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28 September 2016
British Man Who Came to U.S. to Have Sex with Pre-Teen Boys Pleads Guilty and Agrees to 13-Year SentenceRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A British man who traveled to the Coachella Valley to have sex with pre-teen boys pleaded guilty today to transportation of child pornography and agreed to a 13-year prison sentence.
Paul Charles Wilkins, 70, of Littleport in East Cambridgeshire, England, a dual United States-United Kingdom citizen, was charged earlier this year in a four-count indictment for traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, attempted sex trafficking of children, transportation of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
During the guilty plea hearing, Wilkins admitted that he traveled to the United States from the United Kingdom in January 2016 for the purpose of having sex with two brothers, 10 and 12 years old. Wilkins also admitted that in February 2016 he attempted to solicit a 9-year-old boy for anal intercourse in exchange for $250 at an apartment he had rented. In addition, Wilkins admitted he possessed child pornography on his computer and brought child pornography from the United Kingdom into the United States, including graphic sexual images of boys between the ages of 5 and 8 years old. Under the plea agreement filed in advance of Wilkins’s guilty plea hearing, Wilkins agreed to a sentence of 13 years’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release.
“This defendant’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “He sought to have sex with another boy immediately after his original arrangements to have sex with the two pre-teen boys fell apart. It is critical, therefore, that today’s guilty plea will keep defendant in prison for well-over a decade.”
Wilkins, who has been ordered held without bond, is currently scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee on January 11, 2017.
“This defendant learned firsthand the fate that awaits predators who come to this country to sexually exploit our children,” said Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Los Angeles. “HSI special agents continue to work tirelessly to identify individuals who’re engaged in this reprehensible practice and ensure they’re held accountable for their actions. Above all, our collaborative efforts have prevented countless children from falling prey to these traveling pedophiles, who wrongly believe that purchasing an airline ticket and boarding a plane puts them out of the reach of the law.”
The investigation into Wilkins was conducted by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christina T. Shay.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Gun, Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GEORGE SANCHEZ, also known as “Little G,” 22, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm and drug offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 28, 2015, a Bridgeport Police Officer performing an inventory search of a vehicle that SANCHEZ had been driving found a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a neoprene face mask and approximately 44 bags of heroin. Part of the handgun’s serial number had been scratched off.
SANCHEZ has been detained since his arrest on January 6, 2016. On June 29, 2016, he pleaded to one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alina P. Reynolds.
16 Defendants Indicted on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA – A 25-count federal indictment, unsealed today and returned by a federal Grand Jury earlier this month, charged 16 defendants with drug trafficking and firearm- related offenses. The indictment follows a two-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into drug trafficking activities within Glynn County, Wayne County and Ware County within the Southern District of Georgia, and elsewhere, including the Middle District of Georgia, the Northern District of Georgia, the Northern District of Florida, the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Western District of Virginia. Agents of the ATF, the United States Marshals Service, the DEA, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and multiple local law enforcement agencies participated in the joint investigation.
The indictment alleges that members of the conspiracy used remote controlled drones to smuggle cell phones to conspirators incarcerated in a Georgia Department of Corrections facility. Conspirators, while incarcerated, used the phones to coordinate, plan, and facilitate drug deals. While incarcerated, they used Facebook and PayPal accounts to coordinate drug deals. Among other things, members of the conspiracy possessed firearms and associated with gangs including the Bloods, the Gangster Disciples, the Ghost Face Gangsters and the Sinaloa Cartel, to aid in the receipt and distribution of controlled substances, for protection, and to promote a climate of fear.
The investigation culminated in arrests and search warrants being executed in Glynn County, Wayne County, Ware County and elsewhere. During this investigation, agents seized over 10 kilograms of crystal meth, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, over 20 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, over $600,000 and multiple vehicles that were used to promote the criminal activity.
The following people were indicted:
DANIEL ROGER ALO (45, Calhoun, GA),
A/K/A “MARCO POLO,”
A/K/A “BOSS MAN,”
A/K/A “LO,”
A/K/A “UH NO,”
AMBERLIE WRIGHT (23, Dallas, GA),
JASON PRINCE (30, Jesup, GA),
MIRANDA MICHELLE FLOWERS (42, Jesup, GA)
A/K/A “CHELLE,”
A/K/A “MAMA,”
RAYMOND JARRED WILDER (33, Jesup, GA)
A/K/A “JIHAD,”
A/K/A “BATMAN,”
ANGELO OCCHIUZZI (35, Jesup, GA)
A/K/A “G-LO,”
AK/A “KENNY HALL,”
JASON LEE (35, Patterson, GA),
ANGELA POPE (30, Jesup, GA),
MARQUEZ MOREHEAD (33, Memphis, TN),
A/K/A “MARK-MO,”
MELVIN JACKSON (27, Jesup, GA),
A/K/A “MEL,”
LAWRENCE LARRY (29, Jesup, GA),
A/K/A “SWOLE,”
A/K/A “CAPONE,”
DEVONTAYE PITTMAN (22, Jesup, GA),
A/K/A “SQUEEZE,”
IRVISON FERNANDEZ PEREZ (23, Jesup, GA),
A/K/A “JOEY PEREZ,”
JOHN BRIAN SCHUYLER (40, Waycross, GA),
ORONDE PENDER,
ROBERT LEE TAYLOR (44, Waycross, GA),
Upon conviction, most of the Defendants face up to 40 years of incarceration, with some facing potential life sentences. United States Attorney Tarver emphasized that the indictment is only an accusation and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant United States Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly, Jr. and Tania Groover are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. For questions, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912)201-2547.
27 September 2016
‘Rapper’ Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography as Music VideosRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eric D. Chavis, 24, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 15 years in prison for directing and distributing music videos depicting child pornography.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and members of the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, including Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, announced the plea entered into before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
Chavis pleaded guilty on June 7, 2016 to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography. At the time of his plea, he admitted that he recorded sexually explicit video footage of three minor females and that he later edited that footage into “rap” videos. He admitted to posting the videos, as well as still images from the videos on numerous websites.
Judge Watson sentenced Chavis to remain under court supervision for ten years after he completes his prison term. While on supervised release, Chavis must register as a sex offender anywhere he lives, works or goes to school.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force – which was formed in 2012 and is part of the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and which also includes authorities from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Powell Police Department and the Delaware County Prosecutor's Office – as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and Jessica H. Kim, who represented the United States in this case.
Woman Sentenced for Impersonating FBI Agent in Connection with Lottery Fraud Scheme Based in JamaicaRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Vania Lee Allen has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for her role in a Jamaica-based lottery fraud scheme, followed by three years of supervised release. Allen was also order to pay $117,000 in restitution.
Allen, 30, pleaded guilty on June 22 in the Southern District of Georgia to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and false impersonation of an employee of the United States.
“Lottery fraud scams based in Jamaica targeting Americans typically need help from at least one co-conspirator in the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Impersonating an FBI agent to convince an innocent victim that this so-called international lottery is real is deceitful, pure and simple. The Justice Department will actively pursue and charge those who participate in such criminal activity.”
As part of her guilty plea, Allen acknowledged that she and a co-conspirator in Jamaica sought to unlawfully enrich themselves through a fraudulent lottery scheme targeting an elderly resident of Evans, Georgia.
An indictment charging Allen was filed on March 3. According to the indictment, Allen’s co-conspirator falsely informed the victim that he had won money in a lottery and instructed the victim to make payments to various people in order to collect the purported lottery winnings. As part of her plea agreement, Allen acknowledged that in order to induce the victim to continue to make payments as directed by her co-conspirator, Allen traveled from Jamaica to the United States to meet with the victim personally. Allen also acknowledged that when she met the victim, she falsely portrayed herself as a FBI agent, provided the victim with a cell phone, and directed him to speak with the person on the line, who was Allen’s co-conspirator in Jamaica.
“The prison sentence given by the Court demonstrates the significant consequences of engaging in fraud designed to steal from Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Edward J. Tarver of the Southern District of Georgia. “International lottery scams will not be allowed to continually target the most vulnerable segments of our communities without fear of severe consequences. This U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will prosecute fraudsters whether they operate from inside or outside of the United States.”
“The Postal Inspection Service seeks to stop the victimization of American citizens, many of whom are older Americans, by those engaged in international lottery schemes,” said Inspector in Charge David W. Bosch of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates there are no safe havens for these international criminals, who attempt to hide their criminal misdeeds behind their country’s borders.”
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to work with federal and local law enforcement to combat fraudulent lottery schemes in Jamaica that prey on U.S. citizens. According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Americans have lost tens of millions of dollars to fraudulent foreign lotteries.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Clint Narver of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Troy Clark of the Southern District of Georgia. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Columbia County Georgia Sherriff’s Office.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga.
Washington One of Five States Selected for ‘Price of Justice’ GrantRead the Press Release
Washington State is one of five states selected for a new U.S. Department of Justice grant to study and improve the use of fines and fees in the justice system, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. Under the terms of the grant, the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission will receive $499,816 to study the impact of legal financial obligations in courts across the state, and develop a calculator that judges at all levels can use to determine an offender’s ability to pay and a realistic payment schedule. Research to date indicates indigent offenders are unable to pay significant fines and fees, and that failure to pay can ultimately result in additional jail time.
“Equal justice and due process are critical elements in the assessment of fines and fees in state and local courts,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “This grant, endorsed by prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, court clerks and others is an excellent step in assisting the Washington state court system to ensure the enforcement of fines and fees is done in a way that is fair to all.”
According to the grant application, the use of legal financial obligations varies widely across the state and across various court levels. Recent court rulings require judges to make individualized rulings on the amount of fines and fees based on a defendant’s financial situation, but many judges are unsure how to individualize the process. In addition, Washington has one of the highest interest rates on unpaid fines and fees at 12 percent.
Under the grant, the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission will bring together stakeholders to promote and increase collaboration and data sharing among criminal justice agencies and officials. The stakeholder group will study how legal financial obligations are assessed in Washington. The group will explore a ‘calculator’ currently used in Edmonds Municipal Court to see if computer software can make the calculator a useful tool in courts across the state. Grant funding will pay for a software company to work on the calculator to make it as easy to use as a smartphone app. The calculator will be used as a pilot project in the Edmonds Municipal Court and in one superior court in the state. The superior court will be selected for the pilot project based on whether defendants there are facing additional jail time for failure to pay court fees and fines.
In endorsing the state’s grant application, the Washington State Office of Public Defense wrote, “Critically, legal financial obligations have been shown to disproportionally impact people of color, who disproportionally live in poverty.”
The Director of ‘I Did The Time,’ an advocacy group that works to assist former defendants as they re-enter society, endorsed the grant application writing, “Our organization has been fighting to increase public awareness about the costs of legal financial obligations (LFOs) on individuals and families who stay tied to the system, forever at risk of returning to jail when they cannot find work, are not able to work due to disability status and/or can never get out from underneath the crushing increase in fines due to the oppressive interest rate.”
The association of state prosecutors also endorsed the study. “Our primary concern will remain the imposition and collection of actual victim restitution. The victim penalty assessment and the DNA database fee are also important in providing services and protection to crime victims. Beyond that, either mandatory or discretionary legal financial obligations should be re-evaluated for appropriateness of imposition and amount. We believe the imposition of interest on legal financial obligations in Washington State should be reduced or, possibly, eliminated.”
The other states receiving grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance under this program are: California, Louisiana, Texas, and Missouri.
Voting for Western District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley reminds voters that today is National Voter Registration Day (NVRD), which is dedicated to ensuring every American is registered to vote at their current address in time for the next election. National Voter Registration Day is celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of every September by thousands of volunteers, celebrities, organizations, businesses and elected officials from all over the country. To find out more about NVRD, visit nationalvoterregistrationday.org.
