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4 October 2016
Two St. Albans men plead guilty to obtaining pain pills by fraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two St. Albans men pleaded guilty today to federal drug crimes, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Travis Matthew Scarberry, 33, and Christopher David Ford, 37, both entered guilty pleas to obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, and subterfuge.
Scarberry admitted that on April 18, 2015, he obtained oxycodone and Xanax by presenting a prescription that he knew to be fraudulent to the Rite Aid pharmacy in St. Albans. Ford admitted that on April 16, 2015, he obtained oxycodone by presenting a prescription that he knew to be fraudulent to the Fruth Pharmacy in Cross Lanes. Both Scarberry and Ford admitted that they knew the prescriptions were not valid because they had never been patients of the doctor whose name was on the preprinted prescription pad.
Scarberry and Ford each face up to four years in federal prison when they are sentenced. Scarberry is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2017. Ford is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2017.
The case against Scarberry was investigated by the Dunbar Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case against Ford was investigated by the Dunbar Police Department, the South Charleston Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of the prosecutions. The plea hearings were held before United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy in Scheme to Steal USDA Funds Intended to Feed Hungry ChildrenRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that Waymon D. Weeams, Jr, 35, of the Dallas-area of Texas, pled guilty to an Information charging him with conspiring to commit wire fraud. Weeams conspired to steal money intended to feed children in low income areas during the school year.
Today’s plea hearing took place in Little Rock before United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker, who will sentence Weeams at a later date.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program, which includes an at-risk after school component. In Arkansas, the feeding programs are administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS). Sponsors who want to participate in the feeding programs must submit an application to DHS for approval. After they are approved, they can provide meals as part of the feeding program, and they are reimbursed for the eligible meals they serve.
Weeams was a sponsor for a feeding program through an organization called “SJ&B Outreach Program.” Weeams had three approved feeding sites which were located in Wynne, Forrest City, and Marianna, Arkansas. Between all three sites, he claimed as many as 872 children were fed each day. No children were ever actually fed at the Forrest City site, and Weeams now says that approximately 10 to 50 children were fed at the other two sites. Because of the inflated claims, SJ&B Outreach Program received approximately $697,236.41 in USDA funds that were intended to feed children in need.
Weeams admitted that he was recruited by Anthony Waits, who has been indicted on similar charges in Case No. 4:14CR00250 JM. Waits’ wife, Gladys King Waits, worked for DHS and approved Weeams’ application. She was charged in the same indictment as Anthony Waits, and in March 2016, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as charged in that indictment. The plan was for Weeams to pay Anthony Waits a percentage of the money Weeams received. Out of the money Weeams received, he withdrew approximately $475,000 in cash. Weeams paid Anthony Waits approximately 40% of the total amount of money he received.
Weeams is the eleventh person to plead guilty concerning the theft of USDA feeding program funds for children. Previous charges filed in this investigation detail alleged fraud involving over $11 million in USDA feeding program funds.
The statutory penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is not more than 20 years imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, or both, and not more than three years supervised release.
The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the USDA–Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigations, and United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jana Harris, Allison W. Bragg, and Cameron McCree. If you are aware of any fraudulent activity regarding these feeding programs, please email that information to [email protected].
St. Paul, Minnesota Man Arrested Today on Federal Child Exploitation and Interstate Travel ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — John Baker Rose, 75, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was arrested today in St. Paul after a grand jury in Fresno, California returned a three-count indictment charging him with online coercion and enticement, interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and receipt of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to the indictment, between September 2015 and November 2015, Rose made contact with a 14-year-old girl through the internet and persuaded her to meet him. He is alleged to have traveled from St. Paul, Minnesota to Fresno, California for the purpose of meeting her to engage in sexual activity. In addition, he is charged with using a cellphone and computers to receive one or more visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno Police Department, and the St. Paul Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian W. Enos is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Rose faces a penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of online coercion and enticement, up to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and five to 20 years in prison for the charge of receipt of child pornography. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Springfield, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
James Lucas Angotti, 33, of Springfield, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Monday, Oct. 3,2016, to a federal information that charges him with receiving and distributing child pornography.
By pleading guilty, Angotti admitted that he received and distributed child pornography through the use of the Internet. On Jan. 3, 2014, Angotti gave an undercover FBI agent access to his folder, on a peer-to-peer website, that contained multiple images of child pornography, of a child approximately 8-10 years of age, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
On Oct. 3, 2014, a federal search warrant was served at Angotti’s residence, where agents located a computer containing multiple images and videos of child pornography. Agents also recovered Internet chat logs between Angotti and various other individuals discussing minors in a sexual manner.
Under federal statutes, Angotti is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, and up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
South Charleston man pleads guilty to federal methamphetamine crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston man pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Benjamin Childers, 41, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement pulled over Childers in Kansas on November 14, 2015, and officers located approximately 1.7 pounds of crystal methamphetamine hidden underneath the vehicle. Lab testing confirmed that the crystal methamphetamine seized by law enforcement was 90% pure. Childers was part of a conspiracy that involved Joseph Cooper to bring methamphetamine from Nevada for distribution in and around Charleston. Cooper previously pleaded guilty to a federal drug crime and is awaiting sentencing.
Childers faces at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on January 4, 2017.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
These cases were brought as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Six Men Charged with Iowa and Minnesota Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Rogelio Magana Garcia Jimenez, 44, from Worthington, MN; Saul Piceno Valtierra, 34, from Slayton, MN; Marcus Cervantes Martinez, 34, from Worthington, MN; Javier Martinez, 50, from Worthington, MN; Sergio Lopez-Granillo, 24, from Sioux Center, IA; and Daniel Perez Heredia, 28, from Worthington, MN, have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The charges are contained in a Complaint filed September 22, 2016, in United States District Court in Sioux City.
The Complaint alleges: (1) that, from October 2015, through September 2016, the six men conspired with each other and others to distribute methamphetamine to persons in Iowa and Minnesota; (2) those charged distributed methamphetamine which had been received from Iowa and other out of state sources; and (3) on or about September 20, 2016, over five pounds of methamphetamine was seized from a residence in Worthington, MN – associated with those charged.
If convicted, each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, $100 special assessment, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Garcia Jimenez, Piceno Valtierra, Cervantes Martinez, Martinez, Lopez-Granillo, and Perez Heredia appeared October 4, 2016, in federal court in Sioux City and were held without bond. The next appearance for the men is trial scheduled for December 5, 2016.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Buffalo Ridge Task Force; and Internal Revenue Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-mj-236.
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Silver Spring Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Throwing Molotov Cocktails at Residence in Upper MarlboroRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Damien Travis Boddy, age 35, of Silver Spring, Maryland, late on October 3, 2016, to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered firearm and to transportation of explosive material with the intent to injure, kill or intimidate.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief Marc S. Bashoor.
“Our public safety team effort was critical to the closure and conviction in this case. Our residents can rest safer today with the sentence handed down by Judge Hazel,” said Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief Marc S. Bashoor.
According to his plea agreement, in the early morning hours of October 19, 2014, Boddy drove to a gas station in Upper Marlboro, Maryland and filled several empty beer bottles with gasoline. Boddy placed the bottles in his car and drove to a residence in Upper Marlboro. Using protective gloves and a lighter, Boddy set fire to at least two of the bottles filled with gasoline and threw the lit bottles at the residence. The lit bottles, which qualify as explosives, struck a window on the first floor and ignited a small fire on the exterior of the residence. Luckily, the bottles did not penetrate to the interior of the residence and the fire was confined to the exterior of the window and shrubbery. Members of the Prince George’s County Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. Fire investigators subsequently recovered the remnants of one of the gas filled beer bottles near the residence, gas residue on the window, and an intact gas-filled beer bottle on the sidewalk adjacent to the residence.
Members of the Prince George’s County Police Department encountered Boddy in his vehicle a short distance from the residence. Officers discovered a beer bottle filled with gasoline in the vehicle’s cup holder, a lighter, protective gloves and paperwork from the gas station where Boddy filled the beer bottles.
Boddy knew the owner of the residence and in previous years had set fire to a car parked at the victim’s residence, and had contacted the victim’s employer and threatened to kill the victim.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Prince George’s County Police Department and Prince George’s County Fire/EMS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael T. Packard, Erin B. Pulice, and Daniel C. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.
Sanford Woman Sentenced to Five Years for Stealing Tax Refunds and Personal Identity InformationRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Virginia Miller to five years and one month in federal prison for conspiracy to steal federal tax refunds and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $493,697, the proceeds of her criminal conduct. Miller pleaded guilty on July 12, 2016.
According to court documents, Virginia Miller and her daughter, Derma Miller, conspired to file false federal income tax returns using stolen personal identifiable information (PII), much of which belonged to individuals who were physically and mentally disabled, to obtain tax refunds from the Treasury Department. Virginia Miller prepared and filed the fraudulent returns using the stolen PII. She then directed the Internal Revenue Service to electronically deposit the fraudulent refunds into a bank account that Derma Miller controlled. The women withdrew the tax refunds funds in cash and made purchases for their own benefit and the benefit of others. During a two-year period, the Millers filed approximately 226 fraudulent tax returns and obtained $493,697 in fraudulent tax refunds from the Treasury Department.
