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11 July 2016
Serial Bank Robber Indicted by Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
Floyd Calvin Clanton, Jr., 58, of Nashville, Tenn., was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on six counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the indictment, on April 22, 2016, Clanton robbed the SunTrust Bank, located at 1715 West End Avenue in Nashville. The indictment also alleges that Clanton robbed the Regions Bank at 1140 Nashville Pike in Gallatin, Tennessee on April 25, 2016; the U. S. Bank at 4670 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage, Tennessee, on May 19, 2016; the Wells Fargo Bank at 4740 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage, Tennessee, on May 24, 2016; the Old Hickory Federal Credit Union, 1401 West Main Street, Lebanon, Tennessee, on June 3, 2016, and again on June 10, 2016.
The indictment also alleges that on June 10, 2016, Clanton attempted to rob the SunTrust Bank, 240 West Main Street, Lebanon, Tennessee, minutes before again robbing the Old Hickory Federal Credit Union at 1401 West Main Street in Lebanon, Tennessee.
Shortly after the attempted robbery and robbery on June 10th, Clanton was located at a motel in Lebanon, Tennessee. He was subsequently arrested by FBI agents and Lebanon police officers pursuant to a warrant that had been issued on June 1, 2016, charging him with the robbery of the Regions bank in Gallatin, Tennessee, on April 25th. At the time of this robbery, Clanton was on federal supervised release, after serving a 70-month sentence for committing a bank robbery in Gallatin, Tennessee, in 2009.
If convicted, Clanton faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on each count.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Lebanon Police Department and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William L. Deneke.
Second Member of Conspiracy Sentenced in Employment Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today the sentencing of a second man involved in a conspiracy that defrauded the United States out of a half million dollars of employment taxes over a five year time period.
Today in District Court, Markera Galustyants, of Miami, Florida, who previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. A second man, Vladimir Maglnik, 52, of Williamsburg, Va., was previously was previously sentenced to 20 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a fine of $7,500.
“These men lined their pockets off the hard work of others and by stealing from the American taxpayer,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “We will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure the validity of our tax system and those who pay into it.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney C. Patrick Hogeboom, from at least 2002 continuing through 2007, Galustyants and Maglnik owned North American Management (NAM), a company that contracted labor service contracts with hotels, primarily in Florida, Virginia and Louisiana. NAM agreed to provide temporary employees to perform housekeeping services, would be responsible for hiring and paying all temporary workers as well as complying with all federal regulations, including the deduction and payment of employment taxes from the temporary workers’ wages. The hotels were also assured that the temporary workers held legitimate work permits and were eligible to work in the United States.
However, according to evidence presented in court, NAM routinely violated the terms of the contract and failed to pay employment taxes to the United States Treasury on any of the temporary works employed by NAM. All told, the conspirators pocketed $3,082,097 in unpaid employment taxes.
The investigation of the case was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, the Department of Labor and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney C. Patrick Hogeboom III prosecuted the case for the United States.
School Financial Aid Worker Admits to Stealing Student Financial Aid RefundsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Janelle A. Rose, age 21, of Baltimore, and Tuscon, Arizona, pleaded guilty today to unauthorized access to a protected computer in furtherance of fraud arising from a scheme to steal student loan refund payments.
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 John L. Phillips, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of the Treasury - Office of Inspector General.
According to her plea agreement, on June 8, 2015, Rose began work as a student financial services representative at a school in Baltimore that provided postsecondary education. From June 15 to 19, Rose secretly wrote down the names of students, their account passwords and other information in a notepad that she then took back to her home. From June 19 to 23, Rose used the stolen information and her computer to access the electronic accounts of at least 40 students, and alter the student bank account information so that each of the student’s loan refund payments would be made to Rose’s Green Dot Bank account. Refunds to 20 of the students were processed and $73,996 was fraudulently deposited to her Green Dot Bank account.
Each time an adjustment is made to a student’s financial information, account number, address or bank information, the school’s computer system generates an email to the student providing notice of the change. Rose accessed the students’ email accounts and deleted the account change notification emails from the students’ inboxes.
The school and its vendors discovered Rose’s fraud. Green Dot returned the $73,996 in stolen student loan refund proceeds before Rose was able to withdraw the funds. This money was returned to the student victims.
Rose was fired on June 27 and she moved to Tuscon to attend college.
On September 20, 2015, Rose opened a new Green Dot account in the name of her roommate. That day, from her Tuscon residence, she used information she stole from the school where her employment had been terminated to access two students’ accounts on the school network. Rose changed these two students’ bank account information so that any student loan refunds would be paid to the Green Dot account that Rose created in her roommate’s name. As a result, the students’ loan refunds totaling $11,979.50 were paid to the Green Dot account in the roommate’s name. These transactions were rejected by Green Dot and the money was returned to the victim students.
Rose faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz scheduled her sentencing for September 20, 2016, at 11:00 a.m.
Today’s announcement is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Department of the Treasury – OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachery A. Myers, who is prosecuting the case.
Salesman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Consumers Through Debt Relief FirmsRead the Press Release
A Newport Beach, California, man pleaded guilty today for his role as a salesman at fraudulent debt relief firms that offered to settle credit card debts but instead took victims’ payments as undisclosed up-front fees, the Justice Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced.
John Vartanian, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of an indictment alleging conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with companies known as Nelson Gamble & Associates (Nelson Gamble) and Jackson Hunter Morris & Knight LLP (Jackson Hunter). According to the indictment, the conspirators portrayed the debt relief companies as law firms and attorney-based companies that would negotiate favorable settlements with creditors. Clients made monthly payments expecting the money to go toward settlements. The conspirators instead took at least 15 percent of the total debt as company fees, with the first six months of payments going almost entirely toward undisclosed up-front fees.
“These scams take advantage of vulnerable consumers trying to climb out of debt,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to prosecute fraudulent debt relief schemes.”
“We are gratified with today’s plea, not only on behalf of our postal inspectors who exposed these conspirators for the scammers they were, but for the many unsuspecting victims who were seeking to climb out from their debts but instead were thrown into even deeper financial holes,” said Inspector in Charge Regina L. Faulkerson of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “People who rely on the U.S. mail expect what they receive will be truthful, honest communication – free from false statements and from attempts to further victimize them. I appreciate the work of the Consumer Protection Branch in bringing the last of these fraudulent credit repair conspirators to justice.”
“This defendant preyed upon victims that were already burdened by significant debt,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker for the Central District of California. “He gave them false hope while stealing the money that could have been used to reduce their obligations.”
The scheme ran from February 2010 to September 2012. Vartanian admitted that he did not tell customers during sales calls that the companies charged significant up-front fees. Additionally, he admitted that he falsely told customers that the companies were backed by a law group and that money would be refunded if customers were not satisfied. When his co-conspirators changed the name of the company from Nelson Gamble to Jackson Hunter in 2011 because of customer complaints, Vartanian continued to make the same pitch without disclosing that the new company was essentially the same as the old company. In speaking with unhappy customers, the conspirators at Jackson Hunter blamed past problems on Nelson Gamble and denied requests for refunds of money paid to Nelson Gamble.
Vartanian faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The court set a sentencing date of Oct. 17 before U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer in Los Angeles. Four other defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with the same scheme: Jeremy Nelson of Laguna Nigel, California, Elias Ponce of Santa Ana, California, Christopher Harati of Anaheim, California, and Athena Maldonado of Lake Forest, California. The defendants have not yet been sentenced.
In September 2012, the Federal Trade Commission brought a civil case against Nelson and the companies, alleging that the defendants misrepresented debt relief services offered to consumers. (See https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/122-3030-x120048/nelson-gamble-associates-llc-et-al). The case was settled by entry of a consent decree in August 2013.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mizer commended the Postal Inspection Service team assigned to the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch for their investigative efforts and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their contributions to the case. The case is being prosecuted by trial attorneys Alan Phelps and James Harlow of the Consumer Protection Branch.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Salesman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Consumers Through Debt Relief FirmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Newport Beach, California, man pleaded guilty today for his role as a salesman at fraudulent debt relief firms that offered to settle credit card debts but instead took victims’ payments as undisclosed up-front fees, the Justice Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced.
John Vartanian, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of an indictment alleging conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with companies known as Nelson Gamble & Associates (Nelson Gamble) and Jackson Hunter Morris & Knight LLP (Jackson Hunter). According to the indictment, the conspirators portrayed the debt relief companies as law firms and attorney-based companies that would negotiate favorable settlements with creditors. Clients made monthly payments expecting the money to go toward settlements. The conspirators instead took at least 15 percent of the total debt as company fees, with the first six months of payments going almost entirely toward undisclosed up-front fees.
“This defendant preyed upon victims that were already burdened by significant debt,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker for the Central District of California. “He gave them false hope while stealing the money that could have been used to reduce their obligations.”
“These scams take advantage of vulnerable consumers trying to climb out of debt,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to prosecute fraudulent debt relief schemes.”