In Louisiana, registering can be done in person, by mail or online and is open throughout the year. Registration to be eligible to vote in the November 8th presidential election and congressional primary ends on October 11th, and registration to be eligible to vote in the December 11th general congressional election is open until November 9th. Early voting is October 25th to November 1th (except Sunday) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the November 8th election, and November 26th to December 10th (except Sunday) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the December 10th election.
Residents should contact their local Registrar of Voters’ Office to determine their voting location. Voters can download a sample ballot or obtain other election information by visiting the Louisiana Secretary of State’s web page online at www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting. Eligibility to register to vote in an election ends 30 days before that election. To find out more, call the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office at 225-922-0900.
“The right to vote is essential to maintaining our system of democracy,” Finley stated. “One of the Department of Justice’s most important responsibilities is ensuring access to the ballot box for every eligible American in the Western District of Louisiana.”
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.
Complaints of election fraud or voting rights violations should be directed to the FBI, who will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations. The local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: Shreveport at 318-861-1890, Lafayette at 337-233-2164, Monroe at (318) 387-0773, Alexandria at (318) 443-5097 and Lake Charles at (337) 433-6353. For a more information about FBI field offices in Louisiana visit https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/neworleans. The U.S. Attorney’s Office can be reached by the public at 318-676-3600 (Shreveport) or 337-262-6618 (Lafayette).
Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division=s Voting Section in Washington, D.C., at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767. The division’s email address is [email protected], and voter complaints also can be filed online at www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake.
The Civil Rights Division=s Voting Section enforces six federal statutes. They are the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. For more information on the acts that the division enforces, visit www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/overview.php.
Vice Lords Associate Pleads Guilty to Obtaining and Disclosing Private Hospital Information of Victims and Their FamiliesRead the Press Release
An associate of the Vice Lords street gang pleaded guilty today to witness tampering for obtaining and disclosing private health information of Vice Lords shooting victims and victims’ family members to a member of the gang.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Division, Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios of the FBI’s Detroit Division and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department made the announcement.
Jamerio Clark, aka Merio, 27, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness, victim or informant before U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson of the Eastern District of Michigan. Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 18, 2017.
"Protecting victims and witnesses is our highest priority," McQuade said. "Stealing personal information to facilitate witness intimidation is a serious crime that undermines our criminal justice system."
"The pursuit of these violent criminals is accomplished best through sustained, proactive and coordinated investigations of the FBI's Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force which is comprised of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners", said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of FBI. "Through our unified efforts, we are increasingly disrupting the ability of gangs to commit crimes of violence and a variety of other crimes routinely committed in the furtherance of their criminal enterprises."
S. Robin Shoemaker, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of ATF said, “Countering firearms violence, particularly when it relates to violent street gangs remains one of ATF’s primary missions, when it comes to gun violence ATF will continue to work hand in hand with our Detroit One partners to ensure that those individuals’ who engage in violent criminal activity are removed from our neighborhoods.”
According to admissions made by others who have pleaded guilty in this case, the Vice Lords is a national gang engaged in a variety of crimes, and Vice Lords’ leaders are located in both Chicago and Detroit. The gang is broken down into various “sets,” “decks,” or “branches,” including the Detroit-based Traveling Vice Lords (TVL). The Vice Lords have often targeted members who sought to leave the gang for physical beatings or murder.
Jamerio Clark admitted that from May 8, 2015, through at least January 2016, he was employed at a medical facility where he had access to a private database that contained individually identifiable health information for anyone who had been treated at a Detroit Medical Center facility. At Antonio Clark’s request and while employed at the medical facility, Jamerio Clark accessed this database on at least 15 occasions to search for three TVL shooting victims, he admitted. According to the plea agreement, Jamerio Clark then provided information, including dates of birth, phone numbers, addresses and information pertaining to relatives of these individuals, to Antonio Clark. Jamerio Clark admitted that he knew his brother wanted this information to locate these individuals and prevent them from cooperating in the investigation and prosecution of the TVL shooting.
Eight members and leaders of the TVL have pleaded guilty to charges related to the shooting, six of whom have been sentenced: Antonio Clark, 26, of Detroit, was sentenced to 240 months in prison; Aramis Wilson, 25, of Detroit, was sentenced to 150 months in prison; Dion Robinson, 38, of Detroit, was sentenced to 121 months in prison; Jonathan Kinchen, 23, of Detroit, was sentenced to 120 months in prison; Tyrone Price, 27, of Detroit, was sentenced to 140 months in prison; and Kojuan Lee, 20, of Detroit, was sentenced to 97 months in prison.
The charges and convictions related to the TVL shooting are just one component of the federal government’s prosecution of the Vice Lords street gang, which has led to the arrests and convictions of dozens of Vice Lords leaders and members over the last few years. In two trials during March and May 2015, juries convicted eight leaders and members of the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club, many of whom were also leaders and members of the Vice Lords, for various crimes, including a mass-murder plot against a rival organization and the shooting of a member of another rival organization. Among those convicted was Antonio Johnson, aka MT and Mister Tony, the National President of the Phantoms and the Three-Star General over all of the Vice Lords in Michigan. On Sept. 8, 2015, Johnson was sentenced to 35 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, murder conspiracy in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, aiding and abetting the use and carry of firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm.
The arrests and convictions in this case are, in part, the result of the Detroit One Initiative, a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicide and other violent crime in Detroit. Through the lead efforts of the Comprehensive Violence Reduction Partnership Task Force, which consists of representatives of the ATF, Detroit Police Department, Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections and FBI, law enforcement authorities linked various acts of violence in Detroit to the Vice Lords street gang, and identified the leaders and key members of the gang, who now have been held accountable.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The ATF, FBI and Detroit Police Department are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Graveline and Mark Bilkovic of the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case.
Vice Lords Associate Pleads Guilty to Obtaining and Disclosing Private Hospital Information of Victims and Their FamiliesRead the Press Release
An associate of the Vice Lords street gang pleaded guilty today to witness tampering for obtaining and disclosing private health information of Vice Lords shooting victims and victims’ family members to a member of the gang.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Division, Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios of the FBI’s Detroit Division and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department made the announcement.
Jamerio Clark, aka Merio, 27, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness, victim or informant before U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson of the Eastern District of Michigan. Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 18, 2017.
According to admissions made by others who have pleaded guilty in this case, the Vice Lords is a national gang engaged in a variety of crimes, and Vice Lords’ leaders are located in both Chicago and Detroit. The gang is broken down into various “sets,” “decks,” or “branches,” including the Detroit-based Traveling Vice Lords (TVL). The Vice Lords have often targeted members who sought to leave the gang for physical beatings or murder.
Jamerio Clark admitted that from May 8, 2015, through at least January 2016, he was employed at a medical facility where he had access to a private database that contained individually identifiable health information for anyone who had been treated at a Detroit Medical Center facility. At Antonio Clark’s request and while employed at the medical facility, Jamerio Clark accessed this database on at least 15 occasions to search for three TVL shooting victims, he admitted. According to the plea agreement, Jamerio Clark then provided information, including dates of birth, phone numbers, addresses and information pertaining to relatives of these individuals, to Antonio Clark. Jamerio Clark admitted that he knew his brother wanted this information to locate these individuals and prevent them from cooperating in the investigation and prosecution of the TVL shooting.
Eight members and leaders of the TVL have pleaded guilty to charges related to the shooting, six of whom have been sentenced: Antonio Clark, 26, of Detroit, was sentenced to 240 months in prison; Aramis Wilson, 25, of Detroit, was sentenced to 150 months in prison; Dion Robinson, 38, of Detroit, was sentenced to 121 months in prison; Jonathan Kinchen, 23, of Detroit, was sentenced to 120 months in prison; Tyrone Price, 27, of Detroit, was sentenced to 140 months in prison; and Kojuan Lee, 20, of Detroit, was sentenced to 97 months in prison.
The charges and convictions related to the TVL shooting are just one component of the federal government’s prosecution of the Vice Lords street gang, which has led to the arrests and convictions of dozens of Vice Lords leaders and members over the last few years. In two trials during March and May 2015, juries convicted eight leaders and members of the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club, many of whom were also leaders and members of the Vice Lords, for various crimes, including a mass-murder plot against a rival organization and the shooting of a member of another rival organization. Among those convicted was Antonio Johnson, aka MT and Mister Tony, the National President of the Phantoms and the Three-Star General over all of the Vice Lords in Michigan. On Sept. 8, 2015, Johnson was sentenced to 35 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy, murder conspiracy in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, aiding and abetting the use and carry of firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm.
The arrests and convictions in this case are, in part, the result of the Detroit One Initiative, a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicide and other violent crime in Detroit. Through the lead efforts of the Comprehensive Violence Reduction Partnership Task Force, which consists of representatives of the ATF, Detroit Police Department, Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections and FBI, law enforcement authorities linked various acts of violence in Detroit to the Vice Lords street gang, and identified the leaders and key members of the gang, who now have been held accountable.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The ATF, FBI and Detroit Police Department are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Graveline and Mark Bilkovic of the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case.
Utica Man Sentenced in Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Angelo Santalucia, 50, of Utica, New York was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby to serve a twenty-seven (27) month term of imprisonment, to be followed by four (4) years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. The sentence followed his May 10, 2016 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
As part of his guilty plea Santalucia admitted that between January 2011 and August 2015 he received boxes of marijuana in Utica, New York, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. The marijuana was grown in Northern California and moved through “stash houses” in Las Vegas, Nevada before being mailed to Santalucia. At the direction of coconspirators, Santalucia delivered the marijuana to others in the Utica, New York area for further distribution and sale. Santalucia also admitted that he sometimes paid others to receive the boxes of marijuana on his behalf.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl G. Eurenius and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Oneida County ADA Grant J. Garramone.
U.S. Attorney Rose Announces More Than $2.1 Million in Federal Grants Were Awarded in September 2016 to Local Law Enforcement and Community Organizations in the Western DistrictRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose announced today that $2,116,025 in federal grants were awarded in September 2016 to local law enforcement agencies and community organizations in the Western District of North Carolina. The federal grants were awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
A total of $1,081,143 was administered to two grantees by OVW, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice that focuses on reducing violence against women and administering justice for and services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The two grants awarded by OVW in the Western District are:
Justice for Families Program: Under this program, a total of $600,000 has been awarded to the Mediation Center in Asheville, N.C., and its collaborative partners, Pisgah Legal Services, Safelight, and North Carolina’s Twenty Ninth Judicial District-29B, which includes Henderson, Polk and Transylvania Counties. The award will be used to open a supervised visitation and exchange center in Henderson County to serve at least 50 families, and to train 400 court and court-related personnel on domestic violence, dating violence and sexual assault.
Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Assistance Program (Rural Program): Under this program, a total of $481,143 was awarded to the Shelter Available for Family Emergency, Inc. of Transylvania County (SAFE). SAFE is a non-profit organization that has responded to domestic and sexual violence in Transylvania County. Through this program, SAFE will expand outreach and services to remote mountain communities, build new services for the growing Latino population and enhance the community’s response to sexual violence through the development of a Sexual Assault Response Team.
Another $728,780 was awarded via BJA’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program to local police departments in six cities and sheriff’s offices in four counties throughout the Western District. The JAG Program, allows states and units of local government, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own local needs and conditions.
Under this program, the City of Charlotte ($493,021), Gaston County ($63,290), the City of Asheville ($55,150), the City of Hickory ($31,020), the City of Monroe ($18,651), the City of Statesville ($17,657), Iredell County ($15,029), the City of Shelby ($13,683), Wilkes County ($10,928), and Haywood County ($10,351) will use their share to address the needs of local police departments and sheriffs’ offices, through the funding of local initiatives, technical assistance, training personnel, equipment, supplies, and information systems as needed.
