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1 July 2016
Violent Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 22 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Jerome Robert Barnhart, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 264 months in prison for kidnapping, followed by five years of supervised release.
Barnhart pleaded guilty on Dec. 7, 2015. According to court documents, Barnhart met the victim in Maryland and, after striking up a romance with her and supplying her with marijuana, Barnhart persuaded the victim to be prostituted and to turn over her earnings to him. Barnhart prostituted the victim in Washington, D.C., New York, Maryland, and Virginia. Barnhart imposed a monetary quota on the victim, and when the victim was unable to meet the quota, he became enraged. He periodically beat the victim and threatened her with bodily harm. On one such occasion, Barnhart used the lid of a can to slice the victim’s finger.
In August 2015, after the victim again failed to meet her quota, Barnhart beat the victim at a hotel in Maryland, and then drove the victim to Virginia. During the ride, Barnhart continued to beat the victim with a tire iron. Barnhart threatened the victim and told her that he was going to dump her body where nobody would find it. While Barnhart was beating the victim with the tire iron, his car swerved on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The U.S. Park Police initiated a traffic stop and found Barnhart and the bruised victim in the car. Because the victim was bruised and crying, the police separated her from Barnhart and she began to recount her ordeal. A grand jury later indicted Barnhart for kidnapping, sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion, and assault with a dangerous weapon, among other charges.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Robert D. MacLean, Chief of U.S. Park Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Molly Scullin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Frank prosecuted the case.
The Fairfax County Police Department, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force, and the City of Frederick (Maryland) Police assisted in the investigation.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-CR-270.
U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez to Observe End of Ramadan with Muslim Community at Islamic Center of New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUEQUE – U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez will join Abbas Akhil, President of the Islamic Center of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Muslim Community, and representatives of other faiths tomorrow evening to celebrate the last four days of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting from dawn to dusk to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. The breaking of the fast for the day will take place at the Islamic Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., beginning at 8:30 p.m. on July 2, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Martinez joins the Muslim Community for this observation as part of the Department of Justice’s continuing efforts to address backlash against Muslim, Arab and Sikh Americans following the horrific terrorist attacks in recent months and to combat religious discrimination throughout the country.
“All Americans should be free from violence and protected from hatred no matter who they are,” said U.S. Attorney Martinez. “The Justice Department is committed to safeguarding the civil rights of every American – including Muslim, Arab and Sikh Americans, who are often the targets of threats on the basis of their appearance or religion. There is no place for such intolerance here in New Mexico and throughout our country, and we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and community leaders to defend the safety and the dignity of all our people.”
“The Albuquerque Muslim community once again welcomes U.S. Attorney Martinez to our Center to share the breaking of the fast with us. This symbolic sharing signifies his commitment to defend the civil rights of all Americans,” said ICNM President Akhil. “This is particularly important at a time when Muslims are targeted by those who misrepresent our faith and are determined to undermine the contributions of American Muslims to the fabric of our great country. The U.S. Attorney’s participation in breaking the fast with us tomorrow reassures my community that we are equal partners in our shared Citizenship.”
“The FBI is committed to safeguarding the civil rights of all Americans, no matter their religion or background,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Islamic Center of New Mexico as we work together to secure a safe, peaceful future for all Muslim-Americans.”
The Department of Justice has a long-standing commitment to protecting Muslim, Arab and Sikh Americans from threats and violence directed at them because of their religion or ethnicity, and to prevent acts of discrimination against them in the workplace, schools or elsewhere. Nationwide, the Department of Justice has prosecuted more than 60 defendants in such cases, with 58 convictions to date. One of the convictions was obtained in United States v. Payne, a case filed in New Mexico by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The defendant, a North Carolina man, pleaded guilty in that case in May 2016, to using force or threat of force to intentionally obstruct a Muslim woman in the free exercise of her religious beliefs.
Turkish National Convicted of Arms Export Control Act OffensesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Hamza Kolsuz, 43, a Turkish national, was convicted today by the Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III on three counts relating to his attempted exportation of weapons parts to the Republic of Turkey in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
Kolsuz was indicted on March 2, 2016. According to court records and the evidence at trial, Kolsuz has on at least three occasions since 2012 attempted to smuggle various weapons parts to Turkey. Kolsuz, who engaged in this unlawful conduct for profit along with other individuals, purchased weapons and weapons parts in the United States and then traveled with them to Turkey, where they would be reassembled and sold. In an attempt to circumvent U.S. weapons exportation laws, Kolsuz would either pack the weapons parts in luggage and check the bags in connection with flights to the Republic of Turkey, or he would send weapons parts through the mail.
According to evidence presented at trial, on December 2, 2012, Kolsuz checked in for a flight at JFK International Airport in New York with a final destination of Istanbul, Republic of Turkey. His checked luggage included: forty upper receivers for semi-automatic pistols; twenty grip modules for Sig Sauer pistols; sixteen barrels for semi-automatic pistols; twenty-six firearms magazines for firearms; and one pistol grip.
On January 8, 2013, Kolsuz checked in for a flight at JFK International Airport with a final destination of Istanbul. Despite having been specifically informed on December 2, 2012 that it was illegal to export weapons parts without an export license, his checked luggage contained one Beretta slide, one firearm barrel, one Beretta recoil spring, and one Beretta guide rod.
On February 2, 2016, Kolsuz began his return trip to Istanbul by checking in at Miami International Airport for a flight that took him to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. He then checked in for a flight that was to take him and his checked luggage from Cleveland through Washington Dulles International Airport before embarking for Istanbul. In Cleveland, Kolsuz checked luggage containing four 9mm Glock 31-round magazines; four 9mm Glock 17-round magazines; four 9mm Glock 15-round magazines; eight 9mm Glock 10-round magazines; one 9mm Smith & Wesson 32-round magazine; four 9mm Sig Sauer handgun barrels; and five 9mm threaded Glock 19 barrels, in addition to various other weapons parts.
All of the weapons parts found in Kolsuz’s checked luggage on December 2, 2012; January 8, 2013; and February 2, 2016 are and were defense articles controlled on the United States Munitions List and therefore required a license or other written authorization from the United States Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (the “DDTC”) in order to be lawfully exported from the United States. Kolsuz has never applied for and has never received any licenses or other written authorization from the DDTC to export defense articles from the United States. Accordingly, on each occasion when weapons parts were found in Kolsuz’s checked luggage, all of the parts were seized by law enforcement and were never returned to Kolsuz.
Kolsuz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on October 7, 2016. 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 Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, made the announcement after the verdict was announced. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather N. Alpino and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis M. Fitzpatrick.
HSI Washington, D.C., received assistance with this investigation from HSI New York and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations.
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-53.
Three Georgia Real Estate Investors Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging and Bank Fraud at Public Home Foreclosure AuctionsRead the Press Release
Three Georgia real estate investors pleaded guilty today for their roles in bid-rigging and fraud conspiracies committed at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Georgia, the Department of Justice announced today.
Jeffrey Wayne Brock, David Wallace “Chuck” Doughty, and Stanley Ralph Sullivan each admitted that they agreed to rig auctions of foreclosed homes in Cobb County from June 2007 until January 2012. According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Brock, Doughty, Sullivan and their co-conspirators agreed not to compete for the purchase of selected foreclosed homes so that they could win the auctions for those homes with artificially low bids. The winning bidders then made payoffs to conspirators who had refrained from bidding against them. As a result, conspirators profited from money that otherwise would have gone to mortgage holders and other secured debt holders, and in some cases, to the owners of foreclosed homes.
“These defendants conspired to corrupt foreclosure auctions that should have benefited lenders and homeowners,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Renata Hesse, head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to work with our colleagues at the FBI to pursue those who took advantage of disruption caused by the financial crisis to line their own pockets.”
“Foreclosure auction fraud in Georgia remains a focus for the FBI investigators and federal prosecutors within the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Special Agent in Charge J. Britt Johnson of the FBI’s Atlanta Division. “By the very nature of this criminal act, the bank, and more importantly, the home owner in financial distress, are the victims that these federal laws were created to protect. The FBI will continue to provide investigative assets toward these matters in order to keep the level playing field that the law intended regarding these auctions.”
Including the individuals pleading today, twenty defendants have been charged in connection with the department’s ongoing investigation into bid rigging and fraudulent schemes involving real estate foreclosure auctions in the Atlanta area. Eighteen of those have either pleaded guilty or agree to plead guilty.
These charges have been filed as a result of the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section, the FBI’s Atlanta Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia, in connection with the president’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The president established the task force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information about the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact the Washington Criminal II Section of the Antitrust Division at 202-598-4000, call the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Sylacauga Woman Indicted for Embezzling from Union LocalRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a Sylacauga woman for embezzling more than $23,000 from a construction trades union local based in Irondale, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, District Director Craig Neel.
A 20-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges MICHELLE R. CLIFTON, 49, with embezzling from International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, Local 78, where she worked as office manager and bookkeeper. According to the indictment, Clifton carried out the theft between December 2012 and September 2013 by forging 17 checks drawn on four separate union accounts.
The indictment also charges Clifton with making false statements to Labor Department investigators, claiming a business manager at the union office had directed her to forge the checks and alter union records to hide the payments.
The maximum penalty for both embezzlement of union assets and for making a false statement to a government agent is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for forged securities of an organization is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Patton Meadows is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Stamford Resident Charged with Operating Extensive Immigration Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging DAVID NIKOLASHVILI, 51, a citizen of the Republic of Georgia residing in Stamford, with various offenses stemming from an alleged immigration fraud scheme.
