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16 September 2016
Clinton Man Charged with Murder for HireRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JAMES ERIK GODIKSEN, 54, of Clinton, has been charged by criminal complaint with murder for hire.
As alleged in the complaint, the ATF received information that GODIKSEN was seeking a person who would be willing to kill his former wife. Between September 10 and September 14, GODIKSEN and an ATF special agent acting in an undercover capacity spoke multiple times by phone. During these conversations, GODIKSEN offered to pay the undercover agent $5,000 to murder his “ex-wife,” and provided the agent with a physical description of his former wife, her phone number, her home address, her place of work and the route she typically drove to work. He also told the undercover agent how he would like his former wife to be murdered. GODIKSEN offered the undercover agent additional money if he encountered his former wife’s current boyfriend and killed him, too.
GODIKSEN was arrested on September 14 after he met with the undercover agent and provided him with a “down payment” of $80, some of which was to be used to purchase a knife.
GODIKSEN appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in New Haven and was ordered detained.
The charge of murder for hire carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Clinton Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Chicago Police Officer Charged with Federal Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago police officer has been indicted on federal civil rights charges for allegedly using unreasonable force against two individuals while on duty.
MARCO PROANO, 41, of Chicago, is charged with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. Proano is alleged to have used unreasonable force with a dangerous weapon while on duty as an officer of the Chicago Police Department on Dec. 22, 2013. The victims suffered bodily injuries as a result of the unreasonable force, the indictment states.
The indictment was returned Thursday in federal court in Chicago. A date for arraignment has not yet been set.
The indictment was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“When a police officer uses unreasonable force, it has a harmful effect on not only the victims, but also the public, who lose faith and confidence in law enforcement,” Mr. Fardon said. “Our Office will continue to independently and vigorously pursue civil rights prosecutions to hold officers accountable and strengthen trust in the police.”
Each count of the indictment is punishable by up to ten years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia Alexakis and Erika Csicsila.
Indictment
California, Pennsylvania Men Charged with Operating Bi-Coastal Marijuana Distribution RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men were charged in an indictment unsealed yesterday in connection with a large-scale marijuana distribution and money laundering ring operating between California and the East Coast.
Virayuth Chau, a/k/a David Chau, 40, of Temecula, Calif., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and two counts of conspiracy to launder money. Chau was arrested yesterday in Temecula, Calif. Ratanack Oung, a/k/a Yoshi, 31, of Allentown, Penn., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and two counts of conspiracy to launder money. Oung is a fugitive from justice.
As alleged in the indictment, beginning around January 2014, Chau and Oung shipped large quantities of marijuana from California to the East Coast of the United States. When payment for the marijuana was due, co-conspirators deposited cash (typically in an amount under $10,000) into one of many “feeder” accounts in banks on the East Coast. The “feeder” accounts were maintained in the names of businesses or persons associated with Chau in order to disguise the nature and ownership of the drug proceeds flowing into the account. Once the money was deposited, it was either withdrawn in cash in California or transferred into a “target” account, which was an account controlled by Chau and then withdrawn. In total, the operation is alleged to have laundered approximately $6,135,035 in drug proceeds.
On Sept.14, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a series of federal and state search warrants of marijuana grow houses allegedly operated by Chau in Riverside County, Calif. During these operations, more than 5,000 marijuana plants were seized and destroyed.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to a lifetime in prison, a minimum of five years of supervised release, and a fine of $10 million. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. The charge of money laundering provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. The DEA, Los Angeles Division, Riverside County (California) Sheriff’s Department and Murrieta (California) Police Department also assisted with the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen of Ortiz’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
California Man Sentenced for Role in Cross-Country Cocaine Distribution NetworkRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A California resident has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months of imprisonment with credit for time served, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute a quantity of cocaine and his conviction of possessing with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence Wednesday on Francisco Javier Campos-Ortega, age 32, of Yucaipa, California.
According to information presented to the court, Olufemi Young, Tayde Torres, Javier Ochoa, Hector Armenta-Cardenas, Francisco Javier Campos-Ortega, Joel Rodriguez, and Manuel Alejandro Cardenas conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. Campos-Ortega also possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Olufemi Young previously pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and heroin on a large-scale. Since his release from federal prison in 2011, law enforcement collected evidence that Young conspired to distribute multiple kilogram quantities of cocaine and heroin in the Western District of Pennsylvania, with these narcotics coming mainly from California and Arizona. Young’s primary suppliers of these narcotics were, as alleged: Torres, Armenta-Cardenas, Ochoa, and others. From May 2012 until May 2014, in relation to this conspiracy, law enforcement seized four kilograms of heroin and five kilograms of cocaine, $920,000 in cash, and an “owe sheet,” indicating that Young had purchased 10 kilograms of cocaine and two kilograms of heroin from Ochoa and his co-conspirators. In November of 2014, law enforcement stopped a tractor trailer, being driven by Campos-Ortega and Rodriguez, carrying 19 kilograms of cocaine destined for Pittsburgh.
Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy K. Chung, Ryan Hart, and Eric S. Rosen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Francisco Javier Campos-Ortega.
Bullhead Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Bullhead, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on September 12, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Parrish Antelope, age 20, was sentenced to 19 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Antelope was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2015. He pled guilty on June 6, 2016.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on September 5, 2015, when Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement was dispatched to Little Eagle, South Dakota, in response to a call of an intoxicated male trying to start a fight. Antelope opened the door, then staggered back to the kitchen.
Law enforcement informed Antelope that they had received a call about him trying to start fights. Antelope stated that if he wanted to start a fight, he would have a long time ago. The homeowner and another female entered the kitchen and stated that she wanted him arrested for beating up her boyfriend, the victim. The ladies informed law enforcement that the victim’s forehead was split open and they believed he needed stitches.
Antelope began yelling at the ladies and told law enforcement that he had assaulted the victim for leaving him in town. Antelope also stated to law enforcement that he struck the victim with his fist and elbow.
Law enforcement then proceeded to meet with the victim, who had a hole in the center of his forehead extending out in a star pattern to the size of a 50 cent piece with the skin deeply ripped. The victim indicated he was sleeping in the basement when he heard a loud commotion, and he was struck on the head. The victim then got up and chased Antelope out of the basement to the main level. When he reached the top of the stairs, the victim noticed he was bleeding badly and went to the bathroom to tend to his injuries.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Antelope was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bridgeport Meth Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARK LEIGH-JAMES, 24, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July and August 2015, the Fairfield Police Department orchestrated four controlled purchases of methamphetamine from LEIGH-JAMES. The DEA’s Bridgeport Task Force then made two additional controlled purchases of methamphetamine from LEIGH-JAMES. On August 12, 2015, LEIGH-JAMES sold an undercover officer approximately 82.9 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $3,600. On September 18, 2015, LEIGH-JAMES sold a second undercover officer approximately 104 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $8,000. The purity of the methamphetamine sold by LEIGH-JAMES ranged from 98.7 percent to 100 percent.
LEIGH-JAMES was arrested in Bridgeport on October 5, 2015. A search of a backpack LEIGH-JAMES had been holding at revealed approximately 7.5 grams of heroin, and a search of a second backpack located in LEIGH-JAMES’ vehicle revealed a clear plastic bag containing approximately 120 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Kel-Tec .380 semi-automatic handgun. Agents also found a loaded Charter Arms .44 magnum revolver, which was in a jacket in the vehicle.
The .380 handgun had been reported stolen in Stratford in 2009.
At the time of his arrest, LEIGH-JAMES was on bond for state charges involving the unlawful possession of a firearm and oxycodone pills.
LEIGH-JAMES has been detained since his arrest. On June 24, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, with the assistance of the Fairfield Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Bridgeport, Stamford, Stratford, Norwalk, Milford and Trumbull Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy C. Brown.
Birmingham Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A federal judge this week sentenced a Birmingham man to 20 years in prison for three armed carjackings in 2015, and for being a convicted felon in possession of a 9mm pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton.
U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced JERMAINE DANIEL PARKS, 32, on three carjacking counts, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. Parks pleaded guilty to the charges in March. Parks’ previous felony conviction was for an unrelated robbery. He was convicted in Jefferson County Circuit Court.
On April 9, 2015, according to court records, Parks brandished a firearm and forcefully took a 2005 Nissan Altima from an individual in eastern Birmingham. Later the same day, he also brandished a firearm and forcefully took a 2008 Saturn Vue from a second individual in eastern Birmingham. On April 18, Parks brandished a gun, forcefully took a 2010 Nissan Rogue from a woman in Birmingham’s Avondale neighborhood, and forced her to visit several ATMS and withdraw cash.
Several days after releasing the victim from Avondale, Parks telephoned her and asked for a date, according to court records. Police were able track his phone number and identify Parks through Facebook.
The FBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Felton prosecuted.
*******media Advisory*******Read the Press Release
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
FRIDAY, SEPT.16, 2016
As part of National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week, U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance will join Walgreens officials to demonstrate the ease and importance of safely disposing of unused prescription drugs at a permanent take-back receptacle in the Walgreens Pharmacy in Bessemer.
In late July, Alabama became one of 21 states where Walgreens has implemented its Safe Medication Disposal Program.
WHAT: Press conference
WHEN: Monday, Sept. 19
10:30 A.M.
15 September 2016
Zanesville Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Porn via Video Game SystemRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio –Jordan M. Macenko, 21, of Zanesville, Ohio pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of receiving child pornography. He admitted to enticing an 11-year old victim in Columbus, Indiana to send an explicit photograph of himself using an online videogame system.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and agencies in the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael Watson.
According to court documents, in February 2016, the mother of an eleven-year-old boy in Columbus, Indiana called police regarding inappropriate photos of her son that she found in a PlayStation app on her phone, which was linked to her son’s account. Police interviewed the victim who told them that he had been communicating via his PlayStation system with a man who had offered him a $20 game card if he sent a photo of his genitalia. Investigators recovered evidence from the mother’s phone and the videogame system that led to Macenko.
A search of Macenko’s residence found evidence supporting the victim’s claims.
The plea agreement with Macenko includes a sentence of between 66 and 114 months in prison, followed by a period of time under court supervision to be determined by the judge. Judge Watson will schedule a date for sentencing.
“The key to this case is a vigilant parent who took action immediately when she found a threat to her child,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “We know that danger exists any time that anyone is online on any device.”
“As this case underscores, parents who are engaged with their children about safe online activities provide a critical barrier between young people and online predators,” said Marlon Miller, special agent in charge of HSI Detroit, which covers Michigan and Ohio. “Homeland Security Investigations will continue to aggressively target child predators, but parents, because of their proximity, and as this case clearly demonstrates, often act as the first line of defense.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the HSI, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Hill, who is prosecuting the case.
Utahns invited to attend screenings of Chasing the Dragon documentary, panel discussions as a part of National Heroin and Opioid Awareness WeekRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Screenings of the FBI and DEA’s documentary about the dangers of opioid addiction, “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict,” will be held in West Jordan, Orem, and Ogden next week as a part of National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week, U.S. Attorney John W. Huber announced today. The screenings are open to the public.
The title of the documentary refers to the never-ending pursuit of the original or ultimate high. It features first-person accounts of people who have abused opioids or who have children who have abused opioids with tragic consequences. The documentary also includes interviews with medical and law enforcement professionals discussing a variety of issues, including how quickly addiction can set in, how the increasing costs of prescriptions opioids can lead to the use of heroin as a less expensive alternative, the challenges of withdrawal, the ties between addiction and crime, and the fact that opiate abuse is prevalent in all segments of society.
The 45-minute screening of the documentary will be followed by a panel discussion in each community exploring issues related to prevention, enforcement, and treatment of prescription opiate and heroin abuse.
"We cannot arrest and prosecute our way out of the problems contributing to overdose deaths in Utah. We have to get to the root of the problem, and that is not something that those of us in law enforcement can do alone,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said today. “We need a community response, one that brings law enforcement professionals, health care providers, educators, policy makers, faith leaders, and families together to approach the opioid challenge. The first step toward that response is community education and awareness about these issues.”
The first screening will be Monday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Viridian Event Center in West Jordan. The center is located at 8030 South 1825 West in West Jordan. The screening will be in Room B. Panelists involved in the discussion following the documentary will be Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart Young, FBI Special Agent Cameron Smilie, Johnny Ngo of the Unified Police Department; and Trish Henrie-Barrus, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah.
The second screening will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Ragan Theatre on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem. Participating in the panel discussion following the UVU screening will be Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Clark, Greg Peterson of the U.S. Probation Office, Taylor West of the Salt Lake City Police Department, and Carol Lundwall of the Intermountain Specialized Abuse Treatment Center (ISAT) in Provo.
The final screening will be Thursday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. in the Thomas D. Dee Auditorium at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden. Participating in the panel discussion following the Ogden screening will be Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gadd, Troy Burnett of the Ogden Police Department, Scott Byington of the Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force, and Dr. Timothy Houden, Medical Director of Pain Medicine at Intermountain Health Care.
"This film may be difficult to watch,” explains FBI Director James Comey, “but we hope it educates our students and young adults about the tragic consequences that come with abusing these drugs and that it will cause people to think twice before becoming its next victim.”
According to Acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg, “The numbers are appalling – tens of thousands of Americans will die this year from drug-related deaths, and more than half of these deaths are from heroin and prescription drug overdoses. I hope this documentary will be a wake-up call for folks.”
UConn Health Center Pays $184,984 to the Federal Government to Settle Overbilling AllegationsRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HEALTH CENTER (“UConn Health”) has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government in which it will pay $184,984 to resolve allegations that it overbilled the Medicare Program.
The government alleges that UConn Health improperly submitted claims to Medicare for certain wound closure procedures. Specifically, the government alleges that UConn Health submitted claims using codes for higher paying wound closure procedures, rather than using codes for the lower paying wound closure procedures that were actually performed. By coding the wound closure procedures improperly, UConn Health received payments from Medicare that it was not entitled to receive.
UConn Health agreed to pay $184,984 to resolve its liability for conduct that occurred from January 1, 2011, to June 2, 2016.
“Providers who bill Medicare must follow the relevant coding rules when submitting claims and the failure to do so will have serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “The U.S. Attorney’s office will vigorously pursue health care providers who receive payments from Medicare that they are not entitled to receive.”
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot and Auditor Susan Spiegel.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 777-6311.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Presents Community Summit, Law Enforcement Seminar to Address Opiate Abuse and AddictionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama is presenting law enforcement training on the illegal diversion of prescription opioid drugs and a community summit focused on seeking solutions to the problems of opioid abuse and addiction as part of National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week, which begins Sunday.
Dr. Stephen M. Taylor, an addiction and recovery specialist who serves as medical director of the National Basketball Association’s drug testing and treatment program, will be the keynote speaker at the community summit on Friday, Sept. 23, in Birmingham. Taylor has worked as a licensed and board-certified general, child/adolescent and addiction psychiatrist for 20 years.
President Barack Obama today proclaimed Sept. 18-24 as National Heroin and Opioid Abuse Awareness Week to focus the nation’s attention on the burgeoning problem of abuse, addiction and overdose deaths associated with heroin and prescription opiate painkillers.
“Heroin and opiate drug addiction are at crisis levels in our community, as are overdose deaths,” said U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance. “This problem demands a community-wide response, and we are hard at work in north Alabama bringing together law enforcement, educators, the medical and treatment communities, and prevention specialists to engage with affected individuals, their families and their employers,” she said.
“This week, my office is hosting events to enhance our prosecutions of people who make these drugs available in our communities, while also working to educate the community, particularly our youth, on the dangers of these drugs, and to develop strategies to increase treatment resources.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s Birmingham Field Office have joined together to present the Drug Diversion Training Seminar to law enforcement Monday on the Shelby County Campus of Jefferson State Community College. More than 100 local, state and federal law enforcement members are expected to attend the one-day training.
The seminar will focus on investigating and prosecuting the diversion of legal drugs, primarily opioids, for illegal purposes. DEA Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Ben’Ary will present the seminar’s morning session, discussing use of the federal 20-year mandatory minimum penalty in cases where it can be proven that a defendant sold a controlled substance that resulted in an overdose death. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie from Southern Mississippi, who has had marked success in building diversion cases, will present a case study during the afternoon session.
Members of law enforcement may register for the training at https://usaoalntraining.org/DrugDiversionTraining.
On Sept. 23, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health and the Jefferson County Department of Health, as part of the Pills to Needles Initiative, will present a community summit to focus on building solutions to the heroin and prescription opioid problem.
“Pills to Needles Summit 2.0: Building Solutions” is a follow-up to the 2014 Pills to Needles summit that focused on raising awareness of the growing epidemic of opioid abuse, addiction and overdose deaths.
Summit 2.0 is designed to engage participants from diverse backgrounds in conversations about building solutions to the heroin and prescription opioid problem in our community. The program will include an update on the Pills to Needles Initiative and the status of opioid addiction in our community, as well as panel and community discussions focused on prevention, education, and treatment access and options.
Friday’s summit will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harbert Center, 2019 Fourth Ave. North. It is free and open to the public. Use this registration link to find more information about the event. You can also register for Summit 2.0 by visiting the Pills to Needle’s website, KNOWDOPE.org.
Summit 2.0 will conclude with a special viewing of the FBI-produced documentary, Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict. The 45-minute film, whose title refers to the never-ending pursuit of the original or ultimate high, is designed to help educate students and young adults about the dangers of opioid addiction.
