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Thursday 28 April 2016
Man Sentenced for Alien Smuggling in North CountryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Wanxiang Chen, age 28, was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 8 months in prison as a result of his trial conviction for transporting aliens in the United States for the purpose of financial gain.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent John C. Pfeifer.
Chen, a Chinese national who was residing in Flushing, New York, was convicted following a trial in March 2016 of transporting two Chinese citizens who were in the country illegally. On August 11, 2015, he picked them up from the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino in Hogansburg, New York, and was driving them to New York City when Border Patrol agents stopped his car in Fort Covington. The evidence at trial demonstrated that Chen had made three prior smuggling trips, transporting aliens from the casino to New York City in exchange for cash payments.
Chen has been incarcerated since his arrest on August 11, 2015, and since Chen himself was illegally in the United States, he will now be turned over to immigration authorities for possible removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.
Mail Thief Caught Stealing Mail from Hillside NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that an Anchorage man pled guilty yesterday in federal court to mail theft and credit card fraud.
Evan Mullen, 28, of Anchorage, pled guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward, who prosecuted the case, Mullen pled guilty to the following facts: Starting in December 2015, Mullen stole mail from mailboxes of residents living in an Anchorage Hillside neighborhood. Mullen was specifically looking for credit cards, but Mullen also stole packages from these mailboxes. Mullen took the stolen credit cards and purchased gift cards and merchandise. Mullen continued this conduct up until the day before his arrest in February 2016. There were more than 10 victims of Mullen’s crimes including those who had their mail stolen and banks who absorbed the loss from the stolen credit cards. Mullen used the stolen credit cards to obtain and attempt to obtain approximately $10,000 in cash and merchandise. Mullen has agreed to pay full restitution.
Mullen faces a maximum of fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2016.
“Postal Inspectors worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Anchorage Police Department, and proactive citizens to swiftly handle the reported mail theft on Hillside,” said Seattle Division Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “We take mail theft and identity theft very seriously and will continue working aggressively to investigate these crimes.”
U.S. Attorney Loeffler commends the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Anchorage Police Department for the investigation of this case. Neighborhood residents assisted in the investigation, providing tips and information helpful to identifying Mullen as the thief.
Local Employers and Agencies Participate in National Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The United States Department of Justice has designated April 24-30, 2016, as National Reentry Week. During this week, communities nationwide will focus on what can be done to break the cycle of incarceration that is prevalent in communities across the nation, including here in Iowa.
Ninety three percent of offenders currently behind bars will be eligible for release. State workforce and corrections agencies are working to address this issue that affects thousands of Iowans. Each year, more than 600,000 individuals return to our communities after serving time in federal and state prisons. In 2015, Iowa released 5,166 individuals from prison.
An additional 11.4 million people cycle through local jails nationally. Many of these individuals commit new crimes and end up back in prison. Research has shown a strong correlation between employment and recidivism. Simply put, individuals coming out of prison are much less likely to commit a new crime if they are employed with a good job.
“Too often, justice-involved individuals who have paid their debt to society confront daunting obstacles to good jobs, decent housing, adequate health care, quality education, and even the right to vote,” noted United States Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. “National Reentry Week highlights the many ways that the Department of Justice is working to tear down the barriers that stand between returning citizens and a meaningful second chance – leading to brighter futures, stronger communities, and a more just and equal nation for all.”
“Making the criminal justice system more effective at reducing recidivism by helping formerly incarcerated individuals contribute to their communities with employment is a priority for the Department of Justice. An important part of that task is addressing obstacles to successful reentry that too many returning citizens encounter,” stated United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, Kevin W. Techau.
Later today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Department of Corrections, the United States Probation Office, and America’s Job Honor Awards, will attend a proclamation signing with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad in Des Moines, where the Governor will proclaim April 24-30 Reentry Week in Iowa.
Earlier this week the United States Attorney’s Office hosted a focus group consisting of a select group of Cedar Rapids area business leaders. The aim of the focus group was to discuss perceived issues facing employers when deciding whether to hire individuals with criminal backgrounds. This group engaged in a candid discussion of the issues relating to the business community’s involvement to assist in reducing recidivism. The feedback received will assist in formulating programs to reduce recidivism while at the same time allaying the related concerns facing the business community. At least two other employer focus groups are in the planning stages and will be held at other locations across the District. Following this, a job fair will be held where employers and justice-involved individuals can interact.
To learn more about this inaugural event, visit: http://go.usa.gov/cuDh5.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Lithuanian Man Guilty of Conspiring with Others to Steal Shipments from Warehouses and Distribution Facilities in Kentucky, Tennessee, and GeorgiaRead the Press Release
Stole more than $700,000 in Alcohol from Barton Brands’ Warehouse in Bardstown, Kentucky and Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee
LOUISVILLE, Ky. –United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. announced today the guilty plea of a Lithuanian man to a single charge of conspiracy for his role in the theft of interstate shipments from warehouses and distribution facilities in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.
Vismantas Danyla, 35, admitted in court to conspiring with others between October of 2014, and April of 2015, to submit fraudulent documents purporting to be a legitimate shipping company to transportation brokers. In turn, the brokers hired Danyla and others to ship goods including alcohol from Barton Brands’ Warehouse in Bardstown, Kentucky, alcohol from Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and copper wire from Southwest Wire in Carrollton, Georgia. The shipments were never delivered to the purchasers, but, rather, were stolen and driven to a warehouse located in Chicago, Illinois, for illegal distribution.
As part of the conspiracy, Danyla and others submitted fraudulent Commonwealth of Kentucky liquor licenses and fictitious shipping documents to personnel at Barton Brand’s Warehouse in Bardstown. On or about October 23, 2014, Danyla, and other coconspirators, stole and transported alcohol from Barton Brands’ Warehouse and transported it to Chicago, for illegal distribution. The shipment was not delivered to its intended buyer Central Liquor Company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was valued at approximately $130,000.
On or about October 24, 2014, Danyla, and other coconspirators, submitted fictitious shipping and identification documents to personnel at South Wire in Carrollton, Georgia. Danyla other coconspirators stole and transported the copper wire to Chicago for illegal distribution. The shipment of wire was never delivered to the purchaser Rail Products, located in Columbus, Ohio. It was valued at approximately $139,911.72.
On April 7, 2015, Danyla and other coconspirators submitted, fictitious shipping documents to personnel at Brown-Foreman/Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Danyla admits to stealing and transporting two loads of alcohol from Jack Daniels Distillery to a warehouse in Chicago. The shipments never reached its intended destination of North Las Vegas, Nevada and Sparks, Nevada. The values of the shipments were approximately $201,032.55 (North Las Vegas) and $207,705.52 (Sparks).
Further, on April 9, 2015, Danyla admits to conspiring with others to submit fictitious shipping documents to personnel at Brown -Foreman/Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Danyla and other coconspirators stole and transported alcohol from Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg to Chicago. The shipment never reached its intended destination of Phoenix, Arizona. The value of this shipment was approximately $188,314.88.
Danyla faces a maximum term of five years in prison, a combined maximum fine of $250,000, an order of restitution, and a three year term of supervised release. Danyla is scheduled for sentencing before Senior District Judge Thomas B. Russell, on August 17, 2016, in Louisville.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd, and is being investigated by the FBI, Illinois State Police, Kentucky State Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Keycorp’s Acquisition of First Niagara Financial Group Inc.Read the Press Release
Eighteen Branches in Greater Buffalo, New York, to Be Divested
The Department of Justice announced today that KeyCorp and First Niagara Financial Group Inc. have agreed to sell 18 of First Niagara’s branches in and around Buffalo, New York, with approximately $1.7 billion in deposits, to resolve antitrust concerns that arose from KeyCorp’s planned acquisition of First Niagara. The department said that the divestitures will ensure that the transaction does not harm competition for retail banking services in the Greater Buffalo area. As a result of the acquisition, KeyCorp will become the 13th largest bank in the nation, with about $135 billion in assets, $99.8 billion in deposits and more than 1000 branches across 15 states.
Under their agreement with the department, the companies have agreed to divest 13 branches in Erie County and 5 branches in Niagara County, New York. The divested assets will include the commercial loans associated with the divested branches. The companies have also agreed to suspend existing, and not to enter into new, non-compete agreements with their small business and middle market relationship managers and their retail regional and branch managers, in the state of New York, for a period of 180 days following the consummation of their merger. Further, the companies have agreed to sell or lease branches closed within two years of the consummation of the merger in the state of New York to other depository institutions.
“Americans value the convenience of retail bank branches,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Renata Hesse of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s agreement will ensure that customers in Buffalo and other New York markets will continue to enjoy the benefits of competition among banks with retail branch networks.”
