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Thursday 12 November 2015
Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Illegally ReentryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that JIMY NAHUN NUÑEZ-IZAGUIRRE, age 31, a citizen of Honduras, pled guilty today to a one-count Bill of Information for illegal reentry of removed alien.
According to the Indictment, on or about October 1, 2015, NUÑEZ-IZAGUIRRE was found in the United States after having been officially deported and removed on or about July 25, 2008.
NUÑEZ-IZAGUIRRE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years and a fine of $250,000, one year supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk set sentencing for December 12, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to MurderRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JIMEL FRANK, also known as “30” and “Velly,” 28, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to committing the murder of Anthony Parker of Hartford in April 2011.
This matter stems from a long-term investigation being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, DEA and Hartford Police Department into narcotics trafficking by members and associates of the Westhell and Team Grease groups and group-related violent activity. The Cold Case Unit of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney is actively participating in the investigation.
At approximately 10:47 a.m. on the morning of April 6, 2011, the Hartford Police Department received a report of shots fired in the vicinity of 15 Thomaston Street in the Blue Hills Section of Hartford. Officers responding to the scene located Anthony Parker, also known as “Smooth,” 24, seated in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the driveway of 15 Thomaston Street. Parker was unconscious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Parker was transported by ambulance to Saint Francis Hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
FRANK was a member of the Wall Street group, which later became generally known as “Team Grease.” In pleading guilty, FRANK admitted that he and another individual, who were both armed with 9mm handguns, opened fire on Parker from opposite sides of the vehicle in which he was seated.
FRANK pleaded guilty to one count of committing a Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering, namely the murder of Anthony Parker. Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for February 5, 2016, at which time FRANK faces a maximum term of life imprisonment.
FRANK has been detained since his arrest on February 19, 2015.
The homicide of Anthony “Smooth” Parker was included in cold case playing cards sold to inmates in Connecticut’s state correctional facilities. Each card in the deck features a photograph and brief details about a homicide or missing person case and lists telephone, mail and e-mail contacts that inmates can use to supply information.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and Cold Case Unit of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney. The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John H. Durham and Peter S. Jongbloed, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin, who has been cross-designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in this matter.
Gretna Man Pled Guilty to Transferring False Social Security CardsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that FROILAN IGNACIO MIRANDA-RAMOS, age 30, of Gretna, pled guilty today to four counts of transferring false Social Security cards.
According to court documents, MIRANDA-RAMOS sold counterfeit Social Security cards on four separate occasions to confidential informants working with the Department of Homeland Security.
MIRANDA-RAMOS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance set sentencing for December 16, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Franklin, Kentucky, Physician Charged with Illegal Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Allegedly prescribed opiate pain medications outside the course of professional medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Franklin, Kentucky, physician was recently charged by federal Information with the illegal distribution of controlled substances by way of prescribing opiate pain medications outside of the course of professional medical practice and without a legitimate medial purpose, announced U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
Roy D. Reynolds, a doctor practicing in Franklin, Kentucky, in Simpson County, was charged by federal Information on November 10, 2015 in Bowling Green. According to the Information, between February 2009 and April 2011, defendant Reynolds knowingly and intentionally prescribed oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, and Xanax, a Schedule IV controlled substance, to J.H. outside the course of professional medical practice.
Further, between July 2010 and December 2011, Dr. Reynolds is charged with repeatedly prescribing hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance at the time, and Xanax and clonazepam, Schedule IV controlled substances, to J.R., outside the course of professional medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
If convicted at trial, Reynolds could be sentenced to no more than 30 years in prison, followed by a three year period of supervised release and fined $1.5 million.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Weiser and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Kentucky State Police.
Fort Myers Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced David Erdman (51, Fort Myers) to eight years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervision, for possessing and distributing child pornography. He pleaded guilty on August 14, 2015.
According to court documents, during an FBI investigation into individuals who were using peer-to-peer software to share child pornography files, an agent connected with Erdman’s computer and downloaded child pornography files. On February 20, 2014, a federal search warrant was executed at Erdman’s residence. A forensic analysis of his laptop revealed an extensive collection of images and videos depicting child pornography. During an interview with agents, Erdman admitted to searching for child pornography since approximately 2000.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Real Estate Developer Sentenced to Prison for Orchestrating Massive Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former real estate developer was sentenced today to 135 months in prison in connection with a multi-year, multi-property mortgage fraud scheme in Boston.
Michael David Scott, 51, of Mansfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 135 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of over $11,374,201and to forfeit $7,413,712. In June 2015, Scott pleaded guilty to counts of 32 counts of wire fraud, 14 counts of bank fraud, and 22 counts of money laundering.
From September 2006 to April 2008, Scott, a former realtor and developer, arranged to purchase multi-family residences and then sold individual condominium units in the buildings to straw buyers recruited by him and his co-conspirators, Jerold Fowler and Thursa Raetz. Scott and his co-conspirators fraudulently recruited straw buyers to purchase condominium units in Roxbury and Dorchester with promises that the buyers would not have to make down payments, pay any funds at the closing, or be responsible for mortgage payments, but would share in profits when the units were resold. In order to obtain mortgage loans in the names of the straw buyers, Scott submitted mortgage loan applications that falsely represented key information, such as the buyers’ income, personal assets, down payment, and intention to reside in the condominiums. The mortgage lenders (nine national mortgage companies and one local bank) were led to believe that the straw buyers had made substantial down payments and paid substantial sums at closings.
Fowler, 31, and Raetz, 40, both of Norfolk, Va., pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in June 2015 and are schedule to be sentenced on Nov. 20 and Nov. 19, 2015, respectively.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit and Ryan M. DiSantis of Ortiz’s Public Corruption Unit.
Former Pharma Company Manager Pleads Guilty to Criminal HIPAA ViolationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former district manager for pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott pleaded guilty today in connection with wrongfully accessing patients’ protected personal health information.
Landon Eckles, 30, of Huntersville, N.C., pleaded guilty to wrongful disclosure of identifiable health information, in violation of the criminal provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr., scheduled sentencing for March 15, 2016. Eckles was charged in an Information in October 2015.
From 2007 to 2012, Eckles worked for Warner Chilcott and served as a district manager in the company’s osteoporosis division in a mid-Atlantic district. Atelvia® had poor insurance coverage in Eckles’s district when it was launched in 2011, and many insurance companies required a prior authorization before covering Atelvia®. A prior authorization contains protected health information, including biographical data and information concerning a patient’s medical condition. Certain insurance companies require prior authorizations signed by a patient’s doctor in order to overcome restrictions that favor less expensive prescription drugs. Eckles directed certain sales representatives that, if physicians refused to fill out Atelvia® prior authorizations, the sales representatives should fill them out themselves. Several of Eckles’s sales representatives, and Eckles himself, filled out Atelvia® prior authorizations, and by doing so, accessed patients’ protected health information in violation of the HIPAA law and regulations that safeguard the privacy of confidential health records.
In addition, Eckles and a sales representative accessed a number of patients’ medical charts and placed Atelvia® brochures in the charts so that physicians would be reminded to prescribe it. Eckles bragged about this tactic to his sales representatives, stating, “I guarantee you that this is going to drive business,” and encouraged his sales representatives to follow suit. In part, as a result of his scheme, Eckles received a bonus of approximately $60,000 in 2011.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and exclusion from the Medicare program. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Eckles is the fifth individual charged in connection with the Warner Chilcott investigation. In October 2015, Warner Chilcott agreed to plead guilty to health care fraud and pay $125 million to resolve a joint criminal and civil investigation. In addition, the former President of Warner Chilcott, Carl Reichel, was indicted for conspiracy to pay kickbacks. Two other former district managers, Jeff Podolsky and Timothy Garcia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Rita Luthra, a Springfield, Mass. physician, was indicted for accepting kickbacks, violating the criminal provisions of HIPAA and obstructing justice.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Antoinette V. Henry, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Schumacher and Miranda Hooker of Ortiz’s Health Care Fraud Unit.
Former New Orleans Police Officer Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that TRACIE MEDUS, age 40, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after having previously pled guilty to theft of government funds.
U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon sentenced MEDUS to three years probation, including one year of home confinement. Additionally, MEDUS was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $158,700.
MEDUS admitted that she defrauded the federally funded Small Rental Property Program, a Louisiana Road Home program to enable low-income families displaced by Hurricane Katrina to return to Louisiana. The program provided money for landlords to repair units to be rented at specified low rates to approved low-income tenants. Road Home required that tenants be approved for income eligibility and to reside in units prior to landlords receiving funds.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and thanked the New Orleans Police Department’s Public Integrity Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon was in charge of this prosecution.
Former Director of Two North Suburban Medical Practices Sentenced to 18 Months for Defrauding the Companies out of Nearly Half a Million DollarsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former executive director of two Deerfield-based physician offices was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for fraudulently diverting nearly $500,000 of the companies’ funds to her own use.
JAYNE KULHANEK, 57, used corporate credit cards of The Laser Network LLC and United Eye Care Providers to fund vacations in France and Spain, purchase antique furniture, and pay her own state and federal income taxes. Kulhanek concealed the six-year scheme by making false accounting entries in the companies’ ledgers.
Kulhanek, of Benton Harbor, Mich., pleaded guilty in February to one count of wire fraud. In addition to the 18-month prison term, U.S. District Judge John W. Darrah ordered Kulhanek to pay $364,598.05 in restitution.
“The crime is not one of a mistake made one time, but a six-year scheme to steal money and cover it up,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunil R. Harjani argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Only when the defendant’s scheme was fully exposed by company management did she stop her fraudulent conduct.”
The Laser Network and United Eye Care Providers are affiliated physician offices that provide treatment for the eye. As executive director of the two companies, Kulhanek had access to the companies’ corporate credit cards and bank accounts in order to pay business expenses. She also maintained the companies’ accounting ledgers.