Pills to Needles is a community collaboration initiated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2013. Its mission is to create a comprehensive and responsive community infrastructure to address heroin and prescription drug abuse.
Two Former Executives of Foreign Defense Contractor Charged in Expanding Fraud and Corruption ProbeRead the Press Release
Two former executives of a foreign defense contractor have been charged in an indictment unsealed today with participating in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent information, price quotes, claims and invoices to the U.S. Navy in an effort to steal millions of dollars as part of a years-long corruption and fraud scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California, Acting Director Dermot O’Reilly of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and Director Andrew Traver of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) made the announcement.
Neil Peterson, 38, and Linda Raja, 43, both of Singapore, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; and multiple counts of making false claims. Both defendants have been arrested by authorities in Singapore at the request of the U.S. government.
According to the indictment, Peterson and Raja worked for Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) and conspired with Leonard Glenn Francis, the owner of GDMA, in order to defraud the U.S. Navy for GDMA’s financial benefit. The indictment alleges that Peterson served as the Vice President for Global Operations for GDMA and Raja served as GDMA’s General Manager for Singapore, Australia and the Pacific Isles.
The indictment alleges that Peterson and Raja submitted more than $5 million in false claims and invoices to the U.S. Navy. In addition, Peterson and Raja allegedly worked to perpetuate and cover up their fraud by consistently misrepresenting to the U.S. Navy the cost of providing services to its ships in Asia, even going so far as to submit false price quotes from non-existent companies on letterhead created from graphics cut and pasted from the internet.
Including Peterson and Raja, a total of 16 individuals have been charged in connection with the GDMA corruption and fraud investigation. Of those, 11 are current or former U.S. Navy officials, including Admiral Robert Gilbeau; Captain (ret.) Michael Brooks; Commander Bobby Pitts; Lt. Commander Gentry Debord; Captain Daniel Dusek; Commander Michael Misiewicz; Lt. Commander Todd Malaki; Commander Jose Luis Sanchez; Petty Officer First Class Daniel Layug; NCIS Supervisory Special Agent John Beliveau; and Paul Simpkins, a former DoD civilian employee who oversaw contracting in Singapore.
Gilbeau, Dusek, Misiewicz, Malaki, Beliveau, Sanchez, Layug and Simpkins have pleaded guilty. On Jan. 21, 2016, Layug was sentenced to 27 months in prison and a $15,000 fine; on Jan. 29, 2016, Malaki was sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $15,000 fine; on March 25, 2016, Dusek was sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $70,000 fine; and on April 29, 2016, Misiewicz was sentenced to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay $95,000 in restitution to the Navy and a $100,000 fine. Gilbeau, Beliveau, Sanchez and Simpkins await sentencing.
Brooks, Pitts and Debord were charged in May 2016 and their cases are pending.
Also charged are three additional GDMA executives: Francis, Alex Wisidagama and Ed Aruffo, and all three have pleaded guilty. Wisidagama was sentenced on March 18, 2016, to 63 months in prison and was ordered to pay $34.8 million in restitution to the Navy. Francis and Aruffo await sentencing.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DCIS, NCIS and the Defense Contract Audit Agency are investigating. Assistant Chief Brian R. Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher and Patrick Hovakimian of the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter.
Anyone with information relating to fraud or corruption should contact the NCIS anonymous tip line at www.ncis.navy.mil or the DOD hotline at www.dodig.mil/hotline, or call (800) 424-9098.
Two Doctors from Mexican Clinic Sentenced in Scheme to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas ‐ Two physicians from a family medicine clinic in Mexico have been ordered to prison for their role in a scheme to submit false and fraudulent insurance claims, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Dr. Mayolo Melchor, 59, and Dr. Bertha Hernandez-Melchor, 61, both of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty June 1, 2016, to conspiring with policyholders of the American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC) to fax fraudulent claim forms and accident reports to AFLAC for accidents and injuries that never occurred.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed both Melchor and Herndandez-Melchor sentences of 34 months in federal prison. They were further ordered to pay $2,585,219.50 in restitution. In handing down the sentences, Judge Alvarez noted the large number of fraudulent claims submitted and the time period involved in the conspiracy. Both are expected to face deportation proceedings following release from federal prison.
The defendants admitted AFLAC policyholders paid them to prepare and sign fictitious reports for accidents and injuries that never occurred. AFLAC policyholders filled out the fictitious claim forms in the McAllen area and delivered them to the defendants’ family medicine clinic in Mexico where Melchor and Hernandez-Melchor prepared and signed corresponding accident reports for each fake accident and injury. The policyholders then faxed the fictitious claim and accident forms to AFLAC headquarters in Columbus, Georgia.
The defendants admitted the fraudulent claim forms and accident reports that were faxed to AFLAC from September 2001 to August 2010 resulted in the disbursement of approximately $2,585,219.50 in fraudulent benefit checks to the policyholders.
Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Day and Tina Ansari are prosecuting the case.
Two Doctors Arraigned after Being Indicted on Federal Charges of Illegally Distributing Prescription NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Update:
After being named in separate indictments returned by a federal grand jury on September 6, two doctors who had medical offices in Lynwood were arraigned this afternoon and entered not guilty pleas.
Edward Ridgill, 64, of Ventura, is charged in a 26-count indictment that alleges the illegal distribution of hydrocodone, alprazolam and carisoprodol. If convicted of all charges, he faces a maximum possible sentence of 239 years in prison.
Oparah is charged in a 14-count indictment that alleges illegal distribution of codeine, alprazolam and promethazine with codeine. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 51 years.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Both defendants were ordered to stand trial on November 1.
Original Release:
Two Doctors Face Federal Charges of Illegally Writing Prescriptions for Addictive Narcotics Connected to Gang’s Drug Trafficking
LOS ANGELES – Two doctors who each operated medical offices in Lynwood have been arrested on federal drug charges that allege they issued prescriptions for narcotics and sedatives without a medical purpose.
The two doctors were charged by the United States Attorney’s Office in conjunction with an operation conducted by the Torrance Police Department and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office that targeted members and associates of the East Coast Crips criminal street gang.
The two doctors – Sonny Oparah, 75, of Long Beach, and Edward Ridgill, 64, of Ventura – surrendered to federal authorities on Friday and were released on bond that afternoon after making their first appearances in United States District Court. Both men were ordered to again appear in federal court for arraignments on September 15.
Two criminal complaints unsealed on Friday charge Oparah and Ridgill with illegally prescribing the powerful painkillers hydrocodone (best known as Vicodin or Norco) and codeine (for example, promethazine with codeine cough syrup, which is known on the street as purple drank), alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), and carisoprodol (a muscle relaxer best known as Soma). According to the affidavit filed in the cases, Oparah issued nearly 13,000 prescriptions for those drugs in a one-year period between July 2014 and July 2015, and Ridgill issued more than 21,000 such prescriptions in a three-year period between July 2011 and July 2014. All of the prescribed drugs were at or near maximum strength.
The affidavit describes 12 undercover operations during which Oparah or Ridgill sold prescriptions in exchange for cash fees. In most instances, the doctors sold the prescriptions without ever examining the undercover officer or cooperating witness. A medical expert’s independent review of the undercover recordings and seized patient files confirmed that there was no legitimate medical basis for the prescriptions. The expert, writing about Oparah, said his “actions are very alarming” and the evidence reflects “extreme departures from the standard of care,” according to the affidavit.
“The powerful drugs in this case, which include addictive painkillers, can kill users who abuse them,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The investigation determined that these doctors were significant suppliers of drugs to a street gang. As the charges in the indictments demonstrate, these doctors enabled the gang’s criminal activity just like street-level drug dealers.”
The arrests of Oparah and Ridgill occurred jointly with a sweep that targeted the East Coast Crips street gang in “Operation Money Bags.” The charges against gang members and their associates are being unsealed today. As described in the federal affidavit, the investigation into Oparah and Ridgill originated when the investigation into the East Coast Crips revealed evidence that “Oparah and Ridgill served as large-scale sources of supply to [gang] members and associates via their issuance of medically unnecessary controlled drug prescriptions.”
“These arrests demonstrate DEA’s resolve to target all drug traffickers regardless of their standing in the community,” said Anthony A. Chrysanthis, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue our pursuit of those that contribute to the opioid addiction crisis and poison our society under the guise of the medical profession.”
The federal investigation into Oparah and Ridgill showed that they operated cash businesses. Federal authorities made cash seizures from both doctors, and bank records showing that Ridgill deposited $500,000 in cash into his bank accounts over a period of less than three years.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation in the federal cases against the doctors was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Torrance Police Department, IRS - Criminal Investigation, the California Medical Board and the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
The cases against Oparah and Ridgill is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Barron of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Two Bristol Residents Arrested for Participating in IRS Impersonation ScamRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Special Agent in Charge William Kalb announced that NANCY FRYE, 50, and DOUGLAS MARTIN, 52, both of Bristol, were arrested today on charges related to their alleged involvement in an IRS impersonation scam.