The proposed merger is subject to the final approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The department said that it will advise the Federal Reserve Board that it will not challenge the merger provided that: the parties divest the branch offices, associated loans and deposits and the entire customer relationships associated with the divestiture branches; the parties commit to the Federal Reserve Board that they will comply with the agreement with the department; and the parties’ commitments to the department are included as a condition to any order the Federal Reserve Board enters allowing the transaction.
KeyCorp is a financial holding company headquartered in Cleveland with approximately $95 billion in total assets. KeyCorp, through its subsidiary KeyBank N.A., operates 972 branches in 12 states: Ohio, New York, Washington, Oregon, Indiana, Colorado, Utah, Maine, Florida, Michigan, Alaska and Vermont. With two major business segments, Key Community Bank and Key Corporate Bank, KeyBank serves individuals, small and mid-sized businesses and corporate clients.
First Niagara Financial Group Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo with approximately $39 billion in total assets. Providing retail and commercial banking services, First Niagara, through its subsidiary First Niagara Bank N.A., operates 394 branches in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. First Niagara focuses on traditional banking products that include loans, deposits and insurance.
A list of the branches to be divested is attached.
Attachment A
Justice Department Releases National Guide for Sexual Abuse Medical Forensic Examinations of ChildrenRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) today released the National Protocol for Sexual Abuse Medical Forensic Examinations – Pediatric (Pediatric SAFE Protocol). The Pediatric SAFE Protocol is a guide for health care providers who conduct sexual abuse medical forensic examinations of prepubescent children, and other professionals and agencies/facilities involved in coordinating with health care providers to facilitate medical forensic care in cases of sexual abuse of juveniles.
The Pediatric SAFE Protocol recommendations are organized into two broad sections. The first section focuses on guiding communities in laying a foundation of approaches and practices that support successful response during the exam process to disclosures or suspicions of sexual abuse in prepubescent children. The second section focuses on the various components of the sexual abuse medical forensic exam process.
According to the Pediatric SAFE Protocol, the primary goals of a pediatric sexual abuse medical forensic examination are threefold: address the health care needs of prepubescent children who disclose sexual abuse or for whom sexual abuse is suspected; promote their healing; and gather forensic evidence for potential use within the criminal justice and/or child protection systems.
The protocol builds upon existing state, federal, tribal and national and international resources, as well as research related to community response to child sexual abuse and pediatric sexual abuse medical forensic examinations, and is intended to supplement, not supplant, existing protocols.
The Pediatric SAFE Protocol was created to supplement the National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations, Adults/Adolescents (SAFE Protocol). First released in 2004, it is a voluntary best practices guide for criminal justice and health care professionals responding to adult and adolescent sexual assault victims. In 2013, the Attorney General released a second edition of the SAFE Protocol that reflected the latest scientific advancements as well as the changes in practice since 2004. In August, 2013, OVW issued a companion document to the SAFE Protocol, which was focused on assisting correctional facilities to implement the SAFE Protocol. Following the release of the second edition, OVW partnered with the International Association of Forensic Nurses to develop the Pediatric SAFE Protocol to address the unique challenges of sexual abuse medical forensic examinations of prepubescent children.
OVW, headed by Principal Deputy Director Bea Hanson, provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. More information is available at www.justice.gov/ovw. Assistant Attorney General Karol V. Mason for the Office of Justice Programs and Principal Deputy Director Hanson also authored a blog post today on the importance of the Pediatric SAFE Protocol.
Jury Convicts Former Police Officer for Selling Date Rape DrugRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the conviction of ROBERT SMUTEK on four counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 1,4 butanediol, an illegal analogue of the date rape drug gamma hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB. SMUTEK was found guilty by a jury after a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Robert Smutek was a modern-day drug dealer, dealing a date rape drug over the Internet out of his suburban home. Despite his bucolic surroundings, Smutek was as much a drug dealer as those who sell on street corners, and he will now face the consequences of running a narcotics enterprise for more than five years.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment as well as the evidence presented during trial:
SMUTEK, a former police officer and member of a drug task force, operated Online Coral Calcium, an Internet website that sold patent medicines. Starting in 2009, SMUTEK sold “Potion 9” as a “mood enhancer” that supposedly made users feel euphoric. According to the label, Potion 9 contained yohimbe, a derivation of a tree root found in South Africa, as well as other natural ingredients. But according to the evidence at trial, Potion 9 actually contained 1,4 butanediol, an industrial solvent that converted to GHB in the body when ingested.
At trial, SMUTEK testified that he sold more than 200,000 one-ounce bottles of Potion 9 in a five-year period, reaping well over $1.2 million in revenue.
* * *
SMUTEK, 52, of Sleepy Hollow, New York, was convicted of four counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. SMUTEK was remanded to prison following the verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2016.
Mr. Bharara praised the work of the Rhode Island Task Force of the Office of Criminal Investigations, Food & Drug Administration. Mr. Bharara also thanked the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Postal Inspection Service for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Maurene Comey, Douglas Zolkind, and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
Judge Sentences Philadelphia Man to Nine Years for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Tony Myers, 30, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Myers pleaded guilty, on September 21, 2015, to receiving and possessing images of child pornography between August of 2013 and April of 2014. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg ordered restitution of $5,000, 20 years of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment.
In May of 2013, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) sent a lead to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that on April 26, 2013, an individual operating a particular Dropbox account uploaded five files that contained child pornography.
On April 2, 2014, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence. Myers made a number of admissions during the course of an interview with HSI agents. He stated that he watched and downloaded child pornography and preferred images of children between the ages of 12 and 14. He admitted to a pattern of binging on child pornography for three to four days and then breaking his addiction for months. Agents seized 16 forms of electronic media from Myers’ home and, through analysis, found approximately 500 images and more than 50 videos of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Josh A. Davison.
Isleta Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Patrick Carpio, 69, a member and resident of Isleta Pueblo, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to child sexual abuse and sexual contact charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Carpio will be sentenced to 15 to 20 years in federal prison followed by not less than five years of supervised release. Carpio will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Carpio was arrested on May 1, 2015, on a four-count indictment charging him with three counts of abusive sexual contact and one count of aggravated sexual abuse. The indictment charged Carpio with sexually abusing an Indian child who had not reached the age of 12 years on three occasions between Jan. 1999 and Nov. 2002. It also charged Carpio with sexually abusing a second Indian child who was between the age of 12 and 16 years in March 2013. According to the indictment, Carpio committed the crimes in Indian Country in Bernalillo County, N.M. A superseding indictment was filed on Feb. 24, 2016, that charged Carpio with the same offenses.
During today’s proceedings, Carpio pled guilty to Counts 3 and 4 of the superseding indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. In his plea agreement, Carpio admitted engaging in a sexual act with a ten-year-old Indian child in 2002. He also admitted having sexual contact with a 12-year-old Indian child in March 2013. Carpio admitted committing the crimes in the Pueblo of Isleta.
This case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Hyannis Man Sentenced for Purchasing Firearm and Silencer on “Darknet” Using BitcoinRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hyannis man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with purchasing a firearm and silencer on a “Darknet Market” website, which provides anonymity to users to buy and sell illegal goods.
Justin Moreira, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2015, Moreira pleaded guilty to three counts of being a felon in possession of ammunition and firearms. Moreira had a 2013 felony conviction in Barnstable County for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
A Darknet Market website is an online market that operates outside the parameters of the traditional Internet, allowing individuals anonymity to buy and sell illegal items, such as firearms and drugs. Such transactions are often conducted for bitcoins, a form of digital currency. Beginning in January 2015, Moreira engaged a federal undercover agent in a series of online messages during which Moreira inquired about the potential purchase of several different firearms. Ultimately, Moreira ordered a Walther PPK/S .380 caliber pistol and silencer from the agent for which he paid the equivalent of $2,500 in bitcoins. Moreira instructed the agent to ship the package to a post office box in Hyannis. Federal agents monitoring the post office box immediately arrested Moreira after he retrieved the package.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Barnstable Police Chief Paul MacDonald, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary B. Murrane of Ortiz’s Criminal Division.
Houston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge Involving Lrgp GangRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Earl Brown, Sr., 54, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and money laundering conspiracy, before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $10,000,000 fine.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Burgasser, Franklin Richards was a major supplier of cocaine to a drug trafficking organization in Buffalo known as L.R.G.P., a violent street gang named after the East Side streets of Lombard, Rother, Gibson and Playter. Richards obtained multiple kilograms of cocaine on a regular basis from the defendant Earl Brown which was shipped or transported from the Houston area to Buffalo. Richards then distributed cocaine to Dewayne Gray, who was the leader of the L.R.G.P. organization. Gray then processed much of the cocaine into crack cocaine which was later sold by various L.R.G.P. members. The cocaine was sold at various locations in the Broadway/Fillmore area of Buffalo.
