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Friday 24 June 2016
Wyoming Man Convicted of Being a Felon and Unlawful User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of Firearms and Possession of Equipment Used to Manufacture Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming Christopher A. Crofts announced today that on June 23, 2016, Brad Calvin Titchener, 48, was convicted following a two-day jury trial in United States District Court in Cheyenne, Wyoming, of being felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms and possession of equipment used to manufacture controlled substances. The investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATFE), the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) resulted in the discovery of the firearms and equipment used to manufacture methamphetamine at Titchener’s residence on November 15, 2015, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Sentencing has been set for August 30, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. before United States District Judge Alan B. Johnson in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Titchener faces up to 14 years in prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood, with the assistance of the case agent, DCI Special Agent Colin Ryder.
Woodside Resident Pleads Guilty to Structuring Financial Transactions to Evade Reporting RequirementsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Per Alftin pleaded guilty today to structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf. The plea follows the June 3, 2016, filing in federal court charging Alftin with circumventing the federal reporting requirement.
According to the plea agreement, Alftin, 51, of Woodside, admitted to using structured transactions to transfer at least $1,493,500 of cash from the gross receipts of his company, Alftin Construction, between 2009 and 2012. Specifically, Alftin admitted knowing that the banks he used had an obligation to report certain transactions in excess of $10,000, and that he sought to prevent such reports by structuring transactions to avoid the $10,000 threshold. Alftin drew more than $100,000 in cash from his business’s gross receipts in structured transactions during each year from 2009 through 2012 for a total of $1,493,500 during the entire period.
Alftin was charged in an Information with a single count of structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements, in violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3). Pursuant to today’s agreement, Alftin pleaded guilty to that count. Alftin is scheduled to appear on October 7, 2016, at 11:00 am before the Honorable Susan Ilston, U.S. District Judge for sentencing.
The maximum penalty for a violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5324(a)(3), is ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of $500,000. In addition, a fine and a term of supervised release may be imposed; however, any sentence following this conviction will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant US Attorney Michael G. Pitman is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
White County Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
Bobby D. Morrill, Jr., 38, of Carmi, Illinois, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to a term of 156 months in prison for distributing highly pure methamphetamine on four occasions in 2015, announced James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Morrill had previously pled guilty on March 3, 2016, to distributing methamphetamine in Carmi on August 31st and September 8th, 9th, and 16th.
At the time of the four distributions, Morrill was on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections after being sentenced in White County Circuit Court to 10 years in state prison in 2010 for possessing anhydrous ammonia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine. As a result, Morrill’s parole was revoked and he was returned to the Illinois Department of Corrections where he will remain until April 2017. He will begin serving his federal sentence after that.
In addition to the 156 month federal sentence, Morrill was ordered to pay $700 in fines and special assessments to the United States and was placed on a 3 year term of supervised release to follow his incarceration.
The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and the Illinois State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Westminster Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of HeroinRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Alexander E. Agniadis, age 28, of Westminster, Maryland, today to 54 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of heroin. An individual died after receiving heroin from Agniadis. Judge Motz also ordered that Agniadis pay restitution of $6,743.41 to the victim’s family for the cost of his funeral and final arrangements. There are no suspended sentences or parole in the federal court system.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Jeffrey Spaulding of the Westminster Police Department; Carroll County Sheriff James DeWees; and Carroll County State’s Attorney Brian DeLeonardo.
According to Agniadis’ plea agreement, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on December 28, 2014, Agniadis distributed heroin to an individual in the vicinity of Medinah Circle in Westminster. Text messages show that the individual contacted Agniadis to obtain heroin. According to witnesses Agniadis and the individual met at about 3:30 p.m., and Agniadis gave the individual a small amount of heroin. The individual was not in contact with his family or anyone else after that time and his phone reflects only unanswered calls and incoming texts from that time forward. The individual was found dead on January 5, 2015. The Medical Examiner determined that the victim died of heroin intoxication.
As part of the investigation, in early January 2015, heroin was purchased from Agniadis. On January 14, 2015, a search warrant was executed at Agniadis’ residence and law enforcement recovered 14 individually wrapped glassine bags containing heroin, and additional bags with heroin residue.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA and the Carroll County Drug Task Force comprised of the Maryland State Police, Westminster Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office, for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea L. Smith, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Virginia Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in 1984 Slaying of Woman in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joe Anthony Barber, 58, formerly of Woodbridge, Va., was found guilty today of first-degree murder while armed for the 1984 slaying of a woman at her apartment in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Barber was found guilty by a jury following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert E. Morin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30, 2016. Barber faces a sentence of 20 years to life in prison for the crime.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 1, 1984, the body of the victim, Rachel Cox, 43, was found at 6:30 a.m., when her daughter came home to their apartment in the 3300 block of Sixth Street SE. Ms. Cox was found on the floor, partially covered with a comforter, with her hands tied behind her back, her underwear at her feet, and 12 stab wounds to her torso, which injured her liver and heart. The victim’s daughter had last seen her mother on New Year’s Eve just before midnight.
Vaginal swabs taken from the body during the 1984 autopsy were submitted for DNA analysis in April 2013. Semen was found on the swabs and a profile was developed. Barber was identified as a suspect through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. Barber’s profile was in the system as a result of a 1984 conviction in an unrelated rape case. Further investigation led to Barber’s arrest in November 2013, and he has been in custody since that time.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Paul Howell; Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews Yette, Debra Joyner, Stephanie Siegerist, and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie, Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Victim/Witness Advocates Jennifer Clark and Karen Giannakoulias, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinators Tonya Jones and Katina Adams-Washington. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney and S. Vinét Bryant, who investigated, indicted and prosecuted the matter.
U.S. Attorney's Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal Shooting in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that it has completed its review of the fatal shooting of Darick Napper by a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer on Nov. 19, 2015, at an intersection in Northeast Washington. After a careful review of all of the evidence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against the officer involved in the fatal shooting of Mr. Napper.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and MPD conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included interviews of law enforcement and civilian witnesses and assessing photographs, DNA, diagrams, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, the autopsy report, and other evidence.
According to the evidence, the shooting took place on Nov. 19, 2015, at approximately 1:52 p.m., at the intersection of Clay Terrace and 53rd Street NE. Mr. Napper walked up a hill next to a neighborhood community center, where he encountered the MPD officer, who was sitting in her cruiser finishing some paperwork before the end of her shift. Mr. Napper leaned down and put his face near the officer’s partially opened driver’s side window. He had a large knife raised up and visible in his hand. The officer immediately reported to the dispatcher that she had a “man standing in front of me with a knife” and told the dispatcher to send back-up.
The officer then slowly reversed her cruiser to put space between her and Mr. Napper, and then got out and stood behind her open door. At that point, the officer did not have her weapon out. She repeatedly ordered Mr. Napper to “drop the knife, drop the knife,” which was heard over the radio by responding officers. Mr. Napper ignored her commands and started banging on the hood of the cruiser, damaging the vehicle. The officer took out her weapon and again told Mr. Napper to drop the knife. He replied, “I will kill you out here,” and moved quickly towards her. The officer fired one shot that fatally wounded Mr. Napper in the upper left chest area.
In addition to the knife, which had a nine-inch blade, at the time of the confrontation with the officer, Mr. Napper was wearing a camouflaged “brass knuckles knife” – which is brass knuckles with serrated knives over each knuckle – in his left hand.
Moments before the shooting, multiple civilian witnesses reported seeing Mr. Napper threatening several civilians outside the community center. Mr. Napper had both the “brass knuckles knife” and the large knife, described by one witness as a “butcher knife.” As one of the civilian witnesses called 911, Mr. Napper approached the MPD officer’s vehicle.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer used excessive force under the circumstances.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove such violations, prosecutors must typically be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary. Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. A conclusion that “there is insufficient evidence” is not meant to suggest anything further about what evidence, if any, exists.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are fully and completely investigated. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
U.S. Attorney Statement on Assault on Five-year old in Twin Falls and Law Enforcement ResponseRead the Press Release
BOISE – The United States Attorney’s Office extends its support to the five-year-old victim of assault, and her family, at the Fawnbrook Apartments in Twin Falls. The United States Attorney’s Office further encourages community members in Twin Falls and throughout Idaho to remain calm and supportive, to pay close attention to the facts that have been released by law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney, and to avoid spreading false rumors and inaccuracies.
"Grant Loebs is an experienced prosecutor, and Chief Craig Kingsbury is an experienced law enforcement officer. They are moving fairly and thoughtfully in this case,” said Wendy J. Olson, U.S. Attorney for Idaho. “As Mr. Loebs and Chief Kingsbury informed the public, the subjects in this case are juveniles, ages 14, 10 and 7. The criminal justice system, whether at the state or federal level, requires that juveniles be afforded a specific process with significant restrictions on the information that can be released. The fact that the subjects are juveniles in no way lessens the harm to or impact on the victim and her family. The spread of false information or inflammatory or threatening statements about the perpetrators or the crime itself reduces public safety and may violate federal law. We have seen time and again that the spread of falsehoods about refugees divides our communities. I urge all citizens and residents to allow Mr. Loebs and Chief Kingsbury and their teams to do their jobs.”
U.S. Attorney Phillips to Host Sixth Annual Youth Summit at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force, and a wide variety of law enforcement and community partners are coming together again this year to sponsor their sixth annual “Breaking the Silence on Youth Violence” Youth Summit.
The event is Thursday, June 30, 2016, at Friendship Collegiate Academy.
The sixth annual summit will focus on youth making better decisions to achieve success, youth’s role in preventing violent crime, and the need to cooperate with law enforcement to solve violent crime. The event will feature dynamic speakers, entertainment, and valuable information and resources for our youth.
Youths from throughout the District of Columbia are invited to the free program, which will start with the doors opening at 10 a.m. and run to 3 p.m. Friendship Collegiate Academy, 4095 Minnesota Avenue NE, is conveniently located directly across the street from the Minnesota Avenue Metro station in order to provide accessibility for students to attend.