From January 2006 to December 2012, Kulhanek used the companies’ funds to pay balances on her personal credit cards that she had spent on her own living expenses. She attempted to conceal the scheme by fraudulently classifying the payments as having been made to a medical-equipment vendor or other supplier. The scheme netted Kulhanek $491,328.57.
When company officials initially confronted her about the antique furniture in November 2011, Kulhanek said she had used the wrong credit card to make the purchase. The scam continued for another year before it was fully exposed.
The sentence was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The government is represented by Mr. Harjani.
Former Dallas County Probation Employee Sentenced to 97 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Selena Ball, 30, of Desoto, Texas, was sentenced this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 97 months in federal prison, following her guilty plea in April 2015 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Ball, who was remanded into federal custody following her sentencing, was a Pretrial Bond/Electronic Monitoring Officer for the Dallas County Department of Criminal Justice. As part of her duties, she was assigned to monitor an inmate, co-defendant Patrick D. Lenard, 33.
The Court noted Ball’s abuse of trust as a member of the Dallas County Probation Department, and the Department’s director testified as to the devastating effect the case had on her department.
Ball and 10 co-defendants, including Lenard, were charged in a November 2014 indictment with various felony offenses, including conspiracy, drug trafficking, kidnapping, firearms offenses, witness intimidation/tampering, and records destruction, stemming from their involvement in a violent drug trafficking operation (DTO) that operated in South Dallas and the Dallas County Jail. One of the co-defendants, Rodney Wynn, 34, of Kaufman, Texas, who was on the State of Texas’s most wanted list, was apprehended and is set for trial in January 2016. The remaining defendants have all pleaded guilty. To date, seven have been sentenced, receiving sentences ranging from 46 months to 210 months in federal prison.
According to documents filed in the case, Ball and Lenard were involved in a romantic relationship despite her position and despite the conflict this relationship created. Lenard convinced Ball to alter, modify or fail to report violations of his conditions of release. For example, Lenard was required to limit his travel to certain areas within Dallas to avoid contact with co-conspirators. Part of Ball’s responsibility was to review and identify locations Lenard visited as reflected in the GPS records from his monitoring bracelet. Ball, however, failed to report violations of these conditions by Lenard. In fact, Lenard violated his conditions of release by approaching, confronting and attempting to intimidate coconspirators and witnesses to a kidnaping.
From November 26, 2012, to approximately November 18, 2014, Lenard conducted and managed drug-trafficking activities form his jail cell in the Dallas County Jail. During that time, he called his co-conspirators, including Ball. On multiple occasions, Lenard and Ball had phone conversations regarding illegal narcotics transactions and money obtained from those transactions. Lenard instructed Ball to hide the drug proceeds, and in one conversation, Ball actively counted the drug proceeds. On some of the phone calls, other individuals were conferenced in and Lenard, Ball and the other individual would discuss illegal naracotics transactions and money obtained from those transactions.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Dallas Police Department led the investigation.
Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin and P. J. Meitl are prosecuting the case.
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Former Belton Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing $471,000 from EmployerRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former Belton, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling $471,000 from her employer.
Kimberly Joyce Padgett, 42, of Osawatomie, Kan., formerly of Belton, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to a federal information that charges her with five counts of wire fraud.
By pleading guilty today, Padgett admitted that she embezzled approximately $471,000 from her employer, Reliant Financial Services in Kansas City, Mo. As part of Padgett’s duties at Reliant Financial Services, she managed the business’s books, paid the bills, managed the accounts receivable, operated the telephones, and prepared the paychecks. Padgett was also a signor on the business’s bank accounts and had use of the business’s credit cards for authorized business expenses. Padgett was terminated from employment in March 2015 when the fraud scheme was discovered.
During 2007 up to and including 2015, Padgett embezzled money from the Reliant Financial Services bank account intended for payroll tax and office supplies. Padgett wrote $350,000 in checks to herself and deposited those funds into her personal PayPal account and her husband’s bank account. Padgett used her PayPal account to pay for trips around America for herself, and at least once for a coworker, the coworker’s daughter, Padgett’s daughter, and others. She also used her company credit card in an unauthorized manner by paying expenses for herself and others, including clothing, jewelry, gasoline, vacations, hotels, and restaurants.
From 2012 to 2015, Padgett made little to no payments in payroll taxes. Company owners had no knowledge the payroll taxes were not paid, and did not learn the taxes were not paid until they were contacted by the IRS.
Padgett is charged with five specific instances of wire fraud in which she made unauthorized wire transfers, ranging from $2,500 to $5,000, between April 2013 and February 2015.
Under federal statutes, Padgett is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution on each of the five counts. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Pansing Brown. It was investigated by the FBI.
Florida man sentenced in Federal court for drug trafficking from Florida to West VirginiaRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston, West Virginia, to 10 years in federal prison and a $10,000 fine for participating in an oxycodone distribution and money laundering conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Booth Goodwin. Lester W. Taylor, 46, of Daytona Beach, Florida, previously entered his guilty plea to conspiracy charges concerning distribution of oxycodone and laundering the proceeds of his criminal activities.
From January 2010 through May 2014, Taylor was involved in trafficking pills from Florida to West Virginia using a variety of illicit methods. Taylor sent several packages containing oxycodone pills to Lincoln County for illegal distribution. Law enforcement intercepted one of those packages on January 8, 2011, which contained 1,000 30mg oxycodone pills. Taylor also admitted to obtaining prescriptions for oxycodone and hydromorphone from physicians in Florida and then having the prescriptions filled at pharmacies in West Virginia. The pharmacy primarily used for this unlawful activity, A+ Care Pharmacy, formerly located in Barboursville, has since been prosecuted in federal court by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, and is no longer in business.
After distributing the pills, Taylor’s co-conspirators deposited the proceeds in West Virginia bank accounts bearing Taylor’s name. Taylor would then withdraw the money in Florida in an effort to conceal the source of the cash and the pills.
The West Virginia State Police, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman handled the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Financial Management Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Douglas E. Cowgill, 60, of Westerville, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to wire fraud, theft or embezzlement from employee benefit plans, and perjury.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, and Joseph Rivers, Cincinnati Office Director of the U.S. Department of Labor - Employee Benefits Security Administration, announced the plea entered into today beforeU.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
From July 2013 through August 2014, Cowgill was president and sole owner of Professional Investment Management (PIM), Inc. in Columbus, where he had been employed since July 1981.Cowgill used his positions at PIM to defraud investors and use their funds for his own use. From March 2008 through October 2013, he misappropriated approximately $840,575. He manually altered account balances in company software and wired the misappropriated funds to an account for his own use. Cowgill paid various personal obligations with the money, depositing the money into his bank accounts, bank accounts of his wife, and bank accounts of the Northwest Swim Club, a non-profit swim club in Columbus for which he served as the treasurer.
PIM had the funds of approximately 300 individual clients under management, and Cowgill’s fraudulent scheme harmed at least 125 victims.
Most of the victims had their money in one of approximately 15 retirement plans. Each of the retirement plans was a qualified employee pension benefit plan under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and Cowgill pleaded guilty to theft or embezzlement from employee benefit plans.
On January 23, 2014, Cowgill lied under oath before officers of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) while the SEC was conducting an investigation to determine whether there had been violations of federal securities laws in connection with PIM.
In January 2014, in Columbus, Ohio, Cowgill gave a deposition in connection with the SEC’s investigation. As part of the deposition, Cowgill took an oath that he would testify truthfully and that all materials prepared by him in anticipation of his testimony were accurate and complete.
In connection with the deposition, Cowgill prepared responses to a background questionnaire that, in part, asked him to list all accounts in his name, in which he had any beneficial interest, or over which he had any control. In response, Cowgill failed to disclose his control of over five bank accounts associated with the Northwest Swim Club for which he was an authorized signatory. During his sworn deposition, Cowgill affirmed that his answers to the questionnaire were accurate, and again failed to disclose the five Northwest Swim Club accounts to the officers of the SEC. At the time of the deposition, Cowgill knew that the Northwest Swim Club had been a recipient of a substantial portion of the funds misappropriated by him. In doing so, Cowgill attempted to conceal his misappropriation of client funds from investigators.
Cowgill faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud. Theft or embezzlement from employee benefit plansand perjury are each crimes punishable by up to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General and U.S. Department of Labor - Employee Benefits Security Administration, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Peter Glenn-Applegate, who is representing the United States in this case. U.S. Attorney Stewart also commended the SEC for its work on the related civil matter, prior to the initiation of this criminal case.
Federal Prison Guard Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Bring Marijuana into Prison for an InmateRead the Press Release
Augusta, GA: Anna Marie McDonald, 57, from McRae, Georgia, was sentenced last week by Senior United States District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen, Jr. to serve 6 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for her role in a conspiracy to bring marijuana into a federal prison facility for an inmate.
According to evidence presented during the guilty plea and sentencing hearings, McDonald, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Contract Correctional Officer assigned to the Correctional Institution in McRae, agreed through text messages to provide marijuana to an inmate in December 2014 in exchange for money. Evidence also showed that McDonald had smuggled both alcohol and cigarettes into the facility for inmates on other occasions. As a result, federal inmates Juan Carlos Armenta-Garcia and Oscar Sierra-Rubio were both convicted of receiving contraband in prison. In October 2015, each received a 6 month prison term followed by a year of supervised release.
United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This defendant chose to place her own greed above the safety of other BOP employees and the public she was sworn to protect. Those who agree to smuggle contraband into federal prisons can expect to join the inmates from whom they are attempting to profit.”
The case was investigated the U. S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U. S. Attorney Nancy C. Greenwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. Any additional questions should be directed to First Assistant James D. Durham at (912) 201-2647.
