Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 25 April 2016
Two women sentenced to Federal prison for heroin crimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two women were sentenced to prison today for federal heroin crimes, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Charon Chere Harris, 36, of Huntington, was sentenced to a year and three months in federal prison for maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing heroin. In a separate prosecution, Kaleigh Horn, 25, of Chillicothe, Ohio, was sentenced to three years and two months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin.
From May to June 2015, Harris leased an apartment located at 2736 Rear 4th Avenue in Huntington. The terms of the lease provided that Harris would be the tenant of the apartment for a year beginning in May 2015. However, Harris never resided in the apartment and actually leased it for the purpose of allowing Eddie William Randall, of Detroit, to reside there and distribute heroin that was transported from Detroit to the Huntington area.
On June 25, 2015, officers with the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at the apartment. During the search, officers seized approximately 40 grams of heroin, drug paraphernalia, a loaded 9mm pistol, and $13,030 in cash. During the search of another residence in Huntington on 25th Street, also identified through the investigation, officers seized approximately 280 grams of heroin and a loaded .45 caliber pistol. Randall admitted that he possessed the heroin from both residences for distribution and that he possessed the guns in an effort to protect himself from theft or robbery of heroin or cash. Randall was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on April 11, 2016, after previously pleading guilty to drug and firearms charges.
In a separate heroin prosecution, Kaleigh Horn admitted that in 2014, she conspired with others to distribute heroin in the Mason County area. Horn further admitted to transporting heroin from Detroit to Gallipolis, Ohio, and to Point Pleasant, where it was sold for $200 per gram by Horn and others involved in the conspiracy. Finally, Horn admitted that the group had been responsible for distributing up to 1000 grams of heroin over the course of the conspiracy.
The investigation of Harris was conducted by the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force, the Huntington Police Department, and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution of Harris. The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, the DEA, the West Virginia State Police, and the Gallia County Sheriff’s Department in Ohio conducted the investigation of Horn. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail is responsible for the prosecution of Horn. Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences.
These cases were brought 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.
-
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
-
Two sentenced for unlawful possession of firearmsRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two individuals were sentenced in federal court in Martinsburg today for unlawful possession of firearms, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Dustin Wade Hinckle, 30, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, stole a police vehicle during a May 2015 traffic stop in Morgan County, West Virginia. When Hinckle was subsequently apprehended, it was discovered that he had stolen two firearms from the police vehicle. Having previously been convicted of the felony offenses of “Breaking and Entering” and “Grand Larceny” in the Circuit Court of Frederick County, Virginia, Hinckle is prohibited from possessing firearms. Following a two day trial in January 2016, a jury found Hinckle guilty of one count of “Felon in Possession of Firearms,” and one count of “Possession of Stolen Firearms.” He was sentenced today to 120 months in prison on each count. The sentences will run concurrently for a total of 120 months in prison.
Jesse Shayde Kenney, 25, of La Vale, Maryland, who has a previous felony conviction in state court in Maryland, was discovered in unlawful possession of six rifles and one shotgun in June 2015 in Mineral County, West Virginia. Kenney was previously convicted of the felony offense of “Conspiracy to Commit Theft in an Amount Greater Than $500” in the Circuit Court of Allegany County, Maryland. He pled guilty in January 2016 to one count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.” He was sentenced today to 70 months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Camilletti prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated both defendants. The Mineral County, West Virginia Sheriff’s Office also investigated Kenney. The West Virginia State Police and the Morgan County, West Virginia Sheriff’s Department also investigated Hinckle.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Two Plead Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges Related to Multi-Million Dollar Pyramid Scheme that Targeted Chinese-American VictimsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Hacienda Heights couple pleaded guilty today to federal fraud charges related to their participating in a scheme that generated millions of dollars by soliciting investments in a company that purportedly offered children’s educational courses – but in reality was a pyramid scheme designed to generate revenue by adding new investors.
Cheong Wha “Heywood” Chang, 48, and Chang’s wife, Toni Chen, 47, each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and admitted that they made materially false representations and omissions in order to induce people to invest in a series of Hong Kong-based companies collectively known as CKB. With other names that included WIN168 Biz Solutions, Ltd.; CKB168 Ltd.; and Cyber Kids Best Education Limited, these companies claimed to generate substantial profits from the sale of web-based children’s educational courses. The scheme operated from at least September 2012 through at least the beginning of 2014.
Chang and Chen each admitted that made false statements to investors, including: CKB was a successful and profitable business; with each investment of $1,380, an investor would receive “Profit Reward Points” (PRPTs) that were worth $750 and could be exchanged for money; PRPTs would increase in value as a passive investment, even if investors did not actively recruit new investors to CKB or sell CKB courses; and PRPTs were analogous to, or could be converted into, pre-IPO or future shares of CKB that would increase greatly in value when CKB went public. These statements to investors were false.
Authorities have yet to accurately determine the amount of losses suffered by victims in this CKB scheme, but in their plea agreements Chang and Chen admit they received approximately $2 million as a result of the fraud scheme.
“These defendants defrauded investors out of millions of dollars, and then they attempted to obstruct justice when the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The fraudulent conduct in this case has harmed many people, both in the United States and abroad.”
Chang and Cheng will face up to 20 years in federal prison when they are sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer on February 6, 2017.
Three other defendants who are charged in an indictment that was filed last summer – Wen Chen “Wendy” Lee, Daliang “David” Guo, and Chih Hsuan “Kiki” Lin – are scheduled to go on trial before Judge Fischer in November. These three defendants are each charged with one count of conspiracy and 13 counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges that the defendants collected approximately $30 million from CKB investors.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Two Plead Guilty as Part of Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIG STONE GAP, VIRGINIA – Two members of conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine in and around Virginia and Kentucky, pled guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Big Stone Gap, announced United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr.
Amanda Szemac, 39, and Curtis Howerton, a.k.a “Bo,” 28, of Pikeville, Kentucky, in separate hearings, each pled guilty today to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine.
“Methamphetamine is an addictive and deadly substance,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today. “We are proud to work with our partners on the local, state and federal levels to continue to fight to scourge of methamphetamine trafficking throughout the region.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bell County, Kentucky Sheriff’s Office, the Middlesborough, Kentucky Police Department, the Lee County Virginia Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bristol and Atlanta Field Divisions. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee prosecuted the case for the United States.
Two Convicted of Using Harris County Inmate Stolen Identities to Commit Tax FraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two men from Houston have entered guilty pleas to using stolen personal identifying information stolen from Harris County inmates to submit false and fraudulent individual income tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Brandon Banks, 35, and Cal Williams, 29, admitted they used the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of unsuspecting Harris County inmates and others in Houston to submit false tax returns claiming refunds of several thousand dollars.
Both pleaded guilty to the conspiracy, while Banks also pleaded to one count of aggravated identity theft.
The men devised and executed the scheme beginning in approximately January 2012 and continuing until December 2013. Specifically, in February 2013, Banks provided Williams with lists containing the means of identification of individuals for the purpose of electronically filing false federal tax returns by interstate wire. Shortly thereafter, Williams provided the stolen personal identifying information to a person who was cooperating with law enforcement and instructed that individual to electronically submit a fraudulent claim for a tax refund.
The next month, at the direction of law enforcement agents, the person cooperating with law enforcement met with Williams and gave him approximately $1,942, his purported share of the false tax refund.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt, accepted the pleas today and has set sentencing for July 11, 2016. At that time, both face up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. Banks will also face a mandatory minimum of 24 months which much be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. Both were permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vernon Lewis is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney's Office observes Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio is observing National Reentry Week with a variety of activities designed to remove barriers for those returning to society after prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office on Monday participated in the announcement that the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and Legal Aid Society of Cleveland will be awarded $100,000 to address re-entry barriers for CMHA residents with criminal convictions.
The office also participated earlier this month in the Northeast Ohio Reentry Business Summit, an event that focused on the opportunities available for businesses to participate in reentry. The summit provided guidance, as well as legal advice, tax credit information and real-life examples of the rewards, both personal and professional, in hiring our returning citizens and building stronger neighborhoods.
The Office also participated in Reentry Courts in all four of our courthouses – Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown.
“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 Loretta 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.”
“We have long seen having meaningful re-entry activities as being just as important as aggressive law enforcement and crime-prevention activities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carole Rendon. “The public expects us to not only be tough on crime, but also smart on crime. Condemning someone who has paid their debt to society to a life of joblessness is not good for anyone – the returning citizen, the community or law enforcement.”
Monday’s announcement is part of the Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program (JRAP), funded through DOJ’s Second Chance Act funds. The Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development are teaming up to help young Americans who’ve paid their debt to society rehabilitate and reintegrate back into their communities. JRAP funding was awarded to Public Housing Agencies who have a partnership with a nonprofit legal service organization with experience providing legal services to juveniles.
Having a juvenile or a criminal record can severely limit a person’s ability to seek higher education, find good employment or secure affordable housing. Today, there are nearly 55,000 individuals under age 21 in juvenile justice facilities, and approximately 185,000 young adults aged 18 to 24 in state and federal prisons. These collateral consequences create unnecessary barriers to economic opportunity and productivity.
To help alleviate collateral consequences associated with a juvenile or criminal record, JRAP assists young people up to age 24 residing in public housing, or who would be residing in public housing but for their record, by:
-
Expunging, sealing, and/or correcting juvenile or adult records; as permitted by state law;
-
Assisting targeted youth in mitigating/preventing collateral consequences such as reinstating revoked or suspended drivers’ licenses;
-
Counseling regarding legal rights and obligations in searching for employment;
-
Providing guidance for readmission to school; and
-
Creating or modifying child support orders and other family law services, and more.
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.
The Obama Administration has taken major steps to make our criminal justice system fairer, more efficient and more effective at reducing recidivism and helping formerly incarcerated individuals contribute to their communities. Removing barriers to successful reentry helps formerly incarcerated individuals compete for jobs, attain stable housing, and support their families. An important part of that commitment is preparing those who have paid their debt to society for substantive opportunities beyond the prison gates, and addressing collateral consequences to successful reentry that too many returning citizens encounter.
National Reentry Week events are being planned in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. U.S. Attorney’s Offices alone are hosting over 200 events and BOP facilities are holding over 370 events.
-
The Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development to Award $1.75 Million to Help Justice-Involved Youth Find Jobs and HousingRead the Press Release
Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program Will Reduce Barriers to Housing, Jobs and Education
In an effort to help young people involved in the justice system find jobs and housing, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced $1.75 million for Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and nonprofit legal service organizations to address the challenges justice-involved individuals face when trying to find work and a place to call home. The grantees are listed below.
Under the Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program (JRAP), funded through the department’s Second Chance Act funds, HUD and the Department of Justice are teaming up to help young Americans who’ve paid their debt to society rehabilitate and reintegrate back into their communities. JRAP funding was awarded to Public Housing Agencies who have a partnership with a nonprofit legal service organization with experience providing legal services to juveniles. Read local summaries of the grants.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and HUD Secretary Julián Castro announced the funding during a news conference with local leaders in Philadelphia today.