According to statements made in court, it alleged that NIKOLASHVILI operated an immigration fraud scheme through which he obtained false immigration status from U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services for approximately 50 to 60 citizens of European countries. As part of the scheme, after aliens paid NIKOLASHVILI thousands of dollars, he would arrange sham marriages between the aliens and U.S. citizens in order to obtain immigration benefits for the aliens. The U.S. citizens were paid to enter into the sham marriages.
On November 3, 2015, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging NIKOLASHVILI with one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and to commit document fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and six counts of making a false swearing in an immigration matter, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.
NIKOLASHVILI was arrested on June 21, 2016. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven and was released on a $75,000 bond.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This ongoing investigation is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security Unit, and U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Stealing Mail, Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for possessing stolen mail and for credit card fraud.
Eric David Vancil, 47, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Thursday, June 30, 2016, to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Vancil to pay $477 in restitution.
Vancil, who pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2015, admitted that he stole mail from at least 55 individuals in Greene County, Mo., and elsewhere between Oct. 23, 2013, and April 28, 2015. Law enforcement investigators determined that the mail matter included checks, credit cards, and other personal identification cards and information that belonged to other individuals. Vancil used the stolen mail and information to create or activate credit card accounts that contained personal identification numbers issued to others. Vancil then conducted fraudulent financial transactions using the stolen credit, debit and identification cards to make purchases.
The investigation began when federal agents were notified of numerous break-ins into mail boxes and mail collection receptacles and the theft of mail throughout the Springfield and Joplin, Mo., areas, including several neighborhood delivery collection box units where mail was stolen by prying the rear, locked doors. On Oct. 25, 2013, Vancil was stopped in his Nissan Pathfinder by Joplin police officers for a traffic violation. Officers located stolen mail bearing several Springfield addresses, including personal checks. Officers also located a pry bar inside of the vehicle at the time of the stop along with additional stolen mail and IRS tax forms.
On Dec. 24, 2013, another victim reported her mail was stolen and provided two video surveillance photos of a suspect vehicle that matched Vancil’s Nissan Pathfinder. On Feb. 4, 2014, Vancil was stopped by a Springfield police officer in his Nissan Pathfinder. The vehicle contained drugs, numerous burglary tools, stolen checks and several identifications bearing names other than the vehicle occupants.
On Feb. 20, 2014, two checkbooks, keys and multiple credit cards were stolen from a vehicle in Nixa, Mo. The credit card was used at several stores in the Battlefield Mall, including a fraudulent purchase at Foot Locker. When Vancil returned to the store the next day to return the merchandise, store employees called police and delayed Vancil until officers arrived. After a brief foot pursuit, officers detained Vancil, who was carrying checks, credit cards and other items from the theft victim.
On Jan. 27, 2015, a witness reported that a suspect later identified as Vancil drove up to a mailbox and removed mail from the box. On April 28, 2015, a witness reported a suspicious vehicle in Springfield, going from mailbox to mailbox stealing mail. Greene County sheriff’s deputies located the vehicle, the Nissan Pathfinder driven by Vancil. Vancil attempted to flee from officers and drove through some residential yards before being stopped. Deputies recovered approximately 100 pieces of mail from inside the vehicle, in addition to checkbooks, credit cards, applications for financial assistance as well as debit card information and other handwritten personally indefinable information. The recovered mail on this occasion contained addresses for 38 victims.
Among the credit card numbers found in Vancil’s vehicle was one used to make an online reservation for a Springfield motel room.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Spanish Investor Charged with Impeding Federal Investigation into $4.6 Million Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a Spanish investor for allegedly covering up an international insider trading scheme that netted more than $4.6 million.
LUIS MARTIN-CARO SANCHEZ bought options of Canadian fertilizer producer Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., a few days before the company publicly announced an unsolicited buyout offer that drove its stock price up 27.7%, according to the indictment. Sanchez made the timely trades after communicating with banking and investor friends in Spain, the indictment states.
In five days in August 2010 Sanchez netted approximately $496,953 – a return of approximately 1,046% on his investment, the indictment states. Two of his friends made similar trades and profited approximately $993,183, while a Spanish businessman in Greece profited more than $3.1 million after communicating with a mutual acquaintance of Sanchez, according to the indictment. In subsequent civil litigation brought against him by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Sanchez allegedly lied under oath and withheld key financial evidence.
The indictment was returned yesterday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. It charges Sanchez, 42, of Madrid, Spain, with one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of perjury.
Federal authorities will seek to extradite Sanchez to the United States. An arraignment date in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; David Glockner, Regional Director of the SEC’s Chicago Regional Office; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the charges, Australian mining company BHP Billiton decided in August 2010 to make a tender offer for all of Potash’s common stock. BHP dealt with several foreign investment banks to secure confidential financing commitments in an effort to underwrite the offer. During a meeting in Chicago on Aug. 12, 2010, BHP’s chief executive officer conveyed a $38.6 billion buyout offer to Potash’s chief executive. Potash rejected the offer, but it did not publicly announce the matter until Aug. 17, 2010, according to the indictment.
During those interim five days, Sanchez communicated extensively with his banking and investor friends, the indictment states. On August 12 and 13, 2010, Sanchez purchased approximately 331 out-of-the-money call option contracts for Potash stock via an account at Interactive Brokers LLC, according to the indictment. Sanchez’s contracts were set to expire within weeks of the purchase date, the indictment states.
In a telephonic deposition taken as part of the SEC lawsuit on July 1, 2011, Sanchez allegedly lied under oath when he denied knowing other people who purchased Potash securities in advance of Potash’s announcement of the buyout offer. He also allegedly lied when he denied knowing the telephone numbers of two of those individuals. Telephone records indicate that Sanchez had called each of them numerous times in the days between the private offer and Potash’s public announcement of it, the indictment states.
In late 2010 a friend who profited approximately $540,493 from Potash options sales sent 100,000 euros to Sanchez’s bank account in Zurich, Switzerland, the indictment states. Sanchez withheld information about his Swiss account from the SEC during its investigation, according to the indictment. The SEC discovered the account and the friend’s payment in January 2014 – more than two years after the SEC’s lawsuit against Sanchez had ended, the indictment states.
The obstruction count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the perjury counts each carry a maximum sentence of five years. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hogan.
Indictment
Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Abuse ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Henderson Shorty, 53, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an abusive sexual contact charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Shorty will be sentenced within the range of 24 to 30 months in federal prison followed by not less than five years of supervised release. Shorty also will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Shorty was arrested in Feb. 2016, on an indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact. The indictment charged Shorty with sexually abusing a child under the age of 12 years on Jan. 24, 2013, in Indian Country in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Shorty pled guilty to an abusive sexual contact charge in a felony information. In entering the guilty plea, Shorty admitted that from Jan. 1, 2013 through March 31, 2013, he had sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. Shorty admitted committing the crime on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Shorty remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez 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/.
Serial Robber Sentenced to Lengthy Prison TermRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Avery Frazier has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for a series of violent armed robberies of title loan stores in Rockdale County, and Cobb County, Georgia.
“Frazier repeatedly traumatized hard working people at gunpoint,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “He sowed fear throughout our communities, robbing multiple title loan stores over time. Thankfully, a quick police response helped identify his vehicle and, ultimately, led to his arrest.”
“The FBI is proud of the role that it played in bringing Mr. Frazier forward for federal prosecution. The lengthy prison sentence in this case is reflective of the serious nature of the repeated violent robberies committed and the emotional victimization left in his wake,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“Frazier’s actions during these robberies were terrifying to his victims,” stated City of Conyers Chief of Police Gene Wilson. “We appreciate how the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office took this case to its conclusion and this sentence will help keep the citizens safe for a long time to come. Because this case was prosecuted in federal court, Frazier got the sentence he deserved.”According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: Between 2013 and 2014, 34 robberies of title loan stores occurred in different areas of the metropolitan Atlanta area. In each, the robber had a similar method of operation. He would wear a mask, enter a title loan store brandishing a firearm at employees, and demand the business’s cash. He would then force employees to move to the rear of the store. Eventually, he started forcing the employees to remain in a bathroom or storage room until he left. The robber also threatened store employees by telling them at gunpoint that they must follow his directions or risk never seeing their families again.
In early 2014, believing that the robberies were being committed by the same individual based on the method of operation and descriptions by witnesses, local law enforcement officers from several different Atlanta-metro police departments formed a task force and began working with the FBI to identify the robber.
On October 30, 2014, a local Conyers Police Department officer, who was responding to a call for assistance at a different location, captured Frazier’s license plate as Frazier fled the scene of a robbery at the Title Bucks store in Conyers, Georgia. After further investigation and information sharing among the FBI and local police departments, Frazier was identified as the suspect in the series of armed robberies. Conyers Police Department officers obtained a warrant for his arrest, and Frazier was arrested on that warrant on November 5, 2014.
On April 19, 2016, Frazier pled guilty to the following four armed commercial robberies:
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February 17, 2014 - Frazier robbed the employees of the Georgia Auto Pawn in Conyers, Georgia, while brandishing a firearm.
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May 20, 2014 - Frazier robbed the employees of a Title Max in Smyrna, Georgia, while brandishing a firearm.