Federal Jury Convicts Dallas Man on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Following a one and one-half day trial before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle, and less than three hours of deliberation, a federal jury has convicted 60-year-old Jack Marty Taylor, of Dallas, on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Taylor, who had been on bond, was remanded into federal custody after the verdict. He faces a statutory penalty of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
The government presented evidence at trial that on September 16, 2014, Taylor posted a Backpage advertisement entitled, “Sugar Dad looking for his son – 50.” Taylor stated he was looking for a younger guy for companionship and stated, “You must be 18-30ish…I’m looking for companionship and love.” In return for that, Taylor offered to “give you a nice, safe place to live, 3 meals a day, spending money, clothing, shoes, etc.”
On September 17, 2014, at 12:33 p.m., a detective with the Garland Police Department, posing as a 14-year-old boy, responded to the advertisement via email. Several emails transpired in which Taylor suggested they communicate via text messaging. As the text messaging began, Taylor asked more about the boy’s age, confirmed he was a minor, where he lived, and what school he attended. Taylor almost immediately began to text the boy about meeting and what they would do when they met. Taylor exchanged numerous text messages with the boy, including sexually explicit text messages, throughout the day.
The government presented further evidence that between September 17, 2014, and February 4, 2015, Taylor suggested meeting the boy in person 40 times, and each time the boy avoided meeting Taylor. In fact, after just three hours of emails and texts with the boy, and after repeatedly suggesting that the two meet, Taylor texted, “I was scared of you at first. I thought maybe you were a cop.” On February 4, 2015, the day Taylor and the boy were set to meet, Taylor again asked him if he was a cop. Taylor indicated he had experience in these types of matters and advised, “That’s an important thing to ask when you’re meeting someone for the first time.” Law enforcement arrested Taylor on February 4, 2015, at the agreed meeting location.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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 sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The Garland Police Department and the FBI investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Burns and Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks are in charge of the prosecution.
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Fair Oaks Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, United States District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. sentenced Anthony Salcedo, 34, of Fair Oaks, to five years and four months in prison for a mortgage fraud scheme. Salcedo was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy and four counts of mail fraud after a five-day trial in June 2015.
According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, Anthony Salcedo worked in the real estate industry beginning in 2000 and was licensed as a real estate agent in 2004. He was licensed as a mortgage broker in 2006 and worked for two different mortgage lenders for five years. When selling his personal properties in 2005 and 2006, Salcedo worked with mortgage broker Sean McClendon, 49, of Fair Oaks, and Anthony Williams, 47, previously of Memphis, Tennessee, to find buyers. As an incentive to complete the sales transactions, Salcedo paid kickbacks to the buyers and to McClendon outside of escrow. Salcedo artificially inflated the value of his properties and paid the kickbacks out of the excess financing paid by the lenders who were deceived as to the true value of the purchases they were underwriting. The kickback payments were never disclosed to the lenders as part of the purchase and sale agreements, and the buyers’ income and assets were falsified in order to qualify for the loans.
In all, approximately $2.6 million in fraudulently obtained loans were involved in the scheme, while Salcedo and his family got out from under their $1.6 million in mortgage debt and made over $600,000 of profit at a time when Salcedo knew the real estate market was slowing down. Salcedo was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals after the verdict, and has been awaiting sentencing in the Sacramento County Jail since that time.
According to a Sentencing Agreement on file with the Court, after trial the government’s continuing investigation indicated Salcedo might be hiding assets and manufacturing a drug problem in an effort to avoid restitution payments and influence the amount of time he ultimately served in prison. To resolve those issues, Salcedo agreed the Court need not consider his purported drug problem, which may have qualified him for a drug treatment program and a reduction of his sentence. He also agreed to repay the United States Federal Defenders for the costs of his defense, make a $300,000 payment toward a total restitution obligation of over $700,000, and pay a $50,000 fine before sentencing.
In sentencing Salcedo, Chief Judge England noted, “You really believed that you were going to beat the system. You’re not smarter than everyone else in the world.”
“Anthony Salcedo was a licensed real estate professional who decided to game the system so that he could profit in the midst of the then looming financial crisis, to which his actions contributed,” said U.S. Attorney Wagner. “We are gratified by the sentence imposed by the Court, which should serve as notice that mortgage fraud remains a serious offense for which there can and should be severe consequences.”
“Beyond the dishonesty and collusion involved, this is significant because of the exchange of money outside of escrow,” said Thomas McMahon, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Through kickbacks, the defendant and his family managed to avoid $1.6 million in mortgage debt while a few buyers declared bankruptcy and not only lost their investment properties but also their homes. IRS-CI is committed to hold accountable those involved in these types of schemes.”
Co-defendant McClendon pleaded guilty and was sentenced on November 5, 2015, to 20 months in prison. He is expected to begin serving that sentence in January 2016. Co‑defendant Williams pleaded guilty, and is currently serving his sentence of two years and nine months in prison.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service‑Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jean M. Hobler and Marilee Miller prosecuted the case.
FBI Director and NAACP Chairman to Speak at Building Bridges Conference in New HavenRead the Press Release
(Click here to watch a video of the conference)
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that FBI Director James Comey and NAACP Chairman Roslyn Brock will visit New Haven on Monday to speak at Building Bridges: The Community and Law Enforcement, a one-day event aimed at strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the African American Community.
“After the massacre at Mother Emmanuel Church in Charleston this past June, the Greater New Haven Clergy Association reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “That first meeting has grown into a continuing partnership committed to building a strong relationship between law enforcement and the community at large, grounded in fairness, mutual respect and an abiding dedication to justice. We thank the many organizations that have sponsored this important discussion and the individuals who are participating. We encourage all to attend.”
The Building Bridges Conference is co-sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Greater New Haven Clergy Association, Yale Black Law Students Association, Yale Law School, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Police Department, Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives for Connecticut. The Conference has been funded by the generous support of Yale Law School’s Oscar M. Ruebhausen Fund and members of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association.
“We are hopeful that this conference will be the beginning of bridging the divide between the community and law enforcement officers,” stated the Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber of the First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven. “Thanks to U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly, Chief Dean Esserman, Mayor Tony Harp and Rev. James Newman, President of the Clergy Association, for hearing the cry of this community. Let the healing begin, not only in this state but throughout this country.”
In addition to keynote addresses by FBI Director Comey and NAACP Chairman Brock, the conference will feature three panel discussions: Communities At Risk, Civil Rights Investigations and Prosecutions, and Project Longevity: Connecticut’s Community & Law Enforcement Partnership. The event will conclude with a performance by the Yale Gospel Choir.
The conference will be held on November 16, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, 177 College Street, New Haven. Doors open at 12:30 through the Crown Street entrance. Parking at the Temple Street Garage will be validated for the first 100 arrivals. Entrance is free, but prior registration is requested.
Interested attendants can register by clicking this link.
Executive Office for Immigration Review Announces Six New Assistant Chief Immigration JudgesRead the Press Release
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) today announced the appointment of six new assistant chief immigration judges (ACIJs). ACIJs are responsible for overseeing the operations of the immigration courts or program portfolio to which they are assigned. Their official assignments will be announced in the coming months.
The new ACIJs will help EOIR focus supervisory functions closer to the immigration courts around the country, which is particularly important given the growth in the immigration judge corps expected over the coming months. “While the immigration courts continue to face incredible strain on their resources under an ever growing backlog of cases, we must take action to fully exercise the abilities of our staff at all levels,” said Acting Chief Immigration Judge Print Maggard. “The placement of each of these dedicated immigration judges into a management role will allow EOIR to increase immigration court efficiencies through organizational change.” In addition to their management responsibilities, the new ACIJs will continue to hear cases.
Biographical information for each ACIJ follows.
