Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 4 November 2015
Former Department of Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Soliciting and Receiving Kickback Proceeds Related to U.S. Government ContractRead the Press Release
The former director of operations of a Department of Defense contracting company in Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to soliciting and receiving $193,665 in kickback proceeds in return for steering U.S. government subcontracts to a U.K. company, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Robert W. Gannon, 54, of Bangkok, pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to solicit and accept kickbacks. Gannon will be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2016.
According to his plea agreement, Gannon’s job responsibilities included identifying, evaluating and monitoring subcontracts. Gannon admitted that he used his position to arrange with executives of a U.K.-based company that they would make kickback payments to Gannon in return for a series of purchase orders Gannon’s company awarded in August 2009 with a total value of nearly $6 million. Those orders called for the provision of explosive ordinance disposal equipment to U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. In return for his efforts, Gannon admitted that the U.K. company wired funds with a total value of almost $200,000 from bank accounts in the United Kingdom to Gannon’s account in Singapore.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and the City of London Police provided significant assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Wade Weems of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lytle of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Florida Investment Advisor Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Orchestrating $9 Million Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Tampa, Florida, area investment advisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison today for perpetrating a $9 million investment fraud scheme involving Facebook stock.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Paul Wysopal of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office and Inspector in Charge Ronald J. Verrochio of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division made the announcement.
Gignesh Movalia, 40, a registered investment advisor, was also ordered by Chief U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday of the Middle District of Florida to pay $5,394,419 in restitution and to three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Movalia pleaded guilty on Aug. 13, 2015, to one count of investment advisor fraud.
In connection with his guilty plea, Movalia admitted that he founded OM Global Investment Fund LLC in 2009 and subsequently used the fund to defraud investors. Specifically, in 2011 and 2012, Movalia raised more than $9 million from 130 investors by falsely claiming to have access to pre-initial public offering shares of Facebook Inc. Rather than using this money to buy Facebook shares as promised, however, Movalia invested the money in other securities and concealed that fact from investors. By September 2013 when it went into receivership, the OM Global Fund lost approximately $9 million, with $6 million of those losses as a result of the fraud scheme.
The case was investigated by the FBI and USPIS, with assistance provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Miami Regional Office. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Andrew H. Warren of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Federal, State and Local Authorities Announce Formation of Task Force to Fight Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly, representatives from federal, state and local law enforcement, and social service agencies today announced the formation of the Connecticut Human Trafficking Task Force to combat commercial sexual and labor exploitation in Connecticut.
This Human Trafficking Task Force includes representatives from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Connecticut State Police and police departments from 14 cities and towns across Connecticut, including Bridgeport, East Hartford, Greenwich, Hamden, Hartford, Milford, Naugatuck, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Waterbury, West Haven and Windsor Locks. Additional police departments have been or will be invited to participate and are also expected to join the Task Force.
Committed to a victim-centered model, the Task Force will partner with social service agencies and organizations, including the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the International Institute of Connecticut, which help to identify and report suspected trafficking and then provide needed support for trafficking victims.
“Over the last several years, it has become increasingly clear that human trafficking, and particularly the sex trafficking of minors – the cruel victimization of defenseless young women and men – is a form of modern day slavery,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “Despite the best efforts of law enforcement, this criminal activity grows apace with the proliferation of Internet marketplaces where sex with children can be bought and sold. This task force dramatically expands our resources by bringing together a broad group of trained and dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement authorities that will operate across jurisdictional boundaries throughout Connecticut. We are proud to be working collaboratively with the Department of Children and Families and the International Institute of Connecticut as these organizations provide critical support by identifying victims of these terrible crimes and giving them the support that they so desperately need.”
U.S. Attorney Daly noted that, in recent years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut has prosecuted more than 20 individuals for sex trafficking offenses, most of which involved minor victims. On Monday of this week, defendant Edward Thomas was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment for trafficking 16 and 17 year-old girls in Milford and Windsor Locks. Yesterday, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Jordan Anate of New York with sex trafficking of a minor for more than four months in Connecticut and elsewhere.
The Task Force will be coordinated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Novick and Sarala Nagala who will lead monthly meetings with task force members to discuss investigatory leads and case developments. In December 2015, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will conduct a three-day training for a large group of police officers from participating departments and troopers from the Connecticut State Police. Law enforcement officers who complete the training will be deputized as federal task force officers.
“Close collaboration between federal, state, local and NGO partners is the most effective way to tackle the issues of human trafficking involving forced labor and the sex trade,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Etre of HSI Boston. “HSI’s victim-centered approach brings a unique perspective to the table that will blend well with the talented and resourceful people from our partner law enforcement agencies and local NGOs. Working together to go after the criminal element that preys on victims who are unable or unprepared to defend themselves is at the forefront of our public safety initiatives at HSI.”
“The FBI is proud to work alongside our local, state and federal partners, and today’s announcement of this joint Task Force should serve as a warning to all who participate in the depravity and exploitation of human beings for profit, that such behavior will be vigorously investigated by a group focused on their specific types of criminal behavior,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Patricia M. Ferrick. “We intend to use every resource available to seek out and shut down those responsible for human trafficking in and around Connecticut.”
In October, the FBI and law enforcement partners conducted its ninth “Operation Cross Country,” a nationwide law enforcement action focusing on underage victims of prostitution. The most recent operation resulted in the recovery of 149 sexually exploited children and the arrests of more than 150 pimps and other individuals.
“The most important thing the Department has learned in the last four years fighting Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking is the need to coordinate our efforts with all the partners we possibly can to ensure that we are being our most effective,” said Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz. “That is why we have worked with thousands of law enforcement officials – from the FBI to local police departments around Connecticut – as well as medical, clinical and education professionals to make sure we are all informed and working together. This task force will be another big step forward in realizing such an effective partnership.”
“We are pleased to be partnering with law enforcement here in Connecticut as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Human Trafficking Task Force,” said Alicia Kinsman of the International Institute of Connecticut. “For nearly 10 years, the International Institute of Connecticut has worked to protect victims and is committed to eradicating human trafficking in our state. It is a horrendous crime; one that exploits vulnerable populations and deprives them of their rights and freedom. But with statewide coordination of law enforcement and victim service efforts, we know that here in Connecticut, we have the power to stop it.”
“The collaborative approach of the Task Force balances society’s need to ensure that justice is done for these despicable crimes, while at the same time meeting the needs of victims, who in far too many of these cases are only children,” said U.S. Attorney Daly.
U.S. Attorney Daly encouraged trafficking victims, and anyone who comes in contact with potential victims of trafficking, to call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 888-373-7888. The hotline is run by the Polaris Project under a federal grant. Hotline operators are trained to identify potential trafficking situations, and will immediately refer tips to law enforcement. Individuals can also send an email to [email protected].
Trafficking victims also are encouraged to text “BEFREE” to receive an immediate response and help from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.
Ex-Postal Service Employee Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
Ashton Luck, 29, from South Roxana, Illinois, pled guilty to a six-count Indictment that charged one count of workers compensation fraud and five additional counts of making false statements, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Luck faces up to thirty years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years supervision upon his release, plus mandatory restitution. Sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2016.
As part of the plea, Luck admitted that while she worked for the U.S. Postal service as a mail carrier for the East Alton Post Office, she submitted a fraudulent workers compensation claim for a purported on-the-job injury. She also admitted that she submitted a number of false leave slips, fabricated a doctor's note and falsified hospital records in support of claimed emergency and sick leave.
The indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Eight Sentenced in Massive Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The eight defendants charged in this district in a scheme in which fraudulent tax returns were filed using identification information that was stolen and used without lawful authority have all been ordered to prison, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Postal Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Special Agent in Charge Rick Goss of IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI).
Travis White, 32, and Jalan Willingham, 35, both of Atlanta, Georgia, were the ring leaders in the conspiracy and both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, one count of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Shawn Phillip Thornton, 37, also of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy as did postal carriers Edward Dwayne Vallier, 42, of Houston, and Tangela R. Jackson-Lezeau, 36, of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Another letter carrier - Calvin Shelton, 39, also of Atlanta - entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy as well as mail fraud, seven counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Two others - Kerry Lionel Ruffin, 32 and Rance Hunter, 31, both of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison accepted all the guilty pleas and imposed the sentences today. White and Willingham were ordered to serve 200 and 108 months, respectively, for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges as well as a consecutive 24-month-term of imprisonment on the identity theft which must be served consecutively to the other sentences imposed. Following the total 224 and 132-month-terms, White and Willingham will also serve three years of supervised release.
Shelton was ordered to serve 33 months in prison for the conspiracy and mail fraud charges in addition to a 24-month-term of imprisonment for the identity theft for a total of 57 months in federal prison. Vallier, Thornton and Jackson-Lezeau received respective sentences of 27, 45 and 46 months in prison. Ruffin and Hunter will serve 26 and 60 months, respectively, for the conspiracy convictions which will be served consecutively to another 24 months for the identity theft, resulting in sentences of 50 and 84 months in federal prison. They must all also serve three years of supervised release following their releases from prison.
The court ordered restitution in the total amount of $7,845,652, with the defendants paying varying amounts in accordance with their roles in the scheme.
At the hearing, a victim testified about the effect the defendants’ stealing her identity has had on her life. It resulted in her having tremendously bad credit which led to her having depression among other things.
The case against a ninth defendant - Dwayne Biggs - was transferred to the Northern District of Georgia. He also pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.“USPIS has sought for hundreds of years those who use the Postal Service for illegal gain,” said Gonzalez. “This investigation was an excellent example of a partnership between federal law enforcement agencies working together to bring down this fraud conspiracy. I fully commend the hard work and countless hours put forth which resulted in bringing these individuals to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing should send a clear message that the U.S. government will not tolerate the systematic victimization of our citizens by identity thieves,” said Goss. “IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to fighting identity theft and the chaos it causes in the lives of the victims.”
From 2010 through 2013, the co-conspirators used the stolen personal identifying information to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns claiming more than $12 million in refunds. According to IRS records, the National Treasury paid out more than more than $7 million before the scheme was discovered.
White played a key role in recruiting and organizing and was considered the number one leader in this conspiracy. Not only did he recruit Shelton and Thornton, but he also gave instructions to co-conspirators on what to do in this scheme, acquired stolen information and filed the false tax returns. Additionally, once he recruited letter carriers, he instructed them to mail refund cards to him or Willingham. He also moved the scheme to Houston when he realized law enforcement was on their trail.
Willingham is considered to be the second in command. He entered into the conspiracy in 2010 when he was approached by White while in Georgia and continued with the scheme until their relocation to Houston in 2012. Not only did Willingham assist in the filing of the false tax returns, he recruited letter carriers and received the packages from Shelton as well. Willingham was also responsible for recruiting Vallier to participate in in this scheme and provided instructions to Shelton regularly.