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October 7, 2014 - Frazier robbed the employees of a different Title Max in Smyrna, Georgia, while brandishing a firearm. He told these employees that they had to go into a back room of the store and stay in the room if they wanted to see their families again.
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October 30, 2014 - Frazier robbed the employees of a Title Bucks in Conyers, Georgia, while brandishing a firearm. During the robbery, Frazier rounded up two employees and a customer who was present in the store at gunpoint. Brandishing the gun at them, he made them give him the day’s deposit of cash. He then ordered the three victims at gunpoint to go into a back room of the store and to wait ten minutes. He shut them in the room and left the store with the cash. It was in leaving this robbery that Frazier’s license plate was picked up by a local Conyers officer’s license plate reader.
The investigation revealed that during the time frame of the robberies, Frazier was a serious gambler at a casino in North Carolina, and he was making purchases of tens of thousands of dollars of casino chips in the weeks surrounding the robberies. Investigation further revealed that since Frazier was taken into custody in November 2014, there have been no further robberies of title loan stores in Atlanta that showed the same method of operation.
Avery Frazier, 49, of Douglasville, Georgia, was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and restitution of $14,218.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with special assistance from the Conyers Police Department, Smyrna Police Department, Sandy Springs Police Department, Clayton County Police Department, Cobb County Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, Marietta Police Department, Oakwood Police Department, Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Department, Dekalb County Police Department, Snellville Police Department, Gwinnett Police Department, and Newnan Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mary L. Webb and Angela Marie Munson prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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Second meth mule pleads guilty for role in California-to-West Virginia drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A woman caught transporting a significant load of crystal methamphetamine from California to West Virginia pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Kelly Newcomb, 56, of Nevada, entered her guilty plea to interstate travel in furtherance of a drug crime.
Newcomb admitted that on March 10, 2016, she rented a vehicle in Las Vegas and drove with a codefendant to California, where 10 pounds of crystal methamphetamine were concealed in the vehicle for transportation to West Virginia. Newcomb and the codefendant then began the drive to West Virginia, and during the course of the trip Newcomb learned about the concealed drugs. Newcomb further admitted that on March 18, 2016, she arrived in West Virginia, rented a room at the Super 8 Motel in Huntington, and followed the instructions of another codefendant by leaving the vehicle unlocked in the parking lot. After Newcomb’s arrival, an undercover officer, in accordance with instructions obtained through a cooperating individual, removed the spare tire where the drugs were concealed.
Newcomb faces up to five years in federal prison when she is sentenced on October 6, 2016.
Another woman used as a mule to transport methamphetamine during the course of this conspiracy, Danielle Dessaray Estrada, 21, of Los Angeles, previously pleaded guilty and faces up to five years in federal prison when she is sentenced on October 6, 2016.
This prosecution is the result of a multi-agency investigation which led to an eight-count indictment implicating 14 defendants, including Estrada. Estrada’s codefendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The FBI, DHS 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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Rochester Man Sentenced on Sex Trafficking ChargeRead 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 Laree Greggs, 39, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor before, was sentenced to 80 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany H. Lee and Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that in April 2013, Greggs attempted to transport a minor from Rochester to the State of Pennsylvania for the purpose of engaging in prostitution in furtherance of the conspiracy. The defendant used Backpage.com to post ads for the minor.
Greggs was arrested in April 2014 along with Jodia Campbell and Jennifer Miller. Miller has been convicted and sentenced. Campbell has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen. The task force includes the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations.
Prior Felon from Albuquerque Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Bradley Soza, 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court to 66 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Soza was arrested on Feb. 9, 2015, on an indictment charging him charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on June 29, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Soza was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, tampering with evidence, aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm or destructive device.
On March 22, 2016, Soza pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on June 29, 2014, he was in possession of a pistol loaded with ammunition. Soza further admitted that he was prohibited from being in possession of firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez prosecuted the case.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Sherrod J. Dyer, 25, of Dayton, Ohio was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 58 months in prison for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl, Brad Earman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, member agencies of the Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, announced the sentence handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, Dayton Police approached Dyer as he exited a vehicle in the driveway of a Dayton home in January 2016. Dyer attempted to flee into the home but, as police apprehended him, a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm firearm fell from Dyer. Police found empty gel capsules and approximately 1.9 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture intended for distribution inside the vehicle in which Dyer had arrived.
At the time of this incident, Dyer had previously been convicted in 2011 of three counts of felony trafficking in heroin in Montgomery County, Ohio. Because his prior offenses were punishable by more than one year in prison, Dyer was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Dyer pleaded guilty on March 15, 2016 to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by those involved in the Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Hunt, who represented the United States in this case.
Previously Convicted Bank Robber Admits to Robbing Second Bank with an AK-47 While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Jesse Allen Burney, age 34, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to armed bank robbery.
The sentence 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; Colonel Tyree C. Blocker, Superintendent of the Pennsylvania State Police, and Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler.
In January 2005, Burney pleaded guilty in federal court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania to charges arising from an armed bank robbery. He was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison and released on May 30, 2014.
According to his plea agreement, on April 27, 2015 and while on supervised release for the bank robbery conviction, Burney entered a bank in Whiteford, Maryland wearing a motorcycle helmet with the reflective visor down, a tactical vest, gloves and a backpack. A loaded AK-47 with a sock over the barrel was poking out the top of the backpack.
Shortly after entering the bank, Burney withdrew a taser, turned it on, pointed it at the tellers stating that this is a robbery. He demanded $100,000. Burney threatened to start shooting if the safe was not opened in 15 seconds. The tellers gave Burney money from the bank’s vault. Burney put $97,237 in his backpack. As he walked out of the bank, Burney told the employees that he would come back and shoot them if he saw any police.
Burney fled the scene on a dirt bike. Several miles away, he left the bike on a country road hidden under a tarp. He drove away in an SUV that he had left at that location. Law enforcement officers were able to track Burney as he drove into a farm field in Lower Chanceford Township, Pennsylvania, via a GPS device deposited with the money he had stolen. Burney then fled from the SUV and hid in the woods.
A Pennsylvania State Trooper found Burney in the woods. Investigators recovered a loaded AK-47 magazine in the backpack, as well as the AK-47 which had a loaded 30-round magazine attached and a round in the chamber. The stolen money was also recovered, along with the helmet and tactical vest Burney wore during the robbery. Burney told investigators that he owed $100,000 in restitution for the prior federal bank robbery conviction.
Burney and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Burney will be sentenced to 252 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander scheduled sentencing for September 2, 2016 at 11:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police and Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant United States Attorney Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, who is prosecuting the case.
Pinellas County Man Convicted of Being A Felon in Possession of A Firearm and 159 Rounds of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Michael W. Kelly (29, Largo) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 5, 2016.
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 15, 2015, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Kelly’s home and recovered a semi-automatic pistol from his bedroom. The firearm was loaded and contained nine rounds of 9mm ammunition. Agents also recovered three boxes of ammunition, containing a total of 150 rounds, from the top of his dresser. Kelly has multiple prior felony convictions, including possession of a sawed off shotgun and aggravated assault, and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Simon Gaugush.
Opiate Enforcement Strategy Pays Dividends in F-M AreaRead the Press Release
FARGO - US Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on May 12, 2016, approximately 100 local, state, and federal law enforcement agents and prosecutors met in Fargo to discuss investigative and prosecutorial strategies to combat opiate traffickers with an emphasis on fentanyl or analogues of fentanyl. The goal was to fashion an enforcement strategy to reduce the death and injury from opiates that have been plaguing the area.
Since that meeting, all of the law enforcement in the Fargo-Moorhead area joined efforts with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota to indict the following individuals:
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Brandon Beyer, 20, Conspiracy to Distribute and Distribute a Controlled Substance Analogue
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Steven Jay Maynard Hoffman, 21, Distribution of a Controlled Substance Analogue Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury
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Chase Fliginger, 20, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Analogue
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Naomi Danielson, 21, Distribution of a Controlled Substance Analogue Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury
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Christian Harris, 19, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Analogue
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Gregory Alan Krutsinger, 38, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury
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Tyrone Wilburn, 43, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute a Controlled Substance and a Controlled Substance Analogue Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury
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Brandon Joseph Jacobs, 30, a/k/a B.J. Simonson, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury
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John Michael Iten, 23, a/k/a Jack Iten, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury
USA Myers stated, “The law enforcement response from all of our partners has been incredible. Every agency in the Fargo-Moorhead area helped in this enforcement effort.”
The “Eyes Wide Open” community forum that was held in West Fargo on May 5, 2016, brought to light the fact that the opiate crisis has risen to an epidemic level in the Red River Valley. Since January, there have been over 10 deaths and over 50 hospitalizations attributed to opiates - mostly impacting young people.
To combat this complex problem, there must be a multi-faceted response from not just law enforcement, but the entire community. This includes, but is not limited to, parents, healthcare providers, educators, treatment experts, and faith-based organizations. Law enforcement cannot fight this alone; however, law enforcement will continue to work tirelessly to identify, target, and dismantle opiate drug trafficking organizations.
USA Myers continued, “While this is some measure of success, we do not intend to stop there. Opiate-based drugs still continue to plague our community and are devastating lives. We will continue our aggressive approach on the enforcement side of the equation but will also continue working with our community partners to continue the dialogue about how best to find a multi-faceted solution to this opiate crisis. Working together, we can make a difference.” As the investigation continues there may be more defendants charged.