Also, $306,102 was awarded by the Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to the City of Charlotte, under the DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program (CEBR). The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will use the funding awarded via this program to reduce the backlog of forensic biology/DNA cases, meet Quality Assurance Standards, and maintain current laboratory capabilities.
“Each year, federal grants deliver much-needed resources and financial assistance to local police departments, sheriff’s offices and community organizations throughout the Western District. The awards are used to address a broad range of needs, and to assist local efforts in reducing crime, improving public safety and increasing access to resources and services within communities,” said U.S. Attorney Rose.
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) currently administers 24 grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 and subsequent legislation. For a list of OVW grant programs and additional grant funding information please visit: http://www.justice.gov/ovw/grant-programs.
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Current OJP funding opportunities can be found at: http://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/CurrentFundingOpportunities.htm.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides leadership and assistance to local criminal justice programs that improve and reinforce the nation’s criminal justice system. BJA’s goals are to reduce and prevent crime, violence, and drug abuse and to improve the way in which the criminal justice system functions. In order to achieve such goals, BJA programs illustrate the coordination and cooperation of local, state, and federal governments. BJA works closely with programs that bolster law enforcement operations, expand drug courts, and provide benefits to safety officers. BJA Funding announcements are posted at: https://www.bja.gov/funding.aspx.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and it is dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues through science. NIJ provides objective and independent knowledge and tools to reduce crime and promote justice, particularly at the state and local levels. For additional information and to locate a funding opportunity please visit: http://www.nij.gov/funding/Pages/welcome.aspx.
Two Recruiters Admit Scheme to Fraudulently Maintain Immigration Status, Obtain Work Authorizations for Foreign Clients Through “Pay to Stay” New Jersey CollegeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two employees from a Somerset County, New Jersey, company today admitted recruiting foreign nationals to enroll at a “pay to stay” New Jersey college where they could fraudulently maintain their clients’ student visa status and get them full-time work authorizations without the clients having to attend classes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Harpreet Sachdeva, 26, of Somerset, New Jersey, and Sanjeev Sukhija, 35, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to separate informations charging them each with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
On April 5, 2016, 22 brokers, recruiters, and employers, including Sachdeva and Sukhija, were charged with enrolling foreign nationals in the University of Northern New Jersey, a purported for-profit college located in Cranford, New Jersey (UNNJ). UNNJ was created in September 2013 by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was not staffed with instructors or educators, had no curriculum, and conducted no actual classes or education activities. It operated solely as a storefront location staffed by federal agents posing as school administrators.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Sachdeva and Sukhij – Indian citizens who are present in the United States on foreign worker visas – were each employed at Right OPT, a purported international student recruiting and consulting company located in Somerset, New Jersey. Sachdeva was Right OPT’s business development, marketing, and operations manager. Sukhija was the company’s business development manager.
UNNJ represented itself as a school that, among other things, was authorized to issue a document known as a “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status - for Academic and Language Students,” commonly referred to as a Form I-20. This document, which certifies that a foreign national has been accepted to a school and would be a full-time student, typically enables legitimate foreign students to obtain an F-1 student visa. With the visa, they can enter or remain in the United States while they make normal progress toward the completion of a full course of study at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) accredited institution.
Sachdeva and Sukhija told Right OPT’s foreign recruits that for a fee, they could enroll at UNNJ without having to attend any classes and that their enrollment would enable them to fraudulently maintain their nonimmigrant status. With full knowledge that the recruits were not bona fide students and would not attend any courses, earn credits, or make academic progress toward any legitimate degree at UNNJ, Sachdeva and Sukhija caused Forms I-20 to be issued to the foreign nationals.
Sachdeva and Sukhija also caused the foreign nationals to be reported in government databases as legitimate foreign students. In order to deceive immigration officials, Sachdeva, Right OPT’s foreign clients, and others obtained and created fraudulent student documents, including attendance records and transcripts.
After enabling them to maintain their student visa status, Sachdeva and Sukhija also conspired to secure fraudulent work authorizations for some of their foreign clients. Both defendants admitted that their intention was to profit from the scheme by outsourcing these foreign individuals through Right OPT as information technology consultants with various businesses in the United States for commissions. In total, Sachdeva, Sukhija and others fraudulently maintained and attempted to obtain approximately 45 student visas and/or work authorizations.
The conspiracy to commit visa fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing for Sachdeva and Sukhija is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2017 and Jan. 10, 2017, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the leadership of Director Sarah R. Saldaña; HSI Newark, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Terence S. Opiola; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Counterterrorism and Criminal Exploitation Unit, under the leadership of Unit Chief Robert Soria; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fraud Detection and National Security Section, under the leadership of Associate Director Matthew Emrich; the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, under the leadership of Deputy Assistant Director Louis M. Farrell; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Vermont Service Center, Security Fraud Division, under the leadership of Associate Center Director Bradley J. Brouillette; U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Fraud Prevention Programs, under the leadership of Director Josh Glazeroff; and the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the leadership of Timothy Gallagher in Newark, for their contributions to the investigation.
He also thanked the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), under the leadership of Executive Director Michale S. McComis, and the N.J. Office of Higher Education, under the leadership of Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle R. Hendricks, for their assistance. In addition, U.S. Attorney Fishman thanked the N.J. Motor Vehicle Commission and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California, Eastern District of New York, Eastern District of Virginia, Southern District of New York, Central District of Illinois, Peoria Division, and the Northern District of Georgia for their help.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis C. Carletta of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit, and Sarah Devlin of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.
Defense Counsel (Sachdeva): Anthony Gualano, Esq., McAfee, New Jersey
Defense Counsel (Sukhija): David Oakley, Esq., Princeton, New Jersey
Third Defendant Captured in New Orleans Overnight in Connection with Racketeering Schemes that Involved the Attempted Capital Murder of State District Court Judge Julie KocurekRead the Press Release
Shortly before midnight, federal and state authorities arrested 26-year-old Marcellus Antoine Burgin of Cypress, TX, without incident in New Orleans, LA. Burgin, 28-year-old Chimene Hamilton Onyeri of Houston, and 24-year-old Rasul Kareem Scott of Marrera, LA, are all charged in a federal grand jury indictment unsealed in Austin on Friday for their roles in fraud and racketeering schemes that involved the attempted capital murder of State District Court Judge Julie Kocurek in November of last year.
On September 22, 2016, Burgin led federal agents on a car chase in Southwest Houston that resulted in a car accident and a foot chase. Burgin was able to escape apprehension that day and has been a fugitive ever since.
Burgin is expected to have his initial appearance today in New Orleans. Scott remains in federal custody in Louisiana. Both are expected to be transferred to the Austin Division of the Western District of Texas for yet-to-be-scheduled court proceedings. Onyeri remains in federal custody pending his detention hearing set for 9:00am on October 6, 2016, before United States Magistrate Judge Mark Lane in Austin.
The indictment alleges that from January 2012 to November 2015, Onyeri and others carried out various fraudulent schemes for financial gain in Austin, Houston, the state of Louisiana and surrounding areas. The racketeering enterprise is alleged to have engaged in mail fraud, bribery of a public official, wire fraud, document fraud, access device fraud and money laundering as well as offenses involving murder.
According to the indictment, when the existence of the criminal enterprise was threatened, the defendants responded with violence. The indictment alleges that on the night of November 6, 2015, the defendants attempted to murder State District Court Judge Julie Kocurek, whom Onyeri believed was going to sentence him to prison, by shooting Judge Kocurek while she sat in her car outside her home in Austin. As a result of the incident, Kocurek suffered serious bodily injury from multiple gunshots and resulting shrapnel.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, Austin Police Department and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. The 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in (Calcasieu Parish) Lake Charles, Louisiana; Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office; United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Louisiana; the United States Marshals Service; Travis County Sheriff’s Office; and, the Houston Police Department have also provided valuable assistance during this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dayna Blazey are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Importing Prescription Drugs from IndiaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to import prescription drugs, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Manuel Martin Pena, 64, of Houston, TX pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in and around June 2012, to in and around December 2014, Pena conspired to misbrand, smuggle, and import drugs that were exported from India and received in the U.S. by Pena and another co-conspirator.
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for March 21, 2017, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Pena.
Statement by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch on Departure of Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. CarlinRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released the following statement on the departure, effective Oct. 15, 2016, of Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin:
“John Carlin has been a trusted and tireless leader of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. He is wholly devoted to the department’ s most important mission – protecting our country against acts of terrorism and other national security threats – and he has set a high standard by relentlessly pursuing those who seek to harm our people and threaten our assets. For the better part of two decades at the Department of Justice, John distinguished himself as a leader who skillfully used all the tools at his disposal to enhance our public safety and uphold our national security. I have come to rely heavily on his sound judgment and clear vision as he handled some of the most challenging issues the department faced. He exemplifies the highest standards of excellence, integrity, and professionalism in public service.”
“As Assistant Attorney General, John helped lead the department’s response to terrorist threats ranging from the Boston Marathon bombing to the recent bombings in New York and New Jersey. He oversaw the unprecedented indictment of five members of the Chinese military for cyber-enabled economic espionage and the investigation of the attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment’s computer systems. And he forged crucial collaborations with our partners in the intelligence community, law enforcement, and the private sector, enhancing our collective ability to detect and deter threats as they arise.”
“I thank John for his extraordinary service to the Department of Justice and to the nation, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
State Senator Indicted for Misuse of Campaign FundsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- A grand jury returned a federal indictment today, charging North Carolina State Senator Fletcher Lee Hartsell, Jr. with multiple counts related to fraudulent campaign fundraising and reporting and associated money laundering, announced the United States Attorney’s Office, John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division and Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), Charlotte Division.
Hartsell, 69, of Concord, N.C., is charged with five counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and six counts of money laundering. According to allegations in the Indictment, from 2007 through 2015, Hartsell engaged in a scheme to defraud and to obtain money through materially false pretenses by soliciting funds for the Hartsell State Senator Committee through mailings and interstate wires, using those funds for personal goods and services not authorized under relevant state campaign finance laws, and then concealing such conduct through false campaign filings mailed via the United States Postal Service to the North Carolina Board of Elections. The Indictment further alleges that Hartsell laundered Hartsell State Senator Committee funds through his law firm, Hartsell & Williams, P.A., as well as a corporation he owned with his wife, Equity Properties of Concord, LLC, to disguise the fact that campaign funds were being used for personal enrichment rather than for lawful purposes. The Indictment further alleges that, as a result of this scheme to defraud, Hartsell spent approximately $210,000 of monies properly belonging to the Hartsell State Senator Committee on personal goods and services for his own enrichment.
"Our campaign finance laws must be enforced in order to protect the integrity of the American democratic process. If you abuse the power granted to you as an elected official, the FBI will work tirelessly to ensure you are held accountable for your actions," said John Strong, FBI’s Special Agent in Charge. "Confidence in the integrity of our elected officials is essential and is at the heart of our democracy. To be elected to serve in public office is an unmistakable privilege, not an opportunity to fraudulently enrich oneself using a position of trust. IRS
Criminal Investigation Special Agents play a crucial role in unraveling complex schemes in service to the American taxpayer," said Thomas J. Holloman, III, IRS-CI’s Special Agent in Charge.
Hartsell will have his initial appearance on September 29, 2016 in U.S. District Court in Greensboro. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of twenty years and a $500,000 fine, or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and Hartsell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation is being handled by the FBI and IRS-CI with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney JoAnna G. McFadden.
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Springfield Man Indicted for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today as an armed career criminal who illegally possessed firearms and ammunition.
Christopher M. Behn, 39, of Springfield, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield.