On July 21, 2016, a federal jury found Derma Miller guilty for her role in this case. Her sentencing is scheduled for October 19, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen L. Gable and Nathan W. Hill.
Roosevelt Man Charged with Social Security Fraud Resulting in Alleged Overpayments of $202,671.60Read the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Benjie Leroy Christensen, age 53, of Roosevelt, Utah, will be in federal court in Salt Lake City Wednesday morning for an initial appearance on an indictment charging him with one count of Social Security fraud and one count of theft of government money.
The hearing will be at 11 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul M. Warner. The potential maximum penalty for Social Security fraud is five years in prison. Theft of government money has a potential 10-year sentence. Both counts have potential fines of $250,000.
The indictment alleges that Christensen, who received Social Security benefits and knew he had a duty to report any event or change of circumstances affecting his right to have the benefits, failed to disclose such an event. Christensen’s concealment or failure to disclose the event resulted in overpayments of $202,671.60.
Christensen was receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits based on a claim he was unable to work because of a medical condition. His wife and children later applied for auxiliary benefits based on his record. An investigation conducted by a Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General agent, showed Christensen was actually working during the time he was receiving disability benefits. An agent with the Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation also contributed to the case.
Indictments are not findings of guilt. Individuals named in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.
Robert Haveman Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Stealing from the Elsa D. Prince Living TrustRead the Press Release
Haveman Ordered to Pay $11,082,666.00 in Restitution
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Robert Allen Haveman, 68, of Ottawa County, Michigan, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his theft of more than $16 million from the Elsa D. Prince Living Trust ("Prince Trust"). Additionally, Haveman was ordered to repay more than $11 million to the Prince Trust after having already repaid more than $5 million to the Trust before the sentencing hearing. After his release from prison, Haveman will spend three years on supervised release. U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell imposed the sentence today.
Earlier this year, Haveman admitted engaging in a scheme to defraud the Elsa D. Prince Living Trust between 1999 and 2015 and engaging in money laundering using some of the fraudulent proceeds. Haveman previously entered guilty pleas to two felony charges alleging that, while employed by EDP Management Company ("EDP") in Holland, Michigan, he devised a scheme to defraud to obtain money belonging to Elsa D. Prince-Broekhuizen and Prince Trust. As part of his fraud scheme, Haveman, who primarily managed private equity investments for EDP, transferred money belonging to Ms. Prince-Broekhuizen and the Prince Trust to his personal bank account and other bank accounts for his personal use and undisclosed investment activities. Haveman caused false entries to be made in the books and records of EDP to disguise his theft of money, and made material misrepresentations to and concealed material facts from Ms. Prince-Broekhuizen and others. Haveman admitted to money laundering in connection with his purchase of vacant land with Lake Michigan frontage in Ottawa County using Prince Trust funds.
The United States secured the repayment of approximately $5 million to the Prince Trust prior to sentencing, which included but was not limited to, the liquidation of Haveman’s entire retirement account and the transfer of the vacant lakefront property to the Prince Trust. Additionally, the United States obtained a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $11,082,666.00 to ensure that, should Haveman ever gain legal title to any money or property in the future, the government will immediately seize those funds.
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the matter and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher O’Connor prosecuted the case.
END
Richmond Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Marcus Freeman, 29, of Richmond, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin. Freeman was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Freeman pleaded guilty on June 1. According to court documents, on Dec. 3, 2015, law enforcement officers observed a dark-colored Nissan disregard a stop sign. The officers initiated a traffic stop, and asked Freeman to exit the vehicle and noticed that he appeared nervous and began to move his right hand toward the center console. Freeman was ordered to show his hands and he complied and placed both hands on the steering wheel before, again, moving his right hand toward the center console. One of the officers gained control of Freeman’s left arm and pulled him out of the vehicle. While being pulled out of the vehicle Freeman was still attempting to reach into the vehicle near the center console. Once the officers removed him from the vehicle, they placed him into investigative detention, and performed a protective sweep of the vehicle near the center console finding semi-automatic pistol, with a 30 round magazine. Freeman, a previously convicted felon, was a prohibited person and subsequently placed under arrest. On the driver’s side floor board, two large rolls of cash were recovered totaling over $10,000. A digital scale with a powdery residue was also recovered from the cup holder in the center console. A canine officer alerted to Freeman as having the odor of narcotics coming from his person. An X-Ray conducted at a hospital revealed that Freeman had a foreign object in his rectum. Lab reports later confirmed the object to be a package of approximately 15 grams of heroin.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:16-cr-21.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Banks in Connecticut and MassachusettsRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT CHADRONET, 38, formerly of East Providence, R.I., pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of bank robbery and admitted that he committed two bank robberies in Connecticut and one in Massachusetts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, CHADRONET used force, violent and intimidation to rob approximately $1,000 from a branch of TD Bank located at 1003 West Main Street in Branford, Conn., on July 27, 2015; approximately $2,329 from a branch of Citizens Bank located at 1187 Boston Post Road in Westbrook, Conn., on August 27, 2015, and approximately $697 from a branch of Citizen’s Bank located at 2991 Cranberry Highway in Wareham, Mass., on September 9, 2015.
CHADRONET is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on December 28, 2016, at which time CHADRONET faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
CHADRONET has been detained since September 10, 2015, when he was arrested on state charges related to a bank robbery that occurred in Milford on August 18, 2015. State charges against CHADRONET for that robbery are pending.
At the time of his criminal conduct CHADRONET was on federal supervised release for a prior bank robbery conviction. He faces supervised release violation proceedings in the District of Rhode Island.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, Branford Police Department, Milford Police Department and Wareham (Mass.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty in Large-Scale Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. – A resident of Providence, Rhode Island pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Doherty Kushimo, 54, pleaded guilty to ten counts before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Kushimo traded stolen identities with other co-conspirators via email which were used to open bank accounts and file fraudulent federal tax returns. The bank accounts were then used as repositories for federal tax refunds which were obtained by filing the fraudulent federal tax returns using the stolen identities that Kushimo and his co-conspirators traded amongst each other. Over a thousand credit cards, obtained using stolen identities, were found during a search of Kushimo’s residence. Handwritten lists containing over fifty thousand stolen identities were also found in Kushimo’s house. Kushimo also opened and controlled numerous bank accounts himself using stolen identities, including several at Widget Financial (formerly Erie General Electric Federal Credit Union) in Erie, Pennsylvania. Kushimo also controlled numerous mail boxes that were used as repositories for stolen identity information, credit cards and federal tax information.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for February 6, 2017. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 38 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of loss to the victims, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Kushimo.
Prior Felon from Albuquerque Sentenced to 15 Years for Federal Carjacking and Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jose Rios, 23, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 15 years in prison for his conviction on federal carjacking and firearms charges. Rios will be on supervised release for five years after he completes his prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, 2nd Judicial District Attorney Kari E. Brandenburg, Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Gorden Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department.
Rios was indicted in Dec. 2013, and was charged with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition in May 2013, July 2013, and Aug. 2013. The indictment also charged Rios with committing a carjacking on Aug. 14, 2013, and brandishing a firearm during that crime of violence. Rios committed the five crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M. At the time, Rios was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of several felony offenses, including the unlawful taking of a vehicle, aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer, and conspiracy to unlawfully take a vehicle.
Rios was arrested on the federal charges on May 9, 2014, after he was transferred to federal custody from state custody where he was facing related state charges. The state charges were later dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.
On June 4, 2015, Rios pled guilty to Counts 1, 3 and 4 of the indictment which charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Rios admitted that on May 9, 2013, he unlawfully possessed a revolver and ammunition in Bernalillo County. Rios further admitted that he brandished a firearm on Aug. 14, 2013, while committing a carjacking.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department, with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado 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.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Cyber StalkingRead the Press Release
Devin Marino, 29, of Philadelphia, PA was charged today by Indictment[1] with charges of cyber stalking, unauthorized access to a protected computer, wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health care information, and wrongfully disclosing individually identifiable health care information, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 175 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Levy.
[1]An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ohio man charged with distribution of cocaine, methamphetamineRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Eric Alexander Young, 37, of Bridgeport, Ohio with distributing cocaine and methamphetamine, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
In April 2016, Young allegedly distributed cocaine on Wheeling Island in Ohio County, West Virginia. In May 2016, he allegedly distributed methamphetamine and cocaine near a playground in Benwood, West Virginia.
Young was charged with one count of “Distribution of Cocaine,” one count of “Use of a Telephone to Facilitate Distribution of Methamphetamine,” one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1,000 Feet of a Playground,” and one count of “Distribution of Cocaine within 1,000 Feet of a Playground.” He faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine up to $1,000,000 for the distribution of cocaine count; up to four years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for the use of a telephone count; and up to forty years in prison and a fine up to $2,000,000 for each of the distribution near a playground counts. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is handling the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police is investigating.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding University of HawaiiRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Marc Hubbard, age 48, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pled guilty today in federal court to one count of wire fraud, for defrauding the University of Hawaii and one of its supporters of $250,000 in relation to a concert involving the recording artist Stevie Wonder that never took place. According to court documents, the fraudulent scheme ran from in or about March 2012 through on or about October 3, 2012.