The summit is one of the largest events sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office each year, and each year has drawn hundreds of youths from throughout the city. The program assembles young people from under-served neighborhoods in the District of Columbia to discuss the most pressing public safety challenges facing their communities. The goal of the program is to reach out to area youth on current public safety topics in an informative and inspiring way.
This year, a key topic will be awareness and prevention of human trafficking. Tina Frundt, a human trafficking survivor and founder of Courtney House, will to speak to teens about the dangers of being lured and manipulated into the nationally growing travesty of human trafficking. Younger children will learn about gun safety and gang prevention. The summit will also include an information fair in which more than 20 non-profit organizations will provide information on youth development programs, mentoring, and education activities.
Numerous partners will be coming together to present the day’s programs, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Friendship Collegiate Academy; the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD); the Mayor Barry Youth Leadership Institute; the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General; Hillcrest Children and Family Center; Collaborative Solutions for Communities; East of the River Family Support Collaborative; the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation; the D.C. Project Safe Neighborhood Task Force; Project Shine, and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The effort is supported by Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing gun and gang crimes. Those with questions or interest in bringing a youth group to the Youth Summit may contact External Affairs Specialist Melanie Howard at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (202)-252-6930 or [email protected].
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Two Florida Men Plead Guilty to Multi-State Biodiesel Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Thomas Davanzo, of Estero, Florida, and Robert Fedyna, of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty today for their participation in a multi-state scheme to defraud biodiesel buyers and U.S. taxpayers by fraudulently selling biodiesel credits and fraudulently claiming tax credits, announced Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida.
Davanzo and Fedyna operated several shell companies that were used to facilitate the scheme. As part of the scheme, Davanzo and Fedyna operated entities that purported to purchase renewable fuel, on which credits had been claimed and which was ineligible for additional credits, produced by their co-conspirators at Gen-X Energy Group (Gen-X), headquartered in Pasco, Washington, and its subsidiary, Southern Resources and Commodities (SRC), located in Dublin, Georgia. They then used a series of false transactions to transform the fuel back into feedstock needed for the production of renewable fuel, and sold it back to Gen-X or SRC, allowing credits to be claimed again. This cycle was repeated multiple times.
In addition, both Davanzo and Fedyna laundered the proceeds of the scheme through various shell entities. Davanzo and Fedyna established bank accounts in the names of shell entities. Funds were cycled through these shell companies’ bank accounts to perpetuate the fraud scheme and conceal its proceeds.
Davanzo and Fedyna also directed and participated in the generation of false paperwork designed to create the façade that the renewable identification number (or RIN, a serial number used to track biodiesel credits) created and claimed by co-conspirators were legitimate. The paperwork included false invoices from Gen-X or SRC to shell entities, which purported to show sales of renewable fuel, false invoices from shell entities to Gen-X and SRC, which purported to show the purchase of feedstock and false bills of lading, which purported to show the transportation of fuel and feedstock by tanker truck.
From March 2013 to March 2014, the co-conspirators generated at least 60 million RINs that were based on fuel that was either never produced or was merely re-processed at the Gen-X or SRC facilities. The co-conspirators received at least $42 million from the sale of these fraudulent RINs to third parties. In addition, Gen-X received approximately $4,360,724.50 in false tax credits for this fuel.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Environmental Protection Agency -Criminal Investigation Division, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Megan Kistler and Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice.
Twice-Removed Alien Sentenced to Time Served for Re-entering U.S. after DeportationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Following a plea of guilty, a citizen of Mexico was sentenced in federal court to time-served on his conviction of Re-Entry into the United States after Deportation, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry imposed the sentence on Miguel Ramirez-Ramos, 38.
According to information presented to the court, Ramirez-Ramos was formally removed from the United States by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sept. 28, 2010 and Dec. 18, 2012. Ramirez-Ramos was found to be illegally present in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on March 1, 2016.
Assistant United States Attorney Mary McKeen Houghton prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ramirez-Ramos.
Twelfth Defendant Sentenced for Role in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Kimberly Paulk Shaffer, 44, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 168 months in federal prison, following her guilty plea in February 2016 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a schedule II controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
To date, eleven co-conspirators from Wichita Falls and Dallas were sentenced to the following federal prison sentences:
Mark Anthony Peysen, 54, 180 months
Tamara Ann Beasley, 43, 51 months
Clinton Ray Durham, 47, 63 months
John Monroe Drullinger, Jr., 53, 155 months
Chad Edward Fluharty, 36, 110 months
Juan Anthony Gabaldon, 31, 168 months
Vincent Mark Hinson, 36, 151 months
Curtis Lisle Shawver, 28, 168 months
James Anthony Streadwick, 54, 292 months
Michael David Thompson, 50, 168 months
Cody Shane Walsh, 30, 240 monthsEach pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. A total of 13 were charged in the conspiracy. The remaining defendant, William Muyleart, is scheduled for sentencing in October 2016.
According to documents filed in the case, from approximately March 2014 to August 12, 2015, these defendants conspired together, and with others, to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. They arranged to acquire the methamphetamine and used residences and other locations in the Northern District of Texas to package and distribute it to customers. They delivered and distributed, and coordinated the delivery and distribution of, quantities of methamphetamine. They also acted as intermediaries and brokers to negotiate the acquisition, price, sale and delivery of the methamphetamine, as well as the collection of payment for the methamphetamine.
The Wichita County District Attorney’s Office, the Wichita Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters was in charge of the prosecution.
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Texas Women Arrested on Federal Heroin Trafficking Charges in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Texas residents made their initial appearances this morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., on narcotics trafficking charges arising out of a U.S. Border Patrol seizure of more than five pounds of heroin on June 22, 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Self of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of El Paso Division of the DEA.
Elizabeth Ordonez-Ochoa, 36, and Olivia Ceniceros-Favela, 32, both of El Paso, Texas, were arrested on June 22, 2016, after U.S. Border Patrol Agents at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 25 north of Las Cruces allegedly seized approximately 5.05 pounds of heroin from the vehicle in which Ordonez-Ochoa was traveling. According to the criminal complaint, part of the heroin allegedly was concealed in a pair of shoes worn by Ordonez-Ochoa. The rest allegedly was concealed in a second pair of shoes that were under the driver’s seat. Agents later arrested Ceniceros-Favela when she allegedly attempted to pick up Ordonez-Ochoa in the vicinity of a Walmart store in Las Cruces.
Both women remain in federal custody pending preliminary hearings and detention hearings, which have yet to be scheduled. If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, the two women each face a statutory mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces Station of the U.S. Border Patrol and the El Paso office of the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara N. Cobos of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.
The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
St. Francis Man Found Not Guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man was acquitted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child as a result of a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota, beginning June 21, 2016 and concluding on June 23, 2016.
James Wade Henry, Sr., age 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2015.
The charges stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred in September 2014.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case.
Southampton Town Councilman Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Distribute OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Earlier today in Central Islip, NY, Bradley Bender, former Southampton Town Councilman, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release and $5,000 forfeiture, following his guilty plea on November 24, 2015, to conspiring to illegally distribute oxycodone. The sentencing proceedings were held before U.S. District Judge Arthur D. Spatt.
The sentence was announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
In announcing the sentence, United States Attorney Robert L. Capers stated, “Today’s sentence is a reminder to all those entrusted to represent the interests of the public that they will be held accountable if they engage in criminal activity and violate that trust.” Mr. Capers expressed his grateful appreciation to the DEA’s Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad, which led the government’s investigation in this case.
According to court filings and statements made in court at the time he entered the guilty plea, between July 2012 and June 2015, Bender received phony prescriptions for oxycodone from a Riverhead physician assistant, Michael Troyan. Bender filled those prescriptions and illegally exchanged the oxycodone pills for cash and steroids with another co-conspirator. The oxycodone pills were then re-sold to drug abusers.
Troyan was arrested on November 4, 2015, and pleaded guilty last Friday, June 17, 2016, before United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley, to conspiring to illegally distribute oxycodone. Troyan is scheduled to be sentenced on Septembeer 30, 2016.
Bender’s resignation as a Councilman was accepted by the Southampton Town Board on the day of his guilty plea.
This case is part of a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York as part of the Prescription Drug Initiative. In January 2012, this Office and the DEA, in conjunction with the five District Attorneys in this district, the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments, the New York City Police Department, and New York State Police, along with other key federal, state, and local government partners, launched the Initiative to mount a comprehensive response to what the United States Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention has called an epidemic increase in the abuse of so-called opioid analgesics. To date, the Initiative has brought over 160 federal and local criminal prosecutions, including the prosecution of 19 health care professionals, taken civil enforcement actions against a hospital, a pharmacy, health clinic, and pharmacy chain, removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors, and expanded information-sharing among enforcement agencies to better target and pursue drug traffickers. The Initiative also is involved in an extensive community outreach program to address the abuse of pharmaceuticals.
The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allen L. Bode.
The Defendant:
Name: BRADLEY BENDER
Age: 55
Residence: Northampton, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-593(ADS)
South Dallas DTO Member Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison on Kidnapping ChargeRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Rodney Wynn, 36, of Pleasant Grove, South Dallas, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 24 years in federal prison following his guilty plea in February 2016 to one count of kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
A federal grand jury indicted Wynn and ten others in November 2014 on various conspiracy, drug trafficking, kidnapping, firearm, witness intimidation/tampering, and records destruction charges stemming from their involvement in a violent drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated out of both the Pleasant Grove area of South Dallas and the Dallas County Jail. All eleven defendants have been convicted, and all have been sentenced.
Wynn admitted to involvement in a brutal kidnapping in which Wynn and co-conspirators carjacked and kidnapped a victim in broad daylight at a gas station on Stemmons Freeway in Dallas. The victim was run over twice, taken by force and at gunpoint, carried to another location where he was then beaten and tortured, as Wynn and his co-conspirators sought to locate drug money they believed the victim had stolen. Several surveillance cameras recorded the kidnapping.