While White and Willingham were the main leaders in this organization that committed tax fraud and identify theft on an unprecedented scale, in order for the conspiracy to function as efficiently as it did, they had to recruit trusted agents to assist them. Hunter had access to the Fulton County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office database including names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of arrestees, inmate and employees. He sold that personally-identifiable information (PII) to Biggs who then provided it to Ruffin. Ruffin acted as a conduit, funneling the stolen PII to the co-conspirators in Houston. From 2010 through 2013, White and Willingham used the stolen PII to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns claiming more than $12 million in refunds. The tax refunds generated by the fraudulent returns were often deposited onto reloadable debit cards and mailed to addresses under control of the conspirators. Vallier, Jackson-Lezeau and Shelton allowed fraudulent refunds to be mailed to addresses on their routes. After gathering the mail containing the refund debit cards, they sent them to their co-conspirators in Houston.
Shelton, White, Willingham and Thornton are in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future, while Jackson, Vallier, Ruffin and Hunter were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender at a later date.
The charges were the result of a joint investigation conducted by USPIS and IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady is prosecuting the case.
Doctor Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Illegally Prescribing Narcotics, Defrauding Government ProgramsRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, announced that DR. JOHN KATSETOS, 53, of Fairfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally dispensing oxycodone and other controlled substances well outside of the scope of accepted medical practice, and for defrauding government healthcare programs.
“Dr. Katsetos repeatedly violated his oath to protect his patients from harm,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “He flooded our community with highly addictive controlled substances authorizing more than 2 million dosage units to more than 2000 patients. His criminal conduct, which included ignoring the warnings of a doctor and pharmacists that certain patients clearly showed signs of addiction, caused dozens of his own patients to fall prey to opioid addiction. At least one his former patients, who traveled approximately 180 miles from her home in New York to receive prescriptions from Dr. Katsetos, tragically died of an overdose. This long prison term appropriately reflects the devastating harm he has caused. The sentence will protect the community from this defendant and hopefully deter other medical practitioners who are inclined to put profit over patient health and safety.”
“The DEA is committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who divert and traffic oxycodone,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Opiate abuse is a major problem in Connecticut and throughout New England. The diversion of prescription pain killers, in this case oxycodone, contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, is a gateway to heroin addiction and is devastating our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in Connecticut and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue anyone that illicitly distributes these drugs.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, KATSETOS practiced medicine for more than 20 years, most recently out of offices located at 90 Morgan Street in Stamford and 353 Bridgeport Avenue in Milford. The investigation, which included the use of undercover law enforcement personnel, revealed that KATSETOS failed to perform rudimentary examinations of patients to justify the controlled substances he prescribed, and that he had been warned by a doctor and several pharmacists, some of whom stopped filling his prescriptions, that he should stop prescribing oxycodone and other narcotic pain medications to certain patients who showed obvious signs of addiction. KATSETOS ignored the warnings and continued to prescribe controlled substances, including oxycodone, to these patients outside of the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
The investigation further revealed that KATSETOS’s conduct created opioid addictions in dozens of patients, led to the overdose death of a New York woman, and supplied individuals with a vast quantity of prescription pills that they illegally distributed to others.
From November 2011 to October 2013, KATSETOS authorized more than 2 million dosage units of Schedule II through IV controlled substances to more than 2000 patients. This placed him as the eighth highest prescriber of such controlled substances in Connecticut – a list that includes hospitals. He was the highest-ranked general practitioner on the list.
KATSETOS also saw multiple patients at once and billed Medicare and Medicaid for individual visits for each of those patients.
“We expect doctors to be part of the solution to America's prescription drug fraud epidemic -- not part of the problem,” said Special Agent in Charge Phillip Coyne, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Dr. Katsetos violated the fundamental trust that taxpayers and patients extend to healthcare professionals. This sentencing should serve as a warning to those who would abuse their positions for personal gain.”
On May 1, 2015, KATSETOS pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute narcotics, and one count of health care fraud.
As part of the sentence, Judge Bryant ordered KATSETOS to pay $497,789 in restitution, and to forfeit $550,000, which represents the value of his medical practice.
KATSETOS was arrested on July 1, 2014, and has been released on a $1 million bond. At the conclusion of today’s court proceeding, he was remanded to begin serving his sentence.
This matter was investigated by the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the assistance of the State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Drug Control Division, and several local police departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Alina Reynolds.
U.S. Attorney Daly encouraged individuals who suspect health care fraud to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
District Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Jail on Voyeurism and Stalking ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Rosen, 45 of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 32 months of incarceration on charges stemming from a series of incidents between 2012 and 2014 in which he secretly took video recordings of women in various stages of undress by aiming his cellular phone through their apartment windows in Northwest Washington.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Rosen, a former senior official of the U.S. State Department, pled guilty on July 29, 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to six counts of voyeurism and five counts of stalking. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston to a total of 11 years in jail. The judge suspended all but 32 months of the time on the condition that he successfully complete five years of probation upon his release from jail.
“Daniel Rosen trawled city neighborhoods in the late-night hours, sneaking into alleys and aiming his camera into the windows of women who had no idea they were being recorded,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “This sexual exploitation and invasion of privacy took place over a period of years and shattered the victims’ sense of safety and security. This sentence holds him accountable for the harm he caused to so many women and hopefully will deter others from similar conduct.”
According to a factual proffer submitted at the plea hearing, over the course of a three-year period, Rosen purposefully positioned himself outside of the windows of women who resided in basement-level apartments that faced rear, isolated alleys. The women believed they were shielded from outside view by the use of curtains, blinds, or the fact that their windows were situated in enclosed, hard-to-access to areas, either behind fences, through back residential alleys, or down a flight of basement steps. Once positioned behind these women’s apartments, Rosen peered through their windows and used his iPhone to record them. The activities took place in the areas of Mount Pleasant, the U Street Corridor, and Adams Morgan.
Rosen recorded the women in various stages of undress, capturing some in the most intimate and private moments in their bedrooms and bathrooms. Several women had their blinds or curtains drawn, but Rosen was able to maneuver himself and his cell phone in between the cracks or small openings of the blinds to make his recordings.
All of the recordings took place during the late evening hours, thus enabling Rosen to hide in the shadows as he recorded these women in their lit bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms. At times, Rosen would engage in this conduct while walking his dog, thus disguising his true intentions. None of the women were aware that Rosen was watching and recording them, and none gave Rosen permission to watch and record them. For several of these women, the defendant returned on more than one occasion to record their private moments.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Lanier commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition, they expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Suttenberg and Andrea L. Hertzfeld, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Shootings That Targeted Two Off-Duty Metropolitan Police Department OfficersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Romeo T. Hayes, 28, and his brother, Ronald J. Hayes, Jr., also known as “Rocky,” 20, of Washington, D.C., entered guilty pleas today to charges stemming from the shooting of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Detective Thurman Stallings, and the attempted shooting of MPD Officer Shaquinta Gaines, both of whom were off-duty.
The guilty pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Under what is known as the Alford doctrine, Romeo T. Hayes pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to eight felonies and one misdemeanor. Specifically, he pled guilty to one count of assault with intent to kill stemming from the shooting of Detective Stallings; one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; one count of assault with a dangerous weapon (gun); one count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; three counts of felony destruction of property; one count of fleeing from a law enforcement officer; and one count of misdemeanor destruction of property. Under an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit the allegations but agrees that the government has enough evidence to secure a conviction.
The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a 10-year prison sentence. The Honorable Jennifer Anderson scheduled sentencing for Feb. 19, 2016.
Ronald J. Hayes, Jr., who otherwise is serving a 12-year sentence for two counts of vehicular manslaughter in Prince George’s County, Md., pled guilty to one count of tampering with physical evidence. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of 16 months in prison. He also is to be sentenced on Feb. 19, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, on Tuesday night, Aug. 12, 2014, both Romeo T. Hayes and Ronald J. Hayes, Jr., together with several other individuals, were at a home in Glenarden, Md. Romeo Hayes was consuming tequila and also taking drugs known as “Mollies,” a toxic mixture of laboratory-created or synthetic chemicals that stimulates the central nervous system and causes euphoric highs similar to those created by ecstasy.
At some point, Romeo Hayes indicated that he wanted to go to a nightclub known as the Opera Ultra Lounge, in the 1400 block of I Street NW. Accordingly, in the early morning hours of Aug. 13, 2014, Romeo Hayes and another individual left the home to head to the nightclub. Romeo Hayes drove there in a red 2013 Nissan Altima that he knew recently had been stolen from a rental car agency at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Video footage from the nightclub captured Romeo Hayes and his companion entering the nightclub at about 12:50 a.m.
Video footage also captured Romeo Hayes and his companion leaving the Opera nightclub at approximately 2:24 a.m. Because Romeo Hayes had been drinking alcohol, and had consumed drugs known as “Mollies,” as well as some marijuana, the individual who was with Romeo Hayes obtained the car keys to the stolen red 2013 Nissan Altima and assumed the role as driver. Romeo Hayes sat in the front passenger seat. Romeo Hayes had a black Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine in the stolen red 2013 Nissan Altima.
The individual who was with Romeo Hayes started to drive back to the house in Glenarden, Md. As the individual drove outbound on Suitland Parkway in Southeast Washington, in the right lane, just before the exit for Alabama Avenue SE, at about 2:47 a.m., Romeo Hayes fired two or three gunshots from the window adjacent to the front passenger seat. The gunshots were directed at a white Nissan Maxima occupied by Officer Gaines, who was in the left lane and who was off-duty at the time and driving home. One of the bullets fired by Romeo Hayes struck the white Nissan Maxima, causing substantial damage to the car.
Thereafter, with Officer Gaines following behind, the individual who was with Romeo Hayes sped off and drove to Southern Avenue, where – in the left lane – he came to a stop light at the intersection of Southern and Pennsylvania Avenues SE. In the right lane, also at the stop light, was Detective Stallings, who was alone in a GMC Yukon Denali, and who was off-duty but on his way to work. From the front passenger seat, Romeo Hayes fired multiple gunshots at Detective Stallings, striking him with a bullet in the left forearm and inflicting significant damage to the driver-side of the GMC Yukon Denali.
Wounded, Detective Stallings rammed the red 2013 Nissan Altima in an effort to disable it and to prevent the shooter and any other occupants from escaping. When that occurred, the stolen red Nissan Altima pivoted in front of the GMC Yukon Denali. Romeo Hayes fired an additional volley of shots at Detective Stallings, striking him three additional times in the chest and shoulder area, and also damaging the windshield behind which he sat.
At the urging of Romeo Hayes, the individual who was with him managed to drive off. He turned left off of Southern Avenue onto Massachusetts Avenue. There, in the 4200 block of Massachusetts Avenue SE, just off of Southern Avenue SE, Romeo Hayes again began to shoot at the white Nissan Maxima occupied by off-duty Officer Gaines, who had been following them, who had reported the license tag number for the stolen red Nissan Altima to a 9-1-1 call-taker, and who had witnessed the collision between the Altima and the GMC Yukon Denali at the intersection of Southern and Pennsylvania Avenues SE.
