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17 June 2016
Grand Jury Indicts Ohio Man for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOISE – Timothy Raymond Schmidt, 34, of Cincinnati, Ohio was indicted June 15, 2016 by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise for two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
The indictment alleges that between January 28, 2015 and April 9, 2015, Schmidt knowingly used, persuaded, induced, enticed or coerced two minor children in Idaho to take part in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing visual depictions and live visual depictions of that conduct.
Each count of sexual exploitation of a child is punishable by not less than 15, and up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and at least 5 years up to a lifetime of supervised release.
Schmidt is currently in custody in Fayetteville, Ohio, and is charged by the State of Ohio with one count of rape, and two counts of sexual imposition of a minor. Those charges are unrelated to the investigation in Idaho.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security in Boise, Idaho, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Valley County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Ohio, and the Fayetteville, Ohio Police Department.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.”
Former Loudoun County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Frank Michael Pearson, 45, a former Loudon County Sheriff’s Deputy from Winchester, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for embezzling $229,381.01 from the asset forfeiture fund at the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. Pearson was also ordered to pay $229,381.01 in restitution to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and complete three years of supervised release after he is released from prison.
Pearson was found guilty after a bench trial on March 31. According to court documents, court records and evidence presented at trial, beginning in 2006 Pearson was designated as the deputy responsible for overseeing the asset forfeiture program for the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office. The evidence presented at trial showed that beginning in or about February 2010, and continuing through October 2013, Pearson engaged in a scheme to embezzle and steal money that had been seized by other members of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office for potential asset forfeiture. The evidence showed that Pearson embezzled money from 80 separate cases over this period, taking in excess of $229,000 that had been entrusted to him.
The evidence further proved that Pearson concealed his embezzlement scheme by making false statements to his coworkers and others about the timing and fact of whether he had deposited seized money into an escrow account maintained by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at a local bank. For example, the evidence showed that on two separate occasions, Pearson re-used an old deposit slip from an unrelated case and passed it off as a new deposit slip to conceal the fact that he had not deposited all of the money entrusted to him. The evidence further showed that in at least one instance, Pearson took money seized in one case and passed it off as money that had been seized in another case, to hide his ongoing embezzlement. Financial records admitted at trial also showed that Pearson increased his personal cash deposits and cash spending during the more than three-year period of the embezzlement scheme.
The evidence also proved that late on the evening of Oct. 30, 2013, and in the early morning hours of Oct. 31, 2013, after being confronted by his supervisor about the location of missing money that had been entrusted to him, Pearson removed several boxes of money from the narcotics office where he worked, and never returned to work again.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Burke and Mark D. Lytle prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-cr-193.
Former Financial Advisor and Securities Broker Admits Stealing More Than $1.2 Million from ClientRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ROBERT N. TRICARICO, 60, of Milford and formerly of Darien, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to one count of wire fraud related to his misappropriation of more than $1.2 million from an elderly client.
Until April 2015, TRICARICO was a registered securities broker with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. He was formerly employed or associated with various financial firms, including RNT Wealth Management, Northstar Wealth Partners, LPL Financial, and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2010 to June 2013, TRICARICO acted as a financial advisor for an elderly and infirm victim who had substantial assets. TRICARICO misappropriated more than $1.1 million from the victim by writing numerous checks to himself or for his benefit without the victim’s authorization. TRICARICO also liquidated a coin collection belonging to the victim, and he misappropriated checks made payable to the victim. TRICARICO used the stolen funds to make personal expenditures.
In pleading guilty, TRICARICO also admitted that he defrauded two additional victims of $20,000 by falsely representing to them that he would use their investments for a business venture and guaranteed a rate of return. In fact, TRICARICO used the victims’ funds for his own personal use.
As part of his plea, TRICARICO has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $1,220,763.90 to the victims of his crime.
TRICARICO is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on September 20, 2016, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Greenwich Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking and Interstate ProstitutionRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Abdullah Hamidullah, 42, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Florida to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; two counts of enticing a person to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution and one count of interstate transportation for prostitution. On Feb. 10, 2016, a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned an indictment charging Hamidullah with five counts of sex trafficking and related violations.
According to admissions in his plea agreement, Hamidullah compelled an 18-year-old woman to prostitute for his profit. After enticing the victim to travel to Florida under false pretenses, he forced her to have sex with multiple customers a day over a period of several months and provide him the proceeds. Hamidullah isolated her in his apartment, took away her money and phone and installed an alarm without providing her the code. He also assaulted her, showed her his handgun and branded her with a tattoo.
“Hamidullah preyed on a vulnerable young woman and cruelly exploited her for his profit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to aggressively enforce our human trafficking laws to restore the rights, freedom and dignity of victims of modern-day slavery.”
“Rescuing human trafficking victims and bringing the criminals who enslave them to justice is a top priority for special agents with Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Susan L. McCormick of HSI Tampa. “HSI will continue to work with our local, state, federal and international law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute human traffickers.”
“As a multi-agency task force, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation participates with its local, state and federal partners to bring human traffickers to justice and seek restoration for victims of this terrible crime,” said Director Ron Stucker of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. “The investigation and prosecution of Abdullah Hamidullah is another example of close cooperation between local and federal authorities to protect the community.”
Hamidullah faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 15, 2016. As part of his plea agreement, Hamidullah agreed to pay restitution to six women identified as victims of his sex trafficking scheme.
This case was investigated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations’ Orlando Field Office and Orlando’s Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilianys Rivera of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney William Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Florida Couple Sentenced to Prison for Involvement in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Pembroke Pines, Florida couple was sentenced to prison for their role in a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Kelly Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
On June 16, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom for the Southern District of Florida sentenced Rhonda Perry Gittens, 35, to serve 75 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Gittens’ boyfriend and co-conspirator, Walther Wilson Godfrey, 37, was previously sentenced on April 15 to serve 75 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Bloom also ordered Godfrey and Gittens to pay $792,442 in restitution to the IRS. Godfrey and Gittens pleaded guilty in January to one count of a multi-object conspiracy to defraud the United States, commit wire fraud and commit aggravated identity theft, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of access device fraud.
U.S. Attorney Ferrer stated: “This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who seeks to commit tax fraud or identity theft that federal law enforcement resources will be marshalled against them to discover their crimes and bring them to justice. We will continue to work tirelessly with all our law enforcement partners to prosecute those crimes.”
“The sentences imposed by Judge Bloom reflect the serious harm caused by the defendants’ scheme to enrich themselves at the expense of the U.S. Treasury and their identity theft victims,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo. “The defendants attempted to hide behind a veneer of corporate and nominee identities that ultimately provided no bar to the investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners. Return preparers who seek to profit through false tax returns face harsh punishment and the result in this case should deter other individuals from engaging in similar schemes.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) will continue to investigate those who attempt to defraud our nation’s tax system, and we will continue to fight for the innocent victims whose identities are being used in these stolen identity tax refund fraud schemes,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jackson of IRS-CI. “We are pleased with these sentences, as the defendants are being held accountable for attempting to steal more than $1.5 million from the IRS, possessing device-making equipment for driver’s licenses and credit cards, and recruiting another individual to participate in the crime.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, between July 2009 and August 2014, Godfrey, Gittens and others conspired to defraud the United States by filing false federal income tax returns using stolen identities. Gittens owned and operated 2G, Inc., a tax return preparation business, and G&G Check Cashing Inc., a check cashing business, both of which were located in Pembroke Pines. Godfrey and Gittens obtained the personal identification information of actual individuals, some deceased, including names, social security numbers, addresses and dates of birth, without the individuals’ authorization, to prepare and file false income tax refund claims for the years 2009 through 2011. Godfrey and Gittens recruited a co-conspirator, Marc Brown, to put Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) in his name through which fraudulent income tax returns would be filed. In addition, Godfrey and Gittens directed Brown to set up companies and bank accounts in his name to negotiate the fraudulently obtained income tax refund checks. Godfrey and Gittens filed more than 700 fraudulent tax returns requesting more than $1.5 million in income tax refunds. In addition, Godfrey and Gittens possessed device-making equipment including an identification card printer, a credit card embosser, hologram stickers for driver’s licenses and credit cards and blank credit cards.
U.S. Attorney Ferrer and Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-CI, who investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Karadbil of the Southern District of Florida and Assistant Chief Greg Tortella of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Federal and State Authorities Arrest 15 Individuals on Federal Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 15 individuals charged in connection with a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy occurring in South Texas, Central Texas and Oklahoma.
