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23 August 2016
Alamogordo Man Facing Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This morning a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging William Allen Patterson, 34, of Alamogordo, N.M., with federal child pornography charges. Patterson was detained pending trial.
Patterson was arrested on August 10, 2016, on a criminal complaint alleging that he possessed and received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit activity from 2002 to 2012 and Aug. 10, 2016, in Otero County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, the investigation into Patterson began in Aug. 2016, after Patterson allegedly admitted to a polygraph examiner that he was addicted to child pornography while undergoing a polygraph examination as part of the application process to be a Border Patrol Agent. On Aug. 9, 2016, law enforcement searched Patterson’s residence and allegedly found a hard drive containing at least 10,000 images of child pornography.
If convicted on the receipt of child pornography charge, Patterson faces a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. If convicted on the possession of child pornography charge, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 82 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
22 August 2016
Wise Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling Synthetic PotRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today the sentencing of a Southwest Virginia who previously pled guilty to distributing synthetic drugs.
Bradford Levi Moore, 37, of Wise, Virginia, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute synthetic cannabinoids. Today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, Moore was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
“Synthetic forms of drugs have deadly effects on the body and the brain, even more so than common street drugs,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today.
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Moore admitted to being a distributor of synthetic cannabinoids in Wise County, Virginia from January 2013-January 2015. On January 22, 2015, a controlled delivery of synthetic cannabinoids was made to Moore at his business in Wise County.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Wise County Sheriff’s Department and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee prosecuted the case for the United States.
Wheeling man sentenced for transporting minors to engage in illicit sexual conductRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Kevin J. Wick, 43, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 312 months in prison for traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor victims, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.Wick transported minors across states lines from Ohio to an apartment in West Virginia where he engaged in illicit sexual conduct with the victims. He pled guilty in January 2016 to five counts of “Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Wheeling Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Northern District of West Virginia Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Martins Ferry, Ohio Police Department, and the Belmont County, Ohio Sheriff’s Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Wasilla Man Sentenced for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that Sergey Silver, 41, resident of Wasilla, Alaska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Ralph R. Beistline to 66 months in prison, to be followed by a 15-year term of supervised release, for possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). Silver pleaded guilty to the charge on January 13, 2016.
According to court documents and arguments made during today’s sentencing hearing, between November 4, 2014, and January 22, 2015, law enforcement downloaded child pornography from the defendant’s computer through an online file-sharing program. On March 11, 2015, law enforcement searched the defendant’s residence. Located on the defendant’s computer was evidence that he had recently run wiping software to delete the contents of the device. Nonetheless, law enforcement was able to recover evidence of the defendant’s use of a file-sharing program, and the names of approximately 200 files of child pornography that the defendant had downloaded and saved to his computer prior to March 11, 2015. Among these files were the images downloaded by law enforcement.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Beistline discussed the nature and circumstances of the defendant’s conduct, including the impact the defendant’s crimes had on the minors depicted in the images that he traded. The images possessed by the defendant showed “victims being abused and being filmed…this is tragic,” said Judge Beistline. Judge Beistline’s sentence also recognized that the defendant’s online activities created a “market” for images of child pornography. According to Judge Beistline, the defendant’s sentence was intended to “protect victims so we have a safer community in which to raise our children.”
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and the Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The Alaska ICAC is a federally and state funded task force managed by the Anchorage Police Department comprised of agents from federal, military, state, and local agencies. The purpose of the Alaska ICAC is to investigate online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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, or contact the District of Alaska’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator at (907) 271-5071.
U.S. Attorneys Richard S. Hartunian and Barbara L. McQuade Appointed to Lead the Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced today the appointment of U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian for the Northern District of New York as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Attorney General Lynch also appointed U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade for the Eastern District of Michigan to serve as vice chair. Both appointments are effective immediately.
“The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee plays an essential role in shaping the Justice Department’s policies, implementing its programs, and ensuring that equal justice and the rule of law are upheld throughout the United States,” said Attorney General Lynch. “As a former chair of the AGAC, I know firsthand the significant duties required of the committee’s leaders, and I am certain that U.S. Attorneys Richard Hartunian and Barbara McQuade are ready to assume the responsibility of chairing such an important and distinguished body. They are both seasoned prosecutors, exemplary law enforcement officers, and devoted public servants, and I look forward to benefitting from their long experience and wise counsel as we advance the department’s vital work in the months ahead. I congratulate them on their new posts, and I once again thank former U.S. Attorney John Walsh for his outstanding service as AGAC chair over the last 20 months.”
U.S. Attorney Hartunian has been the vice chair of the AGAC since January 2015. He was appointed to the AGAC in 2013 and has served as the co-chair of the Border and Immigration Subcommittee, as well as a member of the subcommittees focused on Native American issues, Health Care Fraud and Environmental Crimes. He has served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York since January of 2010. Before that, he had been an Assistant U.S. Attorney there since 1997 and the district’s Narcotics Chief and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator since 2006.
U.S. Attorney Hartunian is a 1983 cum laude graduate of Georgetown University and a 1986 graduate of the Albany Law School of Union University. He was engaged in the private practice of law in Albany from 1987 to 1990. He served as an Assistant District Attorney in Albany County from 1990 to 1997, where his work on narcotics and violent crime cases led to his designation as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1994.
In May of 2010, U.S. Attorney Hartunian was honored by the Armenian Bar Association as the first U.S. Attorney of Armenian descent.
U.S. Attorney McQuade was appointed to the AGAC in April 2013 and has previously served as co-chair of the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee. She also served on subcommittees addressing civil rights and border security. She became the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan when she took office in January of 2010. She was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit, Michigan, for 12 years, including service as Deputy Chief of the National Security Unit.
U.S. Attorney McQuade is a 1987 graduate of the University of Michigan and a 1991 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. Before becoming a federal prosecutor, she practiced law in a Detroit firm and served as a law clerk to a U.S. District Judge. From 2003 to 2009, U.S. Attorney McQuade was as an adjunct law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
While U.S. Attorney McQuade replaces U.S. Attorney Hartunian as vice chair, U.S. Attorney Hartunian replaces former U.S. Attorney John Walsh for the District of Colorado as chair.
The AGAC was created in 1973 to serve as the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and to advise the Attorney General on policy, management and operational issues impacting the offices of the U.S. Attorneys.
U.S. Attorneys Richard S. Hartunian and Barbara L. Mcquade Appointed to Lead the Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced today the appointment of U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian for the Northern District of New York as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Attorney General Lynch also appointed U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade for the Eastern District of Michigan to serve as vice chair. Both appointments are effective immediately.
“The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee plays an essential role in shaping the Justice Department’s policies, implementing its programs, and ensuring that equal justice and the rule of law are upheld throughout the United States,” said Attorney General Lynch. “As a former chair of the AGAC, I know firsthand the significant duties required of the committee’s leaders, and I am certain that U.S. Attorneys Richard Hartunian and Barbara McQuade are ready to assume the responsibility of chairing such an important and distinguished body. They are both seasoned prosecutors, exemplary law enforcement officers, and devoted public servants, and I look forward to benefitting from their long experience and wise counsel as we advance the department’s vital work in the months ahead. I congratulate them on their new posts, and I once again thank former U.S. Attorney John Walsh for his outstanding service as AGAC chair over the last 20 months.”
U.S. Attorney Hartunian has been the vice chair of the AGAC since January 2015. He was appointed to the AGAC in 2013 and has served as the co-chair of the Border and Immigration Subcommittee, as well as a member of the subcommittees focused on Native American issues, Health Care Fraud and Environmental Crimes. He has served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York since January of 2010. Before that, he had been an Assistant U.S. Attorney there since 1997 and the district’s Narcotics Chief and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator since 2006.
U.S. Attorney Hartunian is a 1983 cum laude graduate of Georgetown University and a 1986 graduate of the Albany Law School of Union University. He was engaged in the private practice of law in Albany from 1987 to 1990. He served as an Assistant District Attorney in Albany County from 1990 to 1997, where his work on narcotics and violent crime cases led to his designation as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1994.
In May of 2010, U.S. Attorney Hartunian was honored by the Armenian Bar Association as the first U.S. Attorney of Armenian descent.
U.S. Attorney McQuade was appointed to the AGAC in April 2013 and has previously served as co-chair of the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee. She also served on subcommittees addressing civil rights and border security. She became the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan when she took office in January of 2010. She was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit, Michigan, for 12 years, including service as Deputy Chief of the National Security Unit.
U.S. Attorney McQuade is a 1987 graduate of the University of Michigan and a 1991 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. Before becoming a federal prosecutor, she practiced law in a Detroit firm and served as a law clerk to a U.S. District Judge. From 2003 to 2009, U.S. Attorney McQuade was as an adjunct law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
While U.S. Attorney McQuade replaces U.S. Attorney Hartunian as vice chair, U.S. Attorney Hartunian replaces former U.S. Attorney John Walsh for the District of Colorado as chair.
The AGAC was created in 1973 to serve as the voice of the U.S. Attorneys and to advise the Attorney General on policy, management and operational issues impacting the offices of the U.S. Attorneys.
