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Wednesday 29 June 2016
Chester Duo Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
Steven Hameed, 57, and Darnell Young, 48, both of Chester PA, pleaded guilty today to all charges against them relating to a multi-year conspiracy to file false deeds on homes throughout Delaware County and file false tax forms against judges, law enforcement, and other government employees to try to intimidate and harass them in the course of their official duties, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
According to the Indictment, the defendants filed false land deeds with the Delaware County Recorder of Deeds Office in an attempt to claim ownership of homes owned by the government or by banks, and then to live in the homes, or rent/sell the homes to unsuspecting persons, for their own financial gain. The Indictment further charges that the defendants filed hundreds of false tax forms against police officers, judges, and other government employees to try to harass and intimidate them in the course of their duties. Defendants Hameed and Young also pleaded guilty to creating a false financial bond, which they mailed to a realtor in an attempt to purchase property.
The defendants face substantial periods of incarceration, five-year periods of supervised release, restitution and substantial fines. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Savage has scheduled sentencing for September 28, 2016.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Delaware County Detectives, the Aston Police Department, and the Upper Darby Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz and Assistant United States Attorney Vineet Gauri.
Charleston Man to Serve Nine Years in Federal Prison for Heroin, Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Urbana, Ill. – Arnett Deshaun Brown, 43, last known address 1500 block Woodlawn Drive, Charleston, Ill., has been ordered to serve nine years in federal prison for drug and gun offenses. U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce sentenced Brown in Urbana on June 27. Brown was also ordered to remain on supervised release for a period of six years after his release from prison.
On Feb. 29, 2016, Brown pled guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime and possession of a firearm by a felon. Brown’s sentence consists of 48 months in prison, to be served concurrently, for the possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a felon counts, followed by a consecutive sentence of 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.
According to court documents, on June 11, 2014, when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant for an apartment where Brown allegedly stored drugs, they recovered 47.0 grams of heroin, and a loaded, Taurus, .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol. At the time Brown possessed the gun, he had at least four prior felony convictions from Cook and Coles County.
The East Central Illinois Task Force investigated the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller prosecuted the case in the Central District of Illinois, Urbana Division.
Brown has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest in September 2015.
Chalmette Man Sentenced for Violations of Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that MARQUIS JOHNSON, age 25, of Chalmette, was sentenced today on charges related to four violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act. According to court records, JOHNSON conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, a Schedule I drug controlled substance and a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, a Scheduled II drug controlled substance. In addition to the conspiracy, JOHNSON was sentenced on three substantive distributions of heroin or cocaine base.
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced JOHNSON to a 71-month term of imprisonment for the drug conspiracy and distribution charges. JOHNSON was also ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release following imprisonment and to pay a $400 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller and Shirin Hakimzadeh were in charge of the prosecution.
Cana, Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced the guilty plea today of a Virginia man to a federal drug conspiracy charge.
Rebel Steiner Akers, 59, of Cana, Virginia, pled guilty today in the United States District Court to one count of conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
“We will continue to devout all appropriate resources to combating the rise of methamphetamine trafficking in Southwest Virginia,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick said today. “I am grateful to all of the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies who work on the front lines of these investigations and take this dangerous drug off our streets.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Surry County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Tramell Bishop, 37, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, a fine of $5,000,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward H. White, who is handling the case, stated that between 2011 and August 13, 2013, Bishop conspired with others distribute cocaine. On August 13, 2013, Houston, Texas police officers encountered the defendant at the Mega Bus parking lot in Houston. Officers asked Bishop if they could search his suitcase and he consented. The officers discovered approximately five kilograms of cocaine hidden in the back of the suitcase. Bishop indicated that he was intending to travel back to Buffalo, New York.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Adam S. Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, and the Houston Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Martha I. Montalvo.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 5, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
Brooke County man sentenced for lying to law enforcement officersRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew Ian Haught, 33, of Follansbee, West Virginia, was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison for making a false statement to law enforcement officers, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
During an interview with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agents, Haught lied about how he came into possession of a stolen firearm. He later admitted to having stolen the firearm and to having possessed it before disposing of it. In February 2016, Haught pled guilty to one count of “False Statement to Law Enforcement.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
British Man Who Was Arrested at Trump Rally in Las Vegas Indicted on Weapons and Disruption ChargesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The British man who was arrested two weeks ago at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas after he attempted to seize a law enforcement officer’s firearm, was indicted by the federal grand jury today on three felony charges, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.
Michael Steven Sandford, 20, of England, is charged with two counts of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and one count of impeding and disrupting the orderly conduct of government business and official functions. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. He is currently in federal custody and scheduled for an arraignment and plea hearing on July 6, at 3:00 p.m.
According to the indictment and previously filed criminal complaint, on June 17, 2016, Sandford, who is a British citizen and was unlawfully in the United States, allegedly went to a gun range in Las Vegas and took shooting lessons using a Glock 9 millimeter handgun. The following day, on June 18, Sandford entered a political rally event for Donald Trump at the Mystere Theatre in the Treasure Island Casino. The event was under the protection of the U.S. Secret Service, and there were posters at the entrance to the event designating the grounds as restricted and under the protection of the U.S. Secret Service. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers were also present at the rally to assist with security. Inside the rally, Sandford approached a uniformed LVMPD officer and attempted to seize the officer’s Glock 9 millimeter handgun by grabbing the holster and handle of the firearm with both hands in an attempt to remove it from the holster. Sandford was immediately arrested and removed from the rally.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared L. Grimmer.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Brevard Public Schools Employees Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrests of and unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Leonard Charles Agee Jr. (40, Titusville) and Benjamin S. Jenkins (36, Mims) with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
At the time of the investigation, Agee and Jenkins were football coaches and employees of Brevard Public Schools.
According to the complaint, between September 2015 and his arrest today, Agee sold heroin to a confidential informant, and he has been trafficking in cocaine and marijuana. On multiple occasions starting in 2015, Jenkins sold prescription pills and cocaine to a confidential informant.
Several search warrants have been executed in Titusville and Mims in connection with this investigation. Three additional individuals were also arrested today on state charges.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Titusville Police Department, the Melbourne Police Department, and the Florida Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Services. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr.
Bessemer Grocer Sentenced to Nearly 4 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge this week sentenced a Bessemer grocery store owner to three years and 10 months in prison and ordered him to forfeit $5.2 million to the government for defrauding the food stamp program, structuring cash transactions and laundering money to hide the illegal profit, and evading federal income taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot and U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, Investigations, Special Agent in Charge Karen Citizen-Wilcox.
HASAN F. AHMED, 50, owner and operator of Associated Discount Foods on Ninth Street South in Bessemer, pleaded guilty in March to one count each of food stamp fraud, tax evasion and structuring currency transactions, and four counts of money laundering. U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced him on the charges Monday. In accordance with Ahmed’s plea agreement with the government, the judge also ordered Ahmed to forfeit the $5.2 million as proceeds of illegal activity.
“For several years, this defendant misused thousands of dollars’ worth of food stamp benefits every day, enriching himself at the expense of American taxpayers and food stamp recipients,” Vance said. “The SNAP program provides assistance for those who need help to feed their families. We will not allow criminals to corrupt that program so they can feed their own greed.”
“Hasan Ahmed intentionally abused the SNAP program and lined his pockets with taxpayer funds,” Hyman-Pillot said. “His actions ultimately reduced the amount of benefits available to families in need of nutrition assistance. IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together and investigate similar schemes. We will trace every penny of illicit proceeds and return the funds to the United States Government.”
Associated Discount Foods is a mid-sized neighborhood grocery store that was authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food stamp benefits.
From January 2007 through December 2010, the store’s average monthly SNAP redemptions were $4,196, increasing to $17,457 in January 2011, according to Ahmed’s plea agreement. By April 2011, the store’s monthly SNAP redemptions surpassed the average monthly redemptions of five other medium-sized grocery stores within a 14-mile area.
“Based on ADF’s total SNAP redemptions and comparison analysis, the defendant acquired an estimated $5,243,866.49 in SNAP benefits from July 2011 through June 2014 in a way that was contrary to law,” the plea agreement said. Ahmed’s redemptions rose dramatically because he illegally swapped food stamps for cash, at less than the stamps’ face value, and allowed customers to purchase ineligible items with food stamp benefits at inflated rates, according to the document.
Ahmed evaded taxes on the illegal income when he filed a federal income tax return for the 2013 tax year claiming total income of $24,728 when his actual income was $210,927, according to his plea.
Court documents, including Ahmed’s plea agreement, outline his money laundering and illegal currency structuring as follows:
Ahmed controlled a BB&T checking account opened in the name of a relative, identified in court documents as R.N. Between June 2013 and June 2014, in four separate transactions, he deposited $58,100 in proceeds of his food stamp fraud into R.N.’s account. Ahmed moved money into R.N.’s account from his grocery store’s business accounts, where SNAP benefits were electronically deposited, to conceal or disguise that the money was the product of his food stamp fraud.