Mary Cheng, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Mary Cheng was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. Judge Cheng received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 from New York University and a Juris Doctor in 1997 from New York Law School. From April 2009 to November 2015, she served as an immigration judge at the New York City Immigration Court. From March 2003 to April 2009, Judge Cheng served as an assistant chief counsel for U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New York. From June 2002 to March 2003, she worked as an assistant district counsel for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in New York. From August 2000 to May 2002, Judge Cheng was in private practice in New York. During this time, from June 2001 to June 2002, Judge Cheng served as an administrative law judge for the New York City Department of Finance. From September 1998 to July 2000, she worked as an assistant district counsel for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in New York. From September 1997 to September 1998, Judge Cheng worked as a judicial law clerk at the New York City Immigration Court entering on duty through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. Judge Cheng is a member of the New York State Bar.Irene C. Feldman, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Irene C. Feldman was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. Judge Feldman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 from Mount Holyoke College, a Juris Doctor degree in 1988 from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and a Master of Science in Management degree in 1995 from Boston University, Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. From 2008 to 2015, Judge Feldman served as an immigration judge at the Eloy (Arizona) Immigration Court. From 2001 to 2008, Judge Feldman served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Puerto Rico and in Arizona. From 1996 to 2001, Judge Feldman worked as an Assistant District Counsel, Office of the District Counsel, for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in New Jersey and in New York. From 1989 to 1994, Judge Feldman served as an Assistant Prosecutor, in the Office of the County Prosecutor, Bergen County, New Jersey. Judge Feldman is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the New Jersey State Bar.Amy C. Hoogasian, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Amy C. Hoogasian was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. Judge Hoogasian received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Juris Doctor in 1994 from John Marshall Law School, Chicago. From October 2010 to November 2015, Judge Hoogasian served as an immigration judge at the San Francisco Immigration Court. From 2009 to 2010, she served as chief legal counsel at SAGIN LLC. From 2005 through 2009, Judge Hoogasian served as senior corporation counsel at ULINE, Inc. From 1999 to 2005, she served as an assistant chief counsel, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago. From 1995 to 1999, Judge Hoogasian served as attorney to the chairman at the Illinois Pollution Control Board. In 1995, she served as an assistant state’s attorney at the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Waukegan, Ill. Judge Hoogasian is a member of the Illinois State Bar.H. Kevin Mart, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
H. Kevin Mart was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. Judge Mart received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 from the University of Dayton (Ohio) and a Juris Doctor in 1982 from Georgetown University Law Center. Since October 2010 Judge Mart has served as an immigration judge at the Miami Immigration Court. From 1995 to October 2010 Judge Mart worked in private practice in Miami and Orlando, Fla., specializing in immigration law. From 1992 to 1995 Judge Mart worked in private practice specializing in litigation in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Virgin Islands, and in 1991 worked as an assistant attorney general for the U.S. Virgin Islands. From 1982 to 1990, Judge Mart worked in private practice in New York City at Brown &Wood and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson specializing in corporate finance. Judge Mart is member of the State Bar of California, the New York and Ohio State Bars, and the Virgin Islands Bar.Sheila McNulty, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Sheila McNulty was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University of Ohio in 1984. Judge McNulty received a Juris Doctorate in 1991 from New England School of Law. From November of 2010 until November of 2015 she served as an immigration judge at the Chicago Immigration Court. Judge McNulty served as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago, from 2000 until 2010. Prior to that, she began working for the U.S. Department of Justice through the Attorney General’s Honors Program, serving as a trial attorney in the Chicago District Counsel’s Office of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1991 to 2000. Judge McNulty worked as a community activist and organizer in Cambridge, Mass., from 1985 until 1991. Judge McNulty is a member of the Illinois State Bar.Clarence M. Wagner Jr., Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Clarence M. Wagner, Jr. was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in December 2015. Judge Wagner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 from Hampton University, a Juris Doctorate in 1997 from Southern University Law Center and a Master of Law degree in 1999 from Georgetown University Law Center. From October 2010 to November 2015, Judge Wagner served as an immigration judge at the Honolulu Immigration Court. From 2003 to October 2010, he served with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, in various capacities, including chief counsel, Honolulu, from 2008 to 2010; deputy chief counsel, New Orleans, from 2006 to 2008; and assistant chief counsel, San Antonio, from 2003 to 2006. From 2002 to 2003 Judge Wagner served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Louisiana Department of Justice in Baton Rouge, La. From February 2002 to June 2002, he served as senior attorney, Legal Affairs Division, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. From 1998 to 2001, Judge Wagner served as an officer in the U.S. Army, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Honolulu, Hawaii. In that capacity, he was the labor and employment attorney from 1998 to 2000 and the environmental law attorney from 2000 to 2001. He was also appointed as a special assistant U.S. attorney, Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Hawaii, from 1998 to 2000. Judge Wagner is a member of the Louisiana State Bar and the State Bar of Texas.- EOIR -
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is an agency within the Department of Justice. Under delegated authority from the Attorney General, immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals interpret and adjudicate immigration cases according to United States immigration laws. EOIR's immigration judges conduct administrative court proceedings in immigration courts located throughout the nation. They determine whether foreign-born individuals—whom the Department of Homeland Security charges with violating immigration law—should be ordered removed from the United States or should be granted relief from removal and be permitted to remain in this country. The Board of Immigration Appeals primarily reviews appeals of decisions by immigration judges. EOIR's Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer adjudicates immigration-related employment cases. EOIR is committed to ensuring fairness in all of the cases it adjudicates.
Ellis County Man Sentenced on Federal Drug, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – An Ellis County man was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in federal prison on drug and gun charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
In July, Joseph Anthony Ransom, 30, Ellis, Kan., was convicted on count of growing marijuana plants, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.
During trial, the prosecution presented evidence that on Sept. 25, 2014, officers with the Ellis Police Department executed a search warrant at Ransom’s residence in Ellis. They found that Ransom was growing 181 marijuana plants inside his home and that he possessed a Zastava PAP M92 PV AK47 pistol and a .223 caliber rifle. Because of prior felony convictions, Ransom was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Grissom commended the Ellis Police Department, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind for their work on the case.
District Man Found Guilty of Armed Carjacking and Other Charges in Separate Attacks on Delivery Drivers in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cephus Hollis, 18, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of numerous charges stemming from two violent carjackings in Northeast Washington within a four-day period in September 2014, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced.
Hollis was found guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of a total of 15 charges, including assault with intent to kill while armed, armed carjacking of a senior citizen, and aggravated assault of a senior citizen while armed. He is to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2016, by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. He has been in custody in this case since his arrest in May 2015.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Hollis and a co-conspirator went out on the evening of Sept. 7, 2014 to steal cars in the Riggs Park neighborhood of Northeast Washington and surrounding areas. After stealing their first car that night, they used it to drive around and steal or attempt to steal numerous other cars.
In the early morning hours of Sept. 8, 2014, Hollis and the co-conspirator saw a 62-year-old man delivering copies of the Washington Post, and followed him as he did this for several stops. At one stop, in the 5800 block of Eastern Avenue NE, the newspaper delivery man got out of his car to throw a paper onto the doorstep. Hollis then got into the front seat. Hollis assumed the victim had left the keys in the ignition. The victim had not, and when he returned to the car, Hollis confronted him and demanded the keys. When the victim would not surrender the keys, Hollis punched and kicked him, and the co-conspirator joined in. They beat the victim until they broke his wrist, dislocated his shoulder, broke the orbital bones around his eye, and caused other injuries. Then, after they beat him, they took the cars he was using to make the deliveries. A few days later, that car ran out of gas and was abandoned in the middle of the street. Fingerprints recovered from it matched the defendant and the co-conspirator.
Four days later on Sept. 12, 2014, at about 5 p.m., Hollis ordered Chinese food to be delivered to his own house in the 400 block of Oneida Street NE. When the delivery driver arrived, he parked in front of the house and called Hollis, who acknowledged ordering the food. As the driver walked up to Hollis’s porch, Hollis came out of the house. Without saying anything, Hollis stabbed the driver in the head. The driver fell to the ground and Hollis kept stabbing him. The driver somehow broke free and fled to his car. He locked the door, hoping the car would keep him safe. But as he looked out the car window, he saw that Hollis had his car keys and was walking towards the car. Using the electronic key fob, Hollis unlocked the car. The driver locked the car again, smearing his own blood over the controls as he did so. Hollis, however, kept coming and unlocked the car again, got inside, and resumed stabbing the driver.
The driver got out of the car. Hollis got out, too, ran around the car, and stabbed the driver again. In total, the driver was stabbed at least seven times, including to the head, face, chest, hands, and arms. In addition to his numerous lacerations and puncture wounds, the victim sustained a partially collapsed lung. Hollis then fled in the delivery driver’s car, which was recovered the next day. DNA evidence tying Hollis to the crime was recovered from inside the car. A phone later recovered from Hollis’s pocket was shown to have placed the call ordering the food, and received the call from the delivery driver when he arrived with the food.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Phillips commended the work of the detectives of the Fourth Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department and the Special Agents from the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Tiffany Fogle and Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Lead Paralegal Specialist Kwasi Fields; Paralegal Supervisors Darline Douglas and Anthony Griffith; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim; Intelligence Analysts Shannon Alexis and Sharon Johnson; Information Technology Specialists Aneela Bhatia, Anisha Bhatia, Paul Howell, Claudia Gutierrez, Jeanie Latimore-Brown, William Henderson, and Leif Hickling; Criminal Investigators Nelson Rhone and Chris Brophy; Elizabeth Trosman, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Rickard and John Mannarino of the Appellate Division; and Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation. Finally, he praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Bruckmann and Katherine Earnest, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Defendants Plead Guilty at Onset of Sex Trafficking TrialRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – With the guilty plea of the final defendant today, a total of six men have now been convicted for their varying roles in an international sex trafficking of minors conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Jose William Quintanilla, 40, entered his plea today after the jury was seated and testimony was set to begin. Two others – Adelio De Jesus Batres, 52, and Hugo Alexander Melendez-Gonzalez, 37 - pleaded before trial began this week, while the remaining three – Francis Yuvinni Guerra Pleitez, 33, Walter Alexander Ejcalon Xalcut, 27, and Mariano Quintanilla-Campos, 33 – had previously entered guilty pleas in the case.
With the exception of Xalcut, who is from Guatemala, the defendants are originally from El Salvador. All had been residing in the Houston area.
Court records demonstrated that from late 2010 to the present, the men conspired to cause persons less than 18 years of age to engage in commercial sex acts. The men employed women and underage girls, transported them to various apartments for the purpose of engaging in sex and shared in the proceeds derived from the illegal activity. Most, if not all, of the females were also aliens illegally within the U.S.
With the exception of Melendez-Gonzalez, who admitted to sex trafficking of a particular minor, the remaining defendants were all convicted of engaging in the overall sex trafficking of minors conspiracy. All six men face up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner has set sentencing for Feb. 9, 2015.
All of the defendants had been and will remain in custody pending their sentencing hearing.
The charges arose from an investigation conducted by the FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Searle and Douglas Davis are prosecuting the case.
Defendants Convicted in Methamphetamine Conspiracy Sentenced to Lengthy Federal Prison TermsRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — Four defendants who pleaded guilty this summer to their respective roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that operated in the Dallas – Fort Worth area, and elsewhere, have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
U.S. District Judge John McBryde sentenced the four on Friday as follows: Humberto Macedo, 27, of Dallas, 360 months; Fernando Perez, a/k/a “Fernando Perez-Reynoso,” 22, of Mexico, 240 months; Guadalupe Macedo, 23, of Dallas, 240 months; and Ariceli Munoz, 27, formerly of South Carolina, 48 months.