“The future of our nation depends upon the future of our young people – including young people who have become involved with our justice system,” said Attorney General Lynch. “By helping justice-involved youth find decent jobs and stable housing after they return home, these critical grants provide a foundation for a fresh start and offer a path towards productivity and purpose. In the months ahead, the Department of Justice will continue helping justice-involved youth enrich their lives and improve our country.”
“Reconnecting young people who've paid their debt to society to decent jobs and housing allows them to turn the page and become active, productive members of their communities,” said Secretary Castro. “These grants offer a helping hand to those who deserve a second chance so they have a real opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Having a juvenile or a criminal record can severely limit a person’s ability to seek higher education, find good employment or secure affordable housing. Today, there are nearly 55,000 individuals under age 21 in juvenile justice facilities, and approximately 185,000 young adults aged 18 to 24 in state and federal prisons. These collateral consequences create unnecessary barriers to economic opportunity and productivity. President Obama and members of his Cabinet, via the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, continue to take impactful steps to ensure those exiting the justice system become productive, law-abiding citizens. Today’s announcement is consistent with HUD’s recently released guidance on the application of Fair Housing Act Standards to the use of criminal records by providers of housing and real estate-related transactions, and the recent guidance for public housing authorities and owners of federally-assisted housing on excluding the use of arrest records in housing decisions.
To help alleviate collateral consequences associated with a juvenile or criminal record, JRAP assists young people up to age 24 residing in public housing, or who would be residing in public housing but for their record, by:
- Expunging, sealing, and/or correcting juvenile or adult records; as permitted by state law;
- Assisting targeted youth in mitigating/preventing collateral consequences such as reinstating revoked or suspended drivers’ licenses;
- Counseling regarding legal rights and obligations in searching for employment;
- Providing guidance for readmission to school; and
- Creating or modifying child support orders and other family law services, and more.
# # #
HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet
at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.
You can also connect with HUD on social media and follow Secretary Castro on
Twitter and Facebook or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.2016 Juvenile Re-entry Assistance Program Grants
State
Recipient
City
Amount
Partner
*Matched
Amount
CA
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
Los Angeles
$100,000
Public
Counsel
$1,390,650
CT
Housing Authority of the City of Hartford
Hartford
$100,000
Center for Children's
Advocacy,
Inc.
$25,000
IL
Chicago Housing Authority
Chicago
$100,000
Bluhm Legal
Clinic,
Northwestern
University
School of Law
$55,216
IL
Housing Authority of Cook County
Chicago
$100,000
LAF
$25,000
IN
The City of East Chicago Housing Authority
East Chicago
$100,000
Indiana Legal
Services,Inc.
$172,000
LA
Housing Authority of the City of Shreveport
Shreveport
$100,000
Legal Services
of North
Louisiana, Inc.
$109,811
LA
Housing Authority of New Orleans
New Orleans
$100,000
Southeast
Louisiana Legal
Services
$240,463
MA
Boston Housing Authority
Boston
$100,000
Greater Boston
Legal Services Inc.
$32,549
MO
St. Louis Housing Authority
St. Louis
$100,000
St. Louis School of
Law Legal Clinic
$99,202
NJ
Housing Authority of the City of Camden
Camden
$53,464
Rutgers Law School
Reentry Clinic
$35,825
NY
Syracuse Housing Authority
Syracuse
$100,000
Center for
Community
Alternatives
$58,744
NY
New York City Housing Authority
New York
$100,000
Youth Represent, Inc.
$88,412
NY
Albany Housing Authority
Albany
$100,000
Legal Aid Society
of Northeastern
New York
$81,000
OH
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
Cleveland
$100,000
Legal Aid Society
of Cleveland
$123,200
OH
Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority
Akron
$100,000
University of Akron
School of Law
$174,115
PA
Philadelphia Housing Authority
Philadelphia
$100,000
Community Legal
Services of
Philadelphia
$25,000
RI
The Housing Authority of the City of Providence
Providence
$100,000
Rhode Island Legal
Services, Inc.
$27,161
WI
Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee
Milwaukee
$100,000
Legal Action of
Wisconsin
$25,000
TOTAL: $1,753,464
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to High Speed Flight from Border CrossingRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jeffrey Kelley, 33, of Syracuse, New York, pled guilty today to fleeing the border inspection checkpoint at the Alexandria Bay Port of Entry in Jefferson County, New York, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. Kelley also pled guilty to failing to allow his vehicle to be inspected at the border crossing. Sentencing is scheduled for August 25, 2016, in Syracuse New York before Senior United States District Court Judge Norman A. Mordue.
As part of his guilty plea today, Kelley admitted that on December 19, 2015, he approached the Alexandria Bay Port of Entry from the north driving a Jeep 4x4. At the Customs and Immigration inspection point, Kelley refused to lower the rear driver’s side window to allow inspection of the vehicle and did not provide proof of citizenship. Kelley also refused to turn off the engine and turn over his keys. As the Customs and Border Protection Officer turned to retrieve a "stop stick" to place under the car’s tire to prevent departure, Kelley sped away.
Kelley faces a maximum sentence of up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years for his conviction for Fleeing From An Immigration Checkpoint. He faces a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 for his conviction for Failing to Allow His Vehicle to be Inspected. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Kelley will remain in custody until he is sentenced.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina H. Schoenberger.
St. Croix Man Charged with Threatening Federal EmployeesRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Stephen Williams, 47, made his initial appearance today before U.S.Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller after being arrested for threatening a federal employee, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Williams was arrested on April 25, 2016, by Special Agents from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General (VA OIG), and officers from the Virgin Islands Police Department. Judge Miller ordered the defendant placed in detention pending a hearing on April 26, 2016. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
According to documents filed with the court, on February 12, 2016, Williams threatened to shoot employees of the Veteran’s Affairs Community Based Out-Patient Clinic at Village Mall #113, Kingshill, St. Croix.
This case is being investigated by the VA OIG. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Stringer.
Social Security Employee Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Sophia Dix, 35, of Newport News, pleaded guilty today to charges of wire fraud.
According to a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Dix was a service representative for the Social Security Administration (SSA) in its Norfolk office. In her position, Dix had computer access to SSA beneficiary information, including bank account data for the direct deposit of benefit payments. From April 2014, through August 2015, Dix rerouted over $56,000 in other persons’ SSA benefits to her own bank account.
Dix was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 9, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on July 21. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael McGill, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16cr32.
Six Southern Missouri Residents Indicted for Large-Scale Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that six southern Missouri residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine.
Michael Ryan Nevatt, 26, Kara Rene Baze, 23, and Scott Bryan Sands, 51, all of Springfield, Mo., Kenneth Bryant Lake, 55, of Strafford, Mo., Jerry Lee Brown, 43, of Lebanon, Mo., and Travis Lee Bethel, 45, of Urbana, Mo., were charged in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, April 21, 2016. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of Sands and Bethel. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Nevatt, who is already in federal custody, on March 30, 2016.
The federal indictment alleges that Nevatt, Baze, Sands, Lake, Brown and Bethel participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 1, 2013, to April 21, 2016.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a cooperating defendant was arrested by Buchanan County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies in St. Joseph, Mo., on July 20, 2015. The cooperating defendant, who was in possession of approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine and $5,000, allegedly identified Nevatt as his source. The cooperating defendant also told investigators that s/he accompanied Nevatt to Dallas, Texas, on multiple occasions to obtain multiple-pound quantities of methamphetamine, which was then transported back to Missouri for distribution.
According to the affidavit, Nevatt was the middle man between Mexican methamphetamine suppliers and southern Missouri distributors Lake and Brown. A second confidential informant told investigators that s/he had traveled to Dallas, Texas, with Nevatt to pick up pound levels of methamphetamine approximately 20 to 30 times between October 2014 and July 2015. The methamphetamine allegedly was transported back to Springfield for distribution.
According to the affidavit, Lake told investigators that he was the “safe house” and received a percentage for keeping the money safe until he delivered it to Nevatt at a Springfield hotel. Nevatt would then deliver the money to the Mexican suppliers.
Springfield investigators conducted a traffic stop on Nevatt’s motorcycle on July 29, 2015. During an inventory of the motorcycle saddle bags, the affidavit says, officers recovered approximately $66,000. This allegedly was money Nevatt owed to the Mexican suppliers.
On Aug. 28, 2015, officers executed a search warrant at Nevatt’s hotel room in Springfield and recovered methamphetamine and more than $100,000. Baze and Lake were in the hotel room at the time of the search. When Nevatt arrived at the hotel, officers approached him and he fled in his vehicle but was taken into custody.
On March 29, 2016, Nevatt was arrested following a traffic stop conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol in Webster County, Mo. Troopers seized approximately $39,000 that had been rolled up and wrapped in rubber bands in a plastic shopping bag. A dog alerted on the bag for the odor of controlled substances.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offense, including a money judgment of $530,000. According to the indictment, this represents the amount received in exchange for the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine based on a conservative average street price of $1,000 per ounce and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Second Defendant in Fargo Liquor Store Robberies Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
FARGO - U. S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on April 25, 2016, Carlos Henry Bethel, 28, Fargo, ND, was sentenced before U. S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson to serve nine (9) years six (6) months in prison for Interference with Commerce by Threats and Violence- Hobbs Act Robbery and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Judge Erickson also sentenced Bethel to serve three (3) years of supervised release and to pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
On September 28, 2015, Bottle Barn Wine and Liquor, 2515 South University Dr., and The Spirit Shop Liquor Store, 1404 33rd St. S., were robbed within an hour of each other. Bethel pled guilty on Jan. 9, 2016, to robbing Bottle Barn while brandishing a firearm and threatening the cashier to hand over money. As part of the plea agreement, Bethel and co-defendant Andrew Jerome Ford agreed that they participated or aided and abetted the following crimes:
(a) A home invasion on June 24, 2015, in Hillsboro, North Dakota, where currency was stolen;
(b) A burglary resulting in a stolen firearm in Hillsboro in or about July through September 2015;
(c) A burglary of a vehicle in Fargo, North Dakota, in which monetary instruments were stolen on or about August 24, 2015, and on or about September 24, 2015;
(d) A burglary of a residence in Fargo, resulting in the theft of five firearms on or about September 24, 2015;
(e) Setting fire to four dumpsters in Fargo in an effort to determine law enforcement response time on or about September 28, 2015, as well as robbery of The Spirit Shop Liquor Store in Fargo;
(f) The pistol whipping assault of a victim resulting in serious bodily injury including unconsciousness on or about September 19, 2015, in Fargo; and,
(g) Conspiracy to distribute marijuana in North Dakota.
Judge Erickson sentenced co-defendant Ford to 8 ½ years on April 19, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Fargo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATFE).