The next community forum, “Eyes Wide Open Phase II” will be held at the Fargo Theatre on July 20, 2016. The third community forum, “Arms Wide Open,” will be scheduled in the fall and will focus on where individuals and families can turn for help. This forum will also continue the dialogue on the need for systemic changes to help families struggling with addiction.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota will also be hosting an “Eyes Wide Open” community forum in Bismarck on July 28, 2016, at the Heritage Center, starting at 6:00 p.m. The purpose of this forum will be to highlight awareness regarding the issues with opiates that are being faced in the Bismarck-Mandan area.
An Indictment is merely an accusation and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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North Chesterfield Man Pleads Guilty to Theft from Defense Supply CenterRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – William M. Johnson, 57, of North Chesterfield, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of theft of government property.
According to a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in 2007, the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation (“DLA”), located at the Defense Supply Center Richmond in Chesterfield, VA, began a project to recycle steel from steel shelving units in DLA warehouses that were scheduled for demolition. DLA employees were tasked with dismantling the shelving units, collecting the steel, and transporting the steel to a recycling company for payment. The DLA employees were then required to return the money from the recycling company to DLA, which would deposit the money into an account earmarked for the DLA’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation fund.
Beginning in 2014, an investigation led by the Office of Inspector General for DLA and Office of Inspector General for the Department of Defense revealed that Johnson would take the steel to the recycling company and receive payment, but would not turn the money in to DLA. The investigation further revealed that between the fall of 2011 through June 2013, Johnson stole approximately $106,830 as a result of the recycling project, all of which belonged to DLA.
Johnson pleaded guilty to a criminal information filed by the United States and now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He will be sentenced on September 30, 3016. 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 Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony 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. 3:16-cr-74.
New Haven Heroin Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERTO TORRES, also known as “Tony,” 49, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
This matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force, FBI and New Haven Police Department into the distribution of heroin in New Haven. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance and controlled purchases of heroin from wholesale and street-level distributors operating in the area of Ferry Street, Grand Avenue and Blatchley Avenue in New Haven’s Fair Haven neighborhood.
In July 2015, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging TORRES and 16 other New Haven residents with heroin trafficking offenses.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement has seized approximately 500 grams of raw heroin, three handguns and five vehicles. In addition, bank accounts containing more than $300,000 have been frozen.
TORRES has been detained since his arrest on July 15, 2015. On February 24, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Gordon Hall.
New Haven Gang Member Sentenced to 25 Years for Drug and Gun ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Christian Turner, a/k/a “P”, 29, formerly of New Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute 280 grams of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack” and conspiring to violate federal gun laws. He pleaded guilty to the charges on September 2, 2015.
According to court records, the defendant and other conspirators were members of the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a New Haven based street gang affiliated with the Almighty Blood Nation. Between January 2010 and August 2013, the defendant conspired to acquire more than five kilograms of crack in New Haven and to distribute it in Penobscot County and elsewhere in Maine. He and other conspirators sold it in multiple half-gram and gram amounts for $40 and $80. Drug proceeds were returned to New Haven and maintained in the gang’s “kitty” that was used to finance gang activities.
Over the same period, the defendant obtained 14 handguns through straw purchases at pawnshops in Bangor and Brewer and seven other firearms through private transactions. The defendant paid for the guns with cash and drugs. In all, over 25 firearms were illegally acquired and transported back to New Haven where they were transferred to others.
In imposing the lengthy sentence, Judge Woodcock said: “the message to those people like members of the Red Side Guerilla Brimms is this: stay away from Bangor.”
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the New Haven Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the New Haven Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Spector and Peter Markle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut assisted in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
New Hampshire Couple Indicted on Two Counts of Illegal Distribution of Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that two New Ipswich, New Hampshire, residents have been indicted on charges that they conspired to distribute misbranded prescription drugs, including controlled substances, from India.
John and Plabplueng Hayes were each charged with one felony count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce and one felony count of conspiracy to use a communications facility, the United States mail, to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
According to the indictment, the defendants were part of a multi-national drug distribution operation. The defendants allegedly conspired with each other, and with co-conspirators in India and North Carolina, to receive hundreds of thousands of prescription drugs, including controlled substances, from India and other foreign locations. The defendants received these drugs at U.S. Post Office boxes throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts, stored the drugs at their residence in New Ipswich and reshipped them in smaller parcels to individual customers throughout the United States based on instructions from the co-conspirator located in India.
“Consumers rely on the FDA to ensure that their medications are safe and effective. When misbranded drugs are introduced into the U.S. marketplace, the potential danger to the public's health is great," said Jeffrey J. Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations' New York Field Office. "The FDA will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who place the public's health at risk.”
This case was investigated by FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold Huftalen and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kaplan.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Murder for Hire PlotRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Nathan Williams (843) 727-4381
Columbia, South Carolina ---- Acting United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Lawrence Edward Lee, age 64, of Charleston, SC, was sentenced to eight years in prison for the Use of Interstate Commerce Facilities to Commit Murder for Hire. The term of imprisonment is to be followed by three years of supervised release. Lee pled guilty on January 26, 2016. Facts at the plea hearing established that Lee approached an acquaintance about having Lee’s ex-wife killed. That individual went to the FBI, who then conducted undercover recordings of Lee and his efforts to have his ex-wife killed, including payment to the acquaintance of $5,000.00 for the murder.
Lee was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel. The conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan Williams and Nick Bianchi of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
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MEDIA ADVISORY-- U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez to Observe End of Ramadan with Muslim Community at Islamic Center of New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUEQUE – The U.S. Department of Justice has placed a priority on prosecuting bias crimes and incidents of discrimination against Muslims, Sikhs, and other persons of Arab descent, as well as persons perceived to be members of these groups. It also is engaging in extensive outreach efforts to educate these communities about their rights. U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, President Abbas Akhil of the Islamic Center of New Mexico (ICNM), and Ahmad Assed, ICNM Legal Advisor and Member of the ICNM’s Shura Advisory Council, will be available to address the media at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2016, at the Islamic Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., as part of the Justice Department’s outreach efforts.
They will be joined by representatives of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This media opportunity will take place shortly before the breaking of the fast for the day and marks the last few days before the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
WHO:
U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez
Abbas Akhil, President of the Islamic Center of New Mexico
Ahmad Assed, ICNM Legal Advisor & Member of Shura Advisory Council
WHAT:
Media Opportunity before Ramadan Observation
WHEN:
Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 8:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Islamic Center of New Mexico
1100 Yale Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, N.M.
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) as well as valid media credentials. Media outlets who wish to participate in this media opportunity should notify the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected] by 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2016.
Louisiana Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that John K. Carrillo, 35, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to 72 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The defendant was also ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution to the victims in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that on November 11, 2014, the defendant possessed images and videos of child pornography which were stored on a laptop computer. Carrillo obtained the images and videos over the internet.
At the time, an undercover FBI agent logged onto a peer-to-peer sharing program downloaded 69 images and seven videos of child pornography directly from a username belonging to the defendant. At the time of this download, the defendant possessed the images and videos of child pornography on his laptop computer which was located in his residence in Williamsville, New York.
On February 27, 2015, while Carrillo was then living in Lake Charles, Louisiana, he was found to again be utilizing a peer-to-peer network to distribute child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted violence involving minors less than 12 years old.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Adam S. Cohen.Leader of Large Drug Trafficking Network Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
The leader of a large drug trafficking group with ties to California and Mexico, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. EDIBERTO ASEVEZ SANTILLANO, 37, of Renton, Washington was arrested in August 2015 with two kilos of methamphetamine in his bedroom and more than $17,000 in cash in his residence. During the course of the investigation law enforcement seized more than 29 pounds of meth, more than 18 pounds of heroin, six pounds of cocaine, approximately $178,000 in cash and 16 firearms, including five assault rifles. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman said, “You brought serious drugs into this country…. Your whole family has suffered because of this.”
The investigation involved court authorized wire-taps and extensive surveillance of members of the criminal group. When law enforcement moved in to make arrests they served search warrants on seventeen residences, three storage facilities and more than a dozen vehicles tied to the criminal group. Search warrants were executed in: Auburn, Bellevue, SeaTac, Seattle, Tukwila, Renton, Kent, Port Orchard, and Everett, Washington. In all 22 defendants were charged in the case.
Those sentenced to date in this case include:
Brian Christensen, 40, of Port Orchard, Washington – seven years in prison;
Will Edward Brambila, 27, of Kent, Washington – four years in prison;
Sendhy Amairany Felix Acevez, 22, of SeaTac, Washington – three years in prison;
Francisco Flores Penuelas, 44, of Kent, Washington – three years in prison;
Hanzel Knight, 43, of Auburn, Washington – five years in prison;
Heriberto Pacheco Juarez, 23, of Kent, Washington – five years in prison;
Alfonso Leos Villasenor, 21, of Kent, Washington – five years in prison;
Steven James Montgomery, 53, of Edmonds, Washington --four years in prison;
Ricardo Topete, 25, of Seattle – four years in prison.
Clarence Daniels, 36, of Kent, Washington – seven years in prison.
Joseph Moore, 49, Kent, Washington – five years in prison.
