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11 August 2016
Former Chief Financial Officer at BVU Sentenced on Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – The former chief financial officer for the Bristol Virginia Utilities Authority, who was convicted in February 2016 on a variety of fraud charges as part of the federal government’s wide-ranging investigation into the agency’s corruption, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Stacey Pomrenke, 44, of Abingdon, Virginia, was convicted in February 2016 following a jury trial of 14 counts, including one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts of making false statements, one count of conspiracy to commit fraud, one count of attempting to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. Earlier this week, Pomrenke was also found guilty of contempt of court. Today in District Court, Pomrenke was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. In addition, Pomrenke was ordered to pay $15,116 in restitution, $34,546 in money judgment forfeiture, a $10,000 fine and a special assessment of $1,400.
“The level of corruption this investigation uncovered has been simply astounding,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “We are proud of the work our partners in law enforcement have done in rebuilding the public’s trust in this entity and hope today’s sentence shows that when those in positions of public trust attempt to profit from corruption they will pay with their freedom.”
“What stronger statement could we make to taxpayers about the FBI's commitment to rooting out public corruption than to charge and convict so many individuals involved in the elaborate Bristol Virginia Utilities schemes? As we’ve said before public corruption is the FBI’s top criminal investigative priority and we are committed to seeking out and holding accountable those who manipulate the system for personal gain. We continue to encourage citizens to report unethical and illegal activity to law enforcement,” said Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
"By engaging in corrupt behavior and abusing her position, Pomrenke was able to line her pockets for personal gain,” said Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office. “Today's sentencing stands as an example that IRS-CI, along with the United States Attorney and our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and prosecute crimes involving fraud and in particular fraud that erodes the public’s confidence.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne, Pomrenke, who was the Chief Financial Officer at BVU, used her position with the utility to obtain things of value from vendors who were engaged in business relationships with BVU. Those things of value included tickets to baseball and football games, alcohol and the funding of official BVU company functions. Pomrenke also falsely reported wages and other financial benefits of BVU employees to the Internal Revenue Service.
The investigation of the case, which remains ongoing, is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Lee and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne prosecuted the case for the United States.
Florida Tax Return Preparers Indicted for Conspiring to Defraud the United States and Preparing False Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment on July 28, which was unsealed today, charging two Florida income tax return preparers with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States and nine counts each of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal income tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to allegations in the indictment, Earl Moise and Shahab Shaukat, both of Palm Beach County, Florida, conspired to prepare false and fraudulent individual income tax returns for others for the 2010 through 2012 tax years. Moise and Shaukat operated the Stuart, Florida branch of Tax R Us, preparing false returns inside that office. Additionally, Moise is charged with one count of fraudulently filing his own federal income tax return for 2011. It is alleged that these tax returns included false education and American Opportunity credits, as well as false statements regarding business income or deductions.
If convicted, Moise and Shaukat each face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. In addition, Moise faces a statutory maximum of three years in prison for the one count of filing a false tax return. Both defendants face terms of supervised release, monetary penalties, and the payment of restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Trial Attorneys Gregory P. Bailey and Michael Hatzimichalis of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Federal Fugitive Sentenced After Eight Years on the RunRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 58-year-old man who conspired to evade more than $3.3 million in federal fuel excise taxes has been ordered to federal prison after eight years on the run, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Special Agent in Charge Rick Goss of IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Brooks of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) criminal enforcement program.
Yousef Ishaq Abuteir was originally charged with the conspiracy on July 9, 2007. He pleaded guilty April 14, 2008. He was also charged and convicted in state court on charges related to the same scheme. However, prior to sentencing in both cases, he fled the country. Authorities issued a federal arrest warrant in February 2009, followed by an Interpol Red Notice. In 2014, Abuteir was located in Israel and subsequently extradited to the United States.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner ordered he serve 60 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $3,328,459 in restitution.
Abuteir is the sixth and final defendant to be sentenced on related fuel tax investigations. The original 2007 indictment charged Abuteir, Sidney Berle Baldon II and Tracy Dale Diamond with conspiring in a multi-million dollar fuel excise scheme executed in Texas and Louisiana between October 2001 and November 2003. The indictment alleged that the fuel excise tax scheme involved the acquisition of more than 13 million gallons of kerosene from Calcasieu Refinery in Lake Charles, Louisiana, without paying federal excise taxes. The defendants were able to avoid paying the excise tax by falsely stating the fuel was for export, as opposed to for on-road use. The kerosene was then allegedly trucked to Houston, where it was blended with middle distillate oil, a by-product of asphalt production. The resulting blend was eventually sold to various retail gas stations in and around the Houston area, where it was sold to consumers as diesel fuel. The retail stations collected the federal diesel fuel excise tax from their customers at the filling pump.
“The defendant and his cohorts lined their pockets and scammed the American tax payers out of millions of dollars,” said Goss. “Today, justice is served and this defendant is finally going to prison.”
Baldon and Diamond subsequently pleaded guilty and, in 2009, were sentenced to 60 months in prison and 12 months and one day in prison, respectively. Additionally, they were also ordered to pay more than $3 million in restitution to the IRS.
In a related investigation, Assad Boulos, Talaat Boulos and Youssef Georges were charged in 2011 with a similar fuel excise tax scheme involving Calcasieu Refinery. The charging instrument alleged they and others obtained tax-free kerosene from Calcasieu during 2004 by falsely claiming the fuel would be used only for agricultural and other off-road uses. Instead, the kerosene was trucked to Houston, blended with other agents and sold at stations controlled by Assad Boulos and Talaat Boulos as diesel fuel. The stations allegedly involved in the fraud included Normandy Truck Stop, Cobra Shell, Channelview Conoco and Wayside Conoco. In 2013, Assad Boulos, Talaat Boulos and Youssef Georges pleaded guilty and received probationary sentences. Assad Boulos and Talaat Boulos were ordered to pay $650,000 in restitution to the IRS.
In 2010, Abuteir had been added to the EPA’s Most Wanted List. His capture in Israel was the result of collaborative efforts on the part of the IRS-CI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Transportation, EPA, U.S. Marshals Service, Travis County District Attorney’s Office and the State of Texas Comptroller’s Agency.
“This case shows that EPA and its law enforcement partners are committed to making sure that fugitives who break our environmental laws are brought to justice,” said Brooks. “The defendant’s actions jeopardized public health and the environment, and this sentence sends a strong message that those who fail to follow our clean air laws will be held accountable.”
IRS-CI and the EPA conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Magliolo prosecuted the case.
Federal Court Orders Remedy Following Court of Appeals Decision in Texas Voter ID CaseRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued an order late yesterday significantly expanding the opportunities for eligible Texas voters without specific forms of photo identification to cast valid ballots in upcoming elections.
According to the order, eligible voters who face a reasonable impediment to obtaining specific forms of photo ID will be able to cast a regular ballot at the polls after signing a simple declaration and presenting a document from a more expansive list. This solutions echoes provisions already in federal law.
The order follows the outline of an agreement that the Justice Department reached with private plaintiffs and with the state of Texas. It implements changes in accordance with the July 20, 2016, decision by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, affirming an earlier ruling that the state’s 2011 photo identification law violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA).
“Our democratic process depends on ensuring that eligible citizens can cast their votes without undue discriminatory hurdles,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The court’s interim remedy order is a very important step toward a process designed to provide that opportunity for hundreds of thousands of eligible Texans.”
The challenged 2011 photo identification law allowed most registered Texas voters to cast a regular ballot at the polls only if they were able to show one of a few limited forms of photo ID, like a state-issued driver’s license or a license to carry a handgun. The law also mandated that registered Texans could only use such ID if it was current or expired no more than 60 days beforehand. The federal court order now allows registered voters with the requisite ID to vote, even if that ID expired up to four years ago. It also allows registered voters who face a reasonable impediment to obtaining such ID to cast a regular ballot after signing a simple declaration and presenting a voter registration certificate, a certified birth certificate, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, a paycheck or any other government document that displays the voter’s name and address.
More information about the VRA and other federal voting laws is available on the division’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/. Complaints about voter registration practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section at 1-800-253-3931.
20160810 Interim Remedy Order
Federal Authorities Target Inland Empire Mail ThievesRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California –The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has arrested six Inland Empire residents who are charged in indictments that allege federal crimes related to mail theft. The six arrested over the past two weeks are among 11 defendants who have been charged by a federal grand jury as the result of an operation in which Postal Inspectors recovered approximately 1,167 pieces of stolen mail.
Most of the defendants are charged with using checks and personal information stolen from the mail to commit financial crimes, including bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The 11 defendants are charged in seven indictments that were returned by a federal grand jury in Riverside over the past month. The cases were announced today after Postal Inspectors yesterday arrested two of the defendants. Three of the defendants are already in state custody on unrelated charges, and federal prosecutors will seek to have those three brought into federal court. The USPIS is continuing to search for two fugitives.
In one of the cases, Robert Kujaun Thomas, 40, of Hemet, is charged with possessing more than 850 pieces of stolen mail belonging to hundreds of victims who reside in at least 17 Inland Empire cities. Thomas was also charged with possessing stolen credit and debit cards with the intent to commit fraud. Thomas was arrested on Tuesday and is expected to make his initial court appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside. If convicted of the two counts, Thomas faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
“The recent rise in mail theft in the Inland Empire poses a serious problem for the community which relies on the mail for the full range of business and personal matters,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The cases being announced today demonstrate my office’s commitment to combatting this problem, and we will continue to partner with the United States Postal Inspection Service and local law enforcement to see that criminals who steal mail in the Inland Empire are punished.”
“This operation is a fine example of law enforcement partnerships working together to protect the citizens of the Inland Empire from mail theft,” said Inspector in Charge Robert Wemyss. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office are aggressively pursuing and prosecuting individuals that attempt to target America’s mail stream for criminal gain. Mail theft is a federal offense and that means federal prison time. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains vigilant in protecting the U.S. Mail with traditional and innovative law enforcement efforts.”