“We are gratified with today’s plea, not only on behalf of our postal inspectors who exposed these conspirators for the scammers they were, but for the many unsuspecting victims who were seeking to climb out from their debts but instead were thrown into even deeper financial holes,” said Inspector in Charge Regina L. Faulkerson of Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “People who rely on the U.S. mail expect what they receive will be truthful, honest communication – free from false statements and from attempts to further victimize them. I appreciate the work of the Consumer Protection Branch in bringing the last of these fraudulent credit repair conspirators to justice.”
The scheme ran from February 2010 to September 2012. Vartanian admitted that he did not tell customers during sales calls that the companies charged significant up-front fees. Additionally, he admitted that he falsely told customers that the companies were backed by a law group and that money would be refunded if customers were not satisfied. When his co-conspirators changed the name of the company from Nelson Gamble to Jackson Hunter in 2011 because of customer complaints, Vartanian continued to make the same pitch without disclosing that the new company was essentially the same as the old company. In speaking with unhappy customers, the conspirators at Jackson Hunter blamed past problems on Nelson Gamble and denied requests for refunds of money paid to Nelson Gamble.
Vartanian faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The court set a sentencing date of Oct. 17 before U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer in Los Angeles. Four other defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with the same scheme: Jeremy Nelson of Laguna Nigel, California, Elias Ponce of Santa Ana, California, Christopher Harati of Anaheim, California, and Athena Maldonado of Lake Forest, California. The defendants have not yet been sentenced.
In September 2012, the Federal Trade Commission brought a civil case against Nelson and the companies, alleging that the defendants misrepresented debt relief services offered to consumers. (See https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/122-3030-x120048/nelson-gamble-associates-llc-et-al). The case was settled by entry of a consent decree in August 2013.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mizer commended the Postal Inspection Service team assigned to the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch for their investigative efforts and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their contributions to the case. The case is being prosecuted by trial attorneys Alan Phelps and James Harlow of the Consumer Protection Branch.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Rochester Man Guilty of Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Gregory Stonoha, 24, of Rochester, N.Y., pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that Stonoha was found to possess large quantities of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Stonoha used an application known as Kik to trade child pornography with other users, and to engage in sexually explicit “chats” with other users. After a search warrant and arrest of another individual in Arizona it was determined that Stonoha was communicating with this individual and sharing child pornography.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, acting under the direction of Adam S. Cohen.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2016, at 10:00, before Judge Siragusa.
Robber Who Threatened to ‘Shoot up the Place’ Sentenced to 8+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A bank robber who threated to “shoot up the place,” was sentenced Monday to 100 months in federal prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Robert Robinson, 42, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery. In his plea, Robinson admitted that on May 30, 2014, he robbed the Commerce Bank at 9501 Antioch Road in Overland Park, Kan. At the counter he pulled out a blue file folder and opened it, revealing a note that read: “Put on top of this note all 20s, 50s 100s or I will start shooting up the place.”
He also admitted to two other bank robberies: One on May 22, 2014, at the Bank of America at 15811 Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park; and the other on May 30, 2014, at Commerce Bank at 3606 Frederick Avenue in St. Joseph, Mo.
Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.
Ringleader of Counterfeiting Conspiracy Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Reginald Jake Farrow, 31, of Richmond, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to make, forge, counterfeit and pass federal reserve notes.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, from May 2015, continuing through February 2016, Farrow conspired with 11 other individuals to make and pass counterfeit $50 and $100 Federal Reserve Notes. The counterfeiting operation took place primarily at a residence in Henrico and the defendants would pass the counterfeit bills at local merchants obtaining merchandise and genuine currency as change.
In addition, during the course of the conspiracy, Farrow sold a total of 16.57 grams of heroin to a Confidential Informant on five times between July 2, 2015 and August 20, 2015. The heroin dealing will be considered by the judge at sentencing.
Farrow faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on October 14. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Douglas F. Mease, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. David Schiller is prosecuting 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. Case No. 3:16-CR-56.
Reinbeck Man Sentenced to over 10 Years for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography was sentenced July 8, 2016 to over 10 years in federal prison.
Robert Turner, age 35, from Reinbeck, Iowa, formerly from Cedar Falls, received the sentence after a January 5, 2016 guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Turner admitted that, between 2001 and 2013, he knowingly used the Internet to receive child pornography.
Turner was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Turner was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, Turner was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution, and he must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Cedar Falls Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 15-2049.
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Project Safe Childhood - Plainfield Man Sentenced for Child Pornography PossessionRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: John Martin Favor, 49, of Plainfield, New Hampshire, was sentenced on Monday to 66 months in prison by the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.
In May 2015, authorities determined that an individual was uploading images of child pornography to an online bulletin board from the defendant’s Plainfield, New Hampshire residence. When a federal search warrant for that residence was subsequently executed, a large collection of child pornography – more than 500 videos and 300 still images – was located on the defendant’s personal electronic devices, and the defendant confessed to law enforcement that he had been viewing child pornography for close to fifteen years.
“Protecting children from sexual exploitation is a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice, “and prosecuting those who possess child pornography is crucial to destabilizing this black market and undermining the normalization of child sexual abuse.”
The investigation was a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local authorities, which included Homeland Security Investigations Manchester, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Police Departments of Hinsdale, Hampton, Plainfield, Rochester, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as well as the New Hampshire State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nick Abramson.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led, in each district, by the United States Attorney’s Office, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine, Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – A North Carolina man, who traveled from North Carolina to Carroll County, Virginia to sell methamphetamine, pled guilty today to federal drug and firearms charges, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.
Mack Daniel Barton, 37, of Laurel Hill, N.C., pled guilty this morning in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke to one count of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Methamphetamine continues to ravage communities all throughout Southwest Virginia and remains a top priority for law enforcement across the Commonwealth,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today.
According to evidence presented at today’s hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Ashely B. Neese, Barton traveled from N.C. to Carroll County to sell methamphetamine to what he thought was a customer but what was actually a confidential informant for law enforcement. During this transaction, Barton was arrested and found to be in possession of a firearm.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the Carroll County Sheriff Office, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office and the Galax Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ashely B. Neese prosecuted the case for the United States.
New York Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Internet Offenses, Including "Doxing," "Swatting," Making a False Bomb Threat, and Cyber-StalkingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mir Islam, 22, of New York, N.Y., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison on three federal charges stemming from a conspiracy to commit various crimes related to the “swatting” and “doxing” of dozens of victims, and from a false bomb threat made against a university in Arizona and a pattern of online harassment constituting cyber-stalking against a university student, all occurring between February and September 2013.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips of the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo of the District of Arizona, and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Islam pleaded guilty on July 6, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a total of three charges. They included one count of conspiracy to commit a range of federal offenses, including identity theft; access device fraud; social security number misuse; computer fraud; wire fraud; assaulting federal officials; and interstate transmission of threats. The other charges included one count of threatening and conveying false information concerning the use of explosives and one count of cyber-stalking.
In his guilty plea, Islam admitted to “swatting” and “doxing” numerous individuals, to communicating a false shooting and bomb threat on a university campus in Arizona, and to committing a pattern of online harassment against a university student. “Swatting” is the act of placing emergency 9-1-1 type calls to police departments, usually through Internet-based telecommunication relay services, to make false claims of homicides or other assaultive or criminal conduct by, or against, other targeted individuals at the locations of those individuals. These false 9-1-1 communications are intended to result in, and usually did result in, a tactical police response, including SWAT teams, to the targeted, unsuspecting victims’ residences. “Doxing” is the act of gathering, by licit and illicit means, and posting on the Internet personal identifying information (“PII”) and other sensitive information about an individual, including, for example, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, credit information, employers, and details regarding the individual’s children and other family members.
“The crimes committed by this defendant violated the privacy of dozens of people, fostered identity theft, and endangered the safety of many others,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “Mir Islam put people at risk on the Internet and in their own homes, placed responding police officers at risk, created a dangerous situation on a college campus, caused substantial emotional distress to numerous victims, and diverted law enforcement from work they could be doing to protect the public. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes and hopefully will deter others from similar actions.”
“This crime not only diverted first responders from actual life-threatening emergencies and wasted their valuable time and resources, but it also caused severe emotional distress to a large number of victims,” said U.S. Attorney Leonardo. “We hope this prosecution will deter others from engaging in similar dangerous and criminal behavior in the future.”
“Making false threats diverts critical law enforcement resources, and places first responders and the public at significant risk of physical injury and harm, which is unacceptable,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “The FBI takes ‘swatting’ and ‘doxing’ attacks very seriously because such illegal conduct jeopardizes public safety and places innocent people in harm’s way by exposing private and personal information. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the FBI continues to refine technological capabilities and investigative techniques to prevent these types of crimes, and to track down criminals who commit them.”
