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Tuesday 22 March 2016
Norman Man Sentenced to Serve 100 Months in Prison for Accessing and Viewing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – DANIEL EUGENE HOWIE, 32, of Norman, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to serve 100 months in federal prison for having accessed, with intent to view, child pornography, announced Mark A. Yancey, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to a complaint filed on July 23, 2015, law enforcement officers determined that an internet user with an IP address linked to Mr. Howie’s home address in Norman was actively viewing images of child pornography and posting comments on website forums dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of child pornography. Upon obtaining and executing a search warrant at Mr. Howie’s home, agents recovered several laptops and media devices. Mr. Howie admitted to federal agents that he had searched for and viewed images of child pornography, and also admitted to molesting two girls under the age of twelve — one of whom was only four years old at the time.
On August 18, 2015, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Mr. Howie with knowingly accessing, with intent to view, child pornography, the production of which involved the use of a prepubescent minor under the age of twelve. On September 24, 2015, Mr. Howie pleaded guilty to both counts.
At a hearing last Friday, Mr. Howie was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry.
New York Woman Sentenced to Time Served for Participating in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Mount Vernon, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to 14 months (time served) in prison and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $82,619.00 on her conviction of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Gcobisa Kehle, 38.
According to information presented to the court, Kehle allowed bank accounts in her name and under her control to be used as repositories for fraudulently obtained federal tax refunds. Kehle would then withdraw the fraudulently obtained refunds, keep a portion for herself and give the remainder of the money to another co-defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kehle.
New Jersey Business Owner Admits Operating Corporate Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The owner of a group of freight payment, logistics, and shipping businesses headquartered in Branchburg, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Shirley Sooy, 65, currently of Fort Smith, Arkansas, pleaded before U.S. District Judge William Walls in Newark federal court to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of transacting in criminal proceeds.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2010 through April 2013, Sooy, through a collection of businesses operating under the umbrella of the “TransVantage Group,” entered contracts with corporate clients – referred to in a criminal complaint as the “victim companies.” TransVantage audited freight bills generated by common carriers and freight forwarders hired by the victim companies. TransVantage was obligated to pay the audited and approved freight bills to the carriers from funds provided by those companies, and the funds were supposed to be held in trust by TransVantage until paid over to the carriers. The victim companies also paid TransVantage for its purported auditing services, payments separate and apart from the carrier payment funds.
Sooy operated TransVantage as a Ponzi scheme, which resulted in substantial losses to the victim companies. Sooy and others comingled the funds from the victim companies – funds that were to have been paid to carriers – and then misused those funds in various ways. They paid unauthorized operating expenses and personal expenses.
The count of wire fraud to which Sooy pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The count of transacting in criminal proceeds with which Sooy is charged carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for June 28, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Postal Inspector in Charge James Ball; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Andrew Leven of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Today’s arrest is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorney’s offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
Defense counsel: Michael J. Rogers Esq., Somerville, N.J.
New Haven Hotel Agrees to Comply with Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with Days Inn New Haven, a Connecticut hotel, to resolve allegations that the hotel was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”).
Under federal law, private entities that own or operate “places of public accommodation,” which includes hotels, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and to undertake periodic reviews to determine compliance by covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages and civil penalties.
As part of a compliance review survey, 12 randomly-selected New Haven area hotels were asked to complete and return a survey form. Onsite inspections to confirm survey responses were then conducted and each hotel was reviewed for its compliance with federal law. Six of the surveyed hotels were found to have ADA violations. The government has been working with the owners and operators of each hotel found in violation to secure voluntary compliance. All six of the hotels have now entered into settlement agreements with the government, with Days Inn New Haven being the final hotel to reach an agreement. The hotels have agreed to voluntarily comply with the ADA.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that individuals are able to access and enjoy the state’s hotels and other public accommodations,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “Our Office is committed to enforcing the ADA, which requires businesses to appropriately serve the diverse population of patrons who live, work, and visit Connecticut. We thank the ownership and management of all the hotels that were surveyed, and appreciate their willingness to work with the government to address and correct the ADA violations.”
The hotel survey was conducted in accordance with the Justice Department’s statutory responsibility to review compliance with federal law, and not in response to any specific complaint against any of the hotels within the scope of the review.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a hotel or any other place of public accommodation within the District of Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Nelson, Vanessa Avery, and Ndidi N. Moses, in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 34 Months in Prison for Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 24-year-old Tobyhanna man was sentenced to 34 months in prison today by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton, for trafficking in heroin in July-August 2014.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Ronald Walker, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Agents seized nine bricks of heroin from the defendant’s residence on August 14, 2014, and Walker admitted during his guilty plea to distributing between 40 and 60 grams of heroin in July-August 2014, which is equivalent to approximately 1300 to 2000 bags of heroin.
Walker was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in March 2015, as a result of an investigation by special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police, and Pocono Mountain Regional Police.
Judge Mannion also ordered Walker to be placed on three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the heroin initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
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Miami Man Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud Commercial Lenders and U.S. Export-Import BankRead the Press Release
A Miami man pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a scheme to defraud two commercial lenders and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) out of more than $11 million.
U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Inspector General Michael McCarthy of EXIM made the announcement.
Guillermo A. Sanchez-Badia, 61, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard of the Southern District of Florida in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for June 3 before Judge Lenard.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, from 2007 through 2012, Sanchez and his co-conspirators utilized companies they controlled to create fictitious invoices for sales of merchandise that never occurred. These invoices were sold to two Miami-area commercial lenders in a process called “factoring,” which allowed the conspirators to receive cash for approximately 90 percent of the value of the merchandise listed on the fake invoices, according to the plea. Sanchez admitted that, in order to continue the scheme, he and his co-conspirators created additional fictitious invoices, transferred the funds they received through numerous bank accounts under their control and, in a Ponzi-style scheme, used a portion of the new proceeds to pay off prior factored invoices.
Sanchez admitted that when the Miami lenders refused to extend further credit, he and his co-conspirators created false invoices and shipping documents to obtain a loan guaranteed by the EXIM. Rather than acquiring, selling and shipping American manufactured goods as required for an EXIM guaranteed loan, Sanchez and his co-conspirators used the loan proceeds to pay off earlier factored invoices, thereby extending the scheme, and kept the balance of the loan proceeds for themselves, Sanchez admitted. The factoring loans and the EXIM-guaranteed loan ultimately defaulted, causing more than $11 million dollars in losses to the lenders and the United States, according to the plea.
Five other individuals have been convicted for their roles in this scheme. Isabel C. Sanchez, 36, of Miami, the daughter of Sanchez-Badia, and Gustavo Giral, 38, of Miami, who were charged in the same indictment as Sanchez-Badia, pleaded guilty on Feb. 26, 2016, for their participation in this scheme to defraud, and will be sentenced on May 13, 2016. Isabel Sanchez created the false sales and shipping documents and arranged for the transfer of criminal proceeds through over 50 bank accounts. Giral assisted in circulating the fraudulent documents and in converting loan proceeds to currency, facilitating the money-laundering concealment by making the source of funds more difficult to trace. Freddy Moreno-Beltran, 43, of Bogota, Colombia; Ricardo Beato, 62, of Miami; and Jorge Amad, 48, of Miramar, Florida, were separately charged and have each pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. According to admissions in their plea agreements, Moreno-Beltran owned Clientric, a company in Colombia, which purportedly purchased goods from companies that the defendants controlled. Beato and Amad owned Approach Technologies International, a company offering call center software. The conspirators admitted that they told the EXIM that Approach Technologies International had sold more than $1 million in American manufactured software and equipment to Clientric, which was false, in order to obtain an EXIM-guaranteed loan. Moreno-Beltran and Beato were each sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $1,951,643.05 in restitution.
Ultimately, the EXIM-guaranteed loan defaulted, causing a loss to the United States of nearly $2 million.
The EXIM Office of Inspector General investigated the case, and Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick Donley and Trial Attorney William Bowne of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
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.
Members of Mail Theft Conspiracy Operating in Upstate South Carolina Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Bill Watkins (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Shannon D. Ashworth, age 33, Wendy D, Sisk, age 45, and Danny Buford, age 47, all of Anderson, were sentenced today in federal court in Anderson, for conspiracy to commit fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson sentenced Ashworth to 60 months imprisonment, Sisk to 24 months imprisonment, and Buford to 18 months imprisonment. Collectively, they were ordered to pay over $40,000 in restitution, and placed on three years of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson City Police Department, and other local agencies had undertaken a long-term investigation into the theft of mail in and around Anderson County. It was discovered that an organization existed that regularly stole mail from residential boxes, sorted the stolen mail for checks and personal identifying information, created, altered or counterfeited checks, and created false identification documents. Multiple counterfeited and altered checks were passed throughout the upstate. Most of the fraud was conducted in an effort to obtain funds to purchase methamphetamine.
Sisk was a leader of an organization of more than 20 individuals. She served as a clearing house for stolen mail and aided other co-conspirators in creating and cashing counterfeit checks. Ashworth stole mail and cashed multiple counterfeit checks throughout the upstate. He also made counterfeit identification documents. Danny Buford stole mail and also cashed checks for the conspiracy.
The case was investigated by agents of United States Postal Inspection Service, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson City Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Member of Fraudulent Check Cashing Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ryan Sylvestre, a/k/a Fly, a/k/a Nature has been sentenced to three years, nine months in prison after a jury convicted him of bank fraud conspiracy, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft stemming from his role in a scheme that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from banks across the Southeast.
“Sylvestre and his co-conspirators stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from numerous bank accounts across the Southeast,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “His elaborate scheme reinforces that identity thieves will go to almost any length to enrich themselves at the expense of their victims.”
“Bank fraud is not a victimless crime and the FBI will continue to dedicate significant investigative resources toward investigating and presenting for prosecution those who would engage in such criminal activities. The FBI is proud of the role that it played in the sentencing of Ryan Sylvestre, which removes a key crime figure from our streets,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“Bank fraud is one of the largest challenges facing financial institutions today,” said Malcolm D. Wiley, Sr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office. “The Unites States Secret Service will continue to collaborate with its law enforcement partners to target and arrest individuals who violate the trust the public has in our economic system. This sentence should serve as a reminder that criminals will bear the consequences of their actions and be sent to prison for their crimes.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2013, Sylvestre, along with co-conspirators Richaad T. Mason, a.k.a. “Cap,” Carley Carpenter, and April M. Hayes, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from SunTrust, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo bank accounts. After obtaining counterfeit checks that contained the confidential account information of customers at the three banking institutions, this group recruited individuals to cash the counterfeit and forged checks.