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Seattle Police Department. The searches and arrests involved agents and officers from: Homeland Security Investigations – Seattle, Port of Seattle Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Snohomish Regional Drug And Gang Task Force, King County Sheriff’s Office, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Lynnwood Police Department, Kent Police Department, Renton Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Tukwila Police Department, Federal Way Police Department, and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vince Lombardi and Thomas Woods.
Jury convicts Schenectady man of crack cocaine distributionRead the Press Release
Binghamton, NEW YORK – A jury on Wednesday voted to convict Nicholas Khan, age 23, of Schenectady, New York, of distribution of crack cocaine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Division, Drug Enforcement Administration.
The jury convicted Khan following a three-day trial in Binghamton. Khan faces up to 20 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life, when he is sentenced on October 26, 2016 by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. Khan is already serving a state term of imprisonment of 25 years to life for an October 2014 murder conviction.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Colonie Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kofi Sansculotte.
Jury Convicts Rock Island Man for Heroin Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Rock Island, Ill. – A jury deliberated for two hours today before returning guilty verdicts on all counts against Phil Trent, 51, of Rock Island, Ill. Trent was charged with distribution of heroin resulting in death, three counts of distributing heroin, and conspiring to distribute heroin resulting in death. U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow scheduled sentencing for Nov. 3, 2016. Trent remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The trial began on June 27. Over four days of testimony, the government presented evidence that Trent conspired with others to distribute heroin in the Rock Island area from early July through September 2014. During the trial, the government presented evidence that Trent distributed heroin on August 13, October 1, and October 2, 2014, either directly or through co-conspirators, to undercover agents. Evidence was also presented that Trent distributed the heroin that resulted in the death of Tyler Corzette on Aug. 29, 2014. Corzette was 21 years old at the time of his death.
Two other defendants, Kyle Hull and Curtis Land, were also charged in connection with Corzette’s death. Both Hull and Land pled guilty on May 19, 2015, and are scheduled for sentencing on July 21, 2016.
The Rock Island Police Department, with assistance from the Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, investigated the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Allegro and Meredith DeCarlo are prosecuting the case.
The statutory penalty for distribution of heroin resulting in death is a mandatory minimum term of 20 years, and up to life, in prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The statutory maximum penalty for each count of heroin distribution is 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The statutory penalty for conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in death is a mandatory minimum term of 20 years, and up to life, in prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
Investment Advisor Charged with Numerous Counts of FraudRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - William Joseph Boyle, 53, of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment yesterday with five counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of securities fraud, and one count of investment adviser fraud, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
The indictment alleges that Boyle, a Bala Cynwyd-based stockbroker and investment adviser, defrauded clients, most of whom were elderly, out of over $400,000, convincing them to invest with him and utilize his services as a financial adviser by holding himself out as an investment adviser and promising to invest their money in stocks, Pennsylvania municipal bonds, interest bearing investments, and real estate, while in reality Boyle spent almost all of their money on himself, including giving client money to his wife and ex-wife, paying his children’s Catholic school tuition; and purchasing a liquor license for, and purchasing, renovating, and operate a bar called “The Blarney South Bar and Grille,” which Boyle renamed “The Boyler Room,” located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The indictment also alleges that Boyle used some of the client funds to make payments to earlier clients who had invested, thereby inducing those earlier clients to believe that their investments were safe and profitable.
The indictment further alleges that Boyle continued to hold himself out as a stock broker and investment adviser and defraud clients even after his licenses were suspended and after he was permanently barred by FINRA from working as a stock broker or otherwise associating with a firm that sold securities to the public, and failed to disclosing to his clients that he had been barred and his licenses suspended.
Boyle faces a possible advisory sentencing guideline range of 57 to 71 months in prison, restitution, a period of supervised release, a possible fine, and a $1,000 special assessment.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Information: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that those persons listed below were arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate and the indictments handed down by the Grand Jury unsealed.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on June 29, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- DOUGLAS DONALD PAIGE, a 36-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, PAIGE faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. PACER Case Reference. 16-64
- VICTOR MIGUEL RIVERA-MUNOZ, a 30-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm, and illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, RIVERA-MUNOZ faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI Task Force. PACER Case Reference. 16-66
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on June 28, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- PAMELA STAR ANDERSEN, a 30-year-old resident of Peerless, appeared on charges of fraudulent issue of postal money orders, and misappropriation of postal funds. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, ANDERSEN faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. PACER Case Reference. 16-42
- DEBORAH JOY DURAND, a 53-year-old resident of Vaughn, appeared on charges of false statement and fraud to obtain federal employee’s compensation, wire fraud, False Claims Act/fraudulent claims relating to workers’ compensation benefits, theft of government property. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, DURAND faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and lifetime supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. PACER Case Reference. 16-43
- KEVIN DAVID McGOVERN, a 46-year-old resident of Havre, appeared on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and the Chippewa Cree Tribe, scheme to defraud the United States and the Chippewa Cree Tribe, and bribery of an Indian tribal government official. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, McGOVERN faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 16-44
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on June 27, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- KIRK EDWARD BARSNESS, a 47-year-old resident of Bozeman, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, BARSNESS faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Montana Division of Criminal Investigations, Missouri River Drug Task Force, and the Montana Highway Patrol. PACER Case Reference. 16-15
- ANTONIO GARCIA-CARDENAS, a 26-year-old resident of Pasco, Washington, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, GARCIA-CARDENAS faces 20 years in prison, $1,000,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. PACER Case Reference. 16-22
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on June 24, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- CHRISTOPHER GLEN BAIRD, a 48-year-old resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, BAIRD faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 16-26
- CARISSA LYNN KOPP, a 34-year-old resident of Missoula, appeared on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce, robbery affecting commerce, carjacking, kidnapping, possess and brandish a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possess and discharge a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, KOPP faces life in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, and Missoula Police Department. PACER Case Reference. 16-28
- BRIAN WAYNE ROGERS, a 38-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, ROGERS faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 16-26
- NICK WEST, a 38-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce, robbery affecting commerce, carjacking, kidnapping, possess and brandish a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, ROGERS faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 16-26
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on June 24, 2016 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- DAN CARLSON, a 49-year-old resident of Lame Deer, appeared on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, CARLSON faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. PACER Case Reference. 16-59
- THEODORE ALLEN WARE, a 46-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and strangulation. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, WARE faces life in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 16-70
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system so that you stay current and not miss any important developments in the case.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
Indianapolis woman posing as a registered nurse sentencedRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler today announced the sentence of an Indianapolis woman for making false statements regarding health care matters and aggravated identity theft. Holly M. Whyde, 45, was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
“Nursing licenses must be earned, they cannot be stolen,” said Minkler. “Managing the health care of patients requires medicals skills that Ms. Whyde did not have. Although no patient was injured as a result of her crime, I hope this serves as a warning to others who might try to bypass the licensing process.”
Since November 2012, Whyde stole the license number of a legitimate registered nurse (RN) and masqueraded as an RN at nursing homes. She used the stolen license number and in some cases, the stolen identity and social security number to apply for nursing positions at four different nursing homes. In the course of carrying out her deception, Whyde lied not only to the nursing homes but also to the State Professional Licensing Agency.
Whyde lied about not having an RN license and repeatedly lied about her identity. Her criminal history included convictions for check deception and fraud on a financial institution. Both would likely have kept her from obtaining a position in a nursing home managing volumes of personal identifying information.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Indiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Columbus (IN) Police Department.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Cho, who prosecuted this case for the government, Whyde must serve one year of supervised release following her sentence.
Illinois Man Charged with Hacking Apple iCloud and Gmail Accounts Belonging to More Than 300 People, including Many CelebritiesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Illinois man was charged today with felony computer hacking related to a phishing scheme that gave him illegal access to over 300 Apple iCloud and Gmail accounts, including those belonging to members of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles.
Edward Majerczyk, 28, who resides in Chicago and Orland Park, Illinois, was named in a criminal information filed today in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Majerczyk has signed a plea agreement in which he agrees to plead guilty to a felony violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, specifically, one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information.
Although Majerczyk has been charged in Los Angeles, the parties have agreed to transfer the case to the Northern District of Illinois for the entry of his guilty plea and sentencing. Once he enters the guilty plea, Majerczyk will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
“Hacking of online accounts to steal personal information is not merely an intrusion of an individual’s privacy but is a serious violation of federal law,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Defendant’s conduct was a profound intrusion into the privacy of his victims and created vulnerabilities at multiple online service providers.”
Majerczyk’s plea agreement was lodged today in United States District Court for the Central District of California and will be executed upon transfer of the case to the Northern District of Illinois. According to the factual basis in the plea agreement, from November 23, 2013 through August 2014, Majerczyk engaged in a phishing scheme to obtain usernames and passwords for his victims. He sent e-mails to victims that appeared to be from security accounts of internet service providers that directed the victims to a website that would collect the victims’ usernames and passwords. After victims responded by entering information at that website, Majerczyk had access to victims’ usernames and passwords. After illegally accessing the iCloud and Gmail accounts, Majerczyk obtained personal information including sensitive and private photographs and videos, according to his plea agreement.
“This defendant not only hacked into e-mail accounts – he hacked into his victims’ private lives, causing embarrassment and lasting harm,” said Deirdre Fike, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “As most of us use devices containing private information, cases like this remind us to protect our data. Members of society whose information is in demand can be even more vulnerable, and directly targeted.”