Following the offense, Wynn was placed on the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List on September 12, 2014 and was taken into custody on June 12, 2015.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Dallas Police Department led the investigation.
Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin and P. J. Meitl prosecuted the case.
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Shreveport man pleads guilty to firearm, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing a pistol and cocaine.
Carlos Tramell Russell, 30, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to the guilty plea, Shreveport Police responded to a domestic dispute call on July 8, 2015. Russell was reported to have been seen with a firearm during an incident at a Shreveport residence. Officers then searched Russell’s home and found a Romarm pistol, model Micro Draco, 7.62 by 39 mm and ammunition in his home. They also found three bags of cocaine. Russell had prior felony convictions in 2005 and 2010.
Russell faces up to 10 years in prison for the firearm count and five years to life for the drug count. He also faces up to five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of September 13, 2016 was set.
This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Sexual Predator Used Facebook to Coerce and Exploit Underage GirlsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Dylan Allen Jeffries, 26, of Clifton Forge, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for coercion or enticement of a minor. Jeffries was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.
“Jeffries’ predatory behavior, targeted at multiple underage and vulnerable girls is very serious and certainly deserving of this punishment,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Every minor is a potential target of online sexual predators. Parents must do everything they can to protect their children, and we must continue to punish adults who attempt to sexually exploit them.”
Jeffries pleaded guilty on February 8. According to court documents, Jeffries used Facebook and text messages to graphically describe proposed sexual encounters with at least two victims: Jane Doe 1, who was 12 years old at the time he proposed sexual encounters and requested pornographic images of her; and Jane Doe 2, who was 13 years old. Further, when agents searched Jeffries’ bedroom, they recovered an external hard drive with images and videos of other underage girls dating back to 2010, and Jeffries stated he had received the majority of the images in the same way that he had received and attempted to receive images from Jane Doe 1—directly from the girls depicted via private Facebook and email messages.
Jeffries acknowledged that the girls depicted on the external hard drive were minors at the time the images and videos were created, and forensic examination of the external hard drive identified 22 images and three videos depicting child pornography.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and John S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin C. Gratton and Lisa R. McKeel prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:15-cr-83.
Serial Fraudster Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland –. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Monika Michelle Hill, age 36, of Baltimore and Cockeysville, Maryland, to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for two separate fraud schemes, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Judge Hollander also ordered Hill to pay restitution of $199,318 for the 2015 bank fraud case, and restitution of $105,899.16 in the 2013 wire fraud case.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Brian Murphy of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to her plea agreement, between March 2013 and July 2014, Hill, was the leader of a scheme in which the defendants deposited counterfeit checks, drawn on the accounts of identity theft victims, into bank accounts opened by the defendants in the name of shell companies. The defendants then withdrew the funds before the fraud could be detected. Hill conspired with co-defendants Alysia Rascoe, Vance McKoy, Mark Peeples, Dorian Griffin and others to open 22 business bank accounts online, using the personal identifying information of identity theft victims. The bank accounts were funded using forged checks bearing the bank account numbers and forged signatures of other identity theft victims.
For example, Grant U Pleasure, LLC and Kersey’s Recovery, LLC were registered with the State of Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation as businesses on March 12, 2014 and May 19, 2014, respectively. The businesses each listed an identity theft victim as the managing member/owner, and used that person’s social security number and date of birth to open online bank accounts for the business. The bank accounts listed the identity theft victim as the sole authorized signer on the account.
Beginning on March 25, 2014, 31 counterfeit checks totaling $51,490 were deposited into three business banks accounts opened online in the name of Grant U Pleasure. A total of $52,433 was drawn out of those accounts by checks being cashed against funds in the accounts. All of the deposited counterfeit checks were from an account belonging to identity theft victims. Hill deposited three of the counterfeit checks and Peeples deposited four counterfeit checks into the Grant U Pleasure bank accounts, each bearing the forged signature of a victim account owner. Once the counterfeit checks were deposited, Hill provided checks to Griffin, Rascoe, Peeples, and others from the Grant U Pleasure accounts. The checks were made out to them in amounts ranging from $1,500 to $1,800, and bore the forged signature of the purported managing member/owner of Grant U Pleasure. Griffin, Rascoe and Peeples cashed the checks, providing their driver’s licenses, fingerprints and signatures. They typically kept about $200 of the proceeds for themselves and provided the rest to Hill and others.
Similarly, between June 3 and 5, 2014, eight counterfeit checks totaling $13,810 were deposited into the Kersey’s Recovery bank accounts. Hill deposited four counterfeit checks, including on June 4, 2014, immediately after entering her guilty plea in a separate federal fraud case, and while she was on pretrial release. Hill then provided McKoy and others checks from the Kersey’s Recovery accounts that were made out to them in amounts ranging from $1,200 to $1,400, and bore the forged signature of the purported managing member/owner of Kersey’s Recovery. After cashing the checks, McKoy and others received between $150 and $400, and provided the balance to Hill.
The loss to the bank as a result of the scheme was $179,808.76, the amount actually withdrawn. The intended loss was $233,190.02, the total amount of the counterfeit checks deposited.
Mark Darnell Peeples, age 31, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and to aggravated identity theft; Alysia Samon Rascoe, age 26, of Baltimore pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and to aggravated identity theft; Christopher Vance McKoy, age 24, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; and Dorian Maurice Griffin, age 20, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and to aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for McKoy on July 19, 2016 at 10:00 a.m., for Rascoe on July 20, 2016, for Peeples on August 23, 2016, both at 2:30 p.m., and for Griffin on October 21, 2016, at 10:00 a.m.
In the prior case, Hill conspired with Tavares Davon Miller, age 32, of Baltimore. According to her plea agreement in that case, from September 25 through November 1, 2012, Miller acquired the identifying information of more than 10 victims, and used that information to fabricate driver’s licenses and credit cards in the names of those victims, but using the photograph of co-conspirator Monika Hill (where applicable). Miller and Hill traveled to motorcycle dealerships and retail stores in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and Pennsylvania, and used the fraudulent identification documents to purchase motorcycles and other merchandise, or apply for lines of credit at those stores. Miller and Hill then loaded the motorcycles and merchandise into their vehicle and returned to Maryland. Miller advertised the motorcycles and merchandise for sale over the internet, retaining the proceeds of the sales and paid Hill a fee for her services. Miller was previously sentenced to 75 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of 105,899.66.
Today’s announcement is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Secret Service and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Judson T. Mihok, who prosecuted both cases.
Sacramento Resident Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Abdul Mannan, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to three years and three months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert announced. In addition, U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. ordered Mannan to pay $76,193 in restitution.
According to court documents, between March 5, 2014, and November 7, 2014, Mannan participated in a scheme to obtain cash, goods, and services from banks and from Sacramento Area stores. On July 1, 2015, federal agents executed a search warrant at Mannan's residence and found personal and financial information for over 25 different victims and more than 25 different credit card accounts. On March 11, 2016, Mannan pleaded guilty to the charges.
San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated: “We are working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those responsible for complex identity fraud schemes and to protect postal customers’ mail and personal information from theft.”
“Identity theft schemes result in billions of dollars in losses every year in this country and cause incalculable heartache and financial harm to law-abiding consumers,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, the special agent in charge who oversees HSI’s enforcement activities throughout northern California. “We owe it to the victims of these schemes to pursue such cases aggressively, making it clear that those who brazenly enrich themselves through fraud and identity theft, as this defendant did, will be held accountable for their crimes.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rodriguez prosecuted the case.
Rockford Man Charged with the Robbery of Rockford Banks and a Coin and Stamp StoreRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A local man was indicted June 21, 2016 by a federal grand jury in Rockford, Ill. on bank robbery, robbery affecting interstate commerce and firearm charges.
DAVID J. SANDERS, 33, was charged with one count of attempted bank robbery, two counts of bank robbery, one count of robbery affecting interstate commerce, one count of using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The indictment alleges that on May 31, 2016, Sanders attempted to commit a robbery of the BMO Harris Bank, 2510 S. Alpine Rd., Rockford, Ill. The indictment further alleges that on May 31, 2016, Sanders robbed the BMO Harris Bank, 1480 S. Alpine Rd., Rockford, Ill and that he obtained $2,260 from bank employees during that robbery. The indictment further alleges on June 11, 2016 Sanders robbed Rockford Coin and Stamps, 4402 Center Ter., Rockford, Ill. while using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and that he obtained $500 and a Remington shotgun from Rockford Coin and Stamps employees during that robbery. The indictment further alleges that between June 11, 2016 and June 14, 2016, Sanders possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. The indictment further alleges that on June 14, 2016, Sanders robbed PNC Bank, 4615 E. State St., Rockford, Ill. and that he obtained $3,010 from bank employees during that robbery.
Each count of attempted bank robbery, bank robbery and robbery affecting interstate commerce carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and full restitution. The charge of using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years, maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment, up to 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. The sentence imposed for this charge must be consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Sanders has been in custody since his arrest on June 14, 2016 and pleaded not guilty during his arraignment yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston. Sanders was previously ordered to be held in federal custody pending trial. Sanders is next scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Johnson for a status hearing on Aug. 16, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The indictment was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Dan O’Shea, Chief of the Rockford Police Department. The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, which includes representatives from the FBI, ATF, Loves Park Police Department, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department, and Rockford Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Pedersen.
Ringleader Sentenced to 10 Years for Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – William Delonta Granberry, 37, of Hughesville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, to be followed by three-year term of supervised release.
Granberry pleaded guilty on February 10. According to a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Granberry acknowledged that beginning in or around 2010, and continuing until December 2015, he fabricated prescriptions of oxycodone utilizing legitimate prescription paper delivered to his residence. He also admitted to fabricating the prescribing information of legitimate physicians obtained from the website DEANumber.com, and using primarily fictitious patient names. Granberry then recruited a network of co-conspirators who used individuals called “runners” to fill these fraudulent prescriptions at various pharmacies. After acquiring the fraudulently obtained oxycodone from his co-conspirators, Granberry distributed the oxycodone to other individuals for a high profit. Since 2008, the criminal organization has fraudulently obtained approximately 130,000 oxycodone pills. Eight other defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced as part of the investigation to date.