Ahmed illegally structured financial transactions in an Associated Discount Foods business account at BB&T, making two withdrawals of $10,000 and 36 withdrawals ranging from $9,200 to $9,900, for a total of $362,900, between January and May of 2013. After a bank teller informed Ahmed that transactions over $10,000 had to be reported, he made no further currency transactions over that amount.
Financial institutions are required by law to report currency transactions above $10,000 to the U.S. Department of Treasury. “The defendant engaged in these transactions to evade the reporting requirement” on the 38 withdrawals, according to Ahmed’s guilty plea.
IRS-CI and USDA-OIG investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Williamson Barnes and Daniel Fortune prosecuted.
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Berrien County, Georgia, Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force Against ArresteesRead the Press Release
Berrien County, Georgia, Sheriff Anthony Heath pleaded guilty today to two counts of violating the civil rights of two non-resistant arrestees by using excessive force against them. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Acting U.S. Attorney G.F. Peterman III of the Middle District of Georgia announced the guilty plea. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to Heath’s guilty plea, on Jan. 12, 2012, Heath and deputies from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) were engaged in a foot chase of an individual identified only as M.V., who had been banned from traveling through the county. During the chase, Heath saw M.V. and called out to him, “You better not run or I will beat your a**,” or words to that effect. M.V. responded by running into a nearby wooded area.
Heath and multiple BCSO deputies followed M.V. into the woods, where a BCSO deputy eventually saw M.V. and arrested him without incident. When a deputy reported that M.V. was in custody, Heath ordered deputies to wait and hold M.V. in the woods. When Heath arrived, M.V. was lying face-down on the ground, with his hands handcuffed behind his back and was not resisting arrest. Heath kicked M.V. in the ribs, punched him in the head with a closed fist multiple times and forcefully kneed him in the ribs multiple times, causing M.V. to experience pain and have difficulty breathing.
During a separate incident, on Oct. 1, 2014, Heath repeatedly punched and kicked an arrestee, identified only as J.H., even though J.H. surrendered, lay down on the ground and did not attempt to flee or threaten anyone at any point after his arrest. Heath punched J.H. with sufficient force to cause his own hand to become swollen and bruised. Heath’s punches caused J.H. to bleed from his mouth and to feel pain.
“As sheriff, Heath held the highest-ranking law enforcement position in Berrien County, but he violated the public trust when he chose to break the law and beat compliant arrestees,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “Our Constitution prohibits officers from using excessive and unnecessary force against non-resistant arrestees, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute cases where law enforcement officers abuse their authority.”
“The people place tremendous power in the hands of someone they elect as county sheriff, and do so in faith that such power will be wielded appropriately,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peterman. “The motto of our Sheriff’s in Georgia has traditionally been ‘To Serve and To Protect.’ Sheriff Heath abused that power and broke faith with those who elected him by physically abusing those he was sworn to protect.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI. Trial Attorneys Stephen Curran and Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Heath Plea Agreement
Berrien County, Georgia, Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force Against ArresteesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Berrien County, Georgia, Sheriff Anthony Heath pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the civil rights of two non-resistant arrestees by using excessive force against them. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Acting U.S. Attorney G.F. Peterman III of the Middle District of Georgia announced the guilty plea. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to Heath’s guilty plea, on Jan. 12, 2012, Heath and deputies from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) were engaged in a foot chase of an individual identified only as M.V., who had been banned from traveling through the county. During the chase, Heath saw M.V. and called out to him, “You better not run or I will beat your a**,” or words to that effect. M.V. responded by running into a nearby wooded area.
Heath and multiple BCSO deputies followed M.V. into the woods, where a BCSO deputy eventually saw M.V. and arrested him without incident. When a deputy reported that M.V. was in custody, Heath ordered deputies to wait and hold M.V. in the woods. When Heath arrived, M.V. was lying face-down on the ground, with his hands handcuffed behind his back and was not resisting arrest. Heath kicked M.V. in the ribs, punched him in the head with a closed fist multiple times and forcefully kneed him in the ribs multiple times, causing M.V. to experience pain and have difficulty breathing.
During a separate incident, on Oct. 1, 2014, Heath repeatedly punched and kicked an arrestee, identified only as J.H., even though J.H. surrendered, laid down on the ground and did not attempt to flee or threaten anyone at any point after his arrest. Heath punched J.H. with sufficient force to cause his own hand to become swollen and bruised. Heath’s punches caused J.H. to bleed from his mouth and to feel pain.
“As sheriff, Heath held the highest-ranking law enforcement position in Berrien County, but he violated the public trust when he chose to break the law and beat compliant arrestees,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “Our Constitution prohibits officers from using excessive and unnecessary force against non-resistant arrestees, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute cases where law enforcement officers abuse their authority.”
“The people place tremendous power in the hands of someone they elect as county sheriff, and do so in faith that such power will be wielded appropriately,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Peterman. “The motto of our Sheriff’s in Georgia has traditionally been ‘To Serve and To Protect.’ Sheriff Heath abused that power and broke faith with those who elected him by physically abusing those he was sworn to protect.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI. Trial Attorneys Stephen Curran and Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Bergen County, New Jersey, Man Admits Helping Disguise Foreign Contributions During 2012 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man today admitted helping funnel $80,000 in campaign contributions from a foreign source to the joint fundraising committee of the President of the United States during the 2012 presidential election, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman of the District of New Jersey announced.
Bilal Shehu, 48, of Paramus, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with knowingly and willfully making foreign contributions and donations in connection with the 2012 presidential election and to a fundraising and political campaign committee of the president, aggregating $25,000 or more during a calendar year.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In September 2012, Shehu, a U.S. citizen living in New Jersey, received approximately $80,000 from a foreign source and provided it to a joint fundraising committee – including the authorized campaign committee of the president – to disguise the true origin of the money and so that a foreign national could attend a campaign event on Oct. 8, 2012, in San Francisco. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions to federal candidates or fundraising committees and, in order to attend the event, a foreign national needed to be accompanied by a U.S. citizen. Shehu admitted that he received an $80,000 wire transfer into his New Jersey-based bank account from a foreign bank account in late September 2012, knowing that he was to provide it to the joint fundraising committee. In early October 2012, Shehu flew to San Francisco and attempted to gain entry into the San Francisco fundraising event with the foreign national, who was denied entry but was allowed to be photographed with the President.
No one on the joint fundraising committee has been accused of any wrongdoing and the committee has fully cooperated in the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The charge to which Shehu pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2016.
The FBI investigated the case. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the District of New Jersey’s Special Prosecutions Division Trial Attorneys Charles Walsh and Peter Halpern of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Defense counsel: Alan M. Abramson Esq., New York
Alison Gu Arraigned on Charges of Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and False Statements in Connection with Passport ApplicationRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Alison Gu, 40, of Cheshire, Connecticut was arraigned today in federal court on a three-count indictment charging her with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false statements in connection with a passport application. U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy ordered that Gu be released on conditions, including that she not open new lines of credit, pending trial in this matter. If convicted, Gu faces a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison for bank fraud; up to 10 years in prison for making a false statement in an application for a U.S. passport; and a mandatory 2-year sentence for using the identifying information of another person in connection with the passport application. Gu also faces potential fines of up to $1,000,000.
According to court records, between March and September 2015, Gu, using several aliases, obtained over $1,000,000 through submission of mortgage loan applications and re-financing applications to Bank of Bennington, First National Bank of America, and Emigrant Mortgage Company containing false information. The fraud scheme included the establishment of false identities using the Social Security Numbers of deceased individuals; the submission of altered bank statements, forged employment records, and forged pay statements to the financial institutions; and the forged signature of a United States consular official in China. Also according to the indictment, Gu made false statements in a March 27, 2015 application for a U.S. passport in Vermont. Gu submitted the passport application using the identifying information of another individual. The indictment also alleges that certain properties in Vermont and Florida are forfeitable to the United States as proceeds of the fraud scheme.
Gu was arrested in Connecticut on June 13, 2016, and made an appearance in federal court that day, where she was ordered to appear today in Burlington.
United States Attorney Eric S. Miller emphasized that the indictment is an accusation only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Should Gu be convicted of the charged crimes, the sentence will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigative agency in this case is the United States Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, St. Albans, Vermont Resident Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Doyle is handling the prosecution of this matter. Gu is represented by David L. McColgin, Esq. of the Federal Defender’s Office.
35 Individuals Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 23, 2016, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against 35 defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), Ponce Strike Force Unit, are in charge of the investigation.
The indictment alleges that beginning in 2012, the organization distributed heroin, crack, cocaine, and marihuana, at the Rafael López Nussa, Ernesto Ramos Antonini and the Dr. Manuel De La Pila Iglesias Public Housing Projects in Ponce; and the El Pino Ward in Villalba, Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit.