Sylvestre personally recruited women to cash forged checks. The checks were written out in the names of the recruited check cashers. The crew was responsible for cashing checks at various banks in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida, among other places. On multiple occasions, Sylvestre picked up the check cashers from their homes, gave them forged and counterfeit checks, drove them to the bank, and collected the proceeds. He also permitted his co-conspirators to use his rental car to cash checks in Savannah, Georgia and Virginia.
Other co-conspirators, some of whom await sentencing, include:
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Richaad T. Mason, a.k.a. “Cap,” 24, or Atlanta, Georgia, who pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and bank fraud conspiracy on June 15, 2015.
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Carley T. Carpenter, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, who pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy on September 18, 2015.
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April M. Hayes, 24, or Braselton, Georgia, who pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and bank fraud conspiracy on June 22, 2015.
Ryan Sylvestre, a/k/a Fly, a/k/a Nature, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was indicted for bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft on October 27, 2015, and found guilty by a jury on December 16, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Secret Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kamal Ghali and Jeffrey W. Davis prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Conspiracy to Commit Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that Dave Anglin of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Lynn Adelman to 168 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit armed robberies. Dave Anglin, his brother, Michael Anglin, and a third individual committed the December 9, 2013, robbery of the Hampton Service Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the time, Dave Anglin had just been released from prison and was finishing up his federal sentence for a prior armed bank robbery conviction at Parson’s House in Milwaukee.
Dave Anglin was scheduled to go to trial in December 2015 but agreed to plead guilty on the first day of trial as prospective jurors and trial witnesses were kept waiting. His brother, Michael Anglin, had previously been convicted of related charges following a jury trial in April 2015. During the robbery, Dave Anglin and Michael Anglin brandished a 9mm handgun and an assault rifle. Michael Anglin pistol whipped and shot an employee of the Hampton Service Center, causing life-threatening and permanent injuries. The two brothers again armed themselves and planned to commit another armed robbery on the morning of December 17, 2013, but law enforcement intervened after receiving information about their plans.
The successful prosecution of this case was the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Milwaukee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly B. Watzka and Jonathan H. Koenig prosecuted this case.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Directing Sophisticated Tax Scheme from State PrisonRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced the guilty plea of a Virginia man who, while incarcerated in Tennessee state prison, organized and participated in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.
David Witt, 36, of Jonesville, Virginia, pled guilty yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western of Virginia in Abingdon to one count of making false, fictitious or fraudulent claims and one count of conspiring to defraud the United States Government in respect to claims. A co-defendant in the case, William Ziehler, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison on related charges earlier this month.
“The United States Attorney’s Office takes seriously the responsibility of ensuring the integrity of our tax paying system,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today. “Prosecutions, like this one, that holds accountable those who attempt to defraud the system, should serve as an example to those looking to do harm to the system.”
According to evidence presented in District Court by Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne, Witt, and others, participated in a sophisticated conspiracy to defraud the federal government. The scheme began when Witt, at the time an inmate in a Tennessee state prison, gathered personally identifiable information (including birth dates and social security numbers) belonging to other inmates, which he then used that information to complete Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040s. These Form 1040s contained false information, including false addresses outside of prison and false claims that the inmates were due a tax refund based on wages never earned by those inmates. Subsequently, these Form 1040s were sent to persons outside of the prison who then forwarded the Form 1040s to the IRS for processing. Based on these Form 1040s, the IRS issued tax refund checks in the names of these inmates and sent the checks to addresses associated with Witt’s accomplices in the scheme. Many of these tax refund checks were cashed at banks throughout Southwest Virginia by persons using fraudulent power-of-attorney forms. Return payment was made to Witt and others by use of electronic transfers, such as MoneyGram, and by other means.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne prosecuted the case for the United States.
Leader of Bronx Narcotics Organization Sentenced to Life for MurderRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ADONY NINA, the leader of a drug trafficking organization (the “Organization”) that operated in the Bronx, was sentenced yesterday to life in prison for running the Organization and murdering Aisha Morales in June 2011. NINA was convicted after an October 2013 trial of one count of conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and one count of discharging a firearm in relation to a narcotics conspiracy. NINA was further convicted after a May 2015 trial of one count of intentionally causing the killing of Aisha Morales while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy and one count of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm that caused the death of Aisha Morales. Both trials were before United States District Judge Richard J. Sullivan, who imposed yesterday’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Adony Nina was twice convicted by juries in this District of crimes of violence connected to his crack and heroin trafficking empire. Nina’s reign of violence included the murder of 21-year-old Aisha Morales that he, as the head of his drug trafficking organization, had ordered. For his crimes that terrorized his Bronx neighborhood, Adony Nina has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in federal prison.”
NINA was initially arrested in April 2012 pursuant to a Complaint charging him with possession of ammunition as a felon. In December 2012, NINA was additionally charged with narcotics trafficking and firearms charges in a Superseding Indictment filed in December 2012. NINA and his co-defendant Candido Antomattei, another high-ranking member of the Organization, were convicted of narcotics trafficking and firearms charges following a trial in October 2013. In April 2014, NINA was charged with the murder of Aisha Morales in a Superseding Indictment, and was convicted of participating in the Aisha Morales murder after a trial in May 2015. Cathy Morales, who along with NINA participated in the murder of Aisha Morales (no relation), pled guilty in February 2015 to one count of intentionally killing an individual while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy. Cathy Morales was sentenced to 45 years in prison in October 2015 for her role in the murder of Aisha Morales. Thirteen other members of the Organization have pled guilty to various federal narcotics and firearms charges.
According to the publicly filed documents, evidence presented at the trials in this case, and statements made in court throughout the pendency of the case:
From 2008 through 2013, the Organization’s members sold crack cocaine and heroin, among other drugs, primarily in the vicinity of Longwood Avenue, and Beck, Kelly, and Simpson Streets in the Bronx. NINA was the leader of the organization, supplying his workers with crack cocaine and heroin. NINA also supplied his workers with firearms, and relied on the regular use of violence and threats of harm against his workers, customers, and rival drug dealers, all in an effort to control the Organization and maintain control over what he considered to be its territory.
During and in relation to NINA’s administration of the Organization, NINA provided a gun to his worker Cathy Morales and directed her to shoot at a group of women that included the victim, Aisha Morales. Cathy Morales carried out NINA’s instructions and fatally shot Aisha Morales, who was 21 years old at the time of her death, in the head. The shooting took place in the vicinity of 1018 East 163rd Street, in broad daylight. Prior to the murder, NINA, Cathy Morales, and other members of the Organization threatened rival drug dealers who were selling drugs in the Organization’s territory. The murder was the culmination of the dispute with the rival drug dealers. Aisha Morales was not involved in the drug-dealing activities that led to the dispute.
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In addition to the prison term, NINA, 38, of the Bronx, New York, was ordered to pay restitution.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New York City Police Department.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher DiMase, Rebecca Mermelstein, Margaret Graham, Daniel Noble, and Sarah Krissoff are in charge of the prosecution.
Johnstown Woman Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Johnstown, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to 27 months in prison and three years’ supervised release on her conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Paulette M. Alt, 54.
According to information presented to the court, from Jan. 31, 2013, to April 23, 2013, Alt conspired to distribute less than 28 grams of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as “crack.”
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Alt.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DENVER – Daniel Spear, age 50, of Jefferson County, Colorado, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson to serve 240 months (20 years) in federal prison, followed by a life time of supervised release for the production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney John Walsh and FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle announced. Spear, who appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, was remanded at its conclusion.
Spear was first charged by Criminal Complaint on November 5, 2014. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 2, 2014. He pled guilty before Judge Jackson on May 13, 2015, and was sentenced on March 17, 2016.
According to court documents, including the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, the defendant produced child pornography with a minor under his care and control, from approximately November 2012 through November 2014 in Colorado and Idaho. In addition, defendant Spear engaged in sexually explicit conduct, coercing the minor for the express purpose of producing child pornography. In total there were 3.256 unique photographs of child pornography of said minor on an SD card. Further, there were another 503 images of the same minor on his laptop. The minor first admitted to a school counselor and later an FBI child forensic interviewer that she had been sexually molested for two years by Spear, with the first time occurring when she was in 7th grade.
“Defendant’s systematic sexual abuse of a child in his care earned him every second of his 20 year sentence,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “That he turned this horrific abuse into child pornography further proves the justice of this severe sentence.”
“Those who sexually abuse our children to produce child pornography deserve every single day of their prison sentence," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle. "The FBI will continue to work with federal, state and local authorities to remove predators like Daniel Spear from our community and protect children."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Spear was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Covell and Judy Smith.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, PSC 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 PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."
Henderson Co. Man Sentenced for Firearms Related OffensesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced a Hendersonville, N.C. man to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release on firearms related offenses, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In June 2014, a federal jury convicted Warren Rosslyn Newell, 49, of two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
C.J. Hyman, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division and Sheriff Charles S. McDonald of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and evidence presented at Newell’s trial, on July 30, 2013, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Newell’s vehicle and determined he was driving with a suspended license. During the same traffic stop, law enforcement also recovered from Newell a non-functioning .22 caliber apparatus (commonly referred to as a “pen gun”), which was loaded with one round of .22 caliber ammunition. Law enforcement also found in the trunk of Newell’s car his backpack, which contained a black mask, gloves, ligatures, and five knives. Following Newell’s arrest, law enforcement retrieved another round of .22 caliber ammunition from his pocket. According to court records, Newell’s prior convictions in Texas and South Carolina prohibit him from possessing a firearm and/or ammunition.
According to trial evidence and witness testimony, Newell told law enforcement that he needed the pen gun for protection, because he frequently worked for drug dealers as a debt enforcer. According to evidence presented at trial, Newell told law enforcement that because of his reputation after serving 17 years in the Texas prison system, those who owed money to drug dealers usually agreed to make a payment without delay. Newell also told law enforcement that he used the items inside the backpack in connection with collecting on the drug debts.
“We are grateful for the excellent investigative work by the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and ATF,” said U.S Attorney Rose. “While Newell’s ultimate plans are unknown, what is clear is that he was in possession of the means and mechanisms to engage in unlawful conduct. His sentence today reflects the seriousness of his crimes.”
“ATF is committed to actively investigating and apprehending criminals who illegally acquire firearms or use firearms to commit violent crimes. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in the Carolinas to keep our communities safe,” said Special Agent in Charge Hyman.
“While I certainly support the right of law abiding citizens to own and carry firearms, convicted felons have lost that right as a result of their life choices. I applaud the work of our Henderson County Sheriff’s Office investigators, ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office as we partner to minimize criminal activity in our community,” stated Chief McDonald.