U. S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers prosecuted the case.
Sauk Village Treasurer Charged with Stealing More Than $21,000 from Police Pension FundRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The treasurer of south suburban Sauk Village was arrested today for allegedly looting the village’s Police Pension Fund out of more than $21,000.
JAMES GRIEGEL, 71, of Sauk Village, is charged with embezzlement in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Federal authorities arrested Griegel this morning. He made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez and was ordered released on a personal recognizance bond.
The complaint alleges that Griegel fraudulently issued pension fund checks to himself and forged the names of Sauk Village officials as signatories. Griegel listed the names of conferences and seminars on the memorandum lines of the checks to falsely make the payments appear to have been business related, according to the complaint. Griegel then cashed the checks and used the money for his own benefit, including making purchases at gas stations, rental car locations, restaurants and storage facilities, the complaint states.
Griegel worked as the village’s treasurer from May 2013 until January 2016, when he was suspended from the post. He issued the checks over a ten-month period from April 2015 to January 2016, according to the complaint.
The embezzlement charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and restitution is mandatory.
The arrest was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and John F. Oleskowicz, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General, Chicago Field Office.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunil Harjani.
Reentry Initiatives Help Former Inmates Successfully Return to Their CommunitiesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is joining the Federal Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement and community partners, and United States Attorney’s Offices across the country to promote the successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals who have completed their sentences and are returning to live in their communities.
“National Reentry Week is an opportunity to assist formerly incarcerated individuals with the difficulties they face gaining employment, housing, and education, which can lead to a cycle of incarceration,” said Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “The following events surrounding National Reentry Week are aimed at preparing formerly incarcerated individuals for a productive and law-abiding life beyond prison by providing resources and lessons learned from others’ reentry experiences.”
Event: The Prison to Reentry Pipeline
Location: Federal Prison Camp, Pensacola, 110 Raby Ave., Pensacola, FL 32509
Date: Monday, April 25, 2016, 1:00 p.m. CST
Contact: Angel Motta, 850-458-7201, [email protected]
Description: Male inmates approaching their prison release will learn about overcoming reentry challenges from a panel discussion moderated by the United States Attorney’s Office. The panel will also include a representative from the United States Probation Office and former federal inmates on probation.
Press: No photography or videography. Please complete attached form and coordinate with media contact before arrival.Event: The Prison to Reentry Pipeline
Location: Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna, 3625 FCI Rd, Marianna, FL 32446
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 8:00 a.m. CST
Contact: Todd Large, 850-526-7095, [email protected]
Description: Male inmates approaching their prison release will learn about overcoming reentry challenges from a panel discussion moderated by the United States Attorney’s Office. The panel will also include a representative from the United States Probation Office and former federal inmates on probation.
Press: No photography or videography. Please complete attached form and coordinate with media contact before arrival.Event: Successful Reentry as a Solution to Sex Trafficking of Inmates
Location: Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna, 3625 FCI Rd, Marianna, FL 32446
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 1:00 p.m. CST
Contact: Todd Large, 850-526-7095, [email protected]
Description: Sex traffickers often target the most vulnerable female inmates with a history of drug use and prostitution and who do not have a place to live upon release from prison. Successful reentry is a critical tool to preventing sex trafficking and reducing recidivism at the same time. Inmates will hear from a former FCI Marianna inmate who is now an entrepreneur, a sex trafficking victim who is now the director of a faith-based women’s transitional house, and an Assistant United States Attorney.
Press: No photography or videography. Please complete attached form and coordinate with media contact before arrival.Event: Employment and Community Resource Fair
Location: North Florida Fairgrounds, 441 Paul Russell Road, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2016, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Contact:
Jessica Satterfield, 850‐521‐3551, [email protected]
Lee Warren, 850‐717‐9622, [email protected]
Description: The Florida Department of Corrections, the United States Probation Office, Leon County Probation Office, and the Big Bend AFTER Reentry Coalition is hosting this event to connect former inmates with housing, education, transportation, and employment resources.
Press: Open to public.Event: Re-Entry Partnership Initiative
Location: Alachua County Library District, Headquarters Branch: 401 E. University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601
Dates:- Job Searching Tips, Interview Skills, Employability
- Monday, May 2, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Meeting Room-A
- Creating E-mails and Résumés
- Monday, May 9, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Meeting Room-B
- Information about the GED and Santa Fe College Certificate Programs
- Monday, May 16, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Meeting Room-A
- Entrepreneurship and Starting a Small Business
- Monday, May 23, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Meeting Room-B
Contact: Nickie Kortus, 352-334-3909, [email protected]
Description: These workshops, conducted by trained instructors and field experts, help participants, especially former inmates, re-enter the workforce by providing
instruction on résumé building, interview skills, job searching, e-mail, educational programs, and entrepreneurship opportunities. View events calendar.
Press: Open to public.Event: Second Chance Job Fair
Location: CareerSource North Central Florida, 10 NW 6th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601
Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Contact:
Donna Scott, 352-225-4044, [email protected]
James Schindler, 352-244-5153, [email protected]
Description: Area businesses are joining the Florida Department of Corrections, CareerSource North Central Florida, and local law enforcement agencies to organize a job fair. Although the job fair is open to all applicants, the event is intended to increase career opportunities for those seeking a second chance after having been incarcerated.
Press: Open to public.Reentry Resources
- Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s message on National Reentry Week
- Big Bend “A Fight to End Recidivism” (AFTER) Reentry Coalition: contact Beth Nichols at [email protected]
- Kearney Center
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Rapid City Man Sentenced for Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Stolen Firearm was sentenced on April 22, 2016, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Christopher Fire Thunder, age 40, was sentenced to 18 months’ custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fire Thunder was indicted for the charge on December 17, 2015. He pled guilty on December 18, 2015.
The conviction stems from Fire Thunder possessing a stolen .40 caliber pistol on June 17, 2015, at Rapid City.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Fire Thunder was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Oglala Man Indicted for Assaulting Three FemalesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Oglala, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault of Intimate Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation.
Clint A. Marshall, Sr., age 43, was indicted on March 22, 2016. Marshall appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on April 15, 2016, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Marshall using a vehicle to assault three females on October 10, 2015, near Oglala. He also attempted to strangle one of these females on the same date.
The charges are merely accusations and Marshall is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich is prosecuting the case.
Marshall was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has been set for June 21, 2016.
National Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
Greensboro, N.C. – To encourage and highlight United States Department of Justice efforts to improve federal reentry outcomes, the week of April 24 – 30, 2016, has been designated as National Reentry Week. Supporting successful reentry is an important part of the Department’s mission to promote public safety. If recidivism can be reduced by assisting individuals return to productive law-abiding lives, we can reduce crime across the country and make our neighborhoods better and safer.
Each year, more than 600,000 individuals return to our communities after serving time in federal or state prisons. There are another 11.4 million individuals that cycle through local jails every year. Almost one in four Americans has an arrest record, mostly for relatively minor, non-violent offenses. The impact of a criminal record often prevents motivated people from obtaining employment, housing, higher education, and credit. These barriers affect returning individuals even after they have paid their debt to society, turned their lives around, and are unlikely to reoffend.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina has been involved in efforts to assist returning individuals for over two decades. Partnerships across the Middle District communities involving courts, probation, law enforcement, schools, clergy, service agencies, and non-profits have demonstrated that recidivism rates can be greatly reduced when people work together. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina has ongoing reentry partnerships throughout the District.
The Middle District of North Carolina works with these partners using cutting edge evidence-based programming. By welcoming home and helping those reentrants who want to change and providing them opportunities, our communities grow stronger and we save tax dollars at the same time.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina will be participating in the following events during National Reentry Week:
Wednesday 4/27/2016: Cabarrus County Jail, 30 Corban Ave SE, Concord, NC 28025
10 AM Cabarrus Jail Reentry Graduation - presentation of graduation and certificates of completion to the successful graduates of this innovative locally-funded program of Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Brad Riley.
11-1PM Roundtable discussion with long-time resource providers from Cabarrus County about re-entry programming that has improved public safety in Cabarrus County.
Thursday 4/28/2016: Silverspot Cinema, 201 S. Estes Dr. University Place Chapel Hill, NC
9am-12pm North Carolina Middle District reentry meeting
Members of the Middle Districts Project Safe Neighborhoods Advisory team will meet to recognize successful reentrants and the agencies across the Middle District that serves them.
The media is invited to attend these meetings.
###
Nashville, Michigan Man, David Heinsen, Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography, Consecutive to 40-60 Years in State PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – 70-year-old David Heinsen of Nashville, Michigan, was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison – the maximum term -- for receiving 650,000 images and videos of child pornography on his computers. In announcing the federal sentence, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney ordered that of the 20-year sentence, 15 years must be served after Heinsen finishes his 40-60 year sentence in a related Barry County Criminal Sexual Conduct case.
"This case represents the immense damage a person with a sexual interest in children can do over the course of a lifetime, whether through hands-on sexual abuse of children or trading in child pornography, or both," said U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles. "Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the Western District of Michigan will continue to work together to identify and prosecute offenders and give a voice to child victims."
Heinsen kept film negatives of himself molesting and strangling an 8-year-old girl with Down syndrome in his home over 20 years ago. During the investigation, Heinsen admitted to molesting at least two other children in Ohio years ago, who have not yet been identified. Heinsen pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in the federal case and one count of Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC), First Degree, in Barry County, for his abuse of the 8-year-old girl in the photos.
Recognizing that this sentence means Heinsen, 70, will never be released, Judge Maloney emphasized that that was his intention. "A more dastardly, ugly, violative of social norms case, I have not seen," Judge Maloney stated. He described it as one of the worst cases he has presided over because of the "graphic and unbelievably violent" acts depicted in the child pornography Heinsen produced, received, and possessed. Judge Maloney commented that Heinsen’s interest in child exploitation dates back to the "Eisenhower administration" and that Heinsen has been committing offenses for decades undetected. Judge Maloney ordered Heinsen to pay $12,000 in restitution to the 8-year-old girl, who is now an adult, for counseling and therapy. The other victims in the child pornography Heinsen received and possessed did not seek restitution, but some of them provided written statements about the devastating toll that the ongoing trade of their images has taken on their lives.
"Child exploitation crimes are by far the most reprehensible criminal activity HSI investigates," said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Marlon Miller. "These predators cause severe damage to our society and HSI will continue to move aggressively against those who seek to exploit our children to ensure they are punished to the fullest extent of the law."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessa K. Hessmiller prosecuted the federal case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office; county prosecutor’s offices; and federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement. For more information about Project Safe Childhood in West Michigan, visit: http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/programs/psc.html.
END
Multiple defendants appear in Federal court on drug chargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Multiple defendants appeared in federal court today on drug charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto.
Kevin Brown, 32, of Huber Heights, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession of heroin with intent to distribute. On June 29, 2015, an officer with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted a traffic stop on a rental vehicle Brown was driving. Brown gave a false name and false identification to the officer, but consented to a search of the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, the officer found heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, along with empty capsules and a Magic Bullet mixer which had been used to process heroin for distribution. Brown faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on August 1, 2016.
