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13 September 2016
Hardy County man pleads guilty to traveling across state lines to distribute heroinRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jason Wayne Russell, 39, of Moorefield, West Virginia, pled guilty today for traveling across state lines to the Baltimore area to procure heroin, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Russell pled guilty today to one count of “Interstate Travel in Furtherance of a Drug Crime.” He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Grayson man pleads guilty to illegally making, selling silencersRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Grayson man pleaded guilty last week to manufacturing and selling firearm silencers.
Dustin B. Demoss, 31, of Grayson, La., pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of illegally selling and manufacturing firearm silencers. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, in May 2016, the ATF conducted a controlled purchase of three firearm silencers from a target of the investigation who later identified Demoss as the manufacturer of the silencers. Demoss sold the silencers from a Facebook site called “Angel of Death Tactical,” without having paid the special occupational tax and not having registered the silencers as required by federal law. A search was conducted at Demoss’ residence on May 19, 2016. Several firearms were seized with silencers attached, as well as assorted silencer parts with drilled baffles and end caps, other assorted parts for making silencers, and boxes of parts showing mailing information that they were imported from India. Demoss also had drill presses used to complete the manufacture of silencers.
Demoss faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine. A sentencing date of December 20, 2016 was set.
This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.
The ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James C. Cowles Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Grand Jury Indicts Johnstown Man on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The indictment named Joseph L. Prave, III, 50, of Johnstown, Pa.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on Jan. 26, 2016, Prave distributed less than 100 grams of heroin.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Cambria County Drug Task Force, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Prave.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Grand Jury Indicts 2 Erie County Men in Scheme to Defraud Auto Loan ProvidersRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. – Two residents of Erie County, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The eleven-count indictment named Adam Brayton Coover, 34, of Erie, Pennsylvania and Brian Alex Vergotz, 49, of Erie, Pennsylvania, as defendants.
According to the indictment presented to the court, from in and around May 2015, to in and around March 2016, the defendants Coover and Vergotz engaged in a scheme to defraud auto loan providers by using straw purchasers to buy cars from Vergotz knowing that the vehicles would not actually be in the possession of the straw purchasers. Vergotz and Coover also falsified the loan applications to make the straw purchasers appear more credit worthy.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both for each defendant. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Erie Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former President of St. Louis Law Enforcement Officer Association Pleads Guilty to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Darren Randal Wilson pled guilty to nine counts of wire fraud involving his misappropriation of over $80,000 from the Ethical Society of Police, an association of black St. Louis police officers.
According to court documents, Wilson was president of the Ethical Society of Police (ESOP) in 2013 and 2014. As president of ESOP, Wilson had access to funds in the ESOP bank account, which consisted primarily of the monthly dues contributed by the police officer members of ESOP.
Between July 2013 and December 2014, Wilson engaged in a fraud scheme to misappropriate money from the ESOP bank account and to use the money for his own purposes, including funding his business promoting comedy shows featuring nationally known comedians at local night clubs. To further the fraud scheme, Wilson transmitted some of the misappropriated money by Fed Wire, PayPal and Western Union wire transfers. To conceal his fraudulent activity, Wilson presented false information to ESOP officers and members. In April 2014, Wilson was indicted on nine felony counts of wire fraud associated with the fraud scheme.
Wilson, St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Judge Henry Edward Autrey and pled guilty to all nine counts of wire fraud. As part of the guilty plea, Wilson acknowledged that he abused his position of public and private trust. He agreed to a money judgment against him of $80,934, to account for the losses to ESOP associated with the fraud scheme. He also agreed to surrender his law enforcement certification and to no longer work or seek employment as a law enforcement officer. Sentencing has been set for December 12, 2016.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges substantially lower than the statutory maximum.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Cristian M. Stevens is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Former CFO of Granite Falls Industrial Contractor Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Embezzling Nearly $6 MillionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the sentencing of KIRSTEN ANN TJOSAAS, 38, for embezzling $5,773,410 from Fagen, Inc. (Fagen), an industrial contracting company for which she served as Chief Financial Officer. TJOSAAS pleaded guilty on May 6, 2016, to wire fraud and money laundering.
According to her guilty plea, between 2006 and November 2015, TJOSAAS abused her authority as Corporate Controller and Chief Financial Officer of Fagen to issue at least 19 checks and make wire transfers totaling approximately $4.5 million from Fagen to Fairmont Investments, LLC (Fairmont), a Nebraska-based corporation controlled by the defendant.
According to her guilty plea, after registering Fairmont, TJOSAAS opened a bank account at Granite Falls Bank in the name of Fairmont for the purpose of embezzling money from Fagen. TJOSAAS signed these checks using the signature stamp of another Fagen executive without the authority or knowledge of that executive. The defendant also entered false entries into Fagen’s general ledger to disguise the illegitimate checks as payments to Fagen partners or payments to legitimate Fagen vendors. After depositing checks into the Fairmont account, TJOSAAS transferred the funds she had stolen into her own personal bank accounts.
According to her guilty plea, TJOSAAS also fraudulently issued Fagen checks payable to another company. TJOSAAS had access to and control over the bank account of this company. Between June 2006 and November 2015, TJOSAAS issued approximately 25 fraudulent checks into this account, totaling more than $1.2 million.
TJOSAAS used the illicit proceeds to buy homes in Florida, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Arizona. She purchased time-shares in Arizona and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as at least three automobiles, two all-terrain vehicles, a motorcycle, a jet-ski, and a sailboat.
TJOSAAS spent more than $500,000 of the stolen money on travel, including $346,000 on airplane tickets, $213,000 on hotel stays and more than $90,000 in restaurants.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
KIRSTEN ANN TJOSAAS, 38
Granite Falls, Minn.
Convicted:
- Wire fraud, 1 count
- Money laundering, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 78 months in prison
- 3 years supervised release
- $5,773,420 in restitution
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Former CEO of Essex Holdings Inc. Charged with $30 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Investments in Sugar Transportation and Iron Ore Mining, and Unlawfully Obtaining Economic Development FundsRead the Press Release
The former Chief Executive Officer of Essex Holdings, Inc., was charged with two separate fraud schemes totaling more than $30 million. The first scheme involved nearly 100 investors who purportedly purchased interests in sugar transportation and iron ore mining in Chile. The second scheme involved unlawfully obtaining economic development funds from the State of South Carolina.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Navin Shankar Subramaniam Xavier, a/k/a "Navin Xavier," a/k/a "Dr. Navin Xavier" (Xavier), 44, of Miramar, is charged by Indictment with fifteen counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Xavier faces a maximum statutory sentence of twenty years in prison for each count and a fine up to $250,000. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Miami.
According to the Indictment, from September 2010 through May 2014, Xavier operated Essex Holdings, Inc., (“Essex Holdings”) from an office in Miami Gardens, and raised more than $29 million from nearly 100 investors for supposed investments in sugar transportation and shipping, as well as iron ore mining in Chile. Xavier used a false financial statement, forged documents, and false promises of fixed rates of return, to induce investors to invest with Essex Holdings. Most of the money was used for purposes other than what was promised, including to support lavish spending by Xavier and his wife for expensive jewelry, luxury vehicles, wedding expenses, and cosmetic surgery. Eventually, Xavier used new investor money to pay old investors in a Ponzi-like fashion before the scheme collapsed.
The second scheme involved Xavier using Essex Holdings to obtain $1.2 million in payments and approximately $1.5 million worth of commercial real estate from the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development (“SCCCED”), a division of the South Carolina state government, that was supposed to be used to develop a dilapidated industrial property into a diaper plant and rice packaging facility. According to the indictment, Xavier provided false financial documentation to SCCCED in order to obtain the contract, and later provided fake contractor invoices and fake bank statements in order to get paid under the contract. As with the investment fraud scheme, Xavier spent the development money for his personal living expenses, and wired some of it to the same overseas accounts used in the investment fraud.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, the Miami Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the South Carolina Office of Inspector General, for assisting with this matter. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerrob Duffy and Allison Lehr.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt 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.