Newell will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
The investigation was handled by ATF and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Edwards of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Heading Gang-Related Narcotics Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MELKUAN SCOTT, also known as “Young God,” “Mel,” “Young” and “YG,” 25, of Hartford and Andover, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by seven years of supervised release, for heading a gang-related narcotics trafficking operation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a year-long joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the Hartford Police Department, into narcotics trafficking by members and associates of WestHell street gang, and gang-related violent activity. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, identified SCOTT as the leader of the WestHell street gang who, along with numerous associates, distributed crack cocaine in the Westland Street area of Hartford. The investigation also revealed that SCOTT and his associates used an apartment on Love Lane in Hartford to convert, or “cook,” cocaine into crack cocaine.
SCOTT was arrested on April 15, 2014, after he coordinated a quarter-kilogram crack cocaine transaction. On that date, a search of SCOTT’s Andover residence revealed a loaded .40 caliber pistol with two magazines, and nine cell phones. A search of his Hartford residence revealed bundles of cash and items used to process and package narcotics. A search of the Love Lane apartment revealed two firearms, one of which was loaded, and appliances and utensils used to manufacture crack cocaine.
SCOTT has been detained since his arrest. On May 5, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
Twenty-five individuals were charged as a result of the investigation. One defendant was convicted after trial and 23 defendants pleaded guilty to various offenses. One defendant was shot and killed while his case was pending.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Squad, Major Crimes Unit and Shooting Task Force are providing valuable assistance to the investigation, and the Capitol Region Emergency Response Team (CREST) assisted with the arrest of certain defendants.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John H. Durham and Peter S. Jongbloed.
Greenwood Man Sentenced to 20 Months for Conspiring to Defraud the Department of Veterans AffairsRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Bill Watkins (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Charles B. Harris, age 48, of Ninety-Six, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Anderson, for conspiracy to defraud the United States. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson sentenced Harris to 20 months imprisonment and ordered him to pay over $45,000 in restitution.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that from 2011-2014, Harris owned and operated the Greenwood Barber College. The school was approved by the VA to teach veterans the skill of barbering. Harris was the certifying official who agreed to accurately monitor and report student attendance and academic progress.
In December 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs received a complaint that Harris was conspiring with various veterans in stealing Government funds. Agents opened an investigation and interviewed several of Harris’ students. The students told agents that so long as they paid Harris $400 per month, he did not require them to attend class. Harris would falsify documents indicating their attendance and progress so the students could continue to receive VA educational benefits.
On February 6, 2014, agents interviewed Harris at the Greenwood Barber College. Harris admitted to helping veterans sign up for the Veteran Retraining Assistance Program (“VRAP”) and other VA programs offering financial aid for career training. He would then enroll them in the Greenwood Barber College. Harris admitted that he would not require the veterans (whether VRAP or another program) to actually attend classes at the Greenwood Barber College and that he would falsify records documenting the attendance and performance of the veterans. So long as the veterans paid Harris $400 per month, he kept them enrolled in the school. Harris said that he knew what he did was wrong and was he was sorry.
The case was investigated by agents of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Glen Burnie Man Admits to Laundering over $2 Million Swindled from Individual VictimsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Kaushik Kanti Modi, age 43, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, a native of India living illegally in the United States, pleaded guilty today to a money laundering conspiracy arising from a scheme to launder millions of dollars of fraud proceeds obtained from individual victims through a variety of scams.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.
“Criminal conspiracies such as this are loathsome crimes that victimize our nation’s honest taxpayers,” said Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office. “Today’s plea is a reminder that IRS-CI will remain vigilant in our investigation of these schemes and will continue to work with prosecutors to combat this type of criminal conduct.”
According to his plea agreement, Modi received text messages from conspirators instructing him to buy large numbers of stored value cards, principally GreenDot cards, and to forward the PIN numbers of the cards to other unidentified co-conspirators.
Modi’s co-conspirators loaded money onto the stored value cards using a variety of scams. Some of the money came from calls made by persons impersonating IRS employees who convinced innocent taxpayers that they owed taxes to the IRS, and needed to send money to the co-conspirators to avoid arrest and incarceration. On at least two occasions, victims of the IRS impersonation fraud deposited money directly into accounts held in Modi’s name. Other money was derived by offering merchandise for sale on the internet and then failing to provide the merchandise once money was received from the victim-purchaser.
After money was loaded on the stored value cards, Modi was instructed to use the cards to buy money orders, principally MoneyGram money orders at Walmart stores, and then to deposit those money orders into bank accounts either in Modi’s name or the names of others. From January 1, 2014 to March 24, 2015, Modi deposited 241 money orders totaling $2,077,308.20 into his bank accounts. Moreover, Modi frequently bought the money orders using stored value cards that were activated using the identification of identity theft victims.
At the time of his arrest, Modi admitted that he knew that something was not right about the source of the money involved in the transactions, and accordingly, knew that the purpose of those transactions was to conceal the proceeds of unlawful activity.
Modi has agreed to forfeit $902,678.08, the amount involved in the money laundering offense that the government has seized or restrained.
Modi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2016, at 10:00 a.m.
Today’s announcement is part of the efforts undertaken in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the IRS – Criminal Investigation and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan T. Shea, who is prosecuting the case.
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on March 21, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Lorenzo Francis Obago, age 58, was sentenced to 24 months in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Obago was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2015. He pled guilty on December 13, 2015.
On November 16, 1994, Obago was convicted and sentenced in Day County of Sexual Contact with a Child under 16. Between June 26, 2015, and October 14, 2015, Obago, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of a conviction under Federal Law, failed to properly register as a sex offender in Buffalo County.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Obago was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Former U.S. State Department Employee Sentenced to over Four Years in Extensive Computer Hacking, Cyberstalking and “Sextortion” SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Former U.S. State Department employee Michael C. Ford has been sentenced to four years, and nine months in prison for perpetrating a widespread, international e-mail phishing, computer hacking and cyberstalking scheme against hundreds of victims in the United States and abroad.
“This case unfortunately shows that cyber-stalkers have the ability to torment victims from any corner of the globe,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn. “Hopefully, Ford’s victims can be reassured that he will serve a significant sentence for his conduct. Members of the public must be extremely careful about disclosing their logins and passwords to anyone, even when the person on the other end of an e-mail or instant message appears to be legitimate.”
“Michael Ford hacked hundreds of email accounts, particularly targeting young women so he could extort them into sending him sexually explicit images,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “He preyed on vulnerable victims, leaving them with indelible emotional scars. His sentence is a necessary step in holding him to account for his crimes and helping his victims move forward with their lives.”
“The sentencing of Mr. Ford will not only hold him accountable for his despicable criminal conduct but will also deny him the ability to further victimize others. The FBI is proud of the role that it played in bringing this case forward for investigation, apprehension, and federal prosecution and it is hoped that those who were victimized by Mr. Ford will find some relief with this sentencing,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“The Diplomatic Security Service is proud of the hard work of everyone involved in the investigation including our partners at the FBI and the Department of Justice. When a public servant in a position of trust commits crimes like cyberstalking and computer hacking on such a large scale, we will vigorously investigate those crimes and ensure they are brought to justice. We hope that this sentence will provide some closure for the victims,” said Director Miller.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: Ford admitted that between January 2013 and May 2015, while employed by the U.S. Embassy in London, he used various aliases to commit a widespread, international computer hacking, cyberstalking and “sextortion” campaign designed to force victims to provide Ford with personal information as well as sexually explicit videos of others. Ford targeted young females, some of whom were students at U.S. colleges and universities, with a particular focus on members of sororities and aspiring models.
Posing as a member of the fictitious “account deletion team” for a well-known e-mail service provider, Ford sent thousands of phishing e-mails to thousands of potential victims, warning them that their e-mail accounts would be deleted if they did not provide their passwords. Ford admitted he then used the passwords to hack into at least 450 e-mail and social media accounts belonging to at least 200 victims, where he searched for sexually explicit photographs and for victims’ personal identifying information (PII), including their home and work addresses, school and employment information, and names and contact information of family members, among other things.
Using both the photos and PII, Ford admitted that he then e-mailed at least 75 victims, threatening to release those photos unless they took and sent him sexually explicit videos of “sexy girls” undressing in changing rooms at pools, gyms and clothing stores.
When the victims refused to comply, threatened to go to the police or begged Ford to leave them alone, Ford escalated his threats, according to the plea agreement. For example, Ford admitted that he wrote in one e-mail “don’t worry, it’s not like I know where you live,” followed by another e-mail with her home address and threatened to post her photographs to an “escort/hooker website” along with her phone number and home address. On several occasions, Ford followed through with his threats, sending his victims’ sexually explicit photographs to family members and friends, according to the plea.
Additionally, at sentencing, the government presented evidence that Ford engaged in a related scheme targeting aspiring models beginning in 2009. Posing as a model scout, Ford convinced young women to send their personal information, to include dates of birth and measurements, as well as topless photos for consideration for fictitious modeling opportunities. During this ruse, Ford obtained topless and partially nude photos from hundreds of women, including several minors. He also attempted to entice a minor to take voyeuristic videos of her peers in her school locker room. Some of his early model-scout victims became the first victims of his charged cyberstalking scheme.
Michael C. Ford, 36, of Atlanta, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross of the Northern District of Georgia, to four years and nine months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Dec. 9, 2015, Ford pleaded guilty to nine counts of cyberstalking, seven counts of computer hacking to extort and one count of wire fraud in connection with his ongoing criminal scheme. The names of the victims are being withheld from the public to protect their privacy.
The Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kamal Ghali of the Northern District of Georgia, Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Trial Attorney Jamie Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in London provided assistance in this case.
Anyone who believes that they are the victim of hacking, cyberstalking, or “sextortion” should contact law enforcement. Resources regarding hacking and other cybercrimes can be found at: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/cyber.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Saints Player Enters New Guilty Plea to Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that DARREN SHARPER, age 40, formerly of New Orleans, entered a new guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, to Conspiracy to Distribute Alprazolam, Diazepam and Zolpidem with intent to commit rape and two counts of distributing these substances with intent to commit rape. The maximum punishments for these offenses are as follows:
COUNT
CHARGE
MAXIMUM
PENALTIES
4
21 U.S.C. 846; Conspiracy to Distribute a Schedule IV Controlled Substance with the intent to commit a crime of violence
20 Years, $250,000 Fine, NLT 1 Year Supervised Release.
5
21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1),(b)(1)(D) & (E)(7)(B); Distribution of a Controlled Substance, Schedule IV with the intent to commit a crime of violence
20 Years, $250,000 Fine, NLT 1 Year Supervised Release.
6
21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1),(b)(1)(D) & (E)(7)(B); Distribution of a Controlled Substance, Schedule IV with the intent to commit a crime of violence
20 Years, $250,000 Fine, NLT 1 Year Supervised Release.
SHARPER is a former member of the New Orleans Saints and is presently in custody. He has previously pled guilty to similar charges in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. He has also entered into a conditional plea in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. His plea today was part of a global resolution of the charges against him. According to court records, SHARPER admitted that he and others distributed controlled substances to unsuspecting women and then had sexual relations with them while they were incapacitated. He also admitted that he conspired with other persons in committing these offenses.