Brown was also involved in money laundering activities. On December 14, 2012, Franklin Richards attempted to send $112,000 in drug proceeds to the defendant but the money was seized at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
Brown was arrested along with seven other defendants, all have been convicted.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Division, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Steven Nigrelli, and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, under the direction of Chief George Gast.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 3, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Villardo.
Houma Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that MICHAEL ROSS, a/k/a “Mikey,” age 36, of Houma, pled guilty today one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
According to court documents, ROSS was a heroin distributor in the Houma area. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned that ROSS worked with two other individuals in Houma, WILLIAM DANIELS and TYNISHA JONES, in selling heroin. ROSS would drive to New Orleans every three to four days to obtain heroin for resale. On July 28, 2014, ROSS and JONES were arrested by Louisiana State Troopers in Terrebonne Parish while traveling back from New Orleans. Troopers found them to be in possession of just over 29 grams of heroin.
ROSS faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum of forty years. He also may be fined up to $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo set sentencing for August 4, 2016. DANIELS and ROSS are scheduled for trial on June 20, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the DEA’s New Orleans Field Office, along with the assistance of the Louisiana State Police and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Payne is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that NAPTALI ESCOBAR-ARTURO, age 37, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced ESCOBAR-ARTURO to seven months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Following completion of his sentence, ESCOBAR-ARTURO will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
According to the Indictment, ESCOBAR-ARTURO was found by Border Patrol agents in the Eastern District of Louisiana after records showed he had been previously deported from the United States to Honduras on October 13, 2009, September 30, 2010, and June 9, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of Border Patrol agents in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Kennedy was in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that ALEX OBDULIO CRUZ-MATUTE, age 45, was charged today in a one-count Indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the Indictment, CRUZ-MATUTE reentered the United States after he was previously deported on October 11, 2007. If convicted, CRUZ-MATUTE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Polite reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Gardena-Based Pimp Faces Life in Federal Prison for Trafficking Seven Children Forced or Coerced to Work as ProstitutesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Gardena man has been found guilty of 14 felony counts for trafficking seven girls who worked as prostitutes, several of whom worked under threats of force, fraud or coercion.
Laron Carter, also known as “Birdd” and variations of that moniker, 39, was found guilty yesterday afternoon by a federal jury in Los Angeles.
Following a five-day trial, the jury convicted Carter of seven counts of sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion, and seven counts of transporting a child to engage in prostitution.
The evidence at trial showed that Carter trafficked girls as young as 13 and subjected some of them to beatings, which included victims being punched in the face and whipped with a belt.
The case was tried before United States District Judge Virginia Phillips, who is scheduled to sentence Carter on July 18. At sentencing, Carter will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life without parole.
“The evidence at trial showed that Mr. Carter bragged about being a ‘pimp,’ and that he forced girls through violence and coercion to sell their bodies for his profit,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “No child should ever be subjected to this type of exploitation, which will forever haunt them and immeasurably alter their lives. This prosecution demonstrates law enforcement’s commitment to combating human trafficking on multiple fronts, including both traffickers like Carter and customers, while supporting the victims of exploitation.”
The case against Carter stemmed from the rescue of a 16-year-old girl in 2013. The victim told investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that she had been recruited by Carter to travel from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. When she arrived in Southern California, Carter forced her into prostitution. As part of his activities, Carter took this victim to a hotel in El Segundo and advertised her services on backpage.com. The victim “ran away at one point, but she found herself lost with no money and returned,” according to a trial memorandum filed in this case. “When she returned, defendant beat her and whipped her with a belt for leaving.”
After this victim was rescued, investigators located six other girls – one of whom was only 13 – who had been coerced or physically forced into prostitution by Carter between 2003 and 2010.
During the trial, the jury saw Facebook postings in which Carter described himself as a “cross country pimp” who worked for “Pimpin International.” The jury also saw photos of tattoos with the “Birdd” moniker that victims were forced to get.
“This verdict and the possible life prison sentence it carries should give solemn pause to anyone considering selling minors for sex,” said Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. “Those who sexually exploit young people for financial gain show that greed has no bounds. HSI will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners and prosecutors to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
Former Postal Worker Sentenced for Theft of MailRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that BRIAN CARTER, age 41, of Kenner, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to stealing gift cards from the mail while delivering the mail on his postal route.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced CARTER to twelve months of probation and a $100 special assessment. Additionally, CARTER was ordered to pay $105 in restitution to the victims of the theft.
According to court documents, CARTER was employed as a Postal Carrier in Kenner. A federal investigation revealed that in June and July 2013, CARTER stole first class mail containing various gift cards totaling $105 from his mail route.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharan Lieberman was in charge of the prosecution.
Former Carbondale Postal Carrier Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today, that Michelle L. Leggans, 36, of Murphysboro, Illinois, pled guilty in federal court to two counts of mail theft. Sentencing has been set for August 10, 2016. Leggans will face up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
During her plea hearing, Leggans admitted that while she was working as a postal mail carrier for the Carbondale Post Office in 2012, she stole two items of mail. One item was gift card from Kohl’s Department Store; the second item was a parcel from eBay.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William E. Coonan.
Federal Jury Convicts Jacksonville Woman of Passport FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Syteria Hephzibah (62, Jacksonville) guilty of making a false statement on a passport application. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 15, 2016. Hephzibah was indicted on February 18, 2015.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Hephzibah submitted a passport application at a Putnam County Clerk’s Office using the name “Highly Favored Shekinah El.” To establish her identity in that name, she submitted a document that appeared to be a “Diplomat – Nationality Identification Card” and a name change document that appeared to have been issued by a court or other governmental body. Although Hephzibah was not a diplomat and the name change document had not been issued by any government agency, she signed the passport application under a declaration that she had not made false statements or submitted false documents in support of the application.
This case was investigated by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Elyria man indicted for child pornography violationRead the Press Release
Brian C. Sanner, 25, of Elyria, was charged with receiving visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment charges that on or about April 22, 2015, through on or about August 27, 2015, in the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, and elsewhere, Sanner did knowingly receive in interstate and foreign commerce, by computer, numerous computer files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik. The case was investigated by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Cleveland Office.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Elyria man charged for having child pornographyRead the Press Release
David H. Six, 56, of Elyria, was charged with possessing child pornography, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The Indictment charges that on or about August 27, 2015, images of child pornography were found on a PNY thumb drive in Six’s possession.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik. The case was investigated by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Cleveland Office.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Donna Young Pleads Not Guilty to Bankruptcy MisrepresentationRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Donna Young, 67, of Wilmington, pleaded not guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to charges that she made false statements under penalty of perjury in three bankruptcy cases she filed. U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy released Young on conditions pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
On April 13, 2016, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned a three-count false statement indictment against Young. Young was arrested on that charge today. According to the indictment, on two dates in 2013 and a third time in October 2014, Donna Young filed bankruptcy petitions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Vermont. The petitions were fraudulent because they were filed in the name of Donna Young's daughter, Kelli-Ann Young, without Kelli-Ann’s knowledge or consent. According to the indictment, Donna Young forged Kelli-Ann Young’s signature on each of the petitions, which she swore to under penalty of perjury. At the time the petitions were filed, there was a foreclosure and eviction proceeding pending in Vermont state court involving a property in West Dover that Kelli-Ann Young had at one time owned. Donna Young was living in the West Dover house during the foreclosure and the filing of the bankruptcy petitions automatically stayed those eviction proceedings.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty.
If convicted, Donna Young faces up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Young is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Disbarred Illinois Attorney Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Deceiving Homeowners in Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO ― A disbarred Illinois lawyer has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for her role in a mortgage fraud scheme that bilked lenders and vulnerable homeowners out of more than $725,000.
AVALON BETTS-GASTON contrived fraudulent real estate transactions to defraud homeowners and financial institutions. She and a co-defendant, Dimona Ross, arranged for the submission of materially false information on mortgage loan documents in four Cook County real estate transactions worth more than $725,000.
A federal jury last year convicted Betts-Gaston, 47, of Naperville, on two counts of wire fraud. In addition to the 57-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle yesterday ordered Betts-Gaston to pay restitution in the amount of $239,550.48.
“This case demonstrates a sophisticated scheme to take advantage of the trust that mortgage lenders placed in the loan applications they received, and the trust that the homeowners placed in her,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Chahn Lee argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The homeowners believed that she was there to help them, and instead she put their homes and equity at risk.”