Federal Correctional Officer Arrested on Charges of Assaulting InmateRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A correctional officer employed by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons at the Victorville Federal Correctional Complex has been arrested on federal civil rights and assault charges stemming from an incident in which she allegedly kicked a female inmate in the head.
Cynthia Flores, 34, of Victorville, was arrested yesterday afternoon and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon on charges in a four-count indictment.
Flores is charged in an indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on September 7. The indictment accuses Flores of deprivation of rights under color of law, assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm, falsifying records and making false statements and concealing material facts in a matter within the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice.
The charges stem from an incident in which Flores allegedly assaulted an inmate at the women’s prison camp in Victorville on June 2, 2013. During the evening count, when correctional officers ensure that all inmates are present, Flores initiated a physical altercation with the victim inmate. After the inmate’s hands were placed in restraints behind her back, and she was held chest down on the floor, Flores allegedly kicked the inmate in the head.
“Law enforcement officers have a duty to uphold the civil rights of all Americans, and, when those rights are violated, we must act decisively,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “No citizen should have to suffer the physical abuse by a law enforcement authority alleged in this case. Such abuse not only undermines the integrity of our justice system, but undermines the professional work being done by the vast majority of correctional officers.”
Following the incident, Flores allegedly submitted both a written incident report and a videotaped oral report in which she described a verbal and physical altercation with the inmate. The indictment alleges that Flores falsely stated that the inmate had assaulted her, when it was actually Flores who assaulted the inmate by pushing the inmate into a wall, striking her and kicking her in the head.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If she is convicted on all counts, Flores would face up to 45 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean D. Peterson of the Riverside Branch Office.
Federal Complaint Charges Buncombe County Man with MurderRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. B A federal criminal complaint was filed today charging Seth Willis Pickering, 36, of Leicester, N.C. with murder for the death of his daughter, Lila Pickering, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Rose is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division; Neal D. Labrie, Chief Ranger of the Blue Ridge Parkway; and Sheriff Van Duncan of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
The affidavit filed with the criminal complaint alleges that late afternoon on September 9, 2016, Seth Pickering took Lila Pickering from the residence of the custodian where the victim had been placed temporarily by the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Seth Pickering was only authorized to have supervised visitation with his daughter. The complaint alleges that the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call by the victim’s custodian regarding a missing juvenile, and were in the process of gathering information to initiate a report and issue an alert to law enforcement agencies. Meanwhile, two U.S. Park Rangers on routine patrol on the Blue Ridge Parkway (the “Parkway”) observed Seth Pickering’s vehicle parked along the shoulder of the Parkway near mile marker 393. The Rangers also observed a male and a juvenile female (later determined to be Seth and Lila Pickering) walking down a steep embankment. Knowing that there were no trails, picnic areas, or camp sites in the area, the Rangers began to investigate. The complaint alleges that as one of the Rangers approached the area where Seth Pickering and his daughter were located, Seth Pickering stabbed Lila Pickering with a knife, killing her.
Seth Pickering is currently in state custody and is expected to appear in U.S. District Court on the federal charges upon his transfer to federal custody.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Rose thanked the FBI, the National Park Service and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Gast and David Thorneloe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
Ex-postal service contract driver from Lafayette pleads guilty to stealing from DeRidder area mailRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette woman pleaded guilty last week to stealing from mail while she worked as a contract postal carrier.
Helen J. Nelson, 72, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of theft of mail matter by a postal service employee. According to the guilty plea, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General hotline received a complaint in May of 2016 that a mailed $250 gift card was never received. The missing card was traced to Nelson, who was a contract mail carrier, and an investigation was conducted. She was observed May 26, 2016 driving her Lake Charles/Deridder area route. She stopped at a Lake Charles store’s parking lot where she was seen moving mail from the back of the truck to the front and later throwing away a bag in a trash can. Torn up mail was later found in the retrieved bag. Upon confronting Nelson about the destroyed mail, she admitted to opening mail, searching its contents, taking or discarding some of the mails’ contents and resealing envelopes. She also admitted to taking the $250 gift card.
Nelson faces five years in prison, three years supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. A sentencing date of December 15, 2016 was set.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
Erie Man Charged with Illegally Possessing GunRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of violating federal firearm laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment named Kevin Dimitri Tate, 23, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Tate unlawfully possessed a .380 ACP firearm while being prohibited from firearm possession because he is a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 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 Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent, deter, and prosecute gun crime.
The Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, Erie Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Erie Auto Dealer, 3 Others Indicted in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A business located in Erie, Pennsylvania and three residents of Erie County, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The twelve-count indictment named Rick Weaver Buick GMC, Inc., 714 West 12th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania; Adam James Weaver, 40, of Fairview, Pennsylvania; Douglas Alan Grooms, 45, of Edinboro, Pennsylvania; and Adam Brayton Coover, 34, of Erie, Pennsylvania, as defendants.
According to the indictment presented to the court, from in and around May 2015, to in and around March 2016, Coover, Grooms and Weaver engaged in a scheme to defraud auto loans providers by utilizing two straw purchasers to buy vehicles in their own names from Rick Weaver Buick GMC. The vehicles would then actually remain in Coover’s possession. The three facilitated the scheme by falsifying the loan applications to make the straw purchasers appear more credit worthy and by not revealing that the straw purchasers were buying multiple vehicles at the same time. The value of many of the vehicles was also inflated to increase the funds received by the co-conspirators.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 240 years in prison, a fine of $3,000,000, or both for Rick Weaver Buick GMC, Inc., Douglas Grooms and Adam Coover and a maximum total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both for Adam Weaver. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Erie Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Elmira Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Jerold “Rocco” Walker, 39, of Elmira, NY, pleaded guilty conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who is handling the case, stated that Walker was arrested after an investigation conducted by the Elmira Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms revealed that the defendant was involved in an ongoing drug trafficking ring. Members of the drug ring sold significant amounts of crack cocaine from various locations in Elmira. Walker utilized several residences, including locations on Columbia Street, Walnut Street and West Gray Street in connection with the drug offenses.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson, New York Field Division, and the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Joseph Kane.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 14, 2016 before Judge Larimer.
Duenweg Sex Offender Sentenced to 17 Years for Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a convicted sex offender in Duenweg, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography over the Internet.
Paul L. Sipeer, 65, of Duenweg, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Sipeer to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration.
On March 29, 2016, Sipeer pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet. Sipeer has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest in January 2016.
Sipeer is a registered sex offender with a 1992 conviction for sexual abuse in the first degree involving the physical harm of a 7-year-old child. According to court documents, Sipeer admitted that he sexually molested at least three other children besides the victim of the crime resulting in his conviction. Sipeer also admitted that he began accessing child pornography within one year of his release from prison in 1994.
By pleading guilty, Sipeer admitted that he received child pornography between July 1, 2012, and Jan. 26, 2016.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents learned that Sipeer was conducting online money transfers between $10 and $20 several times a month during the summer of 2015 to individuals in the Philippines. Money transfers, conducted through Western Union and MoneyGram, are often used to send funds to pay for sexual performances by children in the Philippines. In prior investigations conducted by HSI, small amounts of money, typically between $5 and $100, are often sent to individuals in the Philippines. Often the senders would send additional payments for continued and/or repeat performances.
Upon further investigation, agents learned that Sipeer had been making money transfers to various individuals in the Philippines since January 2013, in amounts ranging up to $480.