An IRS impersonation scam is operated by individuals who falsely represent themselves as employees of the IRS to obtain money from victims. Typically, those executing the fraudulent scheme make unsolicited telephone calls to people and tell them that they are IRS agents or officers calling on behalf of the IRS. During the calls, the impersonator tells the call recipient that the recipient has an outstanding debt with the IRS that must be paid immediately. The impersonator then threatens persons with either arrest or a lawsuit if they do not immediately settle the bogus IRS debt. Victims are instructed to wire money to individuals they believe are employees of the IRS in order to avoid the threatened action.
As alleged in court documents, in October 2015, FRYE received phone calls and text messages from individuals who successfully recruited her to pick up money that was wired through MoneyGram and Western Union and to deposit the money into specific bank accounts. FRYE, in turn, recruited MARTIN and others to assist her in picking up wired funds from locations in central Connecticut. FRYE then deposited the money that she collected into the bank accounts.
Between October 2015 and May 2016, FRYE, and others working at her direction, received approximately $547,000 in wired funds. FRYE received approximately $40 per transaction and made approximately $500 per day.
“IRS impersonation scams victimize thousands of innocent people across the country, including many here in Connecticut,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “The money generated from these scams is often very significant. Those who perpetrate these crimes frequently hide overseas and can be difficult to track down. But together with our partners from the Treasury Department and the Postal Inspection Service, we are committed to bringing those responsible to justice. This prosecution serves as another opportunity to warn everyone to avoid becoming a victim of this scam. The IRS will never call anyone and demand immediate payment or threaten arrest. If you receive one of these calls, just hang up and report the call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).”
“Since October 2013, American taxpayers have been subjected to unprecedented attempts to fraudulently obtain money by individuals impersonating Internal Revenue Service employees,” said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Kalb. “TIGTA has received reports of over 1.6 million impersonation related calls with over 8,600 victims reporting losses of almost $47 million. Victimizing taxpayers by impersonating IRS employees is a serious crime. TIGTA and our law enforcement partners will do everything within our power to ensure that those involved in the impersonation of IRS employees are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
FRYE and MARTIN are each charged by federal criminal complaint with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and were released on bond. If convicted of the offenses, they face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The U.S. Attorney gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by the Rocky Hill Police Department, Bristol Police Department, and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
U.S. Attorney Daly stated that the investigation is ongoing and encouraged individuals who receive impersonation calls, including those who have been victimized by this scheme, to report the information at https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml.
Twin Falls Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOISE – Matthew John Mingoia, Jr., 62, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Mingoia to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison. Mingoia pleaded guilty on February 23, 2016.
According to information presented in court, Idaho State Police officers received information that Mingoia was selling methamphetamine in the Twin Falls area. On December 3, 2014, investigators executed a search warrant at Mingoia’s residence and located methamphetamine, a firearm, baggies, scales, paraphernalia, surveillance cameras, and other items indicative of methamphetamine distribution.
In determining his sentence, Judge Lodge found that Mr. Mingoia was a habitual offender with multiple prior felony drug convictions. Mingoia has previous convictions of possession of controlled substances for sale in 1999, 2005, and 2007.
The case was investigated by the Idaho State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The One Life Project – The Youth VoiceRead the Press Release
Contact: Daniel J. Perry
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today that on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, as part of National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week -- designated by the Department of Justice as the week of September 19-23, 2016 -- Maine students from high schools throughout the state will be participating in “The One Life Project – The Youth Voice” at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. The Maine Principal’s Association, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Maine Attorney General’s Office, and the Bangor Daily News are sponsoring this one-day conference to bring together diverse groups of students from throughout the state and to provide them with an opportunity to talk about and have their voices heard on the issues of drug use and abuse.
Maine is in the throes of a public health crisis relating to the use and abuse of opioids, opiates and other substances. It is well recognized that effectively combatting this problem requires coordination of treatment, prevention, and law enforcement efforts. As part of this coordinated effort, the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Janet Mills, the Maine Attorney General; and John Morris, the Maine Commissioner of Public Safety formed the Maine Opiate Collaborative. This Collaborative brought together experts from the fields of treatment, prevention/harm reduction, and law enforcement to come up with recommendations to address the opiate epidemic. One key recommendation was to engage our youth in the prevention efforts.
The goal of this summit is to give our youth a forum to discuss the issues they see in their schools and communities and to solicit their ideas on solutions. Information gathered at the summit will be shared with state and federal leaders, and school administrators and personnel to help inform future decisions about prevention efforts.
The summit will start at 9:00 a.m. and should be completed by about 1:30 p.m. Members of the media wishing to report on the conference are invited to attend a press conference at the Cross Insurance Center at 12:45 p.m.
Texas Man Sentenced to 15 1/2 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting a Minor Across State Lines for SexRead the Press Release
Fort Smith, Arkansas - Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that William Thomas Hammond, age 47, of Cleburne, Texas, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison followed by ten (10) years of supervised release on one count of Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. The sentencing hearing took place before the Honorable Chief Judge P. K. Holmes, III in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to the plea agreement, in the Spring of 2015, Hammond began an online relationship with a 14-year-old minor female that included conversations of a sexual nature. In April of 2015, Hammond traveled from his residence in Cleburne, Texas to Harrison, Arkansas, rented a hotel room for several days, and engaged in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old minor who he had picked up at her residence in Mt. Judea. On or about May 14, 2015, Hammond traveled from his residence in Cleburne, Texas to Mt. Judea, Arkansas where he picked up the minor and took her back to his residence in Texas. On or about May 17, 2015, Hammond was stopped by a Newton County Sheriff’s deputy and was found to be traveling with the minor. During an interview with the minor, she advised Hammond picked her up in Arkansas and took her to Texas and engaged in sexual intercourse with her on several occasions before bringing her back to Arkansas. Hammond was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 9, 2015 and pleaded guilty on May 11, 2016.
"The sentencing of Hammond is the result of strong collaboration with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office and Project Safe Childhood,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Shepard with the FBI in Little Rock. “The United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI along with our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who prey on our children and rob them of their innocence.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Denis Dean prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their Criminal Division Child Exploitation and Obscenity Sections (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Related court documents may be found on Public Access to Electronic Records Website @www.Pacer.gov
Texas Doctor Resentenced to Prison Following AppealRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 65-year-old Dallas County, Texas, physician, has been resentenced to federal prison for health care fraud and identity theft violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.
In July 2014, Tariq Mahmood, of Cedar Hill, Texas, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of health care fraud, and seven counts of aggravated identity theft following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider. Mahmood had been indicted by a federal grand jury on April 11, 2013.
According to information presented in court, Mahmood, a general practitioner, owned and operated several hospitals in the state of Texas, including Cozby Germany Hospital in Grand Saline, Renaissance Terrell Hospital in Terrell, Central Texas Hospital in Cameron, Community General Hospital in Dilley, and Lake Whitney Medical Center in Whitney. From January 2010 to April 2013, Mahmood and others carried out a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid through the submission of false and fraudulent claims. Mahmood and others added, changed, and incorrectly sequenced diagnostic codes in a way that did not reflect the actual diagnoses and conditions of the patients and often did so without reviewing the medical records. They submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid based on the added, changed, and incorrectly sequenced diagnostic codes. Mahmood and others also unlawfully used Medicare beneficiaries’ names and Medicare numbers in order to commit health care fraud.
Following his appeal, Mahmood was resentenced to 135 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $145,358.23 to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.
The case was investigated by the Texas Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Frank Coan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken McGurk.
Any individuals with knowledge of these or other health care fraud violations are encouraged to contact the Department of Health and Human Services’ fraud hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (447-8477)
St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm in a School ZoneRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Logan Cobell, 27, of St. Thomas, pleaded guilty on September 14, 2016, in federal court to possession of a firearm in a school zone, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2017.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on March 20, 2016, the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) was dispatched to Fatty’s bar in Red Hook regarding a patron in possession of a firearm. Upon arrival, contact was made with the security officer who turned over to the VIPD a Taurus firearm that had been taken from Cobell. Cobell is not licensed in the District of the Virgin Islands to possess a firearm and his possession was within a 1000 feet of the Eudora Kean High School.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and VIPD. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte.
Spotlight will shine on heroin, fentanyl threat in West VirginiaRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – The United States Attorney’s Office will help to shine a light on the threat posed by heroin, fentanyl and other opioids in West Virginia next week, U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week, which will begin on Sunday in West Virginia, was established in order to educate the public about the dangers of these types of substances and to identify solutions to the drug crisis facing the United States. There will be a special focus placed on fentanyl, which has emerged as one of the deadliest substances being distributed in the state and in the region.