Today’s indictment alleges that Behn was in possession of a Harrington & Richardson pump model .12-gauge shotgun, a New England Firearms .410-gauge shotgun, a Mossberg .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle, a Springfield Armory .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Taurus .38-caliber revolver, a Citadel .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a DSA .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle and ammunition on Nov. 6, 2015.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Due to his prior felony convictions, Behn is charged as an armed career criminal, which upon conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole.
Dickinson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Six Individuals Charged with Participating in Large-Scale Government Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Mark G. Peters, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced today the filing of criminal charges against six defendants for participating in long-running schemes to hide substantial assets and income obtained from significant business and real estate interests in order to attain government benefits designed for low-income individuals. In total, the defendants allegedly obtained more than $1.3 million of government benefits. SHLOMO KUBITSHUK, RACHEL KUBITSHUK, NAFTALI ENGLANDER, and HINDA ENGLANDER were charged in one complaint, and LEIB TEITELBAUM and DEVORAH TEITELBAUM were charged in a separate complaint. The defendants were arrested in Brooklyn this morning and are scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court later today.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “For over a decade, this ring of six defendants allegedly lied to city and federal officials about their financial status in order to obtain benefits that were meant for the needy. The alleged schemes that netted them over a million dollars has been put to an end and the defendants now face federal fraud charges.”
Commissioner Mark G. Peters said: “These defendants were millionaires stealing from the poor, as charged. The defendants fraudulently concealed their wealth to obtain benefits, including Section 8 vouchers intended to help low income New Yorkers find housing, according to the allegations. At a time when affordable housing is scarce, and there is a waiting list for Section 8 vouchers, it is reprehensible that some New Yorkers went without so that these defendants could have still more.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaints[1]:
From 2001 to 2016, SHLOMO KUBITSHUK, RACHEL KUBITSHUK, NAFTALI ENGLANDER, and HINDA ENGLANDER conspired and engaged in a scheme to obtain government benefits designed for low-income residents, including Section 8 housing subsidies, Medicaid health insurance, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) food stamps, totaling more than $980,000. In connection with applications for these benefits, they failed to disclose substantial income and financial assets, including a portfolio of multimillion-dollar residential real estate properties. The defendants also perpetrated the fraud by providing false income affidavits for each other.
From 2007 to 2016, LEIB TEITELBAUM and DEVORAH TEITELBAUM also conspired and engaged in a scheme to obtain government benefits designed for low-income residents, including Section 8 housing subsidies, Medicaid health insurance, and SNAP food stamps, totaling more than $330,000. In connection with applications for these benefits, they failed to disclose substantial income and financial assets, including a jewelry business and an apartment they owned.
* * *
SHLOMO KUBITSHUK, 38, RACHEL KUBITSHUK, 39, both from Brooklyn, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal government funds, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and two counts of theft of government funds, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. NAFTALI ENGLANDER, 40, HINDA ENGLANDER, 41, LEIB TEITELBAUM, 39, and DEVORAH TEITELBAUM, 36, all from Brooklyn, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal government funds, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and three counts of theft of government funds, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in these cases are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
U.S. Attorney Bharara praised the work of DOI and the Criminal Investigators of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli J. Mark and Thane Rehn are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaints and the description of the Complaints set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Second Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Illegal Online Pharmacy SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Anthony Rouse III, 40, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to four-counts before Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was informed that Anthony Rouse III fulfilled US orders from Duangthip Chutivaraporn who operated a series of online pharmacy web sites that offered a wide variety of prescription drugs for sale to United States customers without the need of a prescription or a medical history. There was no physician monitoring drugs used by the customers or requirement of any diagnosis in order to purchase or receive these prescription drugs. The site defrauded customers with false representations as to the legality of obtaining prescription drugs without a prescription. Rouse and another fulfilled orders for Nubain and Fioricet and received payment for their services by means of deposits of their portion of the sale proceeds to foreign bank accounts accessible to them by debit cards.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2017 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 90 years in prison, a fine of $1,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; conducted the investigation leading to the information in this case.
Santa Fe Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Bank Robbery ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jacob P. Wheeler, 25, of Santa Fe, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 46 months in prison for his armed bank robbery conviction. Wheeler will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Wheeler was arrested on May 26, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with robbing the Century Bank branch located at 498 N. Guadalupe St. in Santa Fe, on May 15, 2015. Wheeler robbed the bank by pointing a gun at the bank teller, demanding money, and climbing up onto the teller’s counter to grab money from a cash drawer. Wheeler became the target of investigation later that day after the FBI received a tip identifying Wheeler as the bank robber.
Wheeler was subsequently indicted on June 24, 2015, and charged with armed bank robbery.
On March 7, 2016, Wheeler pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that he robbed the Century Bank branch in Santa Fe on May 15, 2015. Wheeler also admitted using a dangerous weapon to commit the robbery.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Santa Fe Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Cairns.
Safe City Commission in Fort Worth Awarded $500,000 Federal Grant to Create Safer Neighborhoods Through Sustained Reduction in Gang Violence and Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas – U.S. Attorney John Parker announced today that Safe City Commission, which provides programing and services as One Safe Place in Fort Worth, Texas, will receive $500,000 in grant funding as part of the federal government’s efforts to create safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in gang violence and gun crime.
The grant, announced by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, is one of seven half-million dollar grants awarded last week by the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance and funded under the 2016 Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction/Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.
“My office is committed to working side by side with the people who live in the neighborhoods, our partners at One Safe Place, and our partners in law enforcement to stop the destructive cycle of gun and gang violence that terrorizes our communities,” said U.S. Attorney John Parker. “This grant funding significantly enhances that effort in Fort Worth by providing additional tools for success.”
“As longstanding partners with One Safe Place in the effort to reduce violent crime in Tarrant County, we are extremely pleased the DOJ chose to fund their efforts to reduce gang and gun violence,” said Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald. “We are steadfast in our commitment to meaningful partnerships in the community to make Fort Worth the safest large city in America. This grant award will certainly bring us closer to that reality.”
“PSN has helped ensure a very effective collaboration between local, federal and community based partners, which has reduced gun and gang violence in Fort Worth,” said Ken Shetter, President of One Safe Place. “Funding under the 2016 PSN Program will allow us to take this partnership to the next level, build on the knowledge and best practices that have already been developed, and target resources on hot spots for gun and gang violence. We are particularly excited that the One Safe Place strategy addresses domestic violence as a significant contributor to gun and gang violence in the community.”
PSN is a nationwide commitment to reduce gang and gun crime in the U.S. by networking existing local programs that target gun and gang crime and providing these programs with additional tools for success. PSN’s strategic approach brings more “science” into criminal justice operations by leveraging innovative applications of analysis, technology and evidence-based practices to improve performance and effectiveness while containing costs. The Northern District of Texas PSN Task Force, led by U.S. Attorney Parker, uses partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach and accountability to implement gang violence and gun crime enforcement, intervention and preventions strategies throughout the district.
One Safe Place will use the grant funds to initiate a multidisciplinary intervention in persistent hotspots in Fort Worth, targeting gang and gun violence through increased collaboration with partner agencies, analysis of related violent crimes, and the implementation of a flexible intelligence-led, problem solving approach. Grant funds will also be used to develop a gang and gun violence prevention media campaign.
“Gang violence and gun crime are two of the most formidable obstacles we face in ensuring that every American lives in safe and secure communities,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. “These vital grants give jurisdictions the resources they need to develop comprehensive, collaborative responses to the most serious and destructive crimes. By combining more effective enforcement with closer cooperation, better data and expanded prevention initiatives, Project Safe Neighborhoods helps communities make meaningful strides towards ending violence, promoting peace, and restoring hope.”
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Rosebud Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man who was found guilty of Domestic Abuse by an Habitual Offender and Simple Assault following a jury trial in July of 2016 was sentenced on September 27, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Adam Bordeaux, age 32, was sentenced to 33 months in custody, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $110 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bordeaux was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2015. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on November 17, 2015, wherein Bordeaux assaulted his girlfriend at their home in Rosebud. Bordeaux and the victim got into an argument in their bedroom and Bordeaux pushed the victim onto the bed. He then got on top of her, pulled her hair, pushed her face into the blanket, and tried to bite her on the back of her head. The victim was eventually able to push Bordeaux off of her and she fled the house. She called the police from a nearby convenience store. Bordeaux was subsequently questioned by a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Officer and he claimed the victim attacked him and bit him on the forearm while he was defending himself. The bite mark he showed the officer was inconsistent with Bordeaux’s description of the incident, however, and Bordeaux was arrested.
The crime of Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender requires proof that the Defendant had at least two prior convictions for domestic assault. At the time of this incident, Bordeaux had three prior convictions in Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court for Domestic Abuse. He also had a prior conviction in federal court for Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender, and was on federal supervised release when he committed the assault on November 17, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Bordeaux was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Portland Woman Pleads Guilty to Prescription Drug and Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: David B. Joyce
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Shannon Bragdon, 32, of Portland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to attempting to acquire oxycodone by deception and health care fraud.
According to court records, between May 2015 and March 2016, Bragdon took blank prescriptions from a dentist’s office where she was employed and caused dozens of them to be fraudulently issued for oxycodone pills and presented to at least nine pharmacies in Southern Maine.
On March 21, 2016, a pharmacist alerted authorities after suspecting that an oxycodone prescription Bragdon presented was invalid. DEA agents responded to the pharmacy and encountered Bragdon in the waiting area.
She faces up to four years on the drug charge, ten years on the fraud charge, and up to a $250,000 fine on each charge. Sentencing will be held following the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Philadelphia Woman Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
Alicia O'Brien, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was charged today by Indictment with obtaining prescription drugs by fraud announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of four years in prison, a one-year period of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Abrams.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Paintsville Mayor Convicted of Misusing City FundsRead the Press Release
The defendant used city funds for personal expenses
LONDON, Ky. —Paintsville Mayor Robert Porter has been found guilty of misappropriating property and city resources.
A federal jury in London, Ky., convicted Porter on 2 of the three counts of theft of federal funds and one count of bribery. The jury returned the verdict after more than three hours of deliberation, following four days of trial.
One of Porter’s co-defendants, Larry Herald, the former general manager of the Paintsville Utilities Commission, previously pleaded guilty to lying to an FBI agent about his knowledge of Porter’s delinquent utility bills.
Evidence presented at the trial established that, from 2009 until 2012, Porter, with the knowledge, approval and assistance of Herald, did not pay for utilities services provided to residences that he owned in Paintsville. The total delinquency was in excess of $7,000. The evidence also revealed that Porter used thousands of dollars in city and federal funds to pay for personal expenses, such as: maintenance and repairs on his personal automobiles, gasoline for personal trips, and shipping fees for personal items. Evidence at the trial also established that Porter used a city owned vehicle, seized from a drug investigation by the Paintsville Police Department, for personal trips.
Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Howard S. Marshall, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, and Richard W. Sanders, Kentucky State Police Commissioner, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Taylor and Andrew Boone are prosecuting this case on behalf of the federal government. Porter is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12. Misappropriating federal property and bribery of a public official each carries a maximum penalty of 10 years and making false statements to a federal agent carries a maximum penalty of five years. However, any sentence following a conviction will be imposed after the Court carefully considers the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
Owner of Sham ‘Veteran-Owned’ Company Sentenced for $100 Million FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelmsford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with recruiting veterans as figurehead owners of a construction company in order to receive specialized government contracts.
“Taking advantage of set-aside programs intended to support the economic welfare and stability of veterans is appalling,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “Through his scheme, Mr. Gorski undercut the efforts of hard-working veterans to compete for valuable government contracts and, as such, defrauded federal agencies dedicated to serving veterans of our armed services.”