Florence T. Nakakuni, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that, according to information presented in court, Hubbard engaged in a scheme to defraud involving the solicitation of money through various false representations. Hubbard falsely represented that he was in contact with Stevie Wonder’s management, when in fact he had not actually contacted anyone affiliated with Stevie Wonder who was in a position to book Stevie Wonder for the University of Hawaii concert, and that he would provide the funds that he received to Stevie Wonder. In court proceedings, Hubbard admitted he kept money for himself, rather than providing it to Stevie Wonder or his management and that he personally obtained $147,500.
Hubbard will be sentenced on February 16, 2017, by United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi, and will face a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. Hubbard will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his wire fraud scheme and has admitted that he owes $200,000 to the University of Hawaii and $50,000 to its supporter.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc A. Wallenstein.
New United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania AppointedRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bruce D. Brandler, former Chief of the Criminal Division, has been appointed United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania effective October 2, 2016. Mr. Brandler was appointed by order of Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, upon the resignation and retirement of former United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, which became effective on October 1, 2016. Mr. Brandler’s appointment is for one hundred twenty days or until a Presidential appointment is made, whichever occurs first.
Mr. Brandler began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York, where he served from 1981 until 1985. Upon leaving the District Attorney’s Office, he became the Deputy Chief and then the Chief Investigative Counsel of the New York State Senate Committee on Investigations, Taxation and Government Operations from 1985 to 1986.
Mr. Brandler was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 1986 and was promoted to the position of Senior Litigation Counsel in 1992. In 2014, he became the Chief of the Criminal Division and has served in that capacity until his appointment as United States Attorney.
Some of the notable cases Mr. Brandler prosecuted as an Assistant United States Attorney and Senior Litigation Counsel included a tax evasion case against former Luzerne County Judge Arthur Dalessandro; a perjury case against former State Representative Frank Serafini; a bribery/extortion case against former Lackawanna County Commissioners Robert Cordaro and Anthony Munchak; an illegal campaign contribution and fraud case against Renato Mariani, the former President of Empire Sanitary Landfill, Inc.; a disadvantaged business enterprise fraud case against Joseph Nagle, the former President of Schuylkill Products, Inc.; an accounting fraud case against Paul Polishan, the former Chief Financial Officer for the Leslie Fay Companies, Inc.; and an environmental crimes case against Chemical Waste Management, Inc. for illegal dumping activities at a Superfund site in Lackawanna County.
Mr. Brandler graduated from Stony Brook University in 1978 and received a B.A. in Political Science with honors, and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He received his law degree in 1981 from the Boston University School of Law. He resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced for Role in Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A New Jersey man, who previously admitted to supplying heroin to Roanoke drug dealers from sources in New Jersey, 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.
Hassan Rasool Williams, of Jersey City, New Jersey, who previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute more than 1,000 grams of heroin, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison.
“Heroin has become a public health crisis in this country and must be treated as such by both law enforcement and treatment professionals,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “We will continue to prosecute those, like Mr. Williams, who traffic large amounts of heroin into our communities while also supporting programs that provide treatment for addicts of this deadly drug. It is only through a comprehensive approach can we hope to make progress on this important issue.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford, from March 2013 to July 2015, Williams ran an organization that brought heroin from New Jersey to the City of Roanoke where it was resold, either by himself or his co-conspirators, Dawayne Lamar Gibson, Duane A. Andrews, Marquis Rashad Harris and Camilla Bridget Ward.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Roanoke City Police Department and officials with the Baltimore/Washington HIDTA. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 34 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Heroin Distribution RingRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MIGUEL SOTO, also known as “Fat Boy,” 31, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 34 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a heroin distribution ring.
This matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force, FBI and New Haven Police Department into the distribution of heroin in New Haven. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance and controlled purchases of heroin, revealed that Wilson Vasquez, also known as “Pancho,” obtained bulk quantities of heroin, processed and packaged the drug with several co-conspirators, and then distributed the drug through a network of street-level distributors operating in the area of Ferry Street, Grand Avenue and Blatchley Avenue in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood.
SOTO allowed Vasquez and his associates to use his residence to package heroin for street-level distribution.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 500 grams of raw heroin, three handguns and five vehicles. In addition, bank accounts containing more than $300,000 have been frozen.
SOTO has been detained since his arrest on July 15, 2015. On April 12, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.
Seventeen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation. All 17 pleaded guilty. Vasquez awaits sentencing.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys H. Gordon Hall and Patrick Caruso.
New Hampshire Woman Sentenced to Three Years for Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Contact: Michael J. Conley
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Crystal Dufault, 34, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to three years in prison and five years of supervised release for armed bank robbery. The charges arose from the August 14, 2015 armed robbery of Franklin Savings Bank (FSB) in Franklin, New Hampshire and the September 4, 2015 armed robbery of University Credit Union (UCU) in Portland. The defendant pled guilty on January 20, 2016.
According to court records, the defendant and a co-conspirator, Joseph Richards, brandished a pellet gun and stole $13,240 from FSB and $12,308 from UCU.
On September 14, 2016, Chief Judge Torresen sentenced Richards to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for his involvement in the FSB and USU robberies as well as for the August 3, 2015 robbery of Norway Savings Bank in Freeport and the September 12, 2015 robbery of TD Bank (TD) in Lewiston.
On July 28, 2016, a third co-conspirator, Neil West, Sr., of Portland, Maine, was found guilty following a jury trial in U.S. District Court of armed bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery arising out of the UCU and TD robberies. West served as the getaway driver for both robberies. The TD robbery resulted in a high-speed chase which culminated in Saco. Following the chase, West and Richards were arrested.
U.S. Attorney Delahanty praised the cooperation among these law enforcement agencies noting that “these armed bank robberies were quickly solved because local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across two states worked closely together.”
The joint investigation was conducted by the Franklin and Manchester (New Hampshire) Police Departments; the Freeport, Portland, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach and Saco Police Departments; the Maine State Police; and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and the Portland, South Portland, Lewiston and Biddeford Police Departments.
Monongalia County man pleads guilty to oxycodone distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Shawn Collins, 43, of Morgantown, West Virginia, pled guilty to the distribution of oxycodone in federal court today, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Collins admitted that he sold oxycodone in Monongalia County in April 2015 and he now faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Methamphetamine Dealers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – On Tuesday, October 4, 2016, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Julio Cabrera-Cardoza, 34, to 60 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Following his release from prison, Cabrera-Cardoza will be on supervised release for four years. On December 11, 2015, Judge Aiken sentenced Cabrera-Cardoza’s co-defendant, Haven Penselin, 55, to 60 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm.
On May 23, 2013, an undercover officer arranged to purchase a pound of methamphetamine from Penselin. Penselin and Cabrera-Cardoza arrived at the agreed upon location and were contacted and searched. Cabrera-Cardoza had a pistol and two pounds of methamphetamine, one on his person and one in his vehicle. Penselin had a pistol, a scale, and packaging material in his vehicle. Cabrera-Cardoza, a repeat offender, was convicted in 2007 for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
The investigation of this case was a collaborative effort between the DEA, Springfield Police Department, and Linn County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sweet.
Marion Woman Sentenced on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – A Southwest Virginia resident, who previously pled guilty to charges related to the manufacturing of methamphetamine, was sentenced on September 30, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia at Abingdon, Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. and Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced.
Shana Ariz Castillo, 32, of Marion, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine, one count of creating a substantial risk of harm to human life while illegally manufacturing or attempting to manufacture methamphetamine, and one count of manufacturing or attempting to manufacture methamphetamine where a minor resided or was present. Castillo was sentenced last week in District Court to serve 108 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Restitution of $834 was also imposed for the cleanup of the hazardous materials from a methamphetamine laboratory found at Castillo’s apartment.
Castillo pled guilty to conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine over a nine-month period, from August 9, 2014, through on or about May 27, 2015. Approximately 68 grams of methamphetamine were involved in this conspiracy. Evidence presented during the sentencing hearing included photographs of Castillo’s apartment, where a search warrant was executed on May 27, 2015. The search warrant revealed evidence of a recent methamphetamine laboratory, which included dangerous equipment and chemicals, methamphetamine, and multiple drug paraphernalia items, such as smoking devices and a used syringe. The methamphetamine laboratory equipment and materials were located in close proximity to Castillo’s two-year old child’s bedroom. Actual methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and other dangerous items were located on top of the child’s toy table, just outside the child’s bedroom. Castillo’s child was present when the search warrant was executed.
“Manufacturing methamphetamine is a danger to the public, particularly where it is manufactured in a residence where a minor is present or resides. We take these cases very seriously and will work hard to prosecute those who endanger the public and minors, as today’s sentence shows,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “This case is an unfortunate reminder of how addictive methamphetamine is and the lengths that drug dealers will go to manufacture this drug, even manufacturing where a two-year old child resides. Exposing a young child to methamphetamine and the dangerous chemicals used during the manufacturing process is incomprehensive and repugnant. We will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to slow the spread of this deadly drug throughout Virginia and aggressively prosecute these cases.”