According to court documents, Islam and his co-conspirators “swatted” and “doxed” numerous individuals from February through August 2013. Islam and his co-conspirators committed the doxing and swatting to entertain themselves, to exact revenge for official conduct they found objectionable, to express animus toward certain victims, and for their own notoriety. The investigation is continuing.
Swatting: “Swatting” in many instances is an assault with a deadly weapon in which the police are used as proxies to commit the assault. By definition, the crime entails an armed police response. When the responding officers are threatened in the fake 9-1-1 communications with physical harm or death if they respond, as some were by Islam and his co-conspirators, the officers invariably arrive at the premises in force, with guns drawn and trained on the premises and its occupants. The prospect for injuries or fatalities in such a police response is manifest. According to the government’s evidence, Islam and his co-conspirators swatted at least 20 celebrities and state and federal officials. For example, a former member of Congress from Michigan was swatted because of federal legislation he sponsored; a former State Representative, who is now a member of Congress, was swatted because of anti-swatting state legislation he sought to enact, and an Assistant United States Attorney was swatted in retaliation for a particular prosecution he participated in.
Doxing: According to the government’s evidence, Islam and his co-conspirators posted the PII of at least 50 celebrities and state and federal officials on different websites that all shared the domain name “Exposed,” which were accessible to anyone, anywhere. The natural, inevitable, and intended consequence of this publication of names, social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, credit reports, and the like, was the use of that information by countless others to illicitly obtain credit cards and other finance-related accounts using the identities of the doxing victims, causing many victims to suffer continuing credit issues. The publication of the victims’ personal identifying information also revealed to any other would-be harassers or assailants how and where to contact the victims.
Additionally, according to the government’s evidence, on March 22, 2013, Islam separately falsely reported a shooting and explosives incident on the campus of a university located in Arizona. Using a 9-1-1 Internet relay system, Islam reported that a man on campus had a gun and a rifle and was shooting people on campus. Islam further stated that the man was shooting up the area and that he had explosives and was going to blow up buildings. In response to Islam’s false report, the local police, university police, and the FBI responded to the campus to investigate, including SWAT Teams and a Police Department Bomb Squad. The campus was placed in lockdown, with flash text messaging sent to the student population advising of a potential active shooter situation.
Islam made the false shooting and explosives report as part of Islam’s cyber-stalking of a student attending that university. Over the course of several months after the false bomb threat, according to the government’s evidence, Islam repeatedly called or sent text messages to this student and some of her friends, occasionally threatening them. Islam impersonated state and federal law enforcement officials to try to collect information about the student. Islam further acquired unauthorized access to the student’s e-mail and social media accounts, and then downloaded information from those accounts and changed the passwords to the accounts, thereby denying the student access. Islam created a social media account in which he assumed a false identity, including photographs of someone other than Islam, pretending to be a student attending the student’s university. Islam used this account and identity to attempt to befriend the student. Islam’s prolonged harassment of the student caused the student to suffer substantial emotional distress.
Islam, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Bangladesh, was arrested in September 2013 and has been in custody in this case since July 2015. In addition to the prison time, the Honorable Randolph D. Moss ordered Islam to be placed on three years of supervised release following the prison term; during that time, Islam must agree to computer monitoring and other conditions.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistance was provided by the FBI’s Phoenix, New York and Los Angeles Field Offices; the United States Secret Service’s Boston Field Office, and the Los Angeles, Boston, and Fairfax County, Va., Police Departments. The Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) also provided support.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corbin A. Weiss of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly Anderson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Morgantown man pleads guilty to synthetic marijuana distribution, money laundering chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Daniel Kocan, 59, of Morgantown, West Virginia, pled guilty to distribution of synthetic marijuana and money laundering, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.Kocan was the owner of Mid Nite Adult in Morgantown, WV where he sold synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as “spice”, “K2”, “incense”, or “fake weed” for nearly two years. Synthetic cannabinoids are designer drugs that resemble a controlled substance in molecular structure and actual or intended physiological effect.
He pled guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Synthetic Cannabinoids and Schedule I Controlled Substance Analogue,” and one count of “Engaging in a Monetary Transaction with Cash Derived from Specified Unlawful Activity.” He faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the conspiracy charge and up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the monetary laundering charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Three Rivers Drug Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Miami-Dade Resident Sentenced in Stolen Identity Tax Fraud Scheme Involving Approximately 1,288 Debit Cards Containing More Than $1 Million in Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
A Miami-Dade County resident was sentenced to 44 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $973,379 for his participation in a stolen identity tax fraud scheme involving approximately 1,288 debit cards containing more than $1 million in 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), Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and John E. Brooks, Chief, Sunrise Police Department, made the announcement.
Yasmany Lopez, 28, previously pled guilty to one count of access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3), and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A(a)(1).
According to court documents, in early 2012, individuals in Colombia negotiated with a confidential source (CS) to rent an airplane that would be used to transport controlled substances from Colombia to Honduras. As part of these negotiations, the individuals arranged delivery of $500,000 to the CS as payment to use the airplane. The CS received an initial payment of $170,000, and defendant Lopez contacted the CS to arrange delivery of the remaining $330,000. After Lopez met with the CS, officers stopped Lopez in his car. Lopez gave consent to search the vehicle, and the officers located two boxes containing $330,000 in cash, approximately 197 Turbo Tax debit cards and 1,035 Green Dot debit cards each bearing different individual’s names, mail addressed to several different individuals, and ATM receipts.
During a subsequent search of Lopez’s residence, law enforcement found an additional 48 Turbo Tax debit cards, 8 Green Dot debit cards, and numerous Turbo Tax mailing envelopes and cardholder agreements. The IRS determined that the 245 Turbo Tax cards found between Lopez’s car and residence had been loaded with approximately $1,071,188 in federal income tax refunds. The IRS identified the tax returns associated with fifteen of the seized debit cards. The individuals named on these tax returns are all residents of Puerto Rico, but the individuals did not authorize anyone to file these tax returns or to use their personal information.
Lopez admitted that he removed cash from the debit cards at ATMs in exchange for a 2% commission. He also recruited individuals who allowed Lopez to use their mailing addresses to receive the debit cards, in exchange for $100 per card. A portion of the $330,000 he was to deliver to the CS came from the debit cards in his possession.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, the DEA, and the Sunrise Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. 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.
Mexican national pleads guilty for role in California-to-West Virginia drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national heavily involved in a California-to-West Virginia drug conspiracy pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Daniel Ortiz-Rivera, 24, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Ortiz-Rivera admitted that from January 2015 to June 2015, he was involved in a drug conspiracy with multiple individuals that included the transportation and distribution of methamphetamine. He admitted that in January 2015, he conspired to have methamphetamine delivered from California to West Virginia and supplied drugs to individuals in West Virginia. Ortiz-Rivera additionally admitted that he had methamphetamine delivered to him in West Virginia and traveled himself to California to pick up methamphetamine. From January 2015 through May 2015, he delivered at least eight pounds of methamphetamine to an individual in West Virginia. He also admitted that on June 5, 2015, he was driving from California to transport methamphetamine to Charleston and was stopped by law enforcement in Kansas. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement discovered approximately four pounds of methamphetamine.
Ortiz-Rivera faces at least five and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 11, 2016.
This prosecution is the result of a multi-agency investigation which led to an eight-count indictment implicating 14 defendants, including Ortiz-Rivera. Ortiz-Rivera’s codefendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. As part of this conspiracy, two women used as mules to transport methamphetamine, Danielle Dessaray Estrada, 21, of Los Angeles, and Kelly Newcomb, 56, of Nevada, have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2016.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Mechanics Falls Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: James W. Chapman, Jr.
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Amanda Ouellette, 38, of Mechanics Falls, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to failing to account for and pay over federal employment taxes.
According to court records, from 2008 to 2013, Ouellette operated Daddy O’s, a restaurant in Oxford, Maine, and paid wages on a regular basis to several employees. She withheld federal income and FICA taxes from her employees’ gross pay, but from 2009 through 2013, she failed to file quarterly federal income tax returns and pay over the taxes she withheld to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), as required.
Ouellette faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to pay $114,487 in restitution to the IRS.
Koch Industries Executive to Keynote U.S. Attorney’s Fair Chance Hiring ConferenceRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – Mark V. Holden, senior vice president and general counsel of Koch Industries, will be the keynote speaker next week at a conference sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama focused on reentry and fair chance employment issues for people returning to society from prison.
Koch Industries is nationally recognized for its leadership and advocacy to remove barriers to employment for people who have had a criminal conviction or arrest. Koch Industries reports that it directly employs 60,000 people nationally, about 2,600 of them in Alabama.
The Alabama Fair Chance Employment Summit will be Wednesday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to 11a.m. in the Steiner Auditorium at the Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard. Holden is considered a national leader in reentry reform and fair chance employment practices.