After this third and last shooting, the individual who was with Romeo Hayes drove rapidly back to the house in Glenarden. He parked near that residence and ran inside, followed by Romeo Hayes. Inside the residence were Ronald Hayes, Jr., and several other individuals. The individual who was with Romeo Hayes quietly told Ronald Hayes, Jr., about the shootings, and expressed concern that Romeo Hayes fired gunshots for no apparent reason and may have killed someone. He also gave Ronald Hayes, Jr., the keys to the red 2013 Nissan Altima.
Romeo Hayes gave the Glock 17 9mm pistol with the extended magazine to his brother, who quickly concealed – and later hid – the gun. Romeo Hayes and Ronald Hayes, Jr., then began to argue. Their voices were elevated and firm. Ronald Hayes, Jr., demanded to know exactly what Romeo Hayes had done, and why. For his part, Romeo Hayes demanded the car keys for the stolen red 2013 Nissan Altima. Romeo Hayes said he wanted to purchase some gasoline and “blow the car up,” to degrade and devalue it as evidence. Following several minutes of loud argument, Romeo Hayes obtained the car keys from his brother.
Romeo Hayes then left and ran back to the stolen red 2013 Nissan Altima, which had suffered significant damage on the passenger side when it was rammed by the GMC Yukon Denali driven by Detective Stallings. Romeo Hayes drove off, and soon was spotted and followed by the police. Multiple police units, including MPD officers, Prince George’s County Police Department officers, and a United States Park Police helicopter, were involved in the pursuit of the stolen red Nissan Altima. Romeo Hayes drove at a high rate of speed, and attempted to elude the police during this pursuit.
The pursuit came to an end in the 5500 block of Hunt Place NE, between 3:45 a.m. and 4 a.m., where Romeo Hayes ultimately was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the guilty pleas, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Lanier commended the work of the detectives of the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, crime scene officers, and the Sixth and Seventh Police Districts of the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and a helicopter unit of the United States Park Police. They expressed appreciation of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Criminal Investigators Derek Starliper, Durand Odom, and Mark Crawford; Paralegal Specialist Debra Joyner; Investigative Analysts Shannon Alexis and Zachary McMenamin, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Ballantine, Karen Seifert, John Marston, Lindsey Merikas, and Jessica Brooks. Finally, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Lanier praised the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Brittin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Departments of Justice, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services Establish $2.3 Million Domestic Violence and Housing Technical Assistance InitiativeRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the launch of a federal Domestic Violence and Housing Technical Assistance Consortium to better address the critical housing needs of victims of domestic violence and their children. The three federal agencies are awarding a total of $2.3 million in grant funding to four organizations who will form this national consortium in order to foster increased collaboration among domestic violence and homeless service providers and provide national training, technical assistance and resource development on domestic violence and housing.
“The limited availability of shelters and the difficulties in accessing safe, affordable housing options too often leave domestic violence survivors homeless, or send them back to abusive partners and unsafe homes,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. “The Department of Justice is committed to providing trauma-informed guidance, resources and training across the country to combat this critical challenge, and I am proud to stand with my federal partners as we work to establish a comprehensive federal response to address the unique housing needs and safety concerns of domestic violence survivors.”
“Escaping domestic violence should not increase a person’s chances of becoming homeless,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro. “Unfortunately that is too often the case for survivors and their children, which is why I’m proud to join this interagency effort to develop more comprehensive efforts to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence.”
According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) report, nearly 10 million people in the U.S. experienced physical violence by an intimate partner in 2010. According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in 2008, 28 percent of U.S. families were homeless because of domestic violence and 39 percent of U.S. cities cited domestic violence as the primary cause of family homelessness. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) has established the goal of preventing and ending homelessness among families, youth, and children by 2020.
“Domestic violence is a primary cause of family homelessness because many victims leave their homes to pursue safety,” said Commissioner Rafael López of HHS’ Administration on Children, Youth and Families. “Victims of domestic violence need housing options that meet their immediate and long-term needs. This interagency consortium will help us marshal federal resources to address domestic violence.”
As a result of this interagency collaboration, grant funds are being provided to the following organizations:
-
District Alliance for Safe Housing (Washington, D.C.)
-
National Network to End Domestic Violence (Washington, D.C.)
-
National Resource Center for Domestic Violence (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania):
-
Training Development Associates (Laurinburg, North Carolina)/Collaborative Solutions, Inc. (Birmingham, Alabama)
The four grant recipients will form the Domestic Violence and Housing Technical Assistance Consortium and will work with domestic violence providers and homeless service providers nationwide to improve policies, identify promising practices and strengthen collaborations necessary to improve housing options for survivors of domestic violence and their children in order to enhance safety, stability, and well-being. The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime and Office on Violence Against Women; HUD’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs and HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Division of Family Violence Prevention and Services have worked together to increase capacity, resources and guidance to adequately address the housing needs of domestic violence survivors and their children, as leading members of the Domestic Violence Committee of the USICH.
About the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women
Created in 1995, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the Nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. To learn more, visit www.justice.gov/ovw.
About the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is committed to enhancing the Nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and to providing leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime. Established in 1988 through an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984, OVC is charged by Congress with administering the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund). Through OVC, the Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. Millions of dollars are invested annually in victim compensation and assistance in every U.S. state and territory, as well as for training, technical assistance, and other capacity-building programs designed to enhance service providers’ ability to support victims of crime in communities across the Nation. To learn more, visit www.ovc.gov/.
About the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs
The Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) supports the nationwide commitment to ending homelessness by providing funding opportunities to nonprofit organizations and State and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families. Through these opportunities, SNAPS advocates self-sufficiency and promotes the effective utilization of mainstream resources available to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/.
About the Department of Health and Human Services’ Family Violence Prevention and Services Program
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Program is the primary federal funder of domestic violence emergency shelter and other supportive services in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, 5 Territories and 274 Tribes. For more facts on the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program, visit http://www.acf.hhs.gov/fvpsa.
-
Denton County Man Sentenced for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A 37-year-old Denton, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Joe Edward Cummings pleaded guilty on Sep. 16, 2015, to transporting child pornography in interstate commerce and was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, in September 2014, the Texas Rangers and the Justin Police Department initiated an investigation when the social media platform Twitter reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual using a computer in Cummings’ residence had posted child pornography on Twitter. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant at Cummings’ house on Oct. 1, 2014. At that time, officers seized a number of digital devices, including a computer tablet belonging to Cummings. Forensic agents located child pornography on Cummings’ tablet during a forensic review of the seized digital media. As the investigation continued, officers discovered that Cummings, who was then a sworn peace officer with the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, had transported child pornography onto an online file hosting service for cloud storage, as well as through other social media platforms and online communication services.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety – Texas Rangers, and the Justin, Texas Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller.
Compounding Pharmacist Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Paying Kickbacks for Referrals, Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – The owner of a compounding pharmacy in Lakewood, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for paying tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes to physicians for referring pain cream prescriptions, defrauding health care benefit programs out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
The president and pharmacist-in-charge of Prescriptions R US – Vladimir Kleyman, 44, of Lakewood, New Jersey – previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an information charging him with conspiracy to pay kickbacks and to commit health care fraud. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2013 through January 2014, Kleyman provided another individual with tens of thousands of dollars in cash and checks to provide bribes to physicians for referring prescriptions for a compounded pain cream to Prescriptions R US. Compounding pharmacies prepare medication, using different types and dosages of drugs, in order to provide more personalized medications for patients. The compounded pain cream prepared by Prescriptions R US in this case contains several components, including ketamine (a Schedule III non-narcotic), lidocaine and diclofenac.
Kleyman admitted that in a series of meetings in November and December 2013 alone, he arranged for the middleman to receive more than $50,000 in cash or checks with the understanding it would be used to pay bribes for the referral of pain cream prescriptions.
Kleyman also admitted he knew certain health insurance carriers, including federal health care benefit programs, did not cover compounded pain cream, but he nevertheless dispensed the pain cream to these patients and obtained payment from their insurance carriers by falsely representing the pain cream to be other covered items. Kleyman also acknowledged he defrauded health insurance carriers by making false and misleading representations about the quantity of the pain cream that he dispensed and the frequency with which he dispensed it. As a result, private insurance companies paid the pharmacy hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Kleyman to serve three years of supervised release, ordered him to pay $1,036,658 in criminal restitution and forfeiture and civil penalties. As part of his plea agreement, Kleyman also must pay $2 million in federal income taxes, interest, and penalties for the 2013 tax year.
In a separate civil settlement with the Justice Department and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kleyman paid $160,000 to resolve allegations of receiving Medicare funds through referrals and orders by physicians he paid.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, and IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented in the criminal case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane H. Yoon and Senior Litigation Counsel Andrew Leven, and in the civil settlement, by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bernard J. Cooney, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman reorganized the health care fraud practice at the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office shortly after taking office, including creating a stand-alone Health Care and Government Fraud Unit to handle both criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions of health care fraud offenses. Since 2010, the office has recovered more than $635 million in health care fraud and government fraud settlements, judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture under the False Claims Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and other statutes.
Defense counsel: Alain Jeff Ifrah Esq., Washington, D.C.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Stacey Haynes (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Wade Andrew Albright, age 43, of Columbia, South Carolina pled guilty today in federal court. Albright plead guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 924(e). Senior United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie accepted the plea and Senior United States District Court Judge Margaret B. Seymour will impose a sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on the early morning hours of November 29, 2013, officers with the Lexington County Narcotics Enforcement Team (“NET”) set up surveillance in order to arrest Albright on outstanding state warrants for distribution of narcotics. Officers observed Albright drive into the employee parking lot of the a local chicken processing plant in West Columbia, where he was employed at the time. As officers approached his truck, Albright got back into the truck and fled. Officers observed Albright drive across Highway 378/Sunset Boulevard and drive into a neighborhood. Shortly thereafter, officers observed Albright’s truck in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the area, the driver’s door was open and the truck was still running. Other officers then observed Albright along a wood line. After a brief chase, Albright was arrested. A search incident to arrest revealed numerous pill bottles containing individually bagged pills, cocaine, and marijuana both on Albright’s person and in a book bag he discarded while running. Officers also located a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver and additional rounds of ammunition on Albright. A check of the firearm revealed that it had previously been reported stolen in Richland County. Albright is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and/or ammunition based upon his prior state convictions in Fairfield, Richland, and Marlboro counties for burglary 2nd degree (3 separate convictions), strong arm robbery (3 separate convictions), and manslaughter.