In addition to Thomas, 10 other defendants were charged in the grand jury indictments. They are:
• Kimberly Ann Hernandez, 34, of Fontana; Julian Tapia, 26, of Colton; and Anthony Garcia Jr., 22, of Fontana, who are charged with possessing approximately 281 pieces of stolen mail and attempting to cash or deposit altered checks totaling more than $9,000. All three defendants are charged in an eight-count indictment with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, at least one count of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit mail theft, and possession of stolen mail. Hernandez was arrested on July 26 and was subsequently ordered to stand trial on September 13. Tapia and Garcia were both arrested yesterday. If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of at least 70 years in federal prison.
• Hubert Salvador Salazar Jr., 25, of San Bernardino, who is charged in a four-count indictment with cashing and depositing altered checks stolen from the U.S. Mail – as well as counterfeit checks made with information obtained from stolen mail – into his own checking account. The total value of the fraudulent checks discussed in the indictment is $5,497. Salazar is charged with four counts of bank fraud. Each count carries a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in federal prison. Salazar is currently a fugitive being sought by authorities.
• Mark Alexander Gonzales, 30, of Homeland, who is charged with cashing stolen checks, making purchases using a stolen credit card and causing losses of nearly $4,000. Gonzales is charged with seven counts of bank fraud and one count of unauthorized use of an access device (a credit card). Gonzalez was arrested on July 25, later pleaded not guilty and was ordered to stand trial on September 27. If convicted, Gonzalez could be sentenced to decades in federal prison.
• Alfred Zamorano Jr., 41, of Rialto, and Alicia Ann Palomares, 33, also of Rialto, who are charged with burglarizing the Calimesa Post Office by using a “fishing device” to steal mail placed in the outgoing mailbox. A two-count indictment that charges both defendants with conspiracy and mail theft also alleges that they broke into several post office boxes located inside the post office. Zamorano is currently in state custody, and Palomares was arrested on Tuesday. If convicted of both counts, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
• Pricila Mayora Deleon, 28, of Moreno Valley, who is charged with fraudulently depositing stolen checks into bank accounts and possessing more than a dozen items of stolen mail. Deleon, who is currently in state custody, is charged with three counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and possession of stolen mail. If she is convicted on all five counts, she could be sentenced to as much as 97 years in federal prison.
• William Jason Leonard, 37, of Hemet, and Michael Joseph Tomassacci, 39, of San Jacinto, who are each charged in a 16-count indictment with conspiracy, wire fraud, possession of stolen mail and aggravated identity theft. Leonard additionally is charged with bank fraud. These defendants allegedly used fraudulent identities and hundreds of fraudulently obtained bank account numbers to create checks that they used in a scheme to purchase merchandise at retail stores with the intent to later return the merchandise for cash. If convicted of all counts, each defendant would face potential sentences of decades in federal prison. Leonard is currently in state custody, and Tomassacci is a fugitive being sought by authorities.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The seven indictments announced today are the result of investigations conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the Hemet Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Members of the public who may have information about either of the two fugitives are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 (select Option 2) reference case number 2026956 (Tomassacci) or case number 2137584 (Salazar).
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bilal A. Essayli (six of the cases) and Tritia Yuen (the Leonard/Tomassacci indictment) of the Riverside Branch Office.
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announces that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction of Todd Karl Bramer who pled guilty on June 15, 2015, to one count of possession of firearms by a prohibited person. In his written guilty plea, Bramer admitted to knowingly possessing firearms, including two handguns and at least one other firearm, while “being an unlawful user of marijuana.” He also waived the right to appeal all non-jurisdictional issues.
In his appeal, Bramer argued that the statute under which he was convicted was unconstitutionally vague because the term “unlawful user” is vague. The Eighth Circuit found that Bramer admitted in his written plea agreement to being an unlawful user of marijuana while in knowing possession of at least three firearms, and therefore the court found no basis in the record to conclude that the term “unlawful user” of a controlled substance was unconstitutionally vague as applied to him.
Assistant United States Attorney John Haak prosecuted the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Connie Larson handled the appeal for the government. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
District Man Indicted for Conspiracy and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Tyrone Johnson, 48, of Washington, D.C. has been indicted on charges that he conspired to commit bank fraud and other crimes arising from a real estate scheme involving a forged mortgage satisfaction document.
The indictment, which was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Johnson, who was arrested today, was named in a six-count indictment that was returned on Aug. 9, 2016. He is charged with federal violations of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, engaging in illegal monetary transactions, and making a false statement, as well as uttering, which is a District of Columbia offense. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds that can be traced to the fraud scheme. Johnson pled not guilty to the charges at his first court appearance this afternoon.
According to the indictment, SunTrust Mortgage, Inc. loaned a friend of Johnson’s approximately $470,000 to purchase residential real estate in the 100 block of 57th Street SE in 2008. By 2009, the friend had failed to repay the mortgage loans, and in 2010, SunTrust Mortgage filed a notice of foreclosure with the District of Columbia’s Recorder of Deeds. In April 2013, SunTrust Mortgage began the process of foreclosing on the mortgage and taking possession of the property, due to the friend’s failure to make good and timely payments on the mortgage loans.
The indictment alleges that sometime before Oct. 2, 2013, Johnson caused the creation of two phony and forged certificates of satisfaction, which falsely represented that the SunTrust Mortgage loans at the property on 57th Street SE had been paid and that his friend owned the property “free and clear.” The indictment also alleges that on Oct. 2, 2013, Johnson filed these two phony certificates of satisfaction with the Recorder of Deeds.
In or about December 2013, after the fake certificates of satisfaction allowed the friend to sell the property without paying the outstanding mortgages, the title and escrow company wired out the sales proceeds of $337,105, of which approximately $170,688 was obtained by Johnson.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Assistant Director in Charge Abbate expressed appreciation for the work performed by those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Paralegal Specialist Corinne Kleinman, Paralegal Specialist Kaitlyn Kruger, Litigation Tech Specialist Ron Royal, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who is assisting with forfeiture issues. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham who is prosecuting the case.
Delaware Man Indicted for Child Pornography Offenses and Planning to Meet 14-Year-Old for SexRead the Press Release
A Delaware man was indicted today on charges related to his plan to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex and additional charges related to the production and distribution of child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III of the District of Delaware.
Daniel Arthur Hill, 28, of Dover, Delaware, was indicted in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on three counts of production of child pornography, one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
On Dec. 16, 2015, Hill was arrested on Delaware state charges for solicitation of a minor and other related offenses. Hill allegedly engaged online with an individual that he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, then planned to meet this minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to the allegations contained in the indictment, Hill possessed multiple child pornography images, including images that Hill had distributed within an online chat group. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Hill had produced images of child pornography and distributed these images over the internet to other individuals.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Delaware State Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case in cooperation with the Delaware Attorney General’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Herbrina D. Sanders of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham L. Robinson of the District of Delaware.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
Crittenden Woman Sentenced to 224 Months for Distribution of Drugs Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. — A Crittenden, Ky., woman has been sentenced to 224 months in federal prison for providing illegal drugs to her daughter, an inmate in the Kenton County Jail, who subsequently died of an overdose.
Today, U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar sentenced Kimberly Mullins, 44, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and morphine that resulted in an overdose death. Two co-defendants, Lisa Lattimore and Lynette Ball, received 160 and 144 months, respectively, for their roles in the conspiracy. Under federal law, all three must serve at least 85 percent of their prison sentences. A fourth defendant, Michael Howard, who supplied the drugs to Mullins, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Mullins, Lattimore, and Ball admitted that, on September 4, 2015, they conspired to bring illegal drugs into the Kenton County Jail. Mullins bought what she thought was heroin from Howard that day; but the substance actually contained a combination of fentanyl and morphine. Mullins arranged for the substance to be delivered to her daughter, Jamie Green, through co-defendants Ball and Lattimore, fellow inmates in the Kenton County Jail.
During the early morning hours of September 5, 2015, Green took the substance and died of an overdose shortly thereafter. Mullins admitted that she had been regularly arranging deliveries of heroin to her daughter, while her daughter was incarcerated.
Mullins, Lattimore, and Ball pleaded guilty on March 29, 2016. Two other individuals, Mabry Baioni and Heather Tucker, were later charged and pleaded guilty to conspiring with Howard and Mullins to distribute heroin to Green, while Green was in the Campbell County Detention Center. Baioni and Tucker did not take part in the Kenton County events that led to Green’s death.
Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, jointly announced the sentences. The investigation was conducted by the Cincinnati Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kenton County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke represents the federal government in this case.
Howard is scheduled to be sentenced on September 23, 2016. He faces up to life in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.00. Any sentence, however, will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.
Christopher Loomis of Colchester Indicted for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Christopher Loomis, age 26, of Colchester, Vermont, was indicted on August 11, 2016 by a federal grand jury for possession of child pornography involving minors under the age of 12. Loomis is scheduled to be arraigned on August 25, 2016 in federal court in Burlington.
According to court documents, federal agents began investigating Loomis based on leads generated in a multi-year investigation into individuals who signed up to a website operating in a foreign country that has been used to store and exchange child pornography. Agents subsequently seized a computer and multiple hard drives from Loomis, which revealed that Loomis was in possession of a significant number of child pornography files, including files depicting minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The charges against Loomis are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty. If convicted, Loomis faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and up to lifetime supervised release, although the sentence will be advised by the federal sentencing guidelines and determined by the Court.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. In Vermont, federal prosecutors are teaming up with federal, state, and local law enforcement agents to identify, investigate, and prosecute those individuals who prey upon children and those that distribute, receive, or manufacture child pornography. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, including resources on internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The collaborative team investigating this case includes law enforcement agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The United States is represented in this case by Assistant United States Attorney Kunal Pasricha. Loomis is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael L. Desautels.
Chicago woman sentenced to Federal prison for credit card fraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Chicago woman was sentenced to five months in federal prison for credit card fraud, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Wynesha Wilson-Robinson, 27, previously pleaded guilty to possession of 15 or more counterfeit access devices. A counterfeit access device is a credit card that has been altered so that it contains stolen information that has been re-encoded on the magnetic strip on the back of the card.