“In Alabama and across the country, leaders from the public and private sector are collaborating to break the cycle of crime by promoting employment and community support for those who have committed crimes, served their sentences and paid their debts to society,” Vance said. “Often, collateral consequences that result from an arrest or conviction affect an individual’s ability to find employment long after the completion of any court-imposed sentence. We can prevent crime and make our community safer by making it possible for people to find jobs,” she said. “Mr. Holden’s experience with gainfully employing ex-offenders should provide great insight for our community.”
For more information on the event, contact Jeremy Sherer at (205) 244-2001 or [email protected]
Jury Convicts Champaign Man for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Urbana, Ill. – A jury deliberated for nearly two hours before returning its guilty verdict late Friday, July 8, 2016, against Kevin Pettis, aka KP, 37, of the 400 block of South State St., Champaign, Ill., for possession of a firearm by a felon, as announced by Jim Lewis, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois.
During the trial, which began on July 6, the government presented evidence to establish that on July 7, 2013, around 3:18 a.m., Pettis fired a Taurus, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol from a Chevrolet Tahoe in the parking lot of the Oakwood Trace Apartments in north Champaign. When a woman reported the shooting, Pettis drove to his apartment in the 400 block of South State Street and tried to hide the pistol in his jacket in his apartment. Officers of the Champaign Police Department arrested Pettis minutes later as he was walking away from the apartment. They located and recovered the stolen, loaded gun after obtaining a search warrant for his apartment. At the time, Pettis had six prior felony convictions: three aggravated battery, reckless discharge of a firearm, possession of a weapon by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Pettis remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, where he has been since his arrest on Dec. 7, 2015. Sentencing for Pettis is scheduled for Nov. 7, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce in Urbana, Ill.
The maximum statutory penalty for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon is 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugene L. Miller and A. Remy Taborga. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Champaign Police Department investigated the case.
Judge Sentences Federal Inmate for Prison EscapeRead the Press Release
Erie, Pa. - An inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 1 month in jail on his conviction of escape after conviction, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Court Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Jonathan Rodriguez Melendez, 26. The sentence was imposed to run consecutively to the sentence Melendez is currently serving.
According to the information presented to the court, on or about October 10, 2015, Melendez escaped from the Federal Prison Camp at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution while he was serving a term of imprisonment imposed by the Western District of New York upon his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Melendez.
Jose Gonzalez-Martinez Sentenced on Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA – A Charlottesville man who was convicted as part of a law enforcement initiative targeting individuals trafficking methamphetamine into the greater Charlottesville area, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today.
Jose Alfredo Gonzalez-Martinez, 32, of Charlottesville, Va., was arrested on a federal criminal complaint in late March and pled guilty in April to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Today in the District Court, Gonzalez-Martinez was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by deportation.
Two other men, Alfonso Lopez-Rios and John Mark Fisher were previously convicted and sentenced to federal prison as part of the conspiracy. Lopez-Rios was sentenced to 58 months in federal prison and Fisher was sentenced 132 months.
“Methamphetamine is often a drug that leads to other criminal behavior, acts such a domestic abuse, property crime, violence, things that destroy families and communities,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today. “It is paramount that we continue to work with our partners in law enforcement in manners such as this to slow the spread of this deadly and addictive substance.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh, Gonzalez-Martinez sold distribution-sized quantities in the Charlottesville area.
Gonzalez-Martinez, Lopez-Rios and Fisher were prosecuted as part of Operation Ice Storm, a multi-agency operation headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and in partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The operations’ goal is to target larger distributors and traffickers of methamphetamine into Charlottesville and surrounding areas.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh prosecuted the case for the United States.
Hudson County, New Jersey, Man Admits Selling Fake Driver’s Licenses OnlineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City, New Jersey, man today admitted using social media to promote a sophisticated website that sold fake driver’s licenses, some of which were later used to commit financial crimes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Abraham Corcino, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with authentication features.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From October 2012 through August 2014, Ricardo Rosario, 33, of Jersey City, with the assistance of Corcino and Alexis Scott Carthens, 38, of Newark, New Jersey, sold fake driver’s licenses over the Internet. In connection with their illegal operation, the defendants ran a website that was available at “fakeidstore.co” and “fakedlstore.com.”
A number of the fake driver’s licenses sold by Corcino and other conspirators were used by criminal actors in connection with “cash out” schemes where stolen credit card information, usually obtained through hacking or ATM skimming operations, was encoded on to counterfeit credit cards and used to steal cash from victims’ accounts.
Rosario created and ran the website. Corcino and Carthens assisted Rosario by creating and mailing the fake driver’s licenses purchased through the website. Corcino also maintained an Instagram account to promote the website.
The website sold fake New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin driver’s licenses, and the website boasted that the licenses had “scannable barcodes” and “real” holographic overlays. The price for each fake driver’s license was approximately $150, but the website offered bulk pricing for orders of 10 or more.
The website allowed its users to pay by bitcoin, a cryptographic-based digital currency, or MoneyPak, a type of prepaid payment card that could be purchased at retail stores. The “FAQ” section of the website indicated that orders would be received approximately one to two days after payment was received and described the website’s policy with respect to returns: “No Refunds. No snitching.”
At the plea hearing, Corcino admitted promoting the website on social media and mailing the fake driver’s licenses to the website’s customers.
The conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with authentication features charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2016.
Carthens pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 25, 2016 and awaits sentencing. The charges against Rosario are pending. The charges and allegations against him are merely accusations, and he is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, and inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Assistant Inspector in Charge Cynthia Shoffner, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew S. Pak of the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section of the Economic Crimes Unit and Barbara Ward, Acting Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Chistopher Adams, Esq.
Four convicted, sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three individuals from Guatemala and one from Honduras pled guilty to illegal reentry today in federal court in Clarksburg, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.Selvin Garcia-Xitumul, 21, originally from Guatemala; Wilson Ariel Garcia-Guzman, 21, originally from Guatemala; Javier Vargas-Zaldivar, 32, originally from Honduras; and Marco May-Cucil, 27, originally from Guatemala, were discovered in May 2016 in Monongalia County after having been deported from the United States.
All four individuals pled guilty to one count of “Reentry of a Removed Alien” and were sentenced to time served. The United States Marshals Service will transfer each defendant into the custody of the United States Department of Homeland Security so that the deportation process may begin.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah W. Montoro prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Department of Homeland Security Immigrations and Customs Enforcement investigated.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Former Retailer Employee Pleads Guilty in $3.5 Million SchemeRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Rudy Rampertab, 46, of Ocoee, Fla., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of mail fraud and money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
According to court documents, Rampertab was an employee of Macy’s from 1988 until 2010. Beginning in 1998, Rampertab managed Macy’s distribution center in Carson, Calif. and supervised the transport of merchandise to centers throughout the country.
Starting in July 2010, Rampertab began diverting the shipment of goods to a co-conspirator who established several shipping companies. Ramptertab obtained approval for those companies to become third party vendors for Macy’s; however, Rampertab did not disclose his personal connection to the companies, which he helped operate. Rampertab also did not disclose to Macy’s that he personally profited from the operations of these vendors.
Between July and December 2010, the companies received more than $3.5 million in Macy’s shipping and packaging jobs. After paying expenses, they generated more than $900,000 in net profits from the diverted business.
Rampertab and his co-conspirator used the proceeds to purchase real estate and vehicles, including a 2010 Aston Martin costing $199,000.
Mail fraud is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and money laundering carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation and FBI, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Tim Mangan, who is representing the United States in this case.
Former General Counsel, Former Board Chairman at BVU Each Sentenced for ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – In separate hearings this afternoon in federal court, the former general counsel for the Bristol Virginia Utilities Authority and the former chairman of the board of directors for BVU were sentenced as part of a wide-spread corruption investigation that has led to the conviction of several high-ranking officials at the service authority.
United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today that during separate hearings in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, G. Walter Bressler, 74, of Bristol, Va., was sentenced to six months in federal prison and six months home confinement. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 forfeiture. Bruce J. Clifton, 64, also of Bristol, Va., was sentenced to five months in prison to be followed by five months of home confinement. He was also ordered to pay $5,000 in forfeiture. Both men previously pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit program fraud and having knowledge of the actual commission of a felony and concealing such a felony from the United States.
“The level of corruption that has been uncovered during the course of this investigation is staggering,” United States Attorney Fishwick said today. “Public corruption on any level will not be tolerated and we are thankful to our partners with the IRS and FBI for uncovering this illegal behavior and doing the hard work that was necessary to build solid cases against these defendants.”
According to information presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Bressler was General Counsel for BVU from January 1, 2009 to March 1, 2015 and Clifton was a citizen member of the BVU Board of Directors from January 2, 2010 through March 27, 2016 and served as Chairman of the Board from July 2015 under March 27, 2016.