Alisha Watts, 36, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to maintaining a drug-involved premises. On March 18, 2015, officers with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team executed a search warrant at 1210 Stonebrook Road in Charleston. Upon entering the residence, officers found Watts asleep in the bedroom. Watts admitted to being the occupant of the residence. Beside the bed, officers found a loaded handgun, over 600 grams of suspected methamphetamine in the kitchen cabinets, and over 100 pounds of suspected marijuana packaged in one-pound blocks throughout the residence. Additionally, officers located approximately $34,000 cash. Watts admitted that the drugs were being stored at her residence and were intended for distribution by another individual. Watts faces up to 20 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on August 17, 2016.
Lawrence Watson, 22, of Detroit, was sentenced to credit for time served for distribution of heroin. Watson previously pleaded guilty in January 2016 and admitted that on June 12, 2014, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place at a residence on Elaine Drive in Rand. After the drug deal, officers executed a search warrant on the residence and found Watson in the house. During the search, officers discovered additional heroin and recovered the money used in the controlled drug purchase from Watson’s pocket.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigations of Brown, Watts, and Watson.
Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is responsible for the prosecution of Brown. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over Brown’s plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is handling the prosecution of Watts. The plea hearing for Watts was held before United States District John T. Copenhaver, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Frail is in charge of the prosecution of Watson. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed Watson’s sentence.
These cases were brought as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities. 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 heroin and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.
-
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
-
Middle District of Florida Joins Nationwide Efforts to Reduce Recidivism During National Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – As part of the Department of Justice’s commitment to strengthening the criminal justice system, the week of April 24-30, 2016, has been designated as National Reentry Week. Today, U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces his office’s participation in several initiatives that strive to help those who have paid their debt to society prepare for substantive opportunities beyond the prison gates, promote family unity, contribute to the health of our economy, advance public safety, and sustain the strength of our communities. For information on specific events taking place in the District throughout the week, visit the MDFL Reentry webpage.
“I am proud of the reentry work that we are doing with our partners throughout the District,” stated U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “Our collective efforts have resulted in positive transformations in the lives of many returning from prison, benefitting not only the ex-offenders, but also their families and our communities. Our approach has proven to be a worthwhile investment, reducing crime and recidivism in the Middle District of Florida. We remain committed to working with our partners in this endeavor of reformation, restoration, and hope.”
Each year, more than 600,000 citizens return to our neighborhoods after serving time in federal and state prisons. Another 11.4 million individuals cycle through local jails. And nearly one in three Americans of working age have had some sort of encounter with the criminal justice system — mostly for relatively minor, non-violent offenses, and sometimes from decades in the past. The long-term impact of a criminal record prevents many people from obtaining employment, housing, higher education, and credit — and these barriers affect returning individuals even if they have turned their lives around and are unlikely to reoffend.
Earlier today, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch released the “Roadmap to Reentry: The Justice Department’s Vision to Reduce Recidivism through Federal Reentry Reform. The principles outlined in the document are aligned with the work of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, which has been working since its creation five years ago to reduce recidivism and improve employment, education, housing, health, and child welfare outcomes.
National Reentry Week events are being planned in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. U.S. Attorney’s Offices alone are hosting over 200 events and BOP facilities are holding over 370 events.
Mexican national sentenced to prison for Federal methamphetamine crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national residing in Boone County was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison for a federal drug crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Leonel Vivian Castellanos, 28, previously pleaded guilty in November 2015 to distribution of methamphetamine.
Castellanos admitted that between May 12 and May 19, 2015, he distributed approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine to informants in Kanawha and Boone counties. On May 21, 2015, Castellanos was found in possession of another 50 grams of methamphetamine at his residence in Boone County. That same day, approximately 500 grams of additional methamphetamine that Castellanos admitted to distributing was seized during the execution of a search warrant in Kanawha County.
The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, Homeland Security Investigations, the Kanawha Bureau of Investigation, and the South Charleston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr, imposed the sentence.
-
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
-
Mexican National Sentenced to 77 Months for Federal Narcotics Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Teodulfo Sanchez-Lopez, 24, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 77 months in prison for his methamphetamine and heroin trafficking conviction. Sanchez-Lopez will be deported after he completes his prison sentence.
Sanchez-Lopez was arrested on May 4, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy and possession of heroin and methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to the complaint, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on a storage locker on March 13, 2014, in Roswell, N.M., where they found 439.9 grams of methamphetamine and 290.6 grams of heroin. The complaint alleged that further investigation revealed that Sanchez-Lopez had packaged the methamphetamine and heroin found in the storage locker.
Sanchez-Lopez was subsequently indicted on July 23, 2015, and charged with conspiracy to possess heroin and methamphetamine with intent to distribute in Jan. 2014. Sanchez-Lopez pled guilty to the indictment on Sept. 4, 2015, and admitted that on March 13, 2014, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at a storage facility where they located bags containing 439 grams of methamphetamine and 290 grams of heroin. Sanchez-Lopez further admitted that his fingerprints were on the packaging of the methamphetamine and heroin, and that he packaged the narcotics in Phoenix, Ariz., in Jan. 2014, for distribution by others.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force. The HIDTA Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Roswell Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Chaves County Sherriff’s Office. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri J. Abernathy of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (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 which 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, the Albuquerque City Council, 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. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Maryland man sentenced for role in multi-state heroin trafficking operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth Bryan Crowley, 29, of Rockville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his role in a multi-state heroin distribution network, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Crowley was among 41 individuals charged in a 163-count federal heroin trafficking indictment in June 2015. As part of the drug trafficking scheme, heroin was repeatedly transported across state lines from Maryland to locations in West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania for redistribution and sale. Crowley pled guilty in November 2015 to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Paul Camilletti prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Maryland Man Charged with Simple AssaultRead the Press Release
William Taylor, 61, of Havre de Grace, Maryland, was charged by Information, filed on April 22, 2016, with three counts of simple assault, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The Information alleges that on or about February 4, 2016, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Taylor assaulted Victim No. 1 at three different times. These assaults occurred between 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM in the afternoon. Taylor was then employed as a construction superintendent on a project at the Navy Yard.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of six months on each count.
The case was investigated by the Navy Criminal Investigative Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Glenn.
An Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Manufacturer of Defective North Carolina Bridge Parts Sentenced to 35 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that today in federal court before United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, JOEL DE LA TORRE, 34, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to serve 35 months in federal prison on charges of Making False Statements Concerning Highway Projects, and Aggravated Identity Theft. The defendant was also ordered to serve a 3 year term of supervised release and to make restitution.
In October of 2011 a federal highway contractor discovered a defect in a grouping of elastomeric bridge bearings that had been shipped for use on bridges in North Carolina. An elastomeric bridge bearing is a slab of rubber that is reinforced with multiple layers of steel and placed underneath bridges to absorb shock. The bearings were defective because the steel plates were exposed, subjecting them to the elements and creating the potential for deterioration. The North Carolina Department of Transportation began an investigation and found systematic problems with the bearings that had been shipped, and in some instances installed, on bridge projects throughout the state. In total, 1,270 of the shipped bearings were found to be nonconforming and defective. The bearings were shipped in connection with 25 different highway projects in North Carolina between May of 2009 and October of 2011. Upon further investigation, the Department of Transportation found that many of the bridge bearings had come from a company named Delgado Elastomeric Bearings Corporation located in the Chicago area.
The United States Department of Transportation conducted a criminal investigation into the creation and shipment of the defective bridge bearings. It was discovered that the North Carolina application to supply the bridge bearings to local contractors had been forged. The name of a teenager with no knowledge of how to manufacture bridge bearings was fraudulently used on the application. This teenager was also held out by Delgado Elastomeric Bearings Corporation as the vice president of the company, when in fact, the teenager had no idea of this title. This same name and title had also been used on all certificates sent to North Carolina highway contractors certifying the conformity of the bearings with applicable state and federal regulations.
Ultimately, the investigation revealed that the defendant, JOEL DE LA TORRE, had forged the name of the teenager on the documents described above. Inspection of the Chicago facility used to manufacture the bridge bearings revealed that the facility did not contain the required testing devices and machinery which would have revealed the defects in the bridge bearings.
Although not presently incurred, costs associated with the replacement of the bearings are expected over time to exceed $5 million due to the difficulty in removing the bearings from beneath existing structures, engineering costs, and traffic control. Federal and state agencies have reported that there is no immediate threat to safety due to the faulty bearings, which will be monitored and replaced over time.
On March 2, 2016, the defendant’s brother, Santiago De La Torre, pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in the scheme, and to perjury. Santiago De La Torre’s sentencing is presently scheduled for the court’s June 20, 2016 term.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the United States.
Media Advisory – National Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
Contact: Donald E. Clark
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to strengthening the criminal justice system, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the Department of Justice have designated the week of April 24-30, 2016, as National Reentry Week.
“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.”
In recognition of National Reentry Week, Thomas E. Delahanty II, United States Attorney for the District of Maine, announced today that he will host a reentry roundtable discussion on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 100 Middle Street, East Tower, 6th Floor, in Portland with key public and private stakeholders that are engaged in efforts to reduce recidivism and promote the successful reintegration into society of justice-involved individuals.
These stakeholders include: the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office; the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic; Family Crisis Services; the Federal Defender, District of Maine; Goodwill Industries of Northern New England; Maine Pretrial Services; Maine Inside Out; MaineWorks; the Maine Department of Corrections; My Sister’s Keeper; the Portland Recovery Community Center; Straight Ahead Ministries and Transformation Project; the U.S. Attorney’s Office; U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services; the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office; and Volunteers of America Northern New England. These organizations will discuss the reentry work or programs in which they are engaged, identify areas where they can collaborate with others, and identify barriers encountered by justice-involved individuals.
Members of the media are invited to attend and observe the roundtable discussion. They should arrive by 8:45 a.m. if they wish attend and observe. Representatives of the organizations will be available at about 10:30 a.m. to answer questions and provide additional information. Members of the media should arrive by 10:15 a.m. if they wish ask questions or obtain additional information.
Louisville Woman Charged with Defrauding the Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
Failed to disclose the death of her husband for eleven years
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Louisville woman was recently charged with several counts involving the fraudulent receipt of Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits by the Social Security Administration (SSA), for an eleven year period, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
According to the three-count Superseding Indictment, returned April 20, 2016, Janice M. Arnow failed to disclose the death of her husband and continued to receive and spend OASDI payments made by the SSA between October 2003 and October 2014.
Further, during the same period, Arnow is charged with theft of government property. Arnow allegedly embezzled, stole, and purloined money of the Social Security Administration (SSA), a department and agency of the United States, namely, Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance program (OASDI) payments made to her deceased husband, to which she knew she was not entitled, having a value in excess of $1,000.