Under the terms of this new plea agreement, the United States and SHARPER jointly agreed to recommend to the court a sentence within SHARPER’s Sentencing Guidelines range, which is 188-235 months as calculated by the United States Probation Office. Sentencing in this matter is set for June 16, 2016, at 9:00 AM.
Co-defendants Brandon Licciardi, a former St Bernard Sheriff’s Deputy, and Erik Nunez are awaiting trial on similar charges as well as charges of Witness Tampering and Impeding an Official Proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Polite thanked the victims for their courage and willingness to come forward.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter and thanked Leon Cannizzaro and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office for their invaluable assistance. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office also assisted in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael E. McMahon, Theodore Carter, and Brandon Long are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Professor Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 47-year-old Galveston man formerly employed at Texas A&M University has pleaded guilty to one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Matthew Irwin was employed as an associate professor for Texas A&M Galveston at the time of his arrest. He had come to the attention of law enforcement after investigators found evidence he was accessing files from a website known to contain child pornography.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence on Aug. 6, 2015, at which time they seized a laptop and various external storage media devices. The forensic examination revealed more than 4,000 images and two videos of clearly young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These movies and images included children under the age of 12 engaged in acts of violence. Some of the images are of known victims as identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Irwin admitted he downloaded child pornography from the Internet, thereby receiving and possessing the child pornography found on his computer and external storage media.
Irwin appeared before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. today and pleaded guilty to the charges. Sentencing has been set for June 1, 2016, at which time Irwin faces a minimum of five and up to 20 years imprisonment for the receipt of child pornography as well as a maximum of 10 years on the possession charge. He also faces a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending his sentencing hearing.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Pearland Police Department.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Medical Center Physician Enters Guilty Plea to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A former pediatric oncologist at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has pleaded guilty to receipt, access with intent to view and possession of child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
At the time of his arrest in June 2015, Dennis Patrick Meehan Hughes, 49, of Pearland, worked at M.D. Anderson, but he is no longer employed there.
This case was initiated pursuant to a nationwide investigation known as Operation Pacifier which targeted users of a TOR network child pornography website whose primary purpose was to advertise and distribute child pornography. Following the February 2015 arrest of the primary site administrator, law enforcement was able to identify more than 1,000 U.S.-based user IP addresses. One of those addresses resolved back to the residence of Hughes.
Law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at his residence on June 5, 2015, at which time they arrested Hughes and seized his computers and other items.
Today, he appeared in federal court before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. in Galveston, admitting he received and possessed numerous images of child pornography, to include prepubescent girls with their genitals lasciviously displayed. Some of the images also depicted young girls being penetrated, both orally and vaginally. The government also offered evidence that images of child pornography were found on his work computer as well.
In total, law enforcement discovered 329 videos and 2,693 unique images attributable to Hughes.
Judge Hanks has set sentencing for June 1, 2016. At that time, Hughes faces a minimum of five and up to 20 years for the receipt and up to 10 years for the access with intent to view and possession of child pornography as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Hughes would also face a minimum of five years and a maximum of life on supervised release during which the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect the children and prohibit the use of the Internet. He would also be required to register as a sex offender.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending his sentencing hearing.
The charges against Hughes are the result of an investigation conducted by members of the Houston FBI, Pearland Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and the University of Texas Police Department.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Marion Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Andrew Schrock, age 32, formerly from Marion, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receipt of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Schrock admitted that, between 2013 and 2014, he knowingly used the Internet to receive child pornography.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Schrock remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Schrock faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Marion Police Department.
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.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 16-0006.
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Former Letter Carrier Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Former U.S. Postal Service employee Linwood R. Nelson, Jr., age 32, of Gwynn Oaks, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and admitted to diverting packages of drugs sent through the U.S. Mail and delivering them to co-conspirators.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Postal Inspector in Charge Maria L. Kelokates of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Paul L. Bowman of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to Nelson’s plea agreement, he was a postal carrier employed by the United States Postal Service and assigned a delivery route in Woodstock, Maryland. From July 2014, through September 11, 2014, Nelson agreed to divert U.S. Mail parcels containing drugs, including heroin, from his regular delivery route and deliver those packages directly to various co-conspirators.
Nelson provided co-conspirators with an address along his route and instructed them to send parcels to this address, but to use false addressee names on each parcel. Co-conspirators regularly communicated with Nelson via telephone and text message to provide descriptions of the parcels sent, including the colors of the mailed boxes and the false addressee names used. Nelson then used the information to remove the parcels from his delivery batches, falsely scan them as “delivered” in the U.S. Postal Service computer tracking system, and then bring them to co-conspirators at an agreed-upon location. Nelson received cash in exchange for delivering the parcels, typically $500 per parcel.
On September 11, 2014, Nelson was arrested in possession of a package containing approximately two kilograms of heroin. When arrested, he was on his way to meet with a co-conspirator at a pre-determined location, where Nelson was to provide the parcel containing heroin to the co-conspirator in exchange for cash.
Nelson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison for the heroin distribution conspiracy. Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for July 14, 2016.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, DEA, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Joshua T. Ferrentino, who are prosecuting the case.
Former Commissioner of Mount Vernon Water Department Pleads Guilty in White Plains Federal Court to BriberyRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christina Scaringi, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (“HUD OIG”), announced today that ANTHONY BOVE, the former Commissioner of the Board of Water Supply of the City of Mount Vernon (the “Water Department”), pled guilty to soliciting a $10,000 bribe from an employee of the Water Department, and with lying to federal law enforcement officers when BOVE was interviewed during the investigation. BOVE pled guilty to the Information today in White Plains federal court before U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.
U.S. Attorney Bharara stated: “The people of Mount Vernon deserved better than Anthony Bove, who used his public position to solicit a bribe from his own employee. As the Commissioner of the Board of Water Supply, Bove was entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that the people of Mount Vernon had a safe and clean water supply, not to find ways to line his own pockets through bribes. I want to thank the HUD OIG and the investigators and prosecutors in my office for making this important case.”
Special Agent in Charge Scaringi stated: “In the last number of years, we have seen an unfortunate increase in the failure of our public officials to exercise integrity in connection with their official positions, thus further eroding the public’s trust in them. Anthony Bove’s guilty plea today is proof of our continuing resolve to ferret out official misconduct and corruption. The HUD OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their continuing partnership in helping to detect and prosecute corrupt conduct.”
According to the allegations in the Information and other documents in the public record:
ANTHONY BOVE was the Commissioner of the Water Department of the City of Mount Vernon (the “City”). The City annually receives in excess of $10,000 in federal funds from the United States government. The City’s Water Department is responsible for serving City residents by, among other things, monitoring and treating the City’s water supply, repairing water main leaks, and reading water meters and generating water bills. In accordance with the City Charter, the Commissioner of the Water Department is appointed by the City’s Mayor, serves at the Mayor’s pleasure, and reports directly to the Mayor as the head of one of the City’s departments.
In the spring of 2015, while serving as the Water Commissioner, BOVE solicited a $10,000 bribe from a Water Department employee (“the Employee”) in exchange for approving the Employee’s promotion within the Water Department. The Employee, who was serving in a provisional capacity as the bookkeeper of the Water Department, had passed a civil service bookkeeping examination in order to become eligible for a permanent bookkeeping position at the Water Department. After receiving the test results, the Employee completed the necessary form to apply for the permanent bookkeeping position, and submitted it to BOVE for his approval and signature, which was required for the promotion to occur.
BOVE did not approve the application; instead, on April 14, 2015, BOVE told the Employee to meet him at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon. At Memorial Field, BOVE conveyed to the Employee that he would not approve the Employee’s promotion unless he gave BOVE $10,000, and that he could give BOVE half ($5,000) up front and pay the balance later. BOVE said that he would accept the remaining payments on installment: “So give me like, fucking like 20 dollars every fucking paycheck or whatever, you know.”
Following the April 14 meeting, BOVE called the Employee on multiple occasions to ask whether and when the Employee would pay him. The Employee did not make any payments to BOVE and his application form seeking the permanent bookkeeping position remained unapproved.
On December 7, 2015, a Special Agent from HUD OIG and a Criminal Investigator from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York interviewed BOVE in connection with a federal investigation into whether BOVE had attempted to extort the Employee. During the interview, BOVE lied to the investigating agents, stating, in sum and substance, that he had never asked for money to approve a job promotion for anyone in his department.
* * *
BOVE, 48, of North Salem, New York, pled guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of making a false statement to federal law enforcement officers, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
BOVE is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2016.
Mr. Bharara praised HUD OIG and the Criminal Investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their outstanding work during this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Turner is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Assistant Vice President of Bank Admits Embezzling More Than $1 MillionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. - A Bergen County, New Jersey, woman today admitted embezzling more than $1 million while she worked at a bank in Fort Lee, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Miye Chon, a/k/a/ “Karen Chon,” 36, of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls to Count One, Count Two, and Count 29 of a superseding indictment charging her with bank fraud, embezzlement or misapplication of funds by a bank officer or employee, and aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Chon was employed by BankAsiana, a federally insured financial institution, as an operations officer and later as an assistant vice president and operations officer at the bank’s Fort Lee branch until the bank was acquired by Wilshire Bank in October 2013. Chon had access to customer accounts and the bank’s internal account records, computer system and vault. Over several years, Chon stole more than $1 million from BankAsiana’s customer accounts by regularly making unauthorized transfers from customer certificate of deposit (CD) accounts into BankAsiana’s vault cash account and then physically removing cash from the bank’s vault.
Chon accomplished this scheme on dozens of occasions, typically taking tens of thousands of dollars at a time. One time, she converted $100,000 from a customer’s CD account. As part of the scheme, Chon also opened up a bank account in an individual’s name and forged checks using that individual’s name without permission.
For the bank fraud and embezzlement charges, Chon faces a maximum potential sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, as well as mandatory restitution in the full amount of the loss to the victim bank. Chon also faces a two-year mandatory sentence on the aggravated identity theft charge that must be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, as well as a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for June 29, 2016.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Shapiro and Lakshmi Srinivasan Herman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes Unit.