Wilson-Robinson admitted that she, along with three codefendants, Christine Johnson, Stephanie Stevenson, and Crystal Merritt, possessed over 100 counterfeit access devices. Wilson-Robinson and her codefendants drove from Chicago to West Virginia and attempted to use these counterfeit credit cards. On June 5, 2015, the women were observed at the South Charleston Target and Walmart attempting to use the counterfeit cards, and store employees alerted law enforcement to the suspicious behavior.
The South Charleston Police Department and the United States Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.
Two codefendants, Christine Johnson and Stephanie Stevenson, are scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2016. The other codefendant, Crystal Merritt, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2016.
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Camden, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Narcotics Distribution Conspiracy, Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Another Camden man was sentenced this week to over 12 years in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed hundreds of grams of cocaine base, cocaine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today.
Fuquan Pulliam, 26, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 100 grams or more of heroin, as well as one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Pulliam admitted that, from January 2012 through April 2013, he stored, packaged and distributed cocaine and heroin for sale in the area of 8th and Tulip Streets and the Crestbury Apartments. Pulliam also admitted that during that time, he and others within the drug trafficking organization sold 2,328 grams of cocaine base, 675 grams of cocaine and 926 grams of heroin.
Pulliam – a previously convicted felon – was arrested in April 2013 and found with numerous firearms in his possession.
In April 2013, seven members of the drug trafficking organization, including Pulliam, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to distribute cocaine base, cocaine, and heroin. All of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Co-defendant Carl Wiles was sentenced to 148 months in prison on Aug. 8, 2016.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Pulliam to five years of supervised release.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin M. Fay and Special Litigation Counsel Jason Richardson.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr.; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Thomson; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes; and the Camden Collaborative Crime Commission (“C4”), with the investigation.
He also thanked the Philadelphia Police Department, the N.J. Parole Board, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the N.J. Division of Criminal Justice, the Voorhees Police Department, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, the Woodbury Police Department and the Pennsauken Police Department for their roles in the case.
This case was developed through the work of the Camden Collaborative Crime Commission (C-4). Every federal, state and local law enforcement agency and prosecutor’s office responsible for combating drug trafficking, gang activity and violent crime in Camden has come together in one location to share intelligence, develop investigative strategies and support the investigative and prosecutorial efforts of its partners. C-4 has merged the individual missions of the various law enforcement agencies into a single strategic attack on drug trafficking and drug-related violent crime. Such intense coordination greatly enhances the law enforcement community’s ability to correctly identify and successfully prosecute the most dangerous criminals in one of our nation’s most dangerous cities.
Defense counsel: Justin Loughry Esq.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bank Robbery, Discharging FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A California man who shot a woman twice during an attempted bank robbery has pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the incident. Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea today.
According to information presented in court, Dominic Williams, 40, of Los Angeles, California, snuck into the carport of Pamela Janeice Frisbee on the morning of March 18, 2015. Frisbee, a manager of a BancorpSouth bank, was at her home in Humboldt, Tennessee, preparing to leave for her job. When she exited her house and walked to the carport to get into her car, Williams was hiding in front of the vehicle with a Glock .40 caliber pistol. He stood up and pointed the gun at Frisbee before asking her if "she wanted to die today?"
Williams forced Frisbee into the driver’s seat of her vehicle at gunpoint and demanded that she drive to BancorpSouth. Once at the bank, Williams forced her to open the doors — the establishment had not yet opened — and the two went inside. He had her disable an alarm, and demanded she obtain money from the tellers’ drawers. The victim responded there was no money in the drawers. Williams then demanded that she open vaults in the bank to obtain money. When the victim told him that she was unable to open the vaults, he fired multiple shots at her, striking her in the chest and arm. Frisbee subsequently fell to the ground and played dead. Williams then shot and kicked out the back windows of the bank and fled.
Independent witnesses and bank employees notified the Humboldt Police Department (HPD) of the incident. After arriving on the scene, HPD’s chief of police observed Williams stripping clothing off into a dumpster a block from the bank. The police chief was able to arrest him, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was notified.
After Frisbee was airlifted to a Memphis hospital, FBI investigators responded. Williams was advised of his Miranda rights which he agreed to waive. He provided a recorded statement, informing FBI agents of where he hid his firearm and admitted that he attempted to rob the BancorpSouth bank. FBI agents subsequently recovered the .40 caliber pistol used in the crime. And clothing consistent with witness descriptions of the robber were recovered, as well as a mask and a roll of duct tape.
Frisbee was able to testify in federal court that she was kidnapped, forced against her will, assaulted, and that a firearm was discharged inside the bank.
On Wednesday, August 10, 2016, Williams pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen to single counts of attempted bank robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and felony possession of a firearm.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Breen on November 1o, 2016. He faces a minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and HPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Wilson is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty in Illegal Scheme to Purchase FirearmsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of firearms, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Nathan Lawrence, 33, of Brooklyn, NY, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Lawrence conspired with Michael Bassier and others to facilitate the straw purchase of at least 20 firearms from federally licensed firearms stores. For each purchase, Lawrence and Michael Bassier used a car that Lawrence rented, and Lawrence usually drove. The straw purchasers would state, at the time of purchase, that they were the actual buyers of the firearms, when in fact Bassier was the actual buyer. Bassier provided money to the straw purchasers and told them what to buy, in Lawrence’s presence. Lawrence was also present when Bassier took possession of the firearms afterward.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for December 15, 2016. The law provides for a total sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Lawrence remain detained.
This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with detectives from the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the investigation leading to the second superseding indictment in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Conor Lamb is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Bob Troyer Takes Helm as Acting United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
DENVER –Bob Troyer became Acting U.S. Attorney at 12:01 a.m. this morning, following the departure of U.S. Attorney John Walsh. Bob served in the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office from 1999 to 2004 as a drug and violent-crime prosecutor. For six years after that he worked as a partner in the Denver office of Hogan Lovells, chairing the Colorado litigation department. He returned to the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office in October 2010 as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, the position he has filled for the last six years.
Troyer was born in Colorado and grew up in Maryland. He graduated from Pomona College in 1984 with a BA in English. For several years after college, Bob taught high school English in Washington, D.C. and worked during the summers as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. He then attended Boston College Law School, where he served as the Solicitations Editor for the Boston College Law Review, graduating in 1990. After law school Bob practiced civil litigation at Ropes & Gray in Boston for three years and then moved to Denver to practice at Brownstein Hyatt Farber & Strickland, making partner there in 1997. In 1999 he left to join the criminal division of the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“This office is recognized as one of the top U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the entire country, a place where people can perform at their best as they serve all Colorado citizens,” said Troyer. “I aim to keep it that way.”
Bay State Convict Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Self-Built Guns He Brought to New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Raymond L. Blackmer, III, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing guns that he assembled from component parts in Massachusetts and then brought to New Hampshire. Blackmer pleaded guilty to one count of the federal crime of Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Blackmer is 51 years old, and, before his arrest in this case, he lived in Easthampton, Massachusetts.
According to statements made during today’s hearing, the Easthampton (Massachusetts) Police Department learned on November 6, 2015, that Blackmer was intending to travel from Massachusetts to New Hampshire with one or more firearms. Information developed by the Police Department indicated that Blackmer had assembled the subject firearms in his workshop in Easthampton, Massachusetts, from component parts that he had bought on the internet. Later that day, surveilling police officers watched Blackmer leave his Easthampton home with suspected firearms and then drive to and across the Massachusetts border into Winchester, N.H., where he was stopped by law enforcement officers for the purpose of executing a previously obtained federal search warrant on Blackmer’s car. The warrant became effective when the officers observed Blackmer transporting the suspected firearms across the state line, thereby establishing probable cause that the interstate requirement of the federal crime of Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon was satisfied. Upon executing the warrant, law enforcement officers discovered two AR-15 style rifles, rifle sites and a loaded magazine in the trunk of Blackmer’s car. A later search of Blackmer’s workshop in Massachusetts yielded an additional nine firearms in various states of assembly, at least five which were completed enough to qualify as firearms under federal law. In connection with his plea, Blackmer admitted that, at the time of the traffic stop, he previously had been convicted of felonies on at least five prior occasions.
United States District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe took Blackmer’s guilty plea and scheduled his sentencing for November 22, 2016. The plea agreement provides that both Blackmer and the government will recommend a total term of incarceration of seventy months, materially more than the anticipated advisory federal sentencing guideline range. Blackmer has been detained since his arrest on November 6, 2015, and is expected to remain in custody until after he serves the term of incarceration that Judge McAuliffe imposes.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in both Manchester, N.H., and in Springfield, Massachusetts, as well as the Easthampton (Massachusetts) Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police. The Office of the District Attorney for the Northwest District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provided important support. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.
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Arms Wide Open Community ForumRead the Press Release
FARGO - United States attorney Christopher C. Myers invites the community to attend the Arms Wide Open community forum that will be held on Wednesday, September 7th, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm, at the Fargo South High School. Arms Wide Open is the third in a series of community forums addressing the opiate/heroin crisis in the FM Region. Keynote speaker will be Chuck Rosenberg, who is the Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator. Additional speakers include Drew Wrigley, Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota; Birch Burdick, Cass County State’s Attorney; as well as representatives from local colleges and school districts. Resource booths will be available for attendees to visit following the forum.
58-year-old St. Thomas Man and Victim’s Mother Sentenced for Transportation of a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI - District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez today sentenced Jenifer Bowen-Dodoo, 51, and Lennox Phillips, 58, to 120 and 130 months in prison, respectively, for transporting Bowen-Dodoo’s minor daughter for sex, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Judge Gomez also sentenced Bowen-Dodoo to 10 years of supervised release and 400 hours of community service, and ordered her to pay a special assessment of $100. Judge Gomez then ordered Phillips to serve 10 years of supervised release and 500 hours of community service, and pay a fine of $15,000 and a special assessment of $100.