The thirty-five defendants acted in different roles in order to further the goals of their organization, to wit: leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. Ten defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The defendants are: Miguel A. Pacheco-Mejías, a.k.a. “El Blanco/Miguel Ratón”; Mark W. Torres-O’Conner, a.k.a “Mawi”; Ronald Aponte-Castillo; Freddy Ferrer-Crespo, a.k.a. “Maldito”; José M. Torres-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Pollina/Polli”; Luis A. Archeval, a.k.a. “Archeval”; José A. Avilés-Gilbert, a.k.a. “Berto/Lolo”; José Ortiz-Cedeño, aka “Monchi”; Orlando Arroyo a.k.a. “Casper”; Christopher De Jesús, a.k.a. “Planetario”; Ángel Pérez-Cancel, a.k.a. “Yanyel”; Anthony B. Rivera-López, a.k.a. “La B”; Arnaldo J. Santana-Ramos, a.k.a. “Naldy”; Walter Hernández-Rivera, a.k.a. “Walter Cabeza”; Alexis Soto-Vargas, a.k.a. “Bolillo”; Luis A. Santiago-Irizarry, a.k.a. “Kikologo”; Joshua Ortiz-Archeval, a.k.a. “Kikito”; Christian X. Lugo-Sopena, a.k.a. “Tostón”; Jorge L. Maldonado-Pacheco, a.k.a. “Barber”; Geremid F. Pérez-Banchs, a.k.a. “Bebo”; Nelson Lacourt-Linares, a.k.a. “Blaki”; Luis A. Ayala-Vega, a.k.a. “Mellao”; Byan Ocasio-Martínez, a.k.a. “Cuajo”; Richard Santiago-Santiago, a.k.a. “Güimo”; Miguel A. Pérez, a.k.a. “Pucho”; Christopher J. Bracero-Román, a.k.a. “Mono”; Carlos Padilla-Pérez, a.k.a. “Luis Padilla”; Félix J. González-Torres, a.k.a. “El Gato”; Giovany Matos-Vicenti, a.k.a. “Mueca”; Alexis G. Mercado-Sánchez, a.k.a. “Macri”; Jean L. Domínguez-Soto, a.k.a. “Chino”; Jesús M. Daliot-Ríos, a.k.a. “Chuchu”; Wilbert Rosado-Pérez, a.k.a. “Bebo Federal”; Steven Quintana-Cedeño, a.k.a. “Problematic Quintana/Nesti”; and Elizardo Ruiz-Tirado, a.k.a. Tito Línea/TL”.
The defendants and their co-conspirators routinely possessed, carried, brandished and used firearms to protect themselves and their drug trafficking organization, maintain control of their drug points, intimidate and retaliate against other drug trafficking organizations and expand their drug trafficking activities. The sellers would use masks to cover their faces and avoid detection by law enforcement while selling drugs at the drug points. Some defendants tattooed themselves and wore clothing items with the logo of the organization.
“We will continue our joint efforts to dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations at every level,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “These arrests will keep the law abiding citizens of Ponce and Villalba safer from the inevitable violence that drug trafficking brings.”
“This DEA investigation and arrests have effectively dismantled the main drug trafficking organization in the Ponce area. DEA will continue its commitment to conduct high scale research to bring to justice these criminal organizations that strive to create violence and unrest in our communities and promote the use and abuse of controlled substances,” said Israel Alicea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Caribbean Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney María L. Montañez-Concepción and Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Mathews II are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Tuesday 28 June 2016
Woman Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Assault Aboard an AircraftRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that KATE LOHAN, age 33, a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, pled guilty today to a one-count Bill of Information for committing assault while aboard an aircraft.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Wilkinson, Jr. sentenced LOHAN to one year of probation with continued substance abuse treatment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $7,212.25 for costs incurred such as a landing fee, fuel charges, flight delays, etc.
According to court documents, on November 25, 2015, LOHAN was a ticketed passenger on JetBlue flight number 101 traveling from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. She became disruptive prior to takeoff after she was told by a flight attendant to put her seat in the upright position. During the course of the flight, witnesses stated that LOHAN was continuing to be disruptive, and later threw a cell phone at one of the flight attendants. Her actions caused the flight to be diverted to New Orleans.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri was in charge of the prosecution.
Volkswagen to Spend up to $14.7 Billion to Settle Allegations of Cheating Emissions Tests and Deceiving Customers on 2.0 Liter Diesel VehiclesRead the Press Release
In two related settlements, one with the United States and the State of California, and one with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), German automaker Volkswagen AG and related entities have agreed to spend up to $14.7 billion to settle allegations of cheating emissions tests and deceiving customers. Volkswagen will offer consumers a buyback and lease termination for nearly 500,000 model year 2009-2015 2.0 liter diesel vehicles sold or leased in the U.S., and spend up to $10.03 billion to compensate consumers under the program. In addition, the companies will spend $4.7 billion to mitigate the pollution from these cars and invest in green vehicle technology.
The settlements partially resolve allegations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the California Attorney General’s Office and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) under the Clean Air Act, California Health and Safety Code, and California’s Unfair Competition Laws, relating to the vehicles’ use of “defeat devices” to cheat emissions tests. The settlements also resolve claims by the FTC that Volkswagen violated the FTC Act through the deceptive and unfair advertising and sale of its “clean diesel” vehicles. The settlements do not resolve pending claims for civil penalties or any claims concerning 3.0 liter diesel vehicles. Nor do they address any potential criminal liability.
The affected vehicles include 2009 through 2015 Volkswagen TDI diesel models of Jettas, Passats, Golfs and Beetles as well as the TDI Audi A3.
“By duping the regulators, Volkswagen turned nearly half a million American drivers into unwitting accomplices in an unprecedented assault on our environment,” said Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates. “This partial settlement marks a significant first step towards holding Volkswagen accountable for what was a breach of its legal duties and a breach of the public’s trust. And while this announcement is an important step forward, let me be clear, it is by no means the last. We will continue to follow the facts wherever they go.”
“Today’s settlement restores clean air protections that Volkswagen so blatantly violated,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “And it secures billions of dollars in investments to make our air and our auto industry even cleaner for generations of Americans to come. This agreement shows that EPA is committed to upholding standards to protect public health, enforce the law, and to find innovative ways to protect clean air.”
“Today’s announcement shows the high cost of violating our consumer protection and environmental laws,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “Just as importantly, consumers who were cheated by Volkswagen’s deceptive advertising campaign will be able to get full and fair compensation, not only for the lost or diminished value of their car but also for the other harms that VW caused them.”
According to the civil complaint against Volkswagen filed by the Justice Department on behalf of EPA on January 4, 2016, Volkswagen allegedly equipped its 2.0 liter diesel vehicles with illegal software that detects when the car is being tested for compliance with EPA or California emissions standards and turns on full emissions controls only during that testing process. During normal driving conditions, the software renders certain emission control systems inoperative, greatly increasing emissions. This is known as a “defeat device.” Use of the defeat device results in cars that meet emissions standards in the laboratory, but emit harmful NOx at levels up to 40 times EPA-compliant levels during normal on-road driving conditions. The Clean Air Act requires manufacturers to certify to EPA that vehicles will meet federal emission standards. Vehicles with defeat devices cannot be certified.
The FTC sued Volkswagen in March, charging that the company deceived consumers with the advertising campaign it used to promote its supposedly “clean diesel” VWs and Audis, which falsely claimed that the cars were low-emission, environmentally friendly, met emissions standards and would maintain a high resale value.
The settlements use the authorities of both the EPA and the FTC as part of a coordinated plan that gets the high-polluting VW diesels off the road, makes the environment whole, and compensates consumers.
The settlements require Volkswagen to offer owners of any affected vehicle the option to have the company buy back the car and to offer lessees a lease cancellation at no cost. Volkswagen may also propose an emissions modification plan to EPA and CARB, and if approved, may also offer owners and lessees the option of having their vehicles modified to substantially reduce emissions in lieu of a buyback. Under the U.S./California settlement, Volkswagen must achieve an overall recall rate of at least 85% of affected 2.0 liter vehicles under these programs or pay additional sums into the mitigation trust fund. The FTC order requires Volkswagen to compensate consumers who elect either of these options.
Volkswagen must set aside and could spend up to $10.03 billion to pay consumers in connection with the buy back, lease termination, and emissions modification compensation program. The program has different potential options and provisions for affected Volkswagen diesel owners depending on their circumstances:
Buyback option: Volkswagen must offer to buy back any affected 2.0 liter vehicle at their retail value as of September 2015 -- just prior to the public disclosure of the emissions issue. Consumers who choose the buyback option will receive between $12,500 and $44,000, depending on their car’s model, year, mileage, and trim of the car, as well as the region of the country where it was purchased. In addition, because a straight buyback will not fully compensate consumers who owe more than their car is worth due to rapid depreciation, the FTC order provides these consumers with an option to have their loans forgiven by Volkswagen. Consumers who have third party loans have the option of having Volkswagen pay off those loans, up to 130 percent of the amount a consumer would be entitled to under the buyback (e.g., if the consumer is entitled to a $20,000 buyback, VW would pay off his/her loans up to a cap of $26,000).
EPA-approved modification to vehicle emissions system: The settlements also allow Volkswagen to apply to EPA and CARB for approval of an emissions modification on the affected vehicles, and, if approved, to offer consumers the option of keeping their cars and having them modified to comply with emissions standards. Under this option in accordance with the FTC order, consumers would also receive money from Volkswagen to redress the harm caused by VW’s deceptive advertising.
