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28 June 2016
Randolph County Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine and Heroin OffensesRead the Press Release
On June 27, 2016, Paula L. Summers, 61, of Percy, was sentenced for methamphetamine and heroin offenses, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Summers, who had previously pled guilty to two-count indictment charging conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute heroin, was sentenced to 109 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and fined $400.00. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Summers was involved with others in distributing both heroin and methamphetamine, in the form of "ice." Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity level of at least 80%. Summers and others made multiple trips to St. Louis to obtain dealer amounts of heroin. Summers also distributed large amounts of ice and heroin from her Percy residence. At sentencing, the judge found that Summers was responsible for the distribution of over 450 grams of ice and 27 grams of heroin. The offenses occurred between 2013 and June 2015, in Perry, Jackson, and Randolph Counties. Seven co-defendants have previously been sentenced for their role in the drug conspiracies.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Drug Task Force, Percy Police Department, Steeleville Police Department, Mascoutah Police Department, Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team, DuQuoin Police Department, Pinckneyville Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Randolph and Perry County State’s Attorney’s Offices also assisted in the investigation.
Pottsboro, TX Man Sentenced to 2 Months for Theft of Gaming Establishment on Indian LandsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that ALLEN MICHAEL SCOTT, age 22, of Pottsboro, Texas, was sentenced to 2 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release to include 6 months of home detention for THEFT BY OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES OF GAMING ESTABLISHMENT ON INDIAN LANDS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1168(b) and 2.
The Indictment alleged that from on or about February 9, 2015, to on or about February 20, 2015, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, an employee of the Choctaw Nation Casino and Resort, did embezzle, abstract, purloin, willfully misapply and take and carry away in excess of $1,000.00 of moneys belonging to the Choctaw Nation Casino and Resort, an Indian gaming establishment operated by the Choctaw Nation in Indian Country, pursuant to an ordinance or resolution approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 17+ Years in Prison for Violating Federal Drug and Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Kia Jones, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction and for conspiring to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine in Western Pennsylvania, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Jones, age 37, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. Judge Conti also sentenced Jones to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine A. King and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
A task force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case. The task force also included several other federal, state, and local agencies from multiple states, including the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department, the Monroeville Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Pittsburgh Drug Dealer Sentenced to 7+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Chaz Lloyd, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine and at least 100 grams of heroin in Western Pennsylvania, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Lloyd, 30, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. Judge Conti also sentenced Lloyd to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. In support of the conviction and sentence of Lloyd, the Court was informed that Lloyd was involved in the distribution of multiple ounces to kilogram quantities of cocaine and brick quantities of heroin.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine A. King and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
A task force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case. The task force also included several other federal, state, and local agencies from multiple states, including the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department, the Monroeville Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Philadelphia Woman Indicted on Charge She Was A Convicted Felon with A GunRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Annemarie Scott, 21, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged today by Indictment with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment alleges that on or about April 1, 2016, Scott, who has several prior felony convictions, possessed a loaded Glock, 9mm, semi-automatic firearm.
If convicted the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Virgil B. Walker.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Intent to Distribute via U.S. MailRead the Press Release
Ferdinand Javier Ruiz, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was charged today by information with attempted possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The charges arise from the defendant’s involvement in the shipment of methamphetamine and cocaine using the U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery W. Whitt.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nitro man pleads guilty to enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Nitro man pleaded guilty today to a federal sex crime involving a minor, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Mark Anthony Levitt, 38, entered his guilty plea for using an app on his cell phone to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Levitt admitted that from June 2015 through July 2015, he used a cell phone to send sexually explicit messages to persuade and induce a 14-year-old to engage in sexual activity.
Levitt faces a mandatory prison sentence of 12 years, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release. Levitt will also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for October 5, 2016.
“This case sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those who exploit and abuse minors,” said Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold sexual predators accountable.”
The Nitro Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.
This prosecution is being brought as part of an ongoing initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Nineteen Indicted in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Nineteen defendants have been charged in a federal indictment with various felony offenses stemming from their respective roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
The 12-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Dallas earlier this month and just unsealed, charges each of the defendants with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. All but three of the defendants are also charged with one substantive count of either distribution of methamphetamine or possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Two defendants are charged with a firearms offense.
Charged in the indictment are:
Josue Tijerina, aka “J,” 30, of Dallas
Christina Bruffy, aka “Christine Bruffy,” 47, of Mesquite
Stephanie Laza, 44, of Mesquite
Rebecca Grimes, 31, of Dallas
Stephanie Hernandez, aka “Stephanie Kinney,” 27, of Dallas
Luan Vo, 40, of Irving
Shelby Wiggins, 24 of Greenville
Katy Anderson, aka “Kay Scott,” 35, of Garland
Deborah Uribe, aka “Deberah Uribe,” 45, of Kaufman
Oralia Acosta, aka “Oralia Morris,” 51, of Dallas
Guadalupe Segovia, aka “Sleepy,” 43, of Mesquite
Carson Baker, 23, of Mesquite
Earvin Gibson, 45, of Dallas
Tina Connolly, aka “Tina Connlly,” 55, of Dallas
Edgar Fallad-Martinez, aka “Edgar Fallas-Martinez,” 28, of Dallas
Tiffany Gundermann, 26, of Waco
Michael Ramos, 20, of Mesquite
Leo Najera-Padilla, 29, of Dallas
Joshua Diaz, 27, of DallasDefendants Segovia and Connolly are also each charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The defendants were arrested in a joint operation led by the Dallas Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The investigation into this drug trafficking organization, which operated out of the Pleasant Grove, Seagoville and Balch Springs areas of the DFW metroplex, began in early January 2016. During the investigation, law enforcement has seized more than 6700 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 13.2 kilograms of methamphetamine oil, 62 grams of marijuana, 2.5 grams of heroin, and 20 ml of gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), as well as 12 firearms and $12,379 in cash.
A federal indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury, and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. However, if convicted, the conspiracy count carries a statutory penalty of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison, as well as a fine of up to $5,000,000. The maximum statutory penalty for distribution of methamphetamine as well as for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
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New Jersey Clinical Lab at Center of Largest Physician Bribery Case Ever Prosecuted Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Company Ordered to Forfeit All of its Assets
NEWARK, N.J. – Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services LLC (BLS), the Parsippany, New Jersey clinical lab at the center of a long-running and elaborate test referral scheme operated by its president and numerous associates, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
BLS pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging it with one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Federal Travel Act and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Following the plea, BLS was sentenced by Judge Chesler. The company, which is no longer operational, must forfeit all of its assets.
The investigation has resulted in 40 guilty pleas – 26 of them from doctors – in connection with the bribery scheme, which its organizers have admitted involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in payments to BLS from Medicare and various private insurance companies. It is believed to be the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a bribery case. The investigation has to date recovered more than $12 million through forfeiture.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Cynthia Shoffner; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; and IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the ongoing investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph N. Minish, Danielle Alfonzo Walsman, and Jacob T. Elberg, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark, as well as Barbara Ward, Acting Chief of the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.
U.S. Attorney Fishman reorganized the health care fraud practice at the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office shortly after taking office, including creating a stand-alone Health Care and Government Fraud Unit to handle both criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions of health care fraud offenses. Since 2010, the office has recovered more than $1.29 billion in health care fraud and government fraud settlements, judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture under the False Claims Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and other statutes.
Defense counsel: Steven Backfisch Esq., Westfield, New Jersey
Navajo Man from Sheep Springs, N.M., Sentenced to Prison for Federal Voluntary Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Bufred Denetclaw, 53, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Sheep Springs, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 100 months in prison for his voluntary manslaughter conviction. Denetclaw will be on supervised release for three years following his prison sentence.
Denetclaw was arrested on June 23, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with killing a Navajo man on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M., on June 21, 2014. The crime occurred during an alcohol-infused argument between Denetclaw and the victim. Denetclaw was subsequently indicted on June 24, 2015.
On Jan. 28, 2016, Denetclaw pled guilty to a felony information charging him with voluntary manslaughter. In entering his guilty plea, Denetclaw admitted that on June 21, 2014, while acting in the heat of passion, he killed the victim by stabbing him in the back three times.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine Y. Ramirez and Raquel Ruiz-Velez.
Muskogee Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that CHARLES RAY BENEFIELD, age 32, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for FELON IN POSSESSION OF FIREARM, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service, the Eastern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The defendant was indicted in March, 2016.