Mr. Nettles stated that Albright faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000 on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge unless he is deemed an armed career criminal by the court based upon his extensive prior convictions and then he would face a mandatory minimum of 15 years imprisonment with a maximum of life.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lexington County Narcotics Enforcement Team and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
#####
Clarksburg, WV man convicted of selling morphine near local collegeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Michael Conley, 38, of Clarksburg, was convicted of morphine trafficking today in federal court, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Conley sold morphine in September 2014 near Pierpont Community and Technical College in Harrison County, West Virginia. He pled guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Morphine within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” He faces between one and forty years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Adkins and Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Selling Deadly Heroin Cocktail That Resulted in the Death of A Local ManRead 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 Peter N. Militello, 34, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and heroin, was sentenced to 360 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.“Today’s sentencing concludes the first ever prosecution of a drug dealer who killed his customer with his illegal product,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Successfully tackling the deadly opiate epidemic that is sweeping across our community will take many working together. As was also shown by our prosecution of a medical doctor this week, our Office intends to do its part."
DEA Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt stated, “Law enforcement can’t change the fact that heroin and fentanyl use leads to overdose deaths; deaths of people whose lives were cut too short. However, this prosecution hopefully brings some closure to their loved ones and causes others who distribute fentanyl-laced heroin not to make the same choices that Peter Militello made.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Catherine Baumgarten, who handled the case, stated that between January 25, 2010 and June 6, 2013, the defendant sold heroin on several occasions in the City of Buffalo. On May 23, 2013, Militello sold a heroin and fentanyl mixture to an individual residing in Buffalo. Several hours later, the man was found dead in his residence by a family member. An autopsy performed on the man found that he died as a result of acute intoxication from the heroin and fentanyl mixture.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
Alorton Man Sentenced for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced that Travis T. Wells, 33, of Alorton, Illinois, was sentenced on Friday, October 30, 2015, in federal district court, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Wells received a sentence of 42 months in prison, to be followed by one year supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a $375 fine.
On January 6, 2015, law enforcement officers received a tip that Wells, who was a wanted individual, was at a residence in Alorton, Illinois. Upon entering the apartment, officers observed an infant on a bed in the upstairs bedroom with Wells. Wells informed the officers that he needed to change the baby’s diaper. Officers then asked Wells to take the infant out of the room and law enforcement officers found a .22 caliber semiautomatic firearm under a sheet on the bed – the very same bed where the baby was laying just moments earlier. Wells subsequently admitted that he owned the gun.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Drucker.
Alaska Plastic Surgeon Convicted of Wire Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Doctor Hid Millions in Secret Accounts in Panama
An Alaskan plastic surgeon was convicted today of four counts of wire fraud and three counts of tax evasion by a federal jury sitting in Anchorage, Alaska, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler of the District of Alaska.
Dr. Michael Brandner, 67, was convicted following a seven-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason of the District of Alaska. According to the indictment and evidence introduced at trial, in late 2007, shortly after Brandner’s wife filed for divorce, he collected millions of dollars in marital assets and secretly drove from Tacoma, Washington, to Costa Rica in Central America. In Costa Rica, he opened two bank accounts into which he deposited more than $350,000 in cash and hid a thousand ounces of gold in a safe deposit box. He then traveled to Panama where he opened an account under the name of a sham corporation and in 2008, deposited $4.6 million into the account.
Dr. Brandner concealed both the existence of the bank accounts and the interest he earned on those accounts from the court in the divorce proceedings and from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Dr. Brandner owed the IRS $600,000 in additional taxes for the 2008 through 2010 tax years. He presented the divorce court with a fabricated promissory note to mislead the court into believing he had invested more than $3 million in the foreign corporation.
In 2011, once the divorce was final, Dr. Brandner repatriated more than $4.6 million, only to have the funds seized by Homeland Security Investigations agents. He then lied to federal agents about his control of the funds.
At his March 7, 2016 sentencing, Dr. Brandner faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and five years for each count of tax evasion and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss caused by the offense, on each of the seven counts of conviction.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo thanked the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Trial Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder of the District of Alaska, who prosecuted the case.
Alaska Plastic Surgeon Convicted of Wire Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that Dr. Michael Brandner, 67, of Anchorage, Alaska, was convicted today of four counts of wire fraud and three counts of tax evasion by a federal jury sitting in Anchorage, Alaska.
According to the indictment and evidence introduced at trial, shortly after his wife filed for divorce in late 2007, Dr. Brandner collected millions of dollars in marital assets and secretly drove from Tacoma, Washington, to Costa Rica in Central America. In Costa Rica, he opened two bank accounts into which he deposited over $350,000 in cash and hid a thousand ounces of gold in a safe deposit box. He then traveled to Panama where he opened an account under the name of a sham corporation and deposited $4.6 million into the account in 2008.
Dr. Brandner concealed both the existence of the bank accounts and the interest he earned on those accounts from the court in the divorce proceedings and from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Dr. Brandner owed the IRS $600,000 in additional taxes for the 2008 through 2010 tax years. He presented the divorce court with a fabricated promissory note to mislead the court into believing he had invested over $3 million in the foreign corporation.
In 2011, Dr. Brandner repatriated over $4.6 million once the divorce was final only to have the funds seized by agents from Homeland Security Investigations. He then lied to federal agents about his control of the funds.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason, who presided over the trial of the case. Dr. Brandner faces a statutory maximum sentence of 95 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.75 million.
“Michael Brandner thought he could operate above the law, but through the dedicated efforts of IRS Special Agents together with the Department of Justice, this verdict shows that the law caught up with him,” stated Special Agent in Charge Teri Alexander of IRS Criminal Investigation. "Let this case serve as a warning that the use of offshore schemes and other tax scams to evade tax and other lawful obligations will not be tolerated."
Ms. Loeffler thanked the special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder of the District of Alaska and Trial Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz of the Tax Division who prosecuted the case.
Akron Man Sentenced to 330 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Antonio L. Sibley, 38, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 330 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release for production of child pornography.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, along with members of the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, including Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Marlon V. Miller, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Colonel Paul Pride of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost.
Sibley was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury following a weeklong trial in May.
According to court testimony, in July 2014, while Sibley was harboring a 17-year-old girl in a motel room in Whitehall, Ohio, he took sexually explicit photographs of her and advertised her on internet websites for paid sexual services. Members of the Human Trafficking Task Force found the girl during an undercover operation on July 31, 2014, and thereafter found the pornographic photographs Sibley had taken on a phone that was in the motel room. The victim testified that she and Sibley had been involved in a sexual relationship since she was 15 years old, and that Sibley had taken the pornographic photographs of her.
The jury convicted Sibley of production of child pornography, a crime punishable by a sentence ranging from a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison to 30 years in prison. The jury could not reach a verdict on a second charge of sex trafficking of a minor.
Sibley was arrested on August 11, 2014, by members of the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force at the Casa Villa Motel in Whitehall, Ohio. He was indicted on September 11, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the investigation of this case by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2012 and is part of the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and also includes authorities from the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Powell Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delaware County Prosecutor's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Hill and Special Assistant United States Attorney General Brant Cook, director of the Ohio Attorney General’s Crimes Against Children Initiative, represented the government in this case.
Abingdon, Virginia Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Manufacture MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – Yesterday in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, an Abingdon, Va. man was sentenced to 180-months of imprisonment for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and related offenses.
Richard Jerry Hicks, 45, of Abingdon, Va., was indicted in December 2014 along with Amanda Jane Tignor, 34, of Abingdon, Va., on a variety of charges related to the manufacturing of methamphetamine at their home in Abingdon.
Tignor previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and creating a substantial risk of harm to human life, and was sentenced to 78 months in prison in June of this year. Following a two-day jury trial in July of this year, Hicks was found guilty on five of the six federal drug charges levied against him. Evidence presented at trial showed that Hicks and Tignor gathered pseudoephedrine and other methamphetamine-related supplies between June 2013 and May 2014, and manufactured methamphetamine in a home where two minors resided. Evidence also presented at trial showed Hicks had once boasted to law enforcement that—when it came to methamphetamine manufacturing—Hicks was the “best around.”
In sentencing Hicks, United States District Judge James P. Jones noted the risk of harm to the children who resided in the home and Hicks’ criminal history, which included a previous conviction in Washington County, Virginia Circuit Court in 2010 for manufacturing methamphetamine.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Abingdon Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, and United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne prosecuted the case for the United States.
4 Columbus Gang Members Plead Guilty to MurderRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Four Columbus men pleaded guilty to murder in connection to a racketeering case involving the organized criminal enterprise known as the Short North Posse.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Joseph P. Reagan, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Donald J. Soranno, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs, announced the pleas entered into today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
Joseph Hill, 31, Christopher V. Wharton, 25, Troy A. Patterson, 24, and Ishmael Bowers, 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of murder in aid of racketeering. Hill also pleaded guilty to a second count of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Wharton also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Each of the defendants faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison.
The four were charged by a superseding indictment in October 2014. Twenty individuals total were indicted in the racketeering case with charges that included murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, extortion and robbery.
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the two-year long investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott’s Office, and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office. Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, and officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers, Kevin Kelley and Brian Martinez, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe with Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who are prosecuting the case.
Tuesday 3 November 2015
Wyoming Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Christopher A. Crofts announced today that Casper resident Harold "Creature" Creighton has been convicted in federal court. A jury found Creighton guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine after a five-day jury trial in the United States District Court in Casper. Creighton will be sentenced at a later date by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. Creighton faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
This case results from an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) joint investigation conducted by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher.
West Homestead Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on Oct. 27, named Latel Tyrone Smith, 37, of West Homestead, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about June 13, 2015, Smith possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years imprisonment and up to life, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent, deter, and prosecute gun crimes.
The West Mifflin Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the State Security and Investigative Services (SSIS) conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Virginia Beach Man Pleads Guilty in Child Pornography CaseRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Richard Midgett, 50, of Virginia Beach, pleaded guilty today to a charge of distribution of child pornography.
According to a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, on Nov. 10, 2014, Midgett used a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to distribute a computer file depicting child pornography. Later, after his computer equipment was seized during the execution of a search warrant, a forensic analysis of Midgett’s computer showed that he possessed approximately 33,000 images and 1,817 videos of child pornography.
Midgett was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 8, 2015. Midgett faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 8, 2016. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Stoker is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:15cr114.
###
Vallejo Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax Refund Fraud and ID TheftRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Leticia A. Roque, 48, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to submit false claims against the United States and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Rafael Nunez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated, “Postal Inspectors worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partner in law enforcement on this investigation and will continue to protect the public and the U.S. Mail against all forms of misuse.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation has made investigating refund fraud and identity theft a top priority,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas McMahon, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Filing fraudulent tax returns in the names of other individuals may result in significant harm to those individuals whose identities were stolen, as well as a monetary loss against the U.S. Treasury.”
According to court documents, between January 7, 2012, and May 19, 2012, Roque along with co-defendants Marcus A. Cooper, 29, and Tiana E. Naples, 28, also of Vallejo, submitted at least 60 fraudulent tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service. The returns were filed in other people’s names and contained false representations about those persons’ income, employer, tax credits, and tax withholding. The returns were filed without the permission or knowledge of the taxpayers. The 60 tax returns requested approximately $209,713 in tax refunds, of which approximately $102,521 was sent to the defendants in the form of prepaid debit cards.