Attorney General Mark Herring added his appreciation to the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation and echoed the need to aggressively prosecute those who manufacture methamphetamine. “Manufacturing methamphetamine is inherently dangerous and presents a serious risk of harm to the community. These are very serious cases and must be handled accordingly, particularly when a minor child is exposed to this very dangerous drug and the manufacturing process. As public safety is our highest priority, we will continue to investigate these offenses alongside our law enforcement partners and work to keep this dangerous drug out of our communities,” stated Attorney General Mark Herring.
Agencies involved in this investigation included the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Town of Abingdon Police Department, Bristol Virginia Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case for the United States.
Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Jeannette Hardy, 25, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.
According to an offer of proof made by the United States at the hearing, the Manchester Police responded to a residence in Manchester on June 22, 2015 after receiving a report of gun shots. Police found the defendant at a convenience store nearby. She had a gunshot wound to her hand and finger.
The police searched the residence and found 1.783 kilograms of fentanyl and $198,542 dollars in United States currency. Subsequent searches uncovered $560,050 in a safe deposit box and $7,000 in a storage unit.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 27, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the United States District Court. The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
“Prosecuting those individuals who introduce fentanyl and heroin into New Hampshire is a priority of my office,” stated United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice. “This case is an example of a very successful collaboration between local and federal law enforcement working together. I commend the Manchester Police Department and the DEA for their tireless efforts and cooperation on this case.”
“Opiate abuse is at epidemic levels in New Hampshire and throughout New England,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Fentanyl and heroin are causing overdose deaths across the Granite State, and DEA is committed to aggressively pursue trafficking organizations or individuals who distribute these poisons to areas of New Hampshire in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, and wreak havoc in our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners."
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department. It was prosecuted by AUSA Georgiana Konesky and AUSA Donald Feith.
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Leader of the Simple City Criminal Organization Pleads Guilty to a Racketeering Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Jeff Crews, a/k/a “Fro,” age 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to conspiring to participate in a racketeering conspiracy and to aggravated identity theft, in connection with his activities as the leader of the Simple City Criminal Organization (SCCO), a racketeering enterprise engaged in fraud and related activity, including vehicle theft, interstate transportation of stolen property, and aggravated identity theft.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, the SCCO is a criminal organization based in the southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. in a neighborhood known as “Simple City.” From at least 2009 to July 2015, Crews and his conspirators, including Sylvia Price and Stefon Janey, met on a regular basis, and planned criminal activity, including vehicle theft, the interstate transportation of stolen property, identity theft and credit/debit card fraud. The SCCO received money and income from those criminal activities.
According to his plea agreement, Crews and other SCCO members would steal vehicles in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, Maryland, as well as in Washington, D.C. Crews and SCCO members sometimes used the stolen vehicle in a short crime spree during which they committed a string of auto thefts; thefts from autos; and commercial burglaries targeting ATM machines. Once the SCCO had used a stolen vehicle to commit one or more crime sprees, the SCCO would then transport the stolen vehicle across state lines for resale.
Crews and other SCCO members would provide any personal identification information and access devices stolen during the crime spree to another group within the SCCO, which was led by Sylvia Price. Sylvia Price and those under her direction would conduct fraudulent transactions with the stolen identification documents and access devices, in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Price would provide a portion of the fraud proceeds to Crews, for disbursement to the SCCO members who participated in the thefts.
For example, on April 18, 2015, Crews, Janey, and another co-conspirator robbed a BP Gas Station in Beltsville, Maryland. While Crews acted as the getaway driver, Janey and another co-conspirator used a crowbar to forcibly enter the vestibule area, where an employee was working. Janey and the co-conspirator threatened the employee and stole the employee’s cell phone and cash from a cash register. In addition, Janey and the co-conspirator forcibly opened an ATM in the gas station, causing damage to the ATM, and took cash from the ATM. They fled the gas station in a gray Acura MDX that had previously been stolen in Prince George’s County, on March 31, 2015.
At least $550,000, but not more than $1,500,000, was reasonably foreseeable to Crews based on his involvement in the activities of the SCCO.
As part of his plea agreement, Crews will be required to forfeit and pay restitution of at least $1,250,000.
Crews and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Crews will be sentenced to between 96 and 120 months in prison for the RICO conspiracy, and a mandatory two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2017, at 9:30 a.m.
Seven other defendants have pleaded guilty to their participation in the racketeering conspiracy, including Sylvia Price, a/k/a “Deez Nuts,” age 50, of Suitland, Maryland, and Stefon Janey, a/k/a “Stef,” and “Stef Luva,” age 23, of Marlow Heights, Maryland. U.S. District Judge Hazel has scheduled sentencing for Sylvia Price on November 21, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. Judge Hazel previously sentenced Janey to 27 months in federal prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department and the members of the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement Unit for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan, Nicolas A. Mitchell, and Sujit Raman, who are prosecuting the case.
KC Postal Clerk Pleads Guilty to Stealing MailRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., postal clerk pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing gift cards from the mail.
Veronica K. Grant, 63, of Kansas City, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to a federal information that charges her with the theft of mail by a postal employee.
Grant was employed as a clerk by the U.S. Postal Service at the processing and distribution center in Kansas City, Mo. Grant’s role was to match any loose contents that became separated from the addressed envelope or container from which it was mailed, then forward the mail to its destination.
On April 3, 2015, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General received information that a $50 T.J.Maxx gift card had been reported missing from the mail. The gift card had been mailed from the sender in Springfield, Mo., on March 7, 2015, to the recipient in Texas. USPS determined that the gift card went through the process and distribution center where Grant was employed but never reached its intended recipient.
Grant admitted that she used the gift card at the T.J. Maxx store in Blue Springs, Mo., on March 12, 2015. Store surveillance video depicted her at the checkout counter utilizing the stolen gift card.
Following an interview with investigators on October 5, 2015, Grant consented to a search of her belongings. Five additional gift cards were recovered from Grant’s purse. Investigators later determined that these gift cards had been stolen from the mail as well. Investigators have identified 11 victims of Grant’s mail theft.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government agrees it will recommend probation, which could include a combination of home confinement or a half-way house. Grant agrees to pay restitution to any victims identified. 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 Brent Venneman. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
Jury Convicts St. Croix Man of Wire Fraud, Theft of Government Money and Making False StatementRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – After a five-day trial, on September 30, 2016, a federal jury on St. Croix convicted Lt. Col. Kenneth Alleyne, of wire fraud, theft of government money, and making a false statement to the government, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
Alleyne faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of the 42 wire fraud counts; 10 years in prison for the theft of government money count; and five years in prison for the false statement count. District Court Chief Judge Wilma A. Lewis permitted Alleyne to remain on release pending sentencing. No sentencing date has been set.
Evidence presented at trial established that from on or about May 1, 2010, to on or about February 28, 2012, on St. Croix, Alleyne, knowingly devised a scheme to unlawfully use his Overseas Housing Allowance to obtain government money, by means of wire, that he was not entitled to receive.
“No one, regardless of rank, is above the law,” United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe said. “Lt. Col. Alleyne now faces a federal prison sentence, discharge from the military, and a loss of benefits. This should serve as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to game the system for their own benefit.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Army CID - Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “Today’s outcome is a true testament to holding those accountable, regardless of rank or position, to the highest standard expected of all of our soldiers and civilians,” Frank Robey, director of the Major Procurement Fraud Unit, said. “We will continue our steadfast commitment to weeding out those who attempt to defraud the Army.”
The case was prosecuted by Christian A. Fisanick, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna A. Vlasova.
Jury Convicts Dominican Republic Man of Drug Charges and Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – After a one-day trial, on October 4, 2016, a federal jury on St. Thomas convicted Tomas Liriano Castillo, 44, of Conspiracy to Possess a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver and Illegal Entry, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
Castillo faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison on the conspiracy and possession with intent charges, and six months in prison for the illegal entry charge. District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez remanded Castillo to the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing on February 2, 2017.
Evidence presented at trial established that on or about May 9, 2016, Castillo traveled by boat from Tortola to Hull Bay, St. Thomas. The evidence at trial also showed that Castillo got off the boat with a back pack that he tried to discard when he saw agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration approaching him. Testimony at trial further established that when the back pack was recovered, it contained approximately 5.8 kilograms of cocaine, and that Castillo is not in the Virgin Islands lawfully.
The case was investigated by the DEA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte and Everard Potter.
Hazleton Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Hazleton man pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani in Scranton, to trafficking in large quantities of heroin in January 2016.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the defendant, Ryan Hunsinger, age 27, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute in excess of 100 grams of heroin. Hunsinger admitted to traveling to Philadelphia where he obtained more than 700 grams of heroin. Agents and police seized more than 19,000 bags of heroin from Hunsinger’s vehicle on January 18, 2016, near Hazleton.
Hunsinger was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in February 2016, as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Hazleton Police.