Also, on or about July 17, 2012, Arnow is charged with making a false Social Security Application. It’s alleged that Arnow willfully and knowingly made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement, by submitting an application for OASDI payments to the SSA. In doing so, Arnow is charged with falsely omitting the identity of her late husband, the receipt of income from her late husband’s OASDI payments, the date of his death, and falsely indicating that she had no other marriages than to M.H.
In the event of a conviction, the maximum potential penalties are 20 years in prison, $750,000 fines, and supervised release for a period of three years. Arnow is scheduled for arraignment on the superseding indictment, before Magistrate Judge Dave Whalin, on April 28, 2016, in Louisville.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd, and results from an investigation conducted by the Social Security Administration –Office of the Inspector General.
***
The indictment of a person by Federal Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven.
Lake Charles resident pleads guilty to failing to update his sex offender registrationRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lake Charles resident formerly from Texas pleaded guilty last week to failing to update his sex offender registration.
John L. Edwards, 59, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of failure to update sex offender registration. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi. According to the guilty plea, the Dallas Police Department received a tip that Edwards was residing in Lake Charles. A warrant was executed, and he was arrested on December 28, 2015 in Lake Charles. Edwards later admitted to moving to Lake Charles from Dallas on June 21, 2015. In 2002, Edwards was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender on a quarterly basis for life. His last registration was in Texas in June of 2014.
Edwards faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of August 11, 2016 has been set.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Files for Contempt and Requests Receiver to Operate Orleans Parish JailRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has filed for contempt against Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman regarding his non-compliance with a consent decree governing conditions of confinement at the Orleans Parish Jail in New Orleans, and has requested that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana appoint a receiver with full authority to administer operations of the jail until compliance is achieved.
The filing was announced by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The department’s filing details Sheriff Gusman’s inability to achieve compliance with the vast majority of provisions of the court’s 2013 consent judgment despite extensive technical assistance from the monitors appointed by the court, additional court ordered relief, frequent court hearings and intensive oversight by the court, the department and the plaintiff class.
Although the court ordered the consent judgment more than two years ago, Gusman remains dangerously non-compliant with numerous substantive provisions that immediately impact the safety and health of Orleans Parish prisoners. The department requests a finding that Gusman is in contempt of the consent decree provisions on prisoner supervision, suicide prevention, use of force, incident reporting and tracking, prisoner grievances, investigations, classification, youthful prisoners and sanitation and environmental health. The most recent compliance report filed by the court monitors confirms not only Gusman’s widespread non-compliance, but also regression from the small degree of progress previously achieved. In addition, the court monitors fault the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) leadership for a failure to commit to achieving compliance.
The court heard monitor testimony this month about the March 2016 jail suicide of Cleveland Tumblin, who died by hanging himself from a known suicide hazard – behind a locked door – after a mental health evaluation flagged him for mental health follow-up that he did not receive. The mental health monitor further testified that, despite OPSO being on notice of systemic problems from a mortality review of the suicide, those problems had not been fixed. During the monitors’ site visit this month, shower stall doors were still locked from the inside and suicide cut-down tools that were too dull to rescue Tumblin remained too dull to cut a sheet of notebook paper.
Due to Gusman’s inability to achieve compliance, concerns about OPSO’s leadership shortcomings and top-to-bottom staffing deficiencies, the department is filing an enforcement action and requesting that a court-appointed receiver manage the jail until substantial compliance with the consent decree is achieved. The department requests a receiver with the full authority to administer operations of the jail, including the ability to discipline, reassign, terminate and promote jail employees; develop and implement policies and procedures; allocate jail budget funds; and enter into contracts for jail services. The department further seeks an opportunity to submit briefing to the court regarding the proposed duties and authority of a receiver.
This case was initiated as a private prisoner class action filed in 2012. The department intervened pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, which authorizes the department to seek a remedy for a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the constitutional rights of persons confined in a jail, prison or other correctional facility. The department’s motion was filed jointly with the plaintiff class, represented by the MacArthur Justice Center.
For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt.
Orleans Parish Jail Memo in Support of Appointment of a Receiver
Justice Department Allows Charter’s Acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks to Proceed with ConditionsRead the Press Release
Conditions Prohibit Charter from Imposing Restrictions that Impede Online Video Distributor Access to Video Content
The Department of Justice announced today a settlement that permits Charter Communications Inc. to complete its $78 billion proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) and its related $10.4 billion acquisition of Bright House Networks LLC (BHN) from Advance/Newhouse Partnership. The settlement forbids the merged company, referred to as “New Charter,” from entering into or enforcing agreements that could make it more difficult for online video distributors (OVDs) to obtain video content from programmers.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the merger, along with a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the competitive harm alleged in the lawsuit. The department’s complaint alleges that, as a result of the proposed merger, New Charter would have greater incentive and ability to impose or broaden contractual restrictions on programmers that limit their ability to distribute their content through OVDs. According to the complaint, TWC has been an industry leader in seeking such restrictions; with its much larger subscriber base, New Charter would have even more to gain from frustrating OVD competition.
The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today will circulate an order that would approve the combination of Charter, TWC and BHN subject to conditions. The department and the FCC consulted extensively to coordinate their reviews of the proposed merger and devise remedies that were both consistent and comprehensive.
“Online video distributors offer consumers greater choices for video services,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Renata B. Hesse, head of the Antitrust Division. “This merger would have threatened competition by increasing the merged company’s leverage to demand that programmers limit their licensing to these online providers. Together with our counterparts at the FCC, we have secured comprehensive relief and we will work together to closely monitor compliance to ensure that New Charter will not have the power to choke off this important source of disruptive competition and deny consumers the benefits of innovation and new services.”
According to the department’s complaint, the combination of Charter, TWC and BHN into New Charter would create the second-largest cable company and the third-largest multi-channel video programming distributor (MVPD) in the United States, with over 17 million video subscribers. As the complaint explains, TWC has been the most aggressive MVPD in the industry in securing Alternative Distribution Means (ADM) clauses in its contracts with programmers that either prevent the programmer from distributing its content to OVDs or place certain restrictions on such online distribution. The complaint alleges that New Charter, which will have almost 60 percent more subscribers than TWC standing alone, would have even more to gain from imposing ADMs and other contractual provisions that make OVDs less competitive. As a result, the complaint alleges that the merger would likely result in a substantial lessening of competition for video programming distribution services.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, New Charter will be prohibited from entering into or enforcing any agreement with a programmer that forbids, limits or creates incentives to limit the programmer’s provision of content to one or more OVDs. The settlement further provides that New Charter will not be able to avail itself of other distributors’ most favored nation (MFN) provisions if they are inconsistent with this prohibition. The settlement also prohibits New Charter from retaliating against programmers for licensing to OVDs. The department said that it would continue to closely monitor developments in the industry and would vigorously enforce compliance with the proposed settlement to ensure that New Charter does not use the influence it will have as one of the nation’s largest MVPDs to restrict or discourage programmers from licensing their content to OVDs.
The department said it also examined whether the merger would allow New Charter to become an unavoidable gatekeeper for internet-based services, including OVDs, that rely on a broadband connection to reach consumers. The department previously expressed significant concerns about an earlier attempt to acquire TWC by Comcast Corporation, which is significantly larger than Charter, because that transaction would have enabled the combined firm to control access to nearly 60 percent of high-speed broadband subscribers, and would likely have resulted in higher internet interconnection fees that could have limited OVDs’ ability to compete effectively with traditional MVPDs. The order circulated by the FCC Chairman today would impose an obligation on New Charter to make interconnection available on a non-discriminatory, settlement-free basis to companies that meet basic criteria. In light of the remedy sought by the FCC Chairman, the department elected not to pursue duplicative relief in its own lawsuit.
Charter is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. It is the third-largest cable company in the United States and the sixth-largest MVPD, with over 4.3 million video subscribers across 28 states. Charter’s reported revenues for 2014 were approximately $9.1 billion.
TWC is a New York corporation with its headquarters in New York City. With approximately 11 million video subscribers across 30 states, TWC is the second-largest cable company in the United States and the fourth-largest MVPD. TWC’s 2014 reported revenues were approximately $22.8 billion.
Advance/Newhouse is a New York partnership with headquarters in East Syracuse, New York, and is the sole owner of BHN, a Delaware limited liability company headquartered in East Syracuse. BHN is the sixth-largest cable company in the United States and the ninth-largest MVPD. BHN’s cable systems serve approximately 2 million video subscribers across six states. BHN’s 2014 revenues were approximately $3.7 billion.
The department will file a competitive impact statement after the FCC adopts an order allowing the merger to proceed. As required by the Tunney Act, after the department has filed its competitive impact statement, the proposed settlement will be published in the Federal Register. At such time, any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement during a 60-day comment period to Scott Scheele, Chief, Telecommunications & Media Enforcement Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 7000, Washington, D.C. 20530. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia may enter the proposed settlement upon finding that it is in the public interest.
Charter Complaint
Charter PFJ
Charter Explanation
Charter Stipulation
Jury Convicts Connecticut Man of Methylone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK – A federal jury on Friday convicted Ryan Canfield, age 39, of New Haven, Connecticut, of conspiring to distribute methylone, following a four-day trial.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Division, Drug Enforcement Administration.
Methylone – also known as “bath salts” and “molly” – is an analogue of ecstasy (“MDMA”) that has been a scheduled drug since October 2011.
The jury also convicted Canfield of eight counts of using a communication facility to facilitate the commission of a felony under the Controlled Substances Act. Canfield faces up to 30 years in prison, and up to a lifetime of post-imprisonment supervised release, when he is sentenced by United States District Judge David N. Hurd on August 24, 2016 in Utica.
The evidence at trial demonstrated that Canfield imported methylone from manufacturers in China and redistributed that methylone to other distributors in the United States. Canfield made arrangements with co-conspirators to receive, on his behalf, kilograms of methylone from Chinese distributors and sell methylone to users including college students and other young people in New York, Connecticut, and elsewhere. Canfield also used a commercial pill press to convert methylone into pills, which Canfield and his distributors marketed as MDMA to what he called “young fools.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Coffman and Wayne A. Myers.
Jefferson County, Kentucky, Dentist Charged with Illegal Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Jefferson County, Kentucky, dentist was charged by federal Information today with the illegal distribution of controlled substances announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
According to the one-count federal Information, Rodney B. Fultz, 63, aided and abetted by a person known to the Grand Jury, caused Schedule III controlled substances to be dispensed and distributed, outside the course of professional medical practice, by allowing D.C.K. to use his DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) registration number to issue prescriptions for hydrocodone.
The alleged violations by Fultz occurred between January 20, 2012, and November 5, 2012, in Jefferson County.
If convicted at trial, Fultz would face no more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 and up to a three year period of supervised release.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Weiser and is being investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
***
The indictment of a person by a Federal Information is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Hartville Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Hartville, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography.