Two Sentenced for Roles in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – Two members of a methamphetamine conspiracy that trafficked large quantities of the drug from Atlanta to Southwest Virginia, were sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Summer Deborah Booher, 22, of Blunt City, Tennessee, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Today in District Court, Booher was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison. Stacy Lee Doane, 31, of Bristol, Virginia, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Today in District Court, Doane was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison.
“We will continue to be vigilant in stopping the flow of methamphetamine into Southwest Virginia,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “Conspiracies, like the one prosecuted in this case, will be held accountable for their actions.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, the defendants were part of a methamphetamine conspiracy that transported and distributed multiple pounds of crystal methamphetamine between Atlanta, Georgia, Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bristol, Virginia Police Department, the Bristol, Tennessee Police Department, the Abingdon Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee prosecuted the case for the United States.
Two Men and One Woman Convicted of Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Three Marshalltown residents who conspired to distribute methamphetamine were convicted by a jury on August 16, 2016, after a five-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Daniela Castellanos, 29, Juan Flores, a/k/a Alejandro Becerra, 28, and Marcos Perez-Trevino, 46, all from Marshalltown, Iowa, were convicted of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was returned following about three hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that all three individuals were involved in a large conspiracy responsible for distributing multiple pounds of ice methamphetamine throughout Northern Iowa. Flores and Perez-Trevino served as sources of supply for the organization, distributing methamphetamine in multiple ounce and pound quantities, while Castellanos was responsible for transporting and delivering methamphetamine and wiring drug proceeds to Mexico. To date, over thirty individuals have been found guilty of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine as part of this organization.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. All three defendants remain in custody of the United States Marshal. Perez-Trevino face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, over $10,000,000 in fines, $100 in special assessments, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Castellanos and Flores face up to twenty years imprisonment, over $1,000,000 in fines, $100 in special assessments, and at least three years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Tri-County Drug Task Force, comprised of the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar Falls Police Department, LaPorte City Police Department, Hudson Police Department, Evansdale Police Department, University of Northern Iowa Police Department, Waverly Police Department and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; the Mid-Iowa Task Force, comprised of the Marshalltown Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Grundy County Sheriff’s Office, Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Falls Police Department, Eldora Police Department and the Dysart Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; the Iowa City Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 15-cr-2037.
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Three Companies Agree to Plead Guilty for Fixing Prices of Electrolytic CapacitorsRead the Press Release
Rubycon, Elna and Holy Stone Are Latest Companies to Plead Guilty in Ongoing Investigation
Rubycon Corporation, Elna Co., Ltd. and Holy Stone Holdings Co., Ltd. will plead guilty for their roles in a conspiracy to fix prices for electrolytic capacitors sold to customers in the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today.
“The Antitrust Division has now charged five companies and one individual for their participation in this international price-fixing conspiracy,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent Snyder of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The electrolytic capacitors conspiracy affected millions of American consumers who use electronic devices containing capacitors every day.”
Electrolytic capacitors store and regulate electrical current in a variety of electronic products, including computers, televisions, car engine and airbag systems, home appliances and office equipment.
The division filed one-count felony charges against each of the three companies in U.S. District Court in San Francisco today. In addition to pleading guilty to the charges against them, each company has agreed to pay a criminal fine and cooperate with the division’s ongoing investigation. The plea agreements are subject to court approval.
Previously, NEC TOKIN Corp. and Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd. pleaded guilty to participating in the same worldwide conspiracy. NEC TOKIN was sentenced to pay a fine of $13.8 million in January 2016, and Hitachi Chemical was sentenced to pay a fine of $3.8 million in June 2016. On March 12, 2015, a grand jury indicted Takuro Isawa, a former Global Sales General Manager for one of the capacitor manufacturers, for his alleged participation in the conspiracy.
The charges today results from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office into price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the capacitor industry. Anyone with information on price fixing, bid rigging or other anticompetitive conduct related to the capacitors industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258, visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
Elna Information
Holy Stone Information
Rubycon Information
Tennessee Woman Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Claims for RefundRead the Press Release
Filed False Claims for Refund Causing Loss of More Than $1 Million
A Nashville, Tennessee, woman was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for filing false claims for refund, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Rivera for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Karen Liane Miller, 61, admitted that from about August 2008 until about July 2009, she knowingly prepared and submitted multiple false federal income tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on behalf of her friends, family and herself. The returns reported false amounts of taxable income on attached Forms 1099-OID (Original Issue Discount) and Forms 1099-A that Miller created and fraudulently represented to have been issued by financial institutions. The returns also reported identical or near-identical false amounts of federal income tax withheld from the fictitious income to generate claims for tax refunds that were significantly higher than what the taxpayers were entitled to receive. Miller filed 48 fraudulent tax returns that falsely claimed more than $19.8 million in refunds. The IRS issued $1,003,238 in refunds for eight of the 48 fraudulent returns.
In addition to the prison term, Miller was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $939,835.62.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Rivera commended special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Trial Attorneys Alexander Effendi and Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division and Assistant US Attorney Carrie Daughtrey, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Tennessee Woman Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Claims for RefundRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Nashville, Tennessee, woman was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for filing false claims for refund, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Rivera for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Karen Liane Miller, 61, admitted that from about August 2008 until about July 2009, she knowingly prepared and submitted multiple false federal income tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on behalf of her friends, family and herself. The returns reported false amounts of taxable income on attached Forms 1099-OID (Original Issue Discount) and Forms 1099-A that Miller created and fraudulently represented to have been issued by financial institutions. The returns also reported identical or near-identical false amounts of federal income tax withheld from the fictitious income to generate claims for tax refunds that were significantly higher than what the taxpayers were entitled to receive. Miller filed 48 fraudulent tax returns that falsely claimed more than $19.8 million in refunds. The IRS issued $1,003,238 in refunds for eight of the 48 fraudulent returns.
In addition to the prison term, Miller was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $939,835.62.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Rivera commended special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Trial Attorneys Alexander Effendi and Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division and Assistant US Attorney Carrie Daughtrey, who are prosecuting the case.
Studio City Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Possessing Credit Card Numbers Stolen with ‘Skimmers’ at Gas PumpsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Studio City man was sentenced today to 65 months in federal prison for possessing more than 1,400 credit card profiles that had been stolen from consumers who used gas pumps equipped with illegal “skimmers.”
Koren Robert Kechedzian, 25, was further ordered by United States District Judge Philip S. Guttierez to pay restitution of $114,135 to victim financial institutions that suffered losses when the stolen credit card numbers were used for fraudulent purchases.
At the conclusion of a one-week trial in March, Kechedzian was convicted of two counts of credit card fraud (specifically, two counts of possession of 15 or more counterfeit access devices) and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
The federal jury found that Kechedzian possessed two USB flash drives – which are commonly called “thumb drives” – that contained stolen credit card information. The portable drives were found at Kechedzian’s residence when federal authorities executed a search warrant in June 2013. At that time, investigators also recovered an illegal skimming device designed to be installed in gas station pumps to steal credit card data.
Bank records examined by investigators established that the stolen credit cards numbers on the USB flash drives came from Chevron gas stations in Palmdale and Moorpark, and testimony at trial showed that the data on portable drives was consistent with the output from a credit card skimming device.
“Stolen credit card information found in this defendant’s residence was used to obtain products at gas stations and other retail outlets,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The investigation also linked the defendant to senior members of Armenian Power, a gang that has been involved in credit card schemes. This type of fraud harms millions of Americans and can be used to fund other illegal activity, which is why law enforcement is committed to uncovering these schemes and prosecuting the perpetrators.”
The investigation in this case was conducted by special agents with IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the United States Secret Service. The investigation into Kechedzian stemmed from the discovery in 2013 of two counterfeit credit cards that were embossed with Kechedzian’s name.
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to the defendant and others thinking about taking such action that credit card fraud will be taken seriously and the punishment will involve a long prison sentence,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Orlando. “As credit card fraud becomes more prevalent, IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to use our forensic skills to protect consumers from fraud artists committed to taking the identities of innocent victims.”
Special agents testifying at trial said that credit card fraud rings install skimming devices in gas station pumps and obtain credit card numbers from the devices and transmit the stolen data with Bluetooth technology. Customers who use these compromised gas pumps are the unwitting victims of the credit card fraud.
“As this case demonstrates, those who steal the personal information of unsuspecting citizens to feed their own greed will get the justice they deserve,” said Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. “HSI will continue to work closely with its federal and local law enforcement partners to target these schemes that not only harm merchants and financial institutions, but cause considerable pain and ongoing headaches for the innocent consumers whose information has been stolen.”
The case against Kechedzian was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section and Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty of the General Crimes Section.
Stevens Point Man Pleads Guilty Related to Role in Credit Union/Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 19, 2016, Jason A. Kiedrowski (age: 39) of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and pleaded guilty to a count of entering a financial institution with the intent to commit larceny in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a).