Throughout the week, representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office will conduct interactive presentations and discussions with fifth grade students at twenty separate elementary schools in Northern West Virginia. The presentation will cover a variety of topics, including commonly abused drugs, the science behind addiction, the impact of drugs upon the brain, and the importance of recognizing and speaking up about the signs of substance abuse.
On Tuesday, United States Attorney Ihlenfeld will host a discussion at Fairmont State University with middle school and high school students and receive their input in the development of drug prevention strategies. An action plan will be developed based upon the ideas the students provide and then implemented in their schools.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also present to student athletes at a university; meet with community leaders to discuss the opioid epidemic; and provide drug threat assessments to business leaders, hospitals, and churches.
Throughout National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week, please follow the United States Attorney’s Office Twitter account at @NDWVnews
Senior Manager Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 16 Years in Prison for Helping to Orchestrate Multimillion-Dollar Mortgage Modification Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DIONYSIUS FIUMANO, a/k/a “D,” was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 16 years in prison for helping to orchestrate a massive mortgage modification scheme through which he and his co-conspirators defrauded thousands of American homeowners out of a total of approximately $31 million. FIUMANO was convicted on May 3, 2016, following a jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge John F. Keenan, who also imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “At a time when many homeowners needed help the most, Dionysius Fiumano and his co-defendants claimed to be the mortgage modification lifeline they needed. But instead, Fiumano’s company preyed on and victimized the desperate homeowners, taking their money and doing nothing to actually help. Thankfully, Fiumano and his co-defendants have been put out of the swindling business and put behind bars.”
According to the Indictment and other filings in Manhattan federal court, and the evidence presented at trial:
FIUMANO was the general manager of sales at Vortex Financial Management, Inc., a/k/a Professional Marketing Group, a/k/a Professional Legal Network (“PMG”), an Irvine, California-based company that offered purported “mortgage modification” services. Specifically, PMG convinced homeowners that it would work with their lenders to modify the terms of the homeowners’ mortgages to make them more affordable. In that capacity, FIUMANO oversaw PMG’s sales staff of approximately 65 telemarketers and managers.
From November 2011 through May 2014, FIUMANO, while working with and through his sales staff, perpetrated a scheme to defraud homeowners in dire financial straits who were seeking relief through mortgage modifications. Through a series of false and fraudulent representations, FIUMANO and his staff duped thousands of homeowners into paying thousands of dollars each in up-front fees in exchange for little or no mortgage modification service. In total, through their scheme, FIUMANO and his co-conspirators obtained approximately $31 million from more than 30,000 victim homeowners throughout the United States.
As part of the scheme, PMG purchased thousands of “leads,” consisting of the names, addresses, and other contact information of homeowners who had fallen behind in making mortgage payments on their homes. At FIUMANO’s direction, PMG sales staff then solicited these customers by email and by phone, and, using a series of fraudulent misrepresentations, tried to lure them into sending money to PMG for purported mortgage modifications. FIUMANO, through his sales staff, regularly lied to homeowners, including by saying that (a) the homeowners were retaining a “law firm” and an “attorney” who would complete a mortgage modification application and negotiate aggressively on the homeowners’ behalf with banks to modify the terms of the homeowners’ mortgages; (b) the homeowners had been “pre-approved” or “pre-qualified” to receive a mortgage modification; (c) PMG employed underwriters who would calculate and guarantee the homeowners a new, modified rate and monthly mortgage payment; and (d) the up-front fees paid by the homeowners would be paid directly to the homeowners’ lenders, to the attorneys to pay their fees, or to pay the purported “hard costs” of the modification. In truth and in fact, and as FIUMANO well knew, all of these representations were false.
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In addition to his prison term, FIUMANO, 45, of Irvine, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay forfeiture and restitution of $11,975,404.
Four other co-conspirators have also been convicted for their roles in the scheme:
Pedram Abghari, a/k/a “Ted Allen,” 39, of Irvine, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of misprision of a felony, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
Justin Romano, 42, of Blue Point, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Mahyar Mohases, a/k/a “Christian Mohases,” 34, of Irvine, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Johnny Linderman, a/k/a “Johnny Lamboy,” 55, of Irvine, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Abghari, Romano, Mohases, and Linderman are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Keenan on November 21, 2016.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward A. Imperatore and Patrick Egan are in charge of the prosecution.
Saratoga Springs Man Acquitted of Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – A jury voted today to acquit Ethan M. Lawas, age 51, of Saratoga Springs, New York, on a charge of assaulting a federal officer.
Lawas was accused of using his truck to assault a United States Park Ranger on the grounds of the Saratoga National Historical Park on August 28, 2014.
The jury voted to acquit Lawas following a 3-day trial in Albany before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy.
Registered Sex Offender Charged with Enticing Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment today charging BRYAN WHITE, 39, of New London, with one count of enticement of a minor and one count of committing the offense while being a registered sex offender.
The indictment alleges that in June and July 2016, WHITE used a computer, cellular phone, telephone and an internet-based messaging service to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The indictment further alleges that WHITE committed the offense while he was required by law to register as a sex offender.
WHITE has been in state custody since July 5, 2016, when he was arrested on related state charges.
If convicted of enticement of a minor, WHITE faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment life. If convicted of committing the offense while being required to register as a sex offender, WHITE faces a mandatory term of 10 years to run consecutive to any term of imprisonment imposed for the enticement of a minor offense.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Burlington County (N.J.) Prosecutor’s Office, the Florence (N.J.) Township Police Department, the New London Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
Puerto Rico Man Sentenced to Three Months in Prison for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced on September 14, 2016, Angel De Jesus Marrero, 31, of the Puerto Rico, to three months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for encouraging and inducing aliens to illegally enter the United States. Judge Gomez also ordered Marrero to pay a $100 special assessment and perform 200 hours of community service.
On May 3, 2016, Marrero pleaded guilty to encouraging and inducing aliens to illegally enter the United States. According to the plea agreement, on December 22, 2015, Marrero was solicited by his co-defendant, Rodriguez Ramirez, to assist in the passage of five illegal Brazilian nationals through the St. Thomas airport by checking them in at the airline ticket kiosk. Afterward, he was to ensure that the illegal aliens made it to the appropriate gate to depart St. Thomas for New York. Federal agents, however, thwarted the plan before anyone boarded the aircraft and apprehended the defendants along with the illegal aliens.
This case was investigated by the Customs and Border Protection Office of Internal Affairs and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
Puerto Rico Man Pleads Guilty to Bulk Cash SmugglingRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Ramon Lacen-Santiago, 41, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty on September 14, 2016, in federal court on St. Croix to conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
On March 25, 2012, agents of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received information that an individual associated with Lacen-Santiago would be travelling with a large amount of cash through the St. Croix Airport. During a security check of Lacen-Santiago and his co-defendant, a canine alerted on two of their bags. Lacen-Santiago’s bag contained $6,249. A search of his person revealed another $39,000 in his pockets. Lacen-Santiago told the agents that he was travelling to St. Martin with the co-defendant. A search of his co-defendant uncovered $38,270 concealed on his person. Neither individual reported the cash as required by law. The co-defendant’s trial is pending.
Lacen-Santiago faces up to five years of imprisonment for the offense and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing date has been set for January 13, 2017.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alphonso Andrews, Jr.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Five RobberiesRead the Press Release
Lamar Sowell, 26, of Philadelphia, PA was charged today by Indictment with five counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce and four counts of using and carrying a firearm in those robberies, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
It is alleged that Sowell committed the following robberies: 7-Eleven, located at 9001 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia on October 20, 2014; 7-Eleven, located at 250 South Easton Road, Glenside on November 26, 2015; Sunoco, located at 300 South Easton Road, Glenside, on December 2, 2015; and 7-Eleven, located at 2869 Limekiln Pike, Abington, on December 9, 2015 and April 5, 2016. During all but the first robbery, Sowell is accused of brandishing a handgun. During the final robbery on April 5, 2016, Sowell is accused of firing the gun and striking an employee of the 7-Eleven, shattering the victim’s femur.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, a mandatory term of 82 years’ imprisonment consecutive to all other sentences, 5 years supervised release, a $2,250,000 fine, and a $ 900 Special Assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Plymouth Township Police Department, the Abington Township Police Department, and the Cheltenham Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arlene Fisk.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Owner of Jet Boat Companies Indicted for FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE - Christopher Bohnenkamp, 41, formerly of Kuna, Idaho, was indicted on September 13, 2016, by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise for wire fraud and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. On September 15, 2016, Bohnenkamp surrendered to an arrest warrant in Buffalo, New York and was taken into custody. An initial appearance is set before the United States Magistrate Court in Buffalo at 12 p.m. EST.