The Indictment alleged that on or about December 30, 2015, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which he will serve his nonparoleable sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Tim Hammer represented the United States.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced late yesterday Alberto Diaz-Fernandez, 55, of Santa Ana, California, to 121 months in prison and four years of supervised release on drug conspiracy charges, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Daniel R. Salter, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on or about February 3, 2016, DEA agents of the Charlotte District Office Enforcement Group received information that a shipping pallet which had originated in Santa Ana and was carrying a Nissan V-6 engine, also contained methamphetamine and was destined for delivery to an automotive shop in the Charlotte area. According to court records, law enforcement located the shipment and executed a search warrant, seizing approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine hidden within an aftermarket compartment in the shipping pallet. On February 4, 2016, the day the shipment was scheduled for delivery, law enforcement approached Diaz-Fernandez who was waiting in front of the automotive shop. Diaz-Fernandez told law enforcement that he was expecting an engine he had shipped from California to be delivered on that date. Diaz-Fernandez later admitted to shipping the hidden drugs “for dangerous people in Mexico.”
In March 2016, Diaz-Fernandez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole. The defendant will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon the completion of his federal sentence.
DEA and CMPD handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanjeev Bhasker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Media Advisory: Law Enforcement Agencies to Announce Arrests on Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
WHO:
United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey T. Walsh, Drug Enforcement Administration
Chief John Lau, Titusville Police Department
Investigative Agencies
DEA (Gainesville Resident Office)
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office
Melbourne Police Department
Florida Probation and Parole
WHAT:
Press Conference to announce the arrests of individuals involved in a drug conspiracy in Brevard County.
WHEN:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 at 1:30 P.M. EST
WHERE:
U.S. Attorney’s Office
400 W. Washington Street
Genzman Room (Suite 2100)
Orlando, Florida 32801
OPEN PRESS
NOTE:
All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license).
Media may begin arriving at 12:45 P.M.
Martinsburg, WV doctor sentenced for unlawful distribution of prescription painkillersRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Tressie Montene Duffy, 46, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison for unlawful distribution of narcotic painkillers, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Duffy was a practicing physician who operated West Virginia Weight and Wellness, Inc., in Martinsburg. Duffy admitted that she signed blank prescription orders and allowed unlicensed members of her staff to issue prescriptions for narcotic medications to patients that had not been seen by a physician.
Duffy previously pled guilty to seven counts of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Oxycodone.”
Duffy must relinquish her medical license and is prohibited from ever reapplying for a license to practice medicine in West Virginia or any other state.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul T. Camilletti prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges Three Defendants with Participating in Multimillion-Dollar Fraud on Film InvestorsRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Diego Rodriguez, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of charges against JAMES DAVID WILLIAMS, STEVEN BROWN, and GERALD SEPPALA for allegedly defrauding victims out of more than $12 million as part of an advance fee scheme in which victims were asked to invest in film projects based on false promises and misrepresentation. The Indictment charges WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, and WILLIAMS and BROWN are also charged with laundering the proceeds of this fraud. WILLIAMS was arrested this morning in Los Angeles, California, and is expected to be presented and arraigned later today in the Central District of California before United States Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian. BROWN was arrested in this morning in New York City and is expected to be presented and arraigned in the Southern District of New York before United States Magistrate Judge James L. Cott. SEPPALA was arrested this morning in Wayzata, Minnesota, and was presented and arraigned this afternoon in the District of Minnesota before United States Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “With lies about making feature-length films and documentaries, the defendants allegedly defrauded victims into investing over $12 million with them. Rather than making movies, the defendants perpetrated an advance fee scheme, allegedly using the investors’ money to pay themselves and pay other investors back.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said: “As alleged, Williams, Brown, and Seppala didn’t provide marketing expertise to feature films or invest their own millions into film projects as they promised investors. Rather, they defrauded and deceived to acquire more than $12 million of investor funds to pay back previous duped investors or fund personal expenses. Any level of fraud to honest investors is wrong, whether it’s a fraud in the hundreds of dollars or millions dollars.”
According to the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least 2012 through June 2016, JAMES DAVID WILLIAMS, STEVEN BROWN, and GERALD SEPPALA participated in an advance fee scheme in which WILLIAMS and BROWN portrayed themselves as experts in the marketing of feature-length films and documentaries and, along with SEPPALA, solicited investments in these films from investors by typically promising guaranteed returns and participation in profits, which never materialized.
In order to solicit these investments, WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA made material misrepresentations about, among other things, their own investments in the films for which they were soliciting money, as well as investments that they claimed to have received from other investors. To support their claims, WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA frequently sent the victims falsified financial records that reflected investments that had never actually been made. For example, in an effort to secure a $2 million investment in one of the movies from one individual (“Victim-1”), WILLIAMS assured Victim-1 that WILLIAMS himself had also contributed $2 million of his own money to the project. As proof of WILLIAMS’s purported investment, WILLIAMS sent Victim-1 what appeared to be a bank statement showing a balance of just over $1.9 million in the account maintained for the movie, which represented, according to WILLIAMS, what was left of his $2 million after some initial expenditures. True and accurate records for that account, however, show that on the date WILLIAMS sent that statement to Victim-1, there was actually no money in the account and, indeed, there was never any money in that account until Victim-1 provided the solicited $2 million investment.
Similarly, in an effort to get another individual (“Victim-2”) to invest $500,000 in another movie, WILLIAMS represented that WILLIAMS had invested $3 million of his own money, while BROWN claimed to have invested an additional $500,000 of his own money as well. BROWN and WILLIAMS also told Victim-2 that the entire investment would be guaranteed by a company called “Woodlawn Holdings” (“Woodlawn”). In support of these claims, BROWN sent Victim-2’s attorney a letter from someone who claimed to be a “Managing Member” (“Individual-1”) at Woodlawn guaranteeing Vicitm-2’s investment, while WILLIAMS sent what appeared to be a bank statement for the company responsible for producing the movie, showing a balance of more than $3.5 million. Subsequent investigation, however, revealed that no one with Individual-1’s name worked at Woodlawn, nor had representatives at Woodlawn heard of WILLIAMS, BROWN, SEPPLA, or the movie they claimed to be making. In addition, true and accurate records from the relevant bank account revealed that there was only $500,200 in the account at the time that WILLIAMS sent Victim-2 the statement showing a balance of more than $3.5 million. Furthermore, the other money in that bank account was from neither WILLIAMS nor BROWN.
In total, WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA solicited more than $12 million from their victims that was allegedly to be used for either marketing or production costs associated with the various films. In reality, however, the money that was received from these investors was used to fund other projects, pay back previously defrauded investors, or pay the personal expenses of WILLIAMS, BROWN, and SEPPALA, including, among other things, the purchase of a car and a house for WILLIAMS.
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WILLIAMS, 54, of Calabasas, California, and BROWN, 46, of Santa Monica, California, are each charged with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. SEPPALA, 47, of Wayzata, Minnesota, is charged with one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Conspiring to commit wire fraud and wire fraud each carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison. Conspiring to commit money laundering carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If you believe you are a victim of the above-described fraud, please call the FBI at 212-384-1000 or email [email protected]. This email account is taking tips only on these alleged crimes.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Egan is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Local organizations collaborate in flood relief effortsRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – The United States Attorney’s Office has partnered with the YWCA and Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration in Wheeling, West Virginia to collect donations for the flood victims in southern West Virginia, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Donations can be dropped off at the YWCA, 1100 Chapline Street, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and at Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration, 42 38th Street from 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Donations will be accepted through Friday, July 1st at 5:00 p.m.
“After seeing the devastation in southern West Virginia, I knew the Ohio Valley community would want to get involved in the relief effort. We want to ensure that our southern neighbors have the resources they need to begin to rebuild,” said Lori Jones, Executive Director of the YWCA-Wheeling.
The highest priority items include cleaning supplies, buckets, brooms, mops, bottled water, baby diapers and wipes, baby food and formula, shovels, work gloves, rubber boots, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, blankets, tarps, and batteries.
“Our goal is to assist the communities and residents who lost their homes in the recent flooding as they work to restore and rebuild,” said Josh Contraguerro, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration spokesman. “Over the next few days and months, these communities and residents will need our help. Whether it is one gallon of bleach or one case of water, every donation will make a substantial impact.”
Offices throughout the United States Courthouse and Federal Building have already begun to donate items to be delivered to southern West Virginia. In addition, members of the United States Attorney’s Office will be traveling to assist with relief efforts.
Wheeling Island Hotel and Casino and Sysco Corporation have each donated a pallet of water to the cause. In addition, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration will provide trucks to transport all of the supplies to some of the hardest hit areas.
If you have any questions please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (304) 234-0100.
Lewiston Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Contact: Darcie N. McElwee
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Doug Bixby, 25, of Lewiston, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John D. Levy to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as “crack,” and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pled guilty on February 2, 2016.
According to court records, on August 28, 2014, Bixby was found by police at a Pine Street apartment in Lewiston in possession of a sawed-off shotgun, six boxes of shotgun shells, 24.6 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale and small plastic baggies. At the time, surveillance cameras were set up in the hallway outside Bixby’s apartment with a live feed displayed on a monitor in his bedroom and he was on state probation for drug trafficking.
The investigation was conducted by the Lewiston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.Leader of Northeast Birmingham Drug Ring Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced the leader of one of Birmingham’s largest cocaine- and heroin-trafficking rings to nearly 23 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot, and Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale.