Consumers who leased the affected cars will have the option of terminating their leases (with no termination fee) or having their vehicles modified if a modification becomes available. In either case, under the FTC order, these consumers also will receive additional compensation from Volkswagen for the harm caused by VW’s deceptive advertising. Consumers who sold their TDI vehicles after the VW defeat device issue became public may be eligible for partial compensation, which will be split between them and the consumers who purchased the cars from them as set forth in the FTC order.
Eligible consumers will receive notice from VW after the orders are entered by the court this fall. Consumers will be able to see if they are eligible for compensation and if so, what options are available to them, at VWCourtSettlement.com and AudiCourtSettlement.com. They will also be able to use these websites to make claims, sign up for appointments at their local Volkswagen or Audi dealers and receive updates. Consumer payments will not be available until the settlements take effect if and when approved by the court, which may be as early as October 2016.
Emissions Reduction Program: The settlement of the company’s Clean Air Act violations also requires Volkswagen to pay $2.7 billion to fund projects across the country that will reduce emissions of NOx where the 2.0 liter vehicles were, are or will be operated. Volkswagen will place the funds into a mitigation trust over three years, which will be administered by an independent trustee. Beneficiaries, which may include states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and Indian tribes, may obtain funds for designated NOx reduction projects upon application to the Trustee. Funding for the designated projects is expected to fully mitigate the NOx these 2.0 liter vehicles have and will emit in excess of EPA and California standards.
The emissions reduction program will help reduce NOx pollution that contributes to the formation of harmful smog and soot, exposure to which is linked to a number of respiratory- and cardiovascular-related health effects as well as premature death. Children, older adults, people who are active outdoors (including outdoor workers), and people with heart or lung disease are particularly at risk for health effects related to smog or soot exposure. NO2 formed by NOx emissions can aggravate respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, and may also contribute to asthma development in children.
Zero Emissions Technology Investments: The Clean Air Act settlement also requires VW to invest $2 billion toward improving infrastructure, access and education to support and advance zero emission vehicles. The investments will be made over 10 years, with $1.2 billion directed toward a national EPA-approved investment plan and $800 million directed toward a California-specific investment plan that will be approved by CARB. As part of developing the national plan, Volkswagen will solicit and consider input from interested states, cities, Indian tribes and federal agencies. This investment is intended to address the adverse environmental impacts from consumers’ purchases of the 2.0 liter vehicles, which the governments contend were purchased under the mistaken belief that they were lower emitting vehicles.
FTC’s Injunctive Relief: The FTC settlement includes injunctive provisions to protect consumers from deceptive claims in the future. These provisions prohibit Volkswagen from making any misrepresentations that would deceive consumers about the environmental benefits or value of its vehicles or services, and the order specifically bans VW from employing any device that could be used to cheat on emissions tests.
The provisions of the U.S./California settlement are contained in a proposed consent decree filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, as part of the ongoing multi-district litigation, and will be subject to public comment period of 30 days, which will be announced in the Federal Register in the coming days. The provisions of the FTC settlement are contained in a proposed Stipulated Final Federal Court Order filed today in the same court.
To view the consent decree, visit: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees
To view the FTC proposed order, visit: https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/162-3006/volkswagen-group-america-inc.
Consumer Fact Sheet
VW Partial 2L CD and Appendices
VW Notice of Lodging
U.S. Attorney Issues Second Statement on Twin Falls Assault CaseRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson issues the following statement:
“Many in the press, public and online bloggers are misinterpreting the statement I issued on Friday, June 24, 2016, in support of the five-year-old victim of an assault in Twin Falls, Idaho, and in support of the law enforcement authorities there who are prosecuting the case. The statement was not intended to and does not threaten to arrest or prosecute anyone for First Amendment protected speech.
I issued the statement because public officials in Twin Falls have received threats. Certain threatening or harassing communications may violate federal law and will be investigated. I am also concerned that intentionally false and inflammatory rumors are creating an unsafe environment in Twin Falls. In this case, it appears that the threats have resulted from false and inflammatory information spread about this crime, often times by those from outside of the community. I encourage all to be patient while the juvenile justice system works. I also encourage all to support this victim and her family.”
U.S. Attorney Charges Camp Counselor with Sexual Exploitation of MinorRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of MICHAEL BRYANT MARIN. MARIN is charged with communicating with an underage victim online and convincing her to take and send sexually explicit photographs and videos to MARIN online. MARIN was arrested this morning and presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith in White Plains federal court.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Michael Marin’s alleged crimes are the nightmare of every parent. Using an easily accessible instant messaging application, Marin allegedly terrorized a middle-school student in her home and her school with threats to humiliate her if she refused his demands for sexually explicit photographs and videos. We will continue to do everything we can, with our partners at the FBI, to investigate and prosecute those who sexually exploit children.”
FBI Assistant Director Diego Rodriguez said: “Most teenagers are excited about summer and vacation, but as alleged, the victim in this case, and others we may not know about yet, are overcoming an atrocious ordeal no young child should ever have to experience. Parents need to talk with their children about being safe online, and making sure they know the minute anyone approaches them in a deviant way, they should immediately contact a trusted adult. We are also asking anyone who may have been contacted by the subject in this case to contact the FBI.”
According to the Complaint[1] unsealed today in White Plains federal court:
In or about March 2016, MARIN communicated online via Kik and through text messages with a 13-year-old minor female (“Victim-1”) in New Mexico, and convinced Victim-1 to take and send sexually explicit photographs and videos of herself to MARIN.
During his communications with Victim-1, MARIN utilized the screen name “mike___2016,” as well as another account associated with the phone number 914-920-1974. Further, while communicating with Victim-1, MARIN posed as a minor and threatened Victim-1 that if she did not send additional photos and/or videos, he would publicly post the photos and/or videos she had already sent to MARIN on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. MARIN also demanded that Victim-1 act as his “slave,” first attempting to pay Victim-1 and then threatening to post nude photos and videos of Victim-1 if she did not send him the specific photos and/or videos MARIN requested whenever he requested them. As part of this demand, MARIN instructed Victim-1 to photograph and film herself engaging in a number of sexually explicit acts, including bestiality with a pet cat and taking nude photos of herself in her school bathroom.
According to statements made during MARIN’s presentment this afternoon, MARIN is currently employed as a camp counselor in Greenwich, Connecticut.
There may be more victims of this alleged conduct. If you have information to report, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s White Plains Resident Agency at 914-989-6000.
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MARIN, 18, of Port Chester, New York, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Santa Fe County Sherriff’s Office, and the Santa Fe City Police Department in connection with this investigation. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Maurene Comey is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two New York Residents Indicted on Charges Related to Theft of Firearms from Pennsylvania Gun StoresRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Ben McCormack, age 31, Jamestown, New York and Jason William Thorne, age 36, also from New York, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in connection with a series of break-ins at federally-licensed gun stores in North Central Pennsylvania within the past month.
According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, McCormack and Thorne are charged with conspiracy to steal and unlawfully possess firearms from the inventories of licensed gun stores. On or about May 29, 2016, McCormack and an unindicted co-conspirator allegedly broke into Arrowhead Outdoors, a gun store in Tionesta, Pennsylvania and stole approximately 28 firearms. On or about June 17, 2016, McCormack and Thorne allegedly stole approximately 36 firearms from GNR Sporting Goods in Mansfield. On or about June 20, 2016, McCormack and an unindicted co-conspirator allegedly broke into and stole approximately 29 firearms from Fulmer’s Sporting Goods in Wysox Township.
In separate counts of the indictment McCormack and Thorne are charged individually with possession of stolen firearms and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Agents from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) took McCormack into custody in New York on June 21, 2016. After an initial hearing before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Buffalo, New York, McCormack was ordered to be transported to the Middle District of Pennsylvania for further proceedings. A criminal complaint was issued on June 21, 2016 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. in the Middle District of Pennsylvania charging that McCormack with alleged possession of stolen firearms and for illegal possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Thorne is presently in custody in New York on state charges.
The investigation by ATF is continuing in cooperation with the United States Attorney’s Offices in the Western District of New York and the Western District of Pennsylvania. At the present time, approximately 55 of the stolen firearms have been recovered by investigators.
“Gun thieves are a principal source of weapons that make their way into the hands of criminals. Stolen guns are quickly dispensed through underground transactions and the cycle of violence is initiated,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Sam Rabadi. “I commend the diligent work of the investigators from ATF, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Jamestown Police Department in New York, in this ongoing, wide-ranging and multi-jurisdictional investigation. Their outstanding investigative efforts led to the recovery of at least 55 of the stolen firearms that were destined for our communities and led to the swift identifications and arrests of those involved in these gun store burglaries.”
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Jamestown, New York Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Rocktashel and John Gurganus.
Anyone having information regarding the gun store burglaries should call the ATF 24/7 hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or email: [email protected]
Indictments and Criminal Complaints are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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.