“Those who defraud the Federal government by abusing Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-asides for their own financial gain are effectively taking money out of the hands of deserving veterans,” said Michael J. Missal, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. “The VA OIG will continue to expose those committing fraud and bring them to justice. Today’s sentencing is a reminder to those who abuse set aside programs and the construction industry as a whole, that they must adhere to the laws established by Congress. It also reflects the commitment of Federal law enforcement organizations to pursue illegal conduct within such programs.”
David Gorski, 51, of Chelmsford, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor to 30 months in prison, one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $1 million. In June 2016, Gorski was found guilty by a jury following a 12-day trial of conspiring to defraud the United States by impairing the lawful governmental function of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the General Services Administration, the Army, and the Navy in the implementation and administration of the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Program. He was also convicted of four counts of wire fraud.
In 2006, Gorski established a company, Legion Construction, Inc., after recruiting a disabled Korean War veteran to act as the company’s straw owner for the sole purpose of obtaining federal construction contracts set aside under the SDVOSB Program. The purpose of the SDVOSB program is to provide federal contracting assistance to service-disabled veterans who own small businesses by creating set-aside and sole-source acquisitions for such businesses. When the veteran’s deteriorated, Gorski added a second disabled veteran, Peter Ianuzzi, to serve as the figurehead owner of Legion. Legion acquired more than $113 million in federal contracts between 2006 and November 2010, after Gorski falsely represented to federal contracting officers that the company was owned and operated by service-disabled veterans.
In March 2010, a different SDVOSB registered a bid protest against Legion, alleging that Legion should not have been awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at its medical center in White River Junction, VT. The company specifically challenged Legion’s SDVOSB status, noting that it appeared that Gorski, not one of the veterans, was the person running Legion. After retaining the services of a large Boston law firm to assist him, Gorski filed an opposition to the bid protest that contained backdated documents containing false and misleading information. The Small Business Administration denied the bid protest based on Legion’s submission. Gorski then began exploring ways to siphon money from Legion that would not appear as compensation exceeding the pay of the nominal veteran owner, Ianuzzi, in violation of federal regulations, including Ianuzzi “gifting” him $900,000 and establishing private bank accounts into which the company would deposit $2.5 million for Gorski’s benefit. Before the bank accounts could be opened, however, a federal grand jury issued subpoenas to Legion and several witnesses.
“Our nation’s veterans are the ultimate victims when individuals scheme to fraudulently obtain access to federal contracting opportunities set-aside for deserving small businesses owned and operated by service-disabled veterans,” said Inspector General Peggy E. Gustafson. “SBA OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of SBA’s Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern Procurement Program. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their leadership and dedication to serving justice.”
“We are pleased with today's sentencing and it is quite satisfying to know that people who commit these types of crimes are held accountable,” said Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “There is an important purpose for the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Program and this individual attempted to exploit that program for his own personal gain while pushing those who deserve it aside.”
Special Agent in Charge, Leo Lamont of Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office said: “NCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who would harm, rather than serve, the Department of the Navy warfighters and American taxpayers. By conspiring to manipulate the contracting process through lies and deceit, those involved have drained significant resources from the Navy and have made it harder for legitimate companies that play by the rules, especially those owned by service-disabled veterans, to participate in programs that support the military.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Bloomer of Ortiz’s Public Corruption Unit.
Owner of Biofuel Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and ObstructionRead the Press Release
The owner and manager of a New Jersey feedstock collector and processor pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction for his role in a scheme that generated over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable fuels credits (RIN credits) connected to the purported production of biodiesel fuel.
Malek Jalal, 52, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King for the Southern District of Ohio, announced Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Enstrom for the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation and Acting Special Agent in Charge John Gauthier of EPA’s Criminal Enforcement Program in Ohio.
According to his plea, Jalal engaged in a scheme with other coconspirators to fraudulently claim tax credits and RIN credits multiple times on the same loads of fuel. Jalal, who owned Unity Fuels, bought fuel from a New York-based company that arranged for tax credits and RIN credits to be claimed on it. Unity Fuels then blended the fuel with other material and sold it back to the New York company in order to claim tax credits and RIN credits again. Jalal also admitted to obstruction of justice for providing a federal grand jury with altered and falsified documents and to destroying other documents in connection with the subpoena.
“Congress enacted programs incentivizing the production of biofuels in order to make the United States more energy independent and to modernize our energy economy,” said Assistant Attorney General Cruden. “The fraud perpetrated by Mr. Jalal and his co-conspirators undermines these important public policies. This case demonstrates that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute those seeking to manipulate these programs for personal gain.”
“Violations of renewable fuels laws can have serious impacts on the marketplace and hurt companies that play by the rules,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gauthier. “EPA and its law enforcement partners will continue to protect public health and the environment by prosecuting those who blatantly violate laws that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years in prison. Obstruction is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Graham will determine the sentence following a pre-sentence investigation by the court.
Assistant Attorney General Cruden and Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by law enforcement, as well as Department of Justice Trial Attorney Adam Cullman, Senior Trial Attorney Jeremy Korzenik and Assistant United States Attorney J. Michael Marous, who represented the United States in this case.
Morgan City woman sentenced for scheme with Patterson man to commit tax fraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Morgan City woman was sentenced Monday to 25 months in prison for her role in a scheme to use stolen identities to file false tax returns and pocket refunds.
Laphrida T. Watts, 40, from Morgan City, La., currently residing in Palmdale, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of aggravated identity theft. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $45,252.02 restitution. According to the January 13, 2016 guilty plea, from February 2013 to August of 2013, Watts and co-defendant Louis W. Carbins Jr., 36, of Patterson, La., knew and allowed individuals from overseas to use stolen identities to file tax returns. The overseas individuals then directed the IRS to deposit the refunds into Carbins’ bank accounts. Watts and Carbins would then wire some of the money overseas and keep the rest. The IRS issued more than $815,000 in refunds to Carbins’ accounts. Watts and Carbins spent $45,681.22 of the funds.
Carbins was sentenced on August 29, 2016 to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $45,252.02 restitution. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, seven counts of theft of government money and one count of aggravated identity theft after a three-day trial that ended May 25, 2016.
The IRS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly P. Uebinger and Robert F. Moore are prosecuting the case.
Miami Resident Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Tax Fraud Scheme Involving the Sale of a Tax Refund CheckRead the Press Release
A Miami resident pled guilty for his involvement in an identity theft tax fraud scheme involving the sale of a tax refund check.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.
Torrace Wilson, 32, pled guilty to one count of theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 641 and 2.
According to court documents, on August 27, 2014, Wilson met with a cooperating defendant. During the meeting, Wilson sold a United States Treasury tax refund check in the name of another individual in the amount of $4,443 to the cooperating defendant for a negotiated price of $1,800. Wilson endorsed the back of the check with the name of the victim. He knew that the victim did not authorize him to possess or sell the check.
Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2016 before United States District Judge Darrin P. Gayles. At sentencing, the defendant faces up to ten years in prison.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vanessa S. Snyder.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Mexican national sentenced for immigration crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced yesterday to four months for an immigration crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Edilberto Sanchez-Galvan, 35, previously pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States. Sanchez-Galvan is also subject to immediate deportation proceedings.
Sanchez-Galvan admitted that he had previously been convicted of the federal crime of illegally reentering the United States in February 2010. After that conviction, Sanchez-Galvan was deported from the United States to his home country of Mexico. Sanchez-Galvan then illegally reentered the United States and he was found in South Charleston by Department of Homeland Security agents on May 17, 2016.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence.
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Mexican citizen arrested in Bossier Parish sentenced to 10 months for reentering the country illegallyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican citizen was sentenced Monday to 10 months in prison on charges that he reentered the United States illegally.
Ruperto Ocampo-Marchan, 38, of Alcapulco Guerrero, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. According to the May 5, 2016 guilty plea, a Louisiana state trooper conducted a traffic stop on January 28, 2016 on the vehicle Ocampo-Marchan was driving near Bossier City, La. He was found with two juvenile females who he said he was transporting to Atlanta, Ga. After further investigation, it was determined that the defendant was illegally in the United States and had been removed previously in 2005, 2013 and 2015.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
Metroplex Economic Development Corporation in Dallas Awarded $1,000,000 Federal Grant to Support the Texas Offenders Reentry InitiativeRead the Press Release
DALLAS, Texas – U.S. Attorney John Parker announced today that Metroplex Economic Development Corporation, which provides mentoring and transitional services to incarcerated adults in Dallas, Texas, will receive $1,000,000 in grant funding as part of the federal government’s efforts to support safe and successful community reintegration of adults who have been incarcerated.
The grant, announced by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, is one of four million dollar grants awarded last week by the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance and funded under the 2016 Second Chance Act Comprehensive Community-Based Adult Reentry Program Utilizing Mentors Program.
“Criminal justice reform is impossible without intelligently and honestly addressing the multi-faceted challenges even the most well-intentioned and highly motivated inmates face upon re-entry,” said U.S. Attorney John Parker. “This grant addresses one of the most pressing public safety issues we face in this country.”
The Texas Offenders Reentry Initiative, “TORI,” through the Metroplex Economic Development Corporation, is an intensive 12-month case management program that offers six core services: employment, housing, education, family reunification, health care and spiritual guidance. The program helps former inmates transition to life outside the penal system, dramatically increasing chances for success and reducing the likelihood of recidivism. TORI has served more than 10,000 formerly incarcerated individuals. The U.S. recidivism rate is 67 percent of former prisoners re-arrested and 52 percent re-incarcerated within three years of release. The TORI program’s recidivism rate is at a low nine percent.
The goal of the Comprehensive Community-Based Adult Reentry Program Utilizing Mentors Program is to identify needs of incarcerated individuals, including, housing, employment, substance abuse, and mental health by trained mentors and create a reentry plan.
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Men Sentenced to Life for KidnappingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that in federal court yesterday, Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt sentenced AKIN SEAN EL PRECISE BEY, 47, of Knightdale, North Carolina to life imprisonment.
On December 7, 2015 a federal jury convicted BEY of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. A coconspirator GEORGE LINCOLN STANLEY IV, 47, of Durham, North Carolina was also convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping and was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 6, 2016.
Two other individuals, HUBERT DIXON, 43, of Durham, North Carolina, and JUDSON HUGH DEBNAM, 34, of Raleigh, North Carolina, were also charged with crimes related to this incident and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery. DIXON was sentenced to 47 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release on March 28, 2016. DEBNAM was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release on September 26, 2016.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that the victim was kidnapped from his home after returning from attending a boxing match in Las Vegas. The victim was targeted for kidnapping due to the belief that he had access to large amounts of cash. The defendants broke into the victim’s house and waited for the victim to return home from Las Vegas. Upon the victim’s return home, the defendants attacked him, restrained him, and ransacked his home in search of cash. The defendants then drove the victim to a storage unit where the victim was held and tortured as the defendants demanded more money. A large sum of cash was ultimately taken from the victim. At the time of their arrests, BEY had over $55,000.00 cash in his home and STANLEY had over $21,000.00 cash in his pocket.
Crime scene technicians recovered the kidnappers’ fingerprints, as well as the victim’s blood, within the storage unit. Zip ties were still attached to a chair within the storage unit and the victim’s personal identification was located on a table. The victim, who was severely injured with a swollen eye, broken leg, ligature marks on his wrists and ankles, and duct tape still attached to his face and neck, was eventually located by law enforcement on a dark dirt road in Nash County, North Carolina.
A search warrant executed at BEY’S house uncovered six firearms; an AR-15 rifle, .32 caliber pistol, Judge Long Colt revolver, .40 caliber pistol, .38 caliber revolver, and a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun. At the time, BEY was prohibited from possessing any firearms as he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Raleigh Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification, State Bureau of Investigation, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Durham County Sheriff’s Office and Johnston County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Holbrook and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dena King represented the government.