That announcement was made today by United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Western District of Texas; United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Cotter, San Antonio Division; and, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit, Houston Division.
Those arrested include:
Name Age Residence
Juan Villarreal-Arelis (aka “Juando”) 43 Mission, TX
Reymundo Villarreal-Arelis (aka “Mundo”) 45 Mission
Jose Luis Villarreal-Gonzalez (aka “Nune”) 32 Mission
Manuel Villarreal-Garcia 40 Mission
Sergio Guadalupe Adame-Ochoa 65 McAllen, TX
Norma Leticia Villarreal-Garcia 47 Mission
Iza Corina Flores-Alanis 36 Mission
Jovanna Villarreal-Diaz 37 Mission
Raymundo Villarreal, Jr. (aka “Mundito”) 23 Mission
Gilberto Villarreal-Villarreal 27 Mission
Juan Antonio Villarreal 24 Mission
Jesus Jaime Andrade 37 Mission
Denis Winn 54 Tecumseh, OK
Jose Luis Villarreal-Arelis (aka “El Cosas”) 57 Mission
Nancy Isela Villarreal-Gonzalez 51 MissionA nine–count federal grand jury indictment, returned in San Antonio in April and unsealed today, charges all of the defendants with conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to the indictment, since January 2000, the defendants have conspired to: (1) engage in financial transactions using proceeds derived from the importation, receiving, concealment, buying, and/or selling cocaine; and (2), transport or transmit monetary instruments to locations outside of the United States in an effort to conceal the source, ownership and control of proceeds derived from unlawful activity.
Sergio Guadalupe Adame-Ochoa is also charged with four counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. According to the indictment, on multiple occasions beginning in 2006, Adame-Ochoa refinanced an almost $1.7 million note with Texas Regional Bank (formerly Border Capital Bank and McAllen National Bank) for the purchase of a property called Riverside Plaza in Mission. The indictment alleges that Adame-Ochoa falsely represented to the bank that he had a non-taxable annual cash flow income in excess of $500,000.
Raymundo Villarreal, Jr., Jesus Andrade, and Denis Winn are also charged with one count of conspiracy to structure transactions to evade reporting requirements. The indictment alleges that beginning in 2011, the defendants purchased American Quarter Horses from an auction house in Oklahoma using drug proceeds collected in San Antonio. The indictment specifically identifies six occasions in October and November 2011, where payments were made for horses. Each payment was under $10,000 so as to avoid having to complete an IRS form 8300, which would have alerted the IRS and possibly raised suspicion about the source of the funds.
Juan Villarreal-Arelis, Reymundo Villarreal-Arelis, Jose Luis Villarreal-Gonzalez and Manuel Villarreal-Garcia are also charged with one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that since January 2000, the defendants have conspired to possess and distribute cocaine.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of twelve (12) real estate properties in Cameron and Hidalgo counties with an estimated value of $15 million. The indictment also seeks a money judgment against the defendants in the amount of $30 million representing the alleged proceeds derived from their criminal enterprise.
Throughout this investigation, authorities have seized over 100 kilograms of cocaine. Yesterday, authorities seized approximately $500,000 in farm equipment; approximately 20 vehicles; more than 60 firearms; over 30 horses; and, more than $50,000 in U.S. Currency.
Yesterday, authorities arrested Sergio Adame-Ochoa in San Antonio and Denis Winn in Austin. The rest of the defendants were all arrested in the McAllen/Mission, TX, area. All of the defendants remain in federal custody awaiting detention hearings.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Waco Treasury Task Force comprised of IRS-CI, Irving Police Department, Woodway Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office together with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s McAllen, San Antonio and Houston field offices and Homeland Security Investigations. The United States Marshals Service in both the Western and Southern Districts of Texas assisted with yesterday’s arrests.
Upon conviction, the defendants face sentences of between ten years and life in federal prison on the drug conspiracy charge; up to 20 years in federal prison for the money laundering conspiracy charge; and, up to five years in federal prison on the structuring charge.
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 Convicts Former Non-Profit Health Clinics CEO for Funneling Millions in Grant Money to Private CompaniesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal jury today convicted the former chief executive of two non-profit health clinics for the poor and homeless for funneling millions in federal grant money to private companies he formed to contract with the clinics. U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson announced the verdict.
The jury convicted JONATHAN WADE DUNNING, 52, of Hoover, for conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering after deliberating about three days following three weeks of testimony before U.S. District Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein. Dunning’s sentencing should be scheduled in about 90 days.
The guilty verdicts came on 98 of 112 charged counts related to Dunning’s involvement with Birmingham Health Care, Central Alabama Comprehensive Health in Tuskegee, Birmingham Financial Federal Credit Union, and a group of for-profit businesses known as the “Synergy Entities.” Over the years, BHC and CACH received millions of dollars in federal grant funds through the Health Resources & Services Administration to further their missions of providing healthcare services to underserved populations.
Jurors found Dunning guilty of conspiracy to commit federal program fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud and two kinds of money laundering. They also found him guilty on 62 of 67 counts of wire fraud, two of three counts of bank fraud and 33 of 41 counts of money laundering.
"Dunning relentlessly stole taxpayer dollars that were meant to provide critical medical care to the poor and homeless in Birmingham,” Vance said. “His shameless devotion to purchasing luxury items like a Jaguar for himself, while leaving to suffer the people he committed to serve, is deplorable." Vance said. “My office is committed to prosecuting cases where tax dollars are criminally misused by those the public entrusts to be good stewards. I applaud the commitment of the agents of the FBI, IRS and HHS, and the prosecution team in my office, who all worked long hours to unsnarl the tangle of companies, contracts, real estate and financial dealings that Dunning used in an unsuccessful effort to conceal his criminal conduct.”
“Mr. Dunning took money intended to help the less fortunate in our area and used it for his own personal bank account -- actions that are simply inexcusable and hard to comprehend,” Stanton said. “I am extremely proud of the work on this case, and I want to personally thank the agents and prosecutors for their tireless efforts in bringing Dunning to justice. The public can be assured that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who would violate the public trust.”
“The guilty verdict of Jonathan Dunning is a victory for the American public,” Hyman-Pillot said. “Jonathan Dunning used taxpayer funds from Birmingham Healthcare to enrich himself. As a result, he built his fortune on a foundation of greed and deceit. IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners exposed every layer of financial fraud Jonathan Dunning attempted to conceal. Today, justice has been served.”
“The jury's verdict speaks volumes,” Jackson said. “Stealing federal money meant to treat the poor and homeless will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the vulnerable beneficiaries of these taxpayer-funded programs from greed-fueled schemes."
Dunning was the chief executive officer of BHC and CACH for a period of time and left those jobs to run his for-profit businesses. Even after leaving his post as CEO, however, Dunning continued to exercise control over BHC and CACH, according to testimony. Between October 2008 and October 2011, Dunning served as president, board chairman and loan officer of Birmingham Financial Federal Credit Union.
From those various positions, Dunning participated in a conspiracy and executed schemes that defrauded BHC, CACH, and others of substantial resources, including federal funds. Dunning laundered money in a variety of ways to conceal and promote his crimes and to spend the money for himself.
The maximum prison penalty for conspiracy is five years, for wire fraud and money laundering the maximum is 20 years, and for bank fraud, 30 years.
FBI, IRS-CID, and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa K. Atwood, Tamarra Matthews-Johnson and John B. Ward are prosecuting.
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Federal Court Bars Florida Man from Preparing Tax Returns for Others and Enters $1 Million Disgoregment JudgmentRead the Press Release
A federal court in Orlando, Florida, has permanently barred a Florida man from preparing tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax return preparation business, Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announced today.
The court also entered a $1 million judgment against Demetrius Scott of Orlando on the United States’ claim for disgorgement of the proceeds that he received for the preparation of tax returns. The civil injunction and disgorgement judgment were signed by Judge Anne C. Conway of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Scott agreed to entry of the injunction and disgorgement judgment, but did not agree to any of the facts alleged in the United States’ civil complaint.
In September 2014, the United States filed a civil injunction complaint against Scott alleging that he and his employees prepared fraudulent tax returns for customers. Scott was allegedly a former franchisee of LBS Tax Services and operated a tax preparation company called Neighborhood Tax Pros and Tax Giant with locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The complaint alleged that return preparers in Scott’s business targeted primarily low-income customers with deceptive and misleading advertisements; prepared and filed fraudulent tax returns to fraudulently increase their customers’ refunds; and profited through unconscionable, exorbitant and often undisclosed fees—all at the expense of their customers and the U.S. Treasury. According to the complaint, Scott and his employees prepared federal tax returns on which they falsely claim the earned-income credit and bogus education credits, report improper filing statuses, claim income and expenses related to non-existent businesses and fabricate job-related expenses, while charging their customers deceptive and unconscionable fees.