Betts-Gaston graduated from law school and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2000. Ross was a licensed real estate loan officer. Together they founded IJCN Investments, which was based in Chicago Ridge and purportedly helped distressed homeowners refinance their homes to avoid foreclosure.
IJCN was involved in various Cook County real estate transactions, with Betts-Gaston handling the legal aspects and Ross obtaining the mortgages. Evidence at trial revealed that instead of refinancing the homes, the defendants arranged for the properties to be sold to a straw buyer. In doing so, the pair submitted false applications for mortgage loans, eradicated the homeowners’ legal rights in their properties, and obtained all of the homeowners’ equity. Betts-Gaston and Ross received fees for the deals, and the straw buyers were paid thousands of dollars.
IJCN was dissolved in 2008, and Betts-Gaston was disbarred in 2012.
Ross pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Norgle on May 11, 2016, at 10:00 a.m.
The sentencing was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The government is represented by Mr. Lee and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Storino.
Detroit drug dealer sentenced to Federal prison for heroin crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Detroit heroin dealer was sentenced today to four years and nine months in federal prison for a drug crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Robert James Bellamy, 32, previously pleaded guilty in December 2015 to distribution of heroin.
On October 22, 2014, officers with the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit used a confidential informant to purchase heroin from Bellamy in the Kanawha City area of Charleston. On three additional occasions, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of heroin either directly from Bellamy or from an associate working at his direction. Bellamy admitted that from January through December 2014, he distributed at least 400 grams of heroin in and around Kanawha County.
Bellamy’s co-defendant, Andre Perryman, another Detroit drug dealer, was sentenced in January 2016 to a year and a day for aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin.
The investigation was conducted by the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Dallas Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison in Enticement CaseRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Jack Marty Taylor, 60, of Dallas, was sentenced this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 120 months in federal prison, following his conviction at trial in November 2015 on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Taylor has been in federal custody since his conviction.
On September 16, 2014, Taylor posted a Backpage advertisement entitled, “Sugar Dad looking for his son – 50.” Taylor stated he was looking for a younger guy for companionship and stated, “You must be 18-30ish…I’m looking for companionship and love.” In return for that, Taylor offered to “give you a nice, safe place to live, 3 meals a day, spending money, clothing, shoes, etc.”
On September 17, 2014, at 12:33 p.m., a detective with the Garland Police Department, posing as a 14-year-old boy, responded to the advertisement via email. Several emails transpired in which Taylor suggested they communicate via text messaging. As the text messaging began, Taylor asked more about the boy’s age, confirmed he was a minor, where he lived, and what school he attended. Taylor almost immediately began to text the boy about meeting and what they would do when they met. Taylor exchanged numerous text messages with the boy, including sexually explicit text messages, throughout the day.
Between September 17, 2014, and February 4, 2015, Taylor suggested meeting the boy in person 40 times, and each time the boy avoided meeting Taylor. In fact, after just three hours of emails and texts with the boy, and after repeatedly suggesting that the two meet, Taylor texted, “I was scared of you at first. I thought maybe you were a cop.” On February 4, 2015, the day Taylor and the boy were set to meet, Taylor again asked him if he was a cop. Taylor indicated he had experience in these types of matters and advised, “That’s an important thing to ask when you’re meeting someone for the first time.” Law enforcement arrested Taylor on February 4, 2015, at the agreed meeting location.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Project Safe Childhood (PSC) initiative. PSC is a department initiative launched in May 2006 that aims to combat the proliferation of technology-
facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, tribal and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Since FY 2011, the Department of Justice has filed 20,260 PSC cases against 19,111 defendants. These cases include prosecutions of child sex trafficking; sexual abuse of a minor or ward; child pornography offenses; obscene visual representation of the sexual abuse of children; selling or buying of children; and many more statutes. To learn more about PSC’s work, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.For more information regarding the National Strategy to Combat Child Exploitation, Prevention and Interdiction, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc/national-strategy-child-exploitation-prevention-and-interdiction.
The Garland Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks was in charge of the prosecution.
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DEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back DayRead the Press Release
SATURDAY APRIL 30th
Twice-annual event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Boston, MA – During the last and 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day the New England Field Division over the course of four hours collected 67,107 pounds of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs at 596 collection sites throughout New England. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is continuing its efforts to take back unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications. The DEA invites the public to bring their potentially dangerous, unwanted medicines to one of the hundreds of collection sites all over New England. Many local Police Departments across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont have drop off receptacles or kiosk that is secured in the lobby of their Police Departments so that the public can drop off unused, unneeded, and expired prescription medications 7 days a week throughout the year with no questions asked in an anonymous manner. There will also be numerous collection sites all over New England on April 30, 2016 in some Town Halls, Senior Centers, Community Centers and pharmacies. The public can find a nearby collection site by visiting www.dea.gov clicking on the “Got Drugs” icon, and entering the zip code into the search window, or they can call 800-882-9539.
All across America and especially here in New England we are experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers. 6.5 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is more than abuse cocaine, heroin, and hallucinogens combined.
"Many Americans are not aware that medicines which languish in home cabinets are highly vulnerable to diversion, misuse, and abuse," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. "Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming levels, as are the number of accidental poisoning and overdoses due to the illegal use of these drugs. Please take the time to clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse."
“While medications are necessary to treat illness, we need to be careful that they do not fall into the wrong hands,” said United States Attorney, District of New Hampshire Emily Gray Rice. “The DEA's Drug Take-back Day is a great opportunity to keep the public safe by properly disposing of unused prescription medication, and I encourage everyone to participate.”
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms. The removal from homes of unwanted prescription pills that can be abused, stolen or resold is an easy way to help fight the epidemic of substance abuse and addiction.
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DEA's 11th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday April 30thRead the Press Release
Boston, MA – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is continuing its efforts to take back unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications with it 11th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. On April 30, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the DEA invites the public to bring their potentially dangerous, unwanted medicines to one of the hundreds of collection sites all over New England.
The public can find a nearby collection site by visiting www.dea.gov clicking on the “Got Drugs” icon, and entering the zip code into the search window, or they can call 800-882-9539.
All across America and especially here in New England we are experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers. 6.5 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is more than abuse cocaine, heroin, and hallucinogens combined.
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, eclipsing deaths from motor vehicle crashes or firearms. The removal from homes of unwanted prescription pills that can be abused, stolen or resold is an easy way to help fight the epidemic of substance abuse and addiction.
“Many Americans are not aware that medicines which languish in home cabinets are highly vulnerable to diversion, misuse, and abuse,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are at alarming levels, as are the number of accidental poisoning and overdoses due to the illegal use of these drugs. Please take the time to clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse.”
“The opioid epidemic has tragically struck in Connecticut as it has in many other parts of our country,” said Deirdre M. Daly, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. “Hundreds of families from all over our state have lost loved ones to drug overdoses. The numbers of deaths are increasing and far too often the abuse started with painkillers or other prescription narcotics. Again and again, we find victims who were injured and became addicted to legally-prescribed opioids, or family members and friends who experiment with leftover pills they find in medicine cabinets. You may be surprised by the quantity and types of drugs you have in your home. I strongly urge you to collect all of your excess drugs and dispose of them this Saturday at one of nearly 70 locations across our state. By doing so, you may be saving someone close to you from addiction, or much worse.”
During the last and 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, the New England Field Division over the course of four hours collected 67,107 pounds of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs at 596 collection sites throughout New England.
Many local police departments across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont maintain drop-off receptacles so the public can dispose of unused, unneeded and expired prescription medications seven days a week throughout the year with no questions asked.
For more information contact:
Special Agent Tim Desmond
Drug Enforcement Administration
New England Field Division
617-557-2463DEA Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs at 103 Locations in New Mexico on SaturdayRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – After collecting and destroying 5.5 million pounds – 2,762 tons – of unused prescription drugs in the past five years, the DEA is continuing its efforts to take back unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center are supporting DEA’s National Take Back Initiative as part of the prevention and education component of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.
On Saturday, April 30, 2016, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the DEA will give the public its 11th opportunity in six years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. DEA and more than 50 of its law enforcement partners will staff 103 Drug Take Back collection sites in New Mexico.
The public can find a nearby Drug Take Back collection site by visiting www.dea.gov, clicking on the “Got Drugs?” icon, and entering their zip code into the search window, or they can call 800-882-9539. Only pills and other solids, like patches, will be accepted at DEA Drug Take Back collection sites – the public should not bring liquids, needles or other sharp items to take back sites. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
“America is experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers, and New Mexico has the second highest drug overdose death rate in the country,” said U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez. “Properly disposing of unused prescription drugs is a simple and easy way for all of us to help fight this deadly epidemic.”