In pleading guilty, Kiedrowski acknowledged that he was responsible for the following robberies throughout Wisconsin: Fox Communities Credit Union in Grand Chute on February 10, 2015; Royal Credit Union in Eau Claire on March 19, 2015; Hometown Bank in Fond du Lac on March 24, 2015; Educational Employee’s Credit Union in Janesville on April 10, 2015; First National Bank in Appleton on June 18, 2015; Unison Credit Union in De Pere on July 7, 2015.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Kiedrowski is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2016. He remains incarcerated pending sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Grand Chute Police Department, the Eau Claire Police Department, the Fond du Lac Police Department, the Janesville Police Department, the Appleton Police Department, the De Pere Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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Seventh Defendant Sentenced to 140 Months in Prison for Role in Minneapolis Street GangRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced the sentencing of PERCY MINIFER LACEY, JR., a/k/a “P3,” 23, to 140 months in prison. LACEY, who pleaded guilty on February 23, 2016, to conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minn.
LACEY is the final defendant to be sentenced as part of an August 2015 indictment charging members of the 10z and 20z street gangs with crimes related to a multi-year gang war, which included a broad daylight shooting in August 2014 outside the Hennepin County Medical Center.
“Gangs like the 10z and 20z that engage in violent warfare endanger innocent lives and pose a significant threat to communities throughout Minneapolis,” said Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez. “The ATF and the Minneapolis Police Department have worked hard to stem the tide of gang violence in Minneapolis, and today’s sentence is an important step forward.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, LACEY and his co-conspirators engaged in a series of public shootings as part of gang warfare on behalf of the 10z and 20z, gangs which make money through the sale of illegal drugs. 10z and 20z members repeatedly engaged in street warfare against rival gangs, primarily the Bloods and the Bogus Boys, to protect and seize new drug dealing territory and to attack and rob drug distributors associated with rival gangs. All together, the defendants were involved in at least five shootings between August 19 and September 23, 2014.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, two days after being caught on tape shooting at Bloods gang members with a semi-automatic weapon, LACEY sprayed 30 rounds of bullets outside Hennepin County Medical Center, ignoring nearby staff, families and children, in his pursuit of Bloods who were visiting a member of their gang who had been shot earlier in the day. One round narrowly missed a child in her car seat.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, LACEY was a proud gang member. He has multiple photos of himself posted to social media showing off stacks of money, and videos in which he boasts about his capacity for violence. Even after he was indicted, LACEY posted a photo of himself with fellow gang members flashing gang signs while incarcerated.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Defendant Information:PERCY MINIFER LACEY, JR., a/k/a “P3,” 23
Richfield, Minn.Convicted: • Conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, 1 count
Sentenced: • 140 months in prison
• 3 years supervised releaseDANIEL ALFRED ADAMS, a/k/a “Funk,” 30
Minneapolis, Minn.Convicted: Conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, 1 count
Sentenced: • 120 months in prison
• 3 years supervised releaseCLARENCE JAMES DICKENS, JR., a/k/a “Claro,” a/k/a, “Sneaky,” 26
Roseville, Minn.Convicted: • Conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, 1 count
Sentenced: • 129 months in prison
• 3 years supervised releaseANTHONY PIERRE DOSS, a/k/a “Two Tone,” a/k/a “Tony,” 25
Brooklyn Park, Minn.Convicted: • Conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, 1 count
Sentenced: • 105 months in prison
• 3 years supervised releaseTHOMAS DUPREE BENNETT, a/k/a “Deandre Clay,” a/k/a “Trigga,” 28
Minneapolis, Minn.Convicted: • Felon in possession of ammunition, 1 count
Sentenced: • 60 months in prison
• 3 years supervised release
ANDREW INDELICATO PETERSON, a/k/a “Boo Boo,” 26
St. Louis Park, Minn.Convicted: • Felon in possession of ammunition, 1 count
Sentenced: • 120 months in prison
• 3 years supervised releasePAUL ANTONIO EARLY, a/k/a “Stamps,” a/k/a, “Man Man,” 24
Minneapolis, Minn.Convicted: • Distribution of cocaine base, 1 count
Sentenced: • 100 months in prison
• 3 years supervised releaseSenior Litigation Counsel Named for the District of Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha has announced the appointment of Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams as Senior Litigation Counsel (SLC) for the District of Rhode Island. Mr. McAdams, who has been a federal prosecutor since 2002, replaces Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland who was named Criminal Division Chief in July.
As SLC, Mr. McAdams is charged with dealing with some of the most difficult and complex legal matters, under the direct supervision of the United States Attorney. Mr. McAdams is responsible for organizing, preparing and directing complex, and at times novel, investigations and proceedings leading to litigation. The SLC is often consulted for advice by supervisors and prosecutors of the Office’s legal divisions. The SLC is also responsible for developing and implementing litigation-oriented training programs.
In the making the announcement, United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha said, “John is an exceptional attorney, with a breadth of experience, and I know that he will provide sound advice to me as well as to all of the prosecutors in this office.”
Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island in 2007, Mr. McAdams served as a Trial Attorney with the Criminal Enforcement Section of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division from 2002-2007. He also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2003.
At present, Mr. McAdams serves as the Civil Rights coordinator, public corruption coordinator and Tribal Liaison for the District. In 2014, Mr. McAdams received the prestigious Executive Office of United States Attorneys Director’s Award for superior performance by a criminal Assistant U.S. Attorney for his efforts in the prosecution of Joseph Caramadre.
Mr. McAdams graduated from Saint Anselm College in 1995. He earned his Juris Doctor and graduated from Boston College Law School in 2002.
After graduating from Saint Anselm College and prior to attending Boston College Law School, Mr. McAdams served as a full-time volunteer teacher for at-risk youth on the Colville Indian Reservation in the state of Washington, and as a full-time volunteer at Amate House in Chicago, IL, where he developed and directed a high-profile organization for at-risk youth.
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Contact:
Jim Martin (401) 709-5357
email: [email protected]
on Twitter @USAO_RI
Salem, Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A 21-year-old Salem man, who admitted to having crystal methamphetamine shipped to the Roanoke Valley from California, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to federal drug charges, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Tyler Johnson, 21, of Salem, Va., pled guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine or 500 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
“Methamphetamine is a drug that destroys the lives of those who become addicted. The abuse of this dangerous substance is so often the spark for other criminal activities,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “We will continue to dedicate as many resources as possible to combat this growing threat in our community.”
According to evidence presented at today’s guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Day Rottenborn, Johnson admitted that from November 2015 through February 2016 he bought crystal methamphetamine from Joshua Voress of Beverly Hills, California. Johnson met Voress via the Internet and during the course of their drug relationship, Johnson bought between 10 and 30 pounds of crystal methamphetamine. Voress shipped the crystal methamphetamine to Johnson in the mail, generally via the United States Postal Service or FedEx. Once the drugs were received in the Western District of Virginia, Johnson sold the crystal methamphetamine in Roanoke and the surrounding areas.
Johnson was interdicted on February 19, 2016, when local law enforcement observed him make a hand-to-hand crystal methamphetamine sale out of the window of his car in the parking lot of a Sheetz gas station. At the time, Johnson had approximately 20 grams of crystal methamphetamine in his possession.
The investigation of the case was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Salem Police Department, and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Donald R. Wolthuis and Laura Day Rottenborn prosecuted the case for the United States.
Rio Rancho Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Bank in AlbuquerqueRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joshua Abeyta, 23, of Rio Rancho, N.M., pled guilty in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 19, 2016, to a bank robbery charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Abeyta was arrested on Oct. 19, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with robbing the Santa Fe Federal Credit Bank located at 7101 Jefferson St. NE in Albuquerque, earlier in the day. The complaint alleges that Abeyta robbed the bank by handing a handwritten note with a robbery demand to a bank teller. The teller complied with Abeyta’s written and verbal robbery demands and handed money over to Abeyta. Abeyta left the scene on foot and was pursued by customers of the bank before being arrested by an Albuquerque Police Department officer. Abeyta was subsequently indicted on the same charge on Nov. 17, 2015.
On Aug. 19, 2016, Abeyta entered a guilty plea to the indictment, and admitted to robbing the Santa Fe Federal Credit Union in Albuquerque on Oct. 19, 2015. At sentencing, Abeyta faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which is currently scheduled for Nov. 17, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.
Pair That Distributed Heroin are SentencedRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A pair of Roanoke men, who previously pled guilty to distributing heroin, were sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Benjamin Moore Garnette, 31, of Roanoke, Va., previously pled guilty to one count of distributing heroin and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Today in District Court, Garnette was sentenced to 137 months in federal prison.
Keith Holland, 39, of New Jersey, previously pled guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin. Today in District Court, Holland was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison.
“The heroin epidemic continues to pose real challenges to our communities, law enforcement agencies, but most importantly to those addicted to this awful drug,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “We will continue to vigorously enforce our drug laws while offering support for prevention and treatment programs looking to help those addicted to heroin and other drugs.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings, Holland and Garnette maintained a home on Dale Avenue in the City of Roanoke that police believed was used for the distribution of heroin. During an August 13, 2015 search of the home, conducted after police obtained a search warrant, police discovered approximately 1,800 dosages units (54 grams of heroin) and several firearms.
Ocoee Man Sentenced to 42 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton today sentenced Timothy Michael Sedlak (43, Ocoee) to 42 years in federal prison for production and possession of child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the computers and electronic equipment used in the offenses. A federal jury found Sedlak guilty on May 26, 2016.