U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced PATRICK DEWAYNE HALL, 37, to 22 years and 11 months in prison for his role in leading the illegal drug-trafficking organization based in northeast Birmingham. Hall pleaded guilty in January 2016 to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to various other drug charges, including money laundering and using a telephone to traffic drugs.
A federal grand jury in October returned a 72-count indictment charging Hall and 23 others with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and cocaine. In addition to being charged in the conspiracy, various defendants also were charged with distributing drugs and laundering money.
The investigation focused on Hall, who, along with one of his lieutenants, LOVODAS DEANGELO BLAKE, 27, was arrested in the early morning of Aug. 2, by an FBI SWAT team after the duo hid for several hours in the attic of a Northeast Birmingham home. The pair ran to the house after leading federal agents on a high-speed chase through northeast Birmingham, then ditching their Chevrolet Tahoe in the front yard of a home. FBI agents recovered more than nine kilograms of cocaine and almost $20,000 from the vehicle.
Among the defendants sentenced today was DAVID WAYNE McDANIEL, 24, who is widely known by his rap artist moniker, “Northside Weezy.” McDaniel received a seven-year, six-month sentence. Also sentenced were TEDDY TONELL DAVIS, 34, to 15 years, eight months in federal prison, and COREY LIONEL PITTS, 38, to 10 years in prison. Last month, Judge Coogler sentenced ROBERT LYNN THOMAS JR., 26, to five years in prison, JESSTIFUR JAHALIA FERRARI HURST, 29, to 10 years in prison, RODRIQUIS TYRONE STURDVIANT, 26, to two years and 11 months in prison, ISRAEL BRAVO OLASOAGAR, 38, to three years, 10 months in prison, and JESSE TYRONE HURST, 58, to five years in prison. The remaining defendants are scheduled for sentencing in the coming months.
The prosecution resulted in the forfeiture of large amounts of cash, four vehicles valued at more than $160,000, five parcels of real property valued at more than $300,000, and 23 money judgments levied against the defendants for $10 million.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and other agency members of the FBI’s North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Dimler prosecuted the case.
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Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a GrenadeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Keyton Wayne Lieber, 37, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to the unlawful possession of a destructive device. The guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Lieber was arrested on Jan. 21, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing a destructive device, an explosive grenade, on April 21, 2015, in Doña Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officers found the grenade in Lieber’s residence while executing a search warrant. Upon discovering the grenade, the NMSP Bomb Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were contacted to safely dispose of the destructive device.
During today’s proceedings, Lieber pled guilty to possessing a destructive device, which was not registered to him. Court documents indicate that inquiry into the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) notified law enforcement that Lieber had no firearms or devices registered to him in the NFRTR.
At sentencing, Lieber faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Lieber remains in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the ATF and the NMSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
KC Man Sentenced for Throwing Molotov Cocktails at Congressional OfficeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for throwing Molotov cocktails at the local congressional office of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II.
Eric G. King, 29, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 3, 2016, King pleaded guilty to using explosive materials to commit arson.
On Sept. 11, 2014, at 2:52 a.m., a window was broken and two Molotov cocktails were thrown at Cleaver’s congressional office located at 101 W. 31st Street, Kansas City, Mo. The office was unoccupied at the time of the incident. A hammer used to break the window was recovered from the scene, as well as two broken Molotov cocktails. There was no fire damage to the building.
Video footage shows King, wearing a large backpack, walking to the congressional office. King retrieved two Molotov cocktails from his backpack, then walked around the parking lot for a few minutes in an apparent effort to hide from cars that were passing by. The video footage shows King throwing a hammer through the west window then lighting the two Molotov cocktails. The first Molotov cocktail bounced off the side of the building. King threw the second Molotov cocktail through the window then sprinted away from the office.
Detectives with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department were investigating King in connection with a series of anti-government related incidents of vandalism in the immediate vicinity of the congressional office. The incidents occurred over the Labor Day weekend in 2014 and involved the spray painting of anti-government/anarchy graffiti. One of the incidents was at a Bank of America, from which investigators obtained video surveillance footage that showed King spray painting the bank.
Investigators reviewed social media and Facebook posts by King and noted one post from Sept. 3, 2014, that read, “KC Fight Back celebrated its first labor day with a lovely variety of action, action and more action against a series of government and Financial properties.” Other posts included King posting “KC Fight Back Insurrectionist Collective is alive,” and “these cops aren’t going to kill themselves, get to the streets.” On Aug. 10, 2014, King posted “I want to leave kc better than I found or an ashes.” A social media post by King on the day before the congressional office was attacked read, “KC Fight Back has been in serious in its Insurrection activity, and that is the thing that is giving me the most pride in my life.”
King was arrested as he was leaving his apartment on Sept. 16, 2014. When officers opened the backpack King was carrying at the time, they found a can of red spray paint, Kingsford Charcoal Lighter fluid, and a clear plastic soda bottle (containing a clear liquid) with a tube sock placed over it.
Officers searched King’s apartment and found a hand-written letter entitled “Operation House Committee.” The letter, in part, was a list that contained the following: “(1) Paint thinner/alcohol, (2) face cover/hand cover/all tattoos covered, (3) Three bottles glass, (4) paper towels, old rags/lighter, (5) drive/driver, must be someone trust with.” The letter then mentioned the steps to light the devices, then said to “use hammer/sledgehammer to break door,” “light bottles, throw them, light curtains,” and repeat these steps on “government buildings, all things police, certain law firms, corporations…” The first part of the backside of the letter read, “The arsons committed on Sept 11, 2014 were committed solely by the KC FIGHT BACK Insurrectionist Collective.”
The Molotov cocktails recovered from the congressional office were analyzed by the ATF crime lab in order to identify any DNA that might be present and a profile was developed from one of the bottles and one of the wicks. A sample of King’s DNA was obtained via a search warrant; King’s DNA matched the DNA found on both the wick and bottle.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Federal Protective Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jury Finds Delmar Woman Guilty of Workers’ Compensation FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – A jury today convicted Carol-Lisa Gutman, age 62, of Delmar, New York, of conducting a 15-year fraud scheme in which she received about $429,000 in federal disability benefits.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Eileen Neff, Special Agent in Charge for the Northeast Area of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Following a 6-day trial, Gutman was convicted of five counts of wire fraud, two counts of federal employees’ compensation fraud, and one count of theft of government money.
The evidence at trial demonstrated that Gutman began receiving federal workers’ compensation benefits in 1987, after claiming to have injured her back while working for the United States Postal Service. From that time forward, Gutman claimed to be completely disabled, regularly reporting to her doctors that she was essentially housebound and lacked the ability to do any substantial amount of bending, lifting, carrying, or even sitting. Gutman also reported that she spent 15 hours each day in a large hot tub in order to obtain relief for her back pain and that she did not perform household-related tasks.
The evidence at trial included hours of video recordings from 2011, 2012 and 2013, showing Gutman working in her yard, performing activities such as raking leaves, mowing the lawn, carrying large pails of yard waste, and bending over repeatedly. Gutman received more than $429,000 in workers’ compensation benefits between September 2001 and April 2016, the time period covered by the indictment.
Gutman will be sentenced in Syracuse on October 26, 2016, by Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr., who presided over the trial. Gutman faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, along with an order that she pay restitution to the government. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Jury Convicts Owner of DTS Medical Supply Company in Devine, TX, and Office Manager in Connection with $3.5 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
In Waco, a jury returned guilty verdicts against 55–year-old DTS Medical Supply Company owner Daniel Thomason Smith and 45-year-old DTS office manager Kathleen Marina Kelly-Tuorila in connection with an estimated $3.5 million Health Care Fraud scheme announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The jury convicted both defendants of one count of conspiracy to commit Health Care Fraud, one count of aiding and abetting Health Care Fraud, eleven counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft and eight counts of aiding and abetting false statements related to a Health Care matter. A third defendant in this case, 60–year-old Robin Renee Haigler of Waco, TX, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on August 17, 2015.
Both Medicare and Medicaid provide qualified beneficiaries with financial remuneration for the purchase of prescribed and necessary medical equipment. Such medical equipment would include powered wheelchairs, powered scooters and accessories related to those two devices. Medicare and Medicaid set a rate of compensation for each of these devices and the rate of compensation differed between devices and was to be based on the type of device that was prescribed for the beneficiary and delivered to the beneficiary.
Evidence presented during trial revealed that that between May 2006 and January 2010, the defendants conspired to submit numerous false and fraudulent benefit claims to Medicaid and Medicare seeking compensation for powered wheelchairs. Smith employed Haigler on a commission basis to recruit customers primarily in the Waco area. Kelly-Tuorila used the collected customer information from Haigler to generate and submit fraudulent claims for reimbursement to Medicaid and Medicare for powered wheelchairs. According to court testimony regarding the aggravated identity counts, names of physicians were used to support claims for reimbursement when the named physician never prescribed a powered wheelchair for the customer and, in some instances, didn’t even know the customer and had never had them as a patient. Evidence also revealed that even though DTS billed for powered wheelchairs, they delivered less-expensive powered scooters to customers, which resulted in a larger payment from Medicaid/Medicare and a larger percentage of profit for DTS and Smith.