McCormack faces a maximum penalty of 55 years of imprisonment, and Thorne faces a maximum penalty of 35 years of imprisonment. Both also face 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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Two Federal Inmates Indicted on Homemade Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a federal grand jury in Scranton today indicted two inmates at the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institution for illegal possession of homemade weapons in two separate cases.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, inmate Michael Thompson, age 30, was charged with possession of a homemade sharpened weapon known as a “shank” in January of 2016. Inmate James Bailey-Snyder, age 23, was charged for a similar offense which occurred in August 2015.
If convicted, the maximum sentence for both defendants is a sentence of up to five years and a fine in the amount of $250,000.
The investigations were conducted by the FBI. The cases are assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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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Two Convicted of Crack Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey or Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Jermaine Mitchell, a/k/a “Mello”, 44, formerly of New Haven, Connecticut and Akeen Ocean, a/k/a “A”, “Alex”, 42, of Bangor, were convicted yesterday in U.S. District Court following a six-day jury trial of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 280 grams of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack.”
The trial evidence revealed that between January 2010 and August 2013, the defendants were part of a conspiracy that acquired crack cocaine in New Haven and brought it into the Bangor area where it was distributed through a network of New Haven dealers staying in the Bangor area and local residents. Proceeds of the sales were transported back to New Haven and used to purchase, among other things, more crack cocaine to send to Bangor.
Mitchell faces between ten years and life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine. Ocean faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. They will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. They are the final two defendants charged in an eleven defendant indictment returned in February 2015.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the New Haven Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the New Haven Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Spector and Peter Markle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut also assisted in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Two Chicago women plead guilty to credit card fraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Chicago women pleaded guilty today to credit card fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Christine Johnson, 26, and Stephanie Stevenson, 27, both entered guilty pleas to possession of 15 or more counterfeit access devices. A counterfeit access device is a credit card that has been altered so that it contains stolen information that has been re-encoded on the magnetic strip on the back of the card.
Johnson and Stevenson both admitted that they, along with two other codefendants, Wynesha Wilson-Robinson and Crystal Merritt, possessed over 100 counterfeit access devices. Johnson and Stevenson drove from Chicago to West Virginia in an attempt to use these counterfeit credit cards. On June 5, 2015, the women were observed at the South Charleston Target and Walmart attempting to use the counterfeit cards, and store employees alerted law enforcement to the suspicious behavior.
Johnson and Stevenson each face up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when they are sentenced on October 3, 2016.
The South Charleston Police Department and the United States Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is in charge of the prosecutions. The plea hearings were held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
Wynesha Wilson-Robinson, 27, of Chicago, previously pleaded guilty in April 2016 to credit card fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2016. The fourth codefendant, Crystal Merritt, 29, also of Chicago, is scheduled for a plea hearing on August 4, 2016. All of the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.
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Three New Haven Men Charged with Distributing Drugs Involved in Spate of OverdosesRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman today announced that an investigation into numerous drug overdoses, including three overdose deaths, last week in New Haven has resulted in federal narcotics distribution charges against three New Haven residents. The charges stem from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
FRANK PINA, 57, and JEROME CLAY, SR., 55, were arrested yesterday on federal criminal complaints charging each with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. STEVEN WHALEY, 48, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances.
The three defendants appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven and are detained.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration and New Haven Police Department are investigating the drug overdoses of 17 individuals that occurred in New Haven on June 23, 2016. Three of the victims died, and four victims remain hospitalized.
The investigation has revealed that many or all of the victims believed the substance they were consuming was cocaine. However, based in part on DEA laboratory testing, it appears that the substance was pure fentanyl, a powerful opioid that can be at least 50 times more powerful than heroin. Naloxone, an emergency drug used to treat opioid overdoses, was effective in treating at least some of the victims, which indicates that the ingested substance was an opioid and not cocaine. Analysis of the substance involved in the overdoses is not yet completed.
It is alleged that PINA, CLAY and WHALEY supplied drugs to at least 12 of the individuals who overdosed on June 23, 2016, including at least two victims who died.
“Without the combined effort of federal and local law enforcement, emergency medical personnel and city officials, a terrible public health crisis could have been much worse,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “We promised that we would act swiftly and that is exactly what our DEA agents, New Haven Police officers and federal prosecutors have done. I thank our partners at the DEA, particularly members of its Tactical Diversion Squad, and the New Haven Police Department for their excellent work in quickly and expertly tracking down the source of these deadly drugs. Now it is our job to bring those responsible for these overdoses to justice.”
“Anytime there is a loss of life involving a drug overdose it is a tragic event; but even more so in this case given the number of victims in less than one day,” said Special Agent in Charge Ferguson. “Those suffering from the disease of fentanyl and heroin addiction need access to treatment and recovery. But, those responsible for distributing these lethal drugs like fentanyl and purporting it to be cocaine to the citizens of New Haven need to be held accountable for their actions. In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute this poison.”
“New Haven Police detectives and the Criminal Intelligence Unit worked flat out from Thursday afternoon through this weekend to save New Haven lives and track down the individuals responsible for dealing these drugs,” said Chief Esserman. “I could not be more proud of them. I am just as grateful to our federal partners for working side by side with us. We came together in a time of emergency and stopped the dying.”
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, and the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton, Milford, Monroe, Fairfield and Middlebury Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi M. Perry and Douglas P. Morabito.
Three Men Indicted on Conspiracy to Distribute Ecstasy and MollyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a grand jury has returned a 14 count indictment charging Richard Clarke, 47, a Canadian citizen residing in Buffalo, Barrett Johnson, 32, of Jamestown, NY, and Joshua Castro, 31, of Buffalo, NY, with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000. In addition, Castro is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances which is also punishable by 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint again defendants Clarke and Johnson, the investigation began in February of 2015. Clarke was identified through surveillance as the supplier of MDA and MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, to Johnson over a 10-month period. On January 28, 2016, law enforcement officers established surveillance at Clarke’s Nottingham Terrace residence in Buffalo and Johnson’s business, Iconz Barbershop on Hertel Avenue in Buffalo. Officers trailed Clarke and Johnson to Elmwood Avenue where they observed Johnson approaching Clarke’s vehicle and the two exchanged what appeared to be a blue colored bottle.
Subsequently, officers executed a search warrant at Iconz Barbershop where Johnson was arrested. At the time of the arrest, the defendant threw all of the items in his hands to the ground including a blue Pepsi cup which contained a substance similar to molly.
During the execution of a search warrant at Clarke’s Nottingham Terrance residence, officers seized specific amounts of powder molly and ecstasy pills as well as approximately $13,000 in cash.
The defendants were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and were release on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero and the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce which includes the Ontario Provincial Police, Niagara Regional Police, Peel Regional Police and Toronto Police Services.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Three Charged in Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances in Western PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Two Pittsburgh residents and a Michigan man have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charge of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and oxymorphone, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment named William Richardson, 55, and Nicole Miller, 29, both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Kavon Dawkins, 23, of Clinton Township, Michigan.
According to indictment, between March and May of 2016, Richardson, Miller and Dawkins conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute quantities of oxycodone and oxymorphone, also known as ‘Opana,’ schedule II controlled substances, in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is the result of a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the New Castle Police Department and the Allegheny County Police Department.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Charged with Heroin Conspiracy Resulting in Death of Overdose VictimRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On June 28, 2016, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Darius Jermaine Blakemore, a.k.a. Tank, 27, of Chattanooga, Tenn., Joshua Corbett, 27, currently of Chattanooga, Tenn., and Jessica Rachels, 25, currently of Chattanooga, Tenn., with conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in the death of another individual (victim) from his use of that heroin. The three were also each charged with distributing heroin resulting in the death of the victim from his use of that heroin.
Blakemore was charged individually with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base “crack,” possession with intent to distribute heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was also charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. More information regarding these charges can be found in the superseding indictment on file with the U.S. District Court in Chattanooga.
In February 2016, the victim was found dead at his residence in Red Bank, Tenn. The superseding indictment alleges that he died from a heroin overdose.
If convicted as charged, Blakemore faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years up to a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. Corbett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years up to a statutory maximum of life in prison. Rachels faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years up to a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Chattanooga Police Department, Red Bank Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter represents the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until his or her guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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South Carolina Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. –U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Cody Wayne Thomas, 25, of Cowpens, S.C., to 135 months in prison on federal drug charges, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Thomas was also ordered to serve five years under court supervision following his prison term.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on October 20, 2015, an officer with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office observed Thomas’s vehicle parked in the parking lot of a convenience store. Court records show that the officer approached the vehicle and awakened Thomas who was asleep in the driver’s seat. According to court records, the officer observed an assault-style riffle located on the back seat of Thomas’s car, a second firearm in a cubby hole near the vehicle’s dashboard, and small bags containing a crystal substance later determined to be approximately eight ounces of methamphetamine. According to court records, Thomas was previously convicted of first degree burglary in South Carolina and is prohibited from possessing firearms. Thomas pleaded guilty in March 2016 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
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In a separate case, Judge Reidinger also sentenced today Dallas Travolta McBride, 37, of Asheville, to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release. According to court records, from on or about January 2015 to May 2015, McBride engaged in multiple drug sales of crack cocaine in the Asheville area. According to court records, when law enforcement arrested McBride, they recovered marijuana, $2,090 in cash, and a handgun hidden under the driver’s seat of McBride’s vehicle. In a separate incident, McBride was later arrested after being found in possession of another handgun. According to court records, McBride was previously convicted in North Carolina of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, second degree burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious bodily injury and is prohibited from possessing firearms. McBride pleaded guilty in December 2015 to one count of possession of a firearm by convicted felon.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Rose thanked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office for handling Thomas’s investigation. Rose also thanked the FBI and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation into McBride.