According to court documents, on two occasions, Sedlak took photographs of himself sexually abusing a small child. The first incident took place in September 2009, when the victim was a year old, and the second incident took place in April 2011, when the child was three. The images of Sedlak abusing the child were discovered when United States Secret Service agents executed a search warrant on Sedlak’s home as part of an unrelated computer intrusion investigation. In addition to the images of the victim, agents discovered hundreds of images of child pornography on Sedlak’s computers that had been downloaded from the Internet.
"The horrible victimization this young child has survived cannot be erased, but we can ensure this criminal cannot harm another child," said Susan L. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Division of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who assisted with the investigation of the case. "HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to make our communities safer and hold monsters like this accountable for their actions."
It is another case 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, 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.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.
New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office Closes Investigation into the Death of Jerame C. ReidRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today that following a thorough federal investigation, there is insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Jerame C. Reid. On Dec. 30, 2014, Mr. Reid was killed by Bridgeton Police Officer Braheme Days following a traffic stop of a car in which Mr. Reid was a passenger. Representatives from the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office met today with Mr. Reid’s family to inform them of the decision.
Following Mr. Reid’s death, the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI, in consultation with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, opened a criminal investigation into whether that shooting violated federal law. Viewing the evidence as whole, the government determined that federal charges are not warranted.
The federal criminal statute that enforces Constitutional limits on uses of force by law enforcement officers is 18 U.S.C. § 242. A violation of Section 242 requires the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was acting under color of law, that he deprived a victim of a right protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, that the deprivation resulted in bodily injury and/or death, and that he acted willfully.
There is no dispute that Officer Days, who was on duty as a police officer for the Bridgeton Police, acted under color of law when he shot Mr. Reid and that the shots resulted in Mr. Reid’s death. However, criminal prosecution is appropriate only if there is sufficient evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that any of the shots fired by Officer Days were unreasonable and that he fired those shots with the requisite willful criminal intent.
As the U.S. Supreme Court has explained, the use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the “20/20 vision of hindsight.” Allowance must be made for the fact that law enforcement officials are often forced to make split-second judgments in circumstances that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving. The use of deadly force is justified when the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a threat of serious physical harm, either to the officer or to others.
In addition, the law requires that the government prove that the shooting was done willfully: mistake, fear, misperception, or even poor judgment does not constitute willful conduct prosecutable under the statute.
To make the proper assessment under these standards, federal agents and prosecutors evaluated the physical, forensic, ballistic and crime scene evidence, medical and autopsy reports, the officers’ personnel records, audio and video recordings, internet postings, any relevant leads, as well as the extensive prior investigation conducted by the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office to which investigators were given full access. FBI agents and federal prosecutors interviewed the driver of the vehicle, who had given several prior statements about the events that evening, spoke to Mr. Reid's family members, and pursued various leads in an effort to investigate and evaluate every possible source of relevant information. The audio and video from the police dashboard camera, as well as the physical and forensic evidence provided federal prosecutors with a benchmark against which to measure the credibility of the witness’s accounts, including that of Officer Days.
Investigators compared individual witness accounts to the physical and forensic evidence, to other credible witness accounts, and to each witness’s own prior statements made throughout the investigations. Investigators also re-interviewed certain witnesses in an effort to clarify aspects of their testimony, to evaluate their accounts and to obtain more detailed information. In so doing, investigators assessed the witnesses’ demeanor, tone, bias, and ability to accurately perceive or recall the events of Dec. 30, 2014.
The death of Mr. Reid arose out of a traffic stop of a car in which he was a passenger. During the stop, police officers discovered a firearm in the glove compartment of the car. Officer Days and Officer Roger Worley then drew their firearms and ordered Mr. Reid and the driver not to move. The driver complied, while Mr. Reid continued to reach toward the console area between the passenger and driver front seats. Eventually, Mr. Reid forced his way out of the passenger side door against the repeated directives of Officer Days. Mr. Reid was shot as he exited the car in the direction of Officer Days. Although Officer Worley also fired his weapon, only the shots fired by Officer Days struck Mr. Reid.
While in hindsight it is clear that Mr. Reid was unarmed, Officer Days stated that he feared that Mr. Reid either had a firearm or was attempting to grab one from him. In order to bring a federal criminal charge in these circumstances the government would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Days did not fear for his own life and safety, but rather shot and killed Mr. Reid for malicious or improper reasons. The government does not believe it can carry that burden beyond a reasonable doubt. As a result, the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office will not pursue criminal charges against Officer Days.
Navajo Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Child MolestationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Today, Raymond S. Tsosie, 53, of Burnside, Ariz., a member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 229 months in prison. Tsosie had previously pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 years old.
Tsosie’s conduct included sexually abusing a five-year-old girl, an eight-year-old girl, and a nine-year-old girl in 2014. Tsosie was also ordered to have 20 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, which will include sex offender treatment and registration. All victims are members of the Navajo Nation and all incidents occurred on the Navajo Reservation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Gayle L. Helart, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-15-08165-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2016-065_ Tsosie
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Muskogee Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that KEEVIN MICHAEL RAY WALKER, age 29, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, pled guilty to FELON IN POSSESSION OF FIREARM, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
The charge arose from an investigation by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, Muskogee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The defendant was indicted in June, 2016.
The Indictment alleged that on or about January 16, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the guilty plea and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following its completion. The defendant will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
The statutory range of punishment is not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine or both.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Member of the Simple City Criminal Organization Pleads Guilty to a Racketeering Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Sylvia Price, a/k/a “Deez Nuts,” age 50, of Suitland, Maryland pleaded guilty today to conspiring to participate in a racketeering conspiracy and to aggravated identity theft, in connection with her activities in the Simple City Criminal Organization (SCCO), a racketeering enterprise engaged in fraud and related activity, including vehicle theft and interstate transportation of stolen property. Specifically, Sylvia Price admitted that she engaged in fraudulent financial transactions, using the identities of over 230 victims, with losses to the victims of SCCO’s activities of at least $453,900.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to her plea agreement, from at least 2009 to July 2015, Price and her conspirators met on a regular basis, and planned criminal activity, including vehicle theft, the interstate transportation of stolen property, identity theft and credit/debit card fraud. The SCCO received money and income from those criminal activities.
For example, Sylvia Price received stolen pocketbooks containing checks, credit and debit cards, and other forms of identification, such as driver’s licenses, from other members of SCCO. Price and other conspirators used the stolen items to conduct fraudulent financial transactions. The money obtained from those transactions was given to Price, who then provided a portion to another SCCO member, to divide with the co-conspirators who stole the pocketbooks. Law enforcement intercepted communications between Price and another SCCO member in which they discuss providing handbags stolen from automobiles to Price.
On July 16, 2015, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Price’s home in Suitland and recovered checkbooks and means of identifications of individuals who had reported their vehicles stolen, or had reported a theft of those items from their vehicle. In addition, law enforcement recovered 95 women’s designer handbags worth approximately $53,000, as well as gift cards totaling approximately $1,180.
As part of her plea agreement, Sylvia Price will be required to forfeit and pay restitution of at least $453,900, the full amount of the victims’ losses.
Sylvia Price faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the racketeering conspiracy, and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for November 21, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.
Co-defendants Stefon Janey, a/k/a “Stef,” and “Stef Luva,” age 23, of Marlow Heights, Maryland, Jessica Rubio, age 38, of Washington, D.C. previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the racketeering conspiracy. Rubio also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Judge Hazel sentenced Janey to 27 months in prison, and Rubio to 40 months in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department and the members of the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement Unit for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Nicolas A. Mitchell, who are prosecuting the case.
Marion drug dealers sentenced to prison for selling fatal mix of heroin and fentanylRead the Press Release
Two Marion men were sentenced to prison for selling a mixture of heroin and fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death last year, law enforcement officials said.
Eric Creagh, 33, was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison while Rashawn D. Thomas, 28, was sentenced to nine years in prison. Both previously pleaded guilty to one count of drug trafficking that resulted in death.
Creagh sold Thomas “blue drop heroin” -- a mixture of heroin and fentanyl that had been dyed blue -- on May 22, 215. Later that day, Thomas sold a portion of the “blue drop heroin” to Christopher Wolford, who used the drug at his home, which ultimately caused him to overdose and die, according to court documents.
“Heroin and fentanyl abuse have been devastating to the community in Marion, as it has to communities throughout Ohio,” U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon said. “We will continue to pursue long prison sentences for those who sell this deadly mix, while also continuing with a comprehensive approach focused on prevention, treatment, changing prescribing practices and enforcement.”
“On May 28, 2015 the City of Marion reached out to our federal and state partners asking for assistance with a Blue Drop Heroin overdose epidemic,” Marion Police Chief William Collins said. “Through combined efforts of our local drug task force, MARMET/METRICH, DEA, BCI and the US Attorney’s Office, an unprecedented 14-day investigation took place and resulted the arrests of Eric Creagh and Rashawn Thomas. These individuals were charged at the federal level in hopes that they would receive the kind of prison sentence that would fit the criminal offense, today we see our hopes fulfilled in that they will serve long prison sentences for their crimes against this community. Marion law enforcement will continue to seek harsh prison sentences for those whom seek to destroy our community.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. Plancon said: “DEA and our law enforcement partners have made it a priority to investigate the distribution of drugs that result in death. The efficiency in which this investigation was conducted, taking dangerous drug dealers off of the street, demonstrates the strong level of cooperation among all of our partners. We are focused on bringing to justice those individuals that are responsible for the increasing heroin problem in Ohio and across the United States.”