Each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to documents filed in the case, from approximately April 1, 2014 to March 3, 2015, the four defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired to possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine.
During the conspiracy, Humberto Macedo distributed more than 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. Perez acted as Humberto Macedo’s primary runner. Guadalupe Macedo purchased more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine from Humberto Macedo. Munoz assisted Humberto Macedo by counting money from the drug transactions and brokering methamphetamine transactions.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Burgess prosecuted.
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Cuban National Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Claudia Diaz Diaz, 22, a Cuban National, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that Diaz fraudulently obtained the credit/debit card numbers of actual people and then encoded counterfeit cards with the information illegally obtained. The defendant then used the counterfeit cards to purchase merchandise at retail stores in the area, including a Tops Market in Amherst, NY and a CVS Pharmacy in Buffalo, NY. Diaz obtained the information associated with approximately 79 credit and debit card accounts at various financial institutions.
Five other Cuban Nationals, Eduardo Quinones Hernandez, Yasser Carrillo Chartrand, Yaily Santurio Milian, Misael Toledo Rios, and Jose Valdivia Quinones are also charged in this scheme to defraud involving counterfeit debit cards. Hernandez, Quinones and Rios have been convicted, charges are pending against Chartrand and Milian. 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.
Today’s plea is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero, the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge C. Todd Laster, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Convicted Sex Offender Admits to Enticing a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Michael L. Montague, age 65, formerly of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to using a mobile phone to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and to receipt of child pornography.
The guilty plea 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; Special Agent in Charge Andre Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to Montague’s plea agreement, from February 16 through March 26, 2014, Montague used his mobile phone to contact Boy 1. Montague knew Boy 1, and knew that Boy 1 was 12 years old at the time of their communications. Montague used a mobile application to contact Boy 1 using a number different from the telephone number assigned to Montague’s phone. Using this disguised phone number, Montague contacted Boy 1 and claimed to be “Gail,” a classmate of victim’s. Posing as “Gail,” Montague engaged in sexually explicit text and email communications with Boy 1.
Montague, posing as “Gail” wrote to Boy 1 that she knew Montague, and that Boy 1 should send pictures of himself to Montague, and Montague would send Boy 1 pictures of “Gail.” “Gail” told Boy 1 that Montague had very nice pictures of “Gail” that Boy 1 should ask Montague to see. “Gail” suggested that Boy 1 seek permission to stay with Montague for a weekend so that “Gail” and Boy 1 could meet for a sexual encounter. “Gail” also told Boy 1 that she could get Montague to make a sexual video of her, and that then Boy 1 should let Montague make a sexual video with Boy 1. Montague also sent messages to Boy 1 posing as a male classmate of Boy 1 who also knew Montague and “Gail.”
Forensic examination of Montague’s phone revealed sexually explicit communications with Boy 1, sexually explicit images and videos Montague sent to Boy 1, and a sexually explicit image that the victim sent to Montague.
On May 19, 2009, Montague was convicted in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, Maryland, of child abuse and a third degree sex offense, for his sexual abuse of two girls, and was sentenced to three years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Montague was required to register as a sex offender. As part of this plea agreement, Montague will be required to continue to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Montague faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity; and a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and up to 40 years in prison for receipt of child pornography, each followed by up to lifetime supervised release. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for February 19, 2016, at 11:00 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, HSI Baltimore, Maryland State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Judson T. Mihok, who are prosecuting the case.
Co-owner of Construction Company Sentenced for Defrauding Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business ProgramRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - The co-owner of a defunct Missouri construction company has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for defrauding a federal program that set aside contracts for businesses owned by service-disabled veterans, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Thursday.
Michael J. Parker, 41, Blue Springs, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States, one count of major program fraud and one count of wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted that he and his father, co-defendant, Warren K. Parker, made false claims in order for their company, Silver Star Construction LLC of Blue Springs, Mo., and Stilwell, Kan., to obtain more than $6.7 million in contracts from the Veterans Administration and more than $748,000 in contracts from the Department of Defense. The contracts were awarded under the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program.
Federal agents determined that in fact Warren Parker never was classified as a service-disabled veteran by the Veterans Administration or the Department of Defense.
Co-defendants include:
Warren K. Parker, who was sentenced to 87 months.
Mary Parker, who was sentenced to 20 months.
Thomas Whitehead, who is awaiting sentencing.
Grissom commended the Small Business Administration?s Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division and the General Services Administration?s Office of Inspector General; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt for their work on the case.
Clerk Admits Stealing Material Information from Prominent Law Firm for Use in $5.6 Million Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. - The former managing clerk for a prominent, international law firm today admitted stealing sensitive, confidential information for use in a five-year insider trader scheme that yielded net profits of more than $5.6 million, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Steven Metro, 41, of Katonah, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to the first two counts of an indictment charging him with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and tender offer fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2009 to 2013, Metro stole material nonpublic information from his then-employer, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, one of the nation’s premier mergers and acquisitions firms. The information related to corporate transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions or tender offers, in which the firm represented a party or financial advisor to the transaction. As the firm’s managing clerk, Metro did not personally work on most of these transactions. Instead, Metro stole the inside information by scouring the firm’s computer system for client names and the keywords “merger agreement,” “bid letter,” “engagement letter,” and “due diligence.”
After obtaining the inside information, Metro would meet his friend, Frank Tamayo, 42, of Brooklyn, New York, at a bar, coffee shop, or other location near their respective workplaces in midtown Manhattan. During these meetings, Metro provided Tamayo material information pertaining to, among other things, the names and/or ticker symbols of the companies whose securities should be purchased. Tamayo would write the security’s ticker symbol on a small piece of paper or napkin and commit the rest of the inside information to memory.
Afterwards, Tamayo would meet Vladimir Eydelman, 43, formerly of Colts Neck, New Jersey, usually at a location near Eydelman’s workplace, such as at the large clock in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. Tamayo would show Eydelman the paper or napkin with the ticker symbol of the company whose securities should be purchased. After Eydelman memorized the ticker symbol, Tamayo would place the paper or napkin into his mouth and chew it until it was destroyed.
After receiving the inside information provided by Metro, whom Eydelman knew as Tamayo’s “source,” Eydelman then purchased securities for himself, family members, friends, and/or clients, including Tamayo. Eydelman quickly sold the shares and covered any positions once the relevant deal was publicly announced and the stock price rose.
Throughout the course of the approximately five-year scheme, Tamayo reinvested the approximately $7,000 in profits that Metro made on the first deal, and updated Metro on the running balance of his profits from the insider trading scheme. As of October 2013, by which time the conspirators had traded ahead of at least 13 planned corporate transactions, Metro’s share of the profits had reached approximately $168,000. Metro sought to “cash out” his share of the accrued profits from the insider trading scheme, pressing Tamayo to “liberate some cash” during a meeting in January 2014. Eydelman paid approximately $7,000 in cash to Tamayo in February 2014, with the expectation that Tamayo would use the cash to compensate his law firm source – i.e., Metro – for providing them the inside information.
By exploiting the information that Metro took from the firm, Metro, Tamayo and Eydelman netted more than $5.6 million in illicit profits over five years.
The securities fraud charge to which Metro pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison a $5 million fine. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Metro must also forfeit any proceeds from the offense. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 17, 2016.
Tamayo and Eydelman have both pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and await sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Market Abuse Unit, under the direction of Robert Cohen and Joseph Sansone.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirley U. Emehelu of the Special Prosecutions Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark, and R. Joseph Gribko of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton, as well as Unit Acting Chief Barbara Ward and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jafer Aftab of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.
These charges are 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: James R. Froccaro Jr. Esq., Port Washington, New York
Charlotte Business Owner Involved in Foreclosure Assistance Scheme Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
A resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of North Carolina to conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose of the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court documents and statements in court, Daniel Heggins and his co-conspirator Joan Clark of Charlotte conspired to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns. Heggins recruited individuals with debts, such as home mortgages or car loans and created false Forms 1099-OID falsely characterizing the amount of the debts as income. Heggins and Clark then prepared and filed false Forms 1040 that requested refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) based on the false Forms 1099-OID. Heggins and Clark caused the returns to be filed at the IRS office in Charlotte. Sixteen false tax returns claiming more than $4 million in fraudulent refunds were filed with the IRS as part of the scheme. According to court documents, Clark and another individual, Marlowe Williams, filed three false tax returns, requesting $900,000 in fraudulent refunds from the IRS and received $601,780.
Heggins faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On Nov. 5, Clark, also pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each conspiracy count. On Nov. 9, Williams of New London, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Clark to defraud the United States. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On Sept. 24, Cheryl Jones of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to presenting a materially false document to the IRS. Jones submitted false tax returns to the IRS at the direction of Heggins and Clark. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The court has not yet set sentencing dates for any of the defendants.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation and the FBI, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Savage of the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Todd P. Kostyshak of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Charlotte Business Owner Involved in Foreclosure Assistance Scheme Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of North Carolina to conspiracy to defraud the United States, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose of the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court documents and statements in court, Daniel Heggins and his co-conspirator Joan Clark of Charlotte conspired to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns. Heggins recruited individuals with debts, such as home mortgages or car loans and created false Forms 1099-OID falsely characterizing the amount of the debts as income. Heggins and Clark then prepared and filed false Forms 1040 that requested refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) based on the false Forms 1099-OID. Heggins and Clark caused the returns to be filed at the IRS office in Charlotte. Sixteen false tax returns claiming more than $4 million in fraudulent refunds were filed with the IRS as part of the scheme. According to court documents, Clark and another individual, Marlowe Williams, filed three false tax returns, requesting $900,000 in fraudulent refunds from the IRS and received $601,780.