Judge Mariani ordered a presentence investigation to be completed. Sentencing will be scheduled after the pre-sentence investigation is completed. Hunsinger is detained in prison pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
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 in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Harnett County Man Sentenced to 30 Years for the Manufacturing of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, sentenced CLARENCE WILLARD ALBRITTON, 37, of Harnett County, to 360 months imprisonment followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
ALBRITTON was named in a 10-count Indictment filed on March 2, 2016. On June 27, 2016, he pled guilty to one count of the Manufacture of Child Pornography.
On July 25, 2015, the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) in Lillington, initiated an investigation related to the production of child pornography (CP). On that date, ALBRITTON’s wife contacted them about a computer flash drive she located in ALBRITTON’s vehicle. The flash drive contained child pornography images. Body parts, tattoos, and clothing confirmed the identification of the adult male as ALBRITTON. Additionally, his wife surrendered a laptop computer and a second computer flash drive to authorities. The defendant was arrested in New Jersey on July 31, 2015. Incident to his arrest, authorities seized a cellular phone and laptop computer. A preliminary forensic examination of the ALBRITTON’s computer and media storage devices uncovered at least 85 sexually explicit images of a 3-year-old child victim. A complete forensic examination of ALBRITTON’s computers and media storage devices uncovered 642 images of CP with multiple images of infants.
The criminal investigation of this case was conducted by the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes is handling the prosecution on behalf of the Eastern District of North Carolina.
This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Gallup Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dexter Diaz, 32, of Gallup, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 120 months in prison for his conviction on a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Diaz will be on supervised release for five years following his prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division, McKinley County Sheriff Ronald Silversmith, and Chief Timothy Trimble of the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department.
Diaz, whose criminal history includes felony convictions for three drug trafficking crimes, is being prosecuted as part of the federal “worst of the worst” anti-violence initiative. 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 felony 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 rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst 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 McKinley County, under this initiative.
Diaz was arrested in Sept. 2015, on an indictment charging him with distributing methamphetamine on March 26, 2015, in McKinley County, N.M. The indictment included forfeiture allegations requiring Diaz to forfeit $1,600 in drug proceeds to the United States.
On Feb. 25, 2016, Diaz entered a guilty plea to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Diaz admitted that on March 26, 2015, he sold two ounces of methamphetamine to another person for $1,600.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA, the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Jon Ganjei is prosecuting the case.
Former President of San Fernando Valley Brokerage Firm Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Tax Convictions for Misappropriating Investor FundsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former president and CEO of the Sherman Oaks-based Morgan Peabody, Inc. brokerage and investment firm was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison for federal wire fraud charges stemming from an investment scam in which defendant misappropriated nearly $6 million from more than 100 investors.
David Williams, 54, of Studio City, a licensed securities dealer and investment adviser, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. In May 2015, in the midst of a jury trial, Williams pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of tax evasion. As part of his plea agreement, Williams admitted that he directed Morgan Peabody representatives to sell securities in a fund that Williams personally had created, purportedly to invest in real estate. The Sherwood Secured Investment Fund, LLC, a Studio City business that Williams owned, offered a 9 percent annual return on investments. Williams used the majority of the $3.75 million investors put in the Sherwood Fund to pay for personal expenses, including lavish vacations and a $50,000/month lease on a $6 million residence in Toluca Lake.
The defendant was also held responsible for misappropriated funds from two other securities offerings that he created, for a total of almost $6 million in investor funds that he bilked from the three offerings. Williams was also found to have obstructed justice by lying to the Securities & Exchange Commission in its investigation of the offerings, and lying to the Judge and the Probation Office in seeking to withdraw his guilty plea.
"This sentence serves as a warning to criminals who commit fraud that they face very serious consequences," said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. "The defendant callously stole the hard-earned retirement savings of numerous victims and spent it on himself. His greed and lack of remorse will continue to harm his victims for many years to come, but now he too will be paying a price for more than a decade."
"While the defendant's sentence is significant, it will not compensate for the monetary investments lost to the dozens of people he victimized through false representations," said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Field Office. "The FBI will continue to collaborate with our partners at the IRS and the United States Attorney's Office to address significant investment fraud matters."
In his plea agreement, Williams admitted that he used investor money for personal purposes and committed tax evasion by failing to file returns with the IRS for tax years 2007 and 2008, and failing to report the more than $2.3 million in income he received. Williams agreed in the plea agreement to pay additional taxes of $777,881 for those tax years. Defendant subsequently moved to withdraw his plea, but the Court denied his motion and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $5,125,137.60 to victims of the fraud scheme, $777,881 to the IRS, and $258,940 to the California Franchise Tax Board.
"Mr. Williams squandered the life savings of his investors, putting his own selfish greed above the wellbeing of his victims," stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando of IRS Criminal Investigation. "As yesterday’s sentencing demonstrates, fraudsters like Mr. Williams will be held accountable for their actions as they are unacceptable to both investors and the taxpaying public."
The investigation into Williams’ scheme was conducted by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS - Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keri Axel.
Former Oklahoma Jail Administrator Indicted for Violating Civil Rights of DetaineeRead the Press Release
A one-count indictment was returned today charging a former administrator of the McClain County Jail in Purcell, Oklahoma, with a civil rights violation arising out of the death of a detainee in June 2013. The indictment alleges that Wayne Barnes, then a lieutenant at the jail, exhibited deliberate indifference toward K.W. by denying him necessary medical care to treat his diabetes, resulting in K.W.’s death.
The indictment was announced by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney Mark Yancey of the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to the indictment, K.W. suffered from diabetes that he needed insulin to control. The indictment alleges that from the time that K.W. arrived at the jail on June 16, 2013, he did not have insulin, he was not evaluated or treated by a doctor and he was not taken to a hospital for evaluation or treatment until the afternoon of June 19, 2013. It was three days after K.W.’s arrival, according to the indictment, that Barnes observed K.W. lying on the floor of his cell, unresponsive. Only then did Barnes direct a corrections officer to call emergency medical services, who arrived to find K.W.’s pupils fixed and dilated. K.W. died on June 21, 2013, never having regained consciousness. The indictment further alleges that Barnes knew that K.W. had a serious medical condition and willfully failed to provide him with necessary medical care, and that his failure to do so resulted in K.W.’s death.
Barnes is charged with one count of a death-resulting deprivation of rights under color of law. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The defendant also faces a potential $250,000 fine.
An indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Oklahoma City Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Barry of the Western District of Oklahoma and Special Litigation Counsel Sheldon Beer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Barnes IndictmentFormer New York Man Pleads Guilty in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. – A former resident of New York pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Michael Idowu Olugbade, 45, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Olugbade’s luggage was found in a co-defendant’s residence containing stolen identities and tax return information. The ledgers listed tax refund amounts and bank accounts in which the refunds were to be placed. IRS records show the data listed in the ledgers were correct, in that the exact same refund amounts listed were deposited in the same bank accounts listed. Also found in the luggage were debit cards for fraudulent bank accounts opened using stolen identities. Bank accounts opened by Olugbade received fraudulent tax refund deposits. Those refunds were then withdrawn from ATM machines in or around Baltimore, Maryland.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for February 6, 2017. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of loss to the victims, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Olugbade.
Former IRS Revenue Officer and Owner of Tax Consulting Business Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revenue officer pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in the Middle District of North Carolina to one count of tax evasion and one count of corruptly endeavoring to impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Ripley Rand of the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents filed with the court, Henti Lucian Baird, 60, and a resident of Greensboro, North Carolina, filed tax returns each year but has not paid his self-assessed taxes since at least 1998. Baird was an IRS revenue officer for 12 years before he established HL Baird’s Tax Consultants, which he operated from 1989 to 2014. Baird advertised himself to clients as specializing in “IRS problems, delinquent returns, offer-in-compromise, tax problems, delinquent employee taxes and release of liens and levies.” Baird, in turn, used his knowledge and experience to evade payment of his own taxes, creating over 10 nominee bank accounts in the names of his children to hide hundreds of thousands of dollars, submitting false Form 433-A to the investigating revenue officer that did not reveal all of his nominee bank accounts, filing, in bad faith, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition, a cash offer in compromise, a request for discharge and an application for subordination of his federal tax lien and transferring funds out of nominee accounts to avoid impending IRS levies. During this time, Baird continued to pay the mortgage on his 4,300 square-foot home, annual fees for his timeshare in Florida and car payments on his BMW. Baird admitted to the revenue officer and the mortgage holder that he did not keep money in bank accounts because he feared a levy or garnishment.
Baird also used his stepson’s identity, without his knowledge, to apply for a Preparer Tax Identification Number, which Baird then used to file over 900 income tax returns for clients, as well as his own income tax returns. Additionally, Baird submitted, under penalties of perjury, at least 120 Forms 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative, on behalf of clients that falsely stated he was an enrolled agent, even though the IRS revoked his authorization to represent taxpayers.
The penalties and interest on Baird’s taxes will continue to accrue until he pays the IRS in full. As of Sept. 20, Baird’s evasion of payment totals $477,028.80 in tax, penalties and interest for tax years 1998 through 2013.