“I commend the work of the local, state, and federal authorities who worked so aggressively to get the supplier of this so-called ‘blue drop’ heroin off the streets,” said Attorney General DeWine. “Drugs like heroin and fentanyl are devastating lives and tearing families apart every day in this state. Traffickers must be held responsible, and investigators with my office’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation are available to work with local authorities anywhere in Ohio to help make that happen.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Freeman and Thomas Weldon following an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, MARMET, the Marion Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Douglas Blodgett, 46, of Lewiston, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to accessing with intent to view material containing images of child pornography.
According to court records, in March of this year, Blodgett used the internet to access Internet Relay Chat channels and chatrooms containing child pornography images. Investigators executed a search warrant on Blodgett’s computer and residence, and found that he had accessed internet addresses containing child pornography images. In an interview with agents, Blodgett admitted visiting chatrooms containing child pornography.
Blodgett faces between 10 and 20 years in prison; a $250,000 fine; and between 5 years and life on supervised release. He faces an enhanced sentence because of a prior sex offense conviction. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Kidnapping Victim to be Keynote Speaker at Protect Our Children ConferenceRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was kidnapped at age 11 and remained missing for more than 18 years, will be the keynote speaker at next month’s Protect Our Children Conference in Kansas City, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers and victim service providers from across the region are expected to attend the conference from Sept. 12 to 14 at the Kansas Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo. The three-day event will cover a broad range of threats facing children including domestic violence, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, drug trafficking, child pornography and the effects of exposure to violence.
“Children are being robbed of the chance to live a rich and full life,” Beall said. “We have to work harder to protect them. Every child deserves to grow up free from harm, free from fear and free from the shadow of violence.”
Dugard will discuss her work with the JAYC Foundation, Inc., to help survivors of trauma. In her book, “A Stolen Life,” she tells the story of being abducted while she was walking from home to a school bus stop. On Aug. 26, 2009, she was found with convicted sex offender Phillip Craig Garrido. Investigators became suspicious of Garrido when he visited the campus of the University of California at Berkeley with Dugard.
Other presentations will cover a broad range of topics including meeting the needs of crime victims, confronting family violence and coping with stress.
Information about registering and paying for the conference is available online at http://www.pocconference.com/
There is a registration fee. The deadline to register is Aug. 31.
The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Kansas Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Midwest Criminal Justice Institute at Wichita State University.
Judge Sentences Erie Man to Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months in jail, a $7,500 fine, and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $6,000 on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on John Leonard Oleski, 66, of Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Oleski possessed computer images and movies depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Oleski.
Jared Galanis Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Misprision of A FelonyRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JARED GALANIS pled guilty today to concealing a conspiracy to manipulate the market for Gerova Financial Group, Ltd. (“Gerova”), a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and to defraud the shareholders of that company. GALANIS pled guilty to misprision of a felony before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment filed against JARED GALANIS and his co-conspirators, and statements made in related court filings and proceedings[1]:
The Gerova Scheme
From 2009 to 2011, Jason Galanis, John Galanis, Derek Galanis, Gary Hirst, Ymer Shahini, and Gavin Hamels engaged in a scheme to defraud the shareholders of a publicly traded company called Gerova Financial Group, Ltd. (“Gerova”), and the investing public, by effecting securities transactions in Gerova stock for the purpose of conferring millions of dollars of undisclosed remuneration on the co-conspirators, without adequate disclosure of Jason Galanis’s role in directing the transactions or the benefits received by Jason Galanis and his co-conspirators.
As a part of the scheme to defraud, Jason Galanis obtained sufficient control over Gerova so as to be able to cause Gerova to enter into transactions of his design, and for his benefit, including the issuance of Gerova stock. Jason Galanis obtained this control without causing himself to be identified as an officer or director of Gerova so as to purport to abide by an SEC-imposed bar that forbade him from holding such positions at publicly traded companies. Among other means and methods, Jason Galanis, with the assistance of Hirst, caused over five million shares of Gerova stock, which represented nearly half the company’s public float and which were intended for Jason Galanis’s ultimate benefit, to be issued to and held in the name of Ymer Shahini, who knowingly served as a foreign nominee for Jason Galanis. Jason Galanis, John Galanis, Derek Galanis, Hirst, and Shahini understood that the purpose of the stock grant to Shahini was to disguise Jason Galanis’s ownership interest in the stock, and to evade the SEC’s regulations for issuing unregistered shares of stock.
At the same time, and as a further part of the scheme to defraud, various co-conspirators opened and managed brokerage accounts in the name of Shahini (the “Shahini Accounts”), effected the sale of Gerova stock from the Shahini Accounts through manipulative trading, and received and concealed the proceeds, knowing that this activity was designed to conceal from the investing public Jason Galanis’s ownership of and control over the Gerova stock. In total, the co-conspirators sold nearly $20 million worth of Gerova shares from the Shahini Accounts for their own benefit.
In contrast, unsuspecting Gerova shareholders were left with a worthless investment. More specifically, in March 2011, the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) halted trading of Gerova and in April 2011, Gerova asked the NYSE to delist its securities. By November 2, 2011, Gerova’s stock price had bottomed out at $0.00 per share.
JARED GALANIS, an attorney, was aware of the criminal scheme involving Gerova and took steps to conceal it. In particular, JARED GALANIS permitted John Galanis to use a phone and a law firm email account registered to JARED GALANIS in furtherance of the scheme and transferred the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme through his attorney trust account.
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JARED GALANIS, 37, pled guilty to one count of misprision of a felony, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Derek Galanis, 44, pled guilty on August 15, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Jason Galanis, 46, pled guilty on July 21, 2016, to two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and one count of investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
John Galanis, 73, pled guilty on July 20, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Gavin Hamels, 40, pled guilty on March 22, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; and one count of investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence for the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Trial against defendant Gary Hirst is scheduled for September 12, 2016, on charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. Defendant Ymer Shahini remains a fugitive. The allegations contained in the Indictment as to those defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mr. Bharara praised the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and thanked the SEC.
The charges were brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Blais, Aimee Hector, and Rebecca Mermelstein are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As for the defendants who have not pled guilty (Gary Hirst and Ymer Shahini), the charges described herein constitute only allegations.
Jackson inmate pleads guilty to threatening Monroe magistrate judgeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a prisoner in Jackson pleaded guilty last week for sending threatening messages to U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes.
Charles Lidberg, 27, a prisoner at the Dixon Correctional Center in Jackson, La., pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of making threatening communications. According to the guilty plea, Lidberg, who was serving time at the state correctional institution for an unrelated crime, mailed a letter on February 19, 2014 to Judge Hayes’ office stating that he would hunt down and kill her after he was released from prison. Lidberg said his friend promised him half a million dollars to kill the judge if she sentenced Lidberg’s friend to more than 10 years in prison. Lidberg also said he did not state his friend’s name because that would “take the fun out of this.” He also gave a second letter threatening the judge to a fellow inmate who turned it over to law enforcement agents.
Lidberg faces 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $5 million fine. A sentencing date of December 7, 2016 was set.
The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.
Inmate Sentenced for Operating a Fake Jury Duty Money Laundering Scheme from Georgia State PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Autry State Prison inmate Reginald Perkins has been sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison for laundering $1 million in fraud proceeds arising from a “jury duty” telemarketing scam conducted by inmates at Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC) prisons.
“Prisons should be the one place where we have confidence that multi-million-dollar telemarketing schemes are not being conducted,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “Cases like this show how much needs to be done to make sure that those who are convicted and sentenced to prison are not still victimizing citizens from behind bars. We are working with state and federal law enforcement to eradicate the illegal use of cell phones and fraud in our Georgia state prisons, and will continue to prosecute offenders, whether they are in or out of prison.”
“This case showcases the criminal possibilities available to inmates with cell phones/smart phones and, with today’s sentencing of Mr. Perkins, it also illustrates the punishment available to those inmates who obtain and use them. The FBI will continue to work with its various law enforcement partners in not only addressing these types of inmate based crimes but also in preventing inmates access to these cell phones that provide the means to do so much harm to the unsuspecting public,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: Perkins laundered fraud proceeds while incarcerated at Jimmy Autry State Prison in Pelham, Georgia, which is a Georgia Department of Corrections medium security prison and houses approximately 1,700 adult male inmates.
While Perkins was serving his sentence at Autry, inmates regularly obtained cellular telephones. For example, from 2014 to 2015, officials seized more than 23,500 cellular telephones from inside Georgia state prisons. Many of the seized cellular telephones possessed Internet capabilities and the latest smartphone features. The possession of cellular telephones by inmates creates a significant risk to prison security and to public safety, as inmates used contraband cellular telephones to commit various criminal acts while incarcerated.