The indictment, unsealed upon Bohnenkamp’s surrender to the arrest warrant, alleges that Bohnenkamp owned two companies – Bohnenkamp’s Whitewater Customs, Inc. and Treasure Valley Marine, Inc. – that custom built jet boats and trailers. In 2014, Bohnenkamp devised a scheme to defraud customers and material vendors of his companies by misrepresenting that his companies would custom build and deliver jet boats and trailers and pay vendors for materials that they supplied on credit.
The indictment alleges that, from 2012 through 2014, Bohnenkamp accepted approximately $1,611,339 in upfront payments from fifteen customers, but never built and delivered the jet boats and trailers they ordered. Still owing these customers the jet boats and trailers they ordered, and owing material vendors for component parts purchased on credit, the defendant continued to accept orders and upfront payments from new customers from May of 2014 through December of 2014, during which time his companies were insolvent. According to the Indictment, during this time, thirteen new customers paid Bohnenkamp’s companies approximately $1,662,699, and received either unfinished boat hulls or nothing in return.
The indictment further alleges that, between 2012 and 2014, Bohnenkamp defrauded KeyBank and Washington Trust Bank in connection with approximately $1,006,053 in proceeds they lent to six customers to purchase jet boats and trailers. The indictment alleges that Bohnenkamp caused the banks to be provided with false bills of sale that misrepresented that down payments were made, inflated trade-in values, and omitted kick-backs of cash.
The indictment further alleges that, if convicted of wire fraud, the defendant shall forfeit $1,662,699, and that, if convicted of bank fraud, the defendant shall forfeit $1,006,053.
The charge of wire fraud, affecting a financial institution, is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to five years of supervised release.
The charge of bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to five years of supervised release.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Today's announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
A North Carolina businessman pleaded guilty today to one count of failing to pay over employment taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to documents filed with the court, Paul Harvey Boone, 54, operated Boone Audio Inc. in Burlington, North Carolina, since 2004. For much of 2008 through 2011, Boone used Boone Audio to pay thousands of dollars in personal expenditures even though he did not pay over the employment taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks. Boone also failed to file personal income tax returns and pay income tax for tax years 2008 through 2011.
The sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 19, 2017. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Boone faces a potential statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Trial Attorneys Lauren Castaldi and Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina for their assistance.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A North Carolina businessman pleaded guilty today to one count of failing to pay over employment taxes, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to documents filed with the court, Paul Harvey Boone, 54, operated Boone Audio Inc. in Burlington, North Carolina, since 2004. For much of 2008 through 2011, Boone used Boone Audio to pay thousands of dollars in personal expenditures even though he did not pay over the employment taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks. Boone also failed to file personal income tax returns and pay income tax for tax years 2008 through 2011.
The sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 19, 2017. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Boone faces a potential statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Trial Attorneys Lauren Castaldi and Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina for their assistance.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
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New York women sentenced for credit card fraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two New York City women were sentenced today for credit card fraud, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Sasha Nelson, 21, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by three years of federal supervised release. Nayosha Aice, 25, was sentenced to five years of probation, with the first six months to be served on home incarceration, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Both women previously pleaded guilty to possession of 15 or more counterfeit access devices. A counterfeit access device is a credit card that has been altered to contain stolen account information that is magnetically re-encoded on the credit card.
Nelson and Aice admitted that as part of their credit card fraud scheme, they possessed 78 counterfeit access devices. Nelson and Aice drove from New York City to West Virginia, using these counterfeit credit cards to buy cartons of Newport cigarettes and other merchandise. They were observed at the St. Albans Go-Mart using multiple counterfeit cards on June 25, 2015, buying cartons of cigarettes. After noticing the suspicious behavior, store employees contacted law enforcement. Nelson and Aice further admitted that once they realized officers were observing them, they attempted to get rid of the counterfeit credit cards in nearby stores by hiding the cards or throwing the cards in the garbage. Officers successfully recovered the credit cards and subsequently confirmed that the credit cards were counterfeit access devices.
Nelson also pleaded guilty in January 2016 in Virginia to the felony offenses of use of a stolen credit card and credit card fraud. Nelson received a suspended sentence in April 2016. Nelson’s plea in the Virginia state prosecution was based on criminal conduct from May 10, 2015, six weeks prior to the conduct in West Virginia. Nelson was stopped for speeding and was found to have 30 cartons of cigarettes, 44 counterfeit credit cards that were re-encoded with stolen credit card numbers, a laptop computer, and a credit card reader/re-encoder.
The St. Albans Police Department and the United States Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Eric Bacaj are in charge of the prosecutions. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentences.
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New York Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORDAN ANATE, also known as “Pills” and “Che Pills,” 26, most recently of the Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 5, 2015, East Hartford Police encountered an underage girl in a room at a local motel. The victim stated that she had met ANATE in New York and that, beginning in approximately December 2014, she had engaged in acts of prostitution at ANATE’s direction in various locations, including multiple trips to Connecticut.
The investigation revealed that the victim was prostituted by ANATE at hotels in Hartford, Manchester, New Britain and East Hartford. The victim had seen several clients per week, giving all of the money to ANATE.
When ANATE pleaded guilty to the offense on June 9, 2016, he admitted that he knew the victim was under the age of 18.
Judge Bryant ordered ANATE to pay $42,000 in restitution to the victim.
ANATE has been detained since his arrest on March 5, 2015.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, East Hartford Police and West Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarala V. Nagala and David E. Novick.
New York Man Convicted in Federal Court for His Role in Counterfeit Gift Card Shopping SpreeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on September 14, a jury sitting in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania convicted Shavouy Paisley, age 24 of Queens, New York of criminal conspiracy to possess counterfeit or unauthorized access devices after a trial presided over by Senior U.S. District Court Judge William W. Caldwell.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, following a two and a half day trial, the jury deliberated approximately one hour before delivering its verdict. The charges stemmed from an incident in 2014 where Paisley and others were stopped by Hampden Township Police Department after making several suspicious purchases at CVS and Rite Aid establishments located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The Hampden Township Police Department seized more than 100 counterfeit Visa gift cards from the vehicle the three men had been traveling in, along with 25 cartons of cigarettes, high end handbags and other merchandise. During the investigation, the United States Secret Service determined the cards had been altered and the account numbers associated with the magnetic strips on the cards belonged to account holders from dozens of banks and institutions across the country. After reviewing the evidence, the United States Secret Service identified more than a half a dozen retail establishments on the Carlisle Pike where the defendants attempted to or actually did make purchases using these stolen account numbers.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Hampden Township Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Taylor and Joseph J. Terz.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice Seek Forfeiture of Six Dogs Seized in Connection with Interstate Dog Fighting VentureRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking the possession of six pit bull-type dogs which were allegedly involved in an interstate dog fighting venture in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General John Cruden for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice announced today.
According to the complaint filed yesterday in Newark federal court:
The six pit bull-type dogs were seized on June 1, 2016 from a private residence in Westville, New Jersey, pursuant to a federal search warrant. The residence was owned by the family of Justin Love, 36, of Glassboro, New Jersey, who was arrested the same day and charged by criminal complaint with violating the Animal Welfare Act.
The condition of a majority of the dogs, including scarring and aggression towards other dogs, was consistent with dog fighting and related training. For example, one of the female dogs, subsequently identified as “Momba,” had severe scarring and showed signs of other serious injuries consistent with her participation in dog fights. Her physical condition also indicated that she was used for breeding, which was further corroborated by intercepted phone conversations allegedly involving Love.
Other indications of unlawful dog fighting were found on the Westville property, including paraphernalia such as “flirt” poles,” which are used to condition a dog and foster natural hunting instincts, and a spring pole, which is used to strengthen a dog’s neck and jaw muscles.
Injectable medication, syringes, sterile gel, and topical and oral antibiotics were also found. Dog fighters often attempt to treat their dogs themselves rather than seek veterinary attention, which might raise suspicion regarding the cause of injuries.
Five of the six dogs were found in pens located in the yard. The pens were made of metal fencing and separated by thick metal slats, and some of the dogs were secured inside the pens with chains. The sixth dog was confined in an elevated cage with a wire fence bottom.
Dog fighting is a violent contest in which two dogs—bred and conditioned for fighting—are released by their owners or handlers in a controlled environment to attack each other and fight for purposes of entertainment and gambling. Fights average one to two hours in length and end when one dog withdraws, when a handler “picks up” his dog and forfeits the match, or when one or both dogs die. Persons engaged in dog fighting exclusively use pit bull-type dogs due to their short coat, compact muscular build, and the aggressive temperament that some exhibit toward other dogs.