Following the reading of the verdict yesterday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses remanded Smith and Kelly-Tuorila into federal custody. Both face up to ten years imprisonment on the conspiracy count; up to ten years imprisonment on the aiding and abetting Health Care Fraud count; up to two years in federal prison for each aggravated identity theft count; and, up to five years in federal prison for each false statement count. Sentencing for Smith and Kelly-Tuorila has yet to be scheduled. Haigler, who remains on bond pending sentencing in September, faces up to ten years in federal prison.
This investigation was conducted by the agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with investigators from the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Surovic and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rex Beasley are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
Jordan Davis Convicted of Conspiring to Steal Money from Community Action of MinneapolisRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the conviction of JORDAN JAMES DAVIS, 35, for conspiring with his father, WILLIAM JAMES DAVIS, to steal funds from Community Action of Minneapolis (CAM). JORDAN DAVIS was convicted today after a jury trial before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minn. WILLIAM DAVIS pleaded guilty on June 16, 2016 to all of the charges against him.“Jordan Davis took more than $140,000 in salary that he did not earn,” said Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen. “The agreement this defendant made with his father to steal from CAM destroyed opportunities for underprivileged youth to learn valuable job skills. I am thankful to the jury for the time and attention they gave to this case, and hope that this verdict brings some measure of justice for those harmed by Jordan Davis’ crimes.”
As proven at trial, WILLIAM DAVIS used CAM funds to pay his son JORDAN DAVIS for a no-show job at a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop operated by CAM as a PartnerShop near the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. Ben & Jerry’s waived its standard franchise fees so that CAM could operate the store to provide job and entrepreneurial training to underprivileged youth facing barriers to employment.
As proven at trial, between 2002 and October 2006, JORDAN DAVIS worked as the manager of the Ben & Jerry’s PartnerShop. In October 2006, JORDAN DAVIS obtained employment with the Minneapolis Police Department, and thereafter stopped working at the Ben & Jerry’s.
As proven at trial, WILLIAM DAVIS instructed CAM’s fiscal staff to continue issuing JORDAN DAVIS the full paycheck he had been receiving for managing the ice cream shop. Even though JORDAN DAVIS never again worked a shift at the Ben & Jerry’s, from at least March 2007 until January 2011, he continued to receive his full paycheck, $1,320 biweekly. In fact, while DAVIS was receiving paychecks for his no-show job, CAM hired four other managers for the Ben & Jerry’s store, three of whom were paid less in the full-time jobs than JORDAN DAVIS received for his no-show role.
As proven at trial, during the time JORDAN DAVIS was receiving a paycheck for his no-show job, the Ben & Jerry’s store was consistently losing money, forcing CAM to transfer approximately $100,000 in federal grant funds each year in order to keep the doors open.
As proven at trial, WILLIAM DAVIS also gave JORDAN DAVIS a CAM vehicle for his personal use, and JORDAN DAVIS also had a Ben & Jerry’s debit card that he used to pay personal expenses such as gas and cell phone bills.
In April 2011, CAM closed the Ben & Jerry’s PartnerShop because CAM could no longer afford the rent for the store, and CAM terminated its youth job skills training program.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the United States Department of Energy Office of the Inspector General.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly A. Svendsen and Amber M. Brennan.
Defendant Information:JORDAN JAMES DAVIS, 35
Ostego, Minn.Convicted: • Conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, 1 count
• Mail fraud, 5 countsHolland Area Man Sentenced for Identity Theft and Mail TheftRead the Press Release
Tracy Lee Rudisel Lived and Worked in Holland While on the Run from Colorado Authorities
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Tracy Lee Rudisel, 49, originally from Colorado but who resided in Holland, Michigan, in 2013 and 2014, was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment today by U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney for identity theft and possession of stolen mail. The identity theft conviction resulted in a two-year mandatory minimum sentence to be served after Rudisel’s 15 months’ imprisonment for his possession of stolen mail. In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Maloney noted that identity theft remains a serious problem throughout our district, as well as across the country.
Rudisel resided in Colorado for most of his adult life before moving to Michigan in order to live with a woman he met over the internet and to evade warrants for his arrest in Colorado. After arriving in Michigan, Rudisel stole the social security account number of another individual and obtained employment and an apartment in that individual’s name. Over the next several months, Rudisel repeatedly stole the mail of Holland area residents from post-office boxes on the north-side of Holland. Rudisel’s mail theft focused upon residents’ bank statements, bank checks, driver’s licenses, investment accounts, and other mail containing personal identifying information. At the time of his arrest, Rudisel possessed the Michigan driver’s license of several different individuals, as well as information about how to make fraudulent driver’s licenses and other fraudulent identification documents.
"Unfortunately, identity theft continues to be a common offense in our digital age. My office will vigorously prosecute those who commit identity theft and cause innocent victims to suffer serious, and sometimes long-lasting, effects on their financial and personal lives," said U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. "This case is especially troubling given the large-scale mail theft that went along with Rudisel’s intent to commit identity theft against many victims for his own gain. As in this case, we will continue to seek mandatory two-year minimum sentences, consecutive to any sentence for other criminal conduct, to deter others from committing identity theft against the citizens of this district."
"I applaud the interagency cooperation and the expeditious prosecution," said E.C. Woodson, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. "Rudisel targeted communities in Colorado and Michigan and will now answer for his conduct. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to vigorously investigate acts of identity theft. We urge all citizens to review their credit reports and report incidences of identity theft immediately."
The investigation of this case was handled by the Holland Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Stella.
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Harrison County man sentenced for oxycodone distributionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Suhip E. Ebrahim, 26, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for distribution of oxycodone, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Ebrahim was arrested in Wheeling, WV after being found in possession of a large quantity of oxycodone pills. He previously pled guilty in May 2016 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Oxycodone.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert H. McWilliams and Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, all HIDTA-funded initiatives, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Greenfield Man Pleads Guilty to Enticing Two Teens for Illicit SexRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Greenfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to attempting to entice two teenage victims to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Christopher L. Johnson, 37, of Greenfield, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to both counts of a Sept. 30, 2015, federal indictment.
According to today’s plea agreement, Johnson engaged in text messages and Facebook messages that were sexual in nature with two victims, both under the age of 17, identified as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2. Johnson admitted to engaging in sexual contact with Jane Doe 1 at his residence.
Under federal statutes, Johnson is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. 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. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI and the Dade County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Grandview Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Craigslist Robberies, Shooting Two VictimsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Grandview, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed robberies against victims who were contacted via craigslist, which culminated in the shooting of two victims.
Troy Wright, 23, of Grandview, pleaded guilty to the charges contained in a Sept. 19, 2014, federal indictment. Wright pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, six counts of aiding and abetting a robbery and one count of aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
By pleading guilty today, Wright admitted that he participated in a conspiracy between May 1 and Sept. 19, 2014, to rob several individuals at gunpoint. Wright participated in six armed robberies that occurred after conspirators posted false advertisements to buy or sell items on craigslist.org in order to entice their victims to meet so that conspirators could steal money and electronics. Wright also admitted that he was involved in the shooting of two of their victims during their final armed robbery on July 16, 2013.
Co-defendant Debvon Buckner, 25, of Kansas City, Mo., has also pleaded guilty to his role in the armed robbery conspiracy, five counts of aiding and abetting the robberies and one count of aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. Buckner was the primary point of contact with the victims. Buckner made initial contact with the victims, while his co-conspirators robbed them at gunpoint.
July 16, 2014, Armed Robbery and Shooting
On the evening of July 16, 2014, Wright and his co-defendants robbed and shot two victims (identified as M.N. and M.K.N.) near 5500 E. 84th Terrace, Kansas City, Mo. The two victims, along with their minor son, identified as D.N., had agreed to look at a Hyundai Sonata that was listed for sale in a craigslist advertisement. M.N. and D.N. took a test drive in the vehicle with Buckner and M.N. made a purchase offer. Buckner stated that he needed to call his wife about the purchase and walked away. As he walked away, Wright and another co-conspirator appeared and each pointed a firearm at the victims and demanded money.
The victims tried to return to their car, but Wright and his co-conspirator began shooting M.N. and M.K.N. multiple times. Conspirators took money and personal property (including a purse that contained $500) from the victims then shot one of the victims again, striking him an additional time. One of the victims was transported to a local hospital for life-threatening injuries from multiple gunshot wounds.
July 16, 2014, Armed Robbery
Earlier on the same day, on the afternoon of July 16, 2014, Wright and his co-conspirators robbed a victim who had listed an XBOX One for sale on craigslist. The victim arranged to meet Buckner at Ridge Pointe Apartments in Kansas City, Mo. When he arrived, Buckner approached him and asked to see the XBOX. When the victim handed him the XBOX, Wright and a co-conspirator then appeared and each pointed a firearm at the victim and demanded the XBOX One, XBOX games, and the accessories. They took those items then fled to their vehicle.