“We here at the UNM Health Sciences Center completely support the DEA’s National Take Back Initiative,” said Dr. Paul Roth, Chancellor of the UNM Health Sciences Center. “We're committed to working with all our HOPE Initiative partners to eliminate the epidemic of drug addiction, overdoses and deaths that has brought heartache to so many families in our state."
“Prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and many addicts get their start in the family medicine cabinet,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean R. Waite of the DEA’s Albuquerque District Office. “DEA’s National Take Back Initiative offers a safe way for New Mexicans to dispose of their unwanted prescription drugs. Through this initiative, we ask for the public’s help in reducing the threat that these drugs pose to the health and safety of our communities.”
The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic that has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with Bernalillo County, DEA, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC) and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Crossville, Tennessee Woman Indicted in Jamaican Lottery ScamRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn., returned a 15-count indictment yesterday charging Betty J. Ketchum, 34, of Crossville, Tenn., in connection with the operation of a fraudulent “Jamaican” lottery scheme, Announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. The indictment includes charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and international promotional money laundering.
The indictment alleges that, from February 2013 through January 2016, Ketchum and other individuals with whom she conspired engaged in a “Jamaican” lottery scheme designed to induce elderly victims throughout the United States to send money to cover fees and taxes for purported lottery or sweepstakes winnings. The indictment charged that Ketchum received money from victims of the scheme, sometimes kept a portion for herself, and then forwarded the remainder to co-conspirators in Jamaica. The indictment further alleges that Ketchum used several aliases to conceal her identity from victims and when wiring money to the Caribbean. The victims, who never received any lottery winnings, mailed or wired money to Ketchum from locations across the United States.
The indictment contains allegations of numerous victims sending various amounts of money to Ketchum and in one instance a resident of Tellico Plains, Tenn. sent her a check for $7500.00.
If convicted, Ketchum faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. All other charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison on each count.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by agents with the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint is prosecuting the case.
Cove Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – On April 27, 2016, Sterling Sonny Yazzie, 41, of Cove, Arizona, a member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 80 months in prison. Yazzie had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
On July 27, 2015, Yazzie engaged in a verbal and physical fight with the victim, also a member of the Navajo Nation. Yazzie grabbed an axe and struck the victim in the leg and body with the axe handle. The victim suffered severe pain and numerous large contusions on his legs that made it extremely difficult for him to walk. The incident occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Kiyoko Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-15-8189-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2016-037_Yazzie
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Columbus Man Sentenced for Filing False Tax Returns While in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Malek B. Aliane, 34, previously of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on one count each of mail fraud and presenting false claims to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, James Vanderberg, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and Assistant Inspector in Charge Christopher White of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Cincinnati Field Office, announced the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost.
Aliane was sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $90,297.26 in restitution to the IRS.
According to court documents, from 2013 through 2015, while in federal prison or on supervised release, Aliane filed false personal income tax returns, false personal amended income tax returns, and false corporate income tax returns with the IRS. He filed six returns in total which claimed false tax refunds through fraudulent federal income tax withholdings. Aliane created fictitious W-2 and 1099 forms setting forth large federal tax withholding amounts.
In 2013 and 2014, while in prison, Aliane mailed paper returns to the IRS. In 2015, while on supervised release, he electronically filed the returns.
Three false Forms 1040 and/or Forms 1040X for the tax years 2012, 2013 and 2014 claimed a total of $94,133.87 in bogus refunds. The other three were false Forms 1120 for Aliane’s business, MB Aliane Real Estate, LLC, for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 claiming $422,185.00 in false refunds.
Also, from February 1, 2015, through June 23, 2015, Aliane used personal identification information of other individuals in order to file false, fictitious and fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) applications with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) upon the purported employer account of JLB Financial Group.
On May 12, 2015, Aliane registered the fictitious employer account of JLB Financial Group with the ODJFS. This employer account was registered with backdated liability dates and no contributions having been paid. Seven individuals were listed as employees of JLB Financial Group with wages from the first quarter of 2014 through the first quarter of 2015; however, those seven individual employees were all incarcerated before and during the aforementioned wage period. None of them ever actually worked for JLB. Seven individual UI claims were filed on the business account, and the government contends that the potential unemployment benefits to be paid on those claims totals $77,168
“The schemes perpetrated by Mr. Aliane systematically defrauded the government and the taxpaying public,” said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “At the IRS, protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take very seriously. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously pursue those who unjustly enrich themselves by preparing false claims for refunds.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the IRS-CI, Department of Labor and USPIS, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Brown, who is representing the United States in this case.
Cleveland man indicted for three bank robberiesRead the Press Release
A grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Omar A. Hasan, 55, of Cleveland, with three counts of bank robbery, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that on November 6, 2015, Hasan robbed the KeyBank, 3110 West 117th Street, of $2,369. On December 11, 2015, Hasan robbed the Ohio Savings Bank, 1866 West 25th Street, of $3,938. On March 21, 2016, Hasan robbed the US Bank, 1958 West 25th Street, of $4,543. All three banks were located in Cleveland and all were federally insured financial institutions at the time of each robbery.
If convicted, the sentence in this case will be determined by the court after consideration of the federal sentencing guidelines which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the unique characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benedict S. Gullo. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cleveland Division of Police.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cape Coral Woman Pleads Guilty to 18-Year Conspiracy to Steal Government Assistance FundsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Rose Ann Labarbera (61, Cape Coral) has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds involving the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV). She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, from at least January 1997 through November 2012, Labarbera posed as her husband’s (Ronald Raiola) landlord in order for Raiola to receive HUD HCV housing assistance subsidies to which they were not entitled. Labarbera took steps to conceal Raiola's true identity in order to continue receiving HUD funds. She also submitted, and caused to be submitted to HUD, documents containing material misrepresentations and false statements.
Labarbera and Raiola concealed their marital relationship, income, assets, and ownership interests in residential properties in New York and Florida from HUD so that Raiola could continue to receive HCV Program housing assistance subsidiaries.
Raiola is scheduled for trial in June 2016.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Lee County Sherriff’s Office’s Economic Crimes and Special Operations Units, the City of Fort Myers Housing Authority, the New York City Housing Authority, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.
California Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Saul Muro (32, formerly of Los Angeles, CA) today to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess and to distribute methamphetamine. Muro was found guilty in September 2015 following a bench trial.
According to court documents, in February 2013, Muro arrived in Tampa with a female co-defendant to collect the payment for ten pounds of methamphetamine that had previously been delivered, on consignment, by co-defendant Gabriel Lujan-Gaziola to undercover law enforcement officers. Muro and the female co-defendant took receipt of a sealed metal box that ostensibly contained the $103,000 to pay for the consigned methamphetamine.
On February 14, 2014, Lujan-Gaxiola was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in this case.
This case was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
California Doctor Pleads Guilty to $2.4 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Valencia, California, doctor pleaded guilty today to submitting more than $2.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker of the Central District of California, Special Agent in Charge Christian Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Region and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Fendrick of the California Department of Justice’s Orange County and San Diego Office made the announcement.
Gary J. Ordog, M.D., 61, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Fernando M. Olguin of the Central District of California to one count of health care fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 18, 2016.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Ordog purported to be a physician, specializing in toxicology. Ordog admitted that he submitted false claims to Medicare for purported visits with Medicare beneficiaries, when in fact those visits never actually occurred, including on dates when Ordog was out of the country. He also admitted to billing for services provided to beneficiaries who were deceased on the dates Ordog purportedly treated them and for services totaling more than 24 hours in one day. Ordog fabricated patient records to support false claims, he admitted.
Between January 2009 and February 2015, Ordog submitted approximately $2,435,089 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, he admitted. Medicare paid approximately $1,295,699 of those claims, according to the plea agreement.
The HHS-OIG and the California Department of Justice investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Ritesh Srivastava and Niall O’Donnell are prosecuting the case.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,300 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for over $7 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Ordog Plea Agreement
California Doctor Pleads Guilty to $2.4 Million Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Valencia doctor pleaded guilty today to federal charges for submitting more than $2.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Dr. Gary J. Ordog, 61, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin to one count of health care fraud. Judge Olguin is scheduled to sentence Ordog on August 18.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Ordog, a physician specializing in toxicology, submitted false claims to Medicare for purported visits with Medicare beneficiaries, when in fact those visits never actually occurred. Ordog admitted the he submitted bills for services purportedly performed on deceased Medicare beneficiaries, supposedly performed when he was out of the country, and that totaled more than 24 hours for one day. Ordog fabricated patient records to support false claims, he admitted.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker, Special Agent in Charge Christian Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Region and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Fendrick of the California Department of Justice’s Orange County and San Diego Office made the announcement.