Maurice man sentenced to 24 months in prison for possessing unregistered shotgunRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Maurice man was sentenced Monday to 24 months in prison for possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun.
Kevin Patrick Abshire, 32, of Maurice, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of an unregistered firearm; namely, a shotgun having a barrel less than 18 inches in length. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the June 16, 2016 guilty plea, Abshire admitted that on June 6, 2015, he was involved in a high-speed car chase within the city limits of Lafayette and Lafayette Parish, after he nearly struck an officer of the Lafayette Police Department while that officer was directing traffic at an accident scene. Instead of following the directions of the officers on the scene to turn off the engine to his vehicle, Abshire admitted that he drove away at a high rate of speed, causing officers of the Lafayette Police Department and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office to pursue Abshire’s vehicle. Abshire was involved in a single-vehicle accident near the Ridge Road area of Lafayette, and upon exiting the vehicle, officers noticed that he was in possession of a shotgun. Officers were successful in subduing Abshire and placing him into custody. The investigation revealed that the shotgun Abshire possessed when he exited the vehicle was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, was loaded, and had a barrel length of 13-7/8 inches.
The ATF, Lafayette Police Department and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Martinez Resident Sentenced to 41 Months in Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Santiago Reyna was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $49,639 for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf. The sentence was handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, following the entry of a guilty plea on May 23, 2016.
According to his plea agreement, in 2013 and 2014, Reyna, 36, of Martinez, devised a scheme to defraud the United States and to obtain money by submitting false tax returns. As part of the scheme, Reyna conspired with his codefendant, Lynsey Hartsinck, to obtain personally identifiable information from at least twelve individuals, most of whom resided in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Reyna used the names and Social Security numbers of these individuals to prepare and electronically file false tax returns in their names without their knowledge or consent. He also obtained fraudulent refunds in their names. On many of the fraudulent returns he prepared and filed, Reyna directed the IRS to deposit the fraudulent refunds into prepaid debit card accounts that he and Hartsinck controlled. Reyna also rented a postal deposit box from a UPS Store in San Ramon, posing as one of the victims in his scheme. A total of $198,249 was falsely claimed, and fraudulent refunds of no less than $49,639 were obtained as a result of the scheme.
A federal grand jury indicted the defendants on June 16, 2015, with conspiracy to file false claims, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen mail. On February 29, 2016, Hartsinck pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and to one count of aggravated identity theft. Reyna pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge.
In addition to the prison term and the order to pay restitution, Judge Gilliam also sentenced Reyna to a three-year period of supervised release. Reyna will begin serving the sentence on January 3, 2017. Hartsnick has not yet been sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Sampson is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Marijuna Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Manila Chicago, 39, of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court this afternoon. Chicago pled guilty to three charges—possession with intent to distribute marijuana, using, carrying and possessing a firearm in relation to and in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony, and money laundering—in June of 2016.
United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed a total sentence of 111 months, consisting of 51 months on the drug and money laundering charges, and 60 months on the gun charge, which will run consecutive to the sentences on the other counts. Chicago will serve a five-year term of supervised release when he is released from prison. As conditions of his supervision, Chicago will be subject to testing and treatment for drug abuse. Judge Granade also ordered that Chicago pay $300 in special mandatory assessments. Judge Granade also ordered the forfeiture of Chicago’s interest in several items of property seized during the investigation.
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Lower Brule Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Felon in Possession of a Firearm was sentenced on September 26, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Conrad Fleury, age 35, was sentenced to 15 months in custody, 2 years of Supervised Release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Fleury was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 13, 2016. He pled guilty on July 11, 2016.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on February 13, 2016, when a call came into the Fort Thompson Police Department reporting that Conrad Fleury had a gun and was threatening suicide. Law enforcement responded immediately and officers called for backup.
The caller approached one of the officers and stated Fleury came home drunk, had a gun, and was saying he was going to kill himself. As a result of Fleury’s threats, two young children had to escape the home by crawling through a window.
Officers entered the home and found Fleury alone with a .22 caliber rifle in a bedroom.
Fleury has a federal conviction from 2012, for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The judgment specifically states that Fleury shall not possess a firearm, destructive device or any other dangerous weapon.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Creek Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Fleury was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty in Online Pharmacy Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Morgan City, Louisiana, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Troy Tapia, 45, of Morgan City, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to four-counts before Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was informed that Troy Tapia fulfilled US orders from Duangthip Chutivaraporn who operated a series of online pharmacy web sites that offered a wide variety of prescription drugs for sale to United States customers without the need of a prescription or a medical history. There was no physician monitoring drugs used by the customers or requirement of any diagnosis in order to purchase or receive these prescription drugs. The site defrauded customers with false representations as to the legality of obtaining prescription drugs without a prescription. Tapia and another fulfilled orders for Nubain and Fioricet and received payment for their services by means of deposits of their portion of the sale proceeds to foreign bank accounts accessible to them by debit cards.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2017, at 11 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 90 years in prison, a fine of $1,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; conducted the investigation leading to the information in this case.
Leaders of Violent Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Lengthy Prison TermsRead the Press Release
Two Seattle men who led a violent drug trafficking organization distributing meth, heroin and cocaine were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to long prison terms for numerous counts of drug trafficking and one count of money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. SON V. TRAN, 29, the leader of the drug trafficking group was sentenced to 15 years in prison and TUAN A VU, 50, was sentenced to just over 13 years in prison. Both men will serve five years of supervised release after prison. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour noted that the men led an organization involved with both drugs and violence.
“These defendants and their organizations pumped large amounts of meth, heroin and cocaine into our communities, and they used violence to get their way,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “We will continue to use all the law enforcement tools at our disposal to ensure drug organizations like this one – from their leaders on down – are removed from our cities and towns, and held to account.”
The two-year investigation lead by the FBI’s Seattle Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF) and Bellevue Police Department’s Eastside Narcotics Task Force (ENTF), revealed that the organization distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine across a wide swath of the greater Seattle metro area. According to court records and testimony at trial, beginning in February 2013 law enforcement authorities used a variety of tools including telephone wire taps and confidential sources to infiltrate and interdict this drug organization. The investigation determined that the organization distributed approximately 15-20 kilos of cocaine, 10-15 kilos of heroin and 5 kilos of methamphetamine per month. In addition, on multiple occasions members of the drug trafficking organization were arrested with firearms. During the investigation law enforcement seized drugs and cash including a September 2014 seizure of two kilos of cocaine, one pound of methamphetamine and $14,000 cash from a rental car. In March 2015, investigators seized more than $32,000 from a hidden compartment in another vehicle. At the end of the investigation, additional drugs and more than $100,000 in cash was seized from TRAN and VU’s residences.
Drug activity associated with the organization occurred over a wide geographic area with many drug sales occurring in the “Jungle” homeless encampment, as well as at homes and near businesses in Seattle, Renton, Shoreline and Kent. The drug transactions occurred in areas ranging from the parking lot of Viet Wah supermarket near South Jackson Street, the parking lot of Dick’s Drive-In on NE 45th Street, the parking lot of a gas station on Beacon Hill, and at a motel in Tukwila.
Both Son V. Tran and Tuan A. Vu were convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Son V. Tran was also convicted of fifteen separate counts of distribution of controlled substance or possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute offenses. Tuan A Vu was similarly convicted of eleven separate counts of distribution of controlled substance or possession of controlled substance.
More than twenty other defendants have been sentenced in the case to prison terms ranging from two years to twelve years.
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. This investigation was led by the FBI’s Seattle Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF) and Bellevue Police Department’s Eastside Narcotics Task Force (ENTF). The SSTF includes task force officers from the Seattle Police Department, and the ENTF is composed of Bellevue Police Department officers, and agents and officers from the Washington State Patrol, US Postal Inspection Service, and the Redmond, Kirkland, and Mercer Island police departments in partnership with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), King County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and the Kent and Tukwila police departments, and the Seattle Fire Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vince Lombardi and Kate Vaughan.
Lancaster Man Sentenced and Ordered to Pay More Than $1 Million for Illegally Uploading Screeners of ‘The Revenant’ and ‘The Peanuts Movie’Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Lancaster man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for criminal copyright infringement for illegally posting screener versions of two movies – “The Revenant” and “The Peanuts Movie” – to a publicly accessible website. As a result of the illegal upload, “The Revenant” was available for download six days before its limited release in theaters and more than 1 million people were able to download the film within a six-week period, which caused Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation to suffer losses of well over $1 million.
William Kyle Morarity, 31, who used the screen name “clutchit,” pled guilty earlier this year to felony copyright infringement and was sentenced this week by United States District Court Judge Stephen V. Wilson to eight months’ home detention and 24 months’ probation. He was also ordered to pay $1.12 million in restitution to Twentieth Century Fox.
Morarity agreed to assist the FBI in the production of a public service announcement to assist the government in educating the public about the harms of copyright infringement and the illegal uploading of movies that are the legal property of the movie studio.
Morarity obtained the screeners without authorization while at work on a studio lot. He copied the screeners onto a portable drive and uploaded the movies from his home computer on December 17 and 19, 2015, to a BitTorrent website called “Pass the Popcorn,” which allowed downloading via a peer-to-peer network.
“The film industry creates thousands of jobs in Southern California,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The defendant’s illegal conduct caused significant harm to the victim movie studio. The fact that the defendant stole these films while working on the lot of a movie studio makes his crime more egregious.”
"Mr. Morarity used his position of trust to gain access to sensitive intellectual property, then shared that content online and incurred large-scale losses to the owner of that property," said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. "The theft of intellectual property - in this case, major motion pictures - discourages creative incentive and affects the average American making ends meet in the entertainment industry."
The case against Morarity was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennie Wang.
LaSalle Street Kidnapper found guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler, announced guilty verdicts against a Detroit, Michigan man, for kidnapping two Indianapolis children from their LaSalle Street home in March of 2015. An Indianapolis jury found John Thomas a/k/a Jay, 39, guilty of two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping after a six-day trial before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Richard L. Young.
“I want to commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for their immediate reaction to this kidnapping,” said Minkler. “As a result of their non-stop efforts, this case was solved in less than 48 hours, the victims were rescued and the defendants arrested. Law enforcement has sent a strong message; when children are involved, we will send the cavalry.”
Testimony in court indicated, Thomas was a drug dealer from Detroit. On February 28, 2015, Thomas’s former girlfriend Whitney Blackwell took a large quantity of narcotics and narcotic proceeds and traveled to Indianapolis with her minor child. Between February 28, 2015, and March 2, 2015, Thomas and members of his conspiracy traveled to Indianapolis in search of Blackwell.
On March 2, 2015, Thomas and other members of the conspiracy conducted a home invasion on LaSalle Street in Indianapolis and kidnapped Blackwell’s minor siblings, holding them for ransom. They used a blindfold, towel and a hood to prevent one victim from identifying members of the conspiracy and used zip-ties to prevent his escape. They later cut the fingers of one of the children to compel him to reveal the location of Blackwell, the narcotics and narcotic proceeds taken from Thomas. Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement in Indianapolis and Detroit, both victims were returned safely.
FBI Special Agent in Charge, W. Jay Abbott said, “The swift and safe return of the victims and apprehension of the subjects was the result of the cooperative efforts of Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies.”
Five other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in federal court and are awaiting sentencing:
Alaa Al-Salehi, a/k/a Big Boi, 24
April Sandell, 27
Bernando Reeves, a/k/a C-Note, 21
Mohammed Karkash a/k/a MJ, 23
Ali Hussain Ashore, 27
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Tiffany J. McCormick and Jeffrey D. Preston, who prosecuted this case for the government, Thomas and the other kidnappers face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life in prison. The United States Attorney’s Office will request a sentence of life for Mr. Thomas. Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Thomas will be sentenced on December 8, 2016.