July 3, 2014, Armed Robbery
On July 3, 2014, another victim was robbed while trying to buy an XBOX from a craigslist advertisement. The victim met Buckner at Ridge Pointe Apartments after he had agreed to give him $160 and a Samsung Galaxy watch to buy the XBOX. Buckner refused to make the trade after examining the watch. When the victim began walking back to his car, Wright approached, pointed a gun at him and demanded the cash and watch. After taking the cash and watch from the victim, Wright and his co-conspirator fled from the area.
June 30, 2014, Armed Robbery
Wright and co-conspirators posted an advertisement for a phone for sale and made arrangements to meet the victim, identified as “D.B.,” after she responded to the advertisement. When the victim met with a co-conspirator, she decided not to purchase the phone and began to walk away. Two co-conspirators approached her, pointed guns at her and demanded money. After she gave the men $100 they demanded her car keys, cellphone and purse. She pressed the panic button on her car keys and when alarm sounded all three of the conspirators ran away.
June 30, 2014, Armed Robbery #2
Another victim met Buckner later that night on the same date. She had been contacted about purchasing an XBOX One that she posted for sale on Craigslist. When she arrived (with two minor children in her vehicle) at Ridge Pointe Apartments in Kansas City, Mo., Buckner told her that he wanted to see the XBOX. She got out of the vehicle, opened the trunk, and put the XBOX on the vehicle. Buckner grabbed the XBOX One and fled on foot. Wright and another co-conspirator, armed with handguns, approached and pointed the guns at the victims in the vehicle. They demanded all of their money, purses, and XBOX games and controllers. One of the victims asked for her purse back and one of the conspirators said, “Get back in the car or I’ll shoot you” and racked the slide on his gun.
June 26, 2014, Armed Robbery
Wright posted a Samsung plasma TV for sale on craigslist and, the same day, conspirators communicated with a victim for its purchase. The victims, including their infant child, were led to an apartment on E. 42nd Street, Kansas City, Mo. When they pulled out $170 to pay for the television, a co-conspirator came out from the bedroom armed with two handguns, pointed the guns in their face and demanded all their money. The victims gave them all their money and fled from the apartment.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Wright is subject to a sentence of at least 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 27 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Wolesky and Jess E. Michaelsen. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Grand Jury Indicts Man in IRS Impersonation Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A federal grand jury in Dallas has indicted a 42-year-old man from Miami, Florida, on various felony offenses stemming from his role in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) impersonation fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Arnoldo Perez Mirabal was arrested in Miami on May 23, 2016, on charges outlined in a federal complaint filed the previous week in federal court in Dallas. After making an initial appearance in federal court in Miami, yesterday he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Horan in Dallas and pleaded not guilty to an indictment that was returned last week. Trial is set for August 29, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle. He remains in federal custody.
The indictment charges Mirabal with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. If convicted, each of the three counts carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution could also be ordered. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation that would require him, upon conviction, to forfeit any property derived from proceeds of the offense to the U.S.
According to the indictment and complaint filed in the case, from approximately September 2015 until April 2016, Mirabal or other individuals would make unsolicited phone calls to unsuspecting taxpayers claiming to be IRS agents or employees, telling the taxpayer they owed the IRS an outstanding debt that must be paid immediately. This IRS impersonator would typically threaten the taxpayer with arrest or a lawsuit if the funds were not immediately paid.
Then, Mirabal or others would direct the taxpayers to settle this purported IRS debt by wiring funds to Mirabal via MoneyGram or Walmart-2-Walmart services at a location in the Northern District of Texas or elsewhere. As a result of these representations, according to the indictment, Mirabal received a total of $7,005.00 from taxpayers who believed they were required to wire funds to satisfy an outstanding tax debt.
A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offenses charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana is in charge of the prosecution.
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Former Paramedic Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Attempting to Have Sex with a ChildRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Scott Driscoll Bailey was sentenced for attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. The defendant admitted he planned to use prescription muscle relaxers as part of a sexual encounter he sought to have with a young girl.
“Bailey expected to sexually abuse a young girl for his own perverse pleasure,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Thankfully, he was caught by the FBI before he could prey on a child.”
“Today’s sentencing to federal prison will firmly hold Mr. Bailey accountable for his criminal behavior of attempting to prey on a minor child. It is reprehensible cases such as this that necessitates a vigilant and proactive posture by trained law enforcement officers and agents in protecting our nation’s children from those who would target and exploit them,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: On August 18, 2015, Bailey responded to an advertisement on the Internet in which a mother said that she was looking for someone to teach her 9-year-old daughter to have sex. Over the next 10 days, Bailey communicated with the mother and said that he had had numerous sexual encounters with young girls. He told her that he was a paramedic, and he said that he would bring something powdered to put in the daughter’s drink to relax her.
Bailey made arrangements to meet with the mother and her daughter at a fast food restaurant in Brookhaven, Georgia, on August 28, 2015. Unbeknownst to Bailey, he was communicating with an undercover FBI agent. He was arrested when he arrived at the restaurant. Agents searched his car and found condoms, lubricant, and a prescription muscle relaxer. Bailey had told the undercover agent that he would bring a muscle relaxer to grind into a powder to give to the child. He also said that he intended to have sex with the child.
Scott Driscoll Bailey, 45, of Fayetteville, Georgia, was sentenced to ten years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release. Bailey was convicted on these charges on March 1, 2016, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul R. Jones prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Former Joplin Little League President Pleads Guilty to Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that the former president of the Joplin South Little League has pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing approximately $50,000 from the Joplin, Mo., organization.
Diane L. Heikkila, 41, of Joplin, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Monday, June 27, 2016, to a federal information that charges her with wire fraud.
By pleading guilty, Heikkila admitted that she engaged in a scheme to defraud and embezzle approximately $50,000 from the Joplin South Little League from September 2010 through January 2014.
Heikkila, while president, used the organization’s bank debit/credit card to make numerous purchases for personal gain. Heikkila often received “cash back” from the point-of-sale purchases when utilizing the debit/credit card. There were 217 incidents identified where “cash back” from point-of-sale transactions took place, with a total of $17,360 received as “cash back,” but these monies were never returned to the organization.
Heikkila also used the organization’s debit/credit card at ATMs to receive cash unrelated to the expenses of the Joplin South Little League. For example, on June 10, 2013, Heikkila fraudulently used the Joplin South Little League’s debit/credit card to conduct a $503 ATM withdrawal ($500 with a $3 fee) at Downstream Casino in Quapaw, Okla.
Heikkila also wrote and cashed checks to herself from the Joplin South Little League and often made cash withdrawals from the Joplin South Little League bank account.
The treasurer for the Joplin South Little League began reviewing account statements for the organization and in early 2014 discovered suspicious transactions taking place at retail stores, ATMs and casinos. The concerns were brought to the attention of the executive board for the Joplin South Little League and after a review Heikkila was removed from her position in March 2014.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Heikkila must pay a money judgment in the amount of $50,000.
Under federal statutes, Heikkila is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. 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. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI.
Former Chief Investigator at Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Admits Role in Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — The former Chief Investigator at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, Anthony L. Robinson, appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded guilty, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney, to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in June 2016 and unsealed today charging one count of conspiracy to bribe or reward an agent of an organization receiving federal funds. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Robinson, 53, of Mesquite, Texas, will remain on bond pending sentencing. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, and as part of the plea agreement, he agrees to pay $31,708 in restitution in addition to any other restitution that the Court may order. Sentencing is set for October 12, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade.
According to documents filed in the case, between approximately September 13, 2012, and May 24, 2013, Robinson solicited, demanded, and accepted from an individual a bribe, disguised as an investment in a cattle business, to use his position to assist in the dismissal of criminal charges that had been filed against this individual by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
On approximately September 13, 2012, Robinson traveled to Las Vegas, at Dallas County expense, to take custody of this individual and return him to Dallas County to face a criminal charge. On the return trip, Robinson told this individual that he wanted to enter the cattle business. This individual told Robinson that he was wealthy and would be willing to enter into business with Robinson if Robinson would assist in getting his criminal charges dismissed. Robinson agreed.
In late February 2013, Robinson drafted a proposed business partnership specifying that this individual would supply the initial funding for the partnership, while Robinson would handle all day-to-day activities. On March 26, 2013, this individual deposited $200,000 into a joint checking account, and on March 27, 2013, Robinson signed paperwork adding himself as a co-owner of the joint checking account. The next day, Robinson wrote a $5,000 check from that joint account to his wife. Robinson also made additional withdrawals from the account that he used for personal expenses, and he also withdrew some money that he sent back to this individual.