Five other defendants are awaiting sentencing: Sheila Coleman will be sentenced July 8; Dmitri Walls-White on July 22; Andre Granberry on August 12; James Powell on September 9, and; Roxanne Granberry on September 16.
This sentencing is the product of a multi-year, multi-jurisdictional, and multi-agency Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation designated “Operation Circuit Breaker.” Operation Circuit Breaker focuses upon the illegal procurement and sale of prescription pain medication across the mid-Atlantic region.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Hayden and Anna G. Kaminska, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Rossi are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney thanked the Department of Defense–Office of the Inspector General, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Virginia State Police, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office for their assistance in this matter.
This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Circuit Breaker, which focuses on the illegal procurement and sale of prescription pain medication across the mid-Atlantic region. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:14-cr-284, 1:14-cr-340, 1:14-cr-389, 1:15-cr-29, 1:16-cr-16, 1:16-cr-26, and 1:16-cr-28.
Providence Man Pleads Guilty to Operating Large-Scale Indoor Marijuana GrowsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Richard A. Yang, 36, of Providence, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to participating in conspiracies to operate large-scale marijuana grow facilities inside a converted Providence mill building. Yang is one of eight individuals charged in February 2016 by way of a federal superseding indictment for participating in conspiracies to operate marijuana grow facilities inside the former mill building.
Yang’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI, Michael Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s New England Field Division, Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
On August 13, 2015, FBI agents, assisted by DEA agents, Rhode Island State Police and Providence Police, executed nine federal court authorized search warrants in and around 725 Branch Avenue. Approximately 1,400 marijuana plants in various stages of growth were discovered inside numerous otherwise vacant apartments and offices. A tenth federal search warrant was executed at a Providence residence at 60 Valley Street in Providence where law enforcement seized approximately 100 marijuana plants in various stages of growth.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith, Yang admitted to the court that between December 2012 and August 2015, he conspired with others to operate large-scale marijuana grow facilities inside two rooms of the Branch Avenue building. Law enforcement seized 884 marijuana plants in various stage of growth and 35 kilograms of harvested marijuana from Yang’s operations.
Yang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture over 100 marijuana plants and manufacture of over 100 marijuana plants. He faces statutory penalties of between 5 years and 40 years imprisonment when he is sentenced on September 23, 2016, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith. Yang is also required to forfeit $20,000 to the government prior to imposition of sentence.
Additionally, during a search of the building at 725 Branch Avenue, law enforcement seized a .22 caliber firearm from an area occupied by the owner of the building, William L. Ricci, 69. Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on March 11, 2016, Ricci pleaded guilty to manufacturing and storing marijuana, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ricci is scheduled to be sentenced on October 11, 2016.
The cases in this matter are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Contact:
Jim Martin (401) 709-5357
email: [email protected]
on Twitter @USAO_RI
Philippines National Charged in Scheme to Steal Identities of High-Profile Victims and Engage in Credit Card and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A resident of the Philippines has been charged in connection with a large-scale and sophisticated identity theft scheme targeting high-profile victims, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today.
Peter Locsin, 35, of Talisay City, Philippines, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of bank fraud conspiracy and two counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment was returned May 10, 2016, and unsealed today. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John M. Vasquez.
According to documents filed in this case:
Locsin allegedly conspired with others to defraud banks and credit card companies by compromising accounts held at those institutions by certain individuals, usually well-known or celebrity account-holders. Locsin and others first compromised personal identifying information (PII) – including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, address history, and work history. Locsin and his conspirators fraudulently accessed the individual accounts through websites or other online means, as well as through telephone calls.
Locsin and his conspirators used those accounts to make, or attempt to make, wire transfers of funds, order merchandise, order emergency replacement cards, add supplemental cardholders to accounts, or change addresses related to those accounts – none of which was authorized by the account-holders.
The count of bank fraud conspiracy carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and the counts of aggravated identity theft each carry a maximum potential penalty of two years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Intrater, Deputy Chief of the of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Parmelee Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on June 20, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Darius Whipple, Sr., age 24, was sentenced to 30 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Whipple was indicted for two counts of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2016. He pled guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on March 28, 2016.
On the morning of August 28, 2015, Whipple’s ex-girlfriend, the victim, was visiting a friend’s apartment in Mission, when Whipple came to the door and would not leave. The victim’s friend informed the victim she needed to leave. The victim left the apartment and started running away from Whipple. Whipple chased the victim and began assaulting her in the middle of the road, by punching her in the face and head until she fell to the ground unconscious. Whipple then fled the area on foot. The victim had to be transported by ambulance to the hospital and was subsequently treated for a broken jaw, requiring her jaw to be wired shut for at least six weeks.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk W. Albertson prosecuted the case.
Whipple was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Orlando Pharmacist Sentenced to More Than 24 Years for Illegally Dispensing OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Valentine Okonkwo (54, Orlando) to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose and for dispensing and distributing oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. A federal jury found him guilty in March 2016.
According to evidence presented at trial, Okonkwo, a licensed pharmacist, dispensed more than 500,000 oxycodone pills during the timeframe of the conspiracy and collected over $1.3 million from illegal oxycodone sales. Okonkwo accepted fraudulent prescriptions from patients who had traveled long distances, and in groups, to get their oxycodone from his pharmacy, known as Avalon Park Pharmacy. The patients paid a premium, in cash, for the pain pills because they had fraudulent prescriptions and prescriptions from pill mill doctors. Avalon Park Pharmacy led the surrounding area in oxycodone distribution, including all of the major retail pharmacies. Many of the oxycodone pills were purchased by drug addicts and drug dealers who then sold the pills for up to $15 apiece on the streets. Okonkwo also had sex with several customers who had used fraudulent prescriptions at his pharmacy.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James D. Mandolfo and Nathan W. Hill.
Officials Take Down Drug Trafficking Organization that Used Internal Body Carriers to Smuggle Drugs into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. Wong (619) 546-9464
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 24, 2016
EL CENTRO – Eleven people have been charged with drug-trafficking and gun crimes in two indictments unsealed late yesterday. The drug trafficking organization used internal body carriers to smuggle drugs through the Calexico, California Ports of Entry into the United States and on to El Centro, San Diego, and Los Angeles.
Following an eleven-month investigation that concluded yesterday afternoon, all 11 defendants were in custody and seven firearms were taken off the streets. A coalition of federal agencies also conducted searches at six locations – including sites in Brawley and Calipatria, California. Many of these locations are homes where drugs and guns were stored and sold.
The two indictments describe two separate but overlapping conspiracies. According to indictments and other court documents, most defendants were drug traffickers selling methamphetamine, heroin, and PCP. Some were felons in possession of firearms and had ties to criminal street gangs.
“We are absolutely committed to making Imperial Valley neighborhoods safe from drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “This operation successfully removed guns and drugs from the streets and intercepted hard-to-get smugglers who use the insides of their bodies as vessels for dangerous contraband.”
“HSI is committed to working jointly with its law enforcement partners to pursue and dismantle drug smuggling networks that distribute narcotics on the streets and spread violence in our communities,” said Dave Shaw, special agent in charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “This investigation uncovered a gang-affiliated drug smuggling ring extending from Mexicali to the Imperial and Riverside counties. I commend the outstanding work by HSI and our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector for the joint effort during the enforcement operation.”
DEFENDANTS Criminal Case No: 16-CR-01283-MMA
Name
Age
Hometown
Emanuel Nunez,
aka “Meno”
35
El Centro, CA
Monica Aguirre
36
El Centro, CA
Jose Juan Valles,
aka “Nacho”
aka “Freddy”
49
El Centro, CA
David Valencia,
aka “Woody”
43
National City, CA
Raymond Ferrel,
aka “Mochis”
52
Brawley, CA
Edward Lucero,
aka “Gato”
36
Calexico, CA
Blanca Aguirre
37
El Centro, CA
Rayshan Thomas,
aka “Bones”
44
Brawley, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 960, 963); Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841(a)(1) and 846); Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841(a)(1) and 846); Felon in Possession of a Firearm (Title 18, U.S.C., Sec 922(g)(1)). Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime (Title 18, U.S.C., Sec 924(c))
Maximum Penalties: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a 10 million dollar fine.
DEFENDANTS Criminal Case No: 16-CR-01284-MMA
Name
Age
Hometown
Rayshan Thomas,
aka “Bones”
44
Brawley, CA
Melinda White
49
El Cajon, CA
Devernie Ford
Aka “Dolla”
56
Calipatria, CA
Damian Partida
31
Brawley, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841(a)(1) and 846); Conspiracy to Distribute Phencyclidine ((PCP) (Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841(a)(1) and 846); Felon in Possession of a Firearm (Title 18, U.S.C., Sec 922(g)(1))
Maximum Penalties: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a 10 million dollar fine.
AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Brawley Police Department
Customs and Border Protection
United States Border Patrol
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
United States Marshal Service
El Cajon Police Department
California Highway Patrol
El Centro Police Department
Fontana Police Department
Imperial County Narcotics Task Force
*An indictment or complaint itself is not evidence that the defendants committed the crimes charged. The defendants are presumed innocent until the Government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
North Carolina man pleads guilty to possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a North Carolina man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing a sexually explicit image of a Lafayette minor.
Eric Teague, 47, of Granite Falls, N.C., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of possession of child pornography. According to the guilty plea, Teague contacted a minor in the Lafayette area through a social media site online. The defendant received a sexually explicit image from the minor in January of 2015 and was later found in possession of the image.