The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison to fight dogs or to possess, train, sell, buy, deliver, receive, or transport them for that purpose. The statute further authorizes the seizure and forfeiture of animals involved in dog fighting. Once the dogs are forfeited or surrendered to federal authorities, they can be evaluated and placed for adoption.
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five victories.
Operation Grand Champion is a continuing investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge William G. Squires; Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence S. Opiola; and the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, in coordination with the Department of Justice.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Devlin and Barbara Ward, Acting Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the District of New Jersey, and the Justice Department’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section Trial Attorneys Mary Hollingsworth and Assistant Section Chief Meredith Flax.
The charges and allegations against Love are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Civil forfeiture cases are “in rem” proceedings—or proceedings against things. In this case, the complaint is brought against the six dogs, not its owner or any other person.
The Humane Society of the Unites States is assisting with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.
Navajo Man from Newcomb Sentenced to Ten Years for Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Eli Hunt, 37, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Newcomb, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 120 months in prison for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Hunt will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Hunt was arrested in Dec. 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and burglary. The complaint alleged that he committed the crimes on Dec. 3, 2015, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M. According to the complaint, Hunt broke into a home in Little Water, N.M., and threatened a man and woman who lived there with a tire iron and a firearm. Hunt also fired shots into the air as he chased the victims around their residence and property while threatening to kill them.
Hunt was subsequently indicted on Dec. 17, 2015, and was charged with aggravated burglary, assault with a dangerous weapon, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
On May 24, 2016, Hunt pled guilty to Count 3 of the indictment charging him with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. In entering his plea, Hunt admitted discharging a firearm while assaulting a person with a deadly weapon.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito prosecuted the case.
Mexican Citizen Deported Six Times Admits Illegally Returning to United StatesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - An illegal alien found in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal re-entry after deportation, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Juan Mendez Patishtan, 33, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, Juan Mendez Patishtan, an illegal alien, was formally removed from the United States by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Oct. 23, 2010, Jan. 26, 2011, March 9, 2011, Sept. 21, 2011, April 5, 2014, and April 16, 2015.
Judge Bissoon scheduled the sentencing for Nov. 16, 2016, at 2:15 p.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 2 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Juan Mendez Patishtan.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Methamphetamine Trafficker in San Antonio Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
In San Antonio yesterday, 60-year-old Elias Mejia, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison for trafficking in methamphetamine announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit, Houston Division, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio.
On March 9, 2016, Mejia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. By pleading guilty, Mejia admitted that from October 2, 2014, until November 5, 2015, he was responsible for the trafficking and distribution of approximately 34.5 kilograms of “crystal” methamphetamine in the San Antonio area.
Mejia was arrested on November 5, 2014, in San Antonio and has remained in federal custody since.
“Today’s sentence highlights the success agencies can achieve and the impact they can have when they bring their resources together. DEA will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners and pursue those who threaten our communities through the smuggling and distribution of illegal and dangerous drugs,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit.
“The sentencing of Mejia, to a total of 262 months in federal prison, sends a clear message of the serious consequences awaiting those who engage criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge, Shane Folden, HSI San Antonio. “HSI will continue to utilize its broad authorities, in concert with its federal, state and local partners, to bring to justice those who blatantly ignore the laws of this nation.”
The case resulted from an investigation by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HITDA) Task Force led by the DEA and HSI. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charlie Strauss and Matthew Lathrop.
Meridian Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Charles Wilson Yarnell, 35, of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also sentenced Yarnell to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his five-year prison sentence. Yarnell pleaded guilty to the offense on June 30, 2016.
According to court proceedings, Yarnell sold approximately six ounces of methamphetamine to undercover officers in Meridian, Idaho, between April and July of 2015.
This case is the result of a joint investigation and cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Nampa Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Other agencies include Ada County Sheriff’s Office, United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boise County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Gooding County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho National Guard—Counterdrug Support Office, Meridian Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Oregon State Police, Power County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department, Valley County Sheriff’s Office, Walla Walla Police Department, and Washington State Patrol. The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Six Years for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Matthew McElroy, 39, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to six years in prison and five years of supervised release for transporting child pornography. McElroy pleaded guilty to the charge on April 15, 2016.
According to court records, in January 2016, a federal agent was investigating the distribution and production of child pornography over the internet when he received an email message attaching three child pornography images from an individual later identified as McElroy, who claimed that the images depicted his niece and that he had sexual contact with her. A search warrant was obtained for McElroy’s Chicopee residence and he was arrested on a criminal complaint. McElroy later admitted that he used his email account to trade child pornography.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Chicopee, Massachusetts Police Department.
Louisiana Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Public Money and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
A former tax return preparer and resident of New Orleans, Louisiana was sentenced today to 36 months in prison, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to court-filed documents, Donald Stewart, 60, previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds and one count of aggravated identity theft. From approximately 2001 through 2008, Stewart acted as a return preparer under the business names Stewart’s Tax Service and Stewart LTD, before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) suspended his Electronic Filing Information Number. From January 2011 through February 2012, Stewart admitted causing federal tax refunds in the names of others to be electronically deposited into bank accounts under his control. Stewart also admitted to cashing or depositing U.S. Treasury checks made payable to others, which represented federal income tax refunds totaling approximately $539,393, at a bank in the New Orleans area. In addition, Stewart obtained and used the means of identification of another individual, including their social security number, during and in relation to wire fraud, when he filed a false tax return using another individual’s name and took the resulting refund for himself.
In addition to his prison sentence, Stewart was sentenced to serve one year of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $577,202.97 to the IRS.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Polite commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden Brockett and Tax Division Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Lake in the Hills Man Charged with $340,000 Scheme to DefraudRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Lake in the Hills, Ill. man appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston on wire fraud charges.
SALVATORE CRIBARI, also known as “Sal Fradillio,” 59, was indicted on Sept. 13, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Rockford and charged with nine counts of wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud "Company A," an operator of a nationwide chain of home improvement stores. Cribari was arrested on Sept. 15, 2016, in Algonquin, Ill. Cribari pleaded not guilty during his arraignment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston, and he was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 19, 2016 at 1:00 p.m.
According to the indictment, Cribari knowingly and intentionally stole merchandise from Company A stores located in the Northern District of Illinois. The indictment alleges that Cribari returned the stolen merchandise to Company A without receipts, and he falsely and fraudulently presented the stolen merchandise as legitimately having been purchased from Company A. Cribari received store credit in the form of Company A gift cards during those non-receipted returns. The indictment alleges that Cribari fraudulently obtained more than $340,000 in Company A gift cards as part of the scheme to defraud, and Cribari subsequently used those gift cards to purchase over $310,000 of merchandise and services from Company A. It is alleged that Cribari provided over 1,300 false Illinois driver’s license and state identification numbers to conduct non-receipted returns of stolen merchandise at Company A.
Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000, or an alternate fine totaling twice the loss or twice the gain derived from the offense, whichever is greater. The Court may also impose a sentence of probation of one to five years, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and restitution. If Cribari is convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The indictment and arrest were announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Lake Zurich and Lake in the Hills Police Departments provided assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.
Indictment
Joplin Man Sentenced for Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Danny Wright, 62, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to nine years in federal prison without parole. Wright has been in federal custody since his arrest on June 23, 2014.
On Dec. 17, 2014, Wright pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography.
The investigation began when law enforcement received Cyber Tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding two e-mails that contained seven images of child pornography, depicting children that range in age from one or two years old to seven years old. On May 19, 2014, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at the Joplin residence of James and Gina Hajny. James Hajny has pleaded guilty in a separate case to the sexual exploitation of two child victims and awaits sentencing. His wife, Gina Hajny, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and was sentenced on March 1, 2016, to five years in federal prison without parole.
Hajny told investigators that he had met Wright on a Russian website. He said he has never met Wright in person but they had exchanged pornographic photographs of children. On June 16, 2014, agents executed a search warrant at Wright’s residence. Wright admitted to investigators that he had distributed and downloaded child pornography over the Internet for several years.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Jackson Man to Pay $5.4 Million in Restitution to Bankruptcy EstateRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss - William David Dickson, aka "Butch" Dickson, 60, of Jackson, was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Tom S. Lee to pay restitution to the bankruptcy estate of Community Home Financial Services, Inc., in the amount of $5,442,004.58, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis, Acting U.S. Trustee Henry G. Hobbs, Jr. of Region 5, FBI Special Agent in Charge Donald Alway and U.S. Marshal George White.
In December, 2015, Dickson was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for the fraudulent receipt of over $9 million and concealment of bank accounts containing funds belonging to the bankruptcy estate of Community Home Financial Services, Inc. Total losses to the bankruptcy estate were determined to be in excess of $12 million as a result of Dickson’s criminal conduct. The government has already recovered a portion of these losses through asset forfeiture of funds and other property. Efforts to recover additional funds and property remain ongoing.