Kirby Inland Marine to Pay $4.9 Million in Civil Penalties and Provide Fleet-Wide Improvements to Resolve U.S. Claims for Houston Ship Channel Oil SpillRead the Press Release
Kirby Inland Marine L.P. has agreed to pay $4.9 million in Clean Water Act civil penalties and to implement fleet-wide operational improvements to settle claims stemming from a 4,000-barrel (168,000-gallon) oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel in March 2014, the Department of Justice and the Coast Guard announced today.
In its complaint, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas along with the notice of lodging of a consent decree, the United States alleges that Kirby is liable under the Clean Water Act for the oil spill. The spill occurred on March 22, 2014, when a Kirby tow boat, the Miss Susan, was pushing two 300-foot oil barges in the “Texas City Y” area of the Houston Ship Channel in fog conditions. Despite detecting the nearby presence of a 585-foot bulk cargo ship, the Summer Wind, traveling up the Houston Ship Channel, Kirby’s tow boat and barges tried to cross the channel in front of the cargo ship. As a result, Kirby’s lead oil barge was struck by the cargo ship and approximately 4,000 barrels of heavy marine fuel oil spilled out of the barge into the waterway. From there, oil flowed out of the channel and spread down the Texas coastline. Approximately 160 miles of shoreline were oiled as a result of the spill, including sensitive marsh habitat, the national wildlife refuge on Matagorda Island, Mustang Island State Park and Padre Island National Seashore. A full assessment of the injuries caused by the spill to marine and terrestrial natural resources is ongoing and will be addressed separately.
“This settlement sends a clear message that vessel owners and operators have a responsibility to protect our waters, people and the environment from oil spills and those who violate that duty will be held accountable under the law,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The remedial measures in this agreement will upgrade navigational equipment, provide employee training, and improve operational practices across an entire fleet of vessels.”
“This case illustrates the inherent risk in transporting oil and other chemicals along our waterways,” said Eighth Coast Guard District Commander, Rear Adm. David Callahan. “The Coast Guard remains committed to enforcement, prevention and response with regards to our nation's waterways and natural resources.”
In addition to payment of the civil penalties, Kirby in the consent decree commits to improve its operations across its entire fleet of hundreds of vessels operating in the inland waters of the United States. These remedial measures require Kirby to install enhanced navigational equipment on vessels, provide employee training on the new and enhanced equipment, provide additional navigation skills training, including a simulator-based exercise involving a Texas City Y scenario and improved operational practices such as entering complete tow dimensions in each vessel’s automatic identification systems before embarking on every transit. As part of the settlement, Kirby also agrees to waive any limits on its liability under the Oil Pollution Act related to the oil spill incident at issue in this case.
The remedial measures and the penalties to be paid by Kirby under the consent decree are in addition to the costs the company has already incurred or will incur to clean up the oil spill, reimburse federal and State response efforts, compensate victims of the oil spill and compensate the public for injuries to natural resources.
Section 311(b) of the Clean Water Act makes it unlawful to discharge oil or hazardous substances into or upon the navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines in quantities that may be harmful to the environment or public health. The penalty paid for this spill will be deposited in the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund managed by the National Pollution Funds Center. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is used to pay for federal response activities and to compensate for damages when there is a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil or hazardous substances to waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines.
The proposed consent decree, lodged in the Southern District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court review and approval. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice website at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.
Jury Convicts Two in $2.6M Stolen Identity, Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal court jury in Providence today convicted two employees of a Pawtucket grocery store, the Dominican Supermarket, for their participation in a conspiracy to use the stolen identities of more than 400 individuals on fraudulent tax returns, resulting in the receipt of more than $2.6 million dollars in fraudulent federal tax return payments, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Stephen Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service.
The jury, following six days of testimony and seven hours of deliberations over two days, convicted Doris Morel 44, of Central Falls, a full-time cashier at the Dominican Supermarket, on one count of conspiracy, one count of theft of government property, four counts of money laundering and four counts of aggravated identity theft. The jury convicted Erika Tomasino, 44, of Central Falls, a secretary for the owner of the supermarket, on one count of conspiracy, one count of theft of government property, three counts of mail fraud, three counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The jury acquitted Morel of one count of mail fraud and Tomasino of one count of aggravated identity theft.
Morel and Tomasino, released on unsecured bond with electronic monitoring, are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on December 22, 2014.
Two other individuals who participated in the conspiracy, Juan Vasquez, 53, of Pawtucket, the owner of the Dominican Supermarket, and his sister, Belkis Vasquez, 50, of Central Falls, previously pleaded guilty to federal charges brought in this matter and are scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2016.
Juan Vasquez pleaded guilty on August 19, 2016, to one count of conspiracy and one count of aggravated identity theft. Belkis Vasquez pleaded guilty on August 17, 2016, to one count of conspiracy. Both are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on November 4, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, for nearly four years, beginning in January 2010, the defendants participated in an extensive Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) scheme. SIRF schemes involve the misuse of personal identifying information of individuals to file fraudulent tax returns. In this particular scheme, fraudulent tax returns were filed using stolen personal identifying information of more than 400 individuals, most of whom are residents of Puerto Rico.
According to the government’s evidence, fraudulent treasury checks were mailed to various locations in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York, and later deposited by the co-conspirators into 27 different bank accounts. The bank accounts were controlled by the co-conspirators or other individuals affiliated with the Dominican Supermarket.
The government’s evidence showed that the defendants and their co-conspirators withdrew the proceeds of the checks, caused others to withdraw some of the proceeds, transferred the proceeds between accounts, and spent the funds on personal expenses. Additionally, according to the government’s evidence, more than $235,000 of fraudulently obtained funds were transferred to a bank in the Dominican Republic.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pawtucket Police Department.
This law enforcement action is part of President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The President established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources.
The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.
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Hampshire County man pleads guilty to unlawful possession of a stolen firearmRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Gregory Scott Rinker, 31, of Romney, West Virginia, pled guilty today to a federal firearms charge, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.In August 2015, Rinker knowingly possessed four stolen firearms in Mineral and Hampshire Counties, West Virginia. Moore pled guilty today to one count of “Possession of a Stolen Firearm.” He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the West Virginia State Police, and the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Third Illegal Entry into United StatesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Otilio Sales-Gomes 34, of Guatemala, was sentenced today to serve eight (8) months in prison following his guilty plea to illegally reentering the United States. This was his second felony conviction for this offense and involved his third illegal entry in the United States, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Michael T. Phillips, Field Office Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations—Buffalo Field Office.
In pleading guilty, Sales-Gomes admitted that he returned to the United States approximately one year ago and that he was recently living and working illegally in Oriskany, New York. Sales-Gomes also admitted that he was first removed from the United States in September 2005, and that he later returned illegally to the United States. Nearly two years later, in June 2007, Sales-Gomes was convicted in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico of one felony count of reentry after removal, after which he was deported a second time.
Following the completion of his eight-month prison sentence, Sales-Gomes will be subject to removal proceedings for the third time. Sales-Gomes was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, who presided over the case and who took Sales-Gomes’s earlier guilty plea.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Former Postal Worker Sentenced for Stealing from the MailRead 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 Nichole Crosson, 23, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of opening mail without lawful authority, was sentenced to two years probation by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael j. Roemer. The defendant was also ordered to pay $1,729.21 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Fabian, who handled the case, stated that the defendant, a former United States Postal Service mail carrier, opened mail and removed gift cards and cash while working as a mail carrier. For instance, Crosson removed $50 in cash from a greeting card intended for delivery to a resident in West Seneca, NY in April 2016. Between January 1, 2016 and April 15, 2016, the defendant removed cash and gift cards totaling $1,729.21 from a number of mailings.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Monica Weyler, Eastern Area Field Office, Philadelphia, PA., with the assistance of the Eden Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael J. Felschow.
Former Director of Detroit Office of Departmental Technology Services Pleads Guilty to BriberyRead the Press Release
The former director of the city of Detroit’s Office of Departmental Technology Services (DTS) pleaded guilty today for accepting more than $29,500 in bribe payments from two information technology companies providing services and personnel to the city of Detroit.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan and Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios of the FBI’s Detroit Division made the announcement.
Charles L. Dodd Jr., 46, of Canton, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery before U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland of the Eastern District of Michigan. Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 9, 2017.
According to admissions made in connection with today’s plea, Dodd has held numerous supervisory positions with the city of Detroit in which he exercised discretionary supervisory authority over a staff of dozens of city employees and contractors, and held substantial influence over the administration of multimillion-dollar contracts between the city of Detroit and private information technology companies.
Between 2009 and 2016, Dodd accepted cash payments totaling more than $15,000 and a trip to North Carolina, among other things of value, from an individual who was then the president and CEO of an information technology company, according to the plea agreement. Dodd admitted that during that same time period, he also accepted more than $14,500 in cash payments from the CEO and an employee of another information technology company. In return for these cash payments and other things of value, Dodd agreed to provide preferential treatment to the companies, he admitted.
The FBI’s Detroit Division investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Robert J. Heberle and Nicholas Connor of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Judge of the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case.
Former Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Bribery ChargeRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA--A former correctional officer, Mathew Stone, 28, from Kingsland, Georgia, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court before Chief U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood for accepting a bribe from inmates at Correctional Institution D. Ray James, a privately operated facility which houses federal inmates through a contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, in Folkston, Georgia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stone accepted money for smuggling contraband items into Correctional Institution D. Ray James. Specifically, Stone plead guilty to one count of bribery for accepting $1,100 to provide prohibited objects, such as cellphones and tobacco, to inmates at the correctional institution.
Stone faces a maximum term of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his conviction of bribery. There is no parole in the federal system. Stone’s sentencing will be scheduled after the U.S. Probation Office conducts a presentence investigation.
The case was investigated by special agents of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. Any questions should be directed to First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.
Former Chief Executive of South Carolina Hospital Pays $1 Million and Agrees to Exclusion to Settle Claims Related to Illegal Payments to Referring PhysiciansRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a $1 million settlement with Ralph J. Cox III, the former chief executive officer of Sumter, South Carolina-based Tuomey Healthcare System, for his involvement in the hospital’s illegal Medicare and Medicaid billings for services referred by physicians with whom the hospital had improper financial relationships.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Cox will also be excluded for four years from participating in federal health care programs, including providing management or administrative services paid for by federal health care programs. The illegal physician arrangements resulted in a $237.4 million judgment against Tuomey following a jury verdict. On Oct.16, 2015, the United States resolved its judgment against Tuomey for payments totaling $72.4 million, and the hospital was sold to Palmetto Health, a multi-hospital healthcare system based in Columbia, South Carolina.
“Sweetheart deals between hospitals and referring physicians distort medical decision making and drive up the cost of healthcare for patients and insurers alike,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Patients have a right to be confident that a physician who orders a procedure or test does so because that service is in the patient’s best interest, and not because the physician stands to gain financially from the referral. Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Justice Department and its law enforcement partners will hold individual decision makers accountable for their involvement in causing the companies and facilities they run to engage in unlawful activities.”
The judgment against Tuomey related to violations of the Stark Law, a statute that prohibits hospitals from billing Medicare for certain services, including inpatient and outpatient hospital care, that have been referred by physicians with whom the hospital has an improper financial relationship. The Stark Law includes exceptions for many common hospital-physician arrangements, but generally requires that any payments that a hospital makes to a referring physician be at fair market value for the physician’s actual services, and not take into account the volume or value of the physician’s referrals to the hospital. The government alleged that Cox, fearing that Tuomey could lose lucrative outpatient procedure referrals to a new freestanding surgery center, caused Tuomey to enter into contracts with 19 specialist physicians that required the physicians to refer their outpatient procedures to Tuomey and, in exchange, paid them compensation that far exceeded fair market value and included part of the money Tuomey received from Medicare for the referred procedures. During the trial against the hospital, the government argued that Cox ignored and suppressed warnings from one of Tuomey’s attorneys that the physician contracts were “risky” and raised “red flags.”