Phillips and Bowen-Dodoo, both of St. Thomas, pleaded guilty to transporting a minor for sex. According to court records, Phillips transported Bowen-Dodoo’s 13-year-old daughter in his taxi van for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Bowen-Dodoo allowed her daughter to have sex with Phillips, and Phillips paid Dodoo so he could continue to have sex with the victim. Phillips’ and Bowen-Dodoo’s criminal conduct was discovered when an employee at the victim’s school observed Phillips driving the victim away from the school when she should have been attending school.
Suspected child exploitation or missing children cases may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via its toll-free 24–hour hotline at 202-514-5678, or to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations at (340) 693-2250.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Virgin Islands Police Department, and the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
25-Count Indictment Charges Pair with Drug Trafficking, Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal grand jury in Providence today returned a 25-count indictment charging Robert Wilkins, 25, and Christian M. Domenech, 23, of West Warwick, with trafficking heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, and with bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division; and Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
The indictment charges Wilkins and Domenech with one count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine; one count each of possession with intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine; fifteen counts of distribution of crack cocaine; three counts of distribution of heroin; and one count of bank fraud. The defendants have been detained since their arrest on July 12, 2016, on a federal criminal complaint charging them with drug trafficking and bank fraud.
According to court documents, it is alleged that a three-month investigation by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force into the defendants alleged drug trafficking activity included numerous purchases from the defendants of between one gram and seven grams of crack cocaine and heroin for between $80 dollars and $350 dollars. Each alleged transaction was monitored by law enforcement.
Additionally, according to court documents, a Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit investigation determined that beginning in December 2015, the defendants allegedly created and deposited bogus checks into bank accounts each established, and withdrew some of those funds. It is alleged that Christian Domenech deposited a total of $10,000 in bogus checks and withdrew $2,000 in cash. It is alleged that Robert Wilkins deposited a total of $10,000 in bogus checks and withdrew at total of $2,099.55.
On July 12, 2016, FBI Safe Street Task Force agents, with the assistance of the West Warwick Police Department and the DEA, executed a court authorized search of the defendants’ Church Street, West Warwick residence. Varying quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin was seized, along with approximately $800 in cash. Law enforcement also seized two vehicles.
An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, RI State Police, Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, and Central Falls Police Departments and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
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Contact:
Jim Martin (401) 709-5357
email: [email protected]
on Twitter @USAO_RI
10 August 2016
Washington Man Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Forfeit $500,000 for Distributing Marijuana Throughout United States from SeattleRead the Press Release
BOISE – Walter Terry, 57, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced today to spend one year in federal prison for distributing 146 kilograms of marijuana, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Terry pleaded guilty to one count of distributing marijuana on January 6, 2016. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge, also sentenced Terry to serve three years of supervised release, pay a $2,000 fine, and forfeit $500,000 in cash proceeds and his Seattle residence valued at $700,000, which served as the operational center for his multi-state marijuana distribution operation.
According to arguments at today’s sentencing, Terry began advertising marijuana for sale over the internet in 2011. Terry admitted to distributing approximately 146 kilograms of marijuana throughout the United States, including Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Texas.
An undercover DEA special agent contacted Terry in January 2013, and Terry agreed to mail marijuana from Seattle, Washington, to the undercover agent in Boise, Idaho. Between January 2013, and March 2014, Terry sent six shipments of marijuana to Idaho. In May 2014, Terry agreed to sell the undercover agent five pounds of marijuana. Terry met the undercover agent in Seattle and was arrested after providing the undercover agent with the five pounds of marijuana. Terry told DEA agents that he began his marijuana distribution operation out of his residence in Seattle in 2010 or 2011. Terry stated that after the state of Washington legalized medicinal marijuana, his business was negatively affected and he began advertising his marijuana distribution business on websites to out-of-state customers. Terry consented to a search of his residence in Seattle, and law enforcement seized approximately 15 pounds of marijuana and $30,000 in drug proceeds.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspectors.
Washington County Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Tristan Shaw, 31, of Granville, New York, pled guilty yesterday to one count of receiving child pornography, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and James C. Spiro, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Division of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his guilty plea, Shaw admitted that between November 26, 2009 and November 26, 2013, while in his Granville, New York residence, he used the Internet and a peer-to-peer file sharing program to receive approximately 200 still image files containing child pornography.
As a result of his conviction, Shaw faces a minimum sentence of five (5) years imprisonment, a maximum term of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least five (5) years and up to life, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for December 5, 2016 at 10 a.m. in Albany, New York, before Senior U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Belliss.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Vermont Man Charged with Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont today announced federal criminal charges against Michael Prescott, 52, of Chittenden County, Vermont. Prescott is charged with distributing heroin on March 2 and March 7, 2016.
Prescott was arrested by law enforcement on July 18, 2016, appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss in Burlington the same day, and entered a not guilty plea to the charges. At a detention hearing on July 19, 2016, Judge Reiss ordered Prescott detained pending his criminal trial. Judge Reiss denied the defendant’s motion to reconsider the detention order on August 9, 2016. If he is convicted, Prescott’s sentence will be advised by the federal sentencing guidelines. The pending charges against the defendant are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty.
United States Attorney Miller noted that this case is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Vermont Heroin Initiative, which is a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat heroin distribution in Vermont.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The United States is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. Prescott is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.
US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Announces Efforts to Enhance the District's Civil and Criminal Civil Rights WorkRead the Press Release
DALLAS — John Parker, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, announced today that his office is bolstering its efforts in the protection of civil rights by hiring an Assistant U.S. Attorney who will be dedicated exclusively to his office’s work in that area. This new Assistant U.S. Attorney will enhance the work already being done by his office in both its criminal and civil prosecutions.
“Through a combination of criminal and civil enforcement, my office is committed to safeguarding the civil rights of each and every one of the more than seven million residents of the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “I’m delighted to have this added resource to further expand our ability to ensure those protections.”
The FY 2016 Appropriations Act provided funds for U.S. Attorneys to hire additional Civil Rights Assistant U.S. Attorneys. The Northern District of Texas was one of 42 federal districts and the only one in Texas selected to receive funding for the position. Parker has selected a candidate for the position who is currently undergoing the standard pre-employment adjudication process.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in its partnership with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, has historically worked to advance civil rights through a variety of affirmative civil enforcement practice areas, such as housing and fair lending, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enforcement, allegations related to the Civil Right of Institutionalized Persons Act, voting rights, service members’ rights, pattern and practice policing investigations, and employment discrimination. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also protects vulnerable populations through its criminal civil rights work, including human trafficking, hate crimes, and color of law prosecutions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is the principal federal prosecution authority for the North Texas area with staffed offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, and Amarillo. The Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes all federal crimes in our jurisdiction including acts of terrorism, public corruption, white-collar crime, organized crime, narcotics trafficking, firearms crimes, internet-related crimes, civil rights violations, and many other criminal offenses. The Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with defending agencies of the United States, enforcing regulatory agency authority and affirmative civil rights enforcement, and recovering funds from violators of U.S. statutes and other regulations.
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Two KCK Men Sentenced to 12 Years in Conspiracy to Rob Drug HouseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Two Kansas City, Kan., men were sentenced Monday to 12 years in federal prison for taking part in a plot to commit an armed robbery at a drug house, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Enoch Clark, III, 26, Kansas City, Kan., and Dalevon L. Dixon, 24, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. In their pleas they admitted that in October 2014 they agreed with an undercover agent to rob a narcotics stash house where they believed they would obtain more than 10 pounds of cocaine.
They took part in several meetings in which the crime was planned and it was decided that anyone resisting would be shot. They were arrested Nov. 14, 2014, at a storage lot in Kansas City, Kan. Investigators seized three pistols and a rifle at the scene.
Co-defendants include:
Cornell Jones, who was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison.
Devronn H. Sportsman, who was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
Dwone C. Heard, who was sentenced to 12 months on supervised release.
Julian Rodriguez, who is set for sentencing Dec. 19.
Beall commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead for their work on the case.
Two Indicted for Stealing $2.5 Million from Plattsburgh CompanyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Two men were arraigned today on charges that they conspired to steal $2.5 million that they had agreed to maintain in a bank account, but quickly spent instead.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Keith Eric Jergensen, age 56, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Debashis Ghosh, age 52, of Chicago, Illinois, were arraigned today in Albany before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and released pending a trial before U.S. District Judge Brenda K. Sannes.
According to the indictment (copy attached), Jergensen and Ghosh were Co-Chief Executive Officers of Verdant Capital Group, LLC (“Verdant”), which was in the business of helping companies obtain funding sources for construction and energy projects. In November 2010, Verdant was retained by a Plattsburgh, New York, company – identified in the indictment as “Company A” – to raise funds for the construction of an airplane maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Plattsburgh.
Jergensen and Ghosh asked Company A to invest $2.5 million as seed money for the project. They and Company A agreed that this money would remain in a Wells Fargo account and could not be moved without the authorization of Company A. Company A wired $2.5 million into the account on December 3, 2010. Five days later, Jergensen and Ghosh began transferring the money out of the account, and by March 18, 2011 they had transferred all of the $2.5 million out of the account.
According to the indictment, Jergensen and Ghosh used Company A’s $2.5 million to pay Verdant’s expenses including employees and contractors, and to pay others, including payments totaling $1.75 million to a now-defunct home energy services company that Verdant had agreed to raise money for; a $55,000 “loan” to an acquaintance; and transfers of at least $40,000 to Jergensen’s company Contour Composites, Inc.
Once Company A’s executives discovered that the $2.5 million had been transferred, they began asking Jergensen and Ghosh where it had gone. According to the indictment, Jergensen and Ghosh repeatedly and falsely assured Company A that its money was safe in another Wells Fargo account.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Jergensen and Ghosh are each charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, and, if convicted, face up to 20 years in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Two Charged in Pharmacy RobberiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania man and a West Virginia man have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery of a pharmacy, robbery of a pharmacy, brandishment of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and possession with the intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The six-count indictment, returned on August 9, named Stephan Edward Corrick, 65, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Dana Lee Shipley, 51, of Fairmont, West Virginia, as the defendants.