Edward Penn, 32, of Hartville, was sentenced by U.S District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Penn to supervised release for the rest of his life following incarceration. Penn has been in federal custody since his arrest on Dec. 10, 2014.
On Nov. 18, 2015, Penn pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child. Penn admitted that he used a minor, identified as Jane Doe #1, to produce child pornography from Jan. 1, 2013, to Oct. 3, 2014.
Penn admitted that he used his cell phone to take nude photographs of a child under the age of five. Penn took the pictures of the child while she was lying on his bed. Penn sent the images of the child to another individual via MMS messaging on his phone.
Penn also admitted that he had received images of child pornography on his cell phone from a co-worker.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cybercrime Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Guilty Plea in Norteno InvestigationRead the Press Release
BOISE – Veronica Cantu, 27, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Cantu was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2014. She was a fugitive with an outstanding warrant for her arrest until she was arrested in Michigan in November 2015.
According to the plea agreement, the co-defendant, Tara Rivera, unwittingly arranged to distribute methamphetamine to a person working with law enforcement as an informant. When the informant arrived to purchase the methamphetamine, Rivera introduced the informant to Cantu, who was also present. Cantu then sold the informant approximately one-quarter ounce of methamphetamine.
The charge of distributing methamphetamine is punishable by up to twenty years of imprisonment, a maximum fine of $1 million, and a minimum term of three years supervised release.
Cantu is scheduled to be sentenced on July 20, 2016, by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
Cantu was charged as a result of an investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which focused on the “Norteno” Northside gang that is active in Nampa and other parts of the Treasure Valley. Fourteen individuals were indicted on drug and gun charges as a result of the investigation. So far, twelve defendants have been sentenced. Guadalupe Serrano, 35, of Caldwell, was sentenced on April 21, 2015, to 75 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. Nicole Danelle Nieto, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced on May 26, 2015, to 41 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Jose Manuel Menchaca, 35, of Nampa, was sentenced May 28, 2015, to 60 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. On June 17, 2015, Brandi Larrea, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and Tara Noelle Rivera, 30, of Nampa, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Johnny Lee Martinez, 33, of Nampa, was sentenced on July 20, 2015, to 57 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Michael David Bradshaw, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced on August 6, 2015, to 66 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Kenny P. Breedlove, 35, of Porterville, California, was sentenced on October 22, 2015, to 110 months for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Guillermo Farias Jr., 29, of Nampa, was sentenced on October 26, 2015, to time served and three years of supervised release for his role in assisting with methamphetamine distribution. Richard Lobato, 51, of Nampa, was sentenced on December 3, 2015, to 60 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Jose Enrique Olvera Jr., 51, of Nampa, was sentenced on January 20, 2016, to 84 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and unlawful possession of firearms. Isaac Bright, 21, of Caldwell, was on February 3, 2016, to 27 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. The last remaining defendant, Ruben Rodriguez, 36, of Nampa, has a warrant outstanding for his arrest.
These cases are the result of a joint investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
Four Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that two men and two women have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. One of the men was also indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Those indicted on March 15, 2016, were: Shaun Adam Espino, 42, from St. Francis, South Dakota and Scottsbluff, Nebraska; Rogelio Guel, Jr., a/k/a Roy Guel, 40, from Scottsbluff, Nebraska; Chelsey Sherri Little, a/k/a Chelsey Long Crow, 20, from Mission, South Dakota and Valentine, Nebraska; and Sarah Jean Roblez, 27, from Mission, South Dakota. Between March 25, 2016, and April 19, 2016, all individuals appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for the charges against Espino is not less than 5 years or more than 40 years in custody and/or a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release, $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, restitution, and forfeiture of $7,682 in United States currency, a 9mm caliber pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for the charges against Guel, Little, and Roblez is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release, $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and restitution.
The charges are merely an accusation and Espino, Guel, Little, and Roblez are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The Indictment alleges that between January 1, 2015, and March 15, 2016, Espino, Guel, Little, and Roblez knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated and agreed with other persons to knowingly and intentionally distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, methamphetamine in South Dakota. The Indictment also alleges that on or about January 15, 2016, in Todd County, South Dakota, Espino knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and knowingly possessed two firearms even though he was prohibited from doing so because he had previously been convicted of a felony, and was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan is prosecuting the case.
Espino, Guel, Little, and Roblez were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A jury trial has been set for June 7, 2016.
Former President of the Broward Teachers Union Sentenced to Prison for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
On April 22, 2016, Patrick Santeramo, 68, of Stuart, Florida was sentenced by United States District Judge William J. Zloch to 18 months’ imprisonment, to run consecutive to the sentence imposed in a parallel state case, for defrauding the Broward County School Board and Broward Teachers Union.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations (DOL-OIG), made the announcement.
Santeramo previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. Santeramo was also ordered to serve a two year term of supervised release, upon his release from prison. He must also pay a $4,000 fine and was required to pay restitution in the amount of $93,800.
According to the factual proffer, in support of the defendant’s plea, Santeramo worked full-time for, and was the president of, the Broward Teachers Union (BTU) from 2001 to 2011. Santeramo resigned from BTU in June 2011.
For many years, dating back to at least the mid-1990s, the collective bargaining agreement between the BTU and the Broward County School Board required that the School Board provide funding for an “Accountability Program” designed to support and enrich the professionalism of Broward County public school teachers through training, release time for teachers working on accountability projects, guest speakers, etc. It also stated that the BTU would keep a written record of expenditures charged to this fund and make this information available to the district.
The BTU’s Accountability Program bank records demonstrated that money for the Accountability Program was being disbursed via monthly checks of $200-$300 made payable to Santeramo, as well three other BTU employees. During this fraudulent scheme, Santeramo received monthly payments totaling $34,500, and the other employees received monthly payments totaling $59,300. The three additional employees were also not entitled to receive the payments (the government did not allege that the three other employees were aware that these payments were unauthorized).
In order to justify the use of the money, Santeramo prepared, or had prepared for him, letters that were mailed to the School Board stating that the BTU had used the money from the previous year to defray the costs of having one of the employees released from regular school employment to support the Accountability Program. The letters never mentioned that Santeramo and the other three employees were receiving unauthorized monthly payments from the Accountability Program that they used for their own benefit and that were not related to any function that they performed for the Accountability Program. Nor did the letters itemize how the Accountability Program funds had been utilized. In addition, these unauthorized transactions were not disclosed to the BTU’s executive board members or to School Board officials.
Santeramo furthered this fraud by using the mail to request the disbursement of these funds to the BTU and to deceive the School Board, by alleging that these funds were being used solely for the release of the one employee who worked on the Accountability Program by conducting trainings and conferences as specified in the collective bargaining agreement.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of DOL-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry C. Wallace, Jr. and Miesha Shonta Darrough.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Polk Correctional Officer Sentenced for CorruptionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced JASON DEAN, 30, of Henderson to 51 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
DEAN was named in a four-count Indictment filed on August 19, 2015, and he pled guilty to Count 2 relating to his use of his position as a correctional officer at Polk Correctional Institution (Polk) to extort things of value.
In July 2014, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Raleigh initiated an investigation related to the smuggling of contraband into Polk in Butner, by correctional officers. DEAN used his position to obtain property and money from at least three inmates at Polk.
On February 9, 2015, DEAN seized a custom made gold grill (a gold plate shaped in the form of teeth designed to fit over an individual’s natural teeth) from an inmate as contraband. DEAN failed to turn the contraband over to his superiors or file the appropriate forms documenting the seizure. Instead, DEAN secreted the gold grill from the institution. On February 18, 2015, DEAN pawned the grill for $35.
Further investigation revealed that DEAN also provided several inmates with pieces of paper containing his name, address, and phone number in order to facilitate monetary wire transfers. Specifically, DEAN promised to supply the inmates with contraband cigarettes if the inmates wired him money through Western Union. One inmate wired DEAN $175 in February 2015; however, DEAN failed to provide the cigarettes as promised. In March 2015, DEAN resigned from his position at Polk.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Dennis M. Duffy and Leslie K. Cooley prosecuted the case for the government.
Former Energy Company Employee Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlingRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A former employee of Southwestern Energy Co. has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $450,000 from the company, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Southwestern Energy Co. employed Kendra Walker, 28, of Houston, in its accounts payable department. Beginning in February 2014, she admitted she abused her position to access the company’s accounts payable system and fraudulently change bank account information for some of its vendors to instead list bank accounts that she controlled. She then caused the company’s accounts payable system to issue payments for invoices that, in reality, the vendors did not submit. Instead, because Walker had changed the vendors’ bank account information, these payments transmitted money into ban2 accounts that she controlled.
From February 2014 to February 2015, Walker embezzled $452,025.56.
She was convicted of four counts of wire fraud, on each for which she faces up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss. She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing, set for June 26, 2016.
FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Chu is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Oklahoma Man on Narcotics Trafficking Charges in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Santa Fe, N.M., returned a verdict Friday afternoon finding Roberto Thomas guilty on narcotics trafficking charges, announced U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Division.
Thomas, 22, of Long Grove, Okla., and three codefendants, Jesus Amaya, 51, and Juan Caballero, 31, both Mexican nationals, and Christian Tovar, 22, of El Paso, Texas, were arrested on May 8, 2013, on methamphetamine trafficking charges. The complaint alleged that the four men conspired to distribute 1.75 kilograms (3.85 pounds) of methamphetamine in Bernalillo County, N.M.
Thomas and his codefendants subsequently were indicted on a methamphetamine conspiracy charge on May 29, 2013. After his three codefendants entered guilty pleas, Thomas was charged in a superseding indictment that was filed on April 12, 2016. According to the superseding indictment, Thomas participated in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy from April 30, 2013 through May 8, 2013, and possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute on May 8, 2013.
Thomas’s trial on the two-count superseding indictment began on April 20, 2016 and concluded late Friday afternoon when the jury returned a verdict finding Thomas guilty on Count 2, charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The United States dismissed Count 1, the conspiracy count, before the jury began its deliberation.
The evidence at trial established that Thomas and his codefendants were charged as the result of an investigation during which an individual working with the DEA negotiated to buy methamphetamine from Amaya. The DEA arrested Thomas and his codefendants on May 8, 2013, after Thomas and Caballero drove to the prearranged meeting spot in southwest Albuquerque to deliver methamphetamine to Amaya. The DEA found 1.75 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in the vehicle in which Thomas and Caballero were traveling. The investigation revealed that Caballero had obtained the methamphetamine from Tovar, who had transported the drugs from Juarez, Mexico, to Albuquerque.
Thomas was remanded into custody after the jury returned the guilty verdict. He will remain in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Thomas faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Thomas’s codefendants previously pleaded guilty to participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy as follows: Caballero pled guilty on Oct. 10, 2014, and was sentenced on Jan. 6, 2015; Tovar pled guilty on Nov. 12, 2014, and was sentenced on Aug. 19, 2015; and Amaya pled guilty on July 6, 2015 and sentenced on Oct. 29, 2015. Amaya and Caballero will be deported after completing their prison sentences.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel R. Meyers and Shaheen P. Torgoley.