The charge against Majerczyk stems from the investigation into the leaks of photographs of numerous female celebrities in September 2014 known as “Celebgate.” However, investigators have not uncovered any evidence linking Majerczyk to the actual leaks. Many of Majerczyk’s victims were members of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. By illegally accessing the e-mail accounts, Majerczyk accessed at least 300 accounts, and at least 30 accounts belonging to celebrities.
The case against Majerczyk is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan White and Vicki Chou of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section.
Illinois Man Charged with Attempted Sexual Exploitation of Two Boys Through Online Video GamesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Illinois man was indicted yesterday in U.S. District Court in Springfield in connection with exploiting boys through online video games.
Zack Sawyer, 31, was indicted on two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of children. Sawyer was previously charged in a criminal complaint.
According to court documents, Sawyer used online interactive video games including X-Box Live games and MineCraft to communicate with two boys, aged 10 to 13 years old, in Massachusetts.
In approximately May 2010, Sawyer used X-Box Live to contact two 13 year-old boys in Hampshire County, Mass. Sawyer allegedly asked one boy to send him nude photographs, and when the boy refused, Sawyer threatened to rape him and kill him. Sawyer allegedly asked the second boy to send him naked pictures and when the boy refused, Sawyer also threatened to rape him, claiming that he had a drug that would paralyze people. This conduct forms the basis of the current Indictment.
The charging statute provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police Superintendent, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.
Houghton and Escanaba Area Heroin and Crack Cocaine Conspirators SentencedRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — Damon Ramone Belcher, 43, of Detroit, Michigan, Corrie Venta Ruth, 36, of Flint, Michigan, and Stephanie Rae Hatch, 41, of Lake Linden, Michigan, were sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar for their roles in conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine in the Houghton, Michigan area, U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. announced today. Belcher was sentenced to 46 months in prison; Ruth was sentenced to 41 months in prison; and Hatch was sentenced to 33 months in prison. In addition to their prison terms, all three defendants were ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of their incarceration and to pay a $100 special assessment.
Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar sentenced Isaac Scott Cooley, 31, of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Jaclyn Patricia Snouwaert, 29, of Escanaba, Michigan, and Donny Thomas Leffler, 25, of Escanaba, Michigan to prison for their roles in conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine in the Escanaba, Michigan area. Cooley was sentenced to 120 months in prison; Snouwaert and Leffler were sentenced to 33 months in prison. In addition to their prison terms, all three defendants were ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of their incarceration and to pay a $100 special assessment.
The convictions were the result of an investigation by the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET) and the Drug Enforcement Administration into drug distribution in the Escanaba and Houghton, Michigan areas from the beginning of 2015 through November 2015. The investigation revealed that couriers and dealers from the Detroit and Flint areas brought heroin and crack cocaine up to the Upper Peninsula, where they stayed with local residents as the drugs were distributed.
Detectives from the UPSET drug team and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the cases. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul D. Lochner and Hannah N. Bobee.
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Gettysburg Man Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Gettysburg man has been charged with production of child pornography involving children under 12 who were in his custody.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Steven L. Berwager, age 73, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was charged in a Criminal Information with producing videos of minor children in his custody engaging with Berwager in sexually explicit conduct.
Berwager was arrested on March 23, 2016 after a search of his home by state and federal law enforcement officers led to the recovery of thousands of images of child pornography stored on electronic devices. Berwager has been in custody ever since his arrest. He was recently charged by state authorities in Adams County with sexual assault charges involving the same minor victims.
The government also filed a plea agreement in the case which is subject to the approval of the Court.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Adams County District Attorney’s office. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe.
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."
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is a mandatory 15 years term of imprisonment up to 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under federal law, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Fresno Man Convicted on Two Counts of Receiving and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Late Wednesday afternoon, after a two–day trial, a federal jury found Alfonso Hernandez, 58, of Fresno, guilty of two counts of receiving and distributing child pornography, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to evidence presented at trial, in January 2012, agents identified Hernandez’s computer making over 500 separate child pornography files publicly available online to other users within a peer-to-peer file sharing network. A search warrant was executed at Hernandez’s residence, and in a bedroom secured with a deadbolt lock, agents seized a computer and external hard drives that were found to contain child pornography. Ultimately, it was determined that Hernandez had downloaded and shared thousands of child pornography files onto these devices. Hernandez was arrested in September 2014 and has been in custody since that time.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Kings County District Attorney’s Office of Investigation, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian W. Enos and Vincenza Rabenn are prosecuting the case.
“Defendants who distribute child pornography prey on innocent victims from behind their screens where they often think they cannot be found,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge of HSI San Francisco. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we remain vigilant in our tireless efforts to root out child predators from the shadows that they lurk.”
Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Dale A. Drozd on October 17, 2016. Hernandez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine regarding each count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Franklin Man Convicted of Making False Statement to Obtain $1.2 Million LoanRead the Press Release
Murray O. Wilhoite, Jr., 68, of Franklin, Tenn., was convicted yesterday of three felony charges, announced United States Attorney David Rivera. Following a trial before U.S. District Court Judge Aleta A. Trauger, the jury convicted Wilhoite of making a false statement to a bank, making a false statement in a federal bankruptcy filing, and making a false statement under oath during a bankruptcy hearing.
Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Wilhoite obtained a $1.2 million loan in December 2007 by pledging as collateral a Franklin, Tennessee property that he did not own. During trial, testimony and exhibits proved that Wilhoite knowingly misrepresented to an FDIC-insured bank that he owned certain real property that he pledged as collateral. However, as trial evidence proved, the property was owned at all relevant times by his father.
In documents signed during the closing for this loan, Wilhoite falsely represented that he was the owner and titleholder of the property, and the bank relied on his statements in permitting him to obtain a loan using the Franklin property as collateral in lieu of a down payment. Wilhoite subsequently lied during a 2011 bankruptcy filing, by again misrepresenting that he owned the Franklin property, and did so for the purpose of preventing the bank from foreclosing on this property after he defaulted on his loan. Wilhoite lied again at a 2013 hearing before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, during which he perjured himself by falsely stating that he had not known that the Franklin property was designated as collateral for the loan. The evidence at trial proved that Wilhoite made the bankruptcy-related false statements knowingly and with the intent to deceive.
Wilhoite faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 on the false statement to a bank charge, and up to 5 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on the other charges. Wilhoite will be sentenced by Judge Trauger on September 23, 2016. The sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the United States Trustee. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra G. Moses and William F. Abely.
Four Sentenced in Drug and Money Laundering CaseRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss - Four family members and drug money laundering associates of convicted drug dealer Marvin Rocedreck Brown were sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III on June 30, 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and Special Agent in Charge Jerome R. McDuffie with IRS Criminal Investigation.
Corina LeAnn Cornell, 39, of Union, Crystylin D. Patrick, 42, of Union, Linda Kay Parker, 57, of Decatur, and Sandra Denise Brown, 52, of Decatur, were all indicted on April 21, 2015 with Marvin Rocedreck Brown in a 21-count criminal indictment on charges of conspiracy, laundering drug proceeds in financial transactions involving the purchase of several real properties and personal properties, and multiple counts of causing Forms 8300 to not be filed with the Internal Revenue Service for cash transactions exceeding $10,000.
Marvin Rocedreck Brown, 42, of Union, Missisisppi, pled guilty on March 28, 2016 to conspiracy to launder drug proceeds and will be sentenced on July 12, 2016 before U.S. District Judge David Bramlette. Brown will also be sentenced on July 11, 2016 by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves after being found guilty by a jury in December 2015 on three counts of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Corina LeAnn Cornell pled guilty on March 28, 2016, to conspiracy to launder drug proceeds. She was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
Crystylin D. Patrick pled guilty on March 28, 2016 to conspiracy to launder drug proceeds. She was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
Linda Kay Parker pled guilty on March 28, 2016 to a Criminal Information charging her with structuring and causing a bank to fail to file a Currency Transaction Report. She was sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
Sandra Denise Brown pled guilty on March 28, 2016 to a Criminal Information charging her with structuring and causing a bank to fail to file a Currency Transaction Report. She was sentenced to 2 years of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation has also resulted in the seizure or forfeiture of various real and personal properties. This includes real estate on Highway 489, Union, Mississippi; residence and land on Highway 15, Union, MS; and the mobile home park on Rigdon Road, Union, Mississippi.
The personal assets include several vehicles, U.S. currency, a checking account, a Kubota tractor, a Kamatsu bulldozer, a Fortress track paver, motorcycles, a John Deere tractor and front loader, a Toro Z mower, a GMC dump truck, a utility fleet trailer, and several all-terrain vehicles.
Special Agent in Charge Jerome R. McDuffie, IRS Criminal Investigation, stated, “Today’s sentencing represents the conclusion of a very important investigation for this area. Corina Cornell, Crystylln Patrick, Linda Parker, and Sandra Brown were held accountable today for their role in the laundering of drug proceeds gained from the operation of Marvin Brown’s drug trafficking organization. Drug trafficking is a crime that is deterring the growth of our communities and increasing the economic depression that is so acutely apparent in rural areas such as Newton county. IRS Criminal Investigation is particularly proud of the work we do to enhance the OCDETF program, and the investigation of drug trafficking organizations. We will continue to work hand in hand with our law enforcement counterparts to put an end to the laundering of illegal drug proceeds in our communities, and do our part to help take back the streets in communities both large and small.”