Law enforcement officers contacted Sipeer at his residence on Jan. 26, 2016. Sipeer told the officers he sent money to the Philippines to pay for “sex shows.” Sipeer said he has sent approximately $1,200 to the Philippines in total. Sipeer also confessed that he had been actively downloading images depicting child pornography from the Internet. Several images of child pornography, depicting children younger than 10 years old, were located on Sipeer’s computer.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force.
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."
Department of Justice to Hold Local Events in Honor of Heroin and Opioid Awareness WeekRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced today that his Office will observe National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week through the following special events:
Monday, September 19, 2016
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Private screening and panel discussion of the documentary “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opioid Addict” for St. Bernard Parish students.
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Public screening and panel discussion of the documentary “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opioid Addict.”
Panel Participants will include:
Kenneth A. Polite, U.S. Attorney, EDLA
Jeffrey Sallet, FBI Special Agent in Charge
Stephen Assam, DEA Special Agent in Charge
Dr. Jeff Rouse, Orleans Parish Coroner
Family members who have lost loved ones to heroin and opioid addiction
Loyola University, Nunemaker Auditorium, Monroe Hall, 6363 St. Charles Avenue, at 7:00 pm.
The event is free and open to the public. Free parking will be available in the West Road garage.
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
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Private screening and panel discussion of the documentary “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opioid Addict” for Jefferson Parish students.
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U.S. Attorney Polite to tour substance abuse facility and conduct panel discussion with patients of Bridge House, 4150 Earhart Blvd., New Orleans, LA at 2:00 pm.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
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Private screening and panel discussion of the documentary “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opioid Addict” for Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany Parish students.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch has designated the week of September 19-23, 2016, as National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week to raise awareness of the growing epidemic of heroin and opioid abuse in our country. Heroin overdoses increased 244% between 2007 and 2013. On an average day, 78 people die from an opioid-related overdose.
U.S. Attorney Polite stated, “We look forward to joining with all members of our community – law enforcement, educational institutions, and non-profit advocates – to bring greater attention to the problems and potential solutions to the heroin and opioid epidemic currently facing our region.”
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Delhi man pleads guilty to receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Delhi man pleaded guilty Monday to producing child pornography.
Daniel Lee Brown, 28, of Delhi, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert G. James to one count of receiving child pornography. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Brown used the internet and Facebook, pretended to be a teenager, and directed an out-of-state 12-year-old child to produce and send him child pornography. Brown received this child pornography using his computer in Delhi on October 28, 2014.
Brown faces five to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He also faces forfeiture of the equipment used to store the child pornography. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. A sentencing date of December 5, 2016 was set.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Bossier City Marshal’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Dearborn Heights Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
A 22-year-old Dearborn Heights man pleaded guilty today to charges of making a false statement to acquire a firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.
McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Khalil Abu-Rayyan pleaded guilty before United States District Judge George Caram Steeh in Detroit.
According to court records, on October 5, 2015, Khalil Abu-Rayyan purchased a .22 caliber revolver from a sporting goods store in Dearborn Heights. At the time of purchase, Abu-Rayyan made a false statement on ATF Form 4473, stating “no” in response to a question that asks whether the purchaser is an unlawful user of a controlled substance. On November 15, 2015, Abu-Rayyan attempted to purchase another pistol from a different sporting goods store. However, due to pending state charges, was unable to purchase the pistol. On that occasion, Abu-Rayyan again falsely stated on ATF Form 4473 that he was not an unlawful user of a controlled substance. Abu-Rayyan subsequently admitted to law enforcement that he was an habitual user of marijuana during the time period in which he purchased the .22 caliber revolver. Abu-Rayyan has also since pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana in the state case, and is currently awaiting trial in state court on the charge of carrying a concealed weapon in an automobile.
According to the criminal complaint, photographs and postings on Abu-Rayyan's social media sites, as well as conversations with an undercover FBI employee, indicated his support for the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and his desire to conduct a martyrdom operation, including with the use of firearms.
Abu-Rayyan was arrested on February 4, 2016, by FBI agents and remains in custody pending his sentencing which has been scheduled for January 9, 2017. Abu-Rayyan faces a term of up 20 years in federal prison.
Cleveland men charged with robbing Parma bankRead the Press Release
A grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Richard Joseph Beris, 22, and Alexander Nathaniel Penn, 41, both of Cleveland, with one count of aiding and abetting bank robbery, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that Beris and Penn robbed the Citizens Bank, located at 5775 Chevrolet Boulevard in Parma, a federally insured financial institution, on August 4, 2016.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to his case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Seabury Gould, and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Parma Police Department.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland man indicted for selling heroin and fentanylRead the Press Release
A four-count indictment was filed in federal court charging a Cleveland man with distributing heroin and fentanyl, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Gino Martin, 27, possessed with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and also distributed heroin and fentanyl. The conduct took place between June and August, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors are also seeking to forfeit nearly $7,800 seized during the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Sweeney following an investigation by the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force and the Euclid Police Department.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cape Coral Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Defrauding Her Former Company of $1.1 MillionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Junipher Sayers, formerly Junipher Layne, (34, Cape Coral) to three years in federal prison for wire fraud. The Court also ordered her to repay $1,132,160.91 in restitution to the victim, Tigrent, Inc., and an additional $1,132,160.91 to the United States in forfeiture, representing the proceeds she obtained as a result of the offenses.
According to the plea agreement, between January 28, 2013, and June 2015, Sayers devised and carried out a sophisticated scheme to defraud Tigrent, Inc. Sayers, formerly an accounts payable clerk, stole money from the company by submitting and processing fraudulent invoices for payment. Sayers then directed those payments to several shell companies that she had created and controlled for the purpose of carrying out her scheme. She spent large amounts of the stolen money on consumer goods and other items.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cape Coral Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Schmitz.
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty to Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
Benjamin Lomas, 46, of New Hope, PA, plead guilty today to an Information charging evasion of payment of tax, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. According to the information, Lomas willfully attempted to evade the full amount of income tax he owed for calendar years 2009 through 2012 by filing false information with the IRS and diverting money from his business for personal expenses.
If convicted, the defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine, a $100 special assessment, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tomika N.S. Patterson.
An Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
British Man Arrested at Trump Rally in June Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The British man who seized the firearm of a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer at a Donald Trump rally in June, pleaded guilty today to two felony charges and will be sentenced in December, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.
“It is fortunate that no one was harmed in this incident,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer’s attentiveness and quick action prevented the escalation of this crime. The result was that no one was injured.”
Michael Steven Sandford, 20, of England, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan to one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and one count of impeding and disrupting the orderly conduct of government business and official functions. The maximum penalty for each count is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2016, at 10 a.m.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on June 17, 2016, Sandford, who is a British citizen and was unlawfully in the United States because he had overstayed his tourist visa that expired on Aug. 30, 2015, went to a gun range in Las Vegas and took shooting lessons using a rented Glock 9 millimeter handgun. The following day, on June 18, Sandford entered a political rally event for Donald Trump at the Mystere Theatre in the Treasure Island Casino. The entrance to the event was clearly marked with posters designating the grounds as restricted and under the protection of the U.S. Secret Service. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers were also present at the rally to assist with security. Inside the rally, Sandford approached a uniformed Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer and asked to obtain Trump’s autograph. When the officer gave his verbal reply, Sandford, using both hands, seized the officer’s Glock 9 millimeter handgun and attempted to pull it from the holster. Sandford was immediately arrested and removed from the rally. Sandford’s conduct was disorderly and disruptive and required the U.S. Secret Service, other law enforcement, and security personnel to respond to the threat posed by Sandford. Sandford’s arrest also disrupted the speech given by Trump.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared L. Grimmer.