“Medical professionals who defraud Medicare drive up the costs associated with healthcare for everyone,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “This crime harms both taxpayers and patients.”
Between January 2009 and February 2015, Ordog submitted approximately $2,435,089 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, he admitted.Medicare paid approximately $1,295,699 of those claims, according to the plea agreement.
The HHS-OIG and the California Department of Justice investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Ritesh Srivastava and Niall O’Donnell are prosecuting the case.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,300 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for over $7 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to Health Care Fraud Unit.
Bulger Companion Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Criminal ContemptRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Catherine Greig, the longtime companion of convicted killer James “Whitey” Bulger, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with her refusal to testify before a federal grand jury. The investigation centered on whether others assisted her and Bulger during the 16 years they were fugitives from justice.
“Ms. Greig had a choice – to either assist or defy a Court Order. She had complete control over her own fate. Her repeated defiance translated into criminal contempt and has ultimately cost her more time in prison,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “First, her role in harboring James Bulger, a murderer, resulted in the victims’ families being forced to lie in wait for justice. Then Ms. Greig’s continued and deliberate effort to protect accomplices extended the injustice, and she will now face the consequences of that decision.”
“The FBI has never wavered in its pursuit to bring Catherine Greig to justice,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Today’s sentence shows that defying a court order and refusing to testify about who harbored, or otherwise assisted her life on the run with Mr. Bulger, is not without consequence. Her actions adversely impacted the government’s efforts to seek answers for Bulger’s victims, and hold accountable anyone who may have helped them during their sixteen years as fugitives.”
Ms. Greig, 64, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 21 months in prison to be served consecutively to her current sentence, and three years of supervised release to be served concurrent to the term imposed during her prior conviction. In February 2016, she pleaded guilty to one count of criminal contempt.
Greig is currently serving an eight year sentence for her 2012 conviction of identity fraud and harboring James J. Bulger. The sentence imposed today will be served after she completes her initial eight year sentence.
U.S. Attorney Ortiz and FBI SAC Shaw made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary B. Murrane of Ortiz’s Criminal Division.
Bronx Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in June 18, 2015, Upper West Side Robbery and MurderRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MICHAEL ADAMS, 30, of the Bronx, pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas to participating in an armed robbery of a small business on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on June 18, 2015, which resulted in the shooting and killing of a store clerk, Bubacarr Camera.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Today, Michael Adams admitted to his role in the June 2015 robbery and murder of innocent shopkeeper Bubacarr Camera. I want to thank the ATF, the NYPD, and the U.S. Marshals for their outstanding investigative work on this important case.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment to which MICHAEL ADAMS pled guilty and other documents in the public record:
On June 18, 2015, MICHAEL ADAMS and two other men, Stephen Adams and Zubearu Bettis, shot and killed Bubacarr Camera in the course of a robbery of a store located at 906 Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
* * *
The charges to which MICHAEL ADAMS pled guilty carry a maximum of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. The maximum and minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Lenow and Max Nicholas are in charge of the prosecution.
Beaver County Man Indicted on Federal Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Beaver County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of production and distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The 12-count indictment, returned on April 27, named Randolph Guy Gum, 22, formerly of Rochester, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about Jan. 19, 2014; Feb. 3, 2014; Feb. 4, 2014; Feb. 13, 2014; Feb. 14, 2014; Feb. 15, 2014; March 3, 2014; March 11, 2014; April 17, 2014; April 24, 2014; and May 5, 2014, Gum produced visual depictions, images and videos, of the sexual exploitation of a minor. The indictment further alleges that on or about July 23, 2015, Gum knowingly distributed images and videos containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.
The law provides for a maximum sentence life imprisonment for the production of child pornography counts, and a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment for distribution of child pornography, and a fine of $3,000,000.00. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Rochester Pennsylvania Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Bank Employee Sentenced to Prison for Submitting False Expense ReportsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Hollidaysburg, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to one day in prison, two years’ supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,132.03 to First National Bank on his conviction of misapplication of funds by a bank employee, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Timothy C. Nagle, 54, of Hollidaysburg, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, from Oct. 3, 2010, to Jan. 2014, Nagle, a Senior Vice President at First National Bank, Hollidaysburg, Pa., submitted approximately 24 false expense reports, thereby receiving money he was not entitled to.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Mr. Hickton commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Nagle.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to Fifteen Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Jeffery Andrew Sardell was sentenced today to fifteen years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent In Charge Ryan L. Spradlin. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge James Donato following a guilty plea entered by the defendant last year.
Sardell, 29, of Hayward, pleaded guilty on December 14, 2015, to possessing two firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to the plea agreement, Sardell admitted that on January 22, 2015, he knowingly possessed approximately 340 grams (net weight) of methamphetamine in his residence, packaged for distribution in 12 separate one-ounce baggies. Sardell also admitted that in furtherance of his drug trafficking, he was carrying a loaded .22 caliber firearm in his car, and possessed a second loaded .45 caliber firearm inside his residence near his methamphetamine stash.
Sardell was charged by a federal grand jury in a Superseding Indictment returned on August 27, 2015. He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g); possession with intent to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).
According to filed court documents, Sardell was arrested in January of 2015, after a parole search. The search, conducted by Hayward Police officers, yielded more than $1,700 in cash on Sardell’s person, loaded firearms in his car and house, and methamphetamine, packaging materials, and a scale in his bedroom. At the time of the search, Sardell already was on parole following an assault conviction, as well as on probation for possessing methamphetamine for sale.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations San Francisco Field Office, and the Hayward Police Department.
Alleged Escapee from Syracuse Halfway House IndictedRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Hector Rueben Padin-Rivera, 39, was indicted yesterday for escaping from the Syracuse Pavilion Residential Re-entry Center on April 4, 2016, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.
The indictment alleges that Padin-Rivera was in the Syracuse halfway house following a 2001 conviction for Attempted Distribution of Cocaine Base and a revocation of his supervised release in connection with that conviction. The indictment further alleges that on April 4, 2016, Padin- Rivera left the Syracuse halfway house without permission, and on April 8, 2016, he was arrested pursuant to a Criminal Complaint in Albany. He is currently being held without bail pending trial. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The charge against Padin-Rivera carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Levine.
Alien in Oswego County Charged with Illegally Reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jesus Alberto Medina-Montes, 24, was indicted yesterday for illegally reentering the United States without inspection after having been previously removed from the United States, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.
The indictment charges Medina-Montes with illegal reentry of a removed alien and alleges that on April 7, 2016, Medina-Montes, an alien who was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on October 26, 2010, was found in Parish, New York. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The charge filed against Medina-Montes carries a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Medina-Montes was arrested on April 8, 2016 pursuant to a Criminal Complaint and is being detained without bail pending trial by order of the court.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs & Border Protection and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Levine.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Federal Food Stamp ProgramRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Sergio Escobedo, 37, of Albuquerque, N.M., entered a guilty plea this morning to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as the Food Stamp Program.
Escobedo is one of six defendants charged with defrauding the Food Stamp Program in a 32-count indictment that was filed in Aug. 2014. The indictment alleged that between Sept. 2009 to May 2010, Escobedo, conspired with Joseph Martin Padilla, 34, Wilfredo Lopez, 47, Joshua Moya, 34, Justin Quintana, 30, and Veronica Hernandez, 42, to defraud the United States through the unauthorized use of Food Stamp benefits, which are currently called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. During this time, Padilla worked as a Family Assistance Analyst for the Income Support Division of the New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) where he was responsible for determining applicants’ eligibility and benefit level for SNAP benefits.
SNAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is administered by the States. The program was created to alleviate hunger and malnutrition, and permits low income households to obtain more nutritious diet by increasing the food purchasing power for eligible households. In New Mexico, individuals qualify to participate in SNAP based on income and need by completing an application with the Income Support Division of HSD. Once an applicant is deemed eligible for SNAP benefits by a Family Assistance Analyst, the Analyst establishes a SNAP account in the applicant’s name and electronic benefit transfers (EBT), which are determined based on income, resources and household size, are deposited into the account on a monthly basis.
The indictment charged Padilla with abusing his position as a Family Assistance Analyst by conspiring with his co-defendants to defraud the United States through the unauthorized use of SNAP benefits. It alleged that Padilla used names and personal identifiers he obtained from his co-defendants to establish fraudulent SNAP accounts, sometimes in exchange for cash or other things of value. It also charged Padilla with establishing and using a fraudulent SNAP account to fraudulently obtain approximately $1,468.00 in SNAP benefits for himself. According to the indictment, Padilla fraudulently established 25 separate SNAP accounts through which the United States was defrauded of approximately $45,263.00 in SNAP benefits. Additionally, Padilla, aided and abetted by his co-defendants, fraudulently established SNAP accounts that were used to fraudulently obtain an aggregate of $12,705.00 in SNAP benefits.