This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew G. Morris is prosecuting the case.
Roque is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2016, by United States District Judge John A. Mendez. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the false claim conviction and a mandatory consecutive two-year term for aggravated ID theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Cooper and Naples are scheduled to appear in court for a status conference on December 8, 2015. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
US Attorney General highlights need for ‘rule of law’ in address to INTERPOL General AssemblyRead the Press Release
Image Courtesy of IPSG
KIGALI, Rwanda – US Attorney General Loretta Lynch has told delegates at the INTERPOL General Assembly that upholding the rule of law is a government’s foremost responsibility.
Delivering the keynote speech at the international gathering of some 640 police chiefs and senior law enforcement officials, Attorney General Lynch said INTERPOL ‘stands as an invaluable conduit for mutual assistance between law enforcement agencies across the world and a critical facilitator for international cooperation in matters of security, opportunity and human rights.’
Pointing to the issue of human trafficking as one of her highest priorities as Attorney General, Ms Lynch said it remained one of the foremost challenges to the international community.
“With its ties to organized crime, its preying on flows of migrants and its complex financing schemes, human trafficking is a truly global problem that demands a truly global response,” said Attorney General Lynch.
“The international community has come a long way in the last 15 years, but the fact that millions of individuals remain in forced labour reminds us of how far we have to go. We must find ways to work even more closely together in order to end this affront to our values and stop this crime against humanity,” added the Attorney General pointing to the FBI’s annual Operation Cross Country initiative against individuals trafficking children for sexual exploitation which this year resulted in the arrest of hundreds of sex traffickers.
In addition to highlighting INTERPOL’s role at the forefront of the global crusade against human trafficking, Attorney General Lynch said the world police body’s work involved action against some of the most important and complex law enforcement challenges.
In combating the threat of foreign terrorist fighters, Attorney General Lynch said INTERPOL’s network to coordinate global counter-terrorism activities was an invaluable resource in stemming the illicit travel of individuals moving to and from conflict zones.
Attorney General Lynch praised INTERPOL for driving innovation and fuelling advancements to expand international capabilities to identify crimes and pursue wrongdoers through its global police information systems, round-the-clock support and operational assistance.
In concluding her remarks, the Attorney General encouraged delegates to continue to play their part in upholding the rule of law and urged all countries to ‘continue, every day, to pursue our mission of a safer world, to advance our vision of a more just society and to hold close our hope of a brighter future for all.’
The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body, which meets once a year. Discussions at this year’s session in Kigali are addressing some of most pressing cross-border challenges faced by police today, including counter-terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters, the organized criminal groups behind drug trafficking and people smuggling, and the different facets of cybercrime.
U.S. EPA Requires Asarco to Cut Toxic Emissions at 103-Year-Old Arizona Copper SmelterRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with ASARCO requiring the company to spend $150 million to install new equipment and pollution control technology to reduce emissions of toxic heavy metals at a large smelter located in Hayden, Arizona. The company will also fund local environmental projects valued at $8 million, replace a diesel locomotive with a cleaner model for $1 million, and pay a $4.5 million civil penalty.
The federal enforcement action targeted hazardous air pollutants, including lead and arsenic, and particulate matter (PM). With the controls in place, the hazardous air pollutants should be reduced by at least 8.5 tons per year, and PM emissions are expected to be reduced by 3,500 tons per year. The new equipment and controls will also slash the facility’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 19,000 tons per year, a reduction of more than 90 percent, according to EPA estimates. Currently, the ASARCO smelter is the largest source of SO2 emissions in Arizona.
“This settlement will bring tremendous benefits to public health and the environment in Arizona for generations to come through dramatic cuts to harmful air emissions,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The requirements of this consent decree will not only bring ASARCO into compliance with the nation’s clean air law, but will also result in testing for lead contamination in area homes and improvements to nearby roads to further improve air quality.”
“Big enforcement actions like this result in big returns for American communities,” said Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The upgraded pollution controls and advanced monitoring technologies ASARCO will install are key to a modern compliance program that cuts pollution around industrial plants.”
“The communities living near this century-old smelter will breathe cleaner air as a result of this landmark enforcement action,” said Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld for EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “As one of only three major copper smelters in the nation, it is critically important that the facility operate in a way that complies with federal law, minimizes harmful pollutants and safeguards public health and the environment.”
EPA’s investigation found the company violated federal Clean Air Act standards by failing to adequately control emissions of hazardous air pollutants, such as arsenic and lead, from the Hayden smelter. Under the settlement announced today, ASARCO will install new and upgraded ventilation hoods to capture hot flue gases from its furnaces to better capture the PM, which includes the hazardous air pollutants and SO2. The company will also replace an aging electrostatic precipitator with a new, cleaner baghouse and inject high performance lime to reduce SO2 emissions.
To reduce wind-blown dust from the facility, which contains varying levels of heavy metals, the company will implement an improved dust control plan, including the use of wind fences, upgraded water sprayers and the installation of concrete pads. In addition, ASARCO will operate five ambient air monitors in and around the Hayden and Winkelman communities to track levels of pollutants, including arsenic, lead and PM and will make additional improvements to dust controls if levels are high.
The settlement requires ASARCO to spend $8 million to fund two environmental mitigation projects. Of this, $6 million will be used on a road paving project in Pinal County that will reduce dust pollution on local dirt roads close to the towns and benefit residents exposed to PM emissions. In addition, $2 million will be provided to the Gila County Environmental Health Services to conduct lead-based paint testing and abatement in homes, schools and other public buildings in the towns of Hayden and Winkelman.
ASARCO will spend approximately $1 million to replace an existing diesel switch locomotive operated at the facility with a cleaner diesel-electric switch locomotive. The project will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are precursors to the formation of PM2.5 and greenhouse gases.
Long-term inhalation exposure to inorganic arsenic is associated with irritation of the skin and can affect the brain and nervous system. Exposure to lead can cause effects on the blood, as well as the nervous, immune, renal and cardiovascular systems. Particulate matter, especially inhalable coarse particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5), can cause coughing or difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma and even premature death in people with heart or lung disease. SO2 has also been linked to a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system and SO2 is also a precursor to the formation of PM2.5. Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including national parks and wilderness areas. The PM2.5 and SO2 emission reductions achieved through compliance with this settlement will also serve to reduce visibility impairment owing to emissions from the facility.
Built in 1912 and expanded over the years, the ASARCO Hayden site is a copper ore processing, concentrating and smelter facility located adjacent to Hayden and Winkelman. The ASARCO plant includes a crusher, concentrator, smelter and tailings impoundment areas and produces 300 to 400 million pounds of copper and over half a million tons of sulfuric acid annually. ASARCO is owned by Grupo México, a Mexican consortium that owns Ferromex, the largest railroad in Mexico and operates mines and smelters, including the one in Hayden, that make it the fourth largest copper producer in the world. The Hayden facility is one of three copper smelters in the United States, and the only one owned by ASARCO.
The settlement was lodged with the U.S. District Court of Arizona and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The proposed consent decree can be viewed at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
More on the settlement: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/asarco-llc-settlement
U.S. Attorney, Justice Department announce grant awards to Western District of Louisiana agenciesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/ LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/MONROE/LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and the Department of Justice announced that 16 grants totaling more than $2.4 million have been awarded to 15 agencies within the Western District of Louisiana.
Two grants totaling $1.1 million were awarded to the Wellspring Alliance for Families in Monroe; more than $500,000 was awarded to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in Marksville; and more than $224,000 was awarded to the Lafayette Consolidated Government. The remaining 12 grants were awarded to law enforcement agencies within the District.
Law enforcement agencies receiving the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance include:
Alexandria: Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office: $75,460 to increase arrests and successful prosecutions;
Bastrop: Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Office: $11,831 to support policing operations;
Bossier City: Bossier City: $25,693 to purchase supplies, equipment and new technology;
Franklin: St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office: $13,194 to purchase equipment;
Lafayette: Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office: $92,126 to support law enforcement initiatives;
Lake Charles: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office: $61,468 to support essential law enforcement services;
Monroe: Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office: $63,758 to purchase equipment to increase officer safety;
Natchitoches: City of Natchitoches: $12,062 to purchase equipment;
New Iberia: Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office: $16,846 to purchase computer equipment;
Opelousas: St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office: $36,444 to purchase supplies, equipment and new technology;
Shreveport: City of Shreveport: $115,505 to improve officer safety and increase law enforcement services; and
Sulphur: City of Sulphur: $12,422 to purchase law enforcement related-equipment.
Agencies receiving other grants this year in the District include:
Lafayette: Lafayette City/Parish Consolidated Government (Lafayette Police Department): $224,668 through the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program, through the Office of Violence Against Women, to be used with Faith House Inc. to improve safety for domestic violence victims in Lafayette Parish.
Marksville: Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana: $544,768 through the FY 2015 Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (IASAP), from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to be used to implement an IASAP.
Monroe: Wellspring Alliance for Families: $600,000 through the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program, from the Office of Violence Against Women, to be used to strengthen civil and criminal legal assistance programs for adult and youth victims of abuse or violence, which includes hiring attorneys and support staff. The Wellspring Alliance for Families will also receive $500,000 through the Justice for Families Program, from the Office of Violence Against Women, to be used to provide victim services and training for employees and government officials.
“These grants will help to strengthen law enforcement agencies and other organizations, which will benefit the public throughout this District,” Finley stated. “The purchase of equipment, upgrade of technology and improvement to law enforcement safety that these grants will fund demonstrates the commitment the Department of Justice and my office have to help local agencies meet the challenges facing them.”
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. The OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART). For more information on grant award programs, visit www.bja.gov.
U.S. Attorney Names New Supervisory AppointmentsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly today announced new supervisory appointments within the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Lee Dayton has been appointed Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney. Ms. Dayton joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2007 and has served as Chief of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit and as Senior Litigation Counsel. Since 2012, she has been a member of the Attorney General’s Review Committee on Capital Crimes. She previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, and as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County. Ms. Dayton graduated from Princeton University in 1992 and UC Berkeley School of Law in 1995.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick has been named Chief of the Criminal Division’s Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit, which focuses on the investigation and prosecution of securities, commodities and investor fraud, public corruption, bank fraud and embezzlement, mortgage fraud, tax fraud, health care fraud, bankruptcy fraud and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. He previously served as a Deputy Chief of the FFPC Unit. Mr. Novick joined the Office in 2008 after serving as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for approximately five years. He is a 1997 graduate of Yale University and a 2003 graduate of New York University School of Law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan has been named a Deputy Chief of the FFPC Unit. Prior to joining the Office in 2007, Ms. Karwan was in private practice for six years, and served as a law clerk to Chief U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello. She is a 1997 graduate of the College of William and Mary and a 2000 graduate of the UConn School of Law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Liam Brennan of the FFPC Unit has been asked to lead the Connecticut Public Corruption Task Force, which investigates corrupt public officials, the misuse of public funds and related criminal activity. Mr. Brennan joined the Justice Department’s Fraud Section in Washington, D.C. in 2007, and moved to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2011. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2001 and Yale Law School in 2007.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss has been appointed a Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division’s National Security and Major Crimes Unit, which is responsible for prosecuting matters involving international and domestic terrorism, civil rights and hate crimes, human trafficking and child exploitation, cybercrime and identity theft, organized crime, immigration and customs enforcement, government program and defense contractor fraud, and environmental crimes. Prior to joining the Office in 2014, Ms. Rodriguez-Coss was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the District of Maryland and the District of Puerto Rico, and served as a trial attorney in the Capital Case Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. She graduated from Yale University in 1988 and Harvard Law School in 1991.