Inmates used contraband cellular telephones from inside Autry to access Internet websites to identify the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of potential fraud victims. Using the cellular telephones, inmates called the victims whose names and numbers had been obtained. During these calls, the inmates made certain false representations to the victims, including: (a) that the inmates were law enforcement officials; (b) that the victims had unlawfully failed to appear for jury duty; (c) that because the victims had failed to appear for jury duty, warrants had been issued for the victims’ arrest; and (d) that the victims had a choice of being arrested on the warrants or pay fines to have the arrest warrants dismissed. To make the calls seem real, the inmates created fictitious voicemail greetings on their contraband cellular telephones, identifying themselves as members of legitimate law enforcement agencies.
For those victims who wanted to pay a fine, the inmates instructed them to purchase pre-paid cash cards and provide the account number of the cash card or wire money directly into a pre-paid debit card account held by the inmates. Based on these false representations, the victims electronically transferred money to the inmates because they believed that the funds would be used to pay the fine for failing to appear for jury duty and would result in the dismissal of the arrest warrant.
Perkins admitted that he would take the account number of the pre-paid cash card and contacted his co-conspirators, who were not incarcerated, to have those individuals transfer the money from the cash card purchased by the victims to a pre-paid debit card possessed by the co-conspirators. Next, the co-conspirators withdrew the victim’s money, which had been transferred to the pre-paid debit card they controlled, via an automated teller machine or at a retail store. Typically, the co-conspirators then laundered the stolen money by purchasing a new cash card so that the victims’ funds could be transferred back to the inmates. Perkins worked with about 100 individuals outside of the prison and laundered approximately $1 million in proceeds from fraud and other illegal schemes.Reginald Perkins, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to 12 years, seven months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Perkins was convicted on these charges on March 22, 2016, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Huber prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Harrisburg Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Harrisburg, Mo., man who struck several vehicles in a parking lot while attempting to flee from law enforcement officers, pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Sean Anthony Blumenshine, 34, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to the charge contained in a Dec. 9, 2015, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, Blumenshine admitted that he had traveled to Kingdom City, Mo., to deliver two pounds of methamphetamine to another person, identified in court documents as Individual A, on Dec. 3, 2015. Law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance when Blumenshine arrived at the Taco Bell in Kingdom City, driving a white Ford Mustang. Blumenshine pulled into a parking space near the restaurant, and law enforcement officers attempted to take him into custody; however, he attempted to flee from the scene. Blumenshine drove in a dangerous and erratic manner through a commercial parking lot, striking several unmarked police vehicles and an unoccupied private vehicle. After a brief pursuit through the parking lot, the Mustang was disabled and he was placed under arrest.
Officers searched the Mustang and found a bag containing approximately 924 grams of methamphetamine inside a storage container in the back seat, along with $4,623.
Blumenshine admitted that he had conducted numerous one-pound transactions with his supplier, and that he had sold one-pound quantities of methamphetamine to Individual A on four occasions. Individual A had been arrested in St. Charles, Mo., with one ounce of methamphetamine and approximately $20,000 in cash earlier on the same day.
Under federal statutes, Blumenshine is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life 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 Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
Georgia Doctor Pleads Guilty in Pill Mill CaseRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA – Paul Spencer Ruble, 63, a doctor from Thomson, Georgia, pleaded guilty today in federal court before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to a charge of conspiracy to unlawfully dispense controlled substances and launder money.
The information to which Ruble pleaded charged that beginning in November 2011, he and other conspirators began operating Apex Health & Wellness, Inc., a phony pain management clinic, from a building located at 6129 New Jesup Highway, Brunswick, Georgia. The clinic employed Ruble, a licensed and registered medical doctor, to work at Apex Health & Wellness, Inc. Between November 2011 and April 24, 2013, drug-seeking customers typically paid between $200 and $300 cash to Apex Health & Wellness, in exchange for prescriptions for controlled substances issued outside the usual course of professional practice and without legitimate medical purpose. Ruble wrote prescriptions for vast quantities of controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and alprazolam (Xanax), outside the usual course of professional practice and without legitimate medical purpose. An average of 30 drug seeking patients were seen per day at the clinic during its 17 months of operation. A typical patient could expect to receive a prescription for 168 oxycodone 30 mg tablets, 112 oxycodone 15 mg tablets, and 28 to 56 2 mg alprazolam tablets.
The Apex Health & Wellness clinic was shuttered April 24, 2013 when a federal search warrant was executed at the premises. The unlawful business was very profitable until being shut down. During the conspiracy, more than 400 deposits were made to bank account of Apex Health & Wellness. These deposits were mostly comprised of cash paid by patients at Apex Health & Wellness for controlled substances prescribed without legitimate medical purpose. The deposits totaled over $1.8 million, including cash deposits of over $1.7 million. Ruble was paid just under $500,000 for his services at Apex which he then laundered through several other bank accounts.
Ruble faces a maximum penalty of not more than 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for his conviction. The owner of the clinic, Marc Frazier, 46, of Satellite, Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to a similar charge in July 2015 and is awaiting sentencing.
The convictions in this matter resulted from a joint investigation by the DEA, GBI, Glynn-Brunswick Narcotics Enforcement Team (GBNET), IRS - Criminal Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service. The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the keystone drug enforcement program of the Department of Justice.
United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “The devastation caused to human lives by prescription drug abuse cannot be overstated. Patients at pill mills such as this one can expect to lose money, health, time, family, employment, and happiness. The heroin epidemic which is sweeping many parts of the country can be traced directly to these phony medical clinics where the owners and doctors prosper and the patents suffer grievously. Persons who operate pill mills in the Southern District of Georgia can expect to be investigated, prosecuted, and sent to prison in the same way as other drug traffickers who push poison in our communities.”
Daniel R. Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said, “It is a sad commentary when a trusted person in the medical community attempts to hide behind the veil of legitimacy to commit criminal acts. The reckless distribution of pharmaceuticals results in addiction and death. Many thanks to the hard-working law enforcement partners who worked this case.”
Jamie Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the GBI Southeastern Regional Drug Enforcement Office, observed, “This investigation shows that the GBI, in conjunction with Local and Federal partners, is dedicated to eradicating pill-mill operations. The prescriptions obtained from these type of pill mill clinics are most often sold or diverted on the streets, feeding pain pill addictions and ruining families and lives.”
Kevin Jones, Chief of the Brunswick Police Department, noted, “It has been a focused effort of GBNET to drive these types of illegitimate businesses out of Brunswick and Glynn County and to bring those responsible for this activity to justice.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Gilluly, Marcela Mateo, and Karl Knoche prosecuted the case for the government. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.
Fresno Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Counterfeiting U.S. CurrencyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. —Samuel Prieto Gonzales, 37, of Fresno, was sentenced today to two years in federal prison for counterfeiting U.S. currency, Acting United States Attorney Phillip Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on May 2, 2016, Gonzales pleaded guilty to one count of counterfeiting United States Obligations for creating counterfeit $10, $50, and $100 bills in March 2014 and attempting to pass those bills in Madera County in March 2014.
Gonzales previously absconded from a drug treatment program while under pretrial supervision in this matter, and he is currently in custody.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Grant B. Rabenn prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Probation Officer Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of InvestigationRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rachel Lynn Howze, age 30, Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty today before United States District Court Chief Judge Christopher C. Conner in Harrisburg, to obstructing an official federal proceeding while serving as a U.S. Probation Officer in Pittsburgh.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Howze, was charged, in a Criminal Information filed in June 2016 in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, with attempting to obstruct, influence, and impede an investigation by intentionally disclosing to unauthorized persons the existence of a state criminal investigation involving an individual under federal supervised release.
Howze plead guilty pursuant to a plea agreement with the government which was subject to the approval of the court. Howze is no longer employed by the U.S. Probation Office.
Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for November 28, 2016 before Chief Judge Conner.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, would otherwise be prosecuting the case, is recused under U.S. Department of Justice policy, because the defendant was an employee under the supervision of the U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh at the time of the alleged activity.
This investigation was conducted by the Pittsburgh Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph J. Terz is assigned to prosecute the case.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Former Navy Range Manager Sentenced to 18 Months for Accepting Illegal GratuitiesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that on Friday, August 19, 2016, in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced HARRY C. MANN, 80, of Manns Harbor, North Carolina, to an 18-month term of imprisonment, ordered him to pay $149,999 in restitution to the United States Defense Logistics Agency, and imposed a $75,000 fine. On October 28, 2015, MANN pled guilty to a Criminal Information charging him with one count of accepting illegal gratuities.
According to the United States Attorney’s factual proffer at the plea hearing, MANN, had been employed by the Navy at the range southwest of Manteo, since 1968. The range provides air warfare training support to the Navy and the Marine Corps. Aviators practice dropping inert bombs and firing live rounds of ammunition at practice targets. As range manager, MANN’S official duties included constructing and maintaining the targets. Between January 2005 and May 2011, MANN requisitioned approximately 16 million dollars in excess government property, which included many types of functional heavy equipment, like trucks, excavators, bulldozers, cranes, trailers, and metal connex boxes. He obtained the property from the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO), which was created by the Department of Defense to centralize the disposal of excess property for better accountability and to reutilize military property within the Department of Defense. If the Department of Defense no longer has use for the property, excess material may be used for emergency management in the United States and humanitarian aid worldwide. The Department of Defense could also sell excess property to the public.