Heggins faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On Nov. 5, Clark, also pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each conspiracy count. On Nov. 9, Williams of New London, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Clark to defraud the United States. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On Sept. 24, Cheryl Jones of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to presenting a materially false document to the IRS. Jones submitted false tax returns to the IRS at the direction of Heggins and Clark. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The court has not yet set sentencing dates for any of the defendants.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation and the FBI, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Savage of the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Todd P. Kostyshak of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Canadian Corporation Sentenced to 80K Fine After Importation of Contaminated Cattle FeedRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Yves Bolduc, President of the Quebec cattle feed brokerage and manufacturing company, Meunerie Sawyerville, Inc., appeared Monday in United States District Court in Rutland on behalf of the Canadian corporation. United States District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford sentenced the defendant corporation to one year of probation and two fines of $70,000 and $10,000 on the two felony counts of conviction. The corporation had previously pled guilty to one count of making a false statement to the United States government, and one count of fraudulently causing the cattle feed drug monensin to be introduced into interstate commerce at a level of concentration significantly higher than that allowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. According to court documents, on or about Sept. 12, 2012, Meunerie Sawyerville sent a driver into the United States with a truckload of cattle feed medicated with the regulated drug monensin at a concentration above that allowed by the FDA and 200% more than what was marked on the label. The feed was sampled at the border, and the driver was ordered to warehouse the feed pending further testing from the FDA. Contrary to orders from U.S. officials, Bolduc instructed the driver to deliver the feed to the Vermont farmer as planned, without informing the farmer that the feed had been sampled and ordered held by the FDA. The driver did deliver the medicated feed to the customer, and the Vermont cows consumed the contaminated feed. Bolduc thereafter engineered a plan that a sham shipment of similar-looking cattle feed cross the border under false Customs documentation to be stored on an unrelated piece of land in Vermont until requested for redelivery by Customs and Border Protection. Upon Customs’ request, Bolduc ordered that the sham shipment be presented for redelivery, accompanied by fictitious documentation that represented the sham shipment of feed to be the tainted feed, which was in fact already consumed by Vermont cows. United States Attorney Eric Miller emphasized the importance of enforcing the FDA’s rules on medicated feed, stating, “Vermonters care deeply about the quality and content of the milk our farmers produce and our families drink. My office will continue to work closely with the FDA to make sure that feed suppliers comply with laws that protect consumers from tainted products.” Meunerie Sawyerville was represented by Attorney Bud Allen. The prosecutor was Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail Averbach. The United States Attorney would like to express his gratitude to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Veterinary Drug Specialists, and Office of the Chief Counsel, for their excellent investigative work and assistance with this case.Business Owner Indicted on Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a three count indictment charging David B. Schmitt, 63, of North Tonawanda, NY, with tax evasion and obstructing the administration of the Internal Revenue Service laws. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $100,000 fine.Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, the defendant owned and operated two different delivery businesses known as Three Kids Trucking Inc., and 1553 Harlem Road Inc. Between April 2007 and June 2013, while Schmitt owned and operated these businesses, he willfully attempted to evade and defeat the payment of a large part of the federal employment taxes owed by the two businesses in an amount exceeding $500,000. The defendant did so by, among other things, filing false forms with the IRS, having nominees open bank accounts to conduct business for the corporations and created a fraudulent trust for one of the corporations.
The defendant was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. Schmitt was released and is due back in court on November 20, 2015.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Shantelle P. Kitchen, Special Agent in Charge.
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.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Isaiah Brown, 28, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to bank robbery, before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank T. Pimentel, who is handling the case, stated that on July 9, 2015, Brown entered the First Niagara Bank at 2853 Delaware Avenue in Kenmore, NY wearing a brown wig. The defendant passed a note to the teller demanding money and threatening that he had a gun. Brown made off with a specific amount of money.
As part of his plea agreement, the defendant also admitted that on July 3, 2015, he robbed the First Niagara Bank at 1726 Hertel Avenue in Buffalo using the same method.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Adam S. Cohen
Sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
Bossier City Man Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that BRUCE LYDEL, age 59, of Bossier City, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information charging him with theft of government funds.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced LYDEL to five years probation, including six months of home detention. Additionally, LYDEL was ordered to pay $203,218 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.
According to court documents, LYDEL received Social Security Title II Benefit payments to which he knew he was not entitled.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Social Security Administration- Office of Inspector General for investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Loan "Mimi" Nguyen was in charge of the prosecution.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Antwan Travers, age 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for charges arising from his participation in a conspiracy to commit three armed robberies of commercial establishments. Judge Bennett also entered an order requiring Travers to pay restitution of $6,000.
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; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
According to Travers’ plea agreement, in March 2014, Travers and co-defendant Darryl Green planned to commit an armed robbery at a pharmacy located in the 6600 block of Security Boulevard in Baltimore. According to his plea agreement, on March 19, 2014, Travers drove Green to the store and waited outside as the getaway driver. Green entered the store and asked an employee about medication for pink eye. At the time, the employee was holding her two-month old baby. The employee’s husband was also in the store. Green pointed a long-barreled BB pistol at the employee and her baby and said, “I’m going to kill the baby.” He then ordered the employee to move towards the cash register. The employee and her husband activated a loud panic alarm, and Green fled the store. Travers drove Green away from the pharmacy.
Travers admitted that he and Green attempted to rob a grocery store on March 27, 2014. Travers drove Green to the supermarket. Green entered the store and asked a store employee about purchasing a Keno card. Green then pointed a handgun at the employee and demanded money from the register. Green said, “You better make it quick or I’m going to shoot you.” Travers drove away before Green could escape. Green attempted to run away, but he was quickly caught by members of the Baltimore County Police Department. Officers found the gun that Green had used during the robbery, a loaded .380 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number, near the location where Green was arrested. Officers also found the stolen money, about $5,000, in a plastic bag.
Travers also admitted that he was the getaway driver in the February 16, 2014 robbery of a store in the 6600 block of Security Boulevard. In that robbery, Travers drove an unknown male to the store. The man brandished a firearm and demanded that the store employee empty the cash register and the safe. The man stole approximately $6,000.
Darryl Green, age 48, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the robberies and was sentenced on 12 years in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore County Police Department, Baltimore City Police Department and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg and Joshua Ferrentino, who prosecuted the case.
Audubon County Resident Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA- On November 10, 2015, Randy Mark Heinrichs, age 50, of Exira, Iowa, was sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to 70 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Heinrichs also will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from imprisonment.
On August 6, 2015, Heinrichs pleaded guilty to this charge and admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa beginning as early as June 2004 and continuing through August 2004. The charge was the result of an investigation by law enforcement of drug trafficking that occurred in both Omaha, Nebraska, and Exira, Iowa.
The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Attorney Pleads Guilty to Traveling from Oklahoma City to Peru to Engage in Sex with Girl Under 18Read the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Today, MICHAEL DEAN BILLINGS, 60, an attorney from Oklahoma City, pled guilty to traveling from Oklahoma City to Iquitos, Peru, between January 1, 2011 and February 21, 2013, to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a Peruvian girl under 18 years of age, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
Billings was indicted on October 22, 2014. Today, he pled guilty to traveling internationally from Oklahoma City to Iquitos, Peru, from January 1, 2011 through February 21, 2013, to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a Peruvian girl under 18 years of age. Reference is made to the court record for further information.
At sentencing, Billings faces up to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and registration as a sex offender for life. He was immediately remanded into custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. A sentencing hearing will be set by the Court in approximately 90 days.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Peruvian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Don Gifford, II, and David Petermann.
Another Man Sentenced for Motion Picture Tax Credit ScamRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green announced that GEORGE M. KOSTUCH, age 46, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick to serve a 3-year term of probation and ordered to pay $161,850 in restitution to the State of Louisiana.
KOSTUCH previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the State of Louisiana’s Motion Picture Industry Development Tax Credit Program (“Tax Credit Program”). KOSTUCH owned and was associated with two film production companies and obtained tax credits for an episodic game show series focused on sports trivia. At his guilty plea, KOSTUCH admitted that, from June 2010 through March 2011, KOSTUCH used his control over companies in the industry to cause fraudulent checks to be issued and delivered, totaling $539,000, for production expenses that had not actually been incurred. These fraudulent checks made it appear as though KOSTUCH and others with whom he was involved incurred $539,000 in eligible production expenses, which ultimately caused the Louisiana Economic Development Office (“LED”) to issue a certified tax credit in the amount of $161,850. KOSTUCH and others received the benefit of the tax credit knowing that it had been obtained through false representations.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Inspector General’s Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frederick A. Menner, Jr.
Alabama Resident and U.S. Postal Worker Pleads Guilty for Involvement in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud RingRead the Press Release
Stole Identities of Individuals on Her Mail Route for Use in Filing False Tax Returns
An Alabama resident and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama to conspiring to defraud the United States with respect to false claims, aggravated identity theft and embezzling mail, Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama announced.
According to court documents, between June 2012 and December 2013, Elizabeth Grant, 42, of Seale, Alabama, conspired with others to obtain fraudulent tax refunds by filing false federal income tax returns using stolen identities. For a fee, Grant provided co-conspirators with addresses along her mail delivery route to use in filing false tax returns. Grant then retrieved the fraudulent tax refund checks from the mail and delivered the checks to her co-conspirators. The scheme resulted in the filing of more than 700 false returns claiming more than $1.5 million in refunds.
Several co-conspirators, including Tracy Mitchell and Keshia Lanier, have already pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this scheme. On August 7, Mitchell was sentenced to 159 months in prison. On September 25, Lanier was sentenced to 180 months in prison.