Teague faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He is also required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date of September 21, 2016 was set.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Nebraska City Sentenced for Production and Transportation of Obscene MaterialsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Joseph Buttercase, 34, formerly of Nebraska City, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Omaha, Nebraska, to 3 years in prison by United States Senior District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon, for production and transportation of obscene material. Buttercase has already been incarcerated in the Nebraska State Penitentiary serving a 26-41 year state sentence and this new sentence will run consecutively to that. After his release from prison Buttercase will serve a year on supervised release and be required to continue to register as a sex offender based upon this and previous convictions.
Between October, 2003 to November, 2004, Buttercase produced 5 videos and approximately 900 images of obscene material, specifically sexually explicit conduct, with the intent to transport the material in interstate commerce, and for the purpose of distributing those images. Buttercase was arrested in Beatrice, Nebraska in July of 2011 and his computer was seized during the course of that investigation. Buttercase admitted he knew the content of the videos and images he produced was obscene material.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office.
Mexican National Sentenced to More Than 15 Years on Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Edgar Yanez-Gutierrez (32, Nayarit, Mexico) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and conspiring to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. He pleaded guilty on February 24, 2016.
According to the court documents, Yanez-Gutierrez was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from California to drug distribution and money laundering cells throughout the United States, including Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Alabama, and Arkansas. Yanez-Gutierrez fled from California to Mexico in 2011, but was later arrested and extradited to the United States in December 2015. To date, 27 others have been prosecuted in the Middle District of Florida for their roles in this DTO.
“This sentencing is another step toward the total dismantling of a dangerous transnational drug trafficking operation, further emphasizing that criminals cannot hide behind international borders and escape justice.” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “HSI will continue to work with our international law enforcement partners to make our country and communities safer.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray. It was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from other federal, state, and local agencies as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The Office of International Affairs, Department of Justice, assisted with Yanez-Gutierrez’s extradition to the United States.
Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Arson, Looting, Assault and Other Mayhem During Baltimore Riots and Shooting Woman over a $20 Drug Dispute 10 Weeks LaterRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Donta Betts, age 20, of Baltimore, today to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for making a destructive device in connection with the April 27, 2015, riots in Baltimore and, in an unrelated case, for discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on July 2, 2015.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
“Donta Betts engaged in arson, looting, assault and other mayhem during the Baltimore riots,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. He threw rocks at the police near Mondawmin Mall; tried to destroy police cars; stole from a pharmacy, a liquor store and a shoe store; and set off a homemade bomb. Ten weeks later, he tried to murder a woman over a $20 drug dispute, then he conspired to get her to sign a false affidavit. We caught him only because police and prosecutors spent many hours reviewing video and audio recordings. It may sound like a story arc from a TV series, but it is real life in Baltimore.”
On April 27, 2015, riots and widespread looting erupted in Baltimore. Among the affected businesses, the CVS Pharmacy located at 2509 Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore was looted and burned. According to his plea agreement, Betts participated in the looting at the CVS. Betts is captured on surveillance video entering the store through its main front entrance and removing merchandise from the store.
By 5:44 p.m., riot participants had placed an assemblage of metal propane cylinders and charcoal briquettes near the main entrance to CVS, between West North Avenue and a line of police officers that had formed across the 2500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. In an effort to deter the line of police officers from advancing to stop the looting of the CVS, Betts set fire to a roll of toilet paper and placed it on top of the propane cylinders and charcoal briquettes. Betts then squirted lighter fluid onto the burning roll of toilet paper atop the incendiary materials. Betts’ face and full body are shown squirting lighter fluid onto the incendiary materials in still photographs, some of which were published by local and national news media. Betts then fled, and at approximately 5:58 p.m., a large flame exploded from the improvised incendiary device, resulting in flying debris of large metal fragments from the propane cylinders and blast effects felt by nearby bystanders.
During the investigation, ATF learned that in addition to making the incendiary device, the scope of Betts’ participation in the April 27th riots included: throwing objects at police in the vicinity of Mondawmin Mall; attempting to tip over MTA and police vehicles while encouraging others to join him; attempting to destroy a police cruiser by placing flammable material in the fuel filler pipe and igniting the material; and stealing from the CVS, a liquor store in Baltimore, and a shoe store at Mondawmin Mall. Betts’ involvement in the riots is documented in surveillance footage and still photographs.
In an unrelated case, on July 2, 2015, Betts shot and attempted to kill an individual who had previously purchased heroin from him. According to the plea agreement, Betts expected to be paid $40 for the heroin, but the individual only paid him about $20. On the morning of July 2, 2015, Betts saw the individual in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with a passenger in southwest Baltimore. Betts approached the vehicle with a gun in his hand and shot at the individual, intending to kill the victim in retaliation for having been cheated in the prior drug transaction. The victim managed to drive away and was treated at the Shock Trauma Center at University of Maryland Hospital for severe injuries to her left leg. Betts was arrested for the shooting on July 7, 2015 and charged in state court with attempted first degree murder and other offenses, and detained.
On July 18 and July 19, 2015, while he was detained, Betts made calls to a friend. During the call on July 19, which was recorded by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Betts provided the name of the shooting victim and asked his friend to relay that information to associates of Betts and to instruct them to obtain a signed affidavit from the victim stating that Betts did not shoot her. During the same call, Betts admitted that he did shoot the victim.
The investigation into arsons that occurred on April 27, 2015, is continuing. Anyone with information is urged to call the ATF hotline, 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473). ATF continues to offer a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any individual responsible for these incidents.
Federal prosecutors previously have charged four other defendants for arson crimes committed during the Baltimore riots on April 27, 2015. Trevon Green, age 23, of Baltimore, is charged with malicious destruction of property by fire, for allegedly setting fire to a food store on North Monroe Street. Gregory Lee Butler, Jr., a/k/a Greg Baly, age 22, of Baltimore, faces federal charges for obstruction of firefighters during a civil disorder. Darius Raymond Stewart, age 22, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to malicious destruction of property by fire, arising from the arson of a liquor store. Stewart is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3, 2016. Raymon Carter, age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the federal crime of rioting, including the arson of the CVS Pharmacy on April 27, 2015, and was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $500,000.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the ATF, Baltimore Police Department, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Maddox and Sandra Wilkinson, who are prosecuting the case.
Man Gets 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex with 13 Year-OldRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – James Aubrey Brown, IV, 40, of Woodbridge, who was convicted by a federal jury on charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor on March 3, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his crimes. Brown was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Brown responded to a Craigslist ad purportedly posted by a 13-year-old girl living on Marine Corps Base Quantico. Over a period of 12 days and an exchange of over 275 emails, Brown repeatedly pressed the girl to meet and engage in sexual acts, including oral and vaginal sex. He also solicited nude photos of the girl. Ultimately, he arranged to come to Marine Corps Base Quantico to have sex with the girl. Over email, he directed her as to what to wear and what do when he arrived. On the morning of Sept. 14, 2015, Brown arrived at the meeting location where he was arrested for attempting to persuade a person he believed to be a 13 year-old to engage in sexual activity that would be criminal under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Jeremy Gauthier, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Dougherty Russell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Longobardo prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-cr-342.
Lubbock Man Sentenced to 135 months in Federal Prison for the Transportation of a Minor Child with Intent to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Marcos Daniel Chairez, 26, of Lubbock, Texas, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 135 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in March 2016 to one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Chairez has been in custody since his arrest on other charges in October 2015.
According to documents filed in this case, in December 2010, Chairez traveled from El Paso, Texas, to West Monroe, Louisiana, driving through the Northern District of Texas, to transport a minor child from Louisiana to his residence in El Paso, where he planned to engage in sexual activity with her. Chairez had been communicating with the minor for approximately two years. After arriving at his residence in El Paso, Chairez acted on his intent to engage in sexual activity with the minor.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy was in charge of the prosecution.
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Loxley Man Sentenced to Prison in Stolen Polysilicon CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announces that on June 17, 2016, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Willie Richard Short, age 63, of Loxley, Alabama, to serve 6 months in prison and pay $2.2 million in restitution for his role in criminal offenses which involved the buying and selling of stolen polysilicon, and the laundering of proceeds from these illegal transactions.
In late-2015, co-defendants Wasi Syed, Shahab Mir, and Darlene Row, all of Texas, were sentenced in late-2015 to prison terms of 24 months, 3 months, and 2 months, respectively. Co-defendant George Welford, of Gautier, Mississippi, was sentenced to 6 months in prison. All of the defendants were ordered to make restitution.
Willie Short and George Welford are former employees of the Mitsubishi Polysilicon manufacturing plant located in Theodore, Alabama. The plant produces exceptionally high-grade polysilicon, which is a material used in the manufacturing of computer chips that control high-tech devices from super computers, to hospital equipment, avionics, and weapons systems. The polysilicon produced at the Theodore plant is ultra-pure. There are only four plants in the United States, and approximately a dozen worldwide, that produce this type of high-grade polysilicon.
In late 2008, Short and Welford began stealing polysilicon rods from the Mitsubishi plant. Using reinforced backpacks and lunch pails, Short and Welford walked several rods per day out of the plant and into their vehicles. Before long, Short and Welford had stolen so much polysilicon that they needed a storage unit, and ultimately a warehouse to house the stolen material. Since the rods were stolen very shortly after coming out of the reactors, they were not etched or vacuum-sealed in a clean room like the finished rods coming out of the plant. Consequently, the rods lacked the normal specification sheets that are attached to the packaging.
Soon after they started stealing the polysilicon rods, Short and Welford began looking for a purchaser. Using the aliases William Smith (Short) and Butch Cassidy (Welford), the pair
found Horizon Silicon online. The Dallas, Texas-based company was owned and operated by brothers-in-law Wasi Syed and Shahab Mir, and Darlene Row worked as a secretary.
Short and Welford negotiated with Syed and Row for the price and amount of polysilicon to be sold. During the course of the initial negotiations, Syed flew to Pensacola, Florida, to see the polysilicon for himself. This meeting, in which Syed tested the polysilicon with a resistivity meter to check its purity level, occurred at night in a Krystal’s parking lot.
After testing the buckets of polysilicon, Syed agreed to buy the polysilicon from Short and Welford for a price well below the market value. One condition of the deal was that payments were to be made in cash and in person.