Return preparer fraud is one of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2016. The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a tax preparer. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Family Running Non-Profit Indicted for Conspiracy and Theft of Federal Funds Intended for Needy IndividualsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that RICKEY ROBERSON, age 48, his wife ADA CRAIGE-ROBERSON, age 42, and her mother MELANIE DUPLECHAIN, age 69, of New Orleans, were charged today in a three-count Indictment for conspiracy and theft of federal funds.
According to the Indictment, from at least 2009 to the present, ROBERSON, CRAIGE-ROBERSON, and DUPLECHAIN, operated Alternatives Living, Inc., a non-profit that received federal funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the form of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Alternatives Living provided affordable housing to the elderly, families who were homeless, and individuals suffering from mental disabilities. As a condition to receiving federal funds, Alternatives Living agreed to comply with applicable rules and regulations governing the manner and use of the CDBG funds. Applicable program rules, including OMB Circular No. A-122, prohibited the use of CDBG funds for entertainment purposes (i.e., social activities and tickets to shows and sporting events), fundraising, personal tuition costs, and costs of goods or services for personal use. Rules allowed reimbursement for travel costs and conferences only if those costs were related to the mission of the organization and consistent with those costs normally allowed.
Count 1 of the Indictment alleges that prior to in or around January 2009 and continuing through July 2015, ROBERSON, DUPLECHAIN, and CRAIGE-ROBERSON, and others, did knowingly and willfully combine, conspire, confederate, and agree to embezzle, steal or knowingly convert to their own use or the use of another, any money or thing of value of the United States or of any department or agency thereof, in excess of $1,000.
Count 2 alleges that on or about June 20, 2011, ROBERSON willfully and knowingly did steal, purloin, and convert to his own use Community Development Block Grant funds, which were designated for use by Alternatives Living for program related expenses, and which were property of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, when he purchased football tickets to see the New Orleans Saints, totaling more than $1,000.
Count 3 of the Indictment alleges that on or about December 29, 2012, CRAIGE-ROBERSON willfully and knowingly did steal, purloin, and convert to her own use Community Development Block Grant funds, which were designated for use by Alternatives Living for program related expenses, and which were property of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, when she purchased personal travel expenses on the Royal Caribbean Cruise line, totaling more than $1,000.
If convicted of the conspiracy in Count 1, ROBERSON, CRAIGE-ROBERSON, and DUPLECHAIN face a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a special assessment of $100. If convicted of theft of federal funds in Counts 2 and 3, ROBERSON and CRAIG-ROBERSON respectively face a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a special assessment of $100.
U.S. Attorney Polite reiterated that the Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, the Office of State Inspector General, and with the assistance of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharan E. Lieberman is in charge of the prosecution.
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms Conviction of Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announces that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the district court in appeal no. 15-2576, United States of America, appellee, v. Cody Allen Nowak, appellant.
Cody Allen Nowak was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The district court denied his motion to suppress and sentenced Nowak to 27 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release. Nowak alleged in his appeal that police officers violated his Fourth Amendment rights by searching his backpack without a warrant.
Nowak was a passenger in the front seat of friend Harry Madsen’s car. He had placed his backpack on the floor in front of him. Madsen was pulled over by a Sioux Falls police officer because his license plate tags were expired. While the officer was contacting dispatch, Nowak exited Madsen’s car and ran from the scene.
Madsen gave the officer permission to search the car where the officer found Nowak’s backpack. Madsen told the officer that the backpack belonged to Nowak. Inside the backpack, the officer found a Hi-Point .45 caliber handgun wrapped in a bandana.
Nowak moved to suppress evidence of the firearm alleging that the warrantless search of his backpack was a violation of his Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches. The district court found that Nowak had abandoned the backpack and thus had no privacy interest in its contents. Nowak appealed.
In today’s published opinion, the federal court of appeals affirmed the decision of the district court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Mammenga prosecuted the case at trial, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Koliner handled the appeal for the government.
District Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Teenage GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Craig Allen Lee, 44, formerly of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an 18-year prison term for sexually assaulting a teenage girl at an apartment in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Lee, a convicted sex offender, was found guilty in February 2016 of attempted first-degree child sexual abuse, with aggravating circumstances. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Robert E. Morin. Upon completion of his prison term, Lee will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life. He also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, the attack took place Sept. 18, 2011, at an apartment that the girl was visiting in Southeast Washington. Sometime in the middle of the night, Lee crept into the bedroom where the victim was sleeping. The victim woke to find Lee rubbing her buttocks as she was on her stomach. He then pulled down her sweat pants and underwear and sexually assaulted her. Two days later, the victim told a counselor and her mother. They called the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The girl was taken to Children’s National Medical Center. A thigh swab showed DNA consistent with the defendant’s.
Lee was arrested in 2012 and has been in custody ever since. He was convicted in 1997 of second-degree rape of a 12-year-old girl in Prince George’s County, Md.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. He also expressed appreciation for the work performed by Children’s National Medical Center and the assistance that was provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and Bode Technologies.
U.S. Attorney Phillips acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key, Troy Griffith, and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Supervisor Joshua Ellen; Information Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Aneela Bhatia, William Henderson, and Thomas R. Royal; Investigative Analysts William Hamann, Sharon Johnson, Shannon Alexis, and Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Bates, Sharon Donovan, and Chrisellen Kolb. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter V. Taylor and Kara Traster, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taylor and Sarah McClellan, who prosecuted the matter.
Detroit man pleads guilty to heroin distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Darrin Lawrence Broadnax, 49, of Detroit, Michigan pled guilty to heroin distribution and trafficking today, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Broadnax pled guilty to “Distribution of Heroin within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” Specifically, Broadnax sold heroin in January 2015 near an elementary school in Monongalia County, West Virginia. Broadnax also admitted to transporting heroin for redistribution and sale across state lines from Michigan to West Virginia. He faces between one and 40 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Daughter of Former Federal Employees Sentenced to Prison for Stealing over $700,000 in Retirement BenefitsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephanie Carethers, 47, of Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for taking approximately $702,000 in federal retirement pension benefits after her mother’s death, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Carethers pled guilty in March 2016, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree theft. She was sentenced by the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. Following her prison term, Carethers will be placed on three years of supervised release. She also must pay $668,934 in restitution. Other losses earlier were recovered.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the plea and signed by the defendant, OPM manages pension benefits for retired employees of the U.S. government. The Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) is a retirement system covering federal employees who entered covered federal service before Jan. 1, 1987. Upon retirement from civil service, the federal employees covered by CSRS become CSRS annuitants and are entitled to CSRS benefits throughout their lifetimes. In addition, a CSRS annuitant has the option to elect a survivor benefit for his/her spouse; if selected, a spousal benefit allows for the annuitant’s surviving spouse to continue to receive a reduced amount of benefits throughout the spouse’s lifetime.
OPM pays retirement annuity benefits to the retired federal government employee only during his/her lifetime; payments cease upon the employee’s death. OPM pays survivor annuity benefits to the annuitant’s spouse only during his/her lifetime; payments cease upon the spouse’s death.
The defendant’s mother worked for the federal government from 1941 to 1986. From 1941 to 1945, she worked for the Executive Office of the President for Emergency Management, and then worked for the U.S. State Department from 1945 to 1986. She died on April 23, 2001. The defendant’s father also worked for the U.S. government until his retirement in June 1986. He died on March 7, 2002, surviving his wife by about one year.
Although Carethers notified Maryland’s Division of Vital Records that her mother died, she did not notify OPM. Unaware of the death, OPM paid approximately $495,967 in retirement annuity benefits from 2001 until March 2010 by way of direct deposits into a SunTrust Bank savings account solely in the name of the defendant’s parents.
Although Carethers likewise notified Maryland’s Division of Vital Records that her father died on March 7, 2002, she did not notify OPM. However, OPM learned of his death and suspended his retirement annuity benefits in July 2002. Carethers subsequently called OPM’s Office of Retirement Programs, identifying herself as the daughter. She requested that survivor annuity benefits application forms be sent to her mother, not disclosing that her mother actually was deceased. She then caused an application to be sent to OPM fraudulently requesting survivor annuity benefits for her mother; the application contained the forged signature of her mother. Because her mother was deceased, she was not eligible for survivor annuity benefits. Based on this application and unaware of the death of the defendant’s mother, OPM paid approximately $206,982 in survivor annuity benefits. These payments were directly deposited into a SunTrust Bank checking account solely in the name of the defendant’s parents.