Federal Judge Sends Raleigh Identity Thief Back to Prison for 84 MonthsRead the Press Release
Raleigh – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced MAMADOU JALLOW, 32, of Raleigh, to serve 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on charges of Aggravated Identity Theft and Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud. The court also revoked JALLOW’s prior term of supervised release and sentenced him to an additional 24 months in prison to run consecutive. The total amount of prison time imposed on the charges and revocation of supervised release amounted to 84 months.
The indictment charged that JALLOW and others engaged in a scheme to acquire, among other things, large quantities of cigarettes in North Carolina and elsewhere using counterfeit gift cards. The gift cards utilized by JALLOW and others in the scheme were counterfeit because the data encoded in the magnetic strip of the cards had been altered to contain credit and debit card numbers that were not encoded upon them at the time they were manufactured. Conspirators acquired stolen credit and debit card data from sources on the internet. JALLOW and others received the stolen credit and debit card data in the form of internet email accounts to which they had access. Conspirators used the stolen credit and debit card data to fraudulently re-encode cards for later use to purchase cigarettes and other items.
The indictment further charged that after acquiring several counterfeit cards, JALLOW, and other conspirators used the cards, and caused the cards to be used, to purchase numerous cartons of cigarettes. The conspirators would generally travel from one store to another in a vehicle during a single trip to acquire a large volume of cigarettes. After acquiring the cigarettes, conspirators would transport them to other states to be resold at a profit.
The scheme was brought to an end in July and August of 2014 when JALLOW was caught attempting to make a purchase using the counterfeit cards. At the time the defendant committed the scheme, he was already serving a term of federal supervised release for a prior conviction for access device fraud in South Carolina.
Investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the United States.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Businessman in More Than $4.6 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A federal grand jury in Dallas has indicted Wesley Michael Woodyard, believed to be most recently a resident of Dallas, on wire fraud and related charges stemming from his scheme to defraud Ace European Insurance Company (ACE) of more than $4.6 million from approximately 2002 through 2013, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Specifically, the indictment charges Woodyard with six counts of wire fraud and four counts of engaging in a monetary transaction with property derived from specified unlawful activity. The indictment was returned last week. A warrant has been issued for Woodyard’s arrest.
According to the indictment, Woodyard, 65, owned and operated Ringler Associates of North Texas, Incorporated (RANT). From approximately 1993 through 2015, RANT contracted with Ringler Insurance Agency to act as its agent to sell annuities provided by insurance underwriters whose products were offered for sale through Ringler Insurance Agency.
Ringler Associates, Incorporated (RAI) acted as a parent company for Ringler Insurance Agency and other subsidiaries conducting insurance business on behalf of RAI.
RANT settled insurance claims primarily by selling structured settlements (through annuities) offered for sale through Ringler Insurance Agency. The beneficiaries of these annuities were frequently victims of long term disability related injuries and/or death related to employment. While a policy beneficiary could choose to take a lump sum payment from the insurance company, usually the beneficiary agreed to be compensated through a structured settlement. The annuity would pay the beneficiary a set amount either monthly, quarterly or annually, for an extended period of time, often for the life of the beneficiary. Annuities usually offered the most cost-effective means for an insurance company to pay out a structured settlement. RANT sold annuities available on the open market through Ringler Insurance Agency
A large insurance company located in London, Ace European (ACE), was part of the Lloyd’s of London Insurance Syndicate (Lloyd’s). ACE used primarily two companies – Roger Rich and Company (Roger Rich) and Vanbreda International - to serve as third-party administrators to adjudicate and administer beneficiary claims against ACE; in turn, Roger Rich and Vanbreda used RANT to arrange for the purchase of several annuities on its behalf. All the beneficiaries of the ACE European insurance policies referenced in this indictment were United Nations employees who were injured or killed in connection with their employment.
Rather than follow normal procedures and instruct Roger Rich and Vanbreda to send funds directly to an insurance company (in this case, MetLife) to purchase the annuity contract for the named beneficiary, the indictment alleges that Woodyard told both Roger Rich and Vanbreda to send the funds directly to him, falsely representing to them that he would use all ACE funds to purchase the annuity policy on the open market. When Woodyard gained unlawful access and control to all ACE funds in this manner, Woodyard was also able to completely bypass the normal role of the insurance company (MetLife). When Woodyard unlawfully removed MetLife from the process, Woodyard also prevented MetLife from properly paying any commissions to the Ringler Insurance Agency. During the course of this scheme, Woodyard fraudulently retained all commissions earned by the Ringler Insurance Agency. During the course of the entire scheme, Woodyard repeatedly stole ACE funds wired from London, totaling approximately $4,674,258.00.
Woodyard, according to the indictment, continued to conceal his theft of ACE funds, by making periodic “lulling payments” to beneficiaries entitled to receive regular annuity payments. Woodyard gave beneficiaries the false impression that the source of the payments was an insurance company. From October 2004 to June 2014, Woodyard made a total of approximately $857,626 in such payments to several beneficiaries in an effort to avoid early detection of his scheme. Woodyard’s net financial gain as a result of his fraud is approximately $3,816,632.00
The indictment alleges that Woodyard used the majority of ACE funds for his own personal financial benefit, including paying for personal living expenses, gambling habits, travel expenses, and the purchase of four vehicles, including three Mercedes Benz and one Corvette, as alleged in Counts seven through ten of the indictment.
An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury, and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. However, if convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for each count of wire fraud is 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Each count of engaging in a monetary transaction with property derived from specified unlawful activity is 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation that would require the defendant, upon conviction, to forfeit the proceeds obtained as a result of the offense. Restitution could also be ordered.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis is in charge of the prosecution.
# # #
Federal Appellate Court Affirms Convictions and Sentences of Murder-For-Hire ConspiratorsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld the convictions and lengthy prison sentences of two men who participated in a murder-for-hire scheme in the Scranton area in 2011-2012.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the Court in separate decisions affirmed the convictions and sentences of Gary Williams, age 48, formerly of Scranton, and Edward McLaughlin, age 67, who previously resided in Florida.
The scheme involved McLaughlin soliciting Williams to kill McLaughlin’s ex-wife, and shipping a rifle and bullets from Florida to Scranton for Williams to use to carry out the murder. The plan unraveled when Williams was arrested by Scranton Police in a domestic violence incident in which he used the rifle to assault a woman with whom he resided. Police and FBI agents subsequently found the rifle and other evidence linking Williams and McLaughlin to the murder-for-hire scheme.
Williams was convicted, after a three-day trial in August 2013, of conspiracy to commit a murder-for-hire, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, unlawful receipt of a firearm in interstate commerce, unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and attempting to corruptly persuade a witness to influence testimony in an official proceeding.
Senior U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo sentenced Williams to 35 years in prison.
On appeal, Williams contended that the trial court improperly admitted certain evidence in the case and incorrectly applied the sentencing guidelines. The Court of Appeals rejected those arguments, ruling that the evidence was properly admitted and the applicable sentencing guidelines were accurately calculated.
On the day of his scheduled trial, McLaughlin pleaded guilty to the murder-for-hire conspiracy, carrying and possessing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, and unlawfully shipping a firearm as a convicted felon. He subsequently attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, but Judge Caputo ruled that the guilty plea was entered knowingly and voluntarily.
Judge Caputo sentenced McLaughlin to 20 years in prison.
On appeal, McLaughlin claimed that the court erred in refusing to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea because his counsel was ineffective and the government induced his plea with a false promise. The Court of Appeals rejected McLaughlin’s claims, ruling that his guilty plea was knowing and voluntary, and that McLaughlin failed to show the existence of any false promise by the government.
Williams and McLaughlin were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2012, as a result of an investigation by the FBI and Scranton Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the cases and handled the appeals.
# # #
Events in Los Angeles Mark National Reentry WeekRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to strengthening the criminal justice system, the Department of Justice has designated the week of April 24-30 as National Reentry Week. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch is holding events this week in several cities to announce new efforts to improve outcomes for justice-involved individuals (see: https://www.justice.gov/reentry). The 94 United States Attorney’s Offices are hosting over 200 events, and Bureau of Prison facilities are holding more than 370 events across the country.
“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.”
In Los Angeles, there are a series of Reentry Week events, two of which will be open to the media. The public events will include remarks by United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker and Lisa Foster, the Director of the Justice Department’s Office of Access to Justice.
“When people are released from prisons, we need to take steps to ensure they are prepared to reenter society as productive citizens,” said United States Attorney Decker. “For several years, my office has worked with the Court, Pre-Trial Services and the Federal Public Defenders on a sentencing alternative program and a re-entry program. Our work has made a difference in the lives of numerous individuals and the communities in which they now live.”
The Obama Administration has taken major steps to make our criminal justice system fairer, more efficient and more effective at reducing recidivism and helping formerly incarcerated individuals contribute to their communities. Removing barriers to successful reentry helps formerly incarcerated individuals compete for jobs, attain stable housing, and support their families. An important part of that commitment is preparing those who have paid their debt to society for substantive opportunities beyond the prison gates, and addressing collateral consequences to successful reentry that too many returning citizens encounter.
The two public events in Los Angeles took place today:
-
This morning, United States Attorney Decker and the Director of the Office of Access to Justice attended a news conference where the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Justice Department announced a $100,000 award for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and Public Counsel to address the challenges justice-involved individuals face when trying to find work and a place to call home. Under the Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program (JRAP), funded through DOJ’s Second Chance Act funds, HUD and DOJ are teaming up to help young Americans who’ve paid their debt to society rehabilitate and reintegrate back into their communities (see: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2016/HUDNo_16-056).
-
This afternoon, United States Attorney Decker, Federal Public Defender Hilary Potashner and federal judges spoke at the Conviction and Sentence Alternatives (CASA) Program Graduation Ceremony. CASA is a four-year-old program in the United States District Court in which certain individuals participate in a program of Post-Guilty Plea Diversion as an alternative to conviction or imprisonment. CASA provides those individuals a creative blend of treatment, alternative sanctions and incentives to effectively address offender behavior, rehabilitation and the safety of the community. Eight individuals graduated today.
-
Essex County, New Jersey, Man Admits Selling Fake Driver’s Licenses Online, Filing Bogus Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark, New Jersey, man today admitted selling fake driver’s licenses through an online shop and filing fraudulent tax returns using stolen identity information, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Alexis Scott Carthens, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to a an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with authentication features and one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From October 2012 through August 2014, Ricardo Rosario, 33, of Jersey City, New Jersey, with the assistance of Carthens and Abraham Corcino, 34, of Jersey City, sold fake driver’s licenses over the Internet. In connection with their illegal operation, the defendants ran a website that was available at “fakeidstore.co” and “fakedlstore.com.”