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Division, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics with assistance from the Decatur Police Department and the Neshoba County Sherriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren J. LaMarca and Erin Chalk.Former Altus Bank President Convicted of Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma –PAUL HAROLD DOUGHTY, 67, of Edmond, Oklahoma, the former president and chairman of First State Bank of Altus ("FSB"), was convicted today on ten charges of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, misapplication of bank funds, making a false bank entry, and unauthorized issuance of a bank loan in connection with FSB and various loan schemes, announced Mark A. Yancey, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. On April 14, 2016, FRED DON ANDERSON, 67, of Eagle Point, Oregon, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with Doughty to commit bank fraud. Anderson partnered with Doughty in several businesses headquartered in Altus. In July 2009, state banking regulators closed FSB due to the bank’s loan losses, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was appointed as the bank’s receiver.
In April 2015, a federal grand jury charged Doughty and Anderson with fraud related to three alleged loan schemes: (1) a series of FSB loans to finance a real estate development in Routt County, Colorado; (2) a series of "senior life settlement loans" from FSB to support an Altus aerospace company; and (3) a $2 million unauthorized loan from FSB to a company under Doughty and Anderson’s control.
The jury heard that in 2006 and 2007, Doughty and Anderson recruited buyers for 19 Colorado real estate lots priced at approximately $700,000 each. Doughty approved and issued 14 lot loans to buyers, totaling more than $10,000,000 in loan proceeds for the seller, Mountain Adventure Property Investments, LLC ("MAPI"). MAPI was a Colorado company that Anderson had an indirect ownership interest in and where he served as president and manager. Evidence at trial showed that each loan exceeded Doughty’s individual lending authority at FSB, and most of the loans were issued without approval of FSB’s loan committee, including a $580,000 loan to Anderson’s personal company. The jury heard that Doughty and Anderson presented lots to borrowers as "zero money down" investments, and that the down payments for the purchases were often advanced or refunded to the buyers by Anderson on behalf of MAPI. Doughty and Anderson also assured the buyers that MAPI would make all payments on the loans to the bank. The jury heard that on the few occasions when Doughty presented a Colorado loan to FSB’s loan committee, he misrepresented the source and amount of borrowers’ down payments and the borrowers’ responsibility for making payment on the loans. In connection with these Colorado lot loans, the jury convicted Doughty of one count of bank fraud conspiracy, four counts of bank fraud relating to separate lot loans, and one count of unauthorized issuance of a loan to Anderson’s personal company.
Second, trial evidence showed that Doughty funded five so-called "senior life settlement" loans through FSB in 2008. Each loan was $2.5 million, and one of the loans went to Anderson’s personal company. Doughty and Anderson recruited borrowers to take out these "self-paying" loans to provide money for investments in Altus-based Quartz Mountain Aerospace, Inc. ("QMA"). Evidence at trial showed that a portion of the loan proceeds was invested in QMA, and another portion would pay the loan’s interest. The remaining proceeds on the loans would buy and maintain third-party life insurance policies, where the death benefits on the third parties were intended to repay the loan’s principal. The jury heard that each loan exceeded Doughty’s lending authority, and that he issued at least $10,000,000 in senior life settlement loans without FSB’s loan committee or board approval. With each loan, Doughty and Anderson directed $125,000.00 in "service fee"” to Altus Ventures, a company under their control. The jury heard evidence that at the time the loans were issued, the fees to Altus Ventures were not disclosed to FSB or to the borrowers taking out those loans. In connection with the senior life settlement loans, the jury convicted Doughty of one count of misapplication of bank funds and one count of a false entry in bank records related to the concealment of the fees to Altus Ventures.
Third, the jury heard evidence that in January 2008, Doughty arranged a $2 million loan from FSB to Ethanol Products Group, LLC ("EPG"), a startup company in which both Anderson and Doughty had ownership interests. Evidence showed that Doughty advanced the $2 million from FSB, above his individual lending authority, without approval by FSB’s loan committee or board. Soon before issuing the loan, Doughty e-mailed Anderson his "cash strategy" for two other companies they controlled; the "strategy" showed all the EPG loan proceeds would be directed to companies controlled by Anderson and Doughty, ultimately diverting $100,000.00 in “officer bonuses” to Anderson and Doughty. The jury found Doughty guilty of one count of unauthorized issuance of a loan and one count of misapplication of bank funds related to the EPG loan.
The jury heard evidence over seven days, and deliberated approximately seven hours before reaching a verdict this afternoon. The jury acquitted Doughty on three charges.
On April 14, 2016, Anderson pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with conspiring with Doughty to commit bank fraud. As part of the plea agreement, the government agreed to dismiss at sentencing the charges against him from the indictment. Anderson testified as a witness for the government at Doughty’s trial. At sentencing, Anderson faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Doughty faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.00 for each of the ten counts of conviction. Under federal law, each defendant will be required to pay restitution and to forfeit to the government the amount of the proceeds of the fraudulent schemes.
These convictions are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris M. Stephens and K. McKenzie Anderson.
Five People Indicted in Conspiracy to Distribute Prescription Drugs in and Around AuburnRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Five individuals were arrested over the past two weeks after being indicted and charged with prescription drug distribution offenses, announced United States Attorney George L. Beck, Jr.
The individuals arrested were: Bradford A. Blount, 25, of Vestavia Hills, Alabama; Dennis Michael Elder, 26, of Vestavia Hills; Saxon R. Monk, 25, of Washington, D.C.; Randolph D. Ogburn, 64, of Valley, Alabama; and Lewis Michael James, 57, of West Point, Georgia.
According to the indictment, in 2013, the defendants were involved in a conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs, including oxycodone, in and around Auburn, Alabama. The indictment also charges Blount with possessing heroin and Elder with carrying a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime.
If convicted of the drug distribution conspiracy, each individual faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. Also, Elder faces an additional sentence of not less than 5 years’ imprisonment if he is convicted of the firearms offense.
An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Auburn Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross is prosecuting the case.
Federal search warrants executed, four arrested in multi-state drug trafficking investigationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Four people were arrested after federal search warrants were executed at homes in West Virginia and Ohio this week as part of an ongoing multi-state drug trafficking investigation, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
On Thursday, agents from the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force and the Belmont County Drug Task Force, searched homes on North Broadway, North Huron, and South Penn Streets on Wheeling Island in Ohio County, WV and on Noble Street in Bellaire, Ohio. Quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, three firearms, and $4,000 in currency were recovered by agents. A Mercedes-Benz motor vehicle was also seized.Agents arrested Clarence Bertram, 24, of Wheeling, West Virginia, and Dontrell Ivery, 38, formerly of Cleveland, Ohio and now of Wheeling, West Virginia on drug and gun charges and both will appear in state court in West Virginia.
Terrell Bruce Allen, 32, of Cleveland, Ohio was also arrested on drug and gun charges and will appear in state court in Ohio.
Niamah Assamad, 36, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Felonious Assault and she will appear in state court in Ohio.
“This week’s execution of federal search warrants is just continuing proof of the success of the drug task force, and the cooperation of city, county, state and federal authorities,” said Ohio County Sheriff Pat Butler. “I know citizens get impatient when they see obvious drug operations in their neighborhood, however these investigations take time.”
“I am personally and professionally vested in Wheeling Island, and I appreciate the cooperation among the local, state, and federal agencies that were, and are still, involved in the investigation,” said Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger.The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force is a HIDTA-funded initiative and is comprised of officers and agents from the Wheeling Police Department, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Belmont County Drug Task Force is comprised of officers and agents from the Barnesville Police Department, Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, Bellaire Police Department, Bethesda Police Department, Bridgeport, Ohio Police Department, Martins Ferry Police Department, Powhatan Police Department, Shadyside Police Department, and St. Clairsville Police Department.
According to Ihlenfeld, additional charges arising from the investigation will be filed in the near future in both state and federal court.
Federal Jury Finds Pasco County Aircraft Mechanic Guilty of Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that a federal jury has found Russel Lee Orr (41, Trinity) guilty of attempted online enticement of a child to engage in sexual activity, attempted production of child pornography, and eight counts of advertising for child pornography. On the attempted enticement count, Orr faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years’, up to life, imprisonment. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the attempted production charge and for each of the advertising charges. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 25, 2016.
According to evidence presented at trial, from March 10, 2015, through May 20, 2015, Orr engaged in a series of text message and email conversations with an individual he believed to be a 14-year old girl. The "child" was actually a detective with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. During the course of the conversations, Orr discussed in detail his desire to meet the “child” for sex. He also repeatedly solicited the “child” to produce and send pornographic pictures of her genitalia to him.
On May 21, 2015, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Orr’s apartment and arrested him. During the search of the home, the agents located and seized a smart phone that Orr had used to communicate with the “child” and also to search the Internet for materials related to the sexual exploitation of children.
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Tampa. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Kentucky Man for Child Enticement and Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a Kentucky man on charges of enticing a minor and attempting to produce child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sec. Stan Stabler.
A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges LARRY DEAN TACKETT, 55, of Wallingford, Ky., with child enticement and attempted production of child pornography in 2016 in Kentucky, Tennessee and Clay County, Ala.
The maximum penalty for child enticement is life imprisonment and a fine of $250,000; the maximum penalty for attempting to produce child pornography is 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI and ALEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Hutzell is prosecuting.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges unless and until proven guilty.