From 2001 to 2010, Carethers used the fraudulently obtained payments that OPM sent after her mother’s death to buy items and services for herself and others.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Acting Inspector General Vint expressed appreciation for the work performed by Special Agents and analysts from OPM’s Office of Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Kaitlyn Krueger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, who prosecuted the case.
Crosby County Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Federal Prison on Extortion and Firearms ConvictionsRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Shannon Dale Smith of Crosbyton, Texas, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to serve a total of 147 months in federal prison on extortion and firearms convictions, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Smith, 46, was convicted at trial in March 2016 on one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence, and in January 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communications with the intent to extort more than $500,000 from a Crosby County man. Today, Senior Judge Cummings sentenced Smith to 60 months on the firearms conviction and 87 months on the extortion conviction, to run consecutively
On October 29, 2015, Smith possessed three firearms − a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Rock River Arms .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle, and a Ruger .22 caliber rifle − in furtherance of transmitting communications to Crosbyton resident, Nathan Royce Boardman, threatening to kidnap and injure his wife, his daughters and his granddaughters.
Smith was carrying the Glock, .40 caliber pistol when he went to the drop location to see if Boardman had paid the extortion money. Smith also had the .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle and the .22 caliber rifle in his pickup truck as part of a hunting ruse in case he was stopped by law enforcement.
On Tuesday morning, October 27, 2015, Smith called Boardman and left a message on his answering machine that said: “We are watching you, there is a note on your north door.”
Boardman found the note that stated: “Follow these Instructions and no one will get Hurt. We Have a man watching your daughter. We Have a man watching your Granddaughter. We Have a man watching you and your wife. We are monitering [sic] your home and cell phone. If you call the police, we will know and someone will be taken from you. If you choose not to participate, someone will be taken from you. You have till Thursday at 9pm to put $525,000 in cash and or gold coins in a bag, duffel style. we [sic] will call you with further instructions. We are watching you. Do what you’re told and no one will be Hurt”.
On the morning of October 29, Boardman received another phone call from Smith in which Smith advised him that he had 14 hours left to get the money or else he would see what Boardman’s granddaughter looked like naked and correctly identified Boardman’s granddaughter by her first name. That evening, Smith called and left a message advising they’d better answer the phone or if they didn’t, it would be the last thing they would remember.
At approximately 6:44 p.m. that evening, Smith called Boardman and provided instructions to drop the extortion money. A short time later, Smith called Boardman again to confirm he had the correct instructions and advised Boardman if “we get a GPS tracker or a dye pack, there’ll be hell to pay.”
At approximately 8:55 p.m., that evening, law enforcement officers departed Boardman’s residence using Boardman’s vehicle and proceeded to the location Smith provided and threw a duffel bag in the weeds next to the boiler, as instructed. Law enforcement officers returned to Boardman’s residence in Boardman’s vehicle. Law enforcement identified a 2011 white GMC pickup truck in the area of the drop location, and they identified the two individuals in the truck as Smith and his minor son. At the time of his arrest, Smith had a semi-automatic pistol on his person.
The FBI, Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division, Crosby County Sheriff’s Office and the Crosbyton Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag was in charge of the prosecution.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 100 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announces that United States District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Robert Brent Goodwin on June 17, 2016 to serve a term of imprisonment of 100 months followed by 3 years of supervised release for illegally possessing four firearms in Bay Minette, Alabama on June 28, 2015 in violation of 18 USC § 922(g)(1). The defendant, who was a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history consisting of three prior felony convictions pled guilty before the Court on March 17, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fairhope Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence J. Bullard for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Colombian Man Sentenced More Than 17 Years in Prison for International Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Anderson Bryan Lever (39, Colombia, South America) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, onboard vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents and information presented at sentencing, between 2009 and 2013, Lever worked with his co-defendant and others to smuggle cocaine. Lever repeatedly dispatched vessels carrying between 550 and 1,000 kilograms of cocaine from San Andres Island, Colombia. On each occasion, He recruited and paid at least four mariners per vessel.
Lever’s co-conspirators received cocaine shipments in Honduras, then provided bales of United States currency (containing as much as $500,000 each) to the mariners who had just smuggled the cocaine. The mariners then smuggled the money back to Lever in Colombia. In total, the mariners successfully smuggled more than 10,000 kilograms of cocaine.
Lever was previously convicted for importing cocaine in Guerrero, Mexico. In September 2001, he was sentenced to more than 13 years’ imprisonment in Mexico, but escaped and fled to Colombia in November 2002. He was arrested in Colombia and subsequently extradited to the United States in November 2015.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, comprised of agents and analysts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray. The Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs, assisted with Lever’s extradition.
Collierville Man Sentenced for Defrauding Loan Companies of $121,000Read the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Collierville man has been sentenced for executing a scheme that defrauded two loan companies of approximately $121,000. Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Preston E. Byrd, 45, of Collierville, Tennessee, was a real estate developer. Byrd owned multiple businesses, including Horizon Financial Group; Eagles Landing Development; Affordable Rental Housing of Shelby; and Y-Politic.
Between March and May 2014, Byrd fraudulently applied for business loans with two loan companies, Rapid Advance and Windset Capital. He made false statements and submitted false documents to the two companies. Following receipt of the loan proceeds, Byrd engaged in multiple transactions with the fraudulently obtained money.
When Rapid Advance and Windset Capital requested to visit and physically inspect the location of Byrd’s establishments, he had another individual obtain office space for him to use temporarily. Byrd falsely represented the rented space as the headquarters for his establishments.
In March 2016, a federal jury convicted Byrd of three counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering.
On Thursday, June 16, 2016, Chief U.S. District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Byrd to 42 months in federal prison. Byrd was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $96,237.14, and to forfeit $166,245.14.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Economic Crimes Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. Andre III prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Bucks County Settlement Agent Charged with Stealing FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Alfred Drechsel, 47, of Voorhees, NJ was charged by Information with one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme that defrauded borrowers and title insurance companies, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
Drechsel was an owner of Lenders Edge Settlement Services, LLC, (“Lenders Edge”) and Integrity Assurance Inc. (“Integrity Assurance”), located in Feasterville, PA. The information alleges that Drechsel, who was responsible for making the loan disbursements, diverted settlement funds into various Lenders Edge and Integrity Assurance bank accounts and used the diverted loan proceeds to pay off other unrelated mortgages, to pay other business expenses, and for personal expenditures. According to the information, the total amount of mortgages that the defendant failed to pay off as required by the settlement statements was approximately $2,919,186.61.
If convicted, the defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, restitution, a period of supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a possible fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Barry.
An Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
British Man Previously Charged with Coming to U.S. to Have Sex with Pre-Teen Boys Now also Faces Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A British man who was previously charged with travelling to the Coachella Valley to have sex with pre-teen boys was charged today in a superseding indictment that adds child pornography charges.
Paul Charles Wilkins, 70, of Littleport in East Cambridgeshire, England, a dual United States-United Kingdom citizen, was named today in a four-count superseding indictment that now includes charges of transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The indictment reiterates charges contained in the original indictment that was filed in February – traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and attempted sex trafficking of children.
Wilkins allegedly travelled to the Coachella Valley in late January in order to engage in illicit sexual conduct with boys who were 10 and 12 years old.
While the first count of the indictment relates to Wilkins travel to the United States to allegedly have sex with two pre-teen boys, the attempted sex trafficking charge stems from a deal he allegedly brokered with an undercover investigator in which Wilkins allegedly paid $250 to have sex with a 9-year-old boy at an apartment he had rented in Palm Springs.
The child pornography counts related to images found on a laptop computer and a digital storage device that were seized when Wilkins was arrested on February 11 at his rented apartment after allegedly paying the money to the undercover operative.
“Child predators – whether foreign or domestic – threaten the most vulnerable members of society, which is why we devote considerable resources to stopping them,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The new indictment adds additional charges that more fully reflect the totality of this defendant’s conduct and could subject him to a longer prison term.”
Wilkins, who has been ordered held without bond, is currently scheduled to go on trial before United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee on July 19.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The charge of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct carries a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years.
The charge of attempted sex trafficking of children carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and statutory maximum penalty of life without parole.
The two child pornography charges each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years, and the transportation count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
The investigation into Wilkins was conducted by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
“Pedophiles in the United States, or anywhere in the world, who believe they can escape the detection of law enforcement by traveling to another county to commit heinous crimes against children should take note,” said Robert Goetsch, acting special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. “HSI and its law enforcement partners around the globe will pursue those criminals who subject children to this torment and bring them to justice by using every tool at our disposal.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christina T. Shay.