U.S. District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder for the Middle District of North Carolina set sentencing for Jan. 17, 2017. Baird faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for his conviction on the tax evasion count, and a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison on the obstruction count, as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. As a condition of the plea agreement, Baird agreed to pay full restitution to the IRS.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Rand commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Kathryn A. Kimball of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Former IRS Revenue Officer and Owner of Tax Consulting Business Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revenue officer pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in the Middle District of North Carolina to one count of tax evasion and one count of corruptly endeavoring to impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Ripley Rand of the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to documents filed with the court, Henti Lucian Baird, 60, and a resident of Greensboro, North Carolina, filed tax returns each year but has not paid his self-assessed taxes since at least 1998. Baird was an IRS revenue officer for 12 years before he established HL Baird’s Tax Consultants, which he operated from 1989 to 2014. Baird advertised himself to clients as specializing in “IRS problems, delinquent returns, offer-in-compromise, tax problems, delinquent employee taxes and release of liens and levies.” Baird, in turn, used his knowledge and experience to evade payment of his own taxes, creating over 10 nominee bank accounts in the names of his children to hide hundreds of thousands of dollars, submitting false Form 433-A to the investigating revenue officer that did not reveal all of his nominee bank accounts, filing, in bad faith, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition, a cash offer in compromise, a request for discharge and an application for subordination of his federal tax lien and transferring funds out of nominee accounts to avoid impending IRS levies. During this time, Baird continued to pay the mortgage on his 4,300 square-foot home, annual fees for his timeshare in Florida and car payments on his BMW. Baird admitted to the revenue officer and the mortgage holder that he did not keep money in bank accounts because he feared a levy or garnishment.
Baird also used his stepson’s identity, without his knowledge, to apply for a Preparer Tax Identification Number, which Baird then used to file over 900 income tax returns for clients, as well as his own income tax returns. Additionally, Baird submitted, under penalties of perjury, at least 120 Forms 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative, on behalf of clients that falsely stated he was an enrolled agent, even though the IRS revoked his authorization to represent taxpayers.
The penalties and interest on Baird’s taxes will continue to accrue until he pays the IRS in full. As of Sept. 20, Baird’s evasion of payment totals $477,028.80 in tax, penalties and interest for tax years 1998 through 2013.
U.S. District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder for the Middle District of North Carolina set sentencing for Jan. 17, 2017. Baird faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for his conviction on the tax evasion count, and a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison on the obstruction count, as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. As a condition of the plea agreement, Baird agreed to pay full restitution to the IRS.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Rand commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Kathryn A. Kimball of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
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Ex-Georgia DOT Supervisor sentenced to 4.5 Years in Federal Prison for bribery for allowing dumping that resulted in environmental damageRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - George H. Bell, former Georgia Department of Transportation (“G-DOT”) Assistant Area Maintenance Foreman, was sentenced today to four and a half years’ imprisonment for accepting bribe payments in exchange for allowing more than 2,600 dump truckloads of unsuitable dirt to be dumped in DeKalb County, resulting in substantial environmental damage and more than $1.5 million in clean-up costs.
“For less than $15,000 in bribes, Bell abused his supervisory position with the G-DOT by allowing others to dump massive amounts of unsuitable dirt throughout DeKalb County,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn. “Bell’s greed and willingness to compromise the trust of his public office has left all Georgians with environmental damage and a clean-up tab of more than $1.5 million.”
“This case serves as a reminder that public corruption has consequences. The consequences for Mr. Bell in betraying the public’s trust and violating established regulations and policy is a lengthy federal prison sentence. The consequences for the public in which Mr. Bell was supposed to have been serving is $1.5 million in unanticipated and non-budgeted clean-up costs,” said George Crouch, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“It is paramount that public officials committing crimes be held accountable for their actions. The investigation and prosecution of public corruption is a priority for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI will continue to work with our state and federal partners to ensure that public corruption cases are aggressively pursued,” said Vernon Keenan, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“Georgia DOT has cooperated fully with all agencies involved in the investigation to ensure that those responsible for illegal actions are held accountable,” said Commissioner Russell McMurry. “We are appalled by the corrupt actions of this individual that in no way reflect the hard work and commitment displayed by more than 4,100 GDOT employees. We have worked diligently to correct the damage to the impacted sites.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: Bell worked for G-DOT for approximately 15 years. By the end of his career, Bell served G-DOT in a supervisory role as an Assistant Area Maintenance Foreman. In that capacity, Bell oversaw various maintenance projects under the control of G-DOT, including repairs of Georgia roadway system and general maintenance activities.
From approximately April to December 2014, Bell accepted cash bribe payments from the owners of a dirt hauling company (“Dirt Company”). In exchange for those bribe payments, Bell allowed the Dirt Company to dump unsuitable dirt at various G-DOT locations in DeKalb County, Georgia. Unsuitable dirt is dirt that has been removed during construction or landscaping projects that cannot be built upon in the future. In this case, the dirt contained construction debris, including nails, concrete and asphalt fragments, and various pieces of metal.
In April 2014, the Dirt Company asked Bell if G-DOT would accept multiple loads of dirt. Bell allowed the unsuitable dirt to be dumped at G-DOT site, but then charged the Dirt Company $600 to dump the dirt. Bell used G-DOT personnel and equipment to spread the dirt after the Dirt Company had dumped it. After that, Bell and the Dirt Company agreed that the Dirt Company would pay Bell $5 per load (if the Dirt Company spread the dirt itself) and $7 per load (if Bell used G-DOT personnel and equipment to spread the dirt). For several months thereafter, Bell accepted bribe payments from the Dirt Company in exchange for allowing it to dump illegally unsuitable dirt at G-DOT locations. In total, the Dirt Company paid Bell almost $15,000 in bribe payments.
Bell allowed the Dirt Company to dump over 2,600 dump truck loads of unsuitable dirt at the G-DOT sites located at: (1) Stone Mountain Highway and Hugh Howell Road, in Stone Mountain; (2) North Decatur Road and I-285, in DeKalb County; (3) 805 George Luther Drive, in DeKalb County; and (4) Chamblee Dunwoody Road and I-285, in DeKalb County. Overall, Bell permitted over 30,000 cubic yards of dirt to be dumped at the G-DOT sites. Unfortunately, Bell also allowed the Dirt Company to dump some dirt in a protected wetland and at a location where the dirt entered Stone Mountain Lake. Based on the massive amount of unsuitable dirt that Bell allowed to be dumped, the clean-up costs associated with his criminal acts exceeded $1.5 million.
On April 15, 2016, Bell, 50, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiring to accept bribes. He was sentenced to four years, six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $1,553,184 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the Federal and Georgia Bureaus of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis and former Assistant United States Attorney Jamie L. Mickelson prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in 2014 Slaying in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory Green, 28, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of first-degree felony murder while armed in the 2014 slaying of a man in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
Green was found guilty on Oct. 3, 2016, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the murder charge, the jury found him guilty of a charge of robbery while armed. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for Dec. 9, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 29, 2014, shortly after midnight, the victim, Derrick Williams, returned from work to his home. After talking to his girlfriend for a few minutes, he left to go to buy something to drink. A short time later, a witness reported hearing gunshots in the area of the 1200 block of Eaton Place SE. The witness saw Green and another man standing over Mr. Williams, who was on the ground. Mr. Williams, 35, died almost instantly from one gunshot wound to the head. Green, wearing all black, went into Mr. Williams’s front pockets and then flipped the victim over before going into his back pockets. Green was arrested on April 2, 2014. No one else was arrested in the case.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lashone Samuels, Zekiah Wright, and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Paralegal Supervisor Sharon Newman; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Tonya Jones; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Program Specialist Wanda Queen; Supervisory Victim/Witness Program Specialist Michael Hailey; Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Criminal Investigator Mark Crawford; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chrisellen Kolb, John Mannarino and Stephen Rickard, and Intern James Haynes. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrienne Dedjinou and Charles Willoughby, Jr., who prosecuted the case.
Day of Community Civil Rights DiscussionsRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Beth Drake (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina --- As part of the Department of Justice’s commitment to building stronger relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve, on Tuesday, October 4, the District of South Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office held a day long series of round table discussions and forums. The goal of these meeting was to address the civil rights work being done through the coordinated efforts of community leaders and law enforcement and how better to meet the challenges of 21st Century policing.
The day began with a Civil Rights Breakfast at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbia with a cross section of community leaders in attendance, joined by state and federal law enforcement. Deputy Chief Forrest Christian of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division discussed the hate crime laws and the statutes used to prosecute excessive force cases. Acting United States Attorney Beth Drake highlighted prosecutions in recent years by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the hate crime and excessive force laws. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Brian Jones described how his office works civil rights investigations, including those worked with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division on officer-involved shootings and other use of force cases. S.C. Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel addressed the state investigation and prosecution of excessive force claims. Director Jackie Swindler of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy talked about how his agency trains law enforcement officers in de-escalation and some of the physical challenges to law enforcement. The meeting was then opened to discussion where these heads of agency talked with members of the community. Representatives of the African-American business, civil and religious community, as well as representatives from the Muslim, Sikh and LGBT communities, participated in the discussions.