Between February 2009 and March 2014, Short and Welford stole, and then subsequently sold, approximately 40 metric tons of Mitsubishi polysilicon rods to Syed. Typically, Syed would find a buyer for the polysilicon he was purchasing from Short and Welford, then Row would arrange for the polysilicon to be picked up and delivered to a port city on the west coast. Finally, Mir would fly or drive to Mobile, Alabama, and other locations along the Gulf Coast, with either backpacks or suitcases full of cash to pay Short and Welford.
The stolen polysilicon, valued at approximately $2.2 million, was exported from the United States after Syed sold the polysilicon to other buyers. While the final destination for all of the stolen polysilicon is not clear, at least some of the material ended up in the People’s Republic of China.
In early 2014, Short and Welford were caught by Mitsubishi. Syed, Mir, and Row were subsequently arrested in Texas in May 2014.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigations in Mobile, Alabama, with assistance from the Dallas, Texas, office of these agencies. The case was prosecuted by Donna B. Dobbins and Christopher J. Bodnar, Assistant United States Attorneys with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Loxley Man Sentenced to Prison in Stolen Polysilicon CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announces that on June 17, 2016, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Willie Richard Short, age 63, of Loxley, Alabama, to serve 6 months in prison and pay $2.2 million in restitution for his role in criminal offenses which involved the buying and selling of stolen polysilicon, and the laundering of proceeds from these illegal transactions.
In late-2015, co-defendants Wasi Syed, Shahab Mir, and Darlene Row, all of Texas, were sentenced in late-2015 to prison terms of 24 months, 3 months, and 2 months, respectively. Co-defendant George Welford, of Gautier, Mississippi, was sentenced to 6 months in prison. All of the defendants were ordered to make restitution.
Willie Short and George Welford are former employees of the Mitsubishi Polysilicon manufacturing plant located in Theodore, Alabama. The plant produces exceptionally high-grade polysilicon, which is a material used in the manufacturing of computer chips that control high-tech devices from super computers, to hospital equipment, avionics, and weapons systems. The polysilicon produced at the Theodore plant is ultra-pure. There are only four plants in the United States, and approximately a dozen worldwide, that produce this type of high-grade polysilicon.
In late 2008, Short and Welford began stealing polysilicon rods from the Mitsubishi plant. Using reinforced backpacks and lunch pails, Short and Welford walked several rods per day out of the plant and into their vehicles. Before long, Short and Welford had stolen so much polysilicon that they needed a storage unit, and ultimately a warehouse to house the stolen material. Since the rods were stolen very shortly after coming out of the reactors, they were not etched or vacuum-sealed in a clean room like the finished rods coming out of the plant. Consequently, the rods lacked the normal specification sheets that are attached to the packaging.
Soon after they started stealing the polysilicon rods, Short and Welford began looking for a purchaser. Using the aliases William Smith (Short) and Butch Cassidy (Welford), the pair
found Horizon Silicon online. The Dallas, Texas-based company was owned and operated by brothers-in-law Wasi Syed and Shahab Mir, and Darlene Row worked as a secretary.
Short and Welford negotiated with Syed and Row for the price and amount of polysilicon to be sold. During the course of the initial negotiations, Syed flew to Pensacola, Florida, to see the polysilicon for himself. This meeting, in which Syed tested the polysilicon with a resistivity meter to check its purity level, occurred at night in a Krystal’s parking lot.
After testing the buckets of polysilicon, Syed agreed to buy the polysilicon from Short and Welford for a price well below the market value. One condition of the deal was that payments were to be made in cash and in person.
Between February 2009 and March 2014, Short and Welford stole, and then subsequently sold, approximately 40 metric tons of Mitsubishi polysilicon rods to Syed. Typically, Syed would find a buyer for the polysilicon he was purchasing from Short and Welford, then Row would arrange for the polysilicon to be picked up and delivered to a port city on the west coast. Finally, Mir would fly or drive to Mobile, Alabama, and other locations along the Gulf Coast, with either backpacks or suitcases full of cash to pay Short and Welford.
The stolen polysilicon, valued at approximately $2.2 million, was exported from the United States after Syed sold the polysilicon to other buyers. While the final destination for all of the stolen polysilicon is not clear, at least some of the material ended up in the People’s Republic of China.
In early 2014, Short and Welford were caught by Mitsubishi. Syed, Mir, and Row were subsequently arrested in Texas in May 2014.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigations in Mobile, Alabama, with assistance from the Dallas, Texas, office of these agencies. The case was prosecuted by Donna B. Dobbins and Christopher J. Bodnar, Assistant United States Attorneys with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Little Eagle Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child.
Reuben James Flying Bye, age 27, was indicted on June 14, 2016. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on June 22, 2016, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, a mandatory special assessment of up to $5,000, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about May 3, 2016, Flying Bye knowingly engaged in, and attempted to engage in, a sexual act with a child who had not attained the age of 12 years.
The charge is merely an accusation and Flying Bye is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Flying Bye was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. Trial has been set for August 23, 2016.
Las Vegas Man Convicted of Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
A 34 year old Las Vegas man was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of three federal felonies arising out of his transportation of two juveniles for the purpose of prostitution and sex trafficking of an adult woman through force, fraud, and coercion, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. ROBERT RYAN POWELL was convicted of two counts of transportation of a juvenile with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of sex trafficking an adult victim by force, fraud and coercion. The jury deliberated about eight hours following a seven day trial. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones scheduled sentencing for September 30, 2016.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, between January 2014 and January 2015, POWELL used force, fraud and coercion to keep an adult female working for him as a prostitute as he transported her across various western states including Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Idaho and Washington. POWELL used physical and emotional abuse to keep the woman working as a prostitute and supplying him with all her earnings.
In August 2014, POWELL recruited two juveniles in the Seattle area to work for him as prostitutes. POWELL transported the two juveniles from Washington to San Jose, California, where he forced them to work as prostitutes and provide him with their earnings. He then abandoned them in San Jose, where the girls were rescued by law enforcement. POWELL was arrested in January 2015 in Rapid City, South Dakota where he was sex trafficking two adult women. He was returned to Western Washington for prosecution.
POWELL used Backpage.com to advertise the adult female for prostitution dates and used Backpage.com and other social media sites to recruit the juveniles to work for him as prostitutes.
POWELL faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison for the felony convictions. He was previously convicted in 2007 of Attempted Pandering in Clark County, Nevada, and in 2009 of Assault with a Deadly Weapon in Orange County, California.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, with investigative assistance provided by the San Jose Police Department, Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Criminal Investigations Division, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Orange Police Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Amy Jaquette.
La Joya Man Charged with Pointing Laser at CBP HelicopterRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Law enforcement has taken a 57-year-old La Joya man into federal custody on allegations that he pointed a laser at a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Juan Peralez was taken into custody late yesterday upon the filing of a federal criminal complaint. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S Magistrate Judge Peter Ormsby at 9:00 a.m. today.
At approximately 1:00 a.m. on June 20, 2016, CBP agents in a helicopter were assisting Border Patrol (BP) agents in an area south of La Joya. The criminal complaint states that while in flight, the crew noticed the light of a green laser in the cabin. The pilot took evasive action and turned away in order to avoid being blinded by the laser, according to the charges.
Another member of the flight crew then guided agents on the ground to the source of the laser where a BP agent encountered Peralez allegedly aiming the laser at the helicopter. The criminal complaint alleges the laser had been aimed at the helicopter four separate times.
According to agents with CBP Air and Marine, lasers are particularly hazardous when directed at aircraft. At a minimum, they create distractions for crews who routinely operate in the vicinity of power lines and towers. Lasers can also create temporary or permanent blindness. Further, since lasers can also be attached to weaponry, pilots will often take immediate evasive action which can also put them in harm’s way.
If convicted, Peralez faces up to five years imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The arrest is the result of a joint investigation between Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and BP.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Justice Department Reaches Settlement to Reform Criminal Justice System in Hinds County, MississippiRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today reached a landmark settlement agreement to reform the criminal justice system in Hinds County, Mississippi. The agreement resolves the department’s findings that the Hinds County Adult Detention Center and the Jackson City Detention Center – which together form the Hinds County Jail – failed to protect prisoners from violence and excessive force and held them past their court-ordered release dates, in violation of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA).
The settlement agreement is the first of its kind to incorporate broader criminal justice system reform through diversion at the front end and reentry to the community after incarceration. It creates a criminal justice coordinating committee that will help ensure the county’s systems operate effectively and efficiently, develop interventions to divert individuals in appropriate cases from arrest, detention and incarceration, and engage in community outreach. To promote successful reentry, the agreement includes mechanisms for notifying community health providers when a person with serious mental illness is released to help the person transition safely back to the community. The agreement also addresses unlawful enforcement of court-ordered fines and fees by ensuring that the county cannot incarcerate an individual for non-payment if the court does not first assess whether the individual is indigent.
“Across the board, this settlement will make the Hinds County criminal justice system smarter and fairer,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “If implemented, these reforms will make pretrial detainees, prisoners, corrections staff and the entire community safer, while also ensuring that vulnerable individuals get access to the treatment, care and community services they need and deserve. We commend the county for its commitment to making these reforms a reality.”
“For too long, the conditions in the Jail have posed a serious challenge to law enforcement and the safety of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi. “I appreciate the commitment made by Hinds County officials to turn the page and begin making necessary reforms.”
The settlement agreement – subject to approval by the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Mississippi – requires the county to implement a series of reforms across various stages of the criminal justice system, including the following:
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Improve safety and security within the jail through better staffing and supervision, revised policies and physical plant improvements;
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Limit the use of segregation and improve access to screening, treatment and community-based services for special needs prisoners, including juveniles and prisoners with serious mental illness;
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Improve mental health and youth services, including better integration of jail operations with local community mental health and youth programs;
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Enhance communication and coordination among different agencies involved with the criminal justice process; and
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Ensure compliance with due process liberty protections as prisoners navigate the criminal justice system.