During an Executive Session of a BVU Board of Directors meeting in September 2013, Bressler, Clifton, and others, had specific discussions about violations of federal and state law, the types of violations that had occurred, and the consequences of those violations. Specifically, they had conversations about a trip members of the BVU Board of Directors were provided by a potential contractor to Dallas, Texas in November 2011. During that trip, the contractor provided board members in attendance with hotel expenses, limousine services, meals and tickets to a Dallas Cowboys football game, which included seats in a luxury box. The BVU Board of Directors entered into a contract with the contractor for the amount of $4,496,096. Additionally, at this same meeting, the members of the Board of Directors discussed the criminal wrongdoing of the former Chief Executive Officer and other executives at BVU related to receiving things of value from contractors wanting to do business with BVU. As a result of these discussions, Clifton, Bressler and other board members agreed not to disclose these matters to law enforcement and to specifically avoid notifying the United States Attorney’s Office of the allegations of wrongdoing by the CEO and other employees at BVU.
The investigation of the case was 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.
Former Erie Resident Sentenced to Time Served for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to time served on his conviction of failure to register under SORNA, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Warren Emery Gannoe, 57.
According to information presented to the court, Gannoe knowingly failed to update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and used a Social Security number belonging to another person on an employment application.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the United States Marshal’s Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gannoe.
Former Contractor of Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation Admits Role in Conspiracy to Fraudulently Bill the AgencyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A West Orange, New Jersey, man who was the sole proprietor of two companies that purportedly provided printing and digital marketing services to the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation (NWCDC) today admitted his role in a conspiracy to fraudulently bill the NWCDC for more than $110,000 for work that was never performed, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Kevin Gleaton, 52, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud with Donald Bernard, Sr., Linda Watkins Brashear, and others, to defraud the NWCDC of money and property and one count of misuse of Social Security numbers in connection with personal bankruptcy proceedings.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2011 to September 2012, Gleaton conspired with Bernard, who was then employed as manager of Special Projects for the NWCDC, Brashear who was then the NWCDC executive director, and others, to defraud the NWCDC of more than $110,000 for work that was never performed by Gleaton or his companies. Gleaton was the owner of the Synergy Group, a company that received more than $58,000 in 2011 from the NWCDC, purportedly for printing services, as well as Mindshare Media, which received more than $52,000 from the NWCDC in 2012, purportedly for digital marketing services.
Gleaton deposited the payments issued to his companies by the NWCDC on the basis of fraudulent invoices, and then provided a substantial portion of the money received – more than $97,000 – to Bernard, who, in turn, shared a portion with Brashear, among others. Gleaton provided the money to Bernard either directly, or indirectly through the “consultant intermediary,” an individual who operated a firm that provided consulting services to the NWCDC. The conspiracy was facilitated by interstate wire transmissions, including emails sent by Bernard to Brashear and the consultant intermediary. Brashear pleaded guilty in December 2015 to scheming to defraud the NWCDC of her honest services in the affairs of the NWCDC by taking kickbacks (from various vendors including Gleaton), and of the NWCDC’s money and property, as well as to subscribing to a false federal personal income tax return. In January 2016, Bernard pleaded guilty to Counts 9 and 10 of a 20-count indictment returned in December 2014, charging him with the use of interstate facilities to promote and facilitate bribery in violation of the Travel Act, and Count 1 of an information that charged him with making and subscribing a false personal tax return.
Gleaton also admitted to using multiple Social Security numbers, other than the number lawfully issued to him by the Commission of Social Security, in connection with his bankruptcy filings in 2011 and 2012.
The counts of wire fraud conspiracy and misuse of Social Security numbers each carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of the greatest of $250,000 per count or twice the gain or loss resulting from the offenses. Sentencing is scheduled for October 19, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, New York Field Division under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John Grasso; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, Newark office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi; IRS–Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen; and criminal investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Fishman also thanked the New Jersey Comptroller’s Office, under the direction of Philip J. Degnan, for its assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mala Ahuja Harker, Jacques Pierre and Leslie Schwartz of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division.
Defense counsel: Ray Hamlin Esq., Newark
Federal Inmate Gets 10 Month Sentence for Possessing a Weapon in PrisonRead the Press Release
Erie, Pa. - An inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 10 months in jail on his conviction of possession of contraband in prison, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Court Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Dontrace Marcus Blaine, 29. The sentence was imposed to run consecutively to the sentence Blaine is currently serving.
According to the information presented to the court, on or about July 1, 2015, Blaine was in possession of contraband, namely a weapon.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Blaine.
Drug and Money Laundering Conspirator SentencedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Lilian Suyapa Garcia-Soto, 33, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court for her role in a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. Court documents reflect that the organization operated between Austin, Texas, and Mobile, and that methamphetamine ice and marijuana were distributed here as a result. Court documents also establish that the drug proceeds were deposited in bank accounts in Mobile, and immediately withdrawn in Texas to pay for the drugs sold here, and to obtain additional drugs for distribution. Garcia-Soto opened one of the bank accounts used to facilitate the drug distribution and to accomplish the laundering of the drug money. She also acted as a courier who drove shipments of the drugs from Texas to Mobile. Garcia-Soto pled guilty to conspiracy to launder drug money and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice in October of 2015.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a sentence 18 months concurrent on both counts. She ordered that Garcia-Soto will serve a three-year term of supervised release when she is discharged from incarceration. Judge Dubose also ordered that Garcia-Soto pay $200 in special mandatory assessments, but did not impose a fine.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Detroit Police Lieutenant, Officer Convicted of Conspiracy to Obtain Property by ExtortionRead the Press Release
A Detroit Police Lieutenant and crew chief from the now-disbanded Narcotics Unit of the Detroit Police Department were convicted today by a federal jury in Detroit on charges of robbing drug dealers and stealing drugs and money obtained in police searches, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.
Joining McQuade in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Division, Chief James E. Craig of the Detroit Police Department, Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division.
The five-week trial was conducted before U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy.
Defendants Lt. David Hansberry, 35, and Officer Bryan Watson, 47, were each convicted on charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion and robbery. They were acquitted on the remaining counts of the indictment. A third defendant, Kevlin Omar Brown, 46, was acquitted on one count of interference with commerce by robbery and extortion.
The conspiracy conviction carries a potential sentence of up to twenty years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the defendants arranged drug transactions with civilians, including confidential sources, so that they could rob and extort them. The defendants allegedly carried out traffic stops and fake arrests, and then stole drugs, money and personal property from their victims. Hansberry and Watson used their status as law enforcement officers to assist in their scheme, by driving police vehicles, activating lights on their police vehicles, wearing police-issued attire, displaying official badges and carrying firearms. Hansberry and Watson also identified themselves as police officers to coerce their victims into complying with their demands and to encourage their victims to flee, leaving behind illegal drugs, money and personal property.
In addition, the evidence showed that Hansberry, who was a sergeant at the time, and Watson failed to log into evidence money and drugs seized during searches of homes. Instead, they split the proceeds and arranged for the sale of the drugs, sharing the proceeds generated by the sales. In one instance in July 2010, Hansberry and Watson participated in a drug seizure that netted more than $3 million, the largest cash seizure by the Detroit Police Department at that time. Only $2.2 million, however, was placed in the evidence room.
“These defendants tarnished the badge that is worn with honor by their fellow officers, using their power as police officers to steal money and drugs from criminals who have no recourse,” McQuade said. “In addition to betraying their trust to uphold the law, these officers also put back out onto the streets the drugs that they had seized so that they could split the proceeds. Their greed caused them to poison our neighborhoods with drugs and to diminish public trust in police.”
"Today's guilty verdict demonstrates the resolve of the FBI-led Public Corruption Task Force, in partnership with the Detroit Police Department, to aggressively investigate law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of public trust," said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Detroit Division. "Despite this isolated betrayal of trust, today's convictions should not tarnish the outstanding work conducted every day by the Detroit Police Department to combat crime in this great city,”
“The vast majority of the men and women of the Detroit Police Department are honest and hard-working, but these defendants betrayed their oath and their fellow officers,” said Chief Craig. “We are committed to the highest standards of integrity, and we will remove any officers who do not live up to those high standards.”
The case was investigated by the by the FBI Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force, in collaboration with the Detroit Police Department’s Office of Internal Affairs and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sheldon Light and J. Michael Buckley.
Clarksville, Tennessee, Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Sex Trafficking of A Louisville, Kentucky MinorRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Clarksville, Tennessee man was sentenced today in United States District Court by District Judge David J. Hale, to ten years in prison for sex trafficking a 15-year-old female, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
“Pursing those who sex traffic vulnerable children is a priority of my office and the Department of Justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Kuhn. “We have an unwavering commitment to ensuring that no child will become the victim of sexual trauma and exploitation.”
Ralph W. Goodwin, age 66, pleaded guilty to a three count superseding indictment on April 4, 2016. The charges included sex trafficking of a child older than 14 but younger than 18; soliciting a minor to engage in commercial sex acts; and transporting a minor with the intent that the minor engage in prostitution. Co-defendant Crystal Bradshaw, a/k/a Crystal Thurman, age 42, was charged with recruiting, harboring, transporting and soliciting a minor to engage in a commercial sex act. Bradshaw remains in federal custody and is scheduled for sentencing by District Judge Hale on July 21, 2016, in Louisville.