“Our office is fortunate to have many experienced and talented attorneys dedicated to keeping our communities safe, enforcing federal laws fairly and consistently, and representing the interests of the United States in court,” said U.S. Attorney Daly. “The AUSAs stepping into these supervisory roles are highly qualified and possess the skills and qualities to be effective and respected leaders. I am honored to work side by side these men and women as well as all the members of our supervisory team.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 65 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 50 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.
For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, please visit www.justice.gov/ct.
Two former post office employees charged with embezzling fundsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury returned indictments today charging Ceressa B. Patterson, 29, of Fairview, West Virginia, and Rose Munro, 53, of Wana, West Virginia, with stealing funds from the United States Postal Service, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Patterson, formerly employed at the Pentress, West Virginia Post Office, and Munro, formerly employed at the Wana, West Virginia Post Office, are each alleged to have embezzled nearly $2,000 from their respective post offices by taking proceeds from the sale of money orders, stamps, and postage meter transactions for their own personal use.
Patterson and Munro are each charged with one count of “Misappropriation of Postal Funds.” They each face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General is leading the investigations.
The federal grand jury also returned an indictment alleging that John Michael Keeney, 35, of Webster Springs, West Virginia, stole blank money order forms from a post office in Cowen, West Virginia. He is charged with one count of “Theft of Postal Money Orders.” He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The United States Postal Inspection Service is leading the investigation.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Montoro is prosecuting Patterson and Munro and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting Keeney on behalf of the government.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Upshur County men sentenced for manufacturing, possessing methamphetamineRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two residents of Upshur County, West Virginia were sentenced in federal court today for manufacturing and possessing methamphetamine, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Dustin Lynn Phillips, 33, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison after he possessed and distributed methamphetamine in Upshur County, West Virginia throughout 2014. He pled guilty in July 2015 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine – Aiding and Abetting.” The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office and the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
Steven S. Bennett, 40, also of Buckhannon, was sentenced today to twelve months and one day in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $18,461 for manufacturing methamphetamine in Randolph County, West Virginia in October 2014. He pled guilty in August 2015 to one count of “Manufacturing Methamphetamine.” The Buckhannon Police Department investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted Phillips and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Montoro prosecuted Bennett on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Two Marion County, WV residents charged with cocaine, prescription drug traffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury returned indictments today charging Bertha Horton, 55, and Bennie Kyle, 60, both of Fairmont, West Virginia, with cocaine and prescription drug trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Horton, also known as “Peaches,” allegedly sold cocaine on multiple occasions in May 2014 near East Fairmont Junior High School in Marion County, West Virginia. She is charged with three counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” She faces between one and forty years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000 on each of the three counts.
Kyle allegedly sold cocaine and lisdexamphetamine, a medication commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, on multiple occasions throughout June and July 2015 in Marion County. Specifically, he is alleged to have sold these drugs on multiple occasions near Fairmont State University and Fifth Street Park. He is charged with two counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location,” one count of “Distribution of Lisdexamphetamine within 1000’ of a Protected Location,” and one count of “Distribution of Lisdexamphetamine.” He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 on the distribution charge and between one and forty years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000 on each of the three protected location charges.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Three Rivers Drug Task Force is leading the investigations.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Berkeley County men sentenced for firearms offensesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men from Berkeley County, West Virginia were sentenced for violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
William Gene George, Jr., 44, of Martinsburg, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. George was previously convicted of “Felony Child Neglect” in the Circuit Court of Berkeley County, West Virginia in 2007. As a result of that conviction, he is prohibited form possessing firearms. He was subsequently discovered in unlawful possession of a .22 caliber long rifle.
George pled guilty in August 2015 to one count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Kody William Brown, 21, of Inwood, West Virginia, was sentenced to 5 months in prison for lying while attempting to purchase a firearm. In February 2015, Brown attempted to purchase a .357 caliber revolver from a licensed firearms dealer in Morgan County, West Virginia. He misled the firearms dealer by indicating that he was purchasing the firearm for himself. In fact, he was purchasing the firearm for another individual who was prohibited from lawfully purchasing the gun.
Brown pled guilty in August 2015 to a criminal Information charging him with one count of “False Statement During Purchas of a Firearm.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Camilletti prosecuted Brown and Camilletti, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski, prosecuted George on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Troy Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Possessing A HandgunRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ronnie Robinson, age 21, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to four years in prison after being convicted of the crime of felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian, Delano A. Reid, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New York Field Division, and Rensselaer Police Department Chief Frederick Fusco.
Robinson was a passenger in a car stopped by the Rensselaer Police Department for a traffic violation in the early morning hours of June 24, 2014. When asked to exit the vehicle, he fled on foot and in the course of his flight dropped a handgun. After further pursuit, Robinson was captured and the handgun was recovered. At the time, Robinson had prior state felony convictions for attempted criminal possession of a narcotic drug (third degree) and attempted reckless endangerment (first degree).
The four-year sentence of imprisonment, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Gary L. Sharpe, will be served consecutively to the 18-month to 3-year sentence of imprisonment Robinson is currently serving for an unrelated state conviction. Following his release from prison, Robinson will be required to serve three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Rensselaer Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.
Three defendants sentenced on Federal drug charges in BluefieldRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that three defendants were sentenced on drug charges in federal court in Bluefield, West Virginia.
Aree Lumpkins, 20, of Princeton, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for using a telephone to arrange for the distribution of hydromorphone. Lumpkins pleaded guilty in July, and admitted that on October 30, 2014, he used a telephone in Bluefield to help set up a drug deal with an informant. Later that day Lumpkins completed the drug deal, and Lumpkins admitted that he distributed drugs to the informant on several other occasions.
Craig Arnold Young, 42, of Lashmeet, was sentenced to one year and one month in federal prison for using a telephone to arrange a drug deal involving hydromorphone. He pleaded guilty in July, admitting that on December 16, 2014, he used a telephone in or near Lashmeet to help carry out a drug transaction with an informant. Shortly after that telephone conversation, Young met with the informant to finish the drug deal. Young further admitted that he had distributed a total of 255 hydromorphone pills over time.
Lumpkins and Young were investigated by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force under the Bluefield Pill Initiative. Assistant United States Attorney John File handled the prosecution of these cases. The Bluefield Pill Initiative is a collaborative, multi-agency regional law enforcement effort designed to halt prescription drug trafficking in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties. The Bluefield Pill Initiative is led by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, which includes the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation; the Mercer, McDowell and Wyoming County Sheriff’s Departments; and the Bluefield and Princeton Police Departments.
Another defendant, Antonio Padgett, 36, of Welch, was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison for crack distribution. Padgett pleaded guilty in July, admitting that on March 16, 2011, he distributed about five grams of crack to an informant in Welch. Padgett further admitted that he was involved in additional crack deals. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney John Frail handled the prosecution.
These cases were all prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat illegal drugs in our communities, including the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down drug trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and other drugs in communities across the Southern District.
- Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
Three People Sentenced in Tax Refund Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Jermaine Winters, 39, of Coleman, Florida, Senora Cotton, 24, of Chipley, Florida, and Rosetta Presley, 23, of Chipley, Florida, were sentenced today for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with the electronic filing of false federal income tax returns. Winters was sentenced to 108 months in prison, Cotton to 24 months and 1 day in prison, and Presley to 2 days in prison and 5 years’ probation. Additionally, the defendants were ordered to pay $195,547 in restitution to the IRS. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During their guilty pleas, Winters, Cotton, and Presley admitted that, between July 2011 and July 2012, they conspired to file fraudulent tax returns using the stolen identities of assisted-living facility residents who lived at the Dogwood Inn in Bonifay, Florida, as well as clinical laboratory patients from the Sun Laboratory Services in the Tampa, Florida area, and others. The conspirators attempted to steal more than $276,000 from the United States Treasury through the fraud scheme. The refunds issued on the fraudulent returns were loaded onto prepaid debit cards and mailed to addresses in the Northern District of Florida. Winters and Presley pled guilty on April 16, 2015, and Cotton pled guilty on August 3, 2015.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chipley Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn D. Risinger and Gayle E. Littleton.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Three Assistant U. S. Attorneys PromotedRead the Press Release
FARGO- U. S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on November 1, 2015, three Assistant U. S. Attorneys have been promoted to leadership roles within the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Keith Reisenauer has been promoted to First Assistant U. S. Attorney (FAUSA) and is a graduate of Mandan High School (1975) and the University of North Dakota (1979). He also attended the University of North Dakota Law School and earned his law degree in 1982.
Reisenauer has been with the United States Attorney’s Office since 1991. He was the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Coordinator and prosecutor for the District of North Dakota for approximately 12 years and has been the Criminal Supervisor in the Fargo Office since 2008. Prior to becoming an Assistant United States Attorney, Reisenauer was with the Cass County States Attorney’s Office as an Assistant States Attorney from 1983-1991.
Rick Volk has been promoted to Senior Litigation Counsel and is a graduate of Rugby High School (1984) and Valley City State University (1988). He earned his law degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1991.
Volk joined the United States Attorney’s Office in 2002 after over 9 years prosecuting cases at the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office in Bismarck. Throughout his employment with the United States Attorney’s Office, Volk has been assigned to prosecution of violent crime and drug trafficking crimes in Indian country, serving as the primary point of contact for the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation for several years. He also serves as Special Counsel to the United States Attorney for Indian country and is the District Election Officer for the Office. In 2015, Volk was assigned to the Bakken Strike Force and designated to lead the federal prosecution of organized criminal activity in the northwest quadrant of the State of North Dakota and also serves as the supervisor of the Bakken Strike Force attorneys. Volk will continue in his role as the Strike Force supervisor as well as the new duties of Senior Litigation Counsel.
Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl, a native of Devils Lake, ND, and graduate of the University of North Dakota School of Law, Class of 2000, has been promoted to Criminal Supervisor for the Fargo Office. Puhl has served as the North Dakota Coordinator for Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating the sexual exploitation of children, for the past ten years. As the PSC coordinator, Puhl prosecutes the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children to include child prostitution, child pornography, sexual extortion, as well as other child exploitation crimes. She has also worked very hard to obtain restitution for victims of child pornography offenses.