Together these reforms aim to improve communication and coordination among criminal justice entities and community service providers to help individuals with mental illness transition back to the community and to reduce recidivism. If approved by the federal district court, an independent monitor will be appointed to assess the county’s compliance.
In May 2015, the Justice Department completed a comprehensive investigation – which included on-site inspections, document reviews and stakeholder interviews by department experts and staff – and issued a findings letter that determined that Hinds County Adult Detention Center and the Jackson City Detention Center violated CRIPA by failing to protect prisoners from violence by other prisoners and from improper use of force by staff. The department also found that inadequate staffing and training, a backlog in record filing and a lack of centralized information resulted in prisoners being held beyond court-ordered release dates.
CRIPA authorizes the department to seek a remedy for a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the constitutional rights of persons confined in a jail, prison or other correctional facility. For more information on the Civil Rights Division’s work in this area, please visit www.justice.gov/crt.
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June Grand JuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 20 indictments charging 21 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Cameron D. Ammons, age 23, of Omaha, is charged with bank robbery on or about March 4, 2. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Christopher W. Arneson, age 42, of Fremont, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine beginning on or about August 1, 2015, and continuing to on or about March 11, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Arneson with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine on or about March 11, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Christopher Carrillo, age 29, of Phoenix, Arizona is charged with possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of a mixture containing marijuana on about about April 20, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Tomas Castro-Gutierrez, age 33, of Omaha, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I charges the defendant with illegal reentry into the United States after a felony conviction on or about May 27, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Castro-Gutierrez with false representation of a social security number on or about July 31, 2012. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges the defendant with false representation of U.S. Citizenship on or about July 31, 2012. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV of the Indictment charges the defendant that on or about July 31, 2012 that on or about July 31, 2012, Castro-Gutierrez used a State of Oklahoma Identification Card and Social Security card knowing said documents were not issued lawfully for the use of the defendant. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Diego Armando Chavez Garcia, age 25, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States after a felony conviction on or about June 8, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
* Humberto Diaz Cruz, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States after an aggravated felony conviction on or about May 17, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
* Aurora Jean Goodman, age 22, of Winnebago, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with Assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm on or about May 5, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Goodman with assault resulting in serious bodily harm on or about May 5, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
* Andres Gutierrez a/k/a Edwin Castillo, age 33, of Omaha is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine beginning on or about February 23, 2016, and continuing to on or about April 7, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II and III of the Indictment charge Gutierrez with distribution of a mixture containing methamphetamine on or about March 2, 2016 and on or about April 7, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Renn Charles Helleberg, age 29, of Grand Island, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine on or about April 8, 2016, The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Ramiro Holguin-Madrid, age 34, of Grand Island, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States after a felony conviction on or about May 23, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
* Ricky Joseph Johnson, age 29, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about January 14, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Emilio Jose Llanes, Jr., age 31, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of methamphetamine on or about May 5, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Llanes with possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime on or about May 5, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is no less than 5 years to no more than life consecutive to the underlying count, a $250,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jairo Martinez-Lopez, age 30, of Bladen, Nebraska, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States after deportation on or about May 24, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
* Fabian Mendoza Ibarra, age 36, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States after deportation on or about April 13, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
* Joseph D. Moniz, age 26, of Walthill, is charged with aggravated sexual abuse by force or threat in Indian Country. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
* Steven Morgan, age 63, of Eckley, Colorado is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine on or about April 8, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Miguel Eduardo Sanchez, age 27, of Chula Vista, California, and Teara Lynne Voris, age 37, of Carson City, Nevada, are charged with possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin on or about April 23, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is Life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Ozzie Scott, age 38, of Omaha, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender from on or about October 1, 2015 through on or about May 23, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a supervised release for life and a $100 special assessment.
* Michael M. Thomas, age 28, of Winnebago, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with assault of a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner by strangling, suffocating, or attempting to strangle or suffocate on or about May 10, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Thomas with domestic assault by an habitual offender. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
* Wyatt Thomas, age 51, of Bloomfield, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant sexual abuse of a minor from on or about August, 2014 and continuing to on or about May, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, supervised release for life and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Thomas abusive sexual contact from on or about August, 2014 and continuing to on or about May, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
Judge Sentences Penn Hills Cocaine Dealer to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Penn Hills, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months (10 years) imprisonment followed by five years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry imposed the sentence on Lamont Wright aka Whitey, aka Mont, 42, of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, the investigation, which began in the fall of 2011 and concluded in mid-March 2012, involved Title III wiretaps on cell phones utilized by Lamont Wright, John Saban, and Dorian Gilliam.
The investigation revealed that Randee Gilliam, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, obtained multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from a source of supply in Tucson, Arizona, on a regular basis. Randee Gilliam then supplied those kilograms of cocaine to John Saban, a resident of Pittsburgh, on a weekly basis. Randee Gilliam arranged for the kilograms of cocaine to be transported from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, where they were divided up into numerous parcels, hidden inside computer monitors or leather binders, and shipped via UPS or FedEX to several different shipping facilities in the Pittsburgh area. The parcels were then picked up in Pittsburgh by John Saban and his associates.
Saban would then supply nearly all of that cocaine to Lamont Wright, the primary distributor for the organization. Wright, in turn, supplied quantities of this cocaine to countless individuals to include Eric Campbell, Genaro Coleman, and Frederick Ellis.
The drug proceeds collected by Saban from Wright were concealed in protein powder containers and provided to Dorian Gilliam or, on numerous occasions, to Myrene Gilliam. Dorian and Myrene Gilliam then hid the containers in their luggage and flew via commercial airline to Randee Gilliam in Las Vegas to deliver the money. The money was then used by Randee Gilliam to purchase additional quantities of cocaine from the sources of supply in Tucson.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles A. Eberle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which is comprised of members drawn from the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lamont Wright. Also assisting in the investigation were the United States Marshals Service, the Penn Hills Police, the Monroeville Police, the Pennsylvania State Police and the McKees Rocks Police.
Jicarilla Apache Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Mylan Skye Velarde, 30, a member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation who resides in Dulce, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an assault charge, announced U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Chief Sylvester Stanley of the Jicarilla Apache Tribal Police Department.
Velarde was arrested in Dec. 2015, on an indictment charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, a bat, with intent to do bodily harm. According to the indictment, Velarde committed the crime on March 18, 2015, in Indian Country in Rio Arriba County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Velarde pled guilty to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Velarde admitted that on March 18, 2015, he repeatedly struck the victim in the head and upper torso with a bat, causing the victim to suffer bodily injury.
Velarde was remanded into custody after entering his guilty plea and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Velarde faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Jicarilla Apache Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced for Assassination Attempt on Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge L. Scott Coogler today sentenced Aaron M. Richardson (27, Jacksonville) to 343 years in federal prison for his attempt to assassinate United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan and 23 related offenses.
On March 17, 2016, a federal jury found Richardson guilty of attempting to murder a United States district judge, numerous firearm offenses, failure to appear at court hearings, making false statements to the FBI and the United States Probation Office, and impersonating an officer of the United States military.
According to evidence presented at trial, Judge Corrigan previously convicted and sentenced Richardson for attempting to make an incendiary device in a 2008 case. Following incarceration for that crime, Richardson began serving a term of supervised release. Subsequently, he was arrested for multiple new offenses and faced state prosecutions in Clay, Duval, and Volusia counties, as well as supervised release proceedings in federal court.
Richardson devised a plan, which he named “Mission Freedom,” that involved preparing a false order purportedly signed by Judge Corrigan, dismissing all of his pending charges, as well as other benefits. Richardson planned the murder so that Judge Corrigan could not refute the sham order. As part of the plan, he conducted Internet searches to locate Judge Corrigan and the potential murder weapon.
On June 21, 2013, Richardson stole a Savage Arms .30-06 rifle from a local Sports Authority store. The theft and Richardson’s prior casing of the store were captured on store video surveillance. On the night of June 22, 2013, Richardson went to Judge Corrigan’s residence and, at 12:30 a.m., he fired a single shot at the judge using the stolen rifle. The shot missed the judge by less than two inches and instead hit a window frame. Forensic evidence confirmed Richardson’s presence at the scene of the crime.
Richardson was apprehended on June 25, 2013, by a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. That night, he made multiple false statements about the crime to the FBI.
“The attack on Judge Corrigan was an assault on the entire federal judicial system and the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “The sentence imposed today reflects the seriousness of the crime and the importance of protecting our federal judiciary. Judges should not have to fear that their impartial rulings will subject them to threats of reprisal or attacks from criminal defendants or other disgruntled litigants.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, ATF, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Daytona Beach Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bethune-Cookman University Department of Public Safety, the United States Probation Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the State Attorneys’ Offices for the Fourth and Seventh Circuits. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mac D. Heavener, III and Mark B. Devereaux.
Link to press conference photo gallery.