Today’s plea is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov
Defense counsel: Matthew Jeon, Esq., Fort Lee
Federal Jury Finds Mexican National Guilty on Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., returned a verdict today finding Edgar Solis guilty on a cocaine trafficking charge. The guilty verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Tex., and Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden, Jr.
Solis, 29, a Mexican national currently residing in Albuquerque, and his co-defendant Daniel Solis-Castillo, 33, also a Mexican national, were indicted in Dec. 2013, and charged with cocaine trafficking offenses. The indictment also charged Solis-Castillo with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously removed alien. After Solis-Castillo entered a guilty plea, a five-count superseding indictment against Solis was filed. The superseding indictment charged Solis with conspiracy to distribute cocaine; attempted possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute; being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. It alleged that Solis committed the five crimes on Nov. 13, 2013, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
Solis’s trial on the superseding indictment began on March 15, 2016. Before the case was submitted to the jury, the court dismissed four of the five counts. The trial concluded shortly before noon today when the jury returned a verdict finding Solis guilty of attempted possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
The evidence at trial established that on Nov. 13, 2013, Solis-Castillo negotiated to buy five kilograms of cocaine from a person who unbeknownst to him was an undercover officer. After Solis-Castillo arrived at the prearranged location to complete the drug deal, he did not like the quality of the cocaine, and made a telephone call to someone else who could “check it out.” Shortly thereafter, Solis arrived at the location, inspected the cocaine, and engaged in a quiet conversation with Solis-Castillo. Solis-Castillo then told the undercover agent they would take one kilogram and if they liked it, they would come back for the remainder. Solis agreed with Solis-Castillo. Solis-Castillo then asked Solis if he had a bag for the cocaine and Solis responded by walking over to his vehicle. At that point, Solis and Solis-Castillo were arrested by HSI agents and APD officers. Solis initially was charged with state charges which were dismissed after he was arrested in Feb. 2014, on the federal charges in this case.
Solis had been on conditions of release while awaiting trial, but was detained after being convicted, pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Solis faces a statutory mandatory minimum of five years and maximum of 40 years in federal prison. Solis will be deported after he completes his prison sentence.
Solis-Castillo pled guilty in July 2014, to cocaine trafficking and immigration charges. He was sentenced on Dec. 30, 2015, to 37 months in federal prison and will be deported after completing his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of HSI and the Albuquerque Police Department with assistance from the DEA in Albuquerque, New Mexico Department of Public Safety and the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Jack E. Burkhead are prosecuting the case.
Erie Man Admits Participating in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. – A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Efrain Ramon Pagan Rosario, 25, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from June 2013 through February 2015, Rosario engaged in a conspiracy with eighteen co-defendants to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, U.S. Border Patrol, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Organized Crime Section, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Rosario.
El Paso, Texas, Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking Conviction in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Iveran Dywon Magby, 42, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 151 months in prison for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Magby will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence.
Magby was arrested on Oct. 24, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to the criminal complaint, Magby sold approximately 173.2 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement agent on May 20, 2014, in Doña Ana County, N.M.
On Jan.15, 2015, Magby entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred J. Perez.
EDD Investigator Receives Award for Contributing to the Mission of the Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner is pleased to announce the 2015 winner of the Eastern District of California Outstanding Investigator Award for the Sacramento division. This award is one of four awards presented annually to a law enforcement agency and an officer in each of the Sacramento and Fresno divisions of the Eastern District of California to recognize outstanding collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement.
The Sacramento division’s 2015 Outstanding Investigator Award goes to California Employment Development Department Investigator Celia Lopez for her work in a sprawling unemployment and disability benefit fraud investigation in Sutter County with criminal conduct that spanned decades and resulted in over $14 million in loss. Celia Lopez was the original case agent for the case and, working with agents from the FBI and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, she helped to bring five indictments against 29 individuals. The lead defendant, Mohammad Nawaz Khan, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison, Mohammad Adnan Khan was sentenced to nine years in prison, Mohammad Shahbaz Khan was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Iqila Begum Khan was sentenced to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Wagner stated: “It is my honor to recognize Celia Lopez for her work that led to the complete dismantling of one of the the most sophisticated and wide-reaching fraud schemes our district has seen. Her work on this case was timely, thorough, and meticulous. We thank her for her service.”
The Khans sold fake paystubs and reported false wages to EDD for the individuals who purchased those paystubs. The purchasers used the fake paystubs to fraudulently claim unemployment and disability benefits. Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendants reported wages for over 400 separate individuals that resulted in more than 2,000 fraudulent claims for unemployment and disability benefits.
Investigator Lopez marshalled over 20 years of voluminous records evidencing criminal conduct involving hundreds of potential subjects. She conducted scores of interviews of both criminal participants and witnesses. She worked tirelessly to identify not only the organizers of the scheme, but also the most culpable other participants in the scheme that should face charges. Investigator Lopez was able to distill the complex case into manageable documents, understandable spreadsheets, and persuasive charts. Even after the initial indictment was brought in 2012, she continued to investigate and discovered that the brothers of the main subject restarted the fraud scheme under other names shortly after the initial arrests. Investigator Lopez worked quickly to bring that evidence to the attention of the U.S. Attorney’s Office before the loss spiraled out of control. It resulted in an extensive grand jury investigation and perjury charges against new participants. Because of Investigator Lopez’s work, less than $30,000 was lost from the new scheme.
District Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Series of Threats Against Metro Transit SystemRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerez Nehemiah Coleman, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 21 months in prison on a federal charge stemming from an investigation into a series of calls he made falsely warning of various threats to the Metro transit system, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police.
Coleman, also known as Kidd Cole and Jerez Nehemiah Stone-Coleman, was arrested on May 27, 2015 and has been in custody ever since. He pled guilty on Dec. 18, 2015, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to a charge of making threats involving explosive materials. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for a sentence ranging from time served to up to 27 months in prison. Following his prison term, Coleman will be placed on three years of supervised release.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Mehta cited the severity of the conduct, noting that the 911 calls “involved threats to conduct innate acts of extraordinary violence, detonating bombs, snipers firing on Metro passengers, suicide bombers boarding buses, threats to kill the President of the United States … They most certainly were intended to cause bedlam and disruption.”
According to a statement of offense, signed by the defendant as well as the government, Coleman placed over 300 calls to 911 from December 2014 to May 2015. Multiple law enforcement agencies -- including the Metro Transit Police, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the U.S. Secret Service -- responded to these calls and provided security at the various scenes. These threat and/or hoax calls caused law enforcement to spend hundreds of hours ensuring the public was safe.
In one such call, for example, made on Dec. 12, 2014, Coleman called 911 to report that he and his friends had bombs and were on a Metrobus at the Potomac Avenue Metro station in Southeast Washington. During the call, Coleman stated, “We are going to blow the entire whole bus…everybody is going to die in ten minutes…” This call prompted an immediate emergency response. MPD and Metro Transit Police were diverted from other duties and dispatched, emergency lights on and sirens blaring, to the scene. MPD arrived first and established a perimeter around the bus. There were about 20 passengers on board. When Metro Transit Police officers arrived, they evacuated the passengers. They searched each seat of the bus, the wheel wells, the undercarriage, and the exhaust pipes. Throughout this search, the bus was out of service. After the thorough investigation, police determined that the 911 call was a hoax.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Metro Transit Police Chief Pavlik commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metro Transit Police. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, the 911 Office of Unified Communications, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and other law enforcement agencies. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jorge Casillas, Jessica Moffatt, and Todd McClelland; Criminal Investigator John Marsh, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Morgan. Finally, they commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah A. Curtis, John L. Hill and John Marston, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Deming Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Robert Steven Elliott, II, 32, of Deming, N.M., entered a guilty plea today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to production of child pornography charges. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Elliott will be sentenced to a prison term within the range of 20 to 45 years followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The plea agreement also indicates that Elliott has agreed to pay $210,012 in restitution to the child he victimized through his criminal conduct. Elliott will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Elliott’s guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Tex., Luna County Sheriff John Mooradian, and Chief Jaime Montoya of the Las Cruces Police Department.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez commended the efforts of the officers involved in the investigation, “This joint federal, state and local investigation demonstrates the resolve of the law enforcement community to work together to bring those who victimize children to justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to work side-by-side with officers who are devoted to protecting our children from predators.”
“Sex crimes against children are among the most heinous crimes HSI special agents investigate,” said Waldemar Rodriguez, Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso. “And we will not relent in our pursuit to catch these malicious predators who traumatize children, leaving them emotionally and physically scarred for life.”
“This is another wonderful example of multiple law enforcement agencies working together to uncover evidence that helped build a strong case,” said Chief Jaime Montoya of the Las Cruces Police Department.
Elliott was arrested on Oct. 30, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with producing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in Luna County, N.M. The investigation into Elliott began on Oct. 30, 2015, when a woman reported to law enforcement authorities that she had discovered child pornography images on a cellphone belonging to Elliott and surrendered the cellphone to the authorities. After obtaining a federal search warrant for the cellphone, law enforcement officers found that the cellphone contained multiple images of child pornography, including images of a child under the age of 12.
Elliott was indicted on Jan. 20, 2016, and charged with six counts of production of child pornography. The indictment charged Elliott with producing child pornography on Nov. 23, 2014 and Sept. 28, 2015 in Luna County. Today Elliott pled guilty to two of the six counts of the indictment, and Elliott admitted using his cellphone on Nov. 23, 2014 and Sept. 28, 2015, to take a pornographic visual image of a child whom he knew to be under 12 years of age.
Elliott has been in federal custody since his arrest. He remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Deming and Las Cruces offices of Homeland Security Investigations, the Luna County Sheriff’s Office, the Las Cruces Police Department, the El Paso Police Department, and the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 82 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Computer Hacking Conspiracy Charges Unsealed Against Members of Syrian Electronic ArmyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three Syrian nationals, all current or former members of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), were charged with multiple conspiracies related to computer hacking, according to two criminal complaints unsealed today here in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Ahmad Umar Agha, 22, known online as “The Pro,” and Firas Dardar, 27, known online as “The Shadow,” were charged with a criminal conspiracy relating to: engaging in a hoax regarding a terrorist attack; attempting to cause mutiny of the U.S. armed forces; illicit possession of authentication features; access device fraud; unauthorized access to, and damage of, computers; and unlawful access to stored communications. Dardar and Peter Romar, 36, also known as Pierre Romar, were separately charged with multiple conspiracies relating to: unauthorized access to, and damage of, computers and related extortionate activities; receiving the proceeds of extortion; money laundering; wire fraud; violations of the Syrian Sanctions Regulations; and unlawful interstate communications. The court has issued arrest warrants for all three defendants.