According to the indictment, on or about March 11, 2016, and continuing thereafter to on or about April 28, 2016, both defendants conspired to rob two different pharmacies (Palmer’s Drug Store in Russleton, Pa., and Keystone Pharmacy in New Alexandria, Pa.), brandished a firearm in relation to those crimes of violence, and possessed with intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police and the West Deer Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Taylorville Man to Serve 4 1/2 Years in Prison for Manufacture of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. - A Taylorville, Ill., man, Jamal Shehadeh, 33, has been ordered to serve 54 months (4 years, 6 months) in federal prison for manufacturing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Richard Mills sentenced Shehadeh on Aug. 9, 2016.
On March 28, 2016, Shehadeh pled guilty to manufacturing methamphetamine in Christian county on or about Feb. 28, 2014.
Shehadeh was arrested in November 2014 and was released on bond in December 2014. He was arrested on June 28, 2016, on a petition to revoke his pretrial release. Since then, he has been detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case was investigated by the Illinois State Police, the Taylorville Police Department, and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris.
Tampa Man Sentenced for Disposing Human Waste into A StreamRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew yesterday sentenced Merlando Corlis (48, Tampa) to three years of probation for unlawful discharge of a pollutant. The Court also ordered him to pay a fine of $25,000 and to make a community service payment of $25,000 to the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.
Corlis pleaded guilty on May 4, 2016.
According to court documents, from at least June 2012 through December 2013, at a property that he owned located at 4509 Orient Road in Tampa, Corlis and others acting at his direction used a vacuum tank to remove human waste from a septic tank and then unlawfully discharged the sewage into a stream, which ran from the East Lake to the Palm River.
“Our nation’s environmental laws are designed to protect public health and safety,” said Andy Castro, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s criminal enforcement program in Florida. “Untreated sewage contains bacteria, parasites, and viruses. These pathogens can cause a wide variety of acute illnesses in both humans and animals. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that the EPA and its law enforcement partners will take action to protect communities and their local water supplies from pollution.”
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan K. Kistler.
Stoneham Trash Hauler Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoneham businessman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with under-reporting more than $800,000 in gross receipts.
Robert Sinclair, 72, owner of Sinclair Trucking in Stoneham, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years of probation, the first six months of which is to be served in home confinement, and ordered to perform 250 hours of community service. Sinclair also has agreed to pay the tax loss of $239,446 plus interest and penalties to the IRS. In May 2016, he pleaded guilty to attempting to evade taxes.
For many years, Sinclair owned and operated a waste management and trash hauling business in Stoneham. Some of his larger customers reported the payments they made to Sinclair on tax return form 1099 which they submitted to the IRS and to Sinclair, while smaller customers did not report the payments they made to Sinclair on Forms 1099. When Sinclair filed his tax returns, he generally reported only the amounts he had been paid by customers who provided Forms 1099, but not the payments from his customers who did not produce a Form 1099.
During audits of his tax returns in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009, IRS agents questioned Sinclair about discrepancies between the amounts he reported on his tax returns and the amounts he deposited into his business bank account. Sinclair falsely told the agents that the discrepancies were due to cash loans from a relative, when in fact, all of the deposits into the business bank account during these tax years were checks from customers. As a result, Sinclair evaded $239,446 in taxes.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.
Smithfield Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that today in federal court, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced DONTRELL KHALI MCDONALD, 24, of Smithfield, North Carolina to 30 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
MCDONALD was named in an Indictment filed on January 5, 2016 charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. On March 7, 2016, MCDONALD pled guilty to that charge.
On October 31, 2015, officers with the Smithfield Police Department, responded to a call of an individual walking the streets waving two firearms. When officers approached the area, MCDONALD began running through a housing complex in an attempt to elude arrest. The chase ensued, and MCDONALD ran into a crowded flea market. A bystander, who had observed the chase, tripped MCDONALD, who fell to the ground. As MCDONALD hit the pavement, a firearm flew from his waistband. Officers also seized another firearm from MCDONALD.
Law enforcement seized a Bersa .380 firearm and a Lorcin .380 firearm, which was later determined to be stolen. Both firearms were loaded with one bullet in the chamber and two additional rounds in a magazine.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Smithfield Police Department, Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette represented the government.
Six Tax Return Preparers Sentenced for Filing False Tax Returns with the IRS Using Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
Six additional tax return preparers were sentenced for filing false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in a scheme that claimed more than $6,663,976 in fraudulent tax refunds.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and Antonio J. Gomez, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made the announcement.
On August 8, 2016, Danny Horne, 30, was sentenced to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay joint and several restitution in the amount of $200,484. On July 29, 2016, Artravette Thomas, a/k/a Artravette Wilson, 41, was sentenced to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay joint and several restitution in the amount of $538,765. On July 22, 2016, Tomeka Anderson, a/k/a Tomeka Owens, 36, was sentenced to 65 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay joint and several restitution in the amount of $774,320. On July 21, 2016, Natalie Mitchell, 42, and Artrice Reid, a/k/a Artrice Nelson, 40, were each sentenced to 57 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and were ordered to pay joint and several restitution in the amounts of $954,557 and $880,457, respectively. On July 20, 2016, Tiffany Gaines, a/k/a Tiffany Morris, 38, was sentenced to 61 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay joint and several restitution in the amount of $607,377. Each of the defendants previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 286, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(1).
Four additional co-conspirators previously pled guilty and were sentenced for their participation in the fraudulent scheme. On December 15, 2015, Tameka Walker, 38, Celia Cromer, 43, and Maritynque Cromer, 25, were sentenced to 78 months, 50 months, and 36 months in prison, respectively, followed by three years of supervised release, and were all ordered to pay joint and several restitution in the amount of $796,535. On September 29, 2015, Marlin Mejia, 29, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $17,428.
Co-defendant Paganini Fleurantin, a/k/a Hu’Ra Al’Dey, 28, pled not guilty. A trial date has not been set.
According to court documents, from September 2010 through May 22, 2013, the defendants conspired to defraud the IRS by filing fraudulent tax returns claiming fraudulent tax refunds. Defendant Walker owned and operated Family Tree Taxes, Inc., a tax preparation business in Miami Gardens. Walker purchased stolen personal identification information (PII) from various sources, including defendant Mejia, to file fraudulent tax returns. Mejia worked as a radiology transporter at a hospital and stole documents (face sheets) containing patients’ PII (including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers) from patient files at the hospital. Mejia knew the PII belonged to real people who did not authorize him to possess their personal information. Mejia sold the face sheets to Walker knowing that Walker would use the stolen PII to file fraudulent tax returns.
Defendants Mitchell, Reid, Anderson, Gaines, Thomas, Horne, Fleurantin, Celia Cromer and Maritynque Cromer were employed by Walker as tax preparers at Family Tree Taxes. The employees filed tax returns using stolen identities to claim fraudulent tax refunds, and also filed tax returns claiming fraudulent overinflated tax refunds. Specifically, the stolen PII of 95 hospital patients was used by the employees to claim over $76,757 in fraudulent tax refunds. And in 2012, Mejia authorized Walker to file a tax return for him claiming a fraudulent overinflated tax refund of $3,452.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendants collectively filed tax returns claiming over $6.6 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, ICE-HSI, and the USPIS. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vanessa Snyder.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Reginald Chaney, a/k/a “Reggie,” 21, of East Providence, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to transport minors for the purpose of sex trafficking, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin; Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for New England; Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.; East Providence Police Chief Christopher J. Parella; and Seekonk, Mass., Police Chief Craig A. Mace.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Chaney to serve 5 years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. On May 10, 2016, Chaney admitted to the court that in January 2015, he conspired with two juveniles to transport two females, ages 15 and 16, to motels in Seekonk, Mass., and to locations in Providence, Warwick, Charlestown and Narragansett for the purpose of sex trafficking.
United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha commented, “Make no mistake, this defendant preyed on children with one motivation – making money. He sold children for sex, plain and simple. Nothing is more reprehensible, and he deserves every day of his ten year sentence. Yet my thoughts today are less than with him than with his victims, who have shown such courage in the face of such despicable conduct. It is my hope that, with ongoing support from our many non-governmental partners, they can continue to rebuild their promising young lives.”
“This case is a stark reminder that sex trafficking can and does happen in every community, and is often perpetrated by individuals not much older than their victims. It is disturbing to think that anyone as young as the three defendants in this case could be capable of manipulating and forcing young women into sex trafficking, yet it happens quite frequently,” said Attorney General Peter Kilmartin. “I commend the cooperative efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement to save these young victims. We have come a long way in the past few years in both getting help for the victims and putting the traffickers behind bars for a long time. That cooperation between agencies is critical to shutting down these types of operations.”
According to information presented to the court, on January 28, 2015, Providence Police responded to Hasbro Childrens’ Hospital for a report of sexual exploitation offenses involving a 16 year-old female. As a result of information provided to the officers, and a subsequent investigation by Providence Police and Homeland Security Investigations, law enforcement learned that on January 16, 2015, Chaney and two juvenile males conspired to take photographs of the 16 year-old female and a 15 year-old female in various stages of undress, and posted the photographs on Backpage.com. Between January 16 and January 28, 2015, Chaney and the two juvenile males conspired to transport the teenage girls from Chaney’s East Providence residence to locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for the purpose of offering the girls for prostitution.
Chaney was arrested by East Providence Police on January 29, 2015, and ordered detained in state custody as a Superior Court probation violator on a 5-year suspended sentence imposed on January 14, 2015, on a weapons charge.
Two juvenile males from East Providence identified as co-conspirators in this matter were arrested on January 29, 2015, and prosecuted in Family Court by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. Brian Desmarais, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, pleaded nolo contendere on November 2, 2015, to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Desmarais received a certified sentence of 10 years with 19 months plus two days to serve, the remainder suspended with probation. He is serving his sentence at the Rhode Island Training School until a “modification hearing” takes place at which time a Family Court judge will determine if the sentence should be modified or continued to be served at the Adult Correctional Institution.