Assistant United States Attorney John Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted both cases.
Smithville Man Sentenced for Internet Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Smithville, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography over the Internet.
Jacob A. Arnold, 20, of Smithville, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Arnold to supervised release for the rest of his life following incarceration. The federal sentence will be served concurrently with Arnold’s 15-year sentence for child molestation in Clay County, Mo.
Arnold, who pleaded guilty on Oct. 22, 2015, admitted that he received child pornography over the Internet on March 17, 2015. According to court documents, Arnold was on bond for the state child molestation charge at the time he committed the federal offense.
On April 29, 2015, the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes (WMCC) Task Force received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a video of child pornography that had been uploaded from Arnold’s computer to a DropBox account. On June 4, 2015, members of the WMCC Task Force and officers of the Smithville Police Department executed a state search warrant at Arnold’s residence. Officers seized computers, cameras, digital storage devices and a cell phone.
Child pornography was located on each of the items seized from Arnold’s residence, which must be forfeited to the government. Approximately 170 videos and 1,600 images of child pornography were located on the seized items. The images and videos included graphic depictions of sexual acts by adults against children as young as three years of age. Investigators also discovered a photo of a 7-year-old boy Arnold had been charged in state court with molesting, one of three prepubescent boys who accused Arnold of molesting them.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Smithville, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Silver Spring Man Admits Throwing Molotov Cocktails at Residence in Upper MarlboroRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Damien Travis Boddy, age 35, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of an unregistered firearm and to transportation of explosive material with the intent to injure, kill or intimidate.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Chief Marc S. Bashoor.
According to his plea agreement, in the early morning hours of October 19, 2014, Boddy drove to a gas station in Upper Marlboro, Maryland and filled several empty beer bottles with gasoline. Boddy placed the bottles in his car and drove to a residence in Upper Marlboro. Using protective gloves and a lighter, Boddy set fire to at least two of the bottles filled with gasoline and threw the lit bottles at the residence. The lit bottles, which qualify as explosives, struck a window on the first floor and ignited a small fire on the exterior of the residence. The bottles did not penetrate to the interior of the residence and the fire was confined to the exterior of the window and shrubbery. Members of the Prince George’s County Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. Fire investigators subsequently recovered the remnants of one of the gas filled beer bottles near the residence, gas residue on the window, and an intact gas-filled beer bottle on the sidewalk adjacent to the residence.
Members of the Prince George’s County Police Department encountered Boddy in his vehicle a short distance from the residence. Officers discovered a beer bottle filled with gasoline in the vehicle’s cup holder, a lighter, protective gloves and paperwork from the gas station where Boddy filled the beer bottles.
Boddy knew the owner of the residence and in previous years had set fire to a car parked at the victim’s residence, and had contacted the victim’s employer and threatened to kill the victim.
Boddy and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Boddy will be sentenced to between 10 and 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for October 3, 2016 at 3:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Prince George’s County Police Department and Prince George’s County Fire/EMS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Gardner, Michael T. Packard, and Erin B. Pulice, who are prosecuting the case.
Rock Springs Resident Convicted of Tax Evasion and Misuse of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming Christopher A. Crofts announced today that on June 27, a jury convicted Jaime Nieto, age 53, of Rock Springs on charges of tax evasion and misuse of a social security number.
The evidence at trial showed that Jaime Nieto unlawfully concealed assets available to pay his tax debt by opening and maintaining bank accounts using a social security number which did not belong to him and by using his business checking account, which the IRS could not levy to collect his personal tax debt, for all of his personal expenses.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 5, 2016, before Chief United States District Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal. Jaime Nieto faces a maximum penalty for tax evasion of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Nieto faces a maximum penalty for misuse of a social security number of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by special agents from the Cheyenne office of IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.
Roanoke Man Sentenced on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today the sentencing of a Roanoke man who previously pled guilty to a federal firearms charge.
Pierce Yarnell Brown, 38, of Roanoke, Va., pled guilty in March to one count of being a previously convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, Brown was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.
“We continue to be committed to taking illegal guns out of the hands of prohibited users like Mr. Brown and off our streets,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today. “In order to keep our communities safe, we must rid them of illegal firearms and those who possess them.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Roanoke City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case for the United States.
Rhode Island Woman Sentenced for Massive Immigration ScamRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Woonsocket, R.I. woman was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Worcester in connection with a scheme that defrauded dozens of Hispanic immigrants of over $700,000.
“Sadly, undocumented immigrants frequently fall victim to immigration scams such as this one because unscrupulous criminals believe the victims will not report the crime to authorities,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “Yesterday’s sentence affirms that those who prey upon the vulnerabilities of undocumented immigrants will be prosecuted. Furthermore, it sends a message to immigrant communities that the laws in this country are in place to protect everyone regardless of immigration status.”
Patria Zuniga, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 78 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $713,850. In January 2016, Zuniga pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud.
From 2009 through 2012, Zuniga targeted immigrant victims presenting herself as either an immigration attorney or an employee of U.S. immigration authorities. Zuniga told her victims that she could assist them in lawfully obtaining permanent resident immigration status. The victims typically had no lawful status or temporary legal status in the United States. Zuniga’s services were offered for $8,000 to $14,000; however, after the victims made the payments, Zuniga extorted additional funds by, among other things, threatening to have them deported if they refused to pay. Victim payments were initially made in cash, but later in the scheme Zuniga accepted money via cash deposits made directly into designated bank accounts (including accounts owned by her daughters), money orders, and bank and Western Union wire transfers. In total, victims paid more $700,000 over the course of the three-year fraud scheme.
In furtherance of her scheme, Zuniga employed a variety of tools to create the appearance of legitimacy in front of the victims. For example, in order to prove that she could in fact deliver the promised immigration benefits, Zuniga showed her victims photocopies of immigration documents with their names and photographs on them, which she had forged. Zuniga also routinely arranged for victims to travel to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Offices in Boston purportedly to take receipt of the immigration documents. Upon arrival, victims waited for hours only to have Zuniga contact them and cancel the non-existent appointment.
During yesterday’s sentencing hearing, 17 of Zuniga’s victims addressed the Court directly – detailing the toll Zuniga’s fraud, extortion, and threats had on their lives. Many victims reported how, in the face of Zuniga’s threats of deportation, they handed over all the money they had and even borrowed money in order to make the payments to her. As he announced the sentence, Judge Hillman remarked that Zuniga had “deliberately and systematically preyed on vulnerable victims[,]” for whom she showed no remorse.
Zuniga’s daughters, Alba Peña and Indranis Rocheford, have also been charged in connection with the fraud. They are scheduled for trial in August 2016. United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordi de Llano of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.
Randolph County Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine and Heroin OffensesRead the Press Release
On June 27, 2016, Paula L. Summers, 61, of Percy, was sentenced for methamphetamine and heroin offenses, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Summers, who had previously pled guilty to two-count indictment charging conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute heroin, was sentenced to 109 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and fined $400.00. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Summers was involved with others in distributing both heroin and methamphetamine, in the form of "ice." Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity level of at least 80%. Summers and others made multiple trips to St. Louis to obtain dealer amounts of heroin. Summers also distributed large amounts of ice and heroin from her Percy residence. At sentencing, the judge found that Summers was responsible for the distribution of over 450 grams of ice and 27 grams of heroin. The offenses occurred between 2013 and June 2015, in Perry, Jackson, and Randolph Counties. Seven co-defendants have previously been sentenced for their role in the drug conspiracies.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Drug Task Force, Percy Police Department, Steeleville Police Department, Mascoutah Police Department, Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team, DuQuoin Police Department, Pinckneyville Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Randolph and Perry County State’s Attorney’s Offices also assisted in the investigation.
Pottsboro, TX Man Sentenced to 2 Months for Theft of Gaming Establishment on Indian LandsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that ALLEN MICHAEL SCOTT, age 22, of Pottsboro, Texas, was sentenced to 2 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release to include 6 months of home detention for THEFT BY OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES OF GAMING ESTABLISHMENT ON INDIAN LANDS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1168(b) and 2.