MANN, however, without proper authorization, sold DRMO acquired property to local metal scrappers. These men paid MANN a percentage of the proceeds they received for scrapping numerous pieces of heavy equipment and aluminum expedition runway matting. In total, these men state they paid MANN approximately $175,000 in kickbacks. MANN, according to the government’s proffer, demanded that these men pay him in cash when they were alone so others could not witness the payments. One such cash payment of $16,300 was paid to MANN at his residence on May 18, 2011. MANN told the local scrapper to put the envelope of cash in a flower pot.
The investigation of this case was jointly conducted by the Navy Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and the Defense Logistics Agency, Office of the Inspector General. The Navy was first alerted of the criminal activity by inspectors from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles after witnessing the transportation of heavy pieces of equipment in the Edenton area. Assistant United States Attorney Susan B. Menzer represented the government.
Former Letter Carrier Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that George Steven Gray, 27, of Daphne, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court on August 18, 2016, for discarding mail he was supposed to deliver. Court documents reflect that batches of undelivered and unopened mail were recovered from a dumpster and a recycling bin in Fairhope during late November and early December of 2015. An investigation conducted by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General revealed that Gray, a letter carrier delivering mail in the Fairhope area, had
Gray pled guilty to one count of discarding mail in March of 2016. United States District Court Judge William H. Steele pronounced the sentence, ordering the Gray serve a probationary term of two years. Gray will pay a $100 special mandatory assessment but no fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Former Hopkins County Teacher Sentenced for Child Exploitation ViolationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas — A 39-year-old former Hopkins County, Texas school teacher has been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Lucas Hill pleaded guilty on Feb. 20, 2016, to coercion or enticement of a minor and was sentenced to 405 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant on Aug. 19, 2016.
According to information presented in court, in early 2015, an investigator in Louisiana received a complaint from a family who discovered that someone had used photographs of their family, and particularly photographs of their teenaged son, to create a Facebook account as “Aaron Cage.” The investigation revealed the account user was accessing the account from Hill’s residence in Sulphur Springs, Texas. At the time, Hill was a teacher with Cumby Independent School District. It was determined that Hill created the fictitious Facebook page to pose as a teenage boy and from October 2013 through 2015, used the Facebook page to contact numerous minor females and persuaded them to engage in sexually explicit conduct, including producing images and videos of themselves engaged in sexual activity. Hill was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 15, 2015.
This case was prosecuted 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 the U.S. Secret Service, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, Sulphur Springs Police Department and Hopkins County District Attorney’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller.
Former Executives of Military Contractor Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Exporting Weapons PartsRead the Press Release
Four former employees of Sabre Defence Industries, LLC (“Sabre”), a defense contractor formerly based in Nashville, were sentenced Friday in connection with their role in illegally exporting firearm components and other defense items, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. During sentencing hearings on Friday, August 19, U.S. District Court Judge Todd J. Campbell imposed the following sentences:
- Charles Shearon, 60, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, the former Sabre President, was sentenced to 18 months in prison;
- Elmer Hill, 69, of Brentwood, Tennessee, the former Sabre Chief Financial Officer, was sentenced to 15 months in prison;
- Michael Curlett, 49, of Wixom, Michigan, the former Sabre Director of Sales and Marketing, was sentenced to 13 months in prison; and
- Arnold See, Jr., 59, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the former Sabre International Shipping and Purchasing Manager, was sentenced to 13 months in prison.
All defendants were also ordered to serve one year of supervised release at the conclusion of their prison terms.
Each of the four defendants pleaded guilty to violating the Arms Export Control Act, and to conspiring to do so. Sabre had contracts with the U.S. government valued at more than $74 million for the manufacture of certain military-grade weapons, including the M16 rifle and other semi-automatic and fully-automatic firearms. In pleading guilty, each of these four defendants admitted to conspiring to export firearms and firearm components that were classified as defense articles without first obtaining the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State. The four defendants also acknowledged their role in attempting to conceal Sabre’s illegal exports through the use of falsified shipping documents and, at times, the use of shipping crates with false bottoms. Sabre maintained a fictitious set of business books to conceal its unlawful shipments of firearm parts, lied about the value of items on shipping documents, and illegally imported firearm silencers.
Guy Savage, 47, of London, England, has also been charged in this same case and is facing extradition proceedings. An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt, and Savage is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, with assistance from the Department of Defense-Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely and John K. Webb.
Federal Inmate, Co-Conspirator Indicted for Alleged Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal prisoner in Mississippi, along with a co-conspirator in West Tennessee, has been indicted for allegedly operating a tax fraud scheme. Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the indictments today.
According to the indictment, between January and April of 2014, Henry Lamont Jones, 41; and Toni Chinwah, 45; both of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; operated a scheme in which they filed and attempted to file federal fraudulent income tax returns using stolen identity information. During the course of the scheme, Jones, who was an inmate at FCI Yazoo City, Mississippi, would obtain personal identifying information. Jones would secretly pass the information to Chinwah, who wasn’t incarcerated, during prison visiting hours. She would then prepare and file fraudulent federal income tax returns using the information in an attempt to obtain income tax refunds.
After becoming aware of the scheme, detectives with the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit (MPD-OCU), working in an undercover capacity, made contact with the defendants. The defendants presumed that the officers were helping them in their scheme. Chinwah prepared income tax returns using controlled identity information provided by the undercover officers, which she believed to have been stolen, and electronically filed those returns with the expectation that the conspirators would receive federal income tax refunds.
On Tuesday, August 16, both Jones and Chinwah were indicted on one count of false claims conspiracy. Chinwah was also charged with four counts of attempted submission of false claims.
Each charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by MPD-OCU and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Cotten is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Father and Daughter Convicted of Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Roger Belanger, 59, of Corinna, Maine and Kelli Mujo, 31, of Harmony and Wellington, Maine and Central Falls, Rhode Island, were convicted on Friday following a jury trial in U.S. District Court of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and maintaining a drug involved premise.
The evidence at trial revealed that between 2002 and 2014 the defendants ran a cocaine and oxycodone distribution conspiracy that stretched from Rhode Island to the Dexter, Maine area. They obtained over 22 kilograms of cocaine and thousands of oxycodone pills in Rhode Island. Mujo and others transported it to Maine where it was distributed in Dexter and the surrounding communities.
They face between 10 years and life in prison, a $10,000,000 fine, and between five years and life on supervised release on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years, a $500,000 fine, three years of supervised release on the premises charge.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, with assistance provided by the Dexter Police Department, and the Penobscot, Somerset and Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Offices.
Fairmont man sentenced for heroin distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Daniel Ross Sims, 27, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced today to twelve months and one day in prison for distributing heroin, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Sims pled guilty in April 2016 to one count of “Distribution of Heroin Within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location.”
Assistant United States Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Erie County Man Pleads Guilty to Charges Relating to the Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of North East, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Wesley Chase, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Chase distributed, received and possessed computer images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
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.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for January 9, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Chase.
Ellington Woman Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PATRICIA BADDELEY MEEHAN, 51, of Ellington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to two months of imprisonment and two additional years of supervised release for violating the terms and conditions of her supervised release that followed a federal conviction in 2010.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 11, 2010, Judge Underhill sentenced MEEHAN to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing $1,716,128 from a law firm where she was employed, and for failing to pay taxes on the stolen income. She was released from federal prison in August 2013 and began serving her term of supervised release, a condition of which included that she refrain from gambling and not enter any establishment known to promote gambling.
An investigation revealed that MEEHAN gambled at Foxwoods Resort Casino on at least 23 occasions between 2014 and 2016, and had jackpot winnings of at least $51,862. During this time, she has paid only approximately $8,021 of the more than $1.7 million in restitution she owes.
MEEHAN was ordered to report to prison on September 28, 2016.
This case has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi M. Perry.
Cushing Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Joseph Dinapoli, 27, of Cushing, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to possessing firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court records, in June 2008, Dinapoli was convicted of Domestic Violence Assault, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under federal law, and as a result was prohibited from possessing firearms. In June 2014, Dinapoli was found in possession of two handguns.
Dinapoli faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Club Owner, Law Enforcement Officers Indicted on Charges of Receiving Stolen MerchandiseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A club owner, Memphis Police officer and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office sergeant have all been indicted for their alleged roles in buying liquor, electronics and footwear they believed to be stolen. Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee; Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings; and Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham announced the indictments today.
"Individuals who engage in criminal conduct and violate the public’s trust, including those who take an oath to protect and serve our community, will be held accountable for their actions," said U.S. Attorney Stanton. "No one is above the law."
The defendants include:
• Roy Hughes, 57, of Memphis, Tennessee
• Warren Jones, 63, of Memphis, Tennessee
• Torrance Taylor, 41, of Millington, Tennessee
Hughes is reportedly the owner of the Gentlemen’s Club on Thomas Street. Jones is a sergeant with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. And Taylor is an officer with the Memphis Police Department.