Information: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that those persons listed below were arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate and the indictments handed down by the Grand Jury unsealed.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on June 23, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- KRISTA LYNN MARTINEZ, a 36-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, MARTINEZ faces life in prison, $5,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 16-58
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on June 23, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- RICHARD LEE BROOME, a 58-year-old resident of El Granada, California, appeared on charges of conspiracy to defraud the Chippewa Cree Tribe, scheme to defraud the Chippewa Cree Tribe by wire, bribery/offering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, BROOME faces 20 years in prison, $2,400,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. PACER Case Reference. 16-19
- JOHN WILLIAM LIEBA II, a 21-year-old resident of Wolf Point, appeared on charges of kidnapping of an individual under 18, aggravated sexual abuse, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury on an individual under 18. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, LIEBA faces life in prison, $250,000 in fines, and lifetime supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol and Customs and Border Protection. PACER Case Reference. 16-51
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on June 22, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- WILLIAM DONALD FLEINER, a 65-year-old resident of Helena, appeared on charges of theft from a local government receiving federal funding. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, FLEINER faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Montana Division of Criminal Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations. PACER Case Reference. 16-08
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on June 22, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- SHEILA AYALA, a 31-year-old resident of Long Beach, California, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, AYALA faces 20 years in prison, $1,000,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. PACER Case Reference. 16-71
- KEVIN WELCH, a 33-year-old resident of Hallandale Beach, Florida, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, WELCH faces 20 years in prison, $1,000,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. PACER Case Reference. 16-71
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on June 21, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- LINDA PAULINE ALLEN, a 45-year-old resident of Missoula, appeared on charges of wire fraud. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, ALLEN faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 16-20
- LINDA SCHILKE MAVITY, a 68-year-old resident of Victor, appeared on charges of social security fraud. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, MAVITY faces 5 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. PACER Case Reference. 16-23
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on June 21, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- GARY JOSEPH CONTI, a 70-year-old resident of Three Forks, appeared on charges of escape. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, CONTI faces 5 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Internal Revenue Service. PACER Case Reference. 16-18
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on June 15, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- MARTIN GASPER MAZZARA, a 50-year-old resident of Henderson, Nevada, appeared on charges of conspiracy to defraud the Chippewa Cree Tribe, scheme to defraud the Chippewa Cree Tribe by wire, bribery/offering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, MAZZARA faces 20 years in prison, $2,400,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. PACER Case Reference. 16-19
- DELVIN CONRAD CHAD RED EAGLE, a 23-year-old resident of Poplar, appeared on charges of second degree murder, and use and discharge of firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, RED EAGLE faces life in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice. PACER Case Reference. 16-45
- ZACHARY BROOKE ROBERTS, a 45-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to defraud the Chippewa Cree Tribe, scheme to defraud the Chippewa Cree Tribe by wire, bribery/offering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, ROBERTS faces 20 years in prison, $2,400,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. PACER Case Reference. 16-19
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on June 15, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- DOUGLAS DANIEL MEDINA, JR., a 39-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, MEDINA faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 16-67
- PAUL J. LOYNING, a 40-year-old resident of Colstrip, appeared on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, LOYNING faces 40 years in prison, $5,000,000 in fines, and 4 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI Task Force. PACER Case Reference. 16-54
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on June 14, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- JASON LEE SPARKS, a 40-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, SPARKS faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 16-30
- TRENT STANDING ROCK, a 43-year-old resident of Box Elder, appeared on charges of theft by employee of an Indian gaming establishment. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, STANDING ROCK faces 20 years in prison, $1,000,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. PACER Case Reference. 16-47
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system so that you stay current and not miss any important developments in the case.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
Individual Arrested for Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– On Thursday, June 23, 2016, William Delgado-Torres, a resident of Ponce, Puerto Rico was arrested by agents of the United States Postal Inspectors Office pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the Hon. Camille Vélez Rivé, Magistrate Judge for United States District Court for Puerto Rico under Crim. Case Number 16-395 (DRD). Delgado-Torres was charged with six counts of mail fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft as a result of an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service in Puerto Rico with the support and assistance of the Puerto Rico Police Department and the United States Postal Inspectors Office.
The Indictment alleges that while working as a Vehicle Inspections Maintenance Manager for Waste Management of Puerto Rico, Inc., Delgado-Torres devised a fraudulent scheme through which he submitted hundreds of false invoices to his employer from 2003 through 2012 in order to procure approximately $636,693.91 through false representations. The false invoices were submitted by Delgado-Torres after assuming the identity of a private individual. Once the checks issued to pay the false invoices were mailed from Waste Management’s headquarters in Texas to an address in Puerto Rico, Delgado Torres would take possession of the checks and cash them assuming the victim’s identity.
Delgado Torres is exposed to a sentence of imprisonment of not more than 20 years for the mail fraud charges and a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years for the aggravated identity theft charges. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dennise N. Longo Quiñones.
Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investigation is ongoing.
INTERPOL Washington Partners with ICE, USMS in Operation Project Red IIRead the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington has been highlighted in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) press release for providing investigative support with identifying the targets in Operation Project Red II. Forty-five of the fugitives have been arrested by the U.S. Marshals and ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations . The fugitives with Interpol Red Notices were wanted for crimes in 22 different countries for various crimes. Please view the entire press release at the link provided below.
ICE PRESS RELEASE
Gang Member Arrested on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Gregory Ramos, aka Prospect, 24, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Felicetta, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Ramos is a member of the FEB Gang which has a history of drug trafficking, firearms possession and violent crime. On May 21, 2016, Buffalo Police received a complaint involving a domestic dispute on Fargo Avenue between a woman and the defendant. An investigation determined that Ramos assaulted the woman, causing abrasions and bruising, and threatened her life. The defendant took a handgun and fled before officers arrived.On May 23, 2016, Niagara Falls Police Officers spotted Ramos’ car on pine Avenue and attempted to stop the vehicle. As officers approached, the defendant sped away. A chase ensued during which Ramos threw something from his car window. The object, which turned out to be cocaine, struck the windshield of the officers’ car on Hyde Park Avenue.
Further investigation revealed that during that chase, Ramos threw a black bag containing what appeared to be a handgun out the window. The bag struck and shattered the rear window of another driver’s vehicle.
The chase proceeded onto Grand Island, where a toll collector at the Grand Island Bridge reported a vehicle traveling approximately 100 miles per hour was being pursued by four Niagara Falls Police vehicles. After Ramos lost control of his vehicle on Stony Point Road on Grand Island, the defendant fled into a wooded area. A few minutes later, the Erie County Sheriff’s Department received a call from an individual identifying themselves as Gregory Ramos. The caller claimed his vehicle had been stolen in Niagara Falls by an unknown black male. The defendant was located a short time later and taken into custody. At the time, Ramos was in possession of $3,640 in cash.
The following day, May 24, 2016, a toll collector reported finding a small ziplock bag on the ground behind a toll booth. The bag was found in the same lane the defendant traveled through the night before. Subsequent analysis determined the bag contained cocaine.
The defendant will make an initial appearance this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Chief Bryan DalPorto, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.
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.Four Inmates Sentenced for Rioting in a Federal Prison FacilityRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss - Four inmates were sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Bramlette III on Thursday, June 23, 2016 for their participation in a prison riot which took place at the Adams County Correctional facility prison on May 20, 2012, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Donald Alway.
Ruben Coronado-Licon, 24, originally of Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison.
Jorge Felix-Ibarra, 31, originally of Sinola, Mexico, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison.
Joel Oswaldo Ramirez-Nunez, 36, originally of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison.
Hector Miguel Diaz-Osuna, 35, originally of Sinola, Mexico, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison.
The defendants were ordered to pay restitution jointly and severally in the amount of $1,382,313, and they are subject to deportation following their release from prison.
The cause of the riot was what the inmates perceived to be inadequate food, medical conditions and disrespectful staff members. During the riot, prison fences were destroyed, windows were broken, prison property was stolen, hostages were taken, correctional officers were assaulted, and one corrections officer was killed.
U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis commended the agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation who worked tirelessly on this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon who prosecuted the case for the Government.Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, David Capp, announced that Miguel Verduzco Velazquez, 35, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced before District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann for possessing with the intent to distribute 1 kilogram or more of heroin and illegal reentry into the United States after conviction and removal for an aggravated felony.
Verduzco Velazquez was sentenced to 180 months of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents filed in the case, on March 17, 2016 Verduzco Velazquez changed his plea to guilty on counts 1 and 2 of the indictment. Count one charged Verduzco with knowingly and intentionally possessing with the intent to distribute heroin in excess of one kilogram and count two charged him with illegal reentry into the United States after conviction and removal for an aggravated felony. The charges stemmed from an ongoing FBI investigation resulting in a traffic stop conducted by the Allen County Sheriff’s Department on August 14, 2014. During the stop, a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle that Verduzco Velazquez was driving. Upon the alert, Verduzco Velazquez ran and was apprehended after a short chase. There was approximately a kilogram of heroin found in the vehicle, and Verduzco Velazquez had just delivered another kilogram of heroin to another individual.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
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Fort Hall Woman Sentenced for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Tanisha Phelps, 20, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to time served, 11 months, including six months in the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal jail and five months in federal custody, for assault with a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief United States District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Phelps to serve an additional six months in a halfway house, followed by three years of supervised release. Phelps pleaded guilty to the charge on April 11, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, on December 14, 2014, Fort Hall Police were called to a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation regarding a possible stabbing. Officers arrived and found that Phelps had cut the victim, a 72 year old female in a wheelchair, on her forearm with a knife. The victim told police that Phelps was mad because her music had been turned off. The victim told Phelps to go outside and “cool off.” Phelps punched the victim in the forehead with her fist and she grabbed two kitchen knives. Phelps then cut the victim’s forearm with the knife and caused it to bleed. Phelps was interviewed by police and admitted cutting the victim with the knife.
The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Fort Hall Woman Sentenced for Assault on an OfficerRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Demetres Ish, 23, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to seven months in prison for assault on an officer, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Ish served an additional month on this charge in the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal jail. Chief United States District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Ish to serve three years of supervised release. Ish pleaded guilty to the charge on April 13, 2016.
On March 30, 2015, a Fort Hall Police officer who was a school resource officer at the Sho-Ban Junior/Senior High School spoke to a student who was a passenger in a vehicle which was parked in front of the school. The officer confirmed that the driver of the vehicle, Ish, had two active tribal court warrants for her arrest on file. The officer tried to get Ish to voluntarily go with him to into custody on the warrants, but she began to argue with the officer and refused to get out of the vehicle. Another officer arrived to assist and Ish fought with both officers and resisted their efforts to remove her from the vehicle. When she was finally removed from the vehicle, officers handcuffed her and put her on the ground while the officers dealt with another matter. She slipped out of her handcuffs and went over to one of the officers and kicked him in the back. She was then handcuffed again and eventually taken to jail. Under the specific federal law that Ish pleaded guilty to violating, Fort Hall police officers are considered “federal officers.”
The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.