William David Dickson placed Community Home Financial Services, Inc. in bankruptcy on May 23, 2012, in the Southern District of Mississippi. Dickson devised a scheme and artifice to defraud the bankruptcy court and the Chapter 11 Trustee by fraudulently causing funds of the debtor’s bankruptcy estate to be transferred to multiple accounts outside of the United States, including accounts in Panama and Costa Rica, that were controlled by Dickson. Dickson was expelled by authorities from Panama, and he was arrested by the FBI when he arrived at Miami International Airport in Florida on March 14, 2014.
The Chapter 11 Trustee, Kristina M. Johnson, along with the U.S. Trustee’s Jackson, Mississippi office referred this matter to the U.S. Attorney’s office. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Chapter 11 Trustee and the United States Marshals Service. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sammye S. Tharpe.
Houston Man Heads to Prison for Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 29-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions of conspiring to commit credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Darnell Wayne Menard pleaded guilty Jan. 21, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas sentenced Menard to 57 months for the conspiracy as well as a mandatory and consecutive 24 months for aggravated identity theft. The total 81-month-term will also be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Atlas noted that Menard committed the offense while he was on bond after having been charged in state court with similar offense. The judge also said that this type of fraud imposes costs on everybody because merchants and credit card issuers pass the costs along to the public.
Menard admitted he purchased approximately 1,000 stolen credit card numbers over the Internet from websites outside the United States. He then created fraudulent credit cards by encoding stolen credit card numbers onto magnetic stripes on the back of gift and debit cards. He then used those fraudulent cards to purchase legitimate gift cards from Kroger and HEB grocery stores in Conroe and others during 2014 and 2015.
Menard was first arrested for credit card fraud and charged in state court. However, upon his release on bond, Menard continued to engage in the same activity.
He was arrested again on federal charges in June 2015, at which time authorities found an electronic encoder device that Menard had been using to encode stolen credit card numbers onto cards. They also found and seized a computer containing files listing numerous additional stolen credit card numbers, seven gift cards that Menard had encoded with stolen credit and debit card numbers.
Menard will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Secret Service and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney John R. Lewis is prosecuting the case.
Hingham Woman Sentenced for Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hingham woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston for defrauding mortgage companies in connection with multiple mortgages she obtained on a single residence.
Denise Bruce, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison, five years of supervised release and restitution of $2,810,497. In May 2016, Bruce pleaded guilty to five counts of bank fraud.
Between 2004 and 2008, Bruce fraudulently obtained five mortgage loans from different banks in amounts ranging from $325,000 to $487,500 on her Hingham property by submitting false information regarding her employment history, income, assets, and debt. Bruce also filed fraudulent discharges of mortgages with the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds to create the appearance that earlier loans had been paid in full, when in fact, none of the loans had been paid. In total, Bruce obtained $2,129,000 in proceeds from her fraudulent loans.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Steven Perez, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; and Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General for the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.
Grants Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Richard J. Dates, 71, of Grants, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 120 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his conviction on a distribution of child pornography charge. Dates will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence. Dates also was ordered to pay $1,000.00 to each of eight victims who requested restitution.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez commended the exemplary investigative efforts of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents responsible for the investigation leading to Dates’ conviction. The U.S. Attorney added, “The victims in these cases are children who cannot protect themselves from harm. We greatly appreciate the time and resources HSI dedicates to bringing individuals who exploit children to justice.”
“This case shows again how HSI works with its law enforcement partners to investigate and get internet child pornographers out of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of HSI El Paso.
Dates was arrested in Grants in Aug. 2012, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The complaint alleged that Dates engaged in this conduct from Aug. 2009 through Aug. 2012. Dates was arrested by HSI agents after an investigation by HSI in Boston, Mass., identified him as an individual who was distributing child pornography images through the internet.
Dates was indicted in Sept. 2012, and was charged with possessing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct from Aug. 2009 through Aug. 2012. A superseding indictment was filed in Sept. 2013, charging Dates with two counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of receiving child pornography, and possession of visual depictions of child pornography. A second superseding indictment was filed in June 2014, charging Dates with one count of advertising child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of receipt of child pornography, and seven counts of possession of child pornography.
On Aug. 3, 2015, Dates pled guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, and admitted distributing child pornography on June 15, 2011.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of HSI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob A. Wishard and Marisa A. Ong as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Ypsilanti Resident and Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
A former Ypsilanti man was sentenced today to 35 years in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to production of child pornography involving a three-year-old victim and committing an enumerated sex offense against a child while being subject to the sex offender register, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. Following his time in prison, Vaughn will spend the rest of his life on supervised release.
McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Matthew Leon Vaughn,33, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nancy G. Edumunds.
According to court records, FBI agents in Alaska began investigating Vaughn as part of a group of individuals who obtained child pornography from a shared cloud storage system. The Alaska investigation led to the identification of Vaughn, who at the time lived in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The Detroit FBI searched Vaughn’s Ypsilanti apartment, recovering several pieces of computer media. A forensic analysis of that computer media revealed a vast collection—more than 30,000 images and 3,000 videos—of child pornography. An FBI agent in Detroit dug through Vaughn’s collection, eventually identifying child pornographic images Vaughn took inside that Ypsilanti apartment of a three-year-old girl that had been in Vaughn‘s care. Vaughn was arrested by the FBI in Toledo, Ohio, where he had moved after the execution of the Ypsilanti search warrant.
In 2003, Vaughn was convicted in state court for possession of child pornographic material. As a result of that conviction, Vaughn had been a registered sex offender when he produced child pornography in Ypsilanti.
“I continue to be astonished by the prevalence and severe nature of child exploitation cases." McQuade said. "We are very grateful for the dedication of agents and prosecutors who work to rescue children from the predators who abuse them."
“As both an FBI Special Agent and father, I find the actions of this young victim’s family member to be of the most heinous one could imagine”, said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division. “Children are among the most vulnerable and innocent victims of crimes. These types of crimes are sometimes perpetrated by relatives, caretakers and others who are considered to be responsible adults in their lives. The FBI considers the investigation and prosecution of sexual predators who commit crimes against children, one of its top priorities”.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Alaska, Detroit, and Toledo, Ohio, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin M. Mulcahy.
Former Winnebago County Purchasing Director Sally Claassen Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Stealing More Than $400,000Read the Press Release
ROCKFORD — The former Winnebago County Purchasing Director was sentenced in federal court today by U.S. District Court Judge Frederick J. Kapala for two counts of theft from a program receiving federal funds.
SALLY A. CLAASSEN, 57, of Roscoe, Ill., was sentenced to two years in federal prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution of $440,369.83 to the Winnebago County Treasurer, and a fine of $5,000.
Claassen pleaded guilty to the charges on June 1, 2016. In the written plea agreement, Claassen admitted that as Purchasing Director for Winnebago County, Claassen was responsible for receiving and reviewing invoices submitted by vendors and submitting payment to vendors. From Feb. 25, 2014 through April 27, 2015, Claassen used her position as the approver for payments from Winnebago County to vendors to steal approximately $368,137 from the County. Claassen further admitted in the plea agreement that from April 15, 2014 to July 1, 2015, she used her Winnebago County-issued credit card and checks from Winnebago County to purchase items for her personal use, including home remodeling items and personal vacations.
The sentencing was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret J. Schneider.
Former Wilton Manors Resident Indicted for Posting Threatening Communications on FacebookRead the Press Release
Former resident of Wilton Manors indicted in Fort Lauderdale today for posting threatening communications on Facebook.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, Unites States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), made the announcement.
Craig Allen Jungwirth, 50, of Orlando, Florida, is charged by indictment with the interstate transmission of a threatening communication, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(c). If convicted, Jungwirth faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
According to the allegations contained in the court record, including a previously filed criminal complaint, on August 30, 2016, the FBI’s Miami Division was notified by local law enforcement, other FBI field offices, and members of the public via the public tip line, that alarming threats towards the LGBT community located within Wilton Manors, FL had been posted on Facebook. Specifically, on August 30, 2016, Jungwirth posting the following during an online written exchange, “My events are selling out ‘cause you faggots are total patsies. None of you deserve to live. If you losers thought the Pulse nightclub shooting was bad, wait till you see what I’m planning for Labor Day . . . You can never catch a genius from MIT and since you faggots aren’t dying from AIDS anymore, I have a better solution to exterminate you losers . . . I’m gonna be killing you fags…. It’s time to clean up Wilton Manors from all you AIDS infested losers.”
Jungwirth, was previously arrested by the FBI in Orlando and is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service. On September 12, 2016, a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Orlando ordered Jungwirth removed to the Southern District of Florida to face further legal proceedings.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and JTTF. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc S. Anton.
A complaint and indictment are merely accusations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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.