In addition to prosecuting the child exploitation cases, Puhl serves as the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office. Recently, she partnered with a nongovernmental organization in creating a response team of law enforcement and service providers to address the human trafficking epidemic in North Dakota. The goal of the response team is to rescue human trafficking victims and better investigate and prosecute their traffickers. Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office in 2002, Puhl worked in private practice in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in 2000 she clerked for The Honorable Mary Muehlen Maring at the North Dakota Supreme Court.
Three Appleton Men Indicted for Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Cory M. Yant (age: 35), Zachary C. Sternhagen (age: 31), and Kong P. Vang (age: 21) charging each of them with being felons in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g). Additionally, Yant and Sternhagen are alleged to be “Armed Career Criminals” based on three prior violent felony convictions each.
Defendants Yant and Sternhagen face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years incarceration and up to a life sentence, a fine of $250,000, and a three year term of supervised release. Vang faces up to 10 years imprisonment, with the same fine and term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Winnebago County Sherriff and District Attorney’s Office, the Outagamie Sheriff and District Attorney’s Office, the Lake Winnebago MEG Unit, Wisconsin Department of Justice - Division of Criminal Investigation, the Appleton Police Department, and the Wausau Police Department. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove each of them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
# # # # #
St. Louis County Man Sentenced for Attempted Arson in FergusonRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – ANTONIO WHITESIDE, of St. Louis County, Missouri, was sentenced to five years imprisonment on the federal charge stemming from Whiteside starting a fire inside the Ferguson Supermarket, Inc. on November 24, 2014, the date St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch announced the grand jury decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson.
Whiteside pled guilty in April to one count of attempted arson. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge John A. Ross.
Today’s sentence concludes the joint, cooperative investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bomb and Arson Unit and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that enabled law enforcement to solve the case. The St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office also provided significant assistance.
South King County Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Juveniles Across State LinesRead the Press Release
A 44-year-old man, who trolled neighborhoods in south King County looking for teen-age girls to recruit into prostitution, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for four criminal counts related to sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. NATHAN BONDS was convicted at trial in November 2014 of two counts of sex trafficking of a juvenile and two counts of transportation of a juvenile to engage in prostitution. At sentencing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said, “this is a serious case involving vulnerable children.”
“This defendant preyed on vulnerable teens to enrich himself,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “He preyed on their homelessness, and their emotional and mental health challenges to lure them into prostitution. We thank the law enforcement agencies who work tirelessly to bring defendants such as this one to justice.”
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, in April 2013, BONDS was parked outside a Kent convenience store when he spotted and befriended a 15-year-old girl who had run away from home. BONDS let the girl borrow his cell phone, and then let her sit in his car, out of the rain. BONDS manipulated the girl into accompanying him to a hotel room where he raped her. Over the next few days, BONDS coerced the girl into working for him as a prostitute, convincing her she had no other options. BONDS advertised the girl on Backpage.com and made her give him all of the money she earned from prostitution acts. He also recruited the girl’s 17-year-old friend to work for him as a prostitute. On April 19, 2013, BONDS transported the 15-year-old girl and her 17-year-old friend, as well as a drug-addicted, homeless adult woman that he had also manipulated into working for him as a prostitute, to Portland to engage in prostitution. BONDS forced the two teens to take sexually explicit photographs, and then used some of those photographs to advertise them on Backpage.com.
Ultimately, both teens returned to their families and law enforcement identified BONDS as a sex trafficker. He was arrested June 5, 2013, and law enforcement recovered the computer and cell phone he used to conduct the prostitution business, both of which contained evidence establishing BONDS’s longtime involvement in prostitution.
The case was investigated by the North-Central Sound Child Exploitation Task Force which includes officers and agents from the Kent Police Department and FBI. The King County Prosecutors Office contributed substantial assistance to the prosecution. The case was prosecuted federally by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Ye-Ting Woo.
Six Individuals Indicted in November Grand JuryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today the results of the November 2015 Federal Grand Jury.
“The following named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-parolable.”
RICKY DALE BARRON, age 61, of Muse, Oklahoma
Felon In Possession Of Firearm
The Indictment alleges that on or about October 25, 2015 and again on or about October 29, 2015, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, RICKY DALE BARRON, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, firearms which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Forest Service. The charge is in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
Assistant United States Attorney Tim Hammer
CLINTON LAMONT CRAWLEY, age 38, of Grant, Oklahoma
Felon In Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition
The Indictment alleges that on or about October 10, 2015, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, CLINTON LAMONT CRAWLEY, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm and ammunition which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police, the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The charges are in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine or both.
Assistant United States Dean Burris
CHRISTOPHER DEAN JONES, age 36, of Stilwell, Oklahoma
a/k/a "Snake"Felon In Possession Of Firearm
Felon In Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition
Possession Of Counterfeit Obligations Or Securities Of The United StatesThe Indictment alleges that on or about July 30, 2015, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER DEAN JONES a/k/a Snake, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce. It further alleges that on or about October 1, 2015, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm and ammunition which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce and the defendant, with intent to defraud, possessed a counterfeit obligation of the United States
The charges arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, United States Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The charges are in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 472, punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,00.00 or both.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris
BUDDY KENNY ROGERS, age 36, of Sayre, Oklahoma
BRITTANI M. ROSS, age 26, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Drug Conspiracy
The Indictment alleges that in or about June 2014 and continuing until on or about April 1, 2015, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendants, BUDDY KENNY ROGERS and BRITTANI M. ROSS, did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree together, and with others, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United States in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, as follows: to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of Methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance and a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of Heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Tahlequah Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency. The charge is in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B) and 841(b)(1)(C), punishable by not less than 5 years and up to Life imprisonment, up to a $8,000,000.00 fine or both.
Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson
GEORGE WILLIAM RUSSELL, age 38, of Leon, Oklahoma
a/k/a "Willie"Distribution Of Methamphetamine
The Indictment alleges that on or about May 29, 2015, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, GEORGE WILLIAM RUSSELL a/k/a Willie, did knowingly and intentionally distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of Methamphetamine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. The charge arose from an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department, the Carter County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The charge is in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine or both.
First Assistant United States Attorney Doug Horn
Six Defendants Sentenced for $4.7 Million Check Cashing and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Six defendants have been sentenced to prison terms for their participation in a $4.7 million check cashing and identity theft scheme.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Stanley Presendieu, 33, of Lake Worth, Latasha Pharr, 29, of Davie, Scarlee Valias Jean, 25, of Smyrna, Georgia, Brian Deronceler, 32, of West Palm Beach, and Jason Miles, 34, of Plantation, were indicted in case number 15-20032-CR-GAYLES and charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A. Husein Habib, 58, of Parkland, was charged by information in case number 15-20238-CR-GAYLES. Habib, Presendieu, Valias Jean, and Miles pled guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. Following a jury trial, Deronceler and Pharr were convicted of all counts charged in the indictment.
On various dates, beginning on October 7, 2015, the defendants were sentenced for their participation in the fraudulent check cashing and identity theft scheme. Presendieu was sentenced to 212 months’ incarceration; Pharr was sentenced to 259 months’ incarceration; Valias Jean was sentenced to 51 months’ incarceration; Deronceler was sentenced to 183 months’ incarceration; Miles was sentenced to 145 months’ incarceration; and Habib was sentenced to 72 months’ incarceration.
According to the court record, Presendieu, Pharr, Jean, Deronceler and Miles used stolen personal identification information to make fraudulent claims on falsified tax returns. As a result of the unauthorized claims, the defendants fraudulently procured and cashed tax refund checks. The defendants also obtained stolen United States Treasury checks that had been issued for tax refunds, veterans’ benefits, and disability payments. Between March 2010 and late 2014, each of the defendants brought the illegally acquired checks and counterfeited identification documents to an accomplice, Habib, who operated a Boca Raton Kwik Stop convenience store that offered illicit check cashing services.
Evidence introduced at trial included undercover recordings of the conspirators presenting stolen and fraudulent checks, discussing the selection of identities they would use for the counterfeit identification cards and examining the quality of the falsified documentation that they produced for use in the check cashing scheme. The defendants and other individuals would use the stolen identities of victims throughout South Florida, including individuals in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties along with others residing outside of the Southern District of Florida, and impersonate the taxpayers on fraudulent tax returns. The offenders would then have the refunds sent to an unauthorized address or transmitted to their illicit tax preparation companies. On other occasions, the conspirators arranged to cash the refunds and other benefit checks that were stolen from the U.S. mail. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, in excess of $4.7 million in stolen and fraudulent checks were cashed through the Boca Raton convenience store. Disabled individuals and other victims were deprived of much needed funds, college financial aid benefits were compromised, and one individual was temporarily forced to relocate to a homeless shelter.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rochlin.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Simpson County, Kentucky Resident Charged with Making and Possessing Destructive Devices (Molotov Cocktails)Read the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. today announced the indictment of a Simpson County, Kentucky resident on charges of making and possessing destructive devices, commonly known as Molotov cocktails.
Trey Alexander Gwathney-Law, age 18, of Franklin, Kentucky, was charged in a two count indictment by a grand jury meeting in Louisville. According to the Indictment, in September of 2015, the defendant knowingly made five illegal destructive devices. All were made using glass bottles. Four of the bottles (one Mountain Dew, one Sprite, and two Dr. Pepper) contained a dark gas/oil mixture liquid with a cloth wick stuffed in the bottle opening. A fifth destructive device was made using a glass Root Beer bottle. Similar to the other four devices, it contained a dark gas/oil mixture liquid with a piece of green pyrotechnic fuse attached to the opening with an epoxy sealant. The bottle contained a silver CO2 cartridge in the top of the bottle, under the pyrotechnic fuse. The CO2 cartridge contained explosive powder and small pieces of paper which appeared to have been soaked in the same flammable liquid found inside the bottle. The devices are commonly referred to as Molotov cocktails.
If convicted at trial, defendant Gwathney-Law could be sentenced to no more than ten years for each count, with a combined maximum of no more than 20 years in prison, fined up to $500,000.00 and ordered to serve 3 years of supervised release.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless and is being investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Franklin (Kentucky) Police Department.
***
The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Silk Road Vendor Sentenced to Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced a former drug vendor on the Silk Road website, Sheldon Kennedy, age 25, of Lincoln, Nebraska, today to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to traffic in controlled substances, including cocaine. Kennedy sold drugs via an online marketplace called Silk Road. Silk Road served as an online, international marketplace for users to buy and sell controlled substances, false identifications, and other contraband over the Internet.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Andre Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Postal Inspector in Charge David G. Bowers of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge William P. McMullan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Brian Murphy of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, Kennedy, using an online nickname, made contact with buyers via Silk Road, accepted payment electronically through Silk Road, and shipped drugs via the United States Postal Service to buyers throughout the United States and in foreign countries. Kennedy paid a fee to the owner and operator of Silk Road, Ross William Ulbricht, for each transaction on the website. In 2012, federal agents in Maryland made several undercover purchases of drugs from Kennedy, which Kennedy shipped to Maryland. Kennedy also sold counterfeit currency and firearms. For instance, in May 2012 an undercover agent purchased a Glock 26 pistol from Kennedy. Kennedy disassembled the weapon and sent it to the undercover agent in two separate shipments to make it more difficult to detect. He made both shipments from Nebraska to an undercover mailbox in Maryland.