During today’s proceedings, Escobedo pled guilty to one count of the indictment and admitted that he met with Padilla in Jan. 2009, and paid $100.00 for Padilla to process a SNAP benefit application in Escobedo’s name even though Escobedo was ineligible to receive SNAP benefits at that time. Escobedo further admitted that from Sept. 1, 2009 through Feb. 16, 2010 he obtained $4,678.00 in illegal SNAP benefits for himself. At sentencing, Escobedo faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
On Nov. 23, 2015, Padilla pled guilty two counts of the indictment and admitted that he was previously employed by HSD and despite his awareness of the policies and procedures of HSD, he processed numerous applications for SNAP benefits in a fraudulent manner in exchange for cash payments. Padilla acknowledged that his illegal conduct resulted in an aggregate loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of New Mexico of approximately $181,398.76. Padilla was sentenced on Feb. 22, 2016, to a year and a day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $181,398.76 in restitution to the USDA.
On May 19, 2015, Lopez entered a guilty plea to one count of the indictment and admitted that he completed fraudulent applications for SNAP benefits in his name, another for himself in a pseudonym, and in the names of two other individuals. Lopez paid $100.00 to process each of the applications. Lopez was sentenced on Jan. 14, 2016, to four years of probation and was ordered to pay $8,382.00 in restitution to the USDA.
On May 18, 2015, Quintana pled guilty to one count of the Indictment, and admitted meeting Padilla through Moya, and knowing that Padilla had the ability to register people to receive food stamps. Quintana admitted that he agreed to pay Padilla a fee in exchange for arranging for him to receive food stamps unlawfully. Quintana obtained $486.00 in SNAP benefits through his illegal conduct. He also received a fee for collecting SNAP applications from six other people and delivering the completed applications to Padilla for the purpose of assisting them in obtaining SPA benefits unlawfully. Quintana acknowledged that his criminal conduct caused a monetary loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture of $9,384.00. Quintana was sentenced on Aug. 17, 2015, to three years of probation and was ordered to pay $9,384.00 in restitution.
On March 9, 2015, Moya pled guilty to one count of the indictment and admitted that he fraudulently obtained SNAP benefits to which he was not entitled. Moya admitted that in early Dec. 2009, Padilla provided him with an application to obtain food stamps. Moya completed the application and returned it to Padilla for processing even though he knew that he was not entitled to SNAP benefits. Moya admitted unlawfully receiving $866.00 in SNAP benefits. Moya also admitted providing another application for SNAP benefits to a family member and that his relative unlawfully received $1,578.00 in SNAP benefits. On May 6, 2015, Moya was sentenced to six months in prison, or time served, followed by three years of supervised release. Moya also was ordered to pay $2,444.00 in restitution.
Hernandez has entered a not guilty plea to the charges in the indictment. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of Inspector General for New Mexico Human Services, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Sullivan.
Alabama and Georgia Residents Sentenced to Prison for Involvement in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Two men who conspired to file more than 1,200 false tax returns using stolen identities were sentenced to prison today, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama.
Ernest James Simmons Jr., 29, of Phenix City, Alabama, was sentenced to 24 months and 15 days in prison followed by five months of home detention and Calvin J. Perry, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 32 months in prison. Simons and Perry each pleaded guilty in December 2015 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to filing false income tax refund claims and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, between 2010 and 2012, Simmons and Perry conspired with Perry’s mother, Pamela Ann Smith, to run a large-scale stolen identity refund fraud scheme from Smith’s tax return preparation business, Jaycal Tax Service, in Phenix City. Smith recruited her son Perry, and Perry’s friend, Simmons, to participate in the scheme. As part of the conspiracy, Smith, Perry and Simmons opened multiple bank accounts and post office boxes. They filed more than 1,200 federal income tax returns using the stolen personal identification information of actual individuals, which included their names and social security numbers. Simmons was directly connected to false returns claiming more than $700,000 in fraudulent refunds and Perry was directly connected to false returns claiming over $1 million in fraudulent refunds. U.S. Treasury checks were mailed to physical addresses and post office boxes and then deposited into multiple bank accounts, all under the control of Simmons, Perry and Smith. Perry personally obtained more than $300,000 and Simmons personally obtained more than $150,000, from the scheme.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Myron H. Thompson ordered Perry and Simmons each to serve three years of supervised release. Perry was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $308,152 and Simmons was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $167,194. In February, Smith was sentenced to serve 51 months in prison after pleading guilty for her role in the scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Beck commended special agents of Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Trial Attorneys Gregory P. Bailey, Michael C. Boteler and Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross of the Middle District of Alabama, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Acting U.S. Attorney Hosts Stakeholder Session to Celebrate Inaugural National Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Office of Reentry and the Ohio Association of Local Reentry Coalitions, convened professional reentry stakeholders from across the District to discuss best practices and partnerships moving forward.
As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to strengthening the criminal justice system, the Department of Justice designated the week of April 24-30, 2016, as National Reentry Week. National Reentry Week events are taking place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. U.S. Attorney’s Offices alone are hosting more than 200 events and Bureau of Prisons facilities are holding more than 370 events.
“Too often, justice-involved individuals who have paid their debt to society confront daunting obstacles to good jobs, decent housing, adequate health care, quality education, and even the right to vote,” said Attorney General Lynch. “National Reentry Week highlights the many ways that the Department of Justice – and the entire Obama Administration – is working to tear down the barriers that stand between returning citizens and a meaningful second chance – leading to brighter futures, stronger communities, and a more just and equal nation for all.”
More than 50 individuals representing 30 local, state and federal government agencies and service providers participated, including leadership from the U.S. District Court, Federal Probation Office, Governor John Kasich’s Office and Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown’s Office.
“Reentry is a matter of both public safety and justice, and we are committed to it,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “In this, as in so many areas, we are at our best when we collaborate, share information, and work together. Today’s session is a step forward in connecting the many worthy efforts at strengthening reentry in Ohio at the local, state, and federal levels. I am proud to work with all of these partners in support of making Ohio a safer and fairer place for all of our citizens, including those returning home after a term of incarceration.”
The group committed to building more effective partnerships moving forward between every level of government by formalizing information sharing and reconvening at least annually.
To join future efforts, contact Jennifer Thornton at [email protected].
Wednesday 27 April 2016
Wyeth and Pfizer Agree to Pay $784.6 Million to Resolve Lawsuit Alleging that Wyeth Underpaid Drug Rebates to MedicaidRead the Press Release
BOSTON – United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz announced today that drug companies Wyeth and Pfizer, Inc., have agreed to pay $784.6 million to resolve allegations that Wyeth failed to give the government the same discounts it provided to private purchasers of its drugs, as required by the Medicaid program.
“This significant settlement illustrates that the government will not permit drug companies to dodge their obligations to the Medicaid program or create elaborate pricing schemes to deceive Medicaid into paying more than it should for drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Ortiz. “This settlement, after years of hard-fought litigation, shows our commitment to ensuring that healthcare businesses do not take advantage of the federal health insurance programs which serve those who need assistance most.”
“This settlement demonstrates our unwavering commitment to hold pharmaceutical companies responsible for pursuing pricing schemes that attempt to manipulate and overcharge federal health care programs – programs that protect the poor and disabled – for drugs sold to commercial customers at much lower prices,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Benjamin Mizer, head of the Civil Division for the Department of Justice.
“When we make agreements with others we expect follow-through,” said Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge with the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Similarly, taxpayers rightly expect large pharmaceutical companies will not falsely report prices to boost profits. Any drug company shirking those responsibilities can expect to be held accountable for its deception.”
According to the government’s complaint, Wyeth gave thousands of hospitals deep discounts on two of its proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs, Protonix Oral and Protonix IV, but failed to report those discounts to Medicaid. The government alleged that Wyeth “bundled” discounts on Protonix Oral with discounts on Protonix IV in order to induce hospitals to use Protonix Oral, which hospitals otherwise would have had little incentive to use because other pre-existing oral PPI drugs were priced competitively and were considered to be at least as effective and safe. Wyeth wanted to control the hospital market because patients discharged from the hospital on Protonix Oral were likely to stay on the drug for long periods of time, during which payers, including Medicaid, would pay nearly full price for the drug.
Under the Medicaid program, which is the nation’s provider of health insurance to the poor and disabled, drug companies must report to the government the best prices they offer other customers for their brand name drugs. Based on these reported best prices, the drug companies pay rebates to the state Medicaid programs so that Medicaid receives the same discounts that drug companies offer to other large customers in the marketplace.