12 September 2016
Wisconsin Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Possession and Distribution of HeroinRead the Press Release
FARGO - U. S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on September 9, 2016, Tyrice Excell Akins, 29, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced before U. S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson to serve five years and six months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for two counts of sex trafficking of a child and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. In addition, Akins was sentenced to eighteen months consecutively for one count of possession and distribution of heroin out of Wisconsin. Judge Erickson also ordered Akins to pay a $400 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund.
The case came to the attention of law enforcement after the North Dakota Highway Patrol pulled over a rental vehicle driven by Kurtis Johnson. Found with Johnson was a woman and a 17-year-old female who Johnson transported from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Bismarck, North Dakota, for the purpose of prostitution. A subsequent investigation revealed that Johnson was provided narcotics by Akins in exchange for transporting women and one juvenile to various locations throughout the United States, including Florida, Louisiana, and North Dakota, throughout 2014 and 2015 for the purpose of prostitution.
This case was investigated by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U. S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted with the assistance of the North Dakota Human Trafficking Task Force (NDHTTF), which includes regional response teams that consists of federal, state, and local law enforcement and victim service providers working together to identify and rescue human trafficking victims as well as investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, BCI, and the North Dakota Counsel on Abused Women Services (CAWS), the NDHTTF is dedicated to addressing the individualized needs of human trafficking victims and the apprehension, investigation, and prosecution of the perpetrators of human trafficking.
The NDHTTF includes representatives from Youthworks, the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Lutheran Social Services, the ND Association of Counties, a Force to End hUman Sexual Exploitation (FUSE), a survivor of human trafficking, First Nations Women’s Alliance (FNWA), and the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Wheeling man sentenced for cocaine distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth Brown, 50, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 77 months in prison for distributing crack cocaine, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Brown admitted to selling crack cocaine out of his residence in Ohio County, West Virginia. He pled guilty in June 2016 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randolph J. Bernard prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Voting Rights Abuse Hotline EstablishedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Terrence P. Donnelly will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for Rhode Island’s Primary on Tuesday, September 13. AUSA Donnelly has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the District of Rhode Island, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Primary Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.
To report suspected election fraud or voting rights abuses at the polls in Rhode Island, the United States Attorney’s Office can be reached by the public at (401) 709-5068. In addition, the FBI field office in Rhode Island will be prepared to receive allegations of voting fraud and other election abuses at (401) 272-8310.
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Two-Time Felon Convicted of Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. announced the recent sentencing of Joseph John Holm, Jr., who was convicted of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.
Agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) assisted by detectives from the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET) and officers from the Forsyth Township Police Department searched Holm’s residence in Gwinn, Michigan last December. They discovered 10 firearms including an Olympic Arms .223 caliber rifle that is similar to the popular AR-15-style assault rifle. They also found four high capacity magazines to go with this rifle. Holm was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his criminal record, specifically his prior felony convictions for criminal sexual conduct in the second degree and failure to register as a sex offender. Holm was arrested the day of the search and later indicted by a federal grand jury.
During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Holmes Bell noted that he was disturbed by the fact that Holm used methamphetamine while released on bond pending trial. Judge Bell sentenced Holm to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker thanked the members of the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team and the Forsyth Township Police Department for their investigative efforts. She noted that the sentence imposed on Holm addresses the seriousness of his conduct and hopefully serves as a deterrent to others that may possess firearms Illegally.
END
Troy Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael C. Matzen, age 36, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for committing 2 bank robberies in 2 days in East Greenbush and Latham.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe also ordered Matzen to serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his incarceration, and to pay restitution in the amount of $6,250, the total amount that Matzen stole from the two banks.
On March 19, 2015, Matzen entered an East Greenbush TD Bank, approached a teller, and handed the teller a note that read “I HAVE A GUN, GIVE ME The Top & bottom Drawer, NO Dye packs, NO bait money ...” The bank teller gave Matzen $500 and he fled.
On March 20, 2015, Matzen entered a Trustco Bank in Latham, and approached a teller with a note that read “Give me $2,000, No bait money No Dye packs I have a Gun.” The bank teller gave Matzen $5,750 and he fled.
Matzen was arrested the following morning in an Albany motel room. He told police that he had planned to travel to Florida later that day.
This case was investigated by the FBI in coordination with the Colonie Police Department and the East Greenbush Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon B. Shinerock.
Tarkio High School Student Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Tarkio R-1 High School student who brought a loaded semi-automatic pistol to school, causing the school to be locked down, pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a machine gun that was found at his residence.
Michael T. Knoth, 19, of Tarkio, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert E. Larsen to the charge contained in a March 9, 2016, federal indictment. Knoth, who has been in custody since his arrest on Feb. 11, 2016, remains in federal custody.
By pleading guilty today, Knoth admitted that he was in possession of an AR-styled .223/.556-caliber pistol (fully automatic machine gun) on Feb. 11, 2016.
According to court documents, Knoth – who came to school on Feb. 11, 2016, wearing military-style clothing, boots and ballistic body armor – displayed a fully loaded magazine to another student that day. That student alerted a teacher, and the school contacted the Tarkio, Mo., Police Department. School officials then discovered a loaded Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Knoth’s backpack, along with four loaded 9mm pistol magazines, three loaded .223- or .556-caliber magazines, a spring-assisted knife, a seatbelt cutter and a window punch.
Knoth was arrested and handcuffed. The school was placed on lockdown.
Investigators searched Knoth’s vehicle, which was parked in the school parking lot. They found two loaded 9mm magazines and 15 loaded .223/.556-caliber magazines.
Investigators also searched Knoth’s residence. During a search of the southwest bedroom, investigators found a loaded machine gun in the closet – an AR-style .223/.556 pistol, containing no visible serial numbers or manufacturer stamp. They found a second machine gun, an UZI-style 9mm firearm (unknown manufacture), in the dresser. Investigators also found numerous rounds of ammunition and numerous loaded .223/.556 and 9mm magazines throughout the residence.
Under federal statutes, Knoth is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Tarkio, Mo., Police Department, the Atchison County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Tax Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Andre Dwight Stewart to eight years and five months in federal prison for theft of government property and aggravated identity theft related to the filing of false federal income tax returns using stolen identities. The Court also ordered him to pay $230,005 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, which are the traceable proceeds to his offenses. Stewart pleaded guilty on June 21, 2016.
According to court documents, on July 11, 2013, officers with the Tampa Police Department searched a vehicle in which Stewart was a passenger. Pursuant to that search, agents recovered a red Swiss Gear laptop bag containing computers and notebooks, all of which belonged to Stewart. During a search of Stewart’s wallet, investigators recovered five reloadable debit cards, three of which were in Stewart’s name, and all of which had been loaded with fraudulently obtained tax refunds. Investigators also recovered ATM images showing Stewart withdrawing cash using these debit cards.
From inside Stewart’s bag, technicians found Stewart’s fingerprints on various pages of a composition notebook that contained 47 pieces of personally identifiable information (PII), including names, DOBs, and SSNs. Of these, at least nine income tax returns using this PII were filed for the 2011 tax year. Stewart’s fingerprints were also found on the inside cover of a Mario Kart/Wii themed notebook recovered from the computer bag. Agents identified approximately 27 pieces of PII contained in that notebook, of which four income tax returns using this PII were filed for the 2012 tax year.
Based on a review of the evidence, investigators determined that Stewart and others filed and caused to be filed fraudulent tax returns claiming over $600,000 in fraudulent refunds.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Tampa Man Convicted of Attempted Sex Trafficking of A ChildRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that a federal jury found Matheus William Geronasso (23, Tampa) guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a child. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 14, 2016. Geronasso was indicted on March 29, 2016.