According to the affidavit attached to the criminal complaint, on August 7, 2015, a 15-year-old female was approached by Crystal Bradshaw, in a Louisville park. Bradshaw took the minor female to a Marriott Hotel in Louisville to engage in sexual contact with Ralph Goodwin, in exchange for a monetary payment. According to the affidavit, Bradshaw received $700 from Goodwin, but the minor was not paid. Further, after two days, Goodwin drove the minor to his home in Clarksville, Tennessee. Eventually, the minor contacted a friend on Goodwin’s computer. The friend contacted the minor’s mother, which resulted in the Montgomery County, TN Sheriff’s Office discovering the minor at Goodwin’s Clarksville home.
Goodwin was initially charged in a separate, sealed criminal complaint on August 23, 2015. The case was unsealed during the initial appearance and detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dave Whalin on Monday, August 31, 2015.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Gregory and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Chevy Dealer GM Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling MoneyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 2 years in jail and ordered to pay $485,800 in restitution on his conviction of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Douglas A. Grooms, 45.
According to information presented to the court, from June 2008 to September 2013, while employed as the general manager of Community Chevrolet in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Grooms embezzled money from the dealership by writing dealership checks to a fictitious marketing company which he set up solely for the purpose of receiving the checks, resulting in a loss of $485,800 to Community Chevrolet.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Grooms.
Cedar Rapids Heroin Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who distributed heroin in the Cedar Rapids area was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison.
Isaac Edwards, age 27, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 29, 2016, guilty plea to one count of distribution of heroin.
In a plea agreement, Edwards admitted that he sold heroin from 2012 until the date of his arrest in 2015. He also admitted to leading police on a vehicle chase on September 22, 2015 and throwing heroin out of the vehicle during the pursuit.
Edwards was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Edwards was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment concurrent with an Illinois drug sentence. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Edwards is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody and will be returned to the Illinois Department of corrections to complete his Illinois drug sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; the Iowa City Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-CR-04-LRR.
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Camden County, New Jersey, Man Arraigned on Child Pornography, Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was arraigned today on an indictment returned last week by a federal grand jury in Camden for allegedly possessing and distributing images of child sex abuse and also for conspiring to sexually exploit two minor children, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Alexander Capasso, 42, of Collingswood, New Jersey, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams and was detained without bail.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Capasso was originally charged by complaint in July 2015 by the Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney’s Office with receiving and distributing images of child pornography after having sent several images of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer. The case was transferred to the District of New Jersey by the filing of a complaint in November 2015. The indictment returned last week charges one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit two minor children, five counts of distribution of images of child pornography and one count of possession of additional images of child pornography. Capasso has been held in federal custody since his July 20, 2015 arrest.
In July 2015, Capasso answered an ad placed by an undercover officer and began a series of communications by which Capasso sought sexually explicit images of children from the officer and sent images containing child pornographic images to the officer. As a result of the communications, federal agents obtained a search warrant for Capasso’s home and seized various electronic media containing numerous additional images and videos of child sexual abuse. Included among those images were photographs and videos of two minor children manufactured by Capasso and his ex-girlfriend in southern New Jersey.
The count of conspiracy to sexually exploit children carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The distribution of child pornography counts each carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and fine of $250,000 per count. The count of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge William Sweeney, and the Washington, D.C., Field Office, under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Gilbert J. Scutti Esq., Voorhees, New Jersey
Bangor Woman Sentenced to 4½ Years for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Tiffany Sutherland, 30, of Bangor was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 4½ years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” Sutherland pleaded guilty to the charge on January 25, 2016.
According to court records, from April to October, 2014, Sutherland conspired with Terrence Douglas and others to obtain drugs from out-of-state suppliers and to distribute them in the Bangor area. Sutherland sold heroin and crack cocaine and gave proceeds from those sales to Douglas.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock told Sutherland that her home town of Bangor “has changed for the worse because of people like you.” On November 18, 2015, Douglas was sentenced to 10 years on conspiracy and gun charges.
The investigation was conducted by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Bangor Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
Bangor Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Creating and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorneys
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Timothy S. Klimas, 27, of Bangor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 50 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for creating and distributing child pornography. He pleaded guilty to the charges on September 22, 2015.
Court records reveal that between 2012 and 2014, the defendant sexually abused three minor children and used a digital camera and his cell phone’s camera to record sexually explicit images of them. He posted many of those images on a website. He was arrested in August 2014.
In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock said: “These images are a crime against innocence … against childhood … against a basic human moral code” and that the defendant’s conduct was “beyond evil.”
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bangor and Newport Police Departments.
Baltimore Fraudster Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Fraudulently Obtain over $200,000 in Vehicle LoansRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Derrick Kwan Byas, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 54 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in which Byas and his the conspirators obtained fraudulent vehicle and personal loans, using false information, including a social security number. Judge Chasanow also ordered Byas to forfeit and pay a money judgment of $96,515.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, from January 2009 to April 29, 2015, Byas and others applied for vehicle loans with financial institutions and lenders using false information as to employment history at shell entities created by the conspirators, addresses, dates of birth and social security numbers. In addition to vehicle loans, Byas applied for personal loans and credit cards using false information, including a social security number belonging to another individual, and false employment information. Byas and others created and submitted fake documents, such as lien releases, utility bills, paystubs, letters of recommendation and a police report. The defendants often applied for vehicle loans on the same vehicle with different lenders. They sold the vehicles, obtained money from the sales and then did not provide the vehicles to the buyers. They deposited the loan funds into bank accounts and cashed loan checks at liquor stores. Byas and his co-conspirators failed to make payments on the credit card accounts, personal loans and vehicle loans, which often resulted in the vehicles being repossessed by the lenders. Byas knew that he had no intention of purchasing a vehicle and that the loan proceeds would be split between himself and his co-conspirators.
The total intended loss resulting from Byas’ conduct in the scheme was at least $220,603.
Robert Anthony Fitzgerald Lathan, age 48, of Accokeek, Maryland, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and was sentenced to 42 months in prison. Three other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.
The Maryland Identity Theft Working Group has been working since 2006 to foster cooperation among local, state, federal, and institutional fraud investigators and to promote effective prosecution of identity theft schemes by both state and federal prosecutors. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Working Group, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to work with financial institutions and businesses to address identity fraud, identify those who compromise personal identity information, and protect citizens from identity theft.
Today’s announcement is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended HSI Baltimore and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Windom and Joseph R. Baldwin, who are prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Randy Martinez, Jr., 21, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court to federal child pornography offenses. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Martinez will be sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Martinez will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.
Martinez was arrested on Dec. 7, 2015, on a five-count indictment charging him with advertisement, receipt and possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to the indictment, Martinez advertised his willingness to receive, distribute and exchange child pornography from Aug. 9, 2015 through Aug. 17, 2015, and received child pornography from Aug. 9, 2015 to Aug. 17, 2015. The indictment also charged Martinez with possessing child pornography from Nov. 5, 2014 through Aug. 17, 2015. The indictment charged Martinez with committing the five offenses in Bernalillo County, N.M.
According to court filings, the investigation into this case was initiated after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cryptic Cybertip on Aug. 17, 2015, in which the sender reported himself for offenses involving the online sexual exploitation of children. After the tip was forwarded to law enforcement authorities in New Mexico, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office identified Martinez as the sender of the Cybertip. Thereafter, law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant on Martinez’s phone and found nearly 3,000 files containing child pornography on the phone. Further investigation revealed that Martinez also possessed two online cloud storage accounts containing over 5,000 child pornography videos and images.
The search of Martinez’s phone also revealed that he was an active participant in an online messaging application community devoted to trading child pornography. Martinez used this messaging application to receive and share child pornography with other members of the messaging community. The continuing investigation has led to the identification of approximately 70 unique users who allegedly engaged in trading images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, both in the United States and abroad.
During today’s proceedings, Martinez pled guilty to four of the five counts of the indictment charging him with receipt and possession of child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Martinez admitted using a messaging application on his cellular phone to receive child pornography between Aug. 9, 2015 and Aug. 17, 2015. Martinez also admitted possessing thousands of images and videos of child pornography between Nov. 2014 and Aug. 2015.
This case was investigated by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque office of the FBI and the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General with assistance from the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, all of which are members of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 82 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
14 South Georgia Residents Indicted on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Statesboro, GA - A federal indictment has been returned charging 14 South Georgia residents with conspiring to traffick methamphetamine, heroin, oxycodone and other drugs. If convicted of the drug trafficking conspiracy charge, the Defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a potential $1 million fine. The majority of Defendants appeared in federal court last week in Statesboro for their initial appearances.