On June 28, 2013, a federal search warrant was executed at Kennedy’s residence in Lincoln, Nebraska. Kennedy was at home when the search warrant was executed and agreed to speak to law enforcement. Kenney admitted to that he used an online alias to sell drugs, guns, and counterfeit currency on Silk Road, including cocaine, LSD, and several other synthetic and prescription controlled substances. He also admitted that the chemicals and laboratory equipment in his residence were to manufacture phenazepam, a controlled substance. During the execution of the warrant, agents recovered ten firearms and various controlled substances, including Barbital powder, Phenazepam, Ethylphenidate, Ketamine, Etaqualone, Xanax, Valium, and Heroin. Kennedy also admitted selling at least 38 grams of cocaine.
Ross Ulbricht, a/k/a “Dread Pirate Roberts,” a/k/a “DPR,” age 31, of San Francisco, California, was convicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to his operation of the Silk Road website and sentenced to life in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised HSI Baltimore, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, ATF, U.S. Secret Service and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Second Person Pleads Guilty in Smart Data Solutions, LLC, National Healthcare Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
William M. Worthy, II, 53, of Isle of Palms, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today to federal charges arising from a national health care benefits scheme that defrauded more than 17,000 victims, announced David Rivera, United States Attorney.
During a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Aleta A. Trauger, Worthy pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiring to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, health plan embezzlement, and money laundering. At the plea hearing Worthy admitted participating in a scheme designed to defraud thousands of individuals who purchased purported health care coverage from Worthy and his co-conspirators. Worthy acknowledged his role in promoting and selling the health care plans not backed by insurance companies, which were marketed by Smart Data Solutions, LLC (ASDS@), a company located in Springfield, Tennessee owned and managed by Bart Sidney Posey, Sr., who is charged as a co-conspirator in this case. Worthy also admitted that he and his co-conspirators embezzled funds from premiums paid by individuals who had signed up for these unauthorized health plans, diverting more than $5.4 million in premiums for their own personal use. He further admitted that the majority of claims submitted in connection with these unauthorized health plans were never paid and accepted responsibility for more than $7.3 million of losses from the fraud.
Worthy is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Trauger on January 21, 2016. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge and up to 5 years in prison on the conspiracy charge. Worthy will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of the fraud schemes and will face forfeiture of the proceeds of his crimes.
On August 14, 2015, Kathleen Devereaux Cauthen, 45, formerly a licensed attorney in South Carolina, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony in connection with this same conspiracy and fraud scheme. During a hearing before Judge Trauger, Cauthen admitted she helped to conceal this fraud scheme by handling certain corporate filings, by posing as counsel for a sham insurance company and by operating and managing bank accounts used to receive health plan payments. Cauthen is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 2016, by Judge Trauger and faces up to three years in prison and restitution to the victims of her offense.
Worthy was indicted in connection with this scheme in June 2013. Also indicted were Bart Sidney Posey, Sr., 48, and Angela Slavey Posey, 48, both of Springfield, Tennessee and Richard Hall Bachman, 67, of Austin, Texas. Charges against Bart and Angela Posey and Bachman remain pending.
An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt, and these defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Department of Labor - Employee Benefits Security Administration and Office of Inspector General; the United States Secret Service; the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; and the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General. The United States is represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra G. Moses and William F. Abely and by Senior Trial Attorney Nicholas S. Acker of the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section.
Santa Fe Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conviction on Oxycodone and Marijuana Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ashraf Nassar, 32, of Santa Fe, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for participating in conspiracies to distribute Oxycodone and marijuana. Nassar also was ordered to pay a money judgment in the amount of $6,150.00 to the United States.
Nassar and co-defendants Phillip Anaya, 38, Daniel Trujillo, 32, Krystal Holmes, 29, and Sarah Romero, 36, all residents of five Santa Fe residents, were charged in Sept. 2013, with participating in an Oxycodone trafficking ring in a 16-count indictment. The indictment subsequently was superseded in Oct. 2013, to include two additional defendants, Clarence Lee Cline, II, 66, and Mary Ann DeStefano, 53, both also of Santa Fe, and adding five new charges including conspiracy to distribute marijuana, manufacturing marijuana and maintaining a place for the purpose of manufacturing marijuana.
Nassar, Anaya, Trujillo, Holmes and Romero were arrested in Sept. 2013, as part of a multi-agency law enforcement operation that included the execution of search warrants at three residences and a business in Santa Fe. The investigation, “Operation High Desert Bash,” was initiated in Jan. 2013 by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in Albuquerque, N.M., the Santa Fe Police Department and HIDTA Region III Narcotics Task Force in response to the epidemic increase in prescription drug abuse, addiction and overdose deaths in New Mexico, particularly among teens and young adults.
Operation Desert Bash investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. The investigation primarily targeted a drug trafficking organization unlawfully distributing quantities of Oxycodone in Santa Fe County. Oxycodone is an opioid narcotic pain reliever similar to morphine that is medically prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain and can be habit-forming. Officers seized approximately 7300 mg of Oxycodone during the investigation.
Count 1 of the 21-count superseding indictment charged the Nassar, Anaya, Trujillo, Holmes and Romero with conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone in Santa Fe County between Dec. 2012 and Sept. 2013. Counts 2 through 4 charged Nassar, Anaya and Holmes with substantive Oxycodone distribution offenses, Nassar, Anaya, Trujillo, Holmes and Romero were charged with using telephones to facilitate drug trafficking crimes in Counts 5 through 17. Count 18 charged Nassar, Cline and DeStefano with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Counts 19 through 21 charged Cline and DeStefano with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to maintain a place for the purpose of manufacturing marijuana, and maintaining a place for the purpose of manufacturing marijuana.
On June 2, 2015, Nassar pled guilty to two counts of the superseding indictment; conspiracy to traffic Oxycodone and conspiracy to traffic marijuana. In entering the guilty plea, Nassar admitted that from Dec. 8, 2012 through Sept. 26, 2013, in Santa Fe he received Oxycodone from multiple sources of supply and would in turn provide that Oxycodone to re-distributers and users. Nassar also admitted that from Jan. 2, 2013 through Sept. 23, 2013, he was supplied “high grade” marijuana which he would then redistribute to other lower-level redistributors.
All of Nassar’s co-defendants have entered guilty pleas:
- Anaya pled guilty on Nov. 19, 2014, and was sentenced on April 9, 2015, to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
- Trujillo pled guilty on Jan. 30, 2015, and was sentenced on April 2, 2015, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
- Romero pled guilty on Oct. 28, 2014, and was sentenced on March 26, 2015, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
- Holmes pled guilty on May 26, 2015, and was sentenced on Aug. 25, 2015, to 196 days in prison or time served followed by three years of supervised release.
- DeStefano pled guilty on March 27, 2015, and was sentenced on July 7, 2015, to five years of probation.
- Cline pled guilty on Sept. 4, 2015, and is currently scheduled for sentencing in Dec. 2015.
This case was investigated by the Tactical Diversion Squad of the DEA’s Albuquerque office, the Santa Fe Police Department and the HIDTA Region III Drug Enforcement Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shammara H. Henderson and Joel R. Meyers.
DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squads combine DEA resources with those of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in an innovative effort to investigate, disrupt and dismantle those suspected of violating the Controlled Substances Act or other appropriate federal, state or local statutes pertaining to the diversion of licit pharmaceutical controlled substances or listed chemicals.
The HIDTA Region III Drug Enforcement Task Force is comprised of officers from the New Mexico State Police, Santa Fe Police Department and Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. It is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program which was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
This case is being prosecuted pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center that is partnering with the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative with the overriding goal of reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. The law enforcement component of the HOPE Initiative is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A registered sex offender pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Springfield in connection with persuading a 16-year-old boy to travel to New York to engage in sexual activity.
Ronald S. Brown, 52, of Williamstown, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and one count of possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Feb. 1, 2016.
Brown, a registered sex offender based upon a prior conviction for a sexual assault of a 14 year-old, engaged in thousands of online interactions with a 16-year-old boy from Dec. 27, 2012 to Jan. 19, 2013 to persuade him to run away from his Midwestern home to engage in sexual activity with Brown. On Jan. 7, 2013, Brown sent the boy a one-way ticket to fly to Newark International Airport in New Jersey, and on Jan. 19, 2013, Brown picked the boy up at the Newark airport, and then transported him to New York to engage in sex. On three separate dates thereafter, Brown further sexually exploited the teenager by producing one digital file and two live video transmissions of the minor either masturbating or urinating.
The boy was recovered in New York after his mother alerted police that her son was missing and believed to be meeting up with Brown. During an interview on Jan. 20, 2013, Brown falsely told a federal agent that he believed the child to be 18 years old.
The charge of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and no greater than 30 years in prison, a minimum mandatory term of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum mandatory term of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. 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.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. The case was investigated with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police, the Williamstown Police Department and the New York State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Ortiz's Springfield Branch Office.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing from MailRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Summerhill, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court in Johnstown to charges of theft of mail by a postal employee, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Kelly Gruss, 36, of Summerhill, Pa., pleaded guilty to the indictment before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on Sept. 22, 2014, Gruss stole $10, and on Sept. 25, 2014, she stole $20 from greeting cards sent via U.S. mail.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for April 7, 2016, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Office of Inspector General of the United States Postal Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gruss.
Philadelphia Man Charged in Two Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Harry Dallas, 54, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged today by indictment with two counts of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. According to the indictment, on September 16, 2015, Dallas robbed the Citizens Bank at 7327 Frankford Avenue and, on September 20, 2015, robbed the TD Bank at 6635 Frankford Avenue.
If convicted of all charges, Dallas faces a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Salvatore L. Astolfi.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nine Jacksonville Residents Indicted for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today the return of three indictments charging nine Jacksonville residents with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The indictments in each case allege that these individuals engaged in a pattern of fraud by redeeming SNAP benefits through unauthorized Electronic Benefits Transfers (EBT). Two individuals have also been charged with selling cocaine in exchange for SNAP benefits. The maximum penalty for each count of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and distribution of cocaine is 20 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between May 2012 and May 2015, Lawaun Dontai Carswell (35) and Shawntei Walker (36) stole more than $747,000 in SNAP funds. They also allegedly sold cocaine in exchange for SNAP benefits.
Between October 2014 and May 2015, La’Shell Dorianne Carswell (37) and Tommy Carswell (47) allegedly stole SNAP funds in excess of $714,000. La’Shell Carswell is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tommy Carswell is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
Lakeya Sheeona Creech (29), Leroy Robinson, II (35), Tyrome Dionne Robinson (42), Tremain Mormon (43), and Robert Savage (26) allegedly stole more than $1.1 million between June 