According to evidence presented at trial, Geronasso responded to an advertisement posted on Backpage.com by a person looking for individuals willing to pay to have sex with his girlfriend’s 14-year-old daughter. Unbeknownst to Geronasso, the ad had been placed by an undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Geronasso sent several text messages stating that he wanted to have sex with the 14-year-old girl. After negotiating the price, Geronasso drove to the designated location, met with an undercover agent, and paid to have sex with the child.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Josephine W. Thomas.
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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.
State Primary Election Hotlines to Be Operated by the United States Attorney’s Office and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s OfficeRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice and New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph Foster announced today that both the United States Attorney's Office and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office will staff voting inquiry and complaint lines at their respective offices throughout the day and evening on during the State Primary Election on Tuesday, September 13, 2016.
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s toll free election line phone number is:
1-866-868-3703
(1-866-VOTER03)This phone line will be staffed from 6 am to 8 pm during the State Primary Election. Inquiries and complaints may also be submitted via e-mail at [email protected]. Information regarding voting rights may be obtained by visiting the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office website at http://doj.nh.gov/site-map/voters.htm.
The United States Attorney’s election line phone number is:
(603) 230-2503
This phone line will also be staffed from 7 am to 8 pm during the State Primary Election. Inquiries and complaints may also be submitted through the United States Attorney’s Web site at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh by clicking on the “e-mail us” link. A Federal Election Fraud Fact Sheet that explains what triggers federal criminal jurisdiction in connection with elections and voting rights can also be found on the United States Attorney’s Web site.
The state and federal election lines are available to all individuals who may have questions regarding their voting rights or who want to file complaints with the New Hampshire Attorney General or the United States Attorney regarding their right to vote or any other election law violation.
For further information, please contact Assistant Attorney General Brian Buonamano at (603) 271-3650, or Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman at (603) 230-2579.
Six Bronx Defendants Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Sex Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and William J. Bratton, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced the arrests of MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, a/k/a “Soly Almonte,” a/k/a “Soly La Fuerte,” a/k/a “SoSo,” a/k/a “SoSo Wavy,” a/k/a “Soly Montana,” DAWITT DYKES, a/k/a “Daweezy,” a/k/a “Dawezzy,” MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, DARLENE DELEON, and GABRIELY M. JOSE, a/k/a “Gabriela Vuitton,” a/k/a “Gabby,” on charges of sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking conspiracy, use of interstate commerce to promote illegal activity, enticement of a minor, and receipt and possession of child pornography. The sixth defendant, VETTHYA ALCIUS, a/k/a “Theiya Cole,” remains at large.
All of the defendants arrested today will be presented today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “The defendants allegedly engaged in the sexual exploitation of minors as young as 13 years old. Protecting children from the predatory conduct of adults who would sexually exploit them for profit is a critically important law enforcement mission to which our office and our law enforcement partners at the FBI and NYPD are committed.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Human trafficking of minors can at times be overlooked by our society because some may believe the children involved have a choice. But these children aren’t given a vote while the pimps peddle their bodies for money. It’s a grotesque violation of the law that the FBI and our law enforcement partners won’t stop pursuing until every child is rescued.”
Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said: “The defendants trafficked kids for sex as young as the age of 13. Today, those who, as alleged, took advantage of some of our society's youngest find themselves under arrest. I commend the work of the NYPD investigators, FBI agents and prosecutors involved in this case who continue to work to protect this city’s children and bring to justice those who profit from the abuse of the city’s youngest and most vulnerable victims.”
According to the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Since at least 2015, MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, ALCIUS, DYKES, DELEON, and JOSE have helped operate a brothel in New York City, which trafficked minors as young as 13 years old. The brothel operated at various locations throughout New York, including apartments in the Bronx and Harlem. Several of the defendants, including MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, and DELEON resided at apartments used for the brothel.
MARIA SOLY ALMONTE served as the brothel’s proprietor. ALCIUS, MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, DELEON, and JOSE all were sex workers at the brothel, and DYKES provided security. The brothel’s sex workers were required to pay MARIA SOLY ALMONTE a fee for prostitution services they rendered at the brothel. The brothel advertised its services on the internet via Backpage.com and communicated with clients by telephone.
The NYPD arrested DYKES and ALCIUS in 2015 at one of the brothel locations at which minor sex trafficking victims had worked. The Complaint refers to five minor victims, all of whom provided prostitution services at one or more of the brothel’s locations. ALCIUS and JOSE communicated with several of the minor victims about the brothel’s activities through social media, including setting up “dates.”
* * *
The charges in the Complaint against MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, 32, ALCIUS, 22, DYKES, 24, MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, 51, DELEON, 29, and JOSE, 20, are included in the chart below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Any individuals who believe they have information that may be relevant to the investigation should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-212-384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Mr. Bharara thanked the FBI and NYPD for their outstanding investigative work in this matter.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Dina McLeod and Stephanie Lake are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges and allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
16-244 ###
Count
Defendants
Charge
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term
Maximum Prison Term
One
MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, ALCIUS, DYKES, DELEON, and JOSE
Sex Trafficking Conspiracy
15 years
Life
Two
MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, ALCIUS, DYKES, DELEON, and JOSE
Sex Trafficking of a Minor
15 years
Life
Three
MARIA SOLY ALMONTE, ALCIUS, DYKES, MARIA MAGDALENA ALMONTE, DELEON, and JOSE
Use of Interstate Commerce to Promote Unlawful Activity
5 Years
Four
ALCIUS
Enticement of a Minor
10 years
Life
Five
ALCIUS
Receipt of Child Pornography
5 years
Life
Six
ALCIUS
Possession of Child Pornography
10 years
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
San Antonio Doctor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failure to Pay Withholding Taxes and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
In San Antonio this morning, 60-year old Anthony P. Sertich, Jr., was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $2.9 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Cotter.
On March 2, 2016, a federal jury convicted Sertich of ten counts of failure to truthfully account for and pay withholding taxes and one count of tax evasion. According to court documents, Sertich was a medical doctor who was the Member, Director and President of Advanced Artistic Facial Plastic Surgery of Texas, PA (AAFPST) and South Texas Otorhinolaryngology, PA (STO). During the calendar years 2008 through 2010, Sertich failed to pay over $226,000.78 to the IRS in payroll taxes withheld from AAFPST’s employees’ paychecks.
In addition, Sertich was found guilty of tax evasion. Between 2002 and 2010, Sertich accrued $2,927,366.45 in unpaid payroll taxes penalties and interest for AAFPST and STO. Sertich evaded paying the taxes by withholding and keeping money, which should have been paid to the IRS, and by repeatedly filing bankruptcy to take unfair advantage of the automatic stay of creditors.
Instead of paying the payroll taxes, Sertich paid himself millions of dollars in salary, which in turn paid for personal expenses such as a large mortgage and interest payments, real estate tax payments and alimony payments. Sertich also filed four personal and one corporate bankruptcy petitions, all but one of which was subsequently dismissed by the court.
“Dr. Anthony P. Sertich, Jr., deliberately evaded paying federal payroll taxes for over eight years, cheating the tax system, his employees, and ultimately, all other taxpayers,” stated United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. “He withheld money from his employees’ pay, which he applied to his own use. Then, he abused the bankruptcy process to defeat possible collection efforts.”
“IRS-Criminal Investigation realizes the detrimental consequences of employment tax evasion. It results in the loss of tax revenue to the United States government and the potential loss of future social security or Medicare benefits for the employees,” stated Special Agent in Charge William Cotter of IRS-Criminal Investigation, San Antonio. “Employers, such as Dr. Anthony P. Sertich Jr., who do not remit withheld employment taxes to the IRS are not only enriching themselves, they are creating financial problems for their employees.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William R. Harris.