Grant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy count and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of embezzling mail. Grant also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, which is in addition to the sentence she receives for the other counts, as well as a potential $125,000 fine.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Beck Jr. commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the USPS Office of the Inspector General, who investigated the case and Trial Attorneys Michael C. Boteler, Gregory Bailey and Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Assistant U. S. Attorney Jonathan Ross of the Middle District of Alabama, who are prosecuting this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Alabama Man Sentenced for Possession and Transportation of Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that BRITTEN PARSONS, age 22, of Huntsville, Alabama, was sentenced today after having previously pled guilty to conspiracy to possess and transport stolen firearms in interstate commerce and transportation of stolen firearms in interstate commerce.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced PARSONS to 37 months of incarceration, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in January and February 2013, PARSONS, BRITTANY BAUER and ALEX BRASINGTON transported nine stolen firearms in interstate commerce, from Alabama to Louisiana. The investigation revealed that the firearms had been stolen during residence burglaries in Huntsville, Alabama. On February 14, 2013, agents conducted a search of BAUER’s New Orleans apartment and found five stolen firearms and approximately 1700 rounds of ammunition. Court documents reflect that agents also recovered four stolen firearms and ammunition that PARSONS, BAUER and BRASINGTON sold to individuals in New Orleans. PARSONS had previously been found in possession of a stolen firearm on January 31, 2013.
PARSONS’ co-defendants have previously been sentenced. ALEX BRASINGTON was sentenced to 33 months incarceration and BRITTANY BAUER was sentenced to 6 months incarceration.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the ATF New Orleans Division Office, New Orleans Police Department, Pearl River (LA) Police Department, Pearl River County (MS) Sheriff’s Office, and Huntsville Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nolan D. Paige was in charge of the prosecution.
Akron man arrested for soliciting the murder of members of the U.S. militaryRead the Press Release
An Akron man was arrested today on federal charges that he solicited the murder of members of the U.S. military.
Terrence J. McNeil, 25, appeared in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio after being charged with one count of solicitation of a crime of violence.
The charge was announced by Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony of the FBI’s Cleveland Division.
“According to the allegations in the complaint, Terrence McNeil solicited the murder of members of our military by disseminating ISIL’s violent rhetoric, circulating detailed U.S. military personnel information, and explicitly calling for the killing of American service members in their homes and communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “ISIL and its followers continue to use social media in an attempt to incite violence around the world, including in the United States. The National Security Division's highest priority is counterterrorism and we will use all of our tools to disrupt threats and acts of violence against our military members and their families.”
“As this nation honors our veterans, we must make clear that we will not tolerate threats of violence against our service members,” said U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “This defendant is charged with urging harm to our men and women in uniform and will now answer for those threats.”
“While we aggressively defend First Amendment rights, the individual arrested went far beyond free speech by reposting names and addresses of 100 U.S. service members, all with the intent to have them killed,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to stop those who wish to support these despicable acts.”
According to an affidavit filed in the case:
McNeil professed his support on social media on numerous occasions for the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
On or about Sept. 24, 2015, using a Tumblr account, McNeil reblogged a file with the banner “Islamic State Hacking Division,” followed by “Target: United States Military” and “Leak: Addresses of 100 U.S. Military Personnel.”
The file type is a .gif file, which allows multiple still images to be looped in one file, with a timed delay between each image. The text of the first file reads “O Brothers in America, know that the jihad against the crusaders is not limited to the lands of the Khilafah, it is a world-wide jihad and their war is not just a war against the Islamic State, it is a war against Islam…Know that it is wajib (translated to “necessary”) for you to kill these kuffar! and now we have made it easy for you by giving you addresses, all you need to do is take the final step, so what are you waiting for? Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe…”
The file then loops several dozen photographs, purportedly of U.S. military personnel, along with their respective name, address and military branch.
The final image looped is a picture of a handgun and a knife with text that reads “…and kill them wherever you find them…”
A charge is not evidence of guilt. It is the government’s burden to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, and a defendant is presumed innocent until that time.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes local, state and federal agencies from Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland FBI would like to thank the following partners in this investigation: Akron Police Department, University of Akron Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Transit Police, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. This case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
59,000 Elementary, Middle and High School Students Sign Pledge Against Gun ViIolenceRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA – United States Attorney Edward Tarver announced that 59,000 students in Chatham, Richmond, Burke, Columbia, Evans, Liberty and Wilkes Counties joined with students across the nation to take the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence.
Students individually and voluntarily pledged to do their part to stop gun violence. Middle and High school students pledged that they will never take a gun to school, will never resolve a dispute with a gun and will use their influence to prevent friends from using guns to cause harm to others. Elementary students made a simpler commitment, pledging to not touch a gun, if they see one, to assume that any gun they see might be loaded and to make smart choices to keep themselves safe.
The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence is a national initiative that honors the role that young people, through their own decisions, can play in reducing gun violence. Held in conjunction with the Day of National Concern about Young People and Gun Violence, the initiative provides a means for teachers and community leaders to speak to young people about gun violence. Over 10 million students nationwide have signed the pledge since its inception in 1996.
In addition to providing the pledges to school leaders and students in the 43 counties that make up Georgia’s Southern District, the U.S. Attorney’s Office coordinated with community leaders and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to provide speakers at several school assemblies to talk to students about what they can do to reduce gun violence in their communities.
U.S. Attorney Tarver stated, “I am extremely pleased to have received such an outstanding response from our schools and community leaders. To have 59,000 students engage in the conversation about gun violence will surely make an impact on the safety of our schools and communities. I would like to acknowledge each of the superintendents, members of the board of education, volunteer speakers and school program coordinators for their critical role in carrying out this initiative. This was truly a community effort, and one that I believe achieved great success.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia plans to continue the initiative on an annual basis with the goal of obtaining participation by every school in each of the District’s 43 counties.
If you would like more information on The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence, please contact Nic Roberts at [email protected] or 912-652-4422.
33 Individuals Charged with Drug Trafficking in the Municipality of CayeyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 9, 2015, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a six-count indictment against 33 defendants charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Immigration and Customs Enforcement- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), Guayama Strike Force, are in charge of the investigation.
The indictment alleges that beginning in 2008, the organization distributed heroin, crack, cocaine, marihuana, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) within 1,000 feet of a real property comprising Luis Muñoz Morales and Brisas de Cayey Public Housing Projects, San Tomás and Canteras Wards, and other areas nearby and within the Municipality of Cayey, Puerto Rico, all for financial gain and profit.
The 33 defendants are: Edgardo Ramos-Vicente, aka “Galdo;” Jean Carlos Ramos-Vicente, aka “Masimbo;” Ángel M. Meléndez-Mercado, aka “Cachete;” Héctor Luis Malavé-Guzmán, aka “Flaco;” Jean Carlos Vázquez, aka “Yankee;” Ismael Rivera-Torres, aka “Momo;” Carlos J. Ríos-Santos, aka “Charlie Ceja;” Carlos Salvania-Bonilla, aka “Charlito;” Erick X. Vázquez-Vicente, aka “Erick Chino;” Jayson Vázquez-Vicente, aka “Simbad;” Francisco Xavier Vázquez-Alvarado, aka “Guacharito;” Oscar Luis Mendoza-Flroes, aka “Luiggi;” Brian González, aka “Tetin;” John C. Suárez-Martínez, aka “Jota;” Pedro L. Kuilan-Álvarez, aka “Café;” Victor J. Veguilla-Martínez, aka “Javier El Gordo;” Victor M. Rodríguez-Ayala, aka “Matatán;” Christian Reyes-Llera, aka “Finqui;” Juan C. Muller-Vázquez, aka “Muller;” Jonathan Alvarado-Vega, aka “Transfor;” Gerardo Bonilla-Suárez, aka “El Vizco;” José D. Suárez-Martínez, aka “Spider;” Humberto Rivera-López, aka “Chono;” Joseph Díaz-Morales; Christian Rivera-Rivera, aka “Alfalfa;” Gerome Malavé-Guzmán, aka “7 Pisos;” Luis A. López-Torres, aka “Pinguita;” Arnaldo Lleras-Corredor, aka “Chata;” Edgardo Ramos-meléndez, aka “Galdito;” Yeexsaira Malavé-Rodríguez, aka La China;” Louis A. Pabón-Meléndez, aka “Chava;” and Mercedes Vega-Vázquez, aka “Cede & Chichi.”
The 33 co-conspirators acted in different roles in order to further the goals of the conspiracy, to wit: leader, managers/drug owners, enforcers, runners, drug processors, sellers, and lookouts. Thirty-one of the defendants are facing one count of possession of firearms of different brands and calibers, including fully automatic weapons, in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
The indictment alleges that, as part of the manner and means of the conspiracy, some of the defendants and their co-conspirators would use social media to post pictures of co-conspirators in possession of firearms, to promote their drug trafficking activities, and to threaten witnesses. The defendants would take pictures of themselves with cellular phones, in possession of firearms and the drugs that they distributed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney César Rivera-Giraud is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
11 Individuals, Including A Nurse Practitioner, Indicted on Charges of Illegally Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a 21 count indictment charging 11 defendants with conspiracy to distribute and obtain through fraud controlled substances. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.Under indictment are:
• Jennifer Courton, 28, of Buffalo, NY
• Calvin Elston, Jr., 38, of Buffalo, NY
• Brandon M. Coburn, 32, of West Seneca, NY
• John Davis, 42, of Buffalo, NY
• Rodney Courton, 46, of Buffalo, NY
• Jessica Howard, 23, of Buffalo, NY
• Samuel Nappo, 36, of Buffalo, NY
• Tashaira Vazquez, 29, of Buffalo, NY
• Terrance Williams, 44, of Buffalo, NY
• Johanna Sanchez Rodriquez, 40, Buffalo, NY
• Louis Diaz, 49, of Buffalo, NYSome of the defendants are also charged with obtaining controlled substances through fraud, distribution of fentanyl, oxymorphone, and oxycodone, and maintaining a premises for the distribution of drugs.