The federal indictment, unsealed last week and returned by a federal Grand Jury sitting in Savannah in June, charged the following 14 Defendants:
Jeramie Thomas Leslie, 31, of Guyton,
John Christopher Paulson, 40, of Rincon,
William Preston Gibbs, 22, of Glennville,
Jeremiah Jones Richardson, 29, of Statesboro,
Jason Todd Smith, 43, of Fleming,
Jeremy Nicholas Taylor, 27, of Ellabell,
Samori Jodan Smokes, 35, of Eden,
Scott Lamont Pointer, 35, of Ellabell,
Timothy Wayne Davis, 49, of Ellabell.
Christopher Gage Floyd, 21, of Pembroke,
Kenneth Jordan Lane, 24, of Pembroke,
Jeffery James Taylor, 28, of Ellabell,
Casandra Rae Hendrix, 24, of Ellabell, and
Kayla Estell Rericha, 21, of Rincon.
The charges resulted from a joint federal-state investigation by the DEA, GBI, the Bryan County County Sheriff’s Office, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, the Statesboro-Bulloch Crime Suppression Team, the Richmond Hill Police Department and the Pembroke Police Department. Assistance was also provided by the Rincon Police Department and the United States Marshal’s Service.
U.S. Attorney Edward Tarver emphasizes that indictments are only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The Defendants are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Bourne is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.
9 July 2016
St. Francis Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota man convicted of Assaulting, Opposing, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on July 5, 2016, by U.S District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Dustin Bear Heels, age 27, was sentenced to 33 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bear Heels was indicted for Assaulting, Opposing, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury on February 17, 2016. He pled guilty on March 29, 2016.
On February 2, 2016, two Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Officers responded to a residence in St. Francis, upon a report that Bear Heels was drunk and disorderly. He also had an active tribal warrant.
The officers located Bear Heels and placed him under arrest for the warrant, as well as tribal trespass and disorderly conduct.
As the officers transported, they observed Bear Heels was observed trying to get his hands in front of him. The officer pulled to the side of the road and advised Bear Heels to leave his hands behind him. The officer got out of the car and opened the driver's side rear door, when Bear Heels started shouting obscenities and began to kick the door. The officer advised him to stop and then shut the door, but Bear Heels continued kicking the door and window. A second officer arrived and they attempted to restrain Bear Heels from kicking the window. While the officer was trying to secure the shackle to the cage, Bear Heels kicked him in the chest. Bear Heels then curled up both legs and kicked the officer in the face, causing him to fall backwards. The other officer then sprayed pepper spray in Bear Heels’ face and the officer was able to secure him.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk W. Albertson prosecuted the case.
Bear Heels was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ridgeview Man Sentenced for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Ridgeview, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon was sentenced on July 5, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Shilo Hill, a/k/a Shilo Roubideau, age 20, was sentenced to 24 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, $2,241.46 in restitution, and a special assessment of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hill was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 21, 2016. He pled guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon on April 11, 2016.
The conviction stems from an incident that took place on October 3, 2015, when Hill’s ex-girlfriend and a male friend, the victim in this case, returned to her home near Swiftbird, South Dakota. Two individuals were at the home and when they left, they took Hill’s ex-girlfriend’s vehicle and went to another residence in the Swiftbird Community. Hill was at that residence and when he asked them why they were driving his ex-girlfriend’s car, they said they had borrowed it. Hill also learned a man was with his ex-girlfriend. Hill and his brother drove to Hill’s ex-girlfriend’s residence, where Hill used a tire iron to break the glass out of a window in the front door. When Hill and his brother walked into the residence uninvited, he was holding the tire iron in his hand raised above his head. Hill and his brother went towards the victim in a threatening manner. The victim thought Hill was going to hit him with the tire iron, so he held up his hand and told Hill and his brother not to "do this" with the kids there. Hill's brother left and Hill followed him out, but as he was leaving, he said, "I'll see you on the street," and used the tire iron to break out some more windows and to put a hole in the wall by the front door.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Hill was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mellette County Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mellette County, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on July 6, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Henry Paul Gorisek, age 46, was sentenced to 51 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Gorisek was also ordered to forfeit over $800 in U.S. currency and two handguns seized by law enforcement in September 2015.
Gorisek was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury on January 21, 2016. He pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on April 12, 2016.
From May 2014 through September 2015, Gorisek received and distributed methamphetamine in South Dakota. The individuals who provided Gorisek with large amounts of methamphetamine knew he intended to engage in further distribution. It was reasonably foreseeable to Gorisek that more than 50 grams of methamphetamine would be distributed during the course of this conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.
Gorisek was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Jury Finds Mosher Man Guilty of Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that Tyrone Steven Andrews, age 24, of Mosher, South Dakota, was found guilty of Abusive Sexual Contact and Abusive Sexual Contact of Minor following a two-day jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 8, 2016.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of up to five years in custody, and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum period of five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Andrews was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2015. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on February 25, 2013, wherein Andrews groped a fifteen-year-old girl who was at a sleepover at a home in Rosebud, South Dakota. Andrews entered the bedroom where the girl was sleeping and touched her breasts under her clothes while she was asleep. The girl awoke, realized what was happening, and tried to get the attention of her friend who was sleeping next to her in the bed. Andrews then began to rub the girl’s inner thigh and kissed her neck. At that point, the girl was able to awaken her friend and Andrews ran out of the room.
Andrews was acquitted of a separate charge of Aggravated Sexual Abuse. That charge stemmed from an incident involving an adult female that occurred at a home in Okreek, South Dakota, in late May or early June of 2015.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for September 26, 2016.
Andrews was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Investigation Concludes in the Deaths of Three Pine Ridge MenRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler, the Rapid City Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pine Ridge office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety have announced their findings following an extensive investigation into the recent disappearance and deaths of three adult men, all citizens of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Autopsy results and examination of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance, and later discovery of the men, firmly establishes their deaths resulted from an automobile accident. Investigators have concluded the vehicle in which the three men were riding left the North side of BIA Rd. #41, also known as the “Chadron Road”, a few miles from Oglala, South Dakota, and plunged down a ravine approximately 60 feet deep where the car came to rest near a creek bed.
All three men were found inside the vehicle amidst numerous open and closed containers of alcohol and other personal belongings. Their physical injuries, as well as the crushed condition of the vehicle, prevented any hope of them being able to exit the vehicle if any of them lived beyond the impact at the bottom of the ravine. It is very likely all three men died upon impact. All three men were examined by a forensic pathologist who concluded each of them suffered multiple critical injuries to their backs and heads resulting in their deaths. No signs of wounds consistent with bullets, knifes, or other weapons were detected. Likewise, no damage to the vehicle was detected which would suggest any other conclusion other than that the vehicle sped off the road through a grassy field to the cliff where it went over and down into the ravine.
This was a painstaking and difficult investigation for all involved. Thanks go not only to the responding agencies listed above, but also to the Oglala Sioux Tribe Office of Attorney General, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Pennington County Search and Rescue, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Civilian Air Patrol, and the countless tribal citizens organized by the Oglala Sioux Tribe who volunteered many hours of their own time to search the Pine Ridge Reservation for the men.
Everyone involved sends their heartfelt condolences to the families of the three men on their grievous loss.
Box Elder Man Indicted for Illegal Use of InternetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Box Elder, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor.
Christopher Michael Fox, age 42, was indicted on June 14, 2016, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on July 7, 2016. He pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, lifetime supervised release, and a $5,000 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Fox using a cell phone and a computer to engage in sexually explicit conduct with minor females. The charges are merely an accusation and Fox is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins is prosecuting the case.
Fox was detained pending a detention hearing. A trial date has not been set.
8 July 2016
Woodbridge Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Amanda Rubio Alfaro, 42, of Woodbridge, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Alfaro’s boyfriend, Oscar Hernandez Deleon, was the leader of a crew that was importing cocaine from Puerto Rico for redistribution in Woodbridge. Alfaro admitted she was fully aware of the scope of her boyfriend’s drug trafficking activities, such as the fact that Deleon was receiving cocaine shipments from Puerto Rico; that he was storing cocaine and firearms inside their residence; and that he was selling cocaine to customers at various locations in Woodbridge. Alfaro assisted Deleon’s drug trafficking activities by serving as a translator when Deleon negotiated cocaine deals with English speaking customers, and helped Deleon wire drug payments to his source of supply in Puerto Rico.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Maria L. Kelokates, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly R. Pedersen and J. Tyler McGaughey prosecuted the case.
This case was initiated by the Prince William Police Department, and they worked jointly with the FBI’s Washington Field Office to investigate the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-45.
West Haven Man Charged with Federal Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROHAN A. JAMES-DENNIE, JR., 22, of West Haven was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint that charges him with firearm and drug offenses.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, on November 1, 2015, a Connecticut State Trooper stopped a vehicle that JAMES-DENNIE was operating erratically in Essex. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a .380 caliber handgun with a hollow point bullet in the magazine of the weapon, approximately one-half kilogram of marijuana and more than $3,400 in cash. The firearm had been reported stolen during a residential burglary in 2013.