Brazilian Man Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced today that Elismar Dasilva-Gomes, 40, of Brazil, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported. He was sentenced to the time served since his arrest on February 29, 2016. Dasilva-Gomes will now be deported.
A law enforcement officer conducting a routine investigation observed the defendant’s vehicle backed right up to the front door of a Verizon Wireless store. The officer approached the defendant, who was employed at the store, and asked for identification. Dasilva-Gomes provided a Brazilian passport as his only form of identification.
The officer sought the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations in positively identifying the defendant. An ICE-ERO officer ran complete criminal and immigration histories and found a record for a Brazilian national who was arrested and deported in 2005. The ICE-ERO officer sent a photo of the individual who was deported in 2005 to the local law enforcement officer, who confirmed that it matched the defendant.
On February 29, 2016, Dasilva-Gomes was booked and processed at the ICE office in Manchester. Fingerprints obtained from at that time were compared to fingerprints on file with ICE and were determined to match known fingerprints of the defendant on the occasion of his previous deportation in 2005.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega.
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Alleged Bank Robbers Ordered to Remain in Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Four members of a crew allegedly responsible for 20 armed bank robberies in the greater Houston and San Antonio areas will remain in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
A federal grand jury returned the 15-count indictment May 25, 2016, against Eric Beverly, 27, Gregory Babers, 25, Julien Francis, 25, and Jerrick Hoskins, 26, all of Houston. They are charges with conspiracy to commit bank robbery and multiple counts of aiding and abetting bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Authorities took Beverly into custody June 3, while Francis was arrested June 8. Babers and Hoskins were taken into custody June 9.
On June 10, all four defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo for a detention hearing, after which it was determined that they should be held in custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings. During the hearing, evidence was presented indicating that the crew committed 20 take-over style robberies between July 25, 2014, and May 2, 2015. During the alleged crimes, two or more men wearing masks would enter the banks while at least one of them brandished a firearm. Inside, one or more of the men allegedly demanded money from employees at gunpoint, jumped over teller counters and would grab money from the teller drawers. It is alleged that the conspirators robbed three of the banks on more than one occasion.
Today, Judge Palermo issued detention orders indicating probable cause the crimes were committed. The court further found them to be a danger to the community.
Each faces up to five years in prison if convicted of the conspiracy to commit bank robbery. For aiding and abetting bank robbery, they also face a maximum of 25 years in federal prison upon each conviction. In addition, they face a mandatory seven-year sentence for the first conviction of brandishing a firearm, plus 25 years for every subsequent firearm conviction which must be served consecutively to each other and to the other sentences. All 15 counts also carry a possible fine of $250,000.
The FBI Violent Crime Task Force investigated, which included agents and officers of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Wirsing and Jill Stotts are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
16 June 2016
Youngstown man sentenced to 15 years in prison for having firearmRead the Press Release
A Youngstown man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Bradley Earman, Acting ATF Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division.
Lawrence J. Johnson, 52, was found to be an armed career criminal. He illegally possessed a Bryco 9 mm pistol on Aug. 12, despite four felony convictions in state court – attempted robbery in 1982 in Mahoning County, robbery in 1983 in Mahoning County, robbery in 1997 in Trumbull County and complicity to aggravated robbery with a firearm in 2005 in Trumbull County.
“We will continue to prosecute those who carry firearms despite convictions that forbid them from having guns,” Rendon said. “These are people that everyone agrees should not have access to firearms.”
“ATF is committed to combating gun violence in our communities,” Earman said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to arrest violent criminals and make our communities safer.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Filiatraut following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Winnfield men plead guilty to firearms chargesRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that two Winnfield men pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing stolen firearms.
Ashton L. Howard, 33, and Aaron Thomas, 26, both of Winnfield, La., pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen firearm in a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes. Thomas also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Their pleas will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. According to the guilty pleas, Howard and Thomas received and possessed 14 firearms, ammunition and other items from a Winnfield firearm seller on March 22, 2015. Howard drove four juveniles to a store where they loaded eight rifles, five shotguns, a revolver, ammunition, firearms parts, knives and other items into Howard’s van. Thomas later helped them unload the stolen items and store them under his house and in various locations. They both were aware the firearms were stolen.
Each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, one to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of September 12, 2016 was set.
This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.
The ATF and the Winnfield Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Williamson County Heroin Seller Faces Long Prison TermRead the Press Release
A Williamson County, Illinois man was recently sentenced to a long term in federal prison on heroin charges, James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
On June 15, 2016, Antoine B. Shaw, a/k/a "Scan," 42, of Herrin, IL, was sentenced to 228 months’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release following his imprisonment. Shaw had previously pleaded guilty to one count in a federal superseding indictment which charged that from August 2014, until on or about June 5, 2015, in Williamson and Franklin Counties, Shaw and others conspired to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Illinois State Police, the Marion, Illinois Police Department, and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.
Wilkes-Barre Man Pleaded Guilty to Transporting A Minor for Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Trevon Jackson, age 24, of Wilkes-Barre pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik in Scranton pursuant to a plea agreement.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Jackson was charged in a Criminal Information in May 2016 with transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The Information alleged that in December 2013, Jackson transported an individual under the age of 18, from Pennsylvania to New York, with the intent that the individual engage in prostitution.
The case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski.
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."
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute for transportation of minors for criminal activity is imprisonment for life, with a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment for 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. 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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Water Treatment Chemicals Manufacturer Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy Aimed at Eliminating CompetitionRead the Press Release
Company to pay $5 Million Criminal Fine
GEO Specialty Chemicals Inc., an Ohio company, has pleaded guilty for its role in a conspiracy to eliminate competition involving contracts to supply liquid aluminum sulfate to municipalities and pulp and paper manufacturers in the United States, the Department of Justice announced today.
GEO’s Water Treatment Chemicals Division, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a manufacturer and supplier of water treatment chemicals, including liquid aluminum sulfate. The company has admitted to conspiring to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers involving contracts for liquid aluminum sulfate, a coagulant used by municipalities to treat drinking and waste water, and by pulp and paper manufacturers in their manufacturing processes. GEO has been sentenced to pay a fine of $5 million. GEO is the first corporate defendant, and fourth defendant overall, to be charged with participation in this decade-and-a-half-long conspiracy. One individual previously pleaded guilty and two others have been indicted in connection with the conspiracy.
“GEO and its co-conspirators deprived municipalities and paper manufacturers of the competitive prices they rightly expected from their suppliers of liquid aluminum sulfate,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Renata Hesse, head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This prosecution continues our efforts to hold criminally responsible those who collude to cheat their customers.”
“The FBI is committed to protecting the American consumer’s right to expect the benefits of free and open competition. However, GEO Specialty Chemicals and their co-conspirators colluded to circumvent competitive bidding and independent pricing for liquid aluminum sulfate contracts, and conspired to raise prices by submitting artificially inflated bids to their customers,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher of the FBI’s Newark Division. “They also allocated customers in furtherance of their collusive scheme. By agreeing to violate both the spirit and the letter of the competitive process, GEO and others defrauded municipalities as well as pulp and paper companies out of millions of dollars.”
According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, from 1997 until 2011, GEO and its co-conspirators engaged in their collusive agreement by meeting to discuss each other’s liquid aluminum sulfate business, submitting intentionally losing bids to favor the intended winner of the business, withdrawing inadvertently winning bids, and discussing with each other prices to be quoted or bid to municipalities and pulp and paper manufacturers.
The investigation into price fixing, bid rigging, and customer allocation in the liquid aluminum sulfate industry is being conducted by the New York Office of the Antitrust Division and the FBI’s New Jersey Office. Anyone with information on price fixing, bid rigging, or customer allocation in the sale and marking of liquid aluminum sulfate should contact the New York Office of the Antitrust Division at 212-335-8000, call the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm.