Providence Felon Sentenced for Possessing Six FirearmsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Anthony Jenkins, 52, formerly of Providence, was sentenced today to 5 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of six firearms, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Jenkins to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Jenkins pleaded guilty on May 24, 2016, to being a felon in possession of six firearms.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, in November 2015, members of an ATF task force became aware of Jenkins plans to steal several firearms with the intent to sell some of them to a person recently released from prison. On November 5, 2015, Jenkins, accompanied by an ATF undercover task force agent, traveled to a storage unit facility in Cranston where Jenkins believed numerous firearms and assorted ammunition were being stored inside a locked unit. Jenkins cut off the lock and removed six firearms and assorted ammunition. Jenkins was detained by members of the task force immediately after he took possession of the firearms and the ammunition.
According to court records and information presented to the court, Jenkins’ previous adult criminal history includes 19 convictions for felony theft offenses.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The ATF Task Force consists of agents and officers from ATF; Providence, Cranston and Central Falls Police Departments; and the Special Investigations Unit at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
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Pittsburgh Felon Admits Illegally Possessing Ruger PistolRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Tyron Harrison, 23, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about May 7, 2012, Harrison was convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County of the offenses of Receiving Stolen Property and Firearms Not to be Carried without a License, which are both crimes punishable by imprisonment for terms exceeding one year. Following that conviction, on or about Jan. 21, 2016, Pittsburgh Police officers patrolling Zone 6 conducted a traffic stop of a car in which the defendant was a passenger. During the stop, officers recovered a loaded, .9 mm Ruger pistol from the defendant’s hoodie pocket.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for Dec. 19, 2016. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Pittsburgh Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harrison.
Pikeville Man Charged with Possessing Explosive Device After Device Failed to Detonate CarRead the Press Release
Mitchell Oakes, 41, of Pikeville, Tenn., was charged Saturday with possessing an explosive device and being a convicted felon in possession of an explosive device, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Oakes was charged in a federal criminal complaint, after a live explosive device was found Saturday, attached to a vehicle parked at the National Healthcare Corporation (NHC), Cool Springs facility in Franklin, Tenn.
“As with so many cases in this district, anytime an incident requires a coordinated response by local, state and federal law enforcement, our law enforcement partners come together and bring a rapid conclusion to an incident which ensures the safety and security of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “I commend the agencies involved here for their cooperation and swift action in identifying and arresting the offender.”
According to the complaint, a nurse at the facility arrived at her car in the parking lot, after ending her shift at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday. When she opened the car door, she discovered a device attached to the inside of the driver’s door. She noticed the device had wires attached to it and immediately believed it to be an explosive device.
Subsequent investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement, determined the device was in fact a live explosive. Law enforcement explosive specialists moved the device to a safe area, where it exploded during an attempt to render the device safe.
Further investigation by law enforcement officials determined that the apparent intended victim was estranged from her husband, Mitchell Oakes, and had obtained an Order of Protection against him on June 10, 2016, in Chesapeake City, Virginia. She also told law enforcement officials that Oakes had extensive knowledge and experience in manufacturing and using explosive materials and that she had received a threatening phone call from him earlier in the week.
Law enforcement officials were able to analyze the cell phone GPS data of Oakes’ phone and determined that the phone travelled from the Pikeville, Tenn. area to the immediate area of the NHC facility in Franklin, Tenn. and returned to the Pikeville area during the time period surrounding the incident.
According to the complaint, in January 2007, Mitchell Oakes was previously convicted of solicitation to commit second degree murder in Cumberland County, Tenn. and had been sentenced to four years in prison. Oakes was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Bledsoe County, Tenn. in 2014.
If convicted of these offenses, Oakes faces up to 10 years in prison on each charge.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; the FBI; the Tennessee Highway Patrol; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Franklin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Van Vincent is prosecuting the case.
Pennsylvania Woman Charged with Coercing Members of Church Ministry into Forced Labor and Pocketing Their EarningsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted the self-appointed bishop of a Pennsylvania ministry for allegedly collecting bogus travel-agent fees from hotels where her church members worked as desk clerks.
The bishop, TRACIE DICKEY, instructed the church members on how to have the hotels pay reservation-commission fees to a purported travel agency operated by Dickey, according to the indictment. From 2005 to 2013 the hotels paid approximately $130,000 in commissions to a bank account controlled by Dickey, even though her travel agency didn’t exist and couldn’t have booked the reservations on behalf of hotel guests, the indictment states.
It was further part of the scheme that Dickey emotionally and physically abused members of her faith-based organization, Deliverance Tabernacle Ministries, to coerce them into following its rules and remitting their earnings to Dickey or the church, according to the indictment. Dickey’s tactics included starving and humiliating church members, and threatening that God would harm their family members if they didn’t comply, the indictment states.
During the same eight-year period, Dickey collected $280,000 in wages earned at the hotels by four members of her ministry, according to the indictment. At Dickey’s direction, the wages were directly deposited into Dickey’s personal bank account or one of the ministry accounts controlled by Dickey, the indictment states.
Dickey, also known as “Tracie Williams,” 48, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of labor trafficking. The indictment seeks $410,000 in illegally derived proceeds.
Dickey has been in federal custody since her arrest in Dallas, Texas, in July. She is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Chicago on Sept. 13, 2016, at 1:30 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis.
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. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas provided assistance in the case.
The case was investigated by the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force, a multi-disciplinary unit that brings together law enforcement and social service agencies to combat human trafficking. More information about the Task Force can be found on its website: http://www.cookcountytaskforce.org/
Each count of the indictment is punishable by up to 20 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. Attorney Bethany Biesenthal.
Indictment
Omaha Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Ronald L. Worthington, Jr., 41, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing child pornography. The Honorable Joseph F. Bataillon imposed a sentence of 60 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Worthington will begin a five-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
On June 23, 2015, agents of Homeland Security Investigations spoke with Worthington about images uploaded to a child pornography website in 2013. Worthington admitted to accessing the image-sharing site and indicated that he had viewed child pornography the night before the agents came to his house. He consented to a search of his home. Agents recovered multiple CDs containing a total of 3 videos and 422 images of child pornography.
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 United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Nevada Stock Promoter Admits Role in $33 Million Microcap Stock Manipulation SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Henderson, Nevada, man today admitted his role in a stock market manipulation scheme that artificially inflated the stock price of four publicly traded companies through manipulative trading and other fraudulent means, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Nathan Montgomery, 35, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2008 through 2010, Montgomery, a penny stock promoter, participated in an extensive “pump-and-dump” scheme in which he and others fraudulently inflated the prices of certain shares in order to sell them later at artificially inflated prices. The scheme involved four public companies: BioNeutral Group Inc. (BONU), NXT Nutritionals Holdings Inc. (NXTH), Mesa Energy Holdings Inc. (MSEH), and Clear-Lite Holdings Inc. (CLRH) (collectively, the “Target Companies”).
As part of the scheme, Montgomery and others first obtained control over large blocks of the free trading shares of the Target Companies. Next, Montgomery and others “pumped” the price of those shares by, among other things, engaging in manipulative trading of the stocks of the Target Companies and disseminating promotional materials encouraging others to purchase them. After pumping the stocks, Montgomery and the other conspirators “dumped” them by selling large volumes of the Target Companies’ stock to victim investors. The target companies’ stock price would then drop, resulting in losses to the victims.