On approximately May 24, 2013, Robinson used his position as Chief Investigator to persuade an Assistant District Attorney to dismiss the criminal charge pending against this individual.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.
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Final Two Defendants Sentenced for Roles in Sophisticated Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – The final two defendants involved in a sophisticated tax conspiracy to defraud the United States government were sentenced last week in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today.
Richard Powers, 68, and Diane Powers, 58, both of Gate City, Virginia, each previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States government and one count of filing a false claim. Last week the District Court sentenced Richard Powers to 37 months in federal prison and his wife, Diane Powers, to 27 months in federal prison.
“Protecting the integrity of our tax system is of the utmost importance to the law enforcement community,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today. “This investigation showed just how serious we take the investigation and prosecution of those who attempt to undermine that system. I am thankful to all of our partner agencies who worked together to dismantle this sophisticated conspiracy.”
The other defendants involved in the conspiracy, who were all related to each other in some manner, have previously been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the scheme on related charges. David Witt, 36, of Jonesville, Virginia, who masterminded the conspiracy while an inmate in a Tennessee State prison, was sentenced to 96 months in Federal Prison. William Ziehler, 38, of Pennington Gap, Virginia, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison. Tommy Witt, 57, of Jonesville, Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. In addition, each defendant was ordered to pay the United States $67,356 in restitution, jointly and severally.
According to evidence presented in District Court by Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne, David Witt, his four codefendants (father, mother, uncle, and brother), and others, participated in a sophisticated conspiracy to defraud the federal government. The scheme began when Witt, at the time an inmate in a Tennessee state prison, gathered personally identifiable information (including birth dates and social security numbers) belonging to other inmates, which he then used that information to complete Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040s. These Form 1040s contained false information, including false addresses outside of prison and false claims that the inmates were due a tax refund based on wages never earned by those inmates. Subsequently, these Form 1040s were sent to persons outside of the prison who then forwarded the Form 1040s to the IRS for processing. Based on these Form 1040s, the IRS issued tax refund checks in the names of these inmates and sent the checks to addresses associated with Witt’s accomplices in the scheme. Many of these tax refund checks were cashed at banks throughout Southwest Virginia by persons using fraudulent power-of-attorney forms. Return payment was made to Witt and others by use of electronic transfers, such as MoneyGram, and by other means.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne prosecuted the case for the United States.
Ferris, TX Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that HARVEY LEE STONE, age 52, of Ferris, Texas, was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for FELON IN POSSESSION OF FIREARM, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
The charge arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police, the Durant Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Indictment alleges that on or about January 23, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, firearms, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which he will serve his nonparoleable sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Federal and State Authorities Arrest 20 Individuals Today in Connection with Austin-Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
This morning, federal, state and local authorities arrested 18 individuals in the Austin area and two individuals in the Houston area on federal drug trafficking charges announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.
A federal grand jury indictment unsealed in Austin this afternoon charges 19 of those arrested with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana. Allegedly, these defendants are responsible for the distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics since May 2014. The 20th individual, 30-year-old Julianne Maynard of Austin, was arrested this morning and charged by federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Those arrested this morning include:
NAME AGE RESIDENCE
Harold Lee Urias, III (aka “Hero”) 38 Austin
Nancy Urias-Jaimes 32 Austin
Anthony Acosta 41 Austin
Aaron Anderson 41 Austin
Joe Beltran 40 Austin
Edward Cortinas (aka “Cort”) 58 Austin
Alfred Escobar 44 Austin
Virgil Fernandez, Jr. 57 Austin
Alfredo Garza 32 Austin
John Carl Garza (aka “Juanillo”) 50 Austin
Jesus Gonzalez 24 Katy, TX
Wayne Limon 44 Buda, TX
Jose Ortiz, II 28 Austin
Angelo Perez 37 Austin
Phillip Anthony Rivera (aka “AntDog”) 41 Austin
Seaton Scott Salazar (aka “Saul”) 39 Austin
Mark Selvera 45 Austin
Luis Miguel Villanueva 22 Houston
Paul Villanueva (aka “Ponka”) 49 Austin
Julianne Maynard 30 AustinUpon conviction, the defendants face sentences of between ten years and life in federal prison. All of the defendants remain in federal custody pending detention hearings beginning on Friday morning before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew Austin.
In addition to today’s arrests, authorities have seized over four kilograms total of cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine; nine firearms, two vehicles, and approximately $50,000 in U.S. Currency during this operation.
This two-year-old investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force comprised of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Austin Police Department, Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of Inspector General, Travis County Sheriff’s Office and the Round Rock Police Department.
“Partnership is essential to the success of investigations, and we thank our law enforcement partners for their efforts during this operation that culminated in today’s arrests,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division. “Removing dangerous drugs and violent criminals from our neighborhoods is essential to ensure a bright future for our families. The FBI and its task force partners are committed to disrupting violent gang activity and improving the quality of life in our communities.”
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Gardner is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Federal Jury Finds Wilmington Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Two Counts of Distribution of HeroinRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced today that a federal jury in Raleigh found TARCARLOS ANTIGO MILLER guilty of one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and two counts of Distribution of Heroin.
MILLER was named in a Superseding Indictment filed on October 8, 2015. Evidence presented at trial proved that MILLER sold heroin to a confidential informant (CI) on November 6, 2014 and again on January 26, 2015. Additionally, a witness testified MILLER supplied him with heroin to sell and asked him to store MILLER’S firearms. Officers executed a search warrant at the witness’ residence and found approximately 34 grams of raw heroin and five firearms. The witness testified he purchased the heroin from MILLER.
On April 22, 2015, the Wilmington Police Department searched a silver Infiniti which had been repossessed and found drug packaging materials. This silver Infiniti turned out to be the same silver Infiniti that MILLER was driving during the November 6, 2014 controlled buy. On May 6, 2015, officers observed Miller make hand to hand transactions which were consistent with drug sales in a vehicle. Upon MILLER’S arrest, they located on his person $3,384.36. A search warrant was later executed at a residence associated with the defendant and officers located an additional $6,283. MILLER was interviewed after waiving his Miranda rights. MILLER was told that law enforcement had him on video selling heroin; he responded by saying “that may be, but I’m not as big a deal as everyone makes me out to be.”
At sentencing, MILLER faces a up to 20 years imprisonment for the Conspiracy Charge and 20 years each for the two Distribution Charges.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence Cameron prosecuted the case for the government.
Federal Inmate Charged with Resisting and Assaulting Corrections OfficersRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that that a federal grand jury in Scranton has indicted Jamel Rosa, age 27, a federal inmate at the United States Penitentiary Schuylkill (“USP Schuylkill”), in Minersville with resisting and assaulting corrections officers during an incident on July 1, 2015.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers from USP Schuylkill. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Gotlob.
Indictments 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 25 years of imprisonment for Rosa, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Essex County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to 47 Years in Prison for Multiple Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 564 months in prison for his role in three gunpoint carjackings and an attempted carjacking within a 10-day period, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Jamie Manning, 31, was previously convicted on all nine counts of a superseding indictment: one count of conspiracy to commit theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation; three counts of carjacking; one count of attempted carjacking; and four counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Manning was convicted following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 20, 2012, Manning and another conspirator approached the owner of 2004 Honda Accord. Manning pressed a firearm into the victim’s side and demanded that the victim give him keys to the car. Manning and the other conspirator took the victim’s keys and purse, demanded the PIN to the victim’s debit card and attempted to push the victim into the Accord’s trunk. Manning and the other conspirator got into the Accord and fled.
During the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 2012, Manning and Corey Thermitus, 24, of Newark, approached two individuals entering a parked, 2002, four-door Nissan Altima on a street in Newark. Manning pointed a firearm at one of the victims and both Manning and Thermitus ordered the victims to get out of the car. After robbing and threatening the victims, Manning and Thermitus fled the area in the carjacked vehicle.
On Dec. 28, 2012, Thermitus approached an individual sitting in a 2011, four-door Honda Accord that was parked in the driveway of a home in Newark. Thermitus pointed a firearm at the victim and ordered the victim out of the car. After threatening to shoot the victim, Thermitus, Manning and another man fled the area in the victim’s car.
Later that night, Thermitus, Manning and a third man drove in the carjacked Honda Accord to a residential area in Newark. Thermitus and Manning approached two individuals, one of whom was a young child, who were sitting in a parked, 2006, four-door Nissan Pathfinder in the driveway of a residence. Thermitus pointed a gun at the driver of the vehicle while Manning approached the rear passenger side of the vehicle, but the driver managed to escape in the car. As the assailants fled in the Honda Accord, Thermitus fired a gun in the direction of an individual who had come outside of a residence to investigate.
In addition to the prison term Judge Walls sentenced Manning to five years of supervised release.