“The tireless efforts of U.S. prosecutors and our investigative partners have allowed us to identify individuals who have been responsible for inflicting damage on U.S. government and private entities through computer intrusions,” said U.S. Attorney Boente. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that we will continue to pursue these individuals no matter where they are in the world.”
According to allegations in the first complaint, beginning in or around 2011, Agha and Dardar engaged in a multi-year criminal conspiracy under the name “Syrian Electronic Army” in support of the Syrian Government and President Bashar al-Assad. The conspiracy was dedicated to spear-phishing and compromising the computer systems of the U.S. government, as well as international organizations, media organizations and other private-sector entities that the SEA deemed as having been antagonistic toward the Syrian Government. When the conspiracy’s spear-phishing efforts were successful, Agha and Dardar would allegedly use stolen usernames and passwords to deface websites, redirect domains to sites controlled or utilized by the conspiracy, steal email and hijack social media accounts. For example, starting in 2011, the conspirators repeatedly targeted computer systems and employees of the Executive Office of the President. Despite these efforts, at no time was an EOP account or computer system successfully compromised. Additionally, in April 2013, a member of the conspiracy compromised the Twitter account of a prominent media organization and released a tweet claiming that a bomb had exploded at the White House and injured the President. In a later 2013 intrusion, through a third-party vendor, the conspirators gained control over a recruiting website for the U.S. Marine Corps and posted a defacement encouraging U.S. marines to “refuse [their] orders.”
“The Syrian Electronic Army publicly claims that its hacking activities are conducted in support of the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “While some of the activity sought to harm the economic and national security of the United States in the name of Syria, these detailed allegations reveal that the members also used extortion to try to line their own pockets at the expense of law-abiding people all over the world. The allegations in the complaint demonstrate that the line between ordinary criminal hackers and potential national security threats is increasingly blurry.”
Today, the FBI announced that it is adding Agha and Dardar to its Cyber Most Wanted and offering a reward of $100,000 for information that leads to their arrest. Both individuals are believed to be residing in Syria. Anyone with information is asked to contact their nearest FBI field office or U.S. Embassy or consulate.
“Cybercriminals cause significant damage and disruption around the world, often under the veil of anonymity,” said Assistant Director Trainor. “As this case shows, we will continue to work closely with our partners to identify these individuals and bring them to justice, regardless of where they are.”
According to allegations in the second complaint, beginning in or around 2013, SEA members Dardar and Romar engaged in multiple conspiracies dedicated to an extortion scheme that involved hacking online businesses in the United States and elsewhere for personal profit. Specifically, the complaint alleges that the conspiracy would gain unauthorized access to the victims’ computers and then threaten to damage computers, delete data or sell stolen data unless the victims provided extortion payments to Dardar and/or Romar. In at least one instance, Dardar attempted to use his affiliation with the SEA to instill fear into his victim. If a victim could not make extortion payments to the conspiracy’s Syrian bank accounts due to the Syrian Sanctions Regulations or other international sanctions regulations, Romar would act as an intermediary in an attempt to evade those sanctions.
“These three members of the Syrian Electronic Army targeted and compromised computer systems in order to provide support to the Assad regime as well as for their own personal monetary gain through extortion,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “As a result of a thorough cyber investigation, FBI agents and analysts identified the perpetrators and now continue to work with our domestic and international partners to ensure these individuals face justice in the United States. I want to thank the dedicated FBI personnel, federal prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners for their tremendous efforts to ensure on-line criminal activity is countered, U.S. cyber infrastructure is safeguarded, and violators are held accountable under the law.”
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John P. Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; James Trainor, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division; and Paul M. Abbate, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the charges were unsealed.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the NASA Office of the Inspector General, Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security and other law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay V. Prabhu and Maya D. Song of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Van Grack and Trial Attorneys Scott McCulloch and Nathan Charles of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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 Nos. 1:14-mj-292, and 1:14-mj-498.
Criminal complaints contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Computer Hacking Conspiracy Charges Unsealed Against Members of Syrian Electronic ArmyRead the Press Release
Two Fugitives Believed to be in Syria Added to FBI Cyber’s Most Wanted
Three Syrian nationals, all current or former members of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), were charged with multiple conspiracies related to computer hacking, according to two criminal complaints unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director James Trainor of the FBI’s Cyber Division and Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Ahmad Umar Agha, 22, known online as “The Pro,” and Firas Dardar, 27, known online as “The Shadow,” were charged with a criminal conspiracy relating to: engaging in a hoax regarding a terrorist attack; attempting to cause mutiny of the U.S. armed forces; illicit possession of authentication features; access device fraud; unauthorized access to, and damage of, computers; and unlawful access to stored communications. Dardar and Peter Romar, 36, also known as Pierre Romar, were separately charged with multiple conspiracies relating to: unauthorized access to, and damage of, computers and related extortionate activities; receiving the proceeds of extortion; money laundering; wire fraud; violations of the Syrian Sanctions Regulations; and unlawful interstate communications. The court has issued arrest warrants for all three defendants.
According to allegations in the first complaint, beginning in or around 2011, Agha and Dardar engaged in a multi-year criminal conspiracy under the name “Syrian Electronic Army” in support of the Syrian Government and President Bashar al-Assad. The conspiracy was dedicated to spear-phishing and compromising the computer systems of the U.S. government, as well as international organizations, media organizations and other private-sector entities that the SEA deemed as having been antagonistic toward the Syrian Government. When the conspiracy’s spear-phishing efforts were successful, Agha and Dardar would allegedly use stolen usernames and passwords to deface websites, redirect domains to sites controlled or utilized by the conspiracy, steal email and hijack social media accounts. For example, starting in 2011, the conspirators repeatedly targeted computer systems and employees of the Executive Office of the President (EOP). Despite these efforts, at no time was an EOP account or computer system successfully compromised. Additionally, in April 2013, a member of the conspiracy compromised the Twitter account of a prominent media organization and released a tweet claiming that a bomb had exploded at the White House and injured the President. In a later 2013 intrusion, through a third-party vendor, the conspirators gained control over a recruiting website for the U.S. Marine Corps and posted a defacement encouraging U.S. marines to “refuse [their] orders.”
Today, the FBI announced that it is adding Agha and Dardar to its Cyber Most Wanted and offering a reward of $100,000 for information that leads to their arrest. Both individuals are believed to be residing in Syria. Anyone with information is asked to contact their nearest FBI field office or U.S. Embassy or consulate.
According to allegations in the second complaint, beginning in or around 2013, SEA members Dardar and Romar engaged in multiple conspiracies dedicated to an extortion scheme that involved hacking online businesses in the United States and elsewhere for personal profit. Specifically, the complaint alleges that the conspiracy would gain unauthorized access to the victims’ computers and then threaten to damage computers, delete data or sell stolen data unless the victims provided extortion payments to Dardar and/or Romar. In at least one instance, Dardar attempted to use his affiliation with the SEA to instill fear into his victim. If a victim could not make extortion payments to the conspiracy’s Syrian bank accounts due to the Syrian Sanctions Regulations or other international sanctions regulations, Romar would act as an intermediary in an attempt to evade those sanctions.
“The Syrian Electronic Army publicly claims that its hacking activities are conducted in support of the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. "While some of the activity sought to harm the economic and national security of the United States in the name of Syria, these detailed allegations reveal that the members also used extortion to try to line their own pockets at the expense of law-abiding people all over the world. The allegations in the complaint demonstrate that the line between ordinary criminal hackers and potential national security threats is increasingly blurry.”
“The tireless efforts of U.S. prosecutors and our investigative partners have allowed us to identify individuals who have been responsible for inflicting damage on U.S. government and private entities through computer intrusions,” said U.S. Attorney Boente. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that we will continue to pursue these individuals no matter where they are in the world.”
“Cybercriminals cause significant damage and disruption around the world, often under the veil of anonymity,” said Assistant Director Trainor. “As this case shows, we will continue to work closely with our partners to identify these individuals and bring them to justice, regardless of where they are.”
“These three members of the Syrian Electronic Army targeted and compromised computer systems in order to provide support to the Assad regime as well as for their own personal monetary gain through extortion,” said Assistant Director in Charge Abbate. “As a result of a thorough cyber investigation, FBI agents and analysts identified the perpetrators and now continue to work with our domestic and international partners to ensure these individuals face justice in the United States. I want to thank the dedicated FBI personnel, federal prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners for their tremendous efforts to ensure on-line criminal activity is countered, U.S. cyber infrastructure is safeguarded, and violators are held accountable under the law.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the NASA Office of the Inspector General, Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security and other law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay V. Prabhu and Maya D. Song of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Van Grack and Trial Attorneys Scott McCulloch and Nathan Charles of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Agha and Dardar Complaint
Romar and Dardar Complaint
Columbia Man Sentenced to 15.8 Years Impirsonment for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Stacey Haynes (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Wade Andrew Albright, age 43, of Columbia, South Carolina was sentenced to 188 months (15.8 years) imprisonment today in federal court. In November 2015, Albright plead guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 924(e). Senior United States District Court Judge Margaret B. Seymour determined that Albright was an armed career criminal, subject to enhanced penalties. The imposed term of imprisonment will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the earlier change of plea hearing established that on the early morning hours of November 29, 2013, officers with the Lexington County Narcotics Enforcement Team (“NET”) set up surveillance in order to arrest Albright on outstanding state warrants for distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine. Officers observed Albright drive into the employee parking lot for the plant where he was employed at the time. As officers approached his truck, Albright got back into the truck and fled. Officers observed Albright drive into a neighborhood. Shortly thereafter, officers observed Albright’s truck in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the area, the driver’s door was open and the truck was still running. Other officers then observed Albright along a wood line. After a brief chase, Albright was arrested. A search incident to arrest revealed numerous pill bottles containing individually bagged pills, cocaine, and marijuana both on Albright’s person and in a book bag he discarded while running. Officers also located a located Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver and additional rounds of ammunition on Albright. A check of the firearm revealed that it had previously been reported stolen in Richland County.
Albright is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and/or ammunition based upon his prior state convictions for burglary 2nd degree (3 separate convictions, each involving a firearm), strong arm robbery (3 separate convictions, each involving a firearm), escape, grand larceny (two separate counts), assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature stemming from an incident in a detention center, assault and battery of high and aggravated nature stemming from an incident in the South Carolina Department of Corrections), and manslaughter (stemming from the stabbing of another inmate in the South Carolina Department of Corrections). Albright is subject to enhanced penalties under 18 U.S.C. ' 924(e) in light of his prior convictions in state court for violent felonies.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lexington County Narcotics Enforcement Team and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Chicago Marketer Convicted of Illegally Pocketing Bribes in Exchange for Referring Elderly Patients to Skokie-Based Home Health CompanyRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge today convicted a Chicago marketer of taking illegal payments in exchange for referring elderly patients to a Skokie-based home healthcare company.