South Carolina Director of Public Safety Leroy Smith participated in the breakfast discussion. “I am privileged to take part in this forum that brings together state and federal law enforcement partners with our community leaders,” said SCDPS Director Leroy Smith. “As we have learned from incidents in our own state and throughout our nation, establishing trust in our communities starts with accountability and transparency. I believe open and frequent communication are key to building trust and support in our communities before a crisis.”
The day continued with Deputy Chief Forrest Christian, Acting U.S. Attorney Beth Drake, Criminal Chief Nancy Wicker and Supervisory Special Agent Brian Jones visiting first with Sheriff Leon Lott’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee and later City of Columbia Police Chief W.H. “Skip” Holbrook Citizen’s Advisory Committee. The focus of these meetings was to further the discussion of the federal program for civil rights enforcement, and the value of state partnerships in working these cases.
Michael Stansbury, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Columbia Field Office said, “The FBI in South Carolina appreciates the opportunity provided by the United States Attorney’s Office to meet with these community groups and discuss these important issues. While law enforcement officers, including FBI Special Agents, and other officials receive certain powers from the people so they can prevent wrongs and enforce the law, these same officers and officials must be held accountable for the way they use those powers. Violating the public’s trust undermines the hard and sacrificial work of all law enforcement officers. The FBI is confident this dialogue today will help to strengthen the trust communities have in law enforcement agencies throughout South Carolina.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Drake said, “The Citizens Advisory Committee meetings were terrific. Sheriff Lott is on the front end of the move to strengthen police-community relations by talking about policing practices. He and his command staff regularly meet with a standing committee of community members. His goal is to advance public safety through mutual trust and respect built on personal relationships between law enforcement and the people in Richland County his officers are sworn to protect. When his officers have a problem, Sheriff Lott has a record of taking responsibility and taking action to ensure accountability. As a consequence, the community has a high level of trust in our Sheriff’s Department.”
Attorney Drake also noted, “Chief Holbrook has developed a detailed plan for implementation of the report coming out of The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing which is posted on the CPD website. Such efforts grow community confidence in the police department.
www.columbiapd.net/pdfs/publications/CPD-Community-Based_Plan-Final-12-3-2015.pdf
Chief Holbrook’s work in Columbia has gained national attention. 21st Century Policing Task Force report Clearly, Chief Holbrook is committed to and is an advocate for evolving police practices to face the challenges in the 21st Century.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Beth Drake said, “We in the USAO work closely with the DOJ Civil Rights Division and the FBI on cases that are headed to federal court. However, our state and local partners have a critically important role in prosecuting civil rights violations, and, equally, or perhaps more importantly, in working to prevent problems before they arise.
We have a tradition of community policing here in South Carolina, a state where we still know our neighbors. However, it is the American way to always do more and do better. Our strength is innovation, and policing, like engineering, can be made stronger through innovation and research. SLED Chief Keel has certainly demonstrated how we can advance public safety through data and research, whether it is the SLED FUSION Center where he can access technology to respond to an AMBER Alert, or working with newly appointed SC Criminal Justice Academy Director Jackie Swindler on de-escalation training.”
Chief Keel talked about the role of SLED in doing an investigation after an officer uses his or her firearm, “As a part of their job, police officers face danger and over the course of a career, there will be times when an officer may use force in responding to a situation. When SLED gets the call that an officer has used their firearm, we will do an investigation that is full and fair to all involved to determine whether use of the firearm was justified under the circumstances. Plain and simple, the facts are the facts. We don’t make the facts, we discover and report them. Our agents do their work to ensure these cases get the attention they deserve.”
Director Swindler, S.C. Criminal Justice Academy, described some of the recent on-line training offered to every police and sheriff’s department in South Carolina, “Training law enforcement has always been essential and important, but no more so than in today’s current times. At the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, we are constantly re-evaluating our training so that it is relevant. In every basic law enforcement class, recruits are exposed to a great deal of training in the areas of cultural professionalism, conflict resolution, de-escalation and de-confliction. They are not only exposed to classroom exercises but also to hands-on scenario based instruction.
In addition to the aforementioned training for recruits, recently in a partnership between the Academy and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, of the more than 12,000 Class I officers in South Carolina, more than 8,800 officers have received verbal conflict on-line training conducted by Chief Harry Dolan (Ret.). This training was designed to provide officers with communication skills to help de-escalate potentially volatile situations without unnecessary use of force.”
Director Swindler referenced training where the U.S. Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee joined with the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy and the S.C. Law Enforcement Officers Association to develop a web-based training to provide verbal de-escalation training. The on-line training is an introduction for newer officers in developing practical verbal conflict management and a refresher for experienced officers on de-escalating potentially volatile encounters between law enforcement and citizens. The de-escalation training has a dual goal of enhancing both officer and community safety by expanding the public safety professional’s tools to serve as guardians of the peace.
Acting U.S. Attorney Beth Drake closed by announcing that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has recently hired two full-time prosecutors to handle both civil and criminal civil rights allegations. She invited the community to visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office web site to learn more about the work of the U.S. Attorney. www.justice.gov/usao-sc . “If you have a community event and you would like to have our office attend, there is an icon on our web page where you can click to request a speaker.”
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Damiane Harris Sentenced to 24 Months for Transporting Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, David Capp, announced that, on October 4, 2016, Damiane Harris of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced before Judge Philip P. Simon, for interstate transportation of stolen property.
Harris was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release.
According to court proceedings, Harris stole a semi-tractor from a truck dealer in Burr Ridge, Illinois and two trailers containing valuable crane weights from Griffith, Indiana, and sold the weights at a scrap yard in Chicago, Illinois. The items were recovered and returned to the businesses.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Griffith Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.
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City of Montgomery Receives $1.8 Million from Department of Justice to Hire OfficersRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. —The U.S. Department of Justice, through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP) awarded the City of Montgomery $1,875,000 aimed at creating or protecting fifteen law enforcement positions within the Montgomery Police Department, announced George L. Beck, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. In total, CHP awarded over $119 million to agencies nationwide, including the award to the City of Montgomery. This grant is to be used over a three-year period.
The CHP provides funding to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies for the hiring of entry-level career law enforcement officers in an effort to create and preserve jobs and increase community policing and crime prevention efforts. All CHP applicants were asked to identify a specific crime problem area and describe how funding would be used to enhance their capacity to implement community policing approaches to that problem area.
In 2016, the COPS Office gave additional consideration to applicant agencies selecting the category of “Building Trust,” based on the final report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Special attention was also given to agencies that selected the areas of school-based policing, homicide or violent crime, and homeland security. Applicants who committed to hiring or rehiring at least one military veteran under CHP also received additional consideration for funding.
“We are tremendously thankful to the Department of Justice for this grant award, which recognizes and helps build upon MPD’s meaningful work in community policing, enforcement and crime prevention,” said Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange. “The officers that will be provided for by this grant will strengthen community engagement and the public’s safety throughout our city. On behalf of the Montgomery Police Department and the City of Montgomery, we thank and commend U.S. Attorney George Beck, the DOJ COPS Office, Reps. Martha Roby and Terri Sewell and our entire Congressional delegation.”
“The Department of Justice is proud to support the brave men and women of law enforcement that serve and protect our communities every day,” said U.S. Attorney George Beck Jr. from the Middle District of Alabama. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to reducing crime and increasing public safety. This funding will provide additional resources for law enforcement to develop and implement strategies to reduce violent crime, fight terrorism, and save lives.”
For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2016 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=2888
Charleston felon sentenced to federal prison for gun crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston felon caught with a gun while on federal supervised release was sentenced to prison today, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Timothy Lee Leftenant, 37, previously pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. In today’s hearing, he was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for that offense. He was also sentenced to an additional six months in prison for violating his federal supervised release. The sentences will be served consecutively.
On December 28, 2015, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call at America’s Best Value Inn in St. Albans and encountered Leftenant after smelling marijuana outside his room. Leftenant ran from the officers when they attempted to pat him down. As he was running, Leftenant threw his hat, which contained heroin and a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. Leftenant was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of previous felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute crack and for carrying a firearm in relation to a drug crime. Additionally, Leftenant was on federal supervised release for the two prior felony convictions at the time he possessed the handgun.
The investigation was conducted by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.
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California Man Facing Federal Drug Trafficking Charge Arising Out of Seizure of More Than 38 Pounds of Meth in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., found probable cause yesterday morning to support a criminal complaint charging Edwin Josue Torres, 24, of Sherman Oaks, Calif., with a methamphetamine trafficking offense. Torres was ordered detained pending trial.
Torres was arrested on Sept. 29, 2016, and was charged in a criminal complaint with a methamphetamine trafficking offense after the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) seized approximately 38.25 pounds of methamphetamine from him following a routine traffic stop. The methamphetamine was concealed inside nine individual packages inside two bags in the trunk of Torres’ vehicle. NMSP notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) about the seizure, and HSI referred the matter for federal prosecution.
If convicted of the offense against him, Torres faces a statutory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in prison. The charges against Torres are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of HSI and the NMSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano Torrez is prosecuting the case.