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Exeter Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Making False Statements and Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
Contact: Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Clifford Sprague, 38, of Exeter, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 41 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release making false statements to obtain Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) benefits and for being an accessory after the fact to a pharmacy robbery. The defendant was also ordered to pay $18,042 in restitution. The defendant pled guilty to the charges on September 16, 2015.
According to court records, from March 2011 until March 2012, the defendant received $12,864 in SSDI benefits for himself and his three dependent children. SSDI benefits are paid by the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) to people with a disability. In November 2011, the defendant was required to undergo a Continuing Disability Review to determine if he was still disabled. During this review, the defendant told his representative payee to falsely represent that he did not work outside the house and did require someone to clean, bathe, dress and cook for him. In truth and fact, the defendant did not have disabilities that required someone else to clean, bathe, dress and cook for him and did a significant amount of work outside the house including working as a scrap metal dealer, carpenter and woodcutter.
On March 10, 2012, Michael Thompson entered the Rite Aid pharmacy in Guilford, Maine wearing a bandana, a hood, sunglasses and gloves. He jumped over the pharmacy counter, brandished a large hunting style knife and demanded narcotics. A pharmacist opened the locker containing narcotics and Thompson filled his back pack with more than $5000 worth of them. After the robbery, Thompson called Sprague, told him that he had robbed the pharmacy and asked Sprague to pick him up in his car. Sprague did so. Shortly after picking up Thompson, Sprague saw a Somerset County Sheriff’s Office vehicle. Sprague slowed down his vehicle and told Thompson he needed to get out. Thompson got out of Sprague’s vehicle and fled into the woods. Later, Sprague used and sold some of the narcotics Thompson stole. On June 29, 2015, Thompson was sentenced to 82 months in prison for his role in the pharmacy robbery.
The false statements investigation was conducted by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General. The pharmacy robbery investigation was conducted by the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office, the Maine State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.
Convicted Cross-Burner Sentenced on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Steven Joshua Dinkle, 30, a former Exalted Cyclops of the Ozark, Alabama chapter of the International Keystone Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), was sentenced to 15 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced George L. Beck, Jr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.
Dinkle was previously convicted in May of 2014 of several federal felonies surrounding the burning of a cross in a predominantly black neighborhood. Dinkle served his sentence for the previous convictions and was released in May of 2015. While on supervised release from May to August 2015, Dinkle was cited for multiple violations of the terms of his probation, including possession of a firearm, and his probation was revoked.
Federal law makes it a crime for anyone who has been convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm, unless they have had their gun rights restored.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the United States Probation Office, and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Redmond.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty in New Mexico to Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Pawletzki, 34, of Lakewood, Colo., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria.
SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.
Pawletzki was charged by indictment on Nov. 17, 2015, with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. During today’s proceedings, Pawletzki pled guilty to a felony information charging him with failing to update his registration from Dec. 2014 through Nov. 2015, in Valencia County, N.M.
Pawletzki remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Pawletzki faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Pawletzki will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez.
Broward County Resident Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Possessing at Least 652 Identities Used in Stolen Identity and Tax Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
A Broward County resident was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,640.35 for possessing at least 652 identities that were used in stolen identity and tax fraud schemes.
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), and Dwayne Flournoy, Chief, Hallandale Beach Police Department (HBPD), made the announcement.
Laveisha Dorray Charles-Coldros, 30, of Miramar, Florida, previously pled guilty to one count of using an unauthorized access device to obtain $1,000 or more, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1029(a)(2), and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).
According to court documents, during a vehicle search where Charles-Coldros was the sole occupant, a Hallandale Beach Police Department officer found mail addressed to numerous individuals and a large duffel bag with multiple pieces of paper and notebooks that contained the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of approximately 652 different individuals. Also seized from the duffel bag were 13 debit or visa cards from various banks where some of the real account owners had reported fraud on their accounts.
IRS-CI Special Agents determined that some of the individuals whose personal identifying information (PII) was found in the duffel bag had tax returns filed in their names. The agents interviewed numerous individuals and found that the individuals did not authorize Charles-Coldros to have their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers in her possession, and did not authorize anyone to file a tax return in their names. Another individual did not authorize Charles-Coldros to have a debit card in his/her name.
According to court documents in a separate, but related, (case #1:16-cr-20055), when Federal Protective Services (FPS) agents advised Charles-Coldros of the outstanding warrant for her arrest related to identity theft, the defendant ran away from the agents and jumped through the opened front-passenger window into another individual’s car. An FPS agent unsuccessfully attempted to pull Charles-Coldros out of the car. Fearing that the other individual, who was already in the driver's seat of the car, would drive away with the defendant in the car, the FPS agent jumped through the opened front-passenger window into the car with his legs dangling out. While in the car, the defendant and other individual repeatedly struck the FPS agent. In this case, Charles-Coldros previously pled guilty to one count of forcibly assaulting and interfering with officers and employees of the United States, and inflicting bodily injury in the commission of the offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b) and 2. Sentencing is scheduled in this case for July 12, 2016 before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. The defendant faces a maximum of twenty years in prison for the assault charge.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, United States Secret Service, and the Hallandale Beach Police Department, and thanked Federal Protective Service and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance in this matter. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cynthia R. Wood and Brian J. Shack.
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.
Brooklyn Park Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of A Teenage GirlRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced the sentencing of MYKEL LAMAR HARRIS, 25, for trafficking a teenage girl who he sold for sex. HARRIS, who pleaded guilty on January 25, 2016, was sentenced Thursday before U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn.
“Sex trafficking is not just an international or national problem—it is also a local one,” said Assistant United States Attorney Laura M. Provinzino. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the children of Minnesota from commercial sexual exploitation by prosecuting those who harm children. We urge members of the community to continue to contact law enforcement when children are in danger.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea, in September 2013, HARRIS used Facebook to recruit a teenage girl who was in high school at the time, to commit sex acts in exchange for money. HARRIS took partially nude photos of the victim and used them to advertise the victim on a backpage.com post linked to his personal email account. Over a three-day period in December 2013, HARRIS sold the victim for sex at a hotel in Roseville, Minn. Customers were charged $150 for a half hour and $250 for an hour. HARRIS took all of the money the victim collected for those sexual encounters.
According to documents filed in court, HARRIS again caused the victim to engage in commercial sex in January, February and April 2014, during which time she missed days of high school and at her legitimate place of employment. HARRIS used the victim’s own debit card to rent hotel rooms in which he sold her for sex.
The successful prosecution resulted from an anonymous tip handwritten on a backpage.com advertisement. Based on the victim’s photographs, the tipster reported: “I am as sure as I can be ‘this is a child.’ Please do something!”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Saint Paul Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
Defendant Information:
MYKEL LAMAR HARRIS, 25
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Convicted:
- Sex trafficking of a minor, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 120 months in prison
- 10 years of supervised release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Role in Home Depot Shoplifting RingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Christopher Lee Miller, 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for wire fraud conspiracy.
Miller pleaded guilty on April 7, 2016. According to court documents, Miller was a member of a shoplifting ring that targeted Home Depot stores in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Miller and his co-conspirators would steal merchandise from Home Depot stores and then return the stolen merchandise without a receipt. In exchange, they would receive store credit, which they sold for cash. Over the course of five years, Miller helped to defraud Home Depot of approximately $140,000 in store credit.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler McGaughey prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-cr-210.
Ansley Man Sentenced for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Darrell W. Jenkins, 42, formerly of Ansley, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 17 years in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for receiving child pornography. Following his release from prison, Jenkins will serve 17 years on supervised release and continue to be required to register as a sex offender. Jenkins was previously convicted in 2005 of Third Degree Sexual Assault in Custer County, Nebraska.
In April of 2015, the Nebraska State Patrol was contacted by the Alliance Police Department after receiving information that Jenkins had been sending sexual text messages to a 14 year old minor via Facebook. Officers of the Alliance Police Department provided the State Patrol with Jenkins’s Facebook account information and IP logs for a specific date range during which time an undercover officer had communicated with Jenkins, while posing as the minor victim. During this time, Jenkins communicated lewd, lascivious or obscene language or sound to the officer posing as the minor. Investigation determined that the IP address was assigned to Jenkin’s residence in Ansley, Nebraska.
A search warrant was executed at the residence and investigators took possession of Jenkins’ electronic devices and after further forensic examination identified 37 videos and 46 pictures of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Alliance Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol.
30 June 2016
Virginia Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Kidnapping A Philadelphia Woman Off A City StreetRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Delvin Barnes, 38, of Charles City County, Virginia, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for kidnapping. Barnes pleaded guilty to the charge on September 10, 2015. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge J. Curtis Joyner ordered a $100 special assessment.
On November 2, 2014, at approximately 9:40 p.m., in the area of 100 W. Coulter Street in Philadelphia, Barnes violently grabbed a 22-year old woman from a sidewalk as she walked home. Barnes dragged the victim down the street and forced her into his car. A video recording capturing the abduction shows the victim struggling with the defendant in her attempt to get away. The victim struck Barnes in the head with a hammer after he forced her into his car. The defendant threatened that if she did not stop fighting, he would kill her.
Barnes drove to Maryland with the victim, bound by her wrists, in the trunk of the car. On November 5, 2015, federal agents arrested Barnes in Jessup, Maryland, and the victim was rescued. She identified Barnes as her abductor.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service with assistance from the Charles City County Sheriff’s and Kent County Sheriff’s Offices. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanine Linehan.