A number of the fake driver’s licenses sold by Rosario and other conspirators were used by criminal actors in connection with “cash out” schemes where stolen credit card information, usually obtained through hacking or ATM skimming operations, was encoded on to counterfeit credit cards and used to steal cash from victims’ accounts.
The website sold fake New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin driver’s licenses, and the website boasted that the licenses had “scannable barcodes” and “real” holographic overlays. The price for each fake driver’s license was approximately $150, but the website offered bulk pricing for orders of 10 or more.
The website allowed its users to pay by bitcoin, a cryptographic-based digital currency, or MoneyPak, a type of prepaid payment card that could be purchased at retail stores. The “FAQ” section of the website indicated that orders would be received approximately one to two days after payment was received and described the website’s policy with respect to returns: “No Refunds. No snitching.”
Rosario created and ran the website. Corcino and Carthens assisted Rosario by creating and mailing the fake driver’s licenses purchased through the website. Corcino also maintained an Instagram account to promote the website.
At today’s plea hearing, Carthens admitted that his role was to create the driver’s licenses and to mail them to the website’s customers. Carthens also admitted that he believed that some of the website’s clients were using the fake driver’s licenses to commit credit card fraud.
Carthens also admitted to his involvement in a separate scheme, spanning from December 2012 through November 2013, to use stolen personally identifiable information to steal tax refund money from the government. At today’s plea hearing, Carthens admitted using information stolen from a medical lab to file false and fraudulent tax returns. Carthens also admitted to working with at least one other conspirator, who assisted Carthens by providing him with email addresses and physical addresses to receive the fraudulently claimed tax refund money.
The count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with authentication features carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 1, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Assistant Inspector in Charge James R. Buthorn; and special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Pak of the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section of the Economic Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Ward, Acting Chief of the office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.
The charges against Rosario and Corcino are still pending. The charges and allegations against them are merely accusations and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel: Wanda M. Akin Esq., Newark
Ellington Man Sentenced to 61 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing Firearm, Selling it to Heroin DealerRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUSTIN ASHLINE, 25, of Ellington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 61 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing a firearm and selling it to his heroin dealer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in on May 23, 2014, the ATF, DEA and Hartford Police executed a federal search warrant at the Hartford residence of Roman Pantojas, who was known to be an armed heroin dealer. During the search, officers seized approximately 700 baggies of heroin, two loaded handguns and Pantojas’s cellular telephone.
The investigation revealed that one of the seized firearms, a Ruger .357 caliber revolver, was registered to an individual in Westbrook. In an interview with Connecticut State Police, the firearm owner stated that he had just discovered that the revolver had been stolen from his truck. He also stated ASHLINE had been his employee.
Analysis of the cellular telephone seized from Pantojas revealed approximately 72 incoming and outgoing calls between the phone and a number that was registered to ASHLINE.
In an interview with law enforcement, ASHLINE admitted that he stole the firearm and sold it to Pantojas in exchange for approximately 20 baggies of heroin and between $70 and $100 in cash.
ASHLINE has four prior felony convictions, including one for sale of narcotics and one for first degree larceny. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
ASHLINE was arrested on June 19, 2014. On January 13, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
ASHLINE was detained from the date of his arrest until June 2015 when he was released into an inpatient drug treatment program. He was remanded to custody on October 6, 2015, after he tested positive for opiates, was terminated from his drug treatment program and his bond was revoked.
ASHLINE was transferred into state custody where he is serving an unrelated 30-month state sentence, which is scheduled to expire in July 2018. He will serve an additional 13 months of federal imprisonment when he released from state custody.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Spector.
Drexel Hill Man Gets 12 Years for Running Identity Theft RingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Benjamin Easley, 38, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 144 months in prison in connection with a fraud and identity theft ring in which the conspirators stole and attempted to steal approximately $1.1 million from the banks they targeted. Easley pleaded guilty in November 2014 to seven counts of bank fraud, 15 counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy. Easley also pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in a separate case against him. The cases were consolidated for sentencing.
Easley obtained the personal and bank account information of victims, recruited people to pose as those victims to make fraudulent withdrawals and wire transfers from the victims’ accounts, and provided false identity documents to use to access the victims’ accounts. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Rufe ordered restitution of $595,289, five years of supervised release, and a $2600 special assessment.
The cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service and were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys KT Newton and Michael Lowe.
Dominican Republic National Charged with Alien in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Rolando Torres De La Cruz, 25, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller after being charged in an indictment with alien in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. De La Cruz was arrested on April 22, 2016, by Special Agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and officers with the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD). Judge Miller ordered the defendant placed on home detention. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
According to court records, on February 11, 2015, De La Cruz, who is unlawfully present in the United States from the Dominican Republic, transferred a stolen .22 caliber Ruger Rifle to a second man who in turn sold the firearm.
This case was investigated by the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the VIPD. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Stringer.
District Heights Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter in Fatal Baltimore-Washington Parkway Car CrashRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore J. Chuang sentenced Anthony Lamont Payne, age 27, of District Heights, Maryland, today to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal car crash that occurred on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on March 20, 2015. A federal jury convicted Payne on January 19, 2016.
“The evidence proved that Anthony Lamont Payne threatened the victim with a gun, then chased his car on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at speeds of up to 115 miles per hour,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Payne’s atrocious criminal conduct caused the tragic death of Terrance Terrelle Lagrue, a 19 year old man.”
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Chief of Police Robert D. MacLean of the U.S. Park Police.
According to evidence presented at the four day trial, Payne caused the death of the victim on March 20, 2015, following a high-speed chase on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Two eyewitnesses testified that Payne pointed a gun at the victim both before and during the chase on the Parkway. According to trial testimony, the victim’s car was hit by Payne’s vehicle, causing the victim’s vehicle to roll over and burst into flame. Scientific evidence presented at trial from the airbag module in Payne’s vehicle showed that Payne was driving 115 miles per hour at the time of the collision. The victim died at the scene.
Payne has been detained since his arrest on April 28, 2015.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the U.S. Park Police for its work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Hollis Raphael Weisman and Special Assistant United States Attorney Conor Mulroe, who prosecuted the case.
Department of Justice Announces New Reforms to Strengthen the Federal Bureau of PrisonsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Lynch Releases Roadmap to Reentry: The Justice Department’s Vision to Reduce Recidivism through Federal Reentry Reforms
As part of National Reentry Week, Attorney General Lynch today in Philadelphia announced the “Roadmap to Reentry,” the Department’s comprehensive vision to reduce recidivism through reentry reforms at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). These efforts will help those who have paid their debt to society prepare for substantive opportunities beyond the prison gates, promote family unity, contribute to the health of our economy, advance public safety and sustain the strength of our communities.
Each year, more than 600,000 citizens return to our neighborhoods after serving time in federal and state prisons. Another 11.4 million individuals cycle through local jails. And nearly one in three Americans of working age have had some sort of encounter with the criminal justice system — mostly for relatively minor, non-violent offenses, and sometimes from decades in the past. The long-term impact of a criminal record prevents many people from obtaining employment, housing, higher education, and credit — and these barriers affect returning individuals even if they have turned their lives around and are unlikely to reoffend.
The principles outlined in the “Roadmap to Reentry” are aligned with the work of the Federal Interagency Reentry Council which has been working since its creation five years ago to reduce recidivism and improve employment, education, housing, health and child welfare outcomes.
PRINCIPLES TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM THROUGH REENTRY REFORMS AT THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS
Principle I
Upon incarceration, every inmate should be provided an individualized reentry plan tailored to his or her risk of recidivism and programmatic needs.
The Department is enhancing BOP’s risk and needs assessment tools to inform development of reentry plans tailored to the specific criminogenic needs of each incarcerated individual.
Principle II
While incarcerated, each inmate should be provided education, employment training, life skills, substance abuse, mental health, and other programs that target their criminogenic needs and maximize their likelihood of success upon release.
The Department, through BOP, has launched an effort to assess its education programs, life skills programs, and job skills programs to ensure these programs are evidence-based and targeted to the criminogenic needs of inmates.
Principle III
While incarcerated, each inmate should be provided the resources and opportunity to build and maintain family relationships, strengthening the support system available to them upon release.
The Department is enhancing the number and types of opportunities available for people in federal prisons to strengthen family relationships during their term of incarceration.
Principle IV
During transition back to the community, halfway houses and supervised release programs should ensure individualized continuity of care for returning citizens.
In order to ensure that Residential Reentry Centers (RRC) are fulfilling their vital role in the reentry process, the Department, with assistance from outside consultants, is undertaking a robust evaluation and assessment of the RRC experience to develop a specific plan for implementing improvements to the existing RRC model that will provide residents enhanced reentry support and reduce recidivism.
Principle V
Before leaving custody, every person should be provided comprehensive reentry-related information and access to resources necessary to succeed in the community.
The Department is developing reentry-specific tools and support services to help returning citizens succeed after leaving federal custody.
As part of the national effort to increase awareness about these challenges, the Attorney General also sent a letter to governors with a request to permit citizens returning to their communities to exchange their Bureau of Prisons inmate identification card and authenticated release documentation for state identification, or for these documents to satisfy the primary identification document requirement for state-issued identification. Without government-issued identification, men and women leaving correctional facilities face extreme challenges securing employment and housing, registering for school, opening bank accounts as well as accessing other benefits, such as health care, that are critical to successful reintegration.
Leadership from across the Administration will be traveling around the country to make policy announcements in support of National Reentry Week. They will also be encouraging federal partners and grantees to work closely with stakeholders like federal defenders, legal aid providers and other partners across the country to increase the impact of these efforts. National Reentry Week events are being planned in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. U.S. Attorney’s Offices alone are hosting over 200 events and BOP facilities are holding over 370 events.
Additional Resources:
National Reentry Week Webpage
REPORT: Roadmap to Reentry
INFOGRAPHIC: Roadmap to Reentry
FACT SHEET: BOP Reentry
FACT SHEET: Federal Interagency Reentry Council
FACT SHEET: Fair Chance Business Pledge
REPORT: CEA Report
Deming Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Flavio Loya Moncada, 53, of Deming, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 63 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Moncada was arrested on March 11, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on March 6, 2015, in Doña Ana County, N.M. The arrest was made after Moncada sold 235.1 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent.
Moncada was subsequently charged in a four-count indictment with distributing methamphetamine on Jan. 10, 2015, Jan. 30, 2015, Feb. 14, 2015, and March 6, 2015. The crimes charged in the indictment took place in Doña Ana County. The indictment included forfeiture allegations requiring Moncada to forfeit $10,600.00 to the United States.
On Feb. 11, 2016, Moncada pled guilty to the indictment and admitted selling a total of 450.4 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent during four separate drug deals. More specifically, Moncada admitted selling the following quantities of methamphetamine to the undercover agent: 52 grams on Jan. 10, 2015; 92 grams on Jan. 30, 2015; 165 grams on Feb. 14, 2015; and 140 grams on March 6, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers from the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, HSI and the New Mexico State Police. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.