Thermitus previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with three counts of theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation; one count of attempted theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation; and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 255 months in prison on Dec. 2, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray; and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Anthony Ambrose, with the investigation leading to today’s verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dara Aquila Govan of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark and Senior Litigation Counsel Vincent Grady O’Malley of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Frank Arleo Esq., West Orange, New Jersey
Eight Defendants Charged with Firearms Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
A ten-count indictment was unsealed today in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging eight defendants with conspiring to make false statements in the acquisition of firearms and/or with related firearm acquisitions or trafficking offenses. One of the defendants, Curtis Clark, was also charged as being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Clark was previously arraigned before Magistrate Judge Viktor V. Pohorelsky in Brooklyn on June 15, 2016. Four of the remaining defendants were arrested earlier today in South Carolina, and their initial appearances are scheduled this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Kaymani D. West at the federal courthouse in Florence, South Carolina. The government will seek to remove to New York for prosecution the defendants arrested out of state.
The charges were announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Delano A. Reid, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and William J. Bratton, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).
“This office is committed to preventing the flow of illegal firearms up the Interstate 95 corridor, also referred to as the ‘Iron Pipeline,’ into New York,” stated United States Attorney Capers. “Today’s arrests are another example of our resolve to prosecute those who illegally traffic firearms, as well as the straw buyers who enable the traffickers to engage in this potentially deadly and illegal business.”
“As alleged in the indictment and complaint, Curtis Clark thought that he could supply firearms along the Iron Pipeline to the streets of New York City. His co-conspirators acted as straw purchasers, buying firearms on Clark’s behalf from dealers in South Carolina and falsifying the required Federal forms in order to make it appear that they were the actual purchasers. This ensured that if any of the firearms were recovered in crime scenes, they could not be traced directly back to Clark. As a result of the investigation by the ATF Joint Firearms Task Force, Clark and his co-conspirators will now face the consequences of the charged crimes. Today’s indictment carries two messages: To those who would traffic the instruments of violent crime, we are watching and you will be caught. To those that think straw purchasing firearms is a victimless crime, your actions can have severe consequences, both to you, and to the community where those firearms eventually wind up. We’d like to extend our gratitude to the NYPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts and commitment during this investigation,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Reid.
As alleged in the indictment and in a complaint previously unsealed against Clark, his co-defendants Jonathan Grant, Shamika Cross, Alexis Gilbert, Ganika McCollum, Alexis Morris, Ashley Sowells, and Angel Wheeler agreed to purchase firearms for him at firearms stores in South Carolina, falsely claiming that they were purchasing the guns for themselves. Clark and others then illegally transported the guns to New York for sale in Brooklyn. On May 28, 2014, Clark was stopped in a vehicle in Brooklyn, and nine firearms were seized, including six Glock semi-automatic pistols. ATF agents then began the investigation into the source of the seized firearms, including reviewing the federal forms required to be completed when a firearm is purchased from a licensed firearm dealer, interviewing personnel at the gun stores involved in the sales, and interviewing the individuals who had purchased the firearms seized from Clark’s vehicle. The investigation established that the seized firearms had been purchased for Clark by Cross, Gilbert, McCollum, Morris, Sowells, and Wheeler at firearms stores in and around Marion, South Carolina, in April and May 2014.
On January 1, 2016, Clark, a previously convicted felon, was arrested in Marion, South Carolina, in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 caliber pistol.
The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Bini and Nomi D. Berenson.
The Defendants:
CURTIS CLARK
Age: 21
Marion, South CarolinaJonathan Grant
Age: 21
Marion, South CarolinaShamika Cross
Age: 25
Marion, South CarolinaAlexis Gilbert
Age: 24
Atlanta, GeorgiaGanika McCollum
Age: 25
Dillon, South CarolinaAlexis Morris
Age: 34
Marion, South CarolinaAshley Sowells
Age: 25
Marion, South CarolinaAngel Wheeler
Age: 23
Marion, South CarolinaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-315
Duquesne Man Charged with Heroin PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Duquesne, Pa., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Possession with Intent to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count superseding indictment named Carloto Neal, Jr., age 21, as the sole defendant.
According to the superseding indictment, on or about March 17, 2015, Neal possessed with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Street Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the superseding indictment in this case.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Disbarred New York Attorney Gets More Than Three Years in Prison for Phony Ticket Resale, Real Estate Investment SchemesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A disbarred New York attorney was sentenced today to 43 months in prison for his involvement in a ticket resale fraud scheme and a real estate investment fraud conspiracy that bilked multiple victims out of more than $3 million, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Pasquale Stiso, a/k/a “Pat Stiso,” 55, of New Rochelle, New York, was previously convicted of all 10 counts of a superseding indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six substantive counts of wire fraud, and three counts of money laundering. He was convicted following a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and evidence at trial:
Since 2011, co-defendant Paul Mancuso, 49, of Glen Rock, New Jersey, held himself out as an investor, broker, and developer of various purported investments. Mancuso obtained from his victims substantial investments for various projects that, in fact, either did not exist at all or in which Mancuso had no actual involvement. Stiso held himself out as an individual who was working with Mancuso on various purported projects. Many of the victims of Stiso and Mancuso’s schemes lost all or substantially all of the money they invested with Mancuso and Stiso. Many even lost all or most of their life savings.
Stiso and Mancuso falsely represented to some victims that they would purchase event tickets, such as tickets to New York Giants football games, New York Yankees playoff games, the Super Bowl, and other sporting events and concerts, at a lower or wholesale rate, and then resell them to members of the public at an inflated rate, creating profits for their investors. In reality, Stiso and Mancuso did not buy tickets with their victims’ money.
In one of the real estate schemes, Stiso and Mancuso falsely represented to victims that they were investors in a real estate development project in Valley Cottage, New York, and that investor money would be used to purchase an interest in real property. The real property interest would then be resold at an increased price, creating profits for their investors.
In reality, Stiso and Mancuso did not invest in any such real estate project with their victims’ money. Instead, they engaged in monetary transactions designed to funnel, and in many instances launder, the victims’ investments for their own benefit, including paying illegal gambling debts and money owed to loan sharks. Stiso and Mancuso were heavily involved in illegal gambling pursuits and both owed substantial sums of money to loan sharks and one of their bookmakers.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Stiso to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $460,000.
Mancuso previously pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring with Stiso to commit wire fraud and awaits sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, and criminal investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro and Anthony J. Mahajan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Henry E. Klingeman Esq., Newark
Ernesto Cerimele Esq., Newark
Dead Man Inc. Member Admits to Retaliating Against a Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland –Anthony E. Alascio, age 31, formerly of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today, before jury selection began in his trial, to retaliating against a witness who had testified in a federal criminal trial involving Dead Man Inc. (DMI).
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Colonel Woodrow Jones, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; and Secretary Stephen T. Moyer of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
On November 26, 2013, Alascio was an inmate at the Chesapeake Detention Facility (CDF) in Baltimore, awaiting trial in federal court on charges stemming from a December 28, 2012 armed robbery of a pharmacy in case number ELH-13-0153 (Robbery Case).
According to his plea agreement, Alascio was a member of Dead Man, Incorporated (DMI), a criminal gang founded in Maryland prisons in the 1990s. On November 26, 2013, during a series of recorded telephone call made from CDF, Alascio informed several individuals that he would soon be going into secure detention because of something he was about to do.
Later that day, Alascio assaulted another inmate at CDF using a sock filled with batteries and dominoes that had been taped together. The victim was seriously injured, including serious bleeding, lacerations that required stitches, and bruising. The victim was admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment and discharged two days later.
During the assault, Alascio called the victim a “snitch.” The assault was captured on video and the weapon was later found in Alascio’s cell. In a letter written in detention later that evening, Alascio admitted to beating the victim. Alascio referred to the victim as a “RAT” and stated that the victim “told on my peoples so he got what he deserved.”
Several weeks before the assault, the victim testified in the federal trial of Jose Morales. Evidence introduced at the Morales trial established that Morales paid DMI to murder Robert Long. Jose Joaquin Morales, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, was convicted at that trial by a federal jury for using a cell phone to arrange the murder-for-hire of Robert Long. Morales was sentenced to life in prison on December 9, 2013. The prosecution of Morales resulted in the exoneration of Demetrius Smith, who was serving life in state prison for the murder -- a crime he did not commit.
Alascio faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus has scheduled sentencing for October 14, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.
On December 23, 2013, Alascio pled guilty to robbery in the Robbery Case and was sentenced on March 28, 2014 to 135 months in federal prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the DEA, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, ATF and Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Sandra Wilkerson, who are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Charged with Guns, Ammo and Body ArmorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The two-count indictment named Stanley James Patterson a/k/a Robert Cook, 63, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Patterson possessed firearms and/or ammunition on or about Dec. 16, 2015, after having been convicted of multiple crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Those cases include one robbery conviction and two burglary convictions. The indictment further charges that on Dec. 16, 2015, Patterson possessed body armor despite his status as a convicted violent felon.