“Both the country and this area are in the midst of an epidemic related to the use and abuse of opiate-based drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “While this scourge will only end with the continuing assistance of the public, law enforcement stands ready to do its part through the vigorous enforcement of the laws. As this case demonstrates, a person’s status as a licensed medical prescriber will not protect them from prosecution where the situation warrants.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caleb J. Petzoldt, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between December 2013 and April 2015, Coburn, a licensed nurse practitioner, provided fraudulent Fentanyl prescriptions to the defendants. As a nurse practitioner, Coburn can legally prescribe controlled substances. These prescriptions however were filled by the defendants and sold on the street in the Buffalo area and were not used for a legitimate medical purposes. In some instances, they paid other individuals $50 to fill the prescriptions for them.Coburn, who is not currently employed as a nurse practitioner in the Western District of New York, previously surrendered his medical license in the State of Arizona for improper professional practice and misconduct.
10 of the defendants have been arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. Defendants Williams and Rodney Courton are being held pending detentions hearings. Jennifer Courton will be arraigned at a later date.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division.
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.
10th Street Gang Member Sentenced for RacketeeringRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Sam Thurmond, 27, of Buffalo, N.Y., who was convicted of Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Conspiracy (RICO Conspiracy), was sentenced to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara.“This case – which includes the murder of two innocent civilians - is a perfect example of why our Office continues to target violent street gangs,” U.S. Attorney Hochul stated. “With the continuing assistance of the public, there is no doubt we can one day rid this area of these predators.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who handling the case, stated that between 2000 and 2011, Thurmond was a member of the 10th Street Gang. As a part of his involvement in the gang, the defendant participated in the murders of Brandon MacDonald and Darinell Young who were shot and killed on April 17, 2006.On April 16, 2006, rival 7th Street Gang members were believed to have shot a 10th Street Gang member. In response, Thurmond and other 10th Street Gang members planned to retaliate. On April 17, the defendant and others obtained firearms including several shotguns, a .22 caliber rifle, a .44 caliber handgun, and a .380 caliber handgun. The defendant and other 10th Street Gang members and associates then went to the area around 155 Pennsylvania Street where they believed rival 7th Street Gang members involved in the shooting were located. The 10th Street Gang members and associates, including Thurmond, began shooting at the individuals sitting on the porch, and standing near 155 Pennsylvania Street. Brandon MacDonald and Darinell Young, who were not members of the 7th Street Gang, were both shot, and both died as a result of injuries sustained during the shooting.
Thurmond is one of 44 10th Street Gang members or associate convicted in connection with the investigation.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Investigators of the New York State Police under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto, the Buffalo Police Department under the direction of Commission Daniel Derenda, and Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen.
Wednesday 11 November 2015
Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Armed Robbery of Hampton Service CenterRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that Michael Anglin (age 25) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Charles N. Clevert to 230 months’ imprisonment for his involvement in the December 9, 2013, robbery of the Hampton Service Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The robbery was committed by three masked men, two of whom were armed with a 9mm handgun and an assault rifle.
Following a trial in April, a jury found Michael Anglin guilty of conspiracy to commit Hobbs robbery, armed Hobbs robbery, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. During the robbery, Michael Anglin pistol whipped and shot an employee of the Hampton Service Center, causing life-threatening and permanent injuries. Two other individuals have been charged with committing this robbery, one of whom has plead guilty and is awaiting sentencing, and another who intends to proceed to trial in December.
According to Acting United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad: “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to addressing violent crime in this district and will continue to prosecute and seek substantial prison sentences for those who use firearms in the commission of crimes.”
Haanstad also emphasized that “the successful prosecution of this important case was the result of a collaborative law enforcement effort 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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Jackson Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Antoine Johnson, 26, of Jackson, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to possession of a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis announced today.
On August 9, 2015, the Jackson Police Department responded to a report of a disturbance. Officers located Johnson near the intersection of First Avenue and Broad Street. He was ordered to the ground by the officers and a pistol was found in his right front pocket. Johnson’s previous felony conviction was in Madison County Circuit Court for business burglary.
Johnson will be sentenced on February 2, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case is a result of the Jackson Violent Crime Initiative, a joint initiative between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together to reduce violent crime in the city of Jackson and to remove violent offenders from the streets of this community. Violent Crime Initiative partners include the Jackson Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Secret Service.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of ATF and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon.
Tuesday 10 November 2015
Williamson County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
On November 5, 2015, Jeremey A. Phillips, a/k/a "Jeremy Phillips," 28, of Marion, pled guilty to a two-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine knowing that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
The offenses occurred between 2012 and February 2015, in Williamson, Jackson, and Jefferson Counties. Evidence at the plea hearing established that Phillips was involved with others in obtaining pseudoephedrine and manufacturing methamphetamine. Phillips is currently being held without bond pending a March 8, 2016, sentencing hearing. At that time, Phillips faces up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Marion Police Department.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.
Wheeling man sentenced for cocaine traffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Cornelius Johnson, Jr., 38, of Wheeling, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for cocaine trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Johnson repeatedly sold crack cocaine throughout 2014 in Ohio County, West Virginia. Specifically, he sold cocaine on multiple occasions near Wilson Playground in Wheeling. He pled guilty in June 2015 to:
• Four counts of “Use of a Telephone to Facilitate the Distribution of Cocaine Base,”
• Four counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location,”
• One count of “Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises,” and
• One count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.”Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Westbrook Man Pleads Guilty to Bath Salt Distribution and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Contact: David B. Joyce
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Christopher Coombs, 43, of Westbrook, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possession with intent to distribute alpha-PHP (a bath salt) and obstruction of justice.
According to court records, on October 31, 2015, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled delivery of about 500 grams of alpha-PVP to Coombs at his residence in Westbrook. This package originated from China and was intercepted by customs officials in New York. After Coombs accepted the package, he was arrested. Following his arrest, he directed his wife to delete certain emails that were relevant to the investigation.
At the plea hearing, Coombs also admitted to a violation of his supervised release. Coombs was on supervision from a 2008 conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.
Coombs faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine on the drug charge; up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine on the obstruction charge; and up to three years for violating supervised release. He will be sentenced after completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Westbrook Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Service.
Violent Gang Member Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Murder in San JoseRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Jose Farias Barajas, a/k/a "Bear," was sentenced today to 28 years in federal prison for his part in a racketeering conspiracy and other crimes announced Acting United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson. The sentence follows a guilty plea in which Barajas acknowledged his guilt relating to several gang-related crimes including robbery, narcotics trafficking, and murder.
Barajas, 25, of San Jose, is a member of the Varrio Colonias Trece (Colonias), a Sureño street gang in San Jose. According to court records, members of the Colonias gang are allied with members of another Sureño gang in San Jose, Varrio Tamilee Gangsters (“VTG”). On March 20, 2014, Barajas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, possession and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in murder, and distribution of methamphetamine. As part of his plea agreement, Barajas acknowledged his participation in Colonias/VTG gang activity including attacks on members of rival Norteño gangs.
Also as part of his plea agreement, Barajas acknowledged the facts underlying the killing on August 13, 2012, of an innocent victim. Barajas and a codefendant, Victor Manuel Rodriguez, a/k/a “Silencer,” were in a car “hunting” for rival Norteño gang members. The codefendants were retaliating because someone had spray painted graffiti in the Colonias/VTG Gang’s territory. According to court documents:
In carrying out this RICO conspiracy, in August 2013, defendant Barajas drove co-defendant Rodriguez around hunting for rival Norteños who had been spray painting their gang graffiti on the defendants’ gang’s turf. Barajas knew that Rodriguez was armed with a .38 caliber revolver. Upon seeing [the victim], the defendants thought he was a Norteño and Rodriguez directed Barajas to make a U-turn, which he did. Barajas then stopped the car right in front of [the victim’s] driveway, and Rodriguez exited the car, pulled out the .38 caliber revolver that he had been carrying on his person, and shot [the victim] once in the head at close range. After shooting the victim in the head, Rodriguez reentered Barajas’s car and laughed about the shooting.
The victim died two days later. The investigation revealed that he was not in fact a Norteño gang member. The victim had just arrived home with his girlfriend from the veterinarian where they had taken their sick dog.
The Honorable Edward J. Davila, United States District Judge, handed down the sentence. Rodriguez was previously sentenced to 38 years in prison. Both defendants have been in custody since their arrest on October 3, 2012.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Meyer and Daniel Kaleba prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Nina Burney. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Jose Police Department.
Vermont Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Robert Orth, 30, of South Ryegate, Vermont, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of possessing more than 100 grams of heroin with the intent to distribute it, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities, and one count of possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.
On May 29, 2014, during a motor vehicle stop in Nashua, New Hampshire, Nashua police officers recovered more than 200 grams of heroin and a loaded handgun in a jacket belonging to Orth, already a convicted felon. During a subsequent interview, Orth admitted that the heroin and the handgun belonged to him.
“Our office is committed to investigate and prosecute those individuals who traffic in heroin,” stated Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith. “Individuals who choose to profit from trafficking heroin can expect to serve significant sentences in federal prison upon conviction. The ten-year sentence in this case insures that the public will be protected from Mr. Orth’s drug trafficking for the next decade.
Orth is scheduled for sentencing on February 16, 2016. Orth is facing a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison and criminal fines of up to $5,000,000. Under the terms of a plea agreement resolving the case, which the court reserved accepting until the sentencing date, Orth will serve a sentence of ten years in federal prison.
This prosecution arose from an investigation conducted by several officers and detectives of the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Hampshire. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Abramson and Seth Aframe.