Wakpala Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Wakpala, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner or Dating Partner was sentenced on June 13, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Christopher Lee Delong, age 40, was sentenced to 28 months in custody, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Delong was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 14, 2015. He pled guilty on December 15, 2015.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on June 27, 2015, when law enforcement was informed by the victim that her boyfriend was beating her up. Upon arrival, law enforcement made contact with the victim and Delong. The officer could see that the victim had blood on her lips, a swollen left eye, and what appeared to be a broken hand. The victim explained that Delong hit her on the face when he became angry when another person took his car keys from him. As a result of the assault, the victim sustained a cut lip, a swollen left eye, multiple abrasions to her body, and a severely swollen hand.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Delong was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Two Portsmouth Drug Dealers Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Norman Preston Stephenson, 35, and Samuel Gray, aka Pig, 36, both of Portsmouth, were sentenced today to 264 months, and 120 months in prison, respectively, for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine. Additionally, Stephenson was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and Gray was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Stephenson was a member of the Corna Sto Boys, a group formed in the late 1990s by individuals distributing crack cocaine near the corner of Elm Avenue and Fayette Street in Portsmouth. The group most recently dealt crack cocaine around an intersection across the street from Brighton Elementary School in Portsmouth. In August 2015, the Portsmouth Police Department conducted 17 controlled purchases of crack cocaine from members of the organization.
Stephenson dealt over one kilogram of crack cocaine between December 2014 and October 2015, when he was arrested for beating a woman who stole his drug stash. Gray, an affiliate of the Corna Sto Boys, dealt over one half kilogram of crack cocaine over the year prior to his arrest. Three other members of the group have pleaded guilty in federal court and are awaiting sentencing.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Field Division; John S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of the Portsmouth Police Department; and Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Bosse and Joseph E. DePadilla, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler, prosecuted the cases.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-16 and 2:16-cr-19.
Two Clay County Men Sentenced on Destructive Device ChargesRead the Press Release
Two Clay County, Illinois men were recently sentenced to federal prison on destructive device charges, James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
On June 15, 2016, Aaron B. Flota, 37, of Flora, IL, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and two years’ supervised release following his imprisonment. On June 14, 2016, Kevin E. Caldwell, 37, of Edgewood, IL, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and two years’ supervised release following his imprisonment.
Both men had previously pleaded guilty to one count in a federal indictment which charged that on August 10, 2015, in Clay County, Illinois, Flota and Caldwell knowingly possessed a destructive device, as defined by federal law, which had not been registered to either of them in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. The Clay County State’s Attorney also assisted with the investigation.
Three plead guilty to heroin distribution in Monongalia CountyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three individuals pled guilty to heroin distribution in federal court in Clarksburg today, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Romelle Deshaun Stevens, 26, of Detroit, Michigan pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin.” Stevens admitted to selling heroin in Monongalia County during December 2015. He faces not more than 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $1,000,000.
Robert Tucker, 22, of Clarksburg, WV pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Heroin.” Tucker admitted to selling heroin in Monongalia County during August 2015. He faces not more than 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $1,000,000.
Michaelo Merone, 30, of Westover, WV pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin.” Merone admitted to selling heroin in Monongalia County during October 2015. He faces not more than 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $1,000,000.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the defendant’s prior criminal history, if any.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Three men were sentenced to prison today for their involvement in a credit card fraud scheme which involved re-encoded credit cards with stolen bank information. All three defendants were directed to pay $68,337.66 in restitution to their victims.
Name, Age
Hometown
Charges
Sentence
Manvel Avagyan, 32
Van Nuys, California
Bank fraud and aggravated identity theft
45 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release
Davit G. Ghazaryan, 26
Brooklyn, New York
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft
54 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release
Hrayr Margaryan, 26
Brooklyn
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravate identity theft
45 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release
According to court documents and testimony, on April 21, 2015, Spotsylvania Deputy Sheriffs received a call about suspicious activity around two bank branches. Upon responding, they observed Ghazaryan and Margaryan seated in a van parked in a near-by parking lot. They found 150 blank plastic cards with magnetic strips re-encoded with stolen credit card information, as well as a paper with the address of a Richmond area gas station that had been identified by banks as a point of compromise for customers’ debit cards. Deputies found Avagyan in a restaurant across the street. Several weeks later, an employee of the restaurant located three re-encoded cards, identical to those recovered from the van, buried in gravel near the front entrance of the restaurant. The three men were subsequently linked via bank photographs to withdrawals from ATMs that occurred in March and April 2015 in Pennsylvania and Virginia using stolen debit or credit card numbers.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Douglas F. Mease, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office; and Spotsylvania County Sheriff Roger L. Harris, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore and former Special Assistant U.S Attorney Margaret W. Reed prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated by the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service as members of the Metro-Richmond Identity Theft Task Force. They were assisted by the Fredericksburg Police Department, the City of Richmond Police Department, the State College, Pennsylvania Police Department, and numerous other police departments in Pennsylvania. Prosecutions for the Task Force are handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:15-cr-155.
Tallulah tax preparer pleads guilty to aiding in the filing of false tax returnRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Tallulah based tax preparer pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a tax return containing false information.
Frankie Cammack, 48, of Tallulah, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a fraudulent and false tax return. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. According to testimony presented during the guilty plea, Cammack prepared 26 returns for eight different taxpayers for tax years 2009 through 2012, all of which contained false information regarding either business expenses or education credits. The false information was used to generate refunds totaling $114,791 to the taxpayers.
Cammack faces a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. Sentencing is scheduled for September 12, 2016.
The IRS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan is prosecuting the case.
Stockton Man Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Joseph Aaron McClendon, 39, of Stockton, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two and a half years in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. On release, McClendon will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, between March and November 2012, federal agents detected McClendon’s computer offering images of child pornography through a file-sharing peer-to-peer network. Agents executed a federal search warrant and seized McClendon’s computer. A subsequent forensic review found approximately 700 images and 95 videos of child pornography that had been downloaded by McClendon. These images and videos included depictions of prepubescent children, as well as acts of sadistic and masochistic conduct involving minors.
“Downloading sexually explicit images and videos of young children not only creates lifelong scars for victims, it also enables perpetrators around the globe to continuously exploit those same innocent victims,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge for HSI San Francisco. “HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to target criminals who prey on the most vulnerable members of society.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Amy Schuller Hitchcock prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Six Coachella Valley Men Charged in Federal Court in Task Force Operation Targeting Illegal Firearms and Drugs in Desert Hot SpringsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Six Coachella Valley residents have been charged by federal prosecutors with drug trafficking offenses, and four of the men face additional counts for illegal possession of a firearm.
Four of the men were arrested this morning as part of a joint operation involving both federal and local authorities. Two of the men are already in state custody on separate charges.
In the first case, Julio Cesar Gomez, also known as “Spanky,” 31, of Indio, Angel Alejandro Carmona, aka “Lil Criminal,” 30, of Coachella, and Steven Andrew Gonzalez, aka “Cubs,” 32, of Indio, were charged in an indictment with engaging in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In addition, Gomez was charged with being a felon in possession of an assault rifle with an obliterated serial number, and Carmona was charged with being a felon in possession of a .357-caliber handgun. Gomez and Carmona were arrested this morning, and Gonzalez is in state prison in Wasco, California.
In the second case, Francisco Remigio Figueroa, aka “Toro,” 34, of Desert Hot Springs, was charged in an indictment with distributing methamphetamine and marijuana. Figueroa was also charged with possessing a 20-gauge shotgun and ammunition after being convicted of multiple state felonies. Figueroa is currently in jail in Riverside County.
Mario Vincent Lopez, 49, of Desert Hot Springs, was charged in an indictment with possession of an unregistered 12-gauge shotgun and shotgun ammunition after being convicted of multiple state felonies as well as distributing methamphetamine. Lopez was arrested this morning.
Finally, Donnie Darnel Dennis, 38, of Desert Hot Springs, was also arrested this morning pursuant to a criminal complaint charging him with the distributing methamphetamine. The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint describes Dennis handing his daughter a handgun when using her as part of a drug deal.
Five of the men face a statutory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum of life imprisonment if convicted on the counts with which they have been charged. Figueroa faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years imprisonment and a statutory maximum penalty of 65 years if he were to be convicted on all counts.
“Drug trafficking involving firearms continues to pose a tremendous danger to our communities,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Several of these men were undeterred by prior state convictions, so now they must face federal charges and lengthy prison sentences.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric D. Harden added, “ATF works with our law enforcement partners to keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited persons and pursues federal criminal charges against felons that repeatedly seek to possess firearms."
At their court appearances this afternoon at the United States District Court in Riverside, Gomez, Lopez and Dennis were ordered detained pending trial. Carmona is scheduled for a court appearance tomorrow afternoon.