Defendants who have three prior convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses face a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison, under the federal Armed Career Criminal Act. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case with valuable assistance from the Allegheny County Police Department, the Carnegie Police Department and the Allegheny County Fire Marshal. This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Constable Stole More than $1 Million in Tax Payments from Baden Borough and Ambridge School District, Filed False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Baden, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of mail fraud and tax fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Keith Kristek, age 57, of Baden, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false income tax return before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from approximately January 2007 through February 2015, Keith Kristek, who was the elected Constable for Baden Borough, devised and executed a scheme to steal approximately $1,060,678.11 in tax payments from Baden Borough and the Ambridge Area School District. Additionally, Kristek failed to report his receipt of the stolen funds and filed false income tax returns with the IRS for tax years of 2011 through 2014.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for Nov. 1, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 23 years in prison, a fine of $500,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Keith Kristek.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Bribing Letter Carriers to Divert Packages Containing MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Suleiman Pasha, age 33, of Columbia, Maryland, today to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with a bribery and drug conspiracy in which he bribed letter carriers to divert packages of marijuana sent through the mail and deliver the packages to him and other co-conspirators. Judge Motz also ordered Pasha to forfeit $14,700.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Postal Inspector in Charge Maria L. Kelokates of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City Sheriff John Anderson.
According to his plea agreement, Pasha conspired with letter carriers Antoinette McDaniels and Hilary Gainey, paying them bribes in exchange for diverting packages containing marijuana and delivering those packages to him, and co-conspirators Gary Coleman and Cyril Boodoo.
Specifically, Pasha admitted that in February 2014 and April 2014, he approached Antoinette McDaniels and Hilary Gainey, respectively, while they were employed by the U.S. Postal Service as letter carriers, and offered to pay McDaniels and Gainey $100 per parcel if they would divert specific packages sent through the U.S. mail that contained marijuana, and deliver those packages to him and other co-conspirators. McDaniels and Gainey agreed to this arrangement. Pasha introduced McDaniels and Gainey to Coleman and other co-conspirators, and directed McDaniels and Gainey to deliver certain packages to those co-conspirators as well. Pasha and his co-conspirators paid the letter carriers up to $100 for each parcel diverted and delivered to them. According to court documents the packages were sent via the U.S. mail from Arizona, California, Florida, and elsewhere, to addresses along McDaniels’ route in Baltimore and Gainey’s route in Columbia, Maryland.
Gainey and McDaniels delivered approximately 100 packages and 30 packages, respectively, to Pasha, Coleman and Boodoo. Gainey was paid a total of $10,000 by the co-conspirators and McDaniels was paid a total of $4,700 by the co-conspirators. Pasha admitted that during his participation in the conspiracy, between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana were distributed.
Gary Coleman, a/k/a “Short,” age 45, and Cyril Boodoo, age 55, both of Baltimore, Antoinette McDaniels, age 47, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, and Hilary Gainey, age 27, of Baltimore previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Judge Motz sentenced Coleman to nine years in prison, Boodoo to six months in prison, and sentenced McDaniels and Gainey each to three years’ probation.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, DEA, Maryland State Police, Baltimore City Police Department and Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who prosecuted the case.
Columbia Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling Synthetic MarijuanaRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columia, Mo., business owner pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing synthetic marijuana.
Rafiqul Islam Khan, 62, of Columbia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to participating in a conspiracy to violate the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by trafficking in misbranded drugs.
Khan was the owner of Mari’s Gas Station at 1210 E. Prathersville Rd., Columbia. Khan admitted that he purchased synthetic marijuana from a co-conspirator and distributed synthetic marijuana at his business. Khan falsely and misleadingly referred to his synthetic marijuana products as “incense,” “herbal incense,” “potpourri,” “therapeutic potpourri,” and other erroneous names when, in fact, such products were intended for consumption in order to obtain a physiological effect of a “high.”
The synthetic marijuana products were misbranded drugs because they had false and misleading labels (which indicated they were not for human consumption); they did not bear adequate direction for use; or they did not bear a label containing the name and place of the business, the manufacturer, packer or distributor.
Boone County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at Mari’s Gas Station on June 25, 2012, and seized numerous packages of synthetic marijuana, totaling approximately 16.191 kilograms. Khan admitted that he sold and purchased for sale, in aggregate, at least 30.4 kilograms of synthetic marijuana.
Under federal statutes, Khan is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. 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. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Children’s Cardiac Charity Treasurer Admits to Stealing $186,000Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Robert Lonardo, 67, of Burrillville, treasurer of the Rhode Island Association for Cardiac Children (RIACC), admitted in federal court today that he converted nearly $186,000 from the charity for his own personal use. RIACC, founded by Lonardo’s mother, raised funds to purchase hospital equipment, support children’s cardiac treatment and research, and help meet the needs of Rhode Island families whose children were undergoing surgery for cardiac disease.
Lonardo’s guilty plea to one count of wire fraud is announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI, and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Lonardo admitted to the court that beginning in January 2013, following the death of his mother, he began withdrawing funds from RIACC bank accounts and converted the money for his own personal use. Lonardo admitted to the court that from January 2013 to August 2015 he converted RIACC funds totaling $185,945.77.
Lonardo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell. Jr., on September 14, 2016. Wire fraud is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Contact:
Jim Martin (401) 709-5357
email: [email protected]
on Twitter @USAO_RI
Chelmsford Financial Planner Sentenced to 20 Years for Attempting to Hire “Hit Man” to Kill State Trooper and Another WitnessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelmsford financial planner was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with attempting to hire an individual to murder a Massachusetts State Police Trooper and another individual, both of whom were scheduled to testify against him in a separate state trial.
Andrew S. Gordon, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $20,000. In March 2016, Gordon was convicted following a five-day trial of five counts of using the mail or the telephone with the intent that a murder-for-hire be committed.
In 2014, Gordon was incarcerated at the Middlesex County House of Correction awaiting trial on state charges for attempting to hire a “hit man” to kill his estranged wife. The “hit man” was actually an undercover Massachusetts State Police Trooper. After being arrested, Gordon hatched a plot to have the trooper and a second Massachusetts man, who was to be a second witness against him, killed. Gordon hired a man he believed to be a gang member living in New Hampshire to kill the two witnesses. Gordon agreed to pay $10,000 to have the Trooper killed and $5,000 for the murder of the second witness. Through mail, phone calls, and by passing messages through another inmate, Gordon instructed the “gang member” that both deaths should appear as accidents. Gordon instructed the “gang member” to make the Trooper’s murder appear to be a line-of-duty incident, and that the murder of the other witness should be staged as a house fire. In actuality, Gordon was communicating with an undercover federal agent posing as the “gang member.”
On April 14, 2015, federal agents posing as the “gang member” delivered a Congratulations Card to Gordon at the Middlesex House of Correction, informing Gordon, in coded language, that the second witness was dead and that the Trooper would be killed the following week. After receiving the news that one of the witnesses was allegedly dead, Gordon was recorded stating that he wanted the Trooper’s body to disappear. He then stated, “If they don’t find the body … The cop. If they don’t find his body, there’s no suspicion. He’s gone.” The following day, Gordon was charged for initiating the murder-for-hire plot.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Boston Field Division; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan; and Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Tobin and Rachel Y. Hemani of Ortiz’s Criminal Division.
Carnegie Man Involved in High-Speed Chase Charged with Possessing Heroin Packaged for ResaleRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count superseding indictment named William Thompson, 33, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on Aug. 7, 2015, law enforcement officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Thompson, who was driving a Porsche Cayenne without a valid license. Thompson refused to stop and fled from officers. A high-speed chase with speeds of more than 100 miles per hour ensued. Thompson eventually crashed and abandoned his vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and discovered in excess of one kilogram of heroin packaged for re-sale.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, a fine of $20,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force consisting of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, Wilkinsburg Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Oakdale Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the superseding indictment in this case.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Buffalo Man Sentenced on Money Laundering ChargeRead 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 Wilfred Wylie, 35, of Buffalo, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, was sentenced to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Burgasser, who handled the case, co-defendant Franklin Richards supplied cocaine to the LRGP Gang which operates in the area of Lombard, Rother, Gibson and Playter Streets in Buffalo. Wilfred Wylie was searched by security at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and found with $112,00 in U.S. currency, which he intended to take to Houston, Texas for the purchase of cocaine on behalf of Franklin Richards.
Franklin Richards has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen.Buffalo Man Sentenced on Marijuana and Money Laundering 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 Nichole Crosson, 22, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to opening mail without lawful authority. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of $100,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Fabian, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant, a former United States Postal Service mail carrier, opened mail and removed gift cards and cash while working as a mail carrier. For instance, Crosson removed $50 in cash from a greeting card intended for delivery to a resident in West Seneca, NY in April 2016. Between January 1, 2016 and April 15, 2016, the defendant removed cash and gift cards totaling $1,729.21 from a number of mailings.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Monica Weyler, Eastern Area Field Office, Philadelphia, PA., with the assistance of the Eden Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael J. Felschow.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 27, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Roemer.