The Indictment alleged that from on or about February 9, 2015, to on or about February 20, 2015, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, an employee of the Choctaw Nation Casino and Resort, did embezzle, abstract, purloin, willfully misapply and take and carry away in excess of $1,000.00 of moneys belonging to the Choctaw Nation Casino and Resort, an Indian gaming establishment operated by the Choctaw Nation in Indian Country, pursuant to an ordinance or resolution approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 17+ Years in Prison for Violating Federal Drug and Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Kia Jones, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction and for conspiring to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine in Western Pennsylvania, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Jones, age 37, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. Judge Conti also sentenced Jones to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine A. King and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
A task force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case. The task force also included several other federal, state, and local agencies from multiple states, including the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department, the Monroeville Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Pittsburgh Drug Dealer Sentenced to 7+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Chaz Lloyd, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine and at least 100 grams of heroin in Western Pennsylvania, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Lloyd, 30, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. Judge Conti also sentenced Lloyd to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. In support of the conviction and sentence of Lloyd, the Court was informed that Lloyd was involved in the distribution of multiple ounces to kilogram quantities of cocaine and brick quantities of heroin.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine A. King and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
A task force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case. The task force also included several other federal, state, and local agencies from multiple states, including the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department, the Monroeville Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Philadelphia Woman Indicted on Charge She Was A Convicted Felon with A GunRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Annemarie Scott, 21, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged today by Indictment with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment alleges that on or about April 1, 2016, Scott, who has several prior felony convictions, possessed a loaded Glock, 9mm, semi-automatic firearm.
If convicted the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Virgil B. Walker.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Intent to Distribute via U.S. MailRead the Press Release
Ferdinand Javier Ruiz, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was charged today by information with attempted possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The charges arise from the defendant’s involvement in the shipment of methamphetamine and cocaine using the U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery W. Whitt.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nitro man pleads guilty to enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Nitro man pleaded guilty today to a federal sex crime involving a minor, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Mark Anthony Levitt, 38, entered his guilty plea for using an app on his cell phone to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Levitt admitted that from June 2015 through July 2015, he used a cell phone to send sexually explicit messages to persuade and induce a 14-year-old to engage in sexual activity.
Levitt faces a mandatory prison sentence of 12 years, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release. Levitt will also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for October 5, 2016.
“This case sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those who exploit and abuse minors,” said Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold sexual predators accountable.”
The Nitro Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
This prosecution is being 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.
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Nineteen Indicted in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Nineteen defendants have been charged in a federal indictment with various felony offenses stemming from their respective roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
The 12-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Dallas earlier this month and just unsealed, charges each of the defendants with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. All but three of the defendants are also charged with one substantive count of either distribution of methamphetamine or possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Two defendants are charged with a firearms offense.
Charged in the indictment are:
Josue Tijerina, aka “J,” 30, of Dallas
Christina Bruffy, aka “Christine Bruffy,” 47, of Mesquite
Stephanie Laza, 44, of Mesquite
Rebecca Grimes, 31, of Dallas
Stephanie Hernandez, aka “Stephanie Kinney,” 27, of Dallas
Luan Vo, 40, of Irving
Shelby Wiggins, 24 of Greenville
Katy Anderson, aka “Kay Scott,” 35, of Garland
Deborah Uribe, aka “Deberah Uribe,” 45, of Kaufman
Oralia Acosta, aka “Oralia Morris,” 51, of Dallas
Guadalupe Segovia, aka “Sleepy,” 43, of Mesquite
Carson Baker, 23, of Mesquite
Earvin Gibson, 45, of Dallas
Tina Connolly, aka “Tina Connlly,” 55, of Dallas
Edgar Fallad-Martinez, aka “Edgar Fallas-Martinez,” 28, of Dallas
Tiffany Gundermann, 26, of Waco
Michael Ramos, 20, of Mesquite
Leo Najera-Padilla, 29, of Dallas
Joshua Diaz, 27, of DallasDefendants Segovia and Connolly are also each charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The defendants were arrested in a joint operation led by the Dallas Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The investigation into this drug trafficking organization, which operated out of the Pleasant Grove, Seagoville and Balch Springs areas of the DFW metroplex, began in early January 2016. During the investigation, law enforcement has seized more than 6700 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 13.2 kilograms of methamphetamine oil, 62 grams of marijuana, 2.5 grams of heroin, and 20 ml of gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), as well as 12 firearms and $12,379 in cash.
A federal indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury, and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. However, if convicted, the conspiracy count carries a statutory penalty of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison, as well as a fine of up to $5,000,000. The maximum statutory penalty for distribution of methamphetamine as well as for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
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New Jersey Clinical Lab at Center of Largest Physician Bribery Case Ever Prosecuted Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Company Ordered to Forfeit All of its Assets
NEWARK, N.J. – Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services LLC (BLS), the Parsippany, New Jersey clinical lab at the center of a long-running and elaborate test referral scheme operated by its president and numerous associates, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
BLS pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging it with one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Federal Travel Act and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Following the plea, BLS was sentenced by Judge Chesler. The company, which is no longer operational, must forfeit all of its assets.
The investigation has resulted in 40 guilty pleas – 26 of them from doctors – in connection with the bribery scheme, which its organizers have admitted involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in payments to BLS from Medicare and various private insurance companies. It is believed to be the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a bribery case. The investigation has to date recovered more than $12 million through forfeiture.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Cynthia Shoffner; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; and IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the ongoing investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph N. Minish, Danielle Alfonzo Walsman, and Jacob T. Elberg, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark, as well as Barbara Ward, Acting Chief of the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.
U.S. Attorney Fishman reorganized the health care fraud practice at the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office shortly after taking office, including creating a stand-alone Health Care and Government Fraud Unit to handle both criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions of health care fraud offenses. Since 2010, the office has recovered more than $1.29 billion in health care fraud and government fraud settlements, judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture under the False Claims Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and other statutes.
Defense counsel: Steven Backfisch Esq., Westfield, New Jersey
Navajo Man from Sheep Springs, N.M., Sentenced to Prison for Federal Voluntary Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Bufred Denetclaw, 53, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Sheep Springs, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 100 months in prison for his voluntary manslaughter conviction. Denetclaw will be on supervised release for three years following his prison sentence.
Denetclaw was arrested on June 23, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with killing a Navajo man on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M., on June 21, 2014. The crime occurred during an alcohol-infused argument between Denetclaw and the victim. Denetclaw was subsequently indicted on June 24, 2015.
On Jan. 28, 2016, Denetclaw pled guilty to a felony information charging him with voluntary manslaughter. In entering his guilty plea, Denetclaw admitted that on June 21, 2014, while acting in the heat of passion, he killed the victim by stabbing him in the back three times.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine Y. Ramirez and Raquel Ruiz-Velez.
Muskogee Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that CHARLES RAY BENEFIELD, age 32, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for 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 United States Marshals Service, the Eastern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The defendant was indicted in March, 2016.
The Indictment alleged that on or about December 30, 2015, 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 Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which he will serve his nonparoleable sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Tim Hammer represented the United States.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced late yesterday Alberto Diaz-Fernandez, 55, of Santa Ana, California, to 121 months in prison and four years of supervised release on drug conspiracy charges, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Daniel R. Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on or about February 3, 2016, DEA agents of the Charlotte District Office Enforcement Group received information that a shipping pallet which had originated in Santa Ana and was carrying a Nissan V-6 engine, also contained methamphetamine and was destined for delivery to an automotive shop in the Charlotte area. According to court records, law enforcement located the shipment and executed a search warrant, seizing approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine hidden within an aftermarket compartment in the shipping pallet. On February 4, 2016, the day the shipment was scheduled for delivery, law enforcement approached Diaz-Fernandez who was waiting in front of the automotive shop. Diaz-Fernandez told law enforcement that he was expecting an engine he had shipped from California to be delivered on that date. Diaz-Fernandez later admitted to shipping the hidden drugs “for dangerous people in Mexico.”
In March 2016, Diaz-Fernandez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole. The defendant will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon the completion of his federal sentence.
DEA and CMPD handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanjeev Bhasker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Media Advisory: Law Enforcement Agencies to Announce Arrests on Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
WHO:
United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey T. Walsh, Drug Enforcement Administration
Chief John Lau, Titusville Police Department
Investigative Agencies
DEA (Gainesville Resident Office)
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office
Melbourne Police Department
Florida Probation and Parole
WHAT:
Press Conference to announce the arrests of individuals involved in a drug conspiracy in Brevard County.
WHEN:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 at 1:30 P.M. EST
WHERE:
U.S. Attorney’s Office
400 W. Washington Street
Genzman Room (Suite 2100)
Orlando, Florida 32801
OPEN PRESS
NOTE:
All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license).
Media may begin arriving at 12:45 P.M.
Martinsburg, WV doctor sentenced for unlawful distribution of prescription painkillersRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Tressie Montene Duffy, 46, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison for unlawful distribution of narcotic painkillers, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Duffy was a practicing physician who operated West Virginia Weight and Wellness, Inc., in Martinsburg. Duffy admitted that she signed blank prescription orders and allowed unlicensed members of her staff to issue prescriptions for narcotic medications to patients that had not been seen by a physician.
Duffy previously pled guilty to seven counts of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Oxycodone.”