In order to fraudulently inflate the price and volume of the Target Companies’ stocks, Montgomery paid cash kickbacks to Donald Toomer, an investment advisor in Las Vegas, so that Toomer would purchase the Target Companies’ stock on behalf of his clients. The purpose of those purchases was to, among other things, create the false appearance of market interest and demand in the stock; build trading volume that would be attractive to potential investors who would later receive promotional materials about the stock; and generate income to fund the promotional campaigns, including email blasts and newsletters, that occurred in the later phases of the scheme. Additionally, Montgomery and other conspirators engaged in coordinated trading of the Target Companies’ stock using various brokerage accounts that they owned or controlled, including the accounts of friends, family and other third parties.
The scheme collectively generated approximately $33 million in illicit trading proceeds, of which Montgomery received approximately $20 million.
The conspiracy charge to which Montgomery pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 20, 2016.
On Dec. 15, 2015, Samuel DelPresto of Holmdel, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud for his role in the scheme. On Dec. 21, 2015, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Toomer charging him with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and investment adviser fraud and several counts of securities fraud and investment adviser fraud. That matter is currently pending before Judge Linares. A trial date has not yet been set.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, for the investigation leading to Montgomery’s guilty plea. He also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s New York Regional Office, under the direction of Andrew Calamari, for its assistance in this matter.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Grippo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Defense Counsel: Mark Bailus Esq., Las Vegas, Nevada, Marvin G. Pickholz Esq., New York, William B. Pollard III Esq., New York
Mount Dora Woman Charged with TRICARE FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Bobbi Gibson (45, Mount Dora) with 30 counts of wire fraud. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Gibson that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of at least $1.5 million, the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme.
According to the indictment, Gibson, who owned and operated Agency for Behavioral Services, Inc., defrauded the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program by fraudulently certifying that paraprofessional providers she employed had received the required 40 hours of classroom training in Applied Behavior Analysis techniques. Gibson then assigned these unqualified individuals to provide one-on-one autism services to military family members diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and caused TRICARE to be billed for these services.
“This indictment is yet another example of the continuing commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Department of Defense (DoD) health care program,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office. "As one of our top priorities, DCIS aggressively investigates health care fraud that harms the DoD, to ensure the best use of precious taxpayer dollars needed to provide critical care for our Warfighters, their family members, and military retirees."
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Mosakowski.
Modesto Man Pleads Guilty to Staging Car Accidents in a Scheme to Defraud Insurance CompaniesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Alfonso Apu, 48, of Modesto, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and admitted that he staged car accidents in a scheme to defraud insurance companies, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from at least October 2011 until August 2014, Apu conspired with at least six other individuals to stage dozens of car accidents and submit false claims to insurance companies seeking compensation. Apu and other defendants staged accidents with two or three vehicles that caused $5,000 to $10,000 in damage to each vehicle. After the staged collision, the defendants submitted a cover story to an insurer that concealed the true cause of the accident. The cover story used aliases, false identities, and false addresses for the defendants. The defendants used many different vehicles in the staged collisions by using false identities to register the vehicles and obtain insurance policies. They also recruited other individuals to allow their cars to be used in a staged accident and to make false claims under their insurance policies.
According to the plea agreement, as part of the scheme, the defendants offered to repair the recruited individual’s vehicle at automobile repair shops that they had access to or that were owned by co-defendants, usually performing cosmetic repair or none at all. It allowed them to repair damaged vehicles for an amount significantly less than the payment from an insurance company. In all, Apu caused at least $115,000 in false insurance claims.
This case is the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Insurance, Fraud Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick R. Delahunty and Henry Z. Carbajal III are prosecuting the case.
Apu is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on December 12, 2016. On September 6, 2016, Cristopher Santiago Sanchez-Becerra, 32, of Stockton, pleaded guilty to the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2016. Apu and Sanchez-Becerra each face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Charges are pending against co-defendants Juan Ortiz Rivas, 39, of Ceres; Oscar Diaz Landa, 46, of San Jose; Victor Hugo Soriano-Villafan, 26, of Modesto; Liobigildo Vargas, 46, of Turlock; Juan Marquez Cadenas, 30, of Patterson. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 15¾ Years on Cocaine Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: Daniel J. Perry
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Richard W. Szpyt, a/k/a “Zip,” 57, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to 15¾ years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. Szpyt pled guilty to the charge on June 2, 2016.
According to court records, from 2006 through about December 2007, co-conspirator Ramon Dellosantos supplied cocaine to Szpyt on numerous occasions. Szpyt distributed it to dealers operating in Maine who sold it to customers in Maine. Dellosantos pled guilty to the same charge on May 24, 2016 and awaits sentencing.
Szpyt and Dellosantos were arrested in 2008 along with 18 other people and charged with selling marijuana and cocaine to customers in Maine. According to evidence introduced at that trial, Szpyt was president of the Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club and he used other members of the club to distribute the drugs. A jury convicted Szpyt and Dellosantos in May 2009 on charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and more than five kilograms of cocaine. In August 2011, their convictions were overturned by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. They were re-indicted on December 14, 2011. To date, 12 other conspirators have been sentenced.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the York County Sheriff’s Office.
Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Kidnapping Teenagers in Sacramento and Transporting Them to Reno for Sex WorkRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A Reno man who kidnapped a teenage boy and girl in Sacramento, Calif., in July 2012, and repeatedly raped the girl in both Sacramento and later in Reno, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison and lifetime supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.
John Thomas Abrams, aka Buck, aka David George Garnett, aka John McDonald, aka David Blackwell, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du. Abrams was convicted by a jury in February of two counts of kidnapping and one count of transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity. There is no parole in the federal system.
“We have dedicated more resources than ever to catching and prosecuting these predators,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “We are working with local, state and federal partners in Nevada and other states to make sure they face the criminal justice system.”
Between about July 12 and July 22, 2012, Abrams kidnapped the 15-year-old girl and boy in the Sacramento area, and held them. While in Sacramento, Abrams repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl. After several days in Sacramento, Abrams then transported them to Reno with the intent that the girl engage in illegal sexual activity, where he again raped the girl before they were able to escape.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI in Sacramento and Reno and the Sacramento Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carla Higginbotham and Sue Fahami.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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."
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Man Convicted at Trial on Offenses Related to a Stolen Identity Refund Scheme is Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Angelbert Evoulou was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 57 months in federal prison following his conviction at trial in May 2016 on several offenses related to a stolen identity refund scheme, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Specifically, the jury convicted Evoulou of Conspiracy, Theft of Public Funds, Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Security, and Aggravated Identity Theft.
The government presented evidence at trial that during the investigation of a stolen refund ring, an individual advised an undercover special agent with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation that he could sell him an IRS refund check of approximately $595,000. After confirming the refund check was genuine and then arranging the purchase, two undercover agents met with Evoulou and three coconspirators at an IHOP restaurant in Dallas at 1:00 in the morning on May 16, 2013. Evoulou and the coconspirators had flown in from Atlanta several hours earlier with the check. At the restaurant, Evoulou pulled out a magazine in which he had concealed the check. To prove legitimacy of the refund check, he gave the undercover agent screen shots from an internal IRS data base showing details about the victim taxpayer. When two of the conspirators stepped outside to retrieve the purchase money to pay the undercover agents, IRS agents converged to arrest the participants. Evoulou managed to elude arrest by exiting the restaurant with a group patrons of the restaurant.
The other conspirators were arrested and charged with federal offenses to which they pleaded guilty and were sentenced. Evoulou was subsequently identified, indicted, and arrested in March 2015.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Stokes and Camille Sparks prosecuted.