JENETTE GEORGE was convicted on two counts of violating the federal Medicare and Medicaid Anti-Kickback Statute, and one count of conspiracy to violate the statute. U.S. District Judge John W. Darrah issued the verdict in federal court in Chicago.
George, 62, of Chicago, faces up to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced by Judge Darrah on August 10, 2016, at 1:30 p.m.
George is the eleventh defendant to be convicted as part of the federal investigation into the bribes-for-referrals and fraud schemes at Rosner Home Healthcare Inc. The prior convictions include three of the company’s owners, as well as two Illinois physicians. Between January 2008 and July 2012, Rosner officials paid kickbacks and bribes to doctors, marketers, medical office employees and nurses to refer patients to Rosner. The referrals enabled Rosner to bill Medicare for home healthcare treatment that it subsequently provided.
“Physicians did not refer patients to Rosner; Defendant did,” Judge Darrah wrote in an opinion supporting the George verdict.
Rosner, which was based in Skokie and later in Morton Grove, has since closed.
George operated Ttenej Senior Referral Agency, which provided senior citizens with referrals to home healthcare firms in the Chicago area. Evidence at her three-day bench trial in October 2015 revealed that George received approximately $500 from Rosner for each patient she referred to the company. In one undercover surveillance video presented at trial, George is seen counting out the cash that she received from EDGARDO HERNAL, a former Rosner employee who by then was cooperating with federal authorities. Evidence at trial further showed that nurses at Rosner regularly put false information into patient charts to make Rosner’s services appear to be medically necessary, and to make patients appear to be sicker than they actually were.
Hernal pleaded guilty in 2013 to a conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing. In addition to George and Hernal, the other defendants convicted in the investigation are:
ANA NERISSA TOLENTINO, of Morton Grove, a nurse and former part owner of Rosner.
ARMANDO TOLENTINO, of Morton Grove, a nurse and former part owner of Rosner.
FREDERICK MAGSINO, of Morton Grove, a former part owner of Rosner.
EMMANUEL NWAOKOCHA, of Skokie, an Illinois physician.
MASOOD SYED, of Mount Prospect, an Illinois physician.
JENNIFER HOLMAN, of Chicago, an office manager in a medical office.
TITIS JACKSON, also known as Titus Jackson, of Chicago, a marketer who referred Medicare patients to Rosner.
LIONEL PAUL GASSMANN, of Skokie, a Rosner nurse who treated patients in their homes.
GLORIA ZISMAN, of Des Plaines, a Rosner nurse who treated patients in their homes.
In addition, ARTHUR DAVIDA, a Bloomingdale physician who falsely certified many of Rosner’s patients for home-health services, including some referred by George, was convicted of health care fraud in a related case. Davida was sentenced earlier this year to two years in prison.
The conviction of George was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation was carried out by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), a joint initiative between the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to prevent fraud and to enforce anti-fraud laws around the country. Dozens of defendants have been charged in numerous fraud cases since the strike force began operating in Chicago in 2011.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Chahn Lee and Elizabeth Pozolo.
Chicago Investment Advisor Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Defrauding a Suburban Bank and Two Clients out of More Than $3.2 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago investment advisor was sentenced today to three years in federal prison for engaging in a scheme to defraud an Oak Brook bank and two of his clients out of more than $3.2 million.
ROBERT J. LUNN made a series of misrepresentations to Leaders Bank to obtain a line of credit and loans purportedly for the benefit of his business, Lunn Partners LLC, and two of his clients, including former Chicago Bulls player Scottie Pippen. Lunn misled the bank about the value of his assets and the purpose of the financing, and he fraudulently stated that Pippen and the other client, retired venture capitalist Robert Geras, were aware of the loans. In reality, neither Pippen nor Geras had any knowledge of them. Lunn used nearly all of the fraudulently obtained funds for his own benefit and to pay some of his other clients.
A federal jury in 2014 convicted Lunn, 66, of Chicago, on five counts of bank fraud. In addition to the 36-month sentence, U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle also ordered Lunn to pay restitution of more than $1.16 million to Leaders Bank, and $400,000 to Pippen.
“It is clear from the evidence that Lunn’s avarice knows no bounds,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth E. Yeadon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Stoltz argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “He enriched himself by taking out the fraudulent loans and went to great lengths to conceal his crime from Leaders Bank, Mr. Pippen and Mr. Geras.”
According to evidence at trial, Lunn initially obtained a corporate line of credit from Leaders Bank for $480,000 in May 2001. He increased the credit line twice in 2004, first to $1.2 million and later to $1.32 million, after submitting financial statements that falsely proclaimed personal ownership of millions of dollars in stocks.
In September 2002, Lunn arranged for an unsecured bank loan of $1.4 million, purportedly for the benefit of Pippen. Lunn secured the loan by falsely representing that the proceeds would be used by Pippen to purchase an interest in an airplane.
The sentencing was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provided cooperation and participation in the prosecution.
The government is represented by Mr. Yeadon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, and Mr. Stoltz, a senior attorney with the SEC.
Central Coast Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Copyright Infringement Offense Related to Online Sales of Pirated Adobe Software PackagesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Lompoc man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of trafficking in counterfeit goods for using two websites to market and sell counterfeit versions of Adobe software
Jeffrey Scott Patterson, 52, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court.
In his plea agreement and in court yesterday, Patterson admitted that, over the course of approximately eight years, he used two websites to advertise and sell counterfeit Adobe software at prices below retail. The software sold by Patterson – sometimes under the assumed name of “Bruce Allen” – included Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Creative Suite.
“Protecting the business community’s intellectual property from being stolen is an important aspect of protecting our nation’s economy,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime, and all consumers end up paying the costs associated with the theft of intellectual property.”
Patterson offered victims either a digital download or a CD version of the pirated Adobe software. To bypass Adobe’s security protocols, Patterson altered the software and used a “key generator” to give his customers a counterfeit “key code” that must be entered by a user when the software is installed on a computer. Many of the counterfeit key codes failed to work, which prompted numerous complaints to Abode and Patterson.
As part of the investigation, special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made two undercover purchases at about half of the full retail price – one for Adobe Acrobat 9 Professional and one for Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium.
Records obtained by HSI agents showed that Patterson generated well over $500,000 in sales over the course of his scheme.
“As this case makes clear, law enforcement is using every tool available to keep intellectual property thieves from profiting from others’ products, creativity, and ideas,” said Mark Selby, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for HSI Los Angeles. “Simply put, product counterfeiting amounts to economic sabotage and HSI will move aggressively to target those who get rich at the expense of those businesses that play by the rules.”
The charge of trafficking in counterfeit goods carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Patterson is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez on June 27.
Carrollton TX Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Gaming Establishment on Indian LandsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that DUNG THI NGOC NGUYEN, age 33, of Carrollton, Texas, pled guilty to THEFT BY OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES OF GAMING ESTABLISHMENT ON INDIAN LANDS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1168(b) and 2.
The Indictment alleged that from on or about February 9, 2015, to on or about February 20, 2015, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant did embezzle, abstract, purloin, willfully misapply and take and carry away in excess of $1,000.00 of moneys belonging to the Choctaw Nation Casino and Resort, an Indian gaming establishment operated by the Choctaw Nation in Indian Country, pursuant to an ordinance or resolution approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The statutory range of punishment is up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine or both.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Edward Snow represented the United States.
Canadian Man Sentenced to 3½ Years for Benefit Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Contact: Chris Ruge
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Robert Jerome Bond, 47, recently of Gardiner, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 1½ years in prison for theft of public money and an additional two years for aggravated identity theft. He was also ordered to pay $5,923 in restitution. The defendant pled guilty on October 8, 2015.
According to court records, on about January 19, 2011, Bond applied for and was granted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) benefits using the name of an actual U.S. citizen. SNAP offers nutrition assistance to eligible, low-income individuals. Bond, a Canadian citizen, was not eligible for SNAP benefits at the time of the application and improperly received over $5,900 in SNAP benefits.
The benefit fraud was discovered when the real owner of Bond’s assumed identity applied for benefits in another state. That application led to an investigation by the Office of the Maine Attorney General that Judge Woodcock described as “most impressive.” It revealed Bond’s true name and citizenship and his 20-year-history of criminal activity under false identities. Judge Woodcock pointed out that the use of those false identities helped Bond avoid detection and deportation.
In imposing sentence, Judge Woodcock said that Bond had “cynically betrayed the trust of the people of this country” and told the defendant that “when you return to Canada after your prison sentence, you will leave behind in this country countless victims of the crimes you have committed.”
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Office of the Maine Attorney General, and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Bronx Man Sentenced for Role in Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Bronx, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months plus 1 day in prison and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $51,363.00 on his conviction of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Nana Baffour, 39, of Bronx, New York.
According to information presented to the court, Baffour allowed bank accounts in his name and under his control to be used as repositories for fraudulently obtained federal tax refunds. Baffour would then withdraw the fraudulently obtained refunds, keep a portion for himself and give the remainder of the money to another co-defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Baffour.
Bangor Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Kliton Xhemali, 32, of Bangor pleaded guilty today U.S. District Court to distributing cocaine.
According to court records, on April 2, 2015, from his Bangor residence, the defendant sold about one ounce of cocaine for $1,550 to a cooperating witness and federal agent working in an undercover capacity.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine and between three years and life on supervised release.
The case was investigated by the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Baltimore Man Admits to Robbing Three Stores at GunpointRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Howard Downey, age 33, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to robbing a store, and tampering with evidence in connection with the gun used in the robberies.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.
According to his plea agreement, on March 7, 2015, Downey robbed a store on East Monument Street in Baltimore. Downey brandished a revolver at an employee, demanding money. After the employee handed over money from two cash registers, Downey told the victim to hand over the store’s telephone and kneel down. Downey fled to a van waiting outside.
On March 12 and 13, 2015, Downey used the revolver to rob two stores, one on Patapsco Avenue and the other on East Monument Street in Baltimore, respectively.
Detectives recovered video footage of the March 7 and 12 robberies. Downey is seen arriving and leaving the robbery scenes in a purple Dodge caravan. Further investigation led detectives to Downey’s residence where they executed a search warrant on March 26. They seized clothing that Downey wore during the robberies, and a phone used by Downey. In text messages found on the phone, Downey referred to himself and a cohort/getaway driver as Bonnie and Clyde.