On May 8, 2013, after a month-long trial, a South Carolina jury determined that the contracts violated the Stark Law. The jury also concluded that Tuomey had filed more than 21,000 false claims with Medicare. On Oct. 2, 2013, the trial court entered a judgment under the False Claims Act in favor of the United States for $237.4 million. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the judgment on July 2, 2015. Cox was terminated as Tuomey’s chief executive officer in the fall of 2013.
“Our office was pleased to partner with the Justice Department’s Civil Division and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) in this important case,” said U.S. Attorney John Stuart Bruce for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The lengthy legal process has vindicated the government’s position that the financial arrangement between this hospital corporation and certain physicians was improper and not in the interest of patients.”
“Individuals and entities that defraud Federal health care programs face exclusion from those programs by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG),” said Gregory E. Demske, chief counsel to the HHS Inspector General. “OIG is committed to protecting the programs and patients from health care executives who, like Mr. Cox, lead or participate in schemes to defraud Medicare or Medicaid. Entities engage in fraud because of actions by individuals and OIG will continue to identify and take administrative enforcement actions against such individuals.”
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $30.7 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $18.5 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.” Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The judgment against Tuomey and this settlement were the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and HHS and its OIG.
The case against the hospital is captioned United States ex rel. Drakeford v. Tuomey Healthcare System, Inc., Case No. 3:05-cv-02858 (MBS) (D.S.C.). The claims resolved by the settlement with Cox are allegations only, and there has been no determination of his individual liability.
Federal Racketeering Indictment of 24 Alleged Members of Baltimore “Murdaland Mafia Piru” Bloods GangRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging 24 defendants with a racketeering conspiracy involving their participation in the gang activities of Murdaland Mafia Piru (MMP), which allegedly operated in Northwest Baltimore and Baltimore County. MMP members allegedly engaged in criminal activities in furtherance of the gang, including narcotics trafficking, murder, attempted murder, assault, extortion, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation and retaliation, and money laundering.
The superseding indictment was returned on September 22, 2016 and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendants. Led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), over 150 law enforcement officers participated in today’s operation, arresting seven defendants from this indictment. Agents executed 12 search warrants and seized five firearms, a taser and a small quantity of heroin and marijuana. A total of 17 defendants are in custody. ATF is still searching for seven of the defendants. Anyone having information can call the ATF 24/7 hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or send an email to [email protected] . You can also send a text anonymously via the “ReportIt” mobile app (www.reportit.com) using the ATF Baltimore Field Division as the location.
The indictment 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; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
“Most shootings in Baltimore are committed by drug dealers, and conspiracy cases get their attention,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “We can reduce violence by prosecuting members of gangs that foment violence.”
According to the indictment, MMP, also known as the “Mob” or “Mobsters,” is a violent subset of the Bloods gang that operates on the streets and in correctional facilities in Maryland and elsewhere. For many years, MMP has controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore City and neighboring Baltimore County, including Forest Park, Windsor Mill, Gwynn Oak, Howard Park, Woodlawn, and Walbrook Junction.
MMP is descended from the Tree Top Piru (TTP) subset of the Bloods gang. MMP gang paperwork, states that the 2008 federal indictment of the TTP Bloods gang “destroyed” TTP. Several former TTP members took advantage of the power vacuum created by the federal indictment and formed MMP in TTP’s stead. Although MMP adopted some of the same practices as TTP, it developed its own unique ideology—in particular, an association with the terminology and symbols of the Italian Mafia, and a preoccupation with money and murder.
According to the indictment, MMP is organized hierarchically, with Dante Bailey, known as “the Don,” at the top and various subordinates underneath. There are also MMP units corresponding to different geographic regions or prisons, each consisting of a “Boss,” an “Underboss,” and various “Capos,” “Lts,” and “soldiers.” MMP members are required to follow certain rules of conduct. Members who violate these rules are subject to disciplinary measures or “sanctions,” ranging from fines or work assignments for minor violations, to physical beatings or stabbings for more serious violations, to murder for the most serious violations. MMP members enhance their status within the gang by carrying out acts of violence against rivals; for instance, members can earn a “lightning bolt” tattoo for “killing for the Mob.” Prospective members of MMP were required to successfully complete an initiation process and recite an oath of loyalty called the “Omerta Code.” MMP members were required to pay dues to the gang consisting of a portion of the proceeds of their criminal activities, and they were subject to reprisal for failing to do so. MMP members and associates use gang-related terminology, symbols, and tattoos. They frequently identify with the letter “M,” which is the first letter of “Murdaland,” “Mafia,” and “Mob”; with the color red, which is the color of the Bloods gang; and with the number “5200,” which is a reference to the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road. MMP members could “earn” gang tattoos, including an “M” for taking the MMP oath, a lightning bolt for committing murder in furtherance of the gang, and a pink rose for the wife of an MMP member.
The indictment alleges that members and associates of MMP operated street-level drug distribution “shops” in various locations in Baltimore City and distributed heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine, among other controlled substances. Non-members who wished to sell drugs in MMP’s territories were forced to pay a “tax” or were targeted for violence by MMP members. MMP’s primary drug shops were located in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road (which MMP considered to be its headquarters), and at the intersection of Gwynn Oak Avenue and Liberty Heights Avenue. The drug shop in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road was particularly lucrative due to its close proximity to Interstate 70, which made it easily accessible to drug customers driving from western Maryland and neighboring states. It was not unusual for MMP members and associates to sell over a kilogram of drugs per week at this location, which could translate to over $100,000 in drug revenue per week.
According to the indictment, MMP members and associates purchased, maintained, and circulated weapons and firearms for use in criminal activity by MMP members. They frequently obtained firearms from drug customers in exchange for drugs. MMP members and associates used violence, threats of violence, and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement against members of MMP about criminal acts committed by MMP.
The indictment alleges that MMP members and associates concealed the illegal source of funds by purchasing automobiles and other valuable property through nominees. MMP members and associates also gambled drug proceeds at casinos in and around Maryland, or simply funneled drug proceeds through casinos to launder the money by making it appear as though they had won the money gambling.
Further, the indictment alleges that MMP members and associates attempted to assume control over legitimate businesses that operated in MMP’s drug territories, including a gas station in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road. MMP members and associates frequently stashed drugs and firearms on the premises of the gas station and made drug sales at the gas pumps or within the store itself. MMP allegedly used social media websites to assert its claim to particular drug territories, intimidate rival gangs and drug traffickers, enhance MMP’s status, and enhance individual members’ status within the gang. MMP members and associates posted photographs and rap videos to these social media websites in which they flaunted firearms and threatened to kill those who stood in the way of the gang.
The indictment charges the following defendants in the racketeering conspiracy:
Dante Bailey, a/k/a “Gutta,” “Almighty,” and “Wolf,” age 37, of Windsor Mill, Maryland; Dontray Johnson, a/k/a “Gambino,” “Bino,” and “Tray,” age 31, of Windsor Mill; Adrian Jamal Spence, a/k/a “Spittle,” “SP,” and “AJ,” age 29, of Baltimore; William Banks, a/k/a “Trouble,” age 27, of Baltimore; Randy Banks, a/k/a “Dirt,” age 38, of Baltimore; Ayinde Deleon, a/k/a “Murda,” and “Yin,” age 31, of Baltimore; Dominick Wedlock, a/k/a “Rage,” and “Nick,” age 29, of Baltimore; Jamal Lockley, a/k/a “T-Roy,” and “Droid,” age 37, of Baltimore; Dwight Jenkins, a/k/a “Huggie,” and “Unc,” age 48, of Baltimore; Jacob Bowling, a/k/a “Jakey,” “Ghost,” and “Fred,” age 30, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland; Corloyd Anderson, a/k/a “Bo,” age 33, of Owings Mills, Maryland; Melvin Lashley, a/k/a “Menace,” age 26, of Baltimore; Devon Dent, a/k/a “Tech,” age 26, of Gwynn Oak; William Jones, a/k/a “Bill,” and “Smalls,” age 27, of Baltimore; Jarmal Harrid, a/k/a “J-Rock,” and “PJ,” age 27, of Gwynn Oak; Jamal Smith, a/k/a “Mal,” and “Lil Mal,” age 25, of Gwynn Oak; Tiffany Bailey, a/k/a “Tiff,” age 31, of Windsor Mill; Takuma Tate, a/k/a “Oop,” and “Ook,” age 37, of Baltimore; Maurice Pollock, a/k/a “Reese,” age 22, of Baltimore; Shakeen Davis, a/k/a “Creams,” age 22, of Baltimore; Charles Blackwell, a/k/a “Ci-Bo,” and “Lil Charlie,” age 21, of Woodlawn, Maryland; Kenneth Torry, a/k/a “Kenny,” age 39, of Owings Mills; Delante Lee, a/k/a “Tay Tay,” age 21, of Baltimore; and
Jay Greer, a/k/a “Champagne,” “Montana Gold,” and “Slick,” age 24, of Baltimore.All but Spence are also charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics.
All 24 defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy. All but Spence also face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for the drug conspiracy. D. Bailey, Johnson, Spence, W. Banks, Jenkins, and Torry also face gun charges. D. Bailey, Johnson, T. Bailey, Lockley, Pollock, Lee, Jenkins, and Bowling also face related drug distribution charges. The defendants arrested today are expected to have initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. The defendants already in custody will be scheduled for an initial appearance at a later date.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the ATF, Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Hoffman, Jason D. Medinger, and Daniel C. Gardner, who are prosecuting the case.
MURDERLAND MAFIA
DEFENDANT
NICKNAME
COUNTS
Dante BAILEY
Gutta
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
15 Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition
18 Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin
Dontray JOHNSON
Gambino
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
4 Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin
5 Felon in Possession of Ammunition
8 Discharging Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime
Adrian Jamal SPENCE
Spittle
1 RICO Conspiracy
6 Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
William BANKS
Trouble
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
3 Discharging Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime
28 Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition
*Randy BANKS
Dirt
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
Ayinde DELEON
Murda
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
Dominick WEDLOCK
Rage
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
Jamal LOCKLEY
T-Roy
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
9 Distribution of Cocaine Base
Dwight JENKINS
Huggie
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
16 Distribution of Heroin
17, 19, 21 Distribution of Heroin and Cocaine Base
22 Distribution of Cocaine Base (28+ grams)
23 Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
24 Distribution of Heroin and Cocaine Base (28+ grams)
Jacob BOWLING
Jakey
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
20, 25 Distribution of Cocaine Base
26, 27 Distribution of Cocaine Base (28+ grams)
Corloyd ANDERSON
Bo
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
Melvin LASHLEY
Menace
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
Devon DENT
Tech
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
William JONES
Smalls
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
Jarmal HARRID
J-Rock
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
*Jamal SMITH
Mal
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
*Tiffany BAILEY
Tiff
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
18 Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin
*Takuma TATE
Oop
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
Maurice POLLOCK
Reese
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
10, 11, 12 Distribution of Heroin
*Shakeen DAVIS
Creams
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
Charles BLACKWELL
Ci-Bo
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
*Kenneth TORRY
Kenny
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
7 Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
*Delante LEE
Tay Tay
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
13, 14 Distribution of Cocaine Base
Jay GREER
Slick
1 RICO Conspiracy
2 Conspiracy to Distribute (1kg+ heroin; 280g+ cocaine base)
*Indicates defendants not arrested.