which builds on the recommendations of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, notes that while greater workforce diversity alone cannot ensure fair and effective policing, a significant – and growing – body of evidence suggests that diversity can make policing more effective, more safe and more just. For example, among other benefits, increasing diversity can improve relations with the communities agencies serve, address language barriers to serve all residents, make agencies more open to reform and potentially reduce racial bias.
“This report is a resource for law enforcement agencies as they work to ensure that their ranks reflect the communities they serve – not simply by identifying the traditional barriers to a diverse work force, but also by highlighting real-world examples of law enforcement agencies that have effectively implemented smart policies in this area,” said Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates. “We hope that law enforcement agencies will find this report useful in their ongoing efforts to strengthen trust with the broader community.”
“Ensuring that law enforcement agencies represent the diversity of the communities they serve can help restore trust and improve policing,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Building on innovative and creative strategies implemented by law enforcement around the country, our report highlights how agencies are bridging divides and creating lasting results. We hope agencies utilize this resource as they strive to strengthen their diversity and we look forward to engaging with law enforcement on this critical topic over the coming months.”
“When law enforcement agencies remove barriers to equal opportunity, the agencies and the diverse communities that they serve both stand to benefit,” said EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang. “Departments from around the country have been working to build a robust and diverse talent pipeline to strengthen their workforce. This report raises up some of the most promising recruitment and retention practices of these departments.”
The promising practices highlighted in this report vary considerably. The report demonstrates, however, that successful diversity-building efforts by law enforcement agencies share several common themes, including:
- ensuring that the agency’s organizational culture is guided by community policing, procedural justice and cultural inclusivity;
- engaging stakeholders – both from within and outside the law enforcement agency – to help create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community; and
- being willing to re-evaluate employment criteria, standards and benchmarks to ensure that they are tailored to the skills needed to perform job functions and consequently attract, select and retain the most qualified and desirable sworn officers.
The full report is available online here.
From October to December, the department and the EEOC will continue engaging with law enforcement by partnering with U.S. Attorneys around the country to host “Diversity Dialogues” in Madison, Wisconsin; Savannah, Georgia; and San Francisco. These sessions will facilitate working-group discussions with local law enforcement agencies about how to address the barriers and implement the promising practices outlined in the report. Members of law enforcement who would like to learn more about the Advancing Diversity in Law Enforcement initiative or the Diversity Dialogues, should email [email protected].
Junedale Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Committing Four Armed Bank Robberies and the Armed Robbery of A StoreRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Senior United States District Judge James M. Munley sentenced David Weaver, age 42, of Junedale, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, to 121 months’ imprisonment for the armed robberies of four banks and the armed robbery of a store.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, on May 4, 2016, Weaver pleaded guilty to the following armed robberies:
- Jim Thorpe National Bank, Penn Forest Township, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 2013;
- National Penn Bank, Drums, Pennsylvania, on August 8, 2014;
- Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank, Penn Forest Township, Pennsylvania, on November 18, 2014;
- ESSA Bank and Trust, Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania, on December 26, 2014;
- Dollar General, Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, on November 16, 2014.
During each of the robberies, Weaver brandished a firearm to intimidate the employees. A codefendant, Crystal Serfass, pleaded guilty to helping plan the robberies and acting as a driver for each of the crimes. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2016.
Judge Munley ordered that Weaver make full restitution of $22,046 which represented the amount of money taken during the robberies.
The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney John Gurganus prosecuted the case.
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Iowa Man Convicted of Racially-Motivated Hate Crime Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Randy Metcalf, 40, of Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for stomping on and kicking the head of an African-American man in a racially targeted attack.
The evidence at trial showed that on Jan. 12, 2015, Metcalf assaulted an African-American male at the Northside Bar in Dubuque. After getting into an argument over a jukebox with the victim’s female friends, Metcalf directed racial slurs at the victim and his friends, told other patrons that he hated black people, bragged to the bar’s owner about being involved in cross-burnings and flashed his swastika tattoo. Later that night, after hours of taunting, Metcalf attacked the victim’s female friend. When the victim intervened to protect her, Metcalf’s friends knocked him out. As the victim lay barely conscious on the floor of the bar, Metcalf walked over to him and repeatedly kicked and stomped on his head.
“This vicious attack threatened the most basic standards of human decency and dignity,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While no sentence, including this one, can undo the harm inflicted, it does send an unequivocal message that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute hate crimes.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of all people,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin W. Techau of the Northern District of Iowa. “Hate crimes represent an attack not just on the individual victim but also on the entire community. The federal hate crime of which Randy Metcalf was found guilty is as reprehensible as it was violent. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to vindicate the rights of victims of violent hate crimes.”
In addition to sentencing Metcalf to the statutory maximum 10-year sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge Linda R. Reade of the Northern District of Iowa also ordered him to pay $1,874.56 in restitution. Metcalf is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the FBI. The case was jointly prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Morfitt of the Northern District of Iowa and Trial Attorney Christopher Perras of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.