According to the indictment, between October 2015 and May 2016, Hughes unlawfully received cases of liquor and electronic devices, including Apple iPhones, a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, and a Samsung Gear watch, from an individual acting at the direction of federal law enforcement officers. Hughes allegedly knew the items, worth more than $1,000, were stolen. He also transported cases of liquor from Mississippi to Memphis for resale at the Gentlemen’s Club.
Taylor and Jones, both law enforcement officers, also bought property they believed was stolen from an individual acting at the direction of federal law enforcement officers.
"The alleged actions taken by these law enforcement officers are unacceptable and will not be tolerated," said Director Rallings. "As I have said many times, no one is above the law. This alleged unlawful behavior in no way should be a reflection on the officers who continue to work hard and diligently to serve and protect the citizens of Memphis."
"We continually work to seek out those in law enforcement who violate their oath of office and commit criminal acts," said Sheriff Oldham. "The Sheriff’s Office fully supports and participates with all of our law enforcement partners in this effort."
On Monday, August 22, all three defendants had their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diane K. Vescovo.
Hughes is charged with one count of knowingly receivingmore than $1,000 worth of cases of liquor and assorted electronics, including Apple iPhones, a Samsung Galaxy Tablet and a Samsung Gear watch, and believing the property was stolen based on the representations of a person acting at the direction of a federal law enforcement officer.
Hughes is also charged with one count of unlawfully transporting more than $5,000 worth of cases of liquor and Apple iPhones from Mississippi to Tennessee, believing the property was stolen based on representations of a person acting at the direction of a federal law enforcement officer.
Jones is charged with one count of knowingly receiving Samsung Galaxy Tablets and a DeWalt tool kit worth more than $1,000, and believing the property was stolen based on representations of a person acting at the direction of a federal law enforcement officer.
Taylor is charged with one count of receiving more than $1,000 worth of boots and shoes, and believing the property was stolen based on representations of a person acting at the direction of a federal law enforcement officer.
All of the aforementioned charges carry individual penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Tarnished Badge Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Police Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Erskine is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Charleston man sentenced to federal prison for heroin crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to a year and a half in federal prison for a drug crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Thomas Jarrell, 21, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Jarrell admitted that on October 1, 2015, at his Georges Creek residence in Malden, he possessed approximately six grams of heroin that he intended to distribute. Agents of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team seized the drugs during the execution of a search warrant at Jarrell’s home. Jarrell further admitted that he was involved in the distribution of up to 60 grams of heroin.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Charleston man pleads guilty to federal gun crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man caught with drugs and loaded handgun pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Michael Brooks Burgess, 46, entered his guilty plea to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
On February 8, 2016, Burgess was stopped for speeding and a suspected DUI in Sissonville. During the stop, officers found a vial of methamphetamine in his pocket and over 30 grams of methamphetamine under the driver’s seat. The officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded .45 caliber handgun, three high capacity magazines for a MAC-10 firearm, approximately 50 rounds of ammunition, and over an ounce of marijuana in the trunk of the vehicle. Burgess admitted that he was a habitual, unlawful user of methamphetamine at the time he possessed the gun.
Burgess faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on November 14, 2016.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is in charge of the prosecution. The defendant entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.
Capitol Heights Man Facing Gun Charges; He and Three Co-Defendants Charged with Conspiring to Tamper with Evidence and Obstruct a Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging Anthony Darnell Boyd, Jr., a/k/a Tony Fortune, Tone Tone, Big Tony, Jermaine Jefferson, and Paul Dreber, age 37, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, with two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment also charges Boyd, Bianca Desirea Williams, a/k/a Bianca Boyd, Chocolate, Mahogany, and Katrina Watson, age 22, also of Capitol Heights; Natalie Ragsdale Goetschius, a/k/a London, age 22, of Baltimore, Maryland; and David D’Von Frazier, a/k/a Peanut, age 24, of Bladensburg, Maryland, with conspiracy to tamper with evidence and obstruct a federal proceeding.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Earl L. Cook of the Alexandria, Virginia Police Department.
According to the three count indictment, on July 21, 2016, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Boyd’s residence in Capitol Height, where he lived with Williams, and recovered two loaded 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistols and three additional rounds of 9 millimeter ammunition. Boyd was arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition (as charged in the previous indictments and in count one of this second superseding indictment).
After his arrest, Boyd was detained and subsequently housed at the Chesapeake Detention Facility (“CDF”) in Baltimore, Maryland, under the name “Jermaine Jefferson,” the name Boyd previously had given to law enforcement in connection with a prior felony conviction and under which Boyd served a sentence of imprisonment exceeding one year for that prior felony conviction.
Between July 22 and August 6, 2016, while Boyd was held at CDF, he made numerous calls to Williams, Goetschius, and Frazier through his inmate telephone account. The calls were recorded, as are all jail calls per CDF policy. According to the indictment, during those calls Boyd, Williams, Goetschius, and Frazier conspired to tamper with evidence and to obstruct the government’s ongoing investigation. Specifically, the indictment alleges that the defendants attempted to conceal additional firearms owned by Boyd. Those firearms, a 7.62 millimeter caliber, semi-automatic rifle, two .357 caliber revolvers (one with an obliterated serial number), a 12 gauge shotgun, a 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol, and assorted rounds of ammunition, were recovered and are charged in count two of the second superseding indictment. The indictment further alleges that, in an effort to obstruct the investigation, the defendants submitted a document to the Court falsely claiming that Goetschius owned and possessed the firearms recovered from Boyd’s home on July 21, 2016.
Boyd faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each of the gun charges. The defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to tamper with evidence and obstruct a federal investigation. Boyd is scheduled to have an initial appearance and arraignment on August 24, 2016, in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt and he remains detained. No court appearance has been scheduled for Williams, Goetschius, and Frazier who remain detained on related charges.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI Washington and Baltimore Field Offices, the Prince George’s County Police Department and Alexandria, Virginia Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray D. McKenzie, who is prosecuting the case.
California Resident Sentenced to Serve over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On Aug. 17, 2016, Luis A. Rivera Gutierrez, 30, of Sylmar, Cal., was sentenced by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Court Judge, to serve 240 months in federal prison following a conviction for his leadership role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from California to Tennessee.
According to his plea agreement on file with U.S. District Court, Gutierrez admitted to engaging in a series of recorded telephone calls with an individual working on behalf of law enforcement (individual) during June and July 2015. In these recorded calls, Gutierrez agreed to send a multi-kilogram delivery of methamphetamine from California to east Tennessee. In July 2015, co-defendant Eudave-Castaneda, a.k.a. Seven, 27, of Lancaster, Cal., agreed to transport this multi-kilogram shipment of methamphetamine for Gutierrez and others to the individual in Tennessee. Eudave-Castaneda had made a previous delivery of methamphetamine for Gutierrez and others in May 2015. In a recorded call in July 2015, Gutierrez told the individual that Seven would be bringing 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and the quantity would be doubled the next time. On his way to Morristown, Eudave-Castaneda stopped for the night in Roane County, Tenn. He gave consent to search his vehicle and law enforcement agents located approximately seven pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the rocker panels of the vehicle. Laboratory testing showed that the methamphetamine was 97.5 percent pure.
In subsequent communications, Gutierrez told the individual that he would personally deliver the methamphetamine next time and they negotiated a ten-pound transaction. In September 2015, Gutierrez told the individual that he was driving through Kansas and should arrive in a day or two. The individual, acting at the direction of law enforcement agents, sent Gutierrez an address in Newport, Tenn., to meet and discuss the payment for the methamphetamine. Gutierrez told the source that the methamphetamine was in another tractor trailer and would arrive separately.
Upon arriving in Newport, Gutierrez became lost and suspicious that he was being followed by law enforcement. As a result, he entered I-40 where a chase by numerous police vehicles, at approximately 100 mph in rainy conditions ensued for several miles before a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer caught up and pulled him over. While driving at such high speeds on I-40, Gutierrez tossed his cell phone out the window. After being placed under arrest, a search of his vehicle revealed a note with the address to the residence in Newport given by law enforcement agents. The following day a tractor trailer with a registration out of Sylmar, Cal., was stopped on I-40 westbound near Memphis, Tenn. A subsequent search of the trailer resulted in the seizure of well in over ten pounds of methamphetamine. Laboratory testing showed that the methamphetamine was 99.7 percent pure.
Gutierrez stipulated that between May and October 2015 he was accountable for the distribution of approximately 17 pounds of methamphetamine. After being taken to jail, he made a number of recorded phone calls to his wife in California telling her to destroy certain items in California.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Cocke County Sheriff’s Office, and Morristown, Tennessee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Taylor represented the United States.
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Cabell County man sentenced to over four years in federal prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Cabell County man was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for a child pornography crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Mark Allen Angle, 47, of Milton, previously pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. As part of his sentence, Allen will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Angle admitted that on March 19, 2015, he possessed images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts. The images were found by investigators on his personal computer and media devices in his residence in Milton. The investigation additionally revealed that Angle was using peer-to-peer file sharing programs to download, receive, and distribute child pornography.
The West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution. Chief United States District Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
This case was brought as part of an ongoing initiative of the United States Attorney's Office to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.