An indictment or criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
These cases were investigated by the Coachella Valley Gang Impact Team, which includes members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Sesser Man Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
On Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Scott L. Thompson, of Sesser, IL, pled guilty to bankruptcy fraud charges pending against him in federal court in Benton, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Thompson was indicted on February 2, 2016, as part of an effort to crackdown on those who commit fraud during the course of bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
"My office is committed to ensuring the integrity of the federal bankruptcy system," Porter explained. "Individuals who hide their assets during bankruptcy cases are defrauding their creditors. When this type of conduct occurs in Southern Illinois, these individuals will be prosecuted. Bankruptcy is a tool to help people, not a place to commit fraud."
"I am grateful to Acting U. S. Attorney Porter and our law enforcement partners for their strong commitment to combating fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases," stated Nancy J. Gargula, U. S. Trustee for Central Illinois, Southern Illinois and Indiana.
The indictment charged Thompson with one count of concealing assets and three counts of fraudulently withholding records in a bankruptcy case. In pleading guilty, Thompson admitted that he concealed from the Bankruptcy Court a $28,129.55 settlement he received for a worker’s compensation claim. In addition, Thompson acknowledged that he withheld copies of his federal and state tax returns, despite being ordered to turn them over by the Bankruptcy Court. Under federal law, tax refunds in amounts above certain thresholds must be paid to the Bankruptcy Court and used to pay back the creditors. Thompson’s chapter 13 bankruptcy case was filed and litigated in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Benton, Illinois.
Thompson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 13, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois. Each count of bankruptcy fraud is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, not more than three years of supervised release following the prison term, and restitution.
Assistance with the investigation was provided by members of the Southern Illinois Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group, coordinated by the U.S. Trustee, while the investigation was conducted by agents from the Springfield Division, Fairview Heights Resident Agency, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.
Sentencings for June 13, 2016Read the Press Release
Traci Adelle Raymer, 32, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on June 13, 2016, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Raymer was arrested in Evanston, Wyoming. She received 18 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $150.00. This case results from an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) joint investigation conducted by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Loc Thi My Nguyen, 43, of Oakland, California, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on June 13, 2016, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Nguyen was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She was sentenced to time served, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Seattle Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Congressman over Democratic Primary ElectionRead the Press Release
A 27-year-old Seattle man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to threatening a federal official, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. JASPER KILMER HILLMAN BELL admits he made multiple phone calls to the staff of Congressman Jim McDermott in mid-April 2016, and in one call threatened to cut out the congressman’s tongue. BELL expressed outrage over how delegates were being allocated between the two Democratic candidates for President and the role of Congressman McDermott as a ‘Super Delegate.’ Prosecutors will ask for up to a year in prison for BELL when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik on October 28, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, in mid-April 2016, protestors went to Congressman McDermott’s office unhappy about his support for a particular Democratic presidential candidate as a ‘Super Delegate.’ BELL had written to the Congressman three times about the Super Delegate controversy, and had called the office on multiple occasions. On April 22, 2016, BELL called the Congressman’s office in Seattle seventeen times, and his Washington DC office an additional six times in one fifty minute period. In the calls BELL expressed his outrage that protestors had been arrested at the Congressman’s office. Speaking with staffers BELL demanded to know the Congressman’s home address and said he would “track him down and cut his (expletive) tongue out.” He told one he would find Congressman McDermott’s home address and “…he would not be safe.” Following the angry phone calls BELL went to the Congressman’s office and pounded on the locked exterior doors demanding to be admitted to the offices. Seattle Police arrested BELL later that evening.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will ask for no more than one year in prison.
BELL was in custody in the King County Jail until federal charges were filed earlier this week. Following his guilty plea today he was released on the condition that he get anger management and mental health treatment. Under the terms of his release bond, BELL is required to have no contact with Congressman McDermott and his staff, and must stay a quarter mile from the Congressman’s office. BELL is required to stay a half mile away from any political rally in the state of Washington.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Rochester Man Sentenced on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Ronald Dodd, 32, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to nine years in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The defendant was also ordered to forfeit a .380 caliber pistol and rounds of ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that shortly after midnight on August 15, 2015, Rochester Police Department Officers responded to a report of gunfire at 431 Lake Avenue in Rochester. Officers spoke to a witness who stated that an unknown black male on a bike had pulled out a handgun from his waist and yelled that this was “his hood” during an argument outside the residence. Shortly afterward, witnesses heard gunshots and the gunman left the area. Responding officers observed Dodd riding a bike a short distance away and pursued him. The defendant fled but officers apprehended him hiding behind a bush at 17 Phelps Avenue. Dodd had three bags of marijuana, two bags of heroin, and two bags of cocaine in his pants. There was a stolen, Bryco Arms .380 semi-automatic handgun on the ground next to a tree where Dodd was apprehended.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under the direction of Delano A. Reid, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Nicolas Herrera, 55, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged today by Indictment with illegal reentry after deportation, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment alleges that on or about May 19, 2016, Herrera, an alien, and native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States on or about July 7, 2004 and July 22, 2009.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pennsylvania man sentenced for painkiller traffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kalif Briggs, 33, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for transporting oxycodone across state lines today, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Briggs previously pled guilty in February 2016 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Oxycodone.” Briggs admitted to transporting oxycodone from Philadelphia to Morgantown, West Virginia for redistribution and sale.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Orlando Man Indicted for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Jorge Guerrero-Torres (28, Orlando) with possession of child pornography and production of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the possession charge, and minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison on the production charge. Guerrero-Torres was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court on June 6, 2016, in Fort Myers. He remains detained pending further proceedings
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas and Assistant United States Attorney Charles Schmitz.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
North Richland Hills Physician Admits Role in Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS, Texas — A licensed physician from North Richland Hills, Texas, Byron Felton Conner, 48, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud stemming from a scheme to defraud Medicare through the submission of false claims for physician home visits and home health care services. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Conner, who remains on bond, faces a maximum statutory penalty of 5 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and may be ordered to pay restitution. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.
Conner is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in connection with a fraud scheme involving Paradise Home Health (Paradise), a home health agency that was owned and operated by Theophilus Adeoye, a licensed vocational nurse. Theophilus Adeoye, his wife and registered nurse Foluke Adeoye, and former Paradise employee, Stacey Shephard, all pleaded guilty last year.
According to documents filed in the case, from approximately March 2012 through September 2015 Conner worked with At Home Visiting Physicians as a contract physician serving patients throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. As part of the scheme, Conner signed physician orders for home health care that contained false information on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries who were not homebound or otherwise qualified for Medicare-covered home health care services. Conner knew that Paradise would use these falsified documents to support and justify fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare.
The FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated. are investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Brasher and John Kull are prosecuting.
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Newark Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Multiple CarjackingsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for his role in an armed carjacking spree between June 6, 2012, and June 22, 2012 U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Jahleel McLendon, 22, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with five counts of theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence, and intimidation, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge McNulty imposed the sentenced today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 6, 2012, McLendon approached a man sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked Chrysler 300 and ordered him out of the car at gunpoint. Several hours later, McLendon was still driving the Chrysler 300 when Newark police officers attempted to pull him over. McLendon led police on a car chase, eventually losing control of the vehicle and crashing into two parked cars and two utility poles. He eluded capture that day, and three days later, McLendon and an accomplice carjacked an Acura TL at gunpoint while the victim was loading the trunk of the car.
On June 15, 2012, McLendon and an accomplice carjacked a Chevrolet Trailblazer at gunpoint, and approximately twenty minutes later, used that Trailblazer to carjack a BMW 325 at a gas station in Newark. On June 22, 2012, McLendon carjacked a Chevrolet Impala at gunpoint. When the driver attempted to resist, McLendon threatened to shoot her. Less than two hours later, McLendon was still driving the Impala when Newark police officers attempted to pull him over. McLendon again led the police on a car chase before he drove into an empty parking lot and fled on foot. Newark Police officers quickly caught McLendon and arrested him. He was found to be possession of a loaded handgun and 46 glassine bags of heroin.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty also sentenced McLendon to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Anthony Ambrose; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher; detectives with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray; and investigators in the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cari Fais of the Newark office.
Defense counsel: Carol Gillen Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
New York Man Sentenced to Two Years for Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
Contact: Michael J. Conley
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Scott McMahon, 33, of Orchard Park, New York, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for pharmacy robbery. McMahon pleaded guilty to the charge on February 12, 2016.
According to court records, on September 10, 2014, McMahon entered a Rite Aid pharmacy in Saco, approached the pharmacy counter, told a pharmacy employee “I’m watching you” and then handed the employee a note which read “Give me oxycontin. If you don’t it will get ugly.” A pharmacist put 18 10 mg. Oxycontin pills worth $49 into a plastic bag and handed it to McMahon who absconded with them. Shortly after the robbery, McMahon was tracked by police to a Saco motel located about one-half mile from the pharmacy. His DNA was also found on a sweatshirt recovered by the police that appeared to have been worn by the robber.