CFO of San Diego Defense Contracting Firm Admits to Embezzling $825,000Read the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily W. Allen (619) 546-9738
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 4, 2016
SAN DIEGO – Stuart Teshima, the former Chief Financial Officer of a large San Diego-based Department of Defense contracting firm, pleaded guilty today to embezzling more than $825,000 from the company over the course of eight years. Teshima admitted that he stole the money while he was employed as Vice President, then Senior Vice President, and finally as the CFO of the victim company.
Teshima, who oversaw the company’s credit card program, admitted that he misused his corporate credit card to pay for personal expenses including airfare and other personal travel, jewelry, gifts for family members, furniture, lavish dinners, and even his personal income tax bill.
Before submitting invoices for reimbursement, Teshima would conceal the personal spending by altering his account statements to replace the personal items with fictitious business expenses. He falsely reported to company representatives that the statements he submitted were generated directly from his credit card account, when in fact he altered the records himself before submitting them for reimbursement.
Teshima admitted that he started the fraud in early 2008, and continued to charge thousands of dollars per month of personal expenses until he left his employment in August 2015. By then, he had racked up unauthorized personal charges of more than $825,000.
The victim company serves the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies to provide a wide variety of services including ship building and repair, nuclear operations support, and information technology. It has offices across the country and employs more than 1,000 people.
“Corporate insiders and officers owe a special duty of honesty to their employer and its owners. By misusing his senior executive positions for his own personal gain, former CFO Teshima inflicted serious harm on his employer, his fellow employees and defense contracting community. I am committed to ensuring that professionals who abuse the trust of their employers are held accountable, pay full restitution, and face stiff consequences for their misconduct,” said U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy.
“Mr. Teshima used his high ranking positions and violated the trust of his employer in order to feed his personal lifestyle,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, Eric S. Birnbaum. “The FBI is committed to investigating those insiders who act on their greed and steal money from businesses in our community.”
This case was investigated by the San Diego Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Teshima entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Louisa S. Porter. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2016 at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia.
As part of his plea, Teshima has agreed to pay restitution of $825,341.
DEFENDANT
Stuart Teshima, 16CR2223-AJB Age: 50 San Diego, CA
CHARGE
Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343
Maximum Penalties: 20 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, $100 special assessment, restitution.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Two Murder for Hire SchemesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Tavon Slowe, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 27 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for charges arising from two murder for hire contracts.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
According to his plea agreement, in March of 2012, a fight occurred near West Patterson Park Avenue and Chase Street. One of the participants was Gregory Parker. A few days later, an individual was given a “contract” to kill Gregory Parker. The individual arranged with Slowe to kill Gregory Parker for $5,000.
On March 16, 2012, the individual called Slowe on a cell phone and at approximately 2:30 p.m., Slowe drove his silver Honda Accord to meet the individual. Davon Sanford was seated in the front passenger seat. The individual told Slowe where Parker could be found and described Parker as wearing a blue floppy hat. Less than 90 minutes later, Gregory Parker was shot multiple times by Davon Sanford with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the 2300 block of East Chase Street in Baltimore City. Fourteen shell casings were found at the scene. Parker was wearing a blue floppy hat when he was shot and killed. Video surveillance depicts the shooter running from the murder scene and getting into a car driven by Slowe.
In March 2013, at the direction of the FBI, the individual called Slowe from a jail phone and told Slowe that he had been sentenced to a lengthy incarceration period after being set up by a person he had known since he was four years old. Slowe agreed to commit a murder for money. Slowe requested two guns to commit the murder. The individual told Slowe that another person would meet with Slowe to provide the money and guns.
On April 26, 2013, at the FBI’s direction, an undercover officer met with Slowe, and Slowe agreed to meet her again at a later date to receive the handguns and money. Slowe was upset that he was not getting the handguns that day and would only be paid $3,000 up front, arguing that it is usually $5,000.
On April 29th, the individual spoke with Slowe and worked out details concerning the murder for hire. Slowe stated that if the intended victim was not alone, Slowe would kill the other person as well. Slowe also expressed concerns over the undercover officer because he did not know her.
On April 30, an arrest operation was planned in which the undercover officer was going to meet with Slowe and provide him the guns that he requested for the murder-for-hire. Slowe did not show up for this meeting.
On August 8, 2013 Baltimore Police arrested Slowe on drug and gun charges, and Slowe was detained.
On February 4, 2014, at the direction of the FBI, the individual called Slowe’s half-brother to hire him for the same murder. The individual had previously used the brother, in addition to Slowe, for murder-for-hire contracts in Baltimore. The brother accepted this contract from the individual. Later that same day, the brother received a recorded jail call from Slowe in which the brother explained that he received a call from the individual and that he was going to meet the individual’s girl that day. Slowe cautioned his brother about the possibility of the “girl” being a police officer or “one of them.” Additionally, Slowe admitted to taking the contract to kill, but that he did not show up on April 30, 2013 because he believed the “girl” was a police officer.
On September 23, 2016, Chief Judge Blake sentenced co-defendant Davon Sanford, a/k/a “Chronic,” age 33, of Baltimore, to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after Sanford pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, resulting in death.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, Baltimore Police Department, Safe Streets Task Force and Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys James G. Warwick and Joshua T. Ferrentino, who prosecuted the case.
Andover Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051Buffalo, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Bradley J. Hollenbeck, 36, of Andover, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2011 and late 2014, the defendant engaged in the practice of “smurfing,” buying small quantities of pseudoephedrine, at local pharmacies. Hollenbeck did so to get around restrictions on purchasing products containing pseudoephedrine. This is the most important chemical necessary in the process of manufacturing methamphetamine.
The conviction is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Lieutenant Kevin Reyes and Major David Krause, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson, New York Division, the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, under the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb, the Wellsville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy O’Grady, U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Steven Oldman, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, under the direction of Captain Frank Lauricella.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2016, before Judge Vilardo.Anchorage Man Sentenced to 105 Total Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that Mark Earl Pitoscia, 41, of Anchorage, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 105 total months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, followed by five years of supervised release. The court sentenced Pitoscia to 45 months in prison on count one, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, followed by 60 months in prison on count two, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, with the sentences to be served consecutively.
In November 2015, Pitoscia was seen in the Carrs grocery store parking lot in Wasilla, inside a vehicle, measuring methamphetamine on a digital scale. Pitoscia was searched and he was found in possession of 27 grams of actual methamphetamine, a digital scale, and a Glock handgun.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Burgess noted the seriousness of the crime given the quantity of methamphetamine and the presence of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Loeffler commends the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Alaska State Troopers for the successful investigation and prosecution of this case.
Ambulance Company Owner Sentenced to 10 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Bassem Kuran, 23, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today to ten months in prison for making false statements to Medicare through VIP Ambulance, Inc., an ambulance company that Kuran owned and which he served as President. The Honorable Gerald J. Pappert, United States District Judge, ordered that upon Kuran’s release from prison, he must serve three years of supervised release, and further ordered Kuran to pay restitution to Medicare in the total amount of $66,901.93.
At his guilty plea hearing, Kuran admitted that through his company, VIP, he submitted false billings for the purported transport of three patients that VIP did not actually transport. He also submitted billings for patients who were able to walk and could travel safely by means other than ambulance and who, therefore, were not eligible for ambulance transportation under Medicare requirements. As a result of the fraudulent scheme at VIP, the Medicare program paid nearly $67,000 for fraudulent claims from VIP for these three patients.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mary E. Crawley and Paul W. Kaufman.
10 Virgin Islands Women Indicted on Tax-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – The last of 10 Virgin Islands women indicted by a federal grand jury on tax-related charges made her initial appearance Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon on St. Croix, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. The remaining nine women made their initial appearances last week, and all of them were released pending trial.
On September 15, 2016, a federal grand jury returned a 119-count indictment against the women, charging them with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, Theft of Government Property and Aggravated Identity Theft. The women were identified in the indictment as Joanne V. Benjamin, 36; Sylvia P. Benjamin, 36; Lynell Hughes, 33; Thema Liverpool, 28; Jacinta A. Gussie, 54; Indica Greenidge, 25; Nisha Brathwaite, 35; Darleen Thompson, 34; Nicolette Alexander, 25; and Sheba Rashida Young, 40.
Seven of the women: Sylvia Benjamin, Brathwaite, Gussie, Hughes, Liverpool, Young and Joanne Benjamin made their initial appearances before Judge Cannon on St. Croix. Greenidge and Alexander made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hunt in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Thompson made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Kelly in Orlando, Florida.
The 119-count indictment is the result of years of investigative work by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, which conducted a probe into a massive stolen identity/tax refund fraud scheme, United States Attorney Sharpe said. According to the indictment, the scheme involved the filing of numerous false income tax returns, the use of stolen identifications and the designation of illegal refunds to the women’s bank accounts. The scheme resulted in the payment of illegal income tax refunds totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the women face maximum sentences of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine for the Conspiracy and Theft of Government Property offenses. Additionally, they face a mandatory sentence of two years’ imprisonment if convicted of Aggravated Identity Theft.United States Attorney Sharpe reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alphonso Andrews, Jr.