Downey was arrested on March 27, 2015 and confessed to the March 7 robbery. He would not, however, reveal the identity of the driver of the van or the whereabouts of the gun used in the robberies. Subsequently, Downey was overheard on telephone calls from the Baltimore City jail conspiring to obstruct justice by hiding the gun he used in the robberies from law enforcement. Downey instructed the co-conspirator to retrieve the gun from where it was hidden and get rid of it. The next day, the co-conspirator reported to Downey via another recorded phone call that he took care of the gun. Further investigation revealed that the co-conspirator had taken the gun to a friend’s home, where it was recovered by law enforcement pursuant to a search warrant.
Downey and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Downey will be sentenced to between 87 and 97 months in prison. Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2016 at 10:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney's Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant United States Attorney Shelley S. Glenn, who is prosecuting the case.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Statement on Terror Attacks in BrusselsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released the following statement regarding the attacks in Brussels this morning:
“I stand with President Obama and the American people in condemning this morning’s horrific attacks in Brussels. This was an appalling assault on the people of Belgium, on the European Union and on every nation that stands for peace and the rule of law. The Department of Justice is in contact with our counterparts in Belgium and we have offered any and all assistance that we can bring to bear. In the days ahead, we will continue to work with law enforcement abroad in order to help ensure those responsible are brought to justice. And as we go forward, our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences will be with the victims and their loved ones.
“If the intent of this attack's perpetrators was to sow conflict and discord – to stoke mistrust and spread fear – they have failed. Today and every day, the people of the United States are joined with our friends in Belgium and around the world in love, compassion and resolve. The words on Belgium’s coat of arms speak for us all: L’Union Fait La Force. Unity Makes Strength.”
Artesia Man Sentenced to 92 Months for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Victor R. Castillo, 37, of Artesia, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 92 months in prison for violating the federal firearms laws. Castillo will be on supervised release for three years following his incarceration.
Castillo was arrested on Sept. 1, 2015, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of an unregistered firearm on Jan. 28, 2015, in Eddy County, N.M. Castillo was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he previously had been convicted of importation of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, and possession of a controlled substance.
On Dec. 18, 2015, Castillo pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department and Artesia Police Department and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force. 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.
This case was prosecuted under a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Eddy County, N.M., under this initiative.
Altoona Man Conspired to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Altoona, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Matthew Fee, 33, of Altoona, Pa., pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from Jan. 9, 2014, to April 17, 2015, Fee conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for August 10, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, the Cambria County Drug Task Force, the Altoona Police Department, and the Cambria County District Attorney's Office, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Fee.
16 Kingsmen Motorcycle Club Officers, Members Indicted in Major Racketeering Operation; National President Among Those IndictedRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a 46 count superseding indictment charging 16 officers and members of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club (KMC) in a major racketeering operation that involved high ranking officials including the national president, regional and chapter presidents. Ten of the defendants are from Western New York.
“With today’s indictment, an era of violence perpetrated upon so many communities across this country by a single criminal enterprise has now come to an end,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “As this case demonstrates, law enforcement from across this region will not rest until all who would harm the peace and safety of our residents are brought to justice, regardless of where those threats originate.”
Named in the indictment are:
• David Pirk, 65, KMC National President;
• Andre Jenkins, 37, KMC member, Nomad;
• Timothy Enix, 56, KMC member, Florida/Tennessee Regional President;
• Filip Caruso, 51, KMC member, New York Northern Regional President;
• Edgar Dekay, 34, KMC member, North Tonawanda Chapter President, Nomad President;
• Jason Williams, 41, KMC member, North Tonawanda Chapter Vice President;
• Thomas Koszuta, 52, KMC member, Nomad;
• Gregory Willson, 50, KMC member, Nomad;
• Emmett Green, 44, KMC member, Arcade/Delevan Chapter President, New York Southern Tier Regional President, and New York Regional President;
• Robert Osborne, Jr., 37, KMC member, Olean Chapter President;
• Stanley Olejniczak, 51, KMC member;
• Jack Wood, 45, KMC member, Arcade Chapter Sergeant at Arms;
• Ryan Myrtle, 32, KMC member, North Tonawanda Chapter President;
• Thomas Scanlon, 46, KMC member, Olean Chapter President, Nomad, and New York Regional President;
• Glen Stacharczyck, 49, KMC member and North Tonawanda Chapter President;
• Sean McIndoo, 42, KMC member and Nomad.The charges include: Rico Conspiracy; Possession of Firearm In Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Using and Maintaining a Premises for Drug Dealing; Distribution of Marijuna; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; Felon in Possession of Firearm; Hobbs Act Conspiracy; Hobbs Act Robbery; Assault with Dangerous Weapon in of Racketeering; Use of Firearm During and in Relation to Crimes of Violence; Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime; Accessory after the Fact; Obstruction of Justice; False Statements before Grand Jury; User of Controlled Substance in Possession of Firearms; Distribution of Cocaine; and Distribution of Marijuana.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caleb J. Petzoldt and Joseph M. Tripi, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, beginning in 2013, certain KMC members wanted to establish the KMC as a 1% club. The 1% refers to a previous statement by a representative of the American Motorcycle Association that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens with the remaining 1% engaged in certain activities such as drug trafficking, firearm trafficking, and acts of violence.
Acts of violence allegedly committed by the KMC include:
• In September 2014, defendant KMC President David Pirk told defendant Andre Jenkins to “take care of it.” This was in reference to KMC members Paul Maue and Daniel "DJ" Szymanski who were murdered behind the North Tonawanda KMC Chapter clubhouse on September 6, 2014.
• On June 7, 2013, KMC forcibly shut down the Springville Chapter and strip members of their colors because they were non-compliant members. Brandishing firearms, KMC members struck a victim in the head with a blunt object and stole items from the Springville clubhouse. They then used bleach to clean areas where the victim bled and cut and removed portions of the rug which contained blood. As a result of assault, defendant Willson was elevated to the position of Nomad within the KMC. A KMC Nomad was a KMC member that was not required to regularly attend meetings but was expected to serve the interests of the KMC enterprise including fighting other clubs and committing violent crimes.
• On September 12, 2009, a female victim was punched repeatedly in the face by a KMC member and then held against her will for three days to conceal her facial injuries from police.
Fifteen of the defendants are in custody and the remaining defendant is expected to be taken into custody soon.The superseding indictment is the culmination of the an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen. Assisting in the investigation: the FBI Knoxville, TN, and Jacksonville, FL Field Offices, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, the Buffalo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York State Police, the Olean Police Department, the Lancaster Police Department, the Amherst Police Department, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department, the Hamburg Police Department.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Monday 21 March 2016
Washington, Pa., Man Sentenced to Probation, Fined for Selling Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Washington County resident has been sentenced in federal court to five years of probation, the first six-months of which are to be served on home detention, a $3.000 fine, and ordered to forfeit $200,000 on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute schedule II controlled substances and obtaining prescriptions by fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Dennis Devenney, Sr., 57, of Washington, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Devenney sold controlled substances, Oxycodone, Opana, and Morphine, for cash and fraudulently obtained prescriptions.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Devenney.
Verona Man Gets 20-Year Prison Sentence for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Verona, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 20 years imprisonment, followed by 25 years supervised release, on his conviction of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on David Hudak, 46, formerly of Verona, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court at the time of the guilty plea, on Feb. 3, 2013, Hudak employed, used, and coerced a minor, approximately five years of age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a video depicting her sexual exploitation. The court was further informed that the video was taken in Hudak’s Verona residence, while the child victim was in his custody and care. The video was discovered on a computer seized from Hudak’s residence during the execution of search warrant. The search warrant was issued following an undercover investigation during which Hudak distributed videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors to an undercover officer.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Conti stated that a 20-year sentence of imprisonment, followed by 25 years of supervision, was an appropriately lengthy sentence given the very serious nature of Hudak’s conduct and the harm done to the child victim.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other members of the Western Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hudak.
United States Files Enforcement Action Against Kansas Food Manufacturer and Company’s Managers to Stop Distribution of Adulterated Food ProductsRead the Press Release
A civil complaint was filed today in the U.S. District Court for Kansas against Native American Enterprises LLC, of Wichita, Kansas; its Vice President and part-owner, William N. McGreevy and is production manager, Robert C. Conner, to stop the distribution of adulterated food, the Department of Justice announced today.
Native American Enterprises LLC (NAE), manufactures and distributes food, namely ready-to-eat (RTE) refried beans and sauces. The complaint alleges that the company’s RTE refried beans and sauces are adulterated in that they have been prepared, packed and/or held under insanitary conditions whereby the food may have become contaminated with filth or have been rendered injurious to health. According to the complaint, the insanitary conditions include the presence of Listeria Monocytogene (L. mono) in NAE’s facility and insanitary employee practices. The department filed the complaint at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Insanitary conditions at food processing facilities can present significant risks to consumers and food manufacturers must take steps to minimize those risks,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work aggressively with the FDA to combat and deter conduct that leads to the distribution of adulterated food to consumers.”
According to the complaint, FDA inspected NAE’s facility, located at 230 N. West Street in Wichita, in August 2015 and collected environmental samples and observed numerous insanitary practices, including the defendants’ failure to manufacture and package food under conditions necessary to minimize microorganism growth, take necessary precautions to protect against contamination and maintain buildings in good repair. Specifically, according to the complaint, FDA observed rain water leaking through the roof in the packaging room, directly above where NAE employees packaged RTE refried beans. In addition, FDA observed cracks and holes in the walls and floor junctures that allow water and debris to collect, prohibit adequate cleaning and could harbor Listeria, according to the complaint.
FDA inspected NAE’s facility twice in 2014. As alleged in the complaint, FDA collected environmental samples during RTE refried bean production during each of the 2014 inspections and found Listeria in the facility. In addition, as alleged in the complaint, FDA also observed a failure to maintain equipment in an acceptable condition through appropriate cleaning and sanitizing.
As alleged in the complaint, L. mono thrives in moist environments, such as food-manufacturing environments. Unless proper precautions are taken, L. mono may become established and grow, and it is difficult to eliminate once it becomes established in a food-manufacturing environment. It is capable of surviving and growing at refrigerated temperatures and in high-salt environments. The complaint alleges that L. mono is a significant public health risk in RTE refried beans and sauces.
The government is represented by Trial Attorney Heide L. Herrmann of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Metzger of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Sonia W. Nath of the Food and Drug Division, Office of General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services.
A complaint is merely a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ks.