The second juvenile offender, J’Maire Wray, who was 15 at the time of his arrest, pleaded nolo contendere before Family Court Judge Kathleen A. Voccola to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, and one count of felony assault. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Wray received a certified sentence of 15 years, with six years to serve.
Under certification, both Desmarais and Wray are convicted and their sentences will extend into adulthood.
The cases were jointly prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General Daniel Carr Guglielmo.
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Schenectady Heroin Distributor Sentenced to 16 YearsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Raymond P. Baker, age 37, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison after a jury found him guilty in December 2015 of participating in a heroin distribution conspiracy.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Division, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also sentenced Baker to serve 8 years of supervised release, to begin after Baker is released from prison.
In December 2015, a jury convicted Baker following a 4-day trial. The evidence at trial demonstrated that from January 2015 to June 2015, Baker worked with another person to sell heroin at two locations in Albany County, and that the amount of heroin involved in the conspiracy was 100 grams or more.
This case was investigated by the DEA. It was prosecuted at trial by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett, and was prosecuted to indictment by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne A. Myers and Elizabeth R. Rabe.
Roanoke Man Sentneced on Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA – A Roanoke man, who came to be in possession of firearms stolen from a local home last summer, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Lynchburg, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Brian Collins, 43, of Roanoke, Virginia, previously pled guilty to one count of being a previously convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Today in District Court he was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.
“We must continue to do all we can to keep guns out of the hands of prohibited users,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “I firmly believe that keeping illegal guns off our streets is an important step in keeping our communities safe and we continue to work every day toward that goal.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day, on August 24, 2015 a home in Vinton, Virginia was burglarized and at least six firearms were stolen. Following a thorough investigation by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, it was determined that Collins, who was not involved in the burglary, was in possession of some of the firearms taken during the burglary.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case for the United States.
Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 24 Years for Third ConvictionRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – William Rollie Armstrong, 50, of Hampton, was sentenced today to 293 months in prison for coercion and enticement of a child, and receipt of child pornography. Upon release from prison Armstrong will serve 25 years of supervised release.
Armstrong pleaded guilty on February 22. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, the parents of Jane Doe, a 12 year-old child from Michigan, contacted law enforcement to report that Armstrong was having inappropriate chats with their daughter. During the course of the investigation, federal agents were able to determine that the Armstrong befriended Jane Doe through a social networking site, InterPals, by pretending to be a 13 year-old boy from New York. Armstrong sent Jane Doe sexually explicit photos and also asked the child to engage in sexual conduct that would be a crime in Virginia. Agents executed a search warrant on Armstrong’s home in Hampton and seized electronic devices. Armstrong cooperated with agents and admitted that he used a profile picture of a young boy on InterPals. He also admitted to chatting with young girls, including Jane Doe, on various social media websites, and asked them to send him nude pictures of themselves. A forensic exam of the electronic devices revealed that Armstrong had images of child pornography as well as images of Jane Doe.
This is Armstrong’s third conviction for sexual crimes involving minors. He was convicted of sexual assault in 1992 after engaging in sexual intercourse with a 15 year-old child, and in 1999 he was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute child pornography in Virginia Beach.
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 Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney 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-85.
Rapper Young Buck Sentenced to Seven Months in Prison for Violating Conditions of Supervised Release and ProbationRead the Press Release
David Darnell Brown aka “Young Buck,” 35, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., admitted violating the conditions of his supervised release and probation in two federal felony cases today. He was sentenced to seven months in prison for those violations and was immediately taken into custody, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
In July 2013 Brown was convicted of two felonies in U.S. District Court; being a convicted felon in unlawful possession of a firearm and being a convicted felon in unlawful possession of ammunition. Brown was sentenced to 18 months in prison and to a 3-year term of supervised release for these offenses. He completed his prison sentence and began his term of supervised release in November 2013. A condition of supervised release required Brown to participate in drug testing and urinalysis to detect illegal drug use.
In August, 2015, Brown pleaded guilty to willfully falsifying, concealing, and covering up by trick, scheme, and device, material facts regarding his possession and use of marijuana, by providing a false urine sample and by falsely telling a United States Probation Officer that he had not used a controlled substance. According to the statement of facts, Brown used a device, consisting of a plastic bag containing another person’s urine, to provide a urine sample as part of required drug testing. Brown was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Todd J. Campbell to serve 18 months’ probation, pay a $7,500 fine; perform 100 hours of community service; and submit to mandatory drug testing and treatment.
Brown then continued to violate the conditions ordered by the Court, leading to his hearing today for violation of his terms of supervision in both those cases. Brown admitted that he had violated supervision in at least three ways.In March 2016, Brown received text messages from the fiancée of the mother of one of Brown’s children. In those text messages, the fiancée told Brown that he was in violation of a state court child support/visitation order, and that he could face state jail time for contempt. Brown then called the victim in this incident various derogatory and racial epithets and threatened him with physical harm.
On March 29, 2016, Brown was summoned to court for his initial appearance and was ordered to comply with conditions, including not violating any law while pending a final hearing on that violation.
On July 20, 2016, another of Brown’s ex-girlfriends obtained an Ex Parte Order of Protection in state court and arrest warrants were issued against Brown based on an incident in which Brown wanted to get certain property out of that woman’s house and was told that the property was not there. He then kicked in the door of the residence and threatened that woman. Brown was arrested for violating his supervision, and was detained pending a detention hearing. After that hearing, the federal magistrate determined Brown could be released pending the final hearing on this incident and the previous March 2016 incident, but ordered Brown not to have any direct or indirect contact with this victim. Brown was released under those conditions on August 1, 2016.
After being released on those conditions, Brown violated the conditions of his release by contacting and attempting to contact that woman over 100 times in violation of the Magistrate’s release order.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunny A.M. Koshy.
Raleigh Attorney Sentenced for Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Raleigh attorney Joseph Lee Levinson was sentenced on August 9, 2016, for conspiracy to make false statements to federally insured financial institutions, announced Ripley Rand, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.
Levinson was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment; 2 years supervised release, $100.00 special assessment, and $230,079 in restitution by Senior United States District Judge James A. Beaty, Jr. Levinson had pleaded guilty on January 12, 2016.
From 2005 until 2010, Jotham Walker Pruitt and other individuals operated a marijuana "grow" operation in Orange County, North Carolina. The operation involved the production of marijuana inside houses in the vicinity of the Town of Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. Levinson was a licensed attorney practicing in Raleigh and is a college friend of Jotham Pruitt. Levinson conspired with Jotham Pruitt to obtain mortgage funding for properties to be used as "grow houses," knowing full well that banks would not loan money to Jotham Pruitt if they knew that the houses were to be used for illegal purposes. Levinson and Jotham Pruitt prepared loan applications to Long Beach Mortgage Corporation and SunTrust Bank falsely representing that the properties would be used for legal purposes, such as a residence or as rental property, when in fact both knew that the houses would be used to grow marijuana. Levinson acted as closing attorney for purchase of the first two grow houses used in the operation.
Levinson also conspired with Jotham Pruitt to present false leases to Countrywide Bank, N.A., to support Pruitt’s application for mortgage funding to purchase a third grow house. Levinson provided Jotham Pruitt with a sample lease to use as a template in creating false leases to present to Countrywide Bank, N.A., showing that previous properties purchased by Jotham Pruitt were rental properties occupied by tenants. In fact, these properties were being used to grow marijuana.
The grow operation ceased in December 2010. Upon completion of the business, Jotham Pruitt ceased making payments on the mortgages on the grow houses, including those he had purchased with the aid of Levinson. The houses were foreclosed on by the lending banks at a total loss of over $230,000.
Jotham Pruitt, Aubrey Pruitt, and Dustin Fisher have pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina to related charges.
The case was investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.
Case Number 1:15CR413-1
Ponemah Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Aggravated Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the sentencing of DANA LEE COBENAIS, 24, an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, for aggravated sexual abuse. Following a three-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle, a jury on November 19, 2015 found COBENAIS guilty. COBENAIS was sentenced today before Judge Kyle in Duluth, Minn. to 20 years in prison.
As proven at trial, on March 14, 2015, COBENAIS brutally assaulted a woman on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, after forcing her to give him a ride in her car. COBENAIS grew angry during the ride and punched the victim several times in the face before sexually assaulting her. When the Red Lake Police responded to a call for help they found substantial amounts of blood in the car and on the victim. COBENAIS’ sexual violence was so severe that the victim needed surgery to repair the lacerations.
Because the Red Lake Indian Reservation is a federal-jurisdiction reservation, some of the crimes that occur there are investigated by the FBI in conjunction with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department. Those cases are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Violence against American Indian women occurs at epidemic rates. In 2005, Congress found that one in three American Indian women is raped during her lifetime, and American Indian women are nearly three times more likely to be battered during their lives than Caucasian women.
The U.S. Justice Department is taking steps to increase engagement, coordination, and action relative to public safety in tribal communities, including the creation of the Violence Against Women Federal and Tribal Prosecution Task Force. This task force will explore current issues raised by professionals in the field and recommend “best practices” in prosecution strategies involving domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
To learn more about the Justice Department’s Tribal Safety program, visit http://www.justice.gov/tribal/.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and Red Lake Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw.
Defendant Information:
DANA LEE COBENAIS, 24
Ponemah, Minn.
Convicted:
- Aggravated sexual abuse, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 20 years in prison
- Lifetime supervised release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Office of Justice Programs’ Office for Civil Rights Enters into Agreement with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to Ensure Civil Rights Protections for StudentsRead the Press Release
Contact: (202) 598-9457
WASHINGTON – The Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today entered into an agreement with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) to resolve a compliance review of its School Resource Officer (SRO) program. The agreement was reached in order for RCSD to promptly enact changes to ensure full compliance with federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination against students based on race, color, national origin and disability.
The agreement requires RCSD to undertake a comprehensive assessment and overhaul of its SRO program, including:
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Developing policies to minimize school-based arrests and meet the needs of students with disabilities;
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Providing intensive, annual training for all SROs on de-escalation, bias-free policing, and youth development;
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Conducting detailed data collection and analysis; and
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Establishing a community working group to recommend program improvements.