The complaint further alleges that, on January 12, 2016, West Haven Police stopped a vehicle that JAMES-DENNIE was operating. A search of the vehicle and JAMES-DENNIE’s person revealed a .22 caliber handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition, more than 200 grams of marijuana and nearly $5,000 in cash. The firearm’s serial number was partially obliterated.
JAMES-DENNIE was arrested on state charges in both of these instances and was released on bond. He was arrested today in East Haven and is detained pending his initial appearance in federal court on Monday.
The complaint charges JAMES-DENNIE with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, possession of a stolen firearm, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, Connecticut State Police, West Haven Police Department and East Haven Police Department. The FBI Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden and Milford Police Departments, the Connecticut State Police and the State of Connecticut Department of Correction.
U.S. Attorney Daly thanked the assistance and cooperation of the State’s Attorneys for the Judicial District of Middlesex and the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Lee Dayton.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking 15-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
A Virginia man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison to be followed by a 20-year term of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr. Chief of the Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department made the announcement.
Derek Leon Mantilla, 21, formerly of Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty on April 19, 2016, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia. Mantilla will be required to register as a sex offender.
In connection with his plea, Mantilla admitted that from at least November 2014 through February 2015, he, together with Ismael Antonio Mendez and Caitlyn Ann Smith, recruited a 15-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts to pay off a debt that Mendez owed to Mantilla. The defendants taught the girl how to prostitute, took photos of her to use in advertisements and created and posted internet advertisements for commercial sex. The co-conspirators knew that the girl was a minor and instructed her to lie about her age to customers. Over a three-month period, the co-conspirators traveled with the girl throughout Virginia, in New York and every state in between for the purposes of advertising and engaging the girl in prostitution. During that period, the defendants prostituted the girl every day, with an average of 10 to 12 customers a night until she earned enough to repay Mendez’s debt, at which point the co-conspirators directed her to leave.
Mendez and Smith have pleaded guilty. On March 18, 2016, Mendez was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16, 2016.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Fairfax County Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Dougherty Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
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.
Virginia Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
Haris Qamar, 25, of Burke, Virginia, was arrested this morning on charges of attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization. His initial court appearance is at 2 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after the charges were unsealed.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on May 26, Qamar and an FBI confidential witness (CW) discussed a video that ISIL was supposedly making to encourage lone wolf attacks in the Washington, D.C., area. Unbeknownst to Qamar, there was no actual video being created. Qamar and the CW discussed the need for photos of possible targets in and around Washington, D.C., for use in the purported ISIL video.
According to the complaint, Qamar offered the CW ideas of where to take photographs for use in the video, including the Pentagon and numerous landmarks in Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., which could be targeted for terrorist attacks. On June 3, a conversation was audio and video recorded when CW picked up Qamar in a vehicle and they drove to area landmarks on the list Qamar had developed. Qamar allegedly said, “bye bye DC, stupid ass kufar, kill’em all.” Qamar and CW met again on June 10 and drove to a location in Arlington to take additional photos for the purported ISIL video.
According to the complaint, the investigation revealed that Qamar operated over 60 variations of the Twitter handle “newerajihadi,” which Qamar used to express his support for ISIL and to share videos and photos of extreme violence, including beheadings and mass shootings.According to the allegations, during numerous conversations with the CW, Qamar expressed his interest and excitement in the extreme violence that ISIL is known for and said that he loved the bodies, blood and beheadings. On several occasions, Qamar allegedly said that he could slaughter someone and described how he would do it.
On Sept. 11, 2015, terrorists connected with ISIL posted a “kill list” to the internet containing the names and addresses of U.S. military members. A few days later, Qamar allegedly told the CW that the residences of several service members who appeared on the “kill list” were near Qamar’s own home, and that Qamar had observed undercover police cars near those residences. According to the affidavit, on Sept. 16, 2015, Qamar tweeted his prayer that Allah “give strength to the mujahideen to slaughter every single US military officer.”
Additionally, the affidavit alleges that on Sept. 25, 2015, Qamar told the CW that he tried to join ISIL in 2014, but that his parents prevented him from going overseas by controlling his passport. Qamar allegedly said that his parents threatened to notify law enforcement authorities and said that he fought with his father and called his father a traitor to Islam. According to the allegations, on Nov. 18, 2015, Qamar told the CW that he would leave the United States and join ISIL if his father gave him back his passport.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Qamar faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg of the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Josh Parecki of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Virginia Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Haris Qamar, 25, of Burke, was arrested this morning on charges of attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Qamar is scheduled to have his initial appearance today in front of Magistrate Judge John F. Anderson at 2 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Alexandria.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on May 26, Qamar and FBI confidential witness (CW) discussed ISIL’s need of photos of possible targets in and around Washington, D.C., for use in a video that ISIL was purportedly making to encourage lone wolf attacks in the Washington, D.C., area. Qamar allegedly offered CW ideas of where to take these photographs, including the Pentagon and numerous landmarks in Arlington and Washington, D.C., which could be targeted for terrorist attacks. On June 3, a conversation was audio and video recorded when CW picked up Qamar in a vehicle and they drove to area landmarks on the list Qamar had developed. Qamar allegedly said “bye bye DC, stupid ass kufar, kill’em all”. Qamar and CW met again on June 10 and drove to a location in Arlington to take additional photos for the ISIL video.
The FBI first learned of Qamar as he operated over 60 variations of the Twitter handle “newerajihadi”, which Qamar used to express his support of ISIL and share videos and photos of extreme violence, including beheadings and mass shootings. For example, after terrorists murdered employees of the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris in January 2015, Qamar tweeted his prayer for another similar attack with even more casualties.
According to the allegations, during numerous conversations with CW, Qamar expressed his interest and excitement in the extreme violence ISIL is known for. Qamar said he loved the bodies, blood and beheadings, and he recalled watching a video of a Kurdish individual being slaughtered, and liked the cracking sound made when the individual’s spinal cord was torn. On several occasions Qamar allegedly said he could slaughter someone and described how he would do it. Qamar also stated that he admired lone wolf attackers because they love Islam so much that they are willing to die as martyrs for Islam and in the same conversation, Qamar and CW allegedly discussed suicide bombings. CW said that he did not believe in suicide bombings, but Qamar allegedly responded “I believe in it 100 percent.”
On Sept. 11, 2015, terrorists connected with ISIL posted a “kill list” to the internet containing the names and addresses of U.S. military members. A few days later, Qamar allegedly told CW that the residences of several service members who appeared on the “kill list” were near Qamar’s own home, and that Qamar had observed undercover police cars near those residences. According to the affidavit, on Sept. 16, 2015, Qamar tweeted his prayer that Allah “give strength to the mujahideen to slaughter every single US military officer.”
Additionally, the affidavit alleges that on Sept. 25, 2015, Qamar told CW that he tried to join the ISIL in 2014, but that his parents prevented him from going by controlling his passport. Qamar allegedly said that his parents threatened to notify law enforcement authorities and said that he fought with his father and called his father a traitor to Islam. According to the allegations, on Nov. 18, 2015, CW asked Qamar if his father gave him back his passport would he go and join ISIL, and in response, Qamar said if that happened, “I’m done, I leave.”
Qamar faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the charges were unsealed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg is prosecuting the case with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-mj-300.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
U.S. Attorney Lewis: Statement Regarding Recent Shootings, ViolenceRead the Press Release
Five police officers (Brent Thompson, Michael Krol, Patrick Zamarriga and two others), killed in Dallas. Alton Sterling, killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Philando Castile, killed in St. Anthony, Minnesota. We are losing too many lives, too many people. We hurt. And we ask, “Have we lost our way?”
The five police officers—and others--were protecting a public protest that arose because other lives were lost. Somehow, this makes it feel even worse. If we hurt from the loss of life, and we express our grief in public protest—peaceful, lawful public protest--and officers come out to protect that peaceful protest, how can we then have an attack on those officers? How can we have and express our pain, if we cannot find a safe place, for ourselves, our expression and our peace officers?
I have some doubt and despair, but I will not give in. We have too much to do, and cannot give in to doubt or despair.
First, we must mourn these lives, and all the lives that have been lost. Then, we must reflect—and act wisely.
Reflection begins with investigations. These investigations must be prompt, honest and open, and they will be. After investigation, then we can make judgments, wise judgments.
Our officers have to be safe, if we are to be safe. If we ask our officers to go toward trouble, at our request and on our behalf, then we must assure their safety. When officers approach us on the street, we must assure their safety. When officers come to protect us, we must assure their safety. We must teach and reteach the ways to do this, beginning with respect.
And officers are relearning respect for our people. There is more training, with more emphasis on “community policing,” working more closely with the community that is served.
I could write in detail about the use of force and community policing and how people should approach the police, but the present question is more basic: “Can we find a way forward?” The answer is yes, we have to find our way. We do want a safe place, for ourselves, for our officers, for our children, for our future, and we are willing to work together—peacefully—to go forward.