Duffy must relinquish her medical license and is prohibited from ever reapplying for a license to practice medicine in West Virginia or any other state.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul T. Camilletti prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges Three Defendants with Participating in Multimillion-Dollar Fraud on Film InvestorsRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of charges against JAMES DAVID WILLIAMS, STEVEN BROWN, and GERALD SEPPALA for allegedly defrauding victims out of more than $12 million as part of an advance fee scheme in which victims were asked to invest in film projects based on false promises and misrepresentation. The Indictment charges WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, and WILLIAMS and BROWN are also charged with laundering the proceeds of this fraud. WILLIAMS was arrested this morning in Los Angeles, California, and is expected to be presented and arraigned later today in the Central District of California before United States Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian. BROWN was arrested in this morning in New York City and is expected to be presented and arraigned in the Southern District of New York before United States Magistrate Judge James L. Cott. SEPPALA was arrested this morning in Wayzata, Minnesota, and was presented and arraigned this afternoon in the District of Minnesota before United States Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “With lies about making feature-length films and documentaries, the defendants allegedly defrauded victims into investing over $12 million with them. Rather than making movies, the defendants perpetrated an advance fee scheme, allegedly using the investors’ money to pay themselves and pay other investors back.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said: “As alleged, Williams, Brown, and Seppala didn’t provide marketing expertise to feature films or invest their own millions into film projects as they promised investors. Rather, they defrauded and deceived to acquire more than $12 million of investor funds to pay back previous duped investors or fund personal expenses. Any level of fraud to honest investors is wrong, whether it’s a fraud in the hundreds of dollars or millions dollars.”
According to the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least 2012 through June 2016, JAMES DAVID WILLIAMS, STEVEN BROWN, and GERALD SEPPALA participated in an advance fee scheme in which WILLIAMS and BROWN portrayed themselves as experts in the marketing of feature-length films and documentaries and, along with SEPPALA, solicited investments in these films from investors by typically promising guaranteed returns and participation in profits, which never materialized.
In order to solicit these investments, WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA made material misrepresentations about, among other things, their own investments in the films for which they were soliciting money, as well as investments that they claimed to have received from other investors. To support their claims, WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA frequently sent the victims falsified financial records that reflected investments that had never actually been made. For example, in an effort to secure a $2 million investment in one of the movies from one individual (“Victim-1”), WILLIAMS assured Victim-1 that WILLIAMS himself had also contributed $2 million of his own money to the project. As proof of WILLIAMS’s purported investment, WILLIAMS sent Victim-1 what appeared to be a bank statement showing a balance of just over $1.9 million in the account maintained for the movie, which represented, according to WILLIAMS, what was left of his $2 million after some initial expenditures. True and accurate records for that account, however, show that on the date WILLIAMS sent that statement to Victim-1, there was actually no money in the account and, indeed, there was never any money in that account until Victim-1 provided the solicited $2 million investment.
Similarly, in an effort to get another individual (“Victim-2”) to invest $500,000 in another movie, WILLIAMS represented that WILLIAMS had invested $3 million of his own money, while BROWN claimed to have invested an additional $500,000 of his own money as well. BROWN and WILLIAMS also told Victim-2 that the entire investment would be guaranteed by a company called “Woodlawn Holdings” (“Woodlawn”). In support of these claims, BROWN sent Victim-2’s attorney a letter from someone who claimed to be a “Managing Member” (“Individual-1”) at Woodlawn guaranteeing Vicitm-2’s investment, while WILLIAMS sent what appeared to be a bank statement for the company responsible for producing the movie, showing a balance of more than $3.5 million. Subsequent investigation, however, revealed that no one with Individual-1’s name worked at Woodlawn, nor had representatives at Woodlawn heard of WILLIAMS, BROWN, SEPPLA, or the movie they claimed to be making. In addition, true and accurate records from the relevant bank account revealed that there was only $500,200 in the account at the time that WILLIAMS sent Victim-2 the statement showing a balance of more than $3.5 million. Furthermore, the other money in that bank account was from neither WILLIAMS nor BROWN.
In total, WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA solicited more than $12 million from their victims that was allegedly to be used for either marketing or production costs associated with the various films. In reality, however, the money that was received from these investors was used to fund other projects, pay back previously defrauded investors, or pay the personal expenses of WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA, including, among other things, the purchase of a car and a house for WILLIAMS.
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WILLIAMS, 54, of Calabasas, California, and BROWN, 46, of Santa Monica, California, are each charged with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. SEPPALA, 47, of Wayzata, Minnesota, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Conspiring to commit wire fraud and wire fraud each carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison. Conspiring to commit money laundering carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If you believe you are a victim of the above-described fraud, please call the FBI at 212-384-1000 or email [email protected]. This email account is taking tips only on these alleged crimes.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Egan is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Local organizations collaborate in flood relief effortsRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – The United States Attorney’s Office has partnered with the YWCA and Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration in Wheeling, West Virginia to collect donations for the flood victims in southern West Virginia, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Donations can be dropped off at the YWCA, 1100 Chapline Street, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and at Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration, 42 38th Street from 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Donations will be accepted through Friday, July 1st at 5:00 p.m.
“After seeing the devastation in southern West Virginia, I knew the Ohio Valley community would want to get involved in the relief effort. We want to ensure that our southern neighbors have the resources they need to begin to rebuild,” said Lori Jones, Executive Director of the YWCA-Wheeling.
The highest priority items include cleaning supplies, buckets, brooms, mops, bottled water, baby diapers and wipes, baby food and formula, shovels, work gloves, rubber boots, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, blankets, tarps, and batteries.
“Our goal is to assist the communities and residents who lost their homes in the recent flooding as they work to restore and rebuild,” said Josh Contraguerro, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration spokesman. “Over the next few days and months, these communities and residents will need our help. Whether it is one gallon of bleach or one case of water, every donation will make a substantial impact.”
Offices throughout the United States Courthouse and Federal Building have already begun to donate items to be delivered to southern West Virginia. In addition, members of the United States Attorney’s Office will be traveling to assist with relief efforts.
Wheeling Island Hotel and Casino and Sysco Corporation have each donated a pallet of water to the cause. In addition, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration will provide trucks to transport all of the supplies to some of the hardest hit areas.
If you have any questions please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (304) 234-0100.
Lewiston Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Contact: Darcie N. McElwee
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Doug Bixby, 25, of Lewiston, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John D. Levy to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pled guilty on February 2, 2016.
According to court records, on August 28, 2014, Bixby was found by police at a Pine Street apartment in Lewiston in possession of a sawed-off shotgun, six boxes of shotgun shells, 24.6 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale and small plastic baggies. At the time, surveillance cameras were set up in the hallway outside Bixby’s apartment with a live feed displayed on a monitor in his bedroom and he was on state probation for drug trafficking.
The investigation was conducted by the Lewiston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.Leader of Northeast Birmingham Drug Ring Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced the leader of one of Birmingham’s largest cocaine- and heroin-trafficking rings to nearly 23 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot, and Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale.
U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced PATRICK DEWAYNE HALL, 37, to 22 years and 11 months in prison for his role in leading the illegal drug-trafficking organization based in northeast Birmingham. Hall pleaded guilty in January 2016 to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to various other drug charges, including money laundering and using a telephone to traffic drugs.
A federal grand jury in October returned a 72-count indictment charging Hall and 23 others with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and cocaine. In addition to being charged in the conspiracy, various defendants also were charged with distributing drugs and laundering money.
The investigation focused on Hall, who, along with one of his lieutenants, LOVODAS DEANGELO BLAKE, 27, was arrested in the early morning of Aug. 2, by an FBI SWAT team after the duo hid for several hours in the attic of a Northeast Birmingham home. The pair ran to the house after leading federal agents on a high-speed chase through northeast Birmingham, then ditching their Chevrolet Tahoe in the front yard of a home. FBI agents recovered more than nine kilograms of cocaine and almost $20,000 from the vehicle.
Among the defendants sentenced today was DAVID WAYNE McDANIEL, 24, who is widely known by his rap artist moniker, “Northside Weezy.” McDaniel received a seven-year, six-month sentence. Also sentenced were TEDDY TONELL DAVIS, 34, to 15 years, eight months in federal prison, and COREY LIONEL PITTS, 38, to 10 years in prison. Last month, Judge Coogler sentenced ROBERT LYNN THOMAS JR., 26, to five years in prison, JESSTIFUR JAHALIA FERRARI HURST, 29, to 10 years in prison, RODRIQUIS TYRONE STURDVIANT, 26, to two years and 11 months in prison, ISRAEL BRAVO OLASOAGAR, 38, to three years, 10 months in prison, and JESSE TYRONE HURST, 58, to five years in prison. The remaining defendants are scheduled for sentencing in the coming months.
The prosecution resulted in the forfeiture of large amounts of cash, four vehicles valued at more than $160,000, five parcels of real property valued at more than $300,000, and 23 money judgments levied against the defendants for $10 million.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and other agency members of the FBI’s North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Dimler prosecuted the case.
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