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Man Arrested at Motel 6 in Addison is Sentenced to 110 Months in Federal Prison and Ordered to pay More Than $3.5 Million Restitution in Stolen Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Farai Marunda was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to 110 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $3,519,925 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) following his guilty plea last year to one count of access device fraud, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
According to the factual resume filed in the case, when officers with the Addison Police Department detected the odor of marijuana coming from a particular room at the Motel 6 on Belt Line Drive in Addison, Texas, Marunda spoke with the officers and gave them consent to search the room for marijuana. While the officers spoke with others who were in the room, Marunda removed two debit cards from his wallet and hid them under a folded mat by the edge of the bath tub. Marunda, according to the factual resume, also had a briefcase in the room, and in it officers found a small zippered case containing five thumb drives, two HP laptop computers, a T-Mobile hotspot device, six Visa debit cards in the names of six people, two blank Western Union Visa debit cards, a Wal-Mart receipt listing the purchase of a green dot moneypak prepaid card, and a listing that contained handwritten names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses, and credit card account numbers.
Pursuant to a federal search warrant for Marunda’s computers and hard drives, special agents with IRS Criminal Investigation found hundreds of computer files containing thousands of items of personal identifying information. The devices also contained tax filing software with tax return filing information for tax years 2010, 2011 and 2012.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Addison Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Stokes was in charge of the prosecution.
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Lemoore Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Robert Wallace Smith, 39, of Lemoore, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for receipt and distribution of child pornography, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On May 27, 2016, a federal jury found Smith guilty after a four-day trial. According to evidence presented at trial, Smith first came to the attention of law enforcement after he made child pornography available for distribution online using a file-sharing program. On December 23, 2011, agents executed a federal search warrant at Smith’s residence and seized his laptop computer, which contained a collection of 388 videos and pictures of children being sexually abused.
At trial, Smith took the stand, denying that he had any knowledge of the content on the computer. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Drozd found that Smith had obstructed justice by offering false testimony at his trial.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys Megan A. S. Richards and John R. Edwards are prosecuting the case.
Smith has been in custody since his trial in May 2016.
LRGP Gang Member Sentenced on Rico and Crack Cocaine ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Dayshawn Brazier, 25, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 140 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Duszkiewicz and Joel L. Violanti, who handled the case, Brazier was a member of L.R.G.P., a violent street gang named after the East Side streets of Lombard, Rother, Gibson and Playter. The defendant sold crack cocaine from a “trap house” on Sobieski Street in Buffalo utilized by gang members. The house was run by Brazier’s cousin and L.R.G.P. leader Dewayne Gray who was sentenced to 188 months in prison on September 9, 2016.
The defendant is one of 19 L.R.G.P. members and associates indicted and convicted in this case. On May 8, 2015, another 11 L.R.G.P. members and associates were also indicted on crack cocaine charges. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Today’s sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen. The Task force includes the Amherst Police Department; Buffalo Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Cheektowaga Police Department; Erie County Sheriff’s Office; Hamburg Police Department; Lancaster Police Department; Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority; New York State Department of Correctional Services; New York State Police; U.S. Border Patrol; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement–Homeland Security Investigations.
LRGP Gang Member Sentenced on Rico AndRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Dayshawn Brazier, 25, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 140 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Duszkiewicz and Joel L. Violanti, who handled the case, Brazier was a member of L.R.G.P., a violent street gang named after the East Side streets of Lombard, Rother, Gibson and Playter. The defendant sold crack cocaine from a “trap house” on Sobieski Street in Buffalo utilized by gang members. The house was run by Brazier’s cousin and L.R.G.P. leader Dewayne Gray who was sentenced to 188 months in prison on September 9, 2016.
The defendant is one of 19 L.R.G.P. members and associates indicted and convicted in this case. On May 8, 2015, another 11 L.R.G.P. members and associates were also indicted on crack cocaine charges. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Today’s sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen. The Task force includes the Amherst Police Department; Buffalo Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Cheektowaga Police Department; Erie County Sheriff’s Office; Hamburg Police Department; Lancaster Police Department; Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority; New York State Department of Correctional Services; New York State Police; U.S. Border Patrol; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement–Homeland Security Investigations.
Kanawha County man pleads guilty for role in California-to-West Virginia drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County man pleaded guilty today for his role in a California-to-West Virginia methamphetamine conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Brian Ashby, 38, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Ashby admitted that in December 2015, he received approximately five pounds of crystal methamphetamine that he acquired from a source in California. Ashby further admitted that he distributed the methamphetamine in the Charleston area. On January 11, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Ashby’s property and located over 15 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Ashby also admitted that near the end of February 2016, he traveled to Louisville to obtain 10 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and paid approximately $40,000 to an individual for the drugs. Ashby additionally admitted that he attempted to obtain another 10 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in March 2016. Law enforcement later seized $70,000 in cash from Ashby that he intended to use in that drug deal.
Ashby faces at least five and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on December 13, 2016.
This prosecution is the result of a multi-agency investigation that led to an eight-count indictment implicating 14 defendants, including Ashby. All of Ashby’s codefendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. As part of this conspiracy, Rafael Garcia Serrato, of Los Angeles, Cesar Garcia, also of Los Angeles, Daniel Ortiz-Rivera, a Mexican national, Velarian Sylvester Carter, of Beckley, and Miguel Tafolla-Montoya, a Mexican national, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Serrato and Garcia are scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2016. Ortiz-Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on October 11, 2016. Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2016. Tafolla-Montoya is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2016. Also, as part of this conspiracy, Marco Antonio Bojorquez-Rojas, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty to interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime, and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2016. Additionally, three women who were used as mules to transport methamphetamine, Danielle Dessaray Estrada, of Los Angeles, Kelly Newcomb, of Nevada, and Cara Linn Monasmith, also of Nevada, pleaded guilty to interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime. Estrada and Newcomb are scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2016. Monasmith is scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2016.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of these prosecutions. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Justice Department Announces New Steps to Advance and Strengthen Forensic ScienceRead the Press Release
Changes Include New Code of Professional Responsibility for Practice of Forensic Science
The Department of Justice announced new steps today as part of its ongoing commitment to strengthening and advancing forensic science. The department will implement a number of steps that will promote professional responsibility among forensics practitioners, institute best practices and advance the relationship between the academic research of forensic science and implementation in the field.
“Today’s announcement marks yet another step forward in the department’s efforts to strengthen the practice of forensic science in our nation’s laboratories and courtrooms,” said Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates. “We are continually looking at ways to ensure that forensic evidence is collected, analyzed and presented in a responsible and scientifically rigorous manner.”
The new policies include adopting a new code of professional responsibility that builds upon existing policies and accreditation requirements for departmental forensic examiners and laboratories. The department believes the code will improve education and guidance on professional responsibility while establishing a process for identifying and addressing violations of professional conduct.
Department forensic laboratories will also review their policies and procedures to ensure that forensic examiners are not using the expressions “reasonable scientific certainty” or “reasonable (forensic discipline) certainty” in their reports or testimony. Department prosecutors will also abstain from using these expressions when presenting forensic reports or questioning forensic experts in court unless required by a judge or applicable law. This decision complements the department’s efforts, announced earlier this year, to provide better guidance to forensic examiners and federal prosecutors on how to properly characterize the strength of forensic evidence in the courtroom.
The department also announced policies to implement greater transparency and access to forensic laboratory quality assurance documents and a plan to explore a grant funding of multiyear post-doctoral fellowships at federal, state and local forensic science service providers and forensic medicine service providers.
The new policies arose out of recommendations made by the National Commission of Forensic Science, which was established to advance the field of forensic science and make suggestions to the Attorney General on how to ensure that reliable and scientifically valid evidence is used when solving crimes. The Attorney General’s decision to implement several of the commission’s recommendations was announced at a meeting of the commission today. A memo was also sent to all department component heads directing the implementation of the recommendations. Additional information on the department’s ongoing work to strengthen forensic science can be found at www.justice.gov/forensics.