The OJP Diagnostic Center, a technical assistance resource that uses data-driven approaches to help communities address criminal justice and public safety issues, will support RCSD in implementing the terms of the agreement.
“The Office for Civil Rights is committed to working with communities like Richland County to ensure that students’ civil rights are protected and school-based law enforcement responses are safe and fair,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason. “By working with our Diagnostic Center to examine their data and identify the appropriate evidence-based practices, we hope these communities can enhance the services school resource officers provide and strengthen their relationships with students and families.”
OCR is responsible for ensuring recipients of federal financial assistance from OJP and the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, such as RCSD, comply with applicable federal civil rights laws. Specifically, OCR’s SRO Compliance Review Initiative seeks to diminish the disproportionate impact school-based law enforcement actions have on students of color and students with disabilities by evaluating whether federally-funded SRO programs comply with these laws. OCR selected the RCSD SRO program for review in May 2015 based on several factors, including data collected by the Justice Department and other federal agencies on the county’s juvenile population and arrest rates, school-based arrests, and school-based referrals to law enforcement.
A link to the resolution agreement along with OCR’s resolution letter can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/about/ocr/pdfs/RCSD-SRO-ComplianceReview-08102016.pdf.
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North East, Pa., Man Indicted on Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of North East, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment named Gregory A. Doyle, 53, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Doyle possessed computer images depicting minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Man Sentenced for Fake Lottery ScamRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with his role in a bogus lottery scheme in which the victims were told they had won millions of dollars in lotteries and must first pay the taxes in order for their winnings to be released to them.
Wilder Vladimir Merelan, of West Hempstead, NY, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $733,999 in restitution. In April 2016, he pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
From 2012 to 2015, Merelan’s Jamaican co-conspirators solicited victims, who ranged in age from 69 to 91. The victims were told that they had won millions of dollars in a lottery but had to pay taxes on their winnings to the IRS before the funds could be released to them. Victims mailed checks or wired funds to Merelan, who kept a portion for himself and then distributed the rest as directed by his co-conspirators. Merelan was described to these victims as a “sub agent” for the IRS. Approximately 16 victims, including a Massachusetts man, sent more than $830,000 to Merelan in an effort to secure their supposed lottery winnings. Some of the funds were stopped by banks or intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service. However, Merelan received $733,999.
After depositing the checks and receiving the wire transfers into his bank accounts, Merelan withdrew cash, wired funds to individuals in the United States and Jamaica, and purchased reloadable prepaid cards, essentially draining his accounts of the funds he had received.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service; and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Robbing and Murdering Ossining ResidentRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTHONY GRECCO was sentenced today to life in prison for robbing and murdering Ryan Ennis, a resident of Ossining, New York, and conspiring to distribute marijuana and heroin. In January 2016, following a nine-day trial in White Plains federal court before the Honorable Kenneth M. Karas, a jury found that on August 26, 2014, GRECCO traveled from New Jersey to Ossining, where he robbed and murdered Ennis in furtherance of GRECCO’s narcotics trafficking activities. Judge Karas imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Anthony Grecco violently murdered Ryan Ennis, repeatedly stabbing him and slashing his throat, all for a few thousand dollars Ennis had for marijuana he thought Grecco was delivering. The significant sentence imposed on Grecco today reflects the horrific and cold-hearted nature of his crime.”
As established by the evidence at trial:
GRECCO was a marijuana dealer based in New Jersey. As of the spring of 2014, one of his customers was Ryan Ennis, 25, who had been purchasing marijuana from GRECCO and reselling it in the area around Ossining, New York. By late summer 2014, GRECCO’s marijuana supply had dried up and he became desperate for cash.
GRECCO set up a meeting with Ennis, on the pretense that he would be bringing more marijuana for Ennis. In fact, GRECCO intended to rob Ennis, and kill him if necessary, in order to get money. He wanted that money not only because he was strapped for cash, but because he intended to invest in the heroin business of another drug dealer in New Jersey. In preparation for the meeting with Ennis, GRECCO obtained a knife and stuffed a backpack full of linens so that Ennis would not realize that GRECCO had arrived without any marijuana.
On August 26, 2014, GRECCO drove with two accomplices from New Jersey to an apartment complex in Ossining, where Ennis was waiting alone in his father’s apartment. After arriving in Ossining, while the other two individuals waited outside, GRECCO went into the apartment and robbed Ennis. In the course of the robbery, GRECCO stabbed Ennis repeatedly and slashed his throat, killing him. GRECCO took $8,900 – the cash that Ennis had prepared for the marijuana deal – as well as a cellphone and a hat, from Ennis. After the murder, GRECCO returned to New Jersey, where he showered and threw away the blood-stained clothes that he had been wearing in an attempt to cover his tracks.
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GRECCO, 35, is from Manville, New Jersey.
U.S. Attorney Bharara praised the outstanding work of the Village of Ossining Police Department and the FBI’s Westchester County Violent Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI, the Westchester County Police Department, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the City of Peekskill Police Department, the New York City Police Department, and the City of Yonkers Police Department.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gerber, Scott Hartman, and George Turner are in charge of the prosecution.
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Multiple Arrests Made in Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –United States Attorney David A. Capp announced five indictments and six criminal complaints against 18 individuals allegedly involved in a large-scale drug distribution network. This network involved the movement of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin in a geographic area encompassing Fort Wayne to Elkhart and South Bend, Indiana.
Federal, state and local law enforcement officers, beginning yesterday morning, arrested 17 of the named individuals. One is a fugitive at this time. In addition, law enforcement officers executed 20 federal search warrants in conjunction with this investigation.
The principal indictment alleges a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin against the following, all from Fort Wayne:
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Jose C. Razo, age 43; also charged with maintaining 2720 Winter St., Ft. Wayne as a drug distribution place and eight specific alleged distributions;
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Carlos Silva-Ponce, age 39; also charged with maintaining 2720 Winter St. as a drug distribution place and two specific alleged distributions;
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Patricia S. Quinones, age 48;
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Samuel J. Gemple, age 48;
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Marco A. Garcia, age 29, and
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Allan C. Chiprez-Garcia, age 20.
In addition, other indictments were returned against:
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Baltazar Fernandez, age 44, Fort Wayne; conspiracy to distribute cocaine;
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Juan M. Gonzalez, age 33, Fort Wayne; conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine;
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Frederick Moore, age 42, Fort Wayne; conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine and with maintaining 2526 Baywood Trail, Ft. Wayne as a drug distribution place; arrested yesterday in South Dakota;
- Javier Orozco, age 28, Fort Wayne; conspiracy to distribute heroin; currently a fugitive, anyone with information as to his whereabouts should contact the FBI;
- Edy A. Montoya-Echeverria, age 34, Fort Wayne; conspiracy to distribute heroin, and
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Larmondo Watts, age 44, Fort Wayne; possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
In addition to the above indictments, federal criminal complaints were issued for the following individuals:
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Jesus Montes-Perez, age 47, Fort Wayne; distribution of methamphetamine;
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Rene A. Del-Rio Salazar, age 30, South Bend; distribution of cocaine;
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Fernando G. Garcia, age 30, Fort Wayne; distribution of heroin;
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Carlos Prado, age 36, Fort Wayne; distribution of methamphetamine;
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Jonathan A. Galindo, age 25, Fort Wayne; conspiracy to distribute cocaine along with using a telephone to facilitate distribution, and
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Enrique Cordova Campos, age 41, Elkhart, conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Federal search warrants were executed at the following addresses:
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3033 Winter Street, Fort Wayne, IN;
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2720 Winter Street, Fort Wayne, IN;
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2808 Taylor Street, Fort Wayne, IN;
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2715 Hoagland Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN;
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2724 Winter Street, Fort Wayne, IN;
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2311 Whitmore Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN;
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50773 CR 11, Elkhart, IN;
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1331 Ebeling Drive, South Bend, IN;
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8711 Voyager Drive, Fort Wayne, IN;
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2526 Baywood Trail, Fort Wayne, IN;
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205 West Wallace Street, Fort Wayne, IN;
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9723 Tumbleweed Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN;
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9525 Woodstream Dr., Fort Wayne, IN;
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1135 Eliza Street, Fort Wayne, IN;
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13814 Piedmont Cove, Fort Wayne, IN;
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2531 Sandpoint Road, Fort Wayne, IN;
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4005 Reed Street, Fort Wayne, IN;
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1112 Wabash Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN;
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1714 South Coliseum Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN, and
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4501 Smith Street, Fort Wayne, IN.
This investigation was directed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force (FWSSTF). Partners in the FBI FWSSTF are the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. In addition, the FBI FWSSTF was assisted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Elkhart Police Department, and the South Bend Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Geller and Stacey Speith.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment or Complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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More Federal Charges Filed Against Two Former Crystal City OfficialsRead the Press Release
In Del Rio today, the Federal Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment adding new charges against two former Crystal City, TX, officials announced United States Attorney Richard Durbin, Jr., and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
In February 2016, the federal grand jury indicted 54-year-old former City Manager and City Attorney William James Jonas, III, with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and three substantive federal programs bribery charges. The original indictment also charged 40-year-old former Crystal City Mayor Ricardo Lopez with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one substantive federal programs bribery charge
Today’s superseding indictment incorporates those original charges and adds 10 new charges against Jonas and five charges against Lopez. The new charges against Jonas include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft of honest services; five substantive counts of wire fraud and theft of honest services; and, four counts of wire fraud. The new charges against Lopez include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft of honest services; and, four substantive counts of wire fraud and theft of honest services.
The superseding indictment alleges that between May 2012 and February 2016, Jonas and Lopez allegedly used their official positions to enrich themselves by soliciting and accepting bribes from persons seeking to do business in Crystal City. The superseding indictment also alleges that Jonas and Lopez used emails, texts and phone calls to carry out their scheme to defraud Crystal City and its citizens through bribery and the concealment of information.
The superseding indictment also alleges that Jonas was involved in a wire fraud scheme in connection with a multi-million-dollar contract in May 2014 for various improvements to the City’s infrastructure including replacing the City’s water meters, certain heating and air conditioning equipment, and lighting. Under the contract, Crystal City agreed to place approximately $2,124,389 in a specific escrow account and only use those funds to pay the provider as phases of the work were completed. Crystal City subsequently issued Certificates of Obligation and raised $2.25 million specifically for the improvements and for costs related to the issuance of the certificates. Those monies were deposited into the City General Fund in December 2014.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Jonas, despite contract requirements, directed City employees to leave the monies in the City’s General Fund which was then used to pay Jonas’ salary as City Manager and City Attorney, reimburse Jonas for certain expenses, and pay certain favored contractors, among other uses. According to the indictment, the balance in the City’s General Fund after the deposit of the raised funds was $2,207.050.62. The balance in the City’s General Fund on or about October 31, 2015, was $2,199.95. On November 6 2015, Crystal City still owed approximately $735,048.79 in payments under the contract.
Upon conviction, Jonas and Lopez face up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy to commit bribery charge, up to ten years in federal prison for each bribery related charge, and up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud related charge. Both are out on bond at this time.
Three other defendants in this case—former Mayor Pro-Tem Rogelio Mata, former City councilman Roel Mata, and businessman Ngoc Tri Nguyen have each already entered guilty pleas to a federal programs bribery charge and are awaiting sentencing. All three remain on bond and face up to ten years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine at sentencing.
A fourth defendant, former City Councilman Gilbert Urrabazo is scheduled to have a re-arraignment hearing at 1:30pm on August 25, 2016, in front of U.S. District Judge Alia Moses in Del Rio. Urrabazo, who remains on bond, is charged by the initial indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one substantive federal programs bribery charge.
This ongoing joint investigation is being conducted by the FBI and the San Antonio Police Department with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigative Division and the Texas Rangers. Individuals who have first-hand information about corruption, fraud, or bribery related to Crystal City are urged to contact the FBI at (210) 225-6741.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jay Hulings and William R. Harris are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Minneapolis-Based Gang Leader Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Crack Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger yesterday announced the sentencing of LOUIS LEE FRASIER BANKS, 26, a leader of a known Minneapolis gang, the Taliban/Young N’ Thuggin (YNT) gang. On March 4, 2015, BANKS was charged in a seven-defendant indictment with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (crack) and distribution of crack. On October 13, 2015 BANKS pleaded guilty to a two count information charging him with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The defendants include other members of the gang. BANKS appeared yesterday before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schultz.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, between January and December 2014, the defendants named in the indictment were organizers and members of two closely associated street gangs, the Taliban and the YNT. BANKS had more influence in the gangs, based on seniority and criminal activity. The Taliban/YNT gangs claim an area of north Minneapolis as their territory, and other north Minneapolis gangs, including the 1-9 Dipset and Stick Up Boys, as enemies. The members carry guns to protect themselves and their money against their rivals, in order to further their ability to sell illegal drugs.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, the Taliban/YNT are organized for the purpose of making money by trafficking illegal drugs, among other criminal activity. Members of the Taliban/YNT frequently travel to St. Cloud and Duluth, Minnesota, and to Fargo, North Dakota, to sell crack. Crack that the Taliban/ YNT could sell in Minneapolis for $20 could be sold for $50 in Greater Minnesota and in North Dakota. Similarly, an amount of crack cocaine sold for $150 in the Metro area would sell for between $220 and $250 in Greater Minnesota.The other defendants in this case were sentenced as follows: CARNEL LAVEL HARRISON, a/k/a “Boo Man,” 26, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. DEJUAN PIERRE DARKYSE WASHINGTON, a/k/a “DJ,” 25, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. LAQUEDRICK LEMEL AS-SIDIQ, a/k/a “Quady,” a/k/a “C,” 26, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. DONTE TRAMAYNE SMITH, a/k/a “Five,” 26, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. CORTEZ DAVON BLAKEMORE, a/k/a “Tez,” 26, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Defendant TERRELL VONSHAY ROBERSON, a/k/a “Get Right,” a/k/a “Slim,” is awaiting sentencing.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, the FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and St. Paul Police Department. The St. Cloud Violent Crimes Task Force and the St. Cloud Police Department were a critical part of this investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Steinkamp.
Defendant Information:
LOUIS LEE FRASIER BANKS, a/k/a “G.I.,” 26
Anoka County Jail
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to distribute Cocaine Base, 1 count
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 15 years in prison
- 5 years of supervised release
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Middleburgh Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Edward Werner, 51, of Middleburgh, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve one hundred and twenty-one (121) months in federal prison in connection with his conviction for receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Edward Werner pled guilty on March 2, 2016, to a one-count information charging him with receiving child pornography. As part of his guilty plea, Werner admitted that between January 26, 2015 and March 3, 2015, he visited a website that provided for the display and sharing of child pornography, and accessed and viewed a series of images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
United States District Judge Mae D’Agostino also imposed a fine in the amount of $3,000 and a fifteen (15) year term of supervised release, which will start after Werner is released from prison. As a result of his conviction, Werner will be required to register as a sex offender after leaving prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Colonie, New York Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon B. Shinerock.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Mexican Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A citizen of Mexico, who has been removed from the United States multiple times in recent years, pled guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke to Federal immigration charges, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Martin Alvarez-Torres, 38, of Mexico, pled guilty today to one count of illegally reentering the United States after being previously deported without having obtained the express consent of the Attorney General of the United States and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to apply for admission into the United States.
“The United States is a country that welcomes immigrants from all corners of the world but those who come here must do so within the letter of our immigration laws,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today.
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney C. Patrick Hogeboom III, Alvarez-Torres has been removed from the United States multiple times, most recently on April 17, 2014. The defendant was indicted in 2014 and remained at-large until his arrest in Roanoke, Virginia in June 2016.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney C. Patrick Hogeboom III prosecuted the case for the United States.
Medical Device Company and Executives Plea to an Information Relating to Misbranded Medical DevicesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that two Vermont men pled guilty on June 30, 2016 in U.S. District Court in Rutland to information charging them with Class A Misdemeanors relating to the introduction of misbranded medical devices into interstate commerce. AADCO Medical, Inc., a medical device supply company operating out of Randolph, has additionally pled guilty to the same charge.
According to the information and plea agreements filed with the Court, from May 2011 through August 2012, AADCO Medical, Robert Marchione, and Anthony Skidmore allegedly introduced and caused the introduction and delivery of six medical lamps as surgical lamps without having complied with the Food and Drug Administration’s requirements that notice be submitted to the FDA prior to the introduction of such devices into interstate commerce. The misbranded lamps were sold to medical providers in New York, N.Y., Buffalo, N.Y., and Chapel Hill, N.C.
AADCO was ordered to pay a total of $53,070, which included restitution to the victims of $47,945.00, a criminal fine of $5,000.00, and an assessment of $125.00. Mr. Marchione and Mr. Skidmore were each fined $5,000.00.
“The FDA’s regulatory requirements for medical devices are designed to ensure the health and safety of patients,” said Jeffery J. Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ New York Field Office. “The FDA will continue to aggressively pursue those who place patient’s health at risk for their own profit by compromising the integrity of the legitimate supply chain.” United States Attorney Eric S. Miller commended the investigative efforts of the FDA and Homeland Security.
The matter was investigated by Special Agent Matthew Carbone of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and by a Special Agent from Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Owen C.J. Foster and FDA Associate Chief Counsel Scott Kaplan. AADCO Medical was represented by Kevin Henry, Mr. Marchione was represented by George Ostler, and Mr. Skidmore was represented by Paul Volk.
McKees Rocks Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of access device fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Joseph E. Placzek, 25 of McKees Rocks, PA, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was informed that Placzek opened credit cards in the name of another person at Capital One bank, which he used to purchase cruise vacations at Carnival Cruise, as well as merchandise at Amazon.com and Home Depot, among other retailers totaling approximately $69,000.
Judge McVerry scheduled sentencing for Nov. 11, 2016 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Inspectors from Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service, as part of the Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force (WPFCTF), conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of this defendant. The WPFCTF was established as a collaborative, multi-agency effort to effectively combat financial crimes, including identity fraud, in Western Pennsylvania. Partnering in this effort are the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Stolen GoodsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Brian Nelson Halsey, age 52, of Westminster, Maryland, formerly of Dundalk, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to interstate transportation of stolen goods in connection with a scheme to sell property stolen from shopping mall kiosks online.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to his plea agreement, from October 7, 2014 through March 29, 2016, Halsey used online accounts opened in different names and identities to sell stolen items, including designer sunglasses, and shipped the items nationwide from his home in Dundalk, Maryland.
Specifically, Halsey’s co-conspirator broke into kiosks and stores in shopping malls in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Fairview Heights, Illinois; and Myrtle Beach, Wilmington, Columbia, and Florence, South Carolina, and stole merchandise which he brought to Halsey in Maryland. Halsey sold the property through an online market, and used the U.S. Postal Service and commercial carriers to ship the stolen property to the buyers. Halsey provided cash from the sale of the stolen property to his co-conspirator and also helped to finance the co-conspirator’s travel and travel expenses to other states to commit thefts in order to obtain more property for sale. Halsey maintained multiple online market accounts, online payment accounts, and bank accounts under different names and identities during the scheme.
On August 28, 2015, law enforcement searched Halsey’s residence and recovered over $200,000 worth of stolen designer sunglasses, as well as a printing and labeling system, and a large number of documents related to selling sunglasses through an online market. Law enforcement also recovered lock-pick kits and numerous atlases and street maps.
Halsey admitted that more than five individuals participated in the scheme, helping Halsey to package and ship the stolen sunglasses, providing their identification information to Halsey to set up bank and online accounts, and/or assisting in the thefts. Halsey organized the sale of items online and their shipment to buyers outside Maryland. The estimated loss from the scheme was approximately $500,000.
Halsey faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, he will also be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for November 15, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Halsey remains detained.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended FBI and Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron S. J. Zelinsky, who is prosecuting the case.