The investigation was conducted by the Saco Police Department.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Related to Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Marcell Greene, age 28, of Wyandanch, New York, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and to sex trafficking of a minor.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and the Maryland Department of Human Resources, Child Protective Services.
According to his plea agreement, from about February 2015 through April 12, 2015, Greene and a co-defendant advertised a 16 year old female on computer websites for commercial sex acts and transported her from New York to hotels in Virginia and Maryland to engage in commercial sex acts. On April 12, 2015, the victim called 911 from a hotel in Bel Air, Maryland. The victim told responding members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Social Services that Greene and another man had taken her from New York to Virginia and Maryland to engage in commercial sex acts. The victim advised that on April 12, 2015, the day she called 911, she had something thrown at her because she refused to perform a specific sex act. Law enforcement and a child protective services worker saw swelling and bruising to the victim’s right cheek and right temple.
The investigation revealed that Greene registered and paid for hotel rooms in several locations where the victim performed commercial sex acts. Witnesses identified Greene as being in the area where the victim was engaging in commercial sex acts, and investigators uncovered texts between Greene and the co-defendant discussing commercial sex.
As part of his plea agreement, Greene must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Greene faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for sex trafficking of a minor, and up to life in prison for the conspiracy, each followed by up to lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for October 14, 2016 at 3:00 p.m.
This case was investigated by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended HSI Baltimore, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, and Maryland Department of Human Resources, Child Protective Services, for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ayn B. Duaco, who is prosecuting the case.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Obtain Oxycodone Through Fraudulent PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAYMOND MORALES, also known as “Freddy,” 32, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2012, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that manufactured fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and distributed the drug in the greater New Haven area. As part of the conspiracy, members of organization obtained the personal identifying information of medical practitioners and used the information to create fraudulent prescriptions. Conspiracy members also purchased legitimate prescriptions for oxycodone from individuals. The organization then used individuals, or “runners,” to fill the fraudulent prescriptions at pharmacies throughout Connecticut. Once a runner provided his or her personal information to a member of the organization, the runner’s information was kept on file and used to create other fraudulent prescriptions.
The investigation revealed that, between February 2013 and September 2015, the organization stole the personal identifying information of more than 50 doctors and medical professionals and fraudulently obtained more than 80,000 oxycodone pills.
Nearly all of the runners employed by the conspiracy held state-sponsored medical insurance, so the costs of the prescriptions were billed to Medicaid. Members of the drug trafficking organization then sold the oxycodone for $20 to $30 per 30 milligram pill.
MORALES recruited runners to fill fraudulent prescriptions. The investigation also revealed that he had a close associate who was employed as a pharmacy technician at a pharmacy in New Haven and assisted MORALES in filling the fake prescriptions.
Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for October 11, 2016, at which time MORALES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
A total of 11 individuals have been charged as a result of the investigation. Four of the defendants have previously pleaded guilty and also await sentencing.
The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad includes members from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton and Milford Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy C. Brown and Robert M. Spector.
Morgantown man convicted, sentenced for escapeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Franklin McVay, 30, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was convicted and sentenced today for escape, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
In March 2016, McVay escaped from custody at the Dismas Charities of Clarksburg Halfway House in Harrison County, West Virginia.
McVay pled guilty today to an Information charging him with one count of “Escape.” He was sentenced today to twelve months and one day in prison.Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service investigated.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Mission Man Sentenced for Child Abuse and Aiding and AbettingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Child Abuse was sentenced on June 13, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Tate Luta Red Feather, age 25, was sentenced to 18 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Feather was indicted for Child Abuse and Making False Statements to a Federal Agent by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2015. He pled guilty to Child Abuse on March 8, 2016.
On June 3, 2015, Red Feather was drinking and using marijuana with another adult and a teenager. At one point, the group took Red Feather’s vehicle and drove to the store to buy more alcohol, taking the defendant’s four-year-old son with them. They continued to consume alcohol as they drove around.
At approximately 6:20 pm, the group was traveling on BIA 1, south of St. Francis, in an area where the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour. The teenager was driving, the adult was in the passenger seat, and Red Feather was in the back seat with his son. The vehicle was traveling at approximately 57 miles per hour when it came upon a curve, failed to negotiate the curve, overcorrected, and left the roadway before rolling multiple times.
Red Feather, the child, and the adult passenger were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle. As a result of the wreck, the child suffered fractures to his skull and one closed rib fracture, and Red Feather suffered injuries to his head, neck, and left shoulder. The adult passenger died as a result of his injuries. Blood tests subsequently indicated both Red Feather’s and the teenager’s blood alcohol level to be above .10. The defendant’s blood test also indicated he had used marijuana.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk W. Albertson prosecuted the case.
Red Feather was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on June 13, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Lambert James Gunhammer, age 33, was sentenced to 22 months in custody, 3 years supervised release, a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $3,516.00 in restitution.
Gunhammer was indicted for two counts of Assaulting a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2015. He pled guilty on March 7, 2016.
In the early morning hours of November 18, 2015, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services responded to a call for service at the Rosebud Casino, when the casino manager reported Gunhammer as a danger. When the officers approached Gunhammer, he told the officers he smoked marijuana prior to going to the casino. Gunhammer was placed under arrest for drug charges and transported to the Adult Correctional Facility (ACF) in Rosebud. Gunhammer was released from tribal custody several hours later; however, he remained in the lobby of the ACF and refused to leave the building. At approximately 1:00 p.m. that day, a law enforcement officer approached Gunhammer in an effort to try to get him to leave the ACF facility. Gunhammer eventually agreed to leave the building with the officer; however, once outside, he attempted to pull the officer back into the building. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and escorted to the booking area of the ACF facility, where he was placed in the observation cell in the booking area and continued to yell at correctional officers.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. that same day, a corrections officer attempted to enter the observation cell. Gunhammer complied with the officer's initial instructions to stand away from the door, but as the officer attempted to open the door, Gunhammer charged and forced his way through to the booking area. The officer was able to place his arms around Gunhammer, but he continued to struggle with the officer. A second corrections officer was at a nearby computer station and immediately responded to the assault. The struggle moved from the door of the observation cell to behind the computer desk in the booking area. Gunhammer was able to free his left arm and began to throw any item he could reach to the ground, including several computer monitors. The struggle caused the second officer to fall into a concrete barrier by the computer station, where he hit his upper neck against a corner of the concrete. The second officer remained conscious but was dazed. At one point, Gunhammer grabbed a computer monitor and threw it to the ground, and the monitor hit the second officer in the head. The first officer deployed pepper spray in Gunhammer's face, and he attempted to run to another part of the facility.
Additional correctional officers then responded to the attack. Approximately 30 seconds after the attack began, the officers were able to enter the area and intercept Gunhammer as he moved from the computer desk to the open portion of the intake area. Gunhammer struck a third officer in the face while trying to evade the officers, who were then able to subdue him.
This case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Corrections Services and Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie G. Sanderson prosecuted the case.
Gunhammer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Metairie Man Sentenced for Trafficking in over $150,000 in Counterfeit GoodsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Politce announced that BOUBACAR DIALLO, age 36, of Metairie, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to trafficking in counterfeit goods.
U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced DIALLO to five years probation and to pay restitution as follows: $760.65 to Polo by Ralph Lauren; $980 to Louis Vuitton; $400 to Hermes; and $170 to Nike.
According to court documents, on March 12, 2015, investigators with the Office of the Attorney General Investigation Division and agents with the United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, acting on information that DIALLO was involved in the purchase and subsequent sale of large quantities of counterfeit merchandise, met DIALLO at his residence in Metairie. Law enforcement officials observed numerous cardboard boxes full of counterfeit merchandise. They subsequently verified as counterfeit 111 pairs of “True Religion” blue jeans; 166 “Michael Kors” purses; 67 “Michael Kors” pocketbooks; 87 “Michael Kors” watches; 6 pair of “Nike” tennis shoes; 9 pair of “Polo” pants; 8 pair of “Polo” shirts; and 693 counterfeit Michael Kors labels. The collective fair market value of all the counterfeit items and was approximately $158,049. DIALLO admitted that he knew the items he was selling were counterfeit and that he had purchased them from individuals in Atlanta and New York City. DIALLO also admitted to renting storage units to hide and store the counterfeit merchandise.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Louisiana Department of Justice / Office of the Attorney General Investigation Division and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg was in charge of the prosecution.