The government alleged that Wyeth hid from Medicaid the bundled discounts it gave to hospitals on Protonix Oral and Protonix IV. As a result, Wyeth wrongfully avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in rebates to Medicaid from 2001 to 2006.
Under the terms of today’s settlement, Wyeth will pay $413,248,820 to the federal government and $371,351,180 to state Medicaid programs. The settlement resolves allegations filed by two whistleblowers, Lauren Kieff and William St. John LaCorte. See United States ex rel. Kieff and LaCorte v. Wyeth and Pfizer, Inc., Nos. 03-12366 and 06-11724-DPW (D. Mass.). The False Claims Act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the federal and state governments will pay a combined relator share of $98,058,190.
As part of the settlement, Wyeth and Pfizer do not deny the government’s allegations. Pfizer, which is headquartered in New York City, acquired Wyeth in 2009. The conduct at issue occurred prior to the acquisition.
This settlement is part of the government’s ongoing initiative to combat health care fraud, and specifically to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since the beginning of the 2016 fiscal year, the District of Massachusetts has recovered over $1 billion in health care fraud settlements on behalf of American taxpayers, and simultaneously has secured the payment of over $150 million to whistleblowers who initiated these matters. For more information, see Warner Chilcott, Millennium Health, RehabCare, Coloplast Corp., and Boston Medical Center.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregg Shapiro, Brian Pérez-Daple, and Kriss Basil of Ortiz’s Office and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Sanjay Bhambhani, Andy Mao, Zoila Hinson, and Christopher Terranova of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.
Wyeth and Pfizer Agree to Pay $784.6 Million to Resolve Lawsuit Alleging That Wyeth Underpaid Drug Rebates to MedicaidRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that pharmaceutical companies Wyeth and Pfizer Inc. have agreed to pay $784.6 million to resolve allegations that Wyeth knowingly reported to the government false and fraudulent prices on two of its proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs, Protonix Oral and Protonix IV. Pfizer, which is headquartered in New York City, acquired New Jersey-based Wyeth in 2009, approximately three years after Wyeth had ended the conduct that gave rise to the settlement.
“This settlement demonstrates our unwavering commitment to hold pharmaceutical companies responsible for pursuing pricing schemes that attempt to manipulate and overcharge federal health care programs – programs that protect the poor and disabled – for drugs sold to commercial customers at much lower prices,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
“This significant settlement illustrates that the government will not permit drug companies to dodge their obligations to the Medicaid program or create elaborate pricing schemes to deceive Medicaid into paying more than it should for drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz for the District of Massachusetts. “This settlement, after years of hard-fought litigation, shows our commitment to ensuring that healthcare businesses do not take advantage of the federal health insurance programs which serve those who need assistance most.”
PPI drugs are used to treat symptoms of, among other things, acid reflux. In a complaint filed in 2009, the government alleged that Wyeth failed to report deep discounts on Protonix Oral and Protonix IV that it made available to thousands of hospitals nationwide. As part of the settlement, Wyeth and Pfizer do not deny the government’s allegations.
According to the government’s complaint, Wyeth sold Protonix Oral and Protonix IV through a bundled sales arrangement in which a hospital could earn deep discounts on both drugs if it placed them on formulary and made them “available” within the hospital. Through this bundled arrangement, Wyeth sought to induce hospitals to buy and use Protonix Oral, which hospitals otherwise would have had little incentive to use, because other pre-existing oral PPI drugs were priced competitively and were considered to be as safe and effective. Wyeth wanted to control the hospital market because patients discharged from the hospital on Protonix Oral were likely to stay on the drug for long periods of time, rather than switch to competing PPIs, during which time payers, including Medicaid, would pay nearly full price for the drug.
Under the Medicaid program, which is the nation’s provider of health insurance to the poor and disabled, drug companies must report to the government the best prices they offer other customers for their brand name drugs. Based on these reported best prices, the drug companies pay rebates to the state Medicaid programs so that Medicaid, a large purchaser of drugs, receives the benefit of the same discounts drug companies offer to other large customers in the marketplace.
The government alleged that Wyeth hid from Medicaid the bundled discounts Wyeth gave to hospitals on Protonix Oral and Protonix IV. As a result, Wyeth wrongfully avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in rebates to Medicaid during the period from 2001 to 2006. Under the terms of today’s settlement, Wyeth will pay $413,248,820 to the federal government and $371,351,180 to state Medicaid programs.
“When we make agreements with others we expect follow-through,” said Special Agent in Charge Phillip Coyne of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Similarly, taxpayers rightly expect large pharmaceutical companies will not falsely report prices to boost profits. Any drug company shirking those responsibilities can expect to be held accountable for its deception.”
“This litigation and settlement demonstrate the commitment of my office and other state attorneys general across the country to ensuring that pharmaceutical companies live up to their obligations to the Medicaid program,” said New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman.
The settlement resolves allegations filed under the False Claims Act by Lauren Kieff, a former hospital sales representative for the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP, and William St. John LaCorte, a physician practicing in New Orleans, Louisiana. Under the False Claims Act, private parties may sue on behalf of the government for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery. The relator share in this case will be $98,058,190 and will be paid from the proceeds of the federal and state settlements.
The settlement was the result of close cooperation between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the state attorneys general and other law enforcement entities including Medicaid Fraud Control Units, and the HHS-OIG.
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $29 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $17.5 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Kieff and LaCorte v. Wyeth and Pfizer, Inc., Nos. 03-12366 and 06-11724-DPW (D. Mass.).
Wilson Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that yesterday in federal court, Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox sentenced DENNIS TAYLOR, 55, of Wilson to 154 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
TAYLOR was named in a two-count Indictment filed on May 7, 2015, charging him with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug-Trafficking Offense and aiding and abetting. On September 28, 2015, TAYLOR pled guilty to both Counts of the Indictment.
From September, 2013 to June, 2014, detectives with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division conducted an investigation involving the distribution of crack cocaine and firearms in the Rainwater and Artis Road area of Lucama. The investigation began as deputies had responded to this area of the county for numerous years for various complaints to include illegal street racing and drug activity. Throughout the course of the investigation, detectives seized a total of nearly 200 grams of crack cocaine and 12 firearms to include two .22 caliber rifles, two 7.62 SKS rifles, three .22 caliber pistols, a 9mm pistol, a .45 caliber pistol, a .17 caliber rifle, a 20 gauge shotgun, and a .380 pistol. A majority of the firearms that were seized throughout the investigation had been reported stolen. This case was part of Operation E.O.G. (Education Over Guns), an initiative conducted in June 2014.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office with Detective Brandon Barbrey the lead investigator. Assistant United States Attorney Edward D. Gray prosecuted the case for the government.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Spreads Anti-Drug/Anti-Gang Message During Reading Program for Kindergarten Students at a Dallas Elementary SchoolRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas were welcomed today at Gabe Allen Elementary School in west Dallas, where they were invited to read to kindergartners.
As part of the District’s crime prevention and community outreach activities, U.S. Attorney’s Office representatives took the Justice Department’s anti-drug/anti-gang messaging to kindergarten classes at the school using the Rotary Club of Dallas’s “I Like Me” book program. Today, each student received a personalized “I Like Me” book that encourages them to be good and take the right paths in life, such as saying no to drugs and gangs – making it a perfect tool for law enforcement personnel to use to interact positively with children.
Each personalized book features that student as a central character in the book, as well as the names of the student’s two best friends, their teacher, and their school. Personalizing the book enhances the student’s self-esteem, helps develop a joy of reading, and overcomes the disinterest some students experience due to their inability to relate to the people in other stories. Since 1993, over half a million children around the world have participated in the “I Like Me” program.
This program is just another example of the partnerships that community groups and law enforcement undertake to build mutual trust and make our communities a safer place for all of us to live.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts Reentry Seminar in Tucson as Part of National Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Department of Justice has designated the week of April 24-30, 2016, as “National Reentry Week.” Reentry is a key priority of the Department and involves helping formerly-incarcerated individuals successfully reenter their communities, and avoid recidivism, by competing for jobs, attaining stable housing, and supporting their families.
On April 25, 2016, as part of National Reentry Week, the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office partnered with the U.S. Probation Office, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and several faith-based and non-governmental agencies to host a “What Happens Now” seminar in Tucson. The event was geared toward the families of federal inmates scheduled to be released to Pima County in the coming months. During the seminar, family members were encouraged to support their loved ones’ transition from prison, to maintain ongoing communication with their loved ones, and to provide positive reinforcement.
“Inmates should have a meaningful second chance to rebuild their lives, and their family relationships, after they have paid their debt to society,” said U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo. “Promoting reentry is crucial to making our communities stronger and safer.”
RELEASE NUMBER: 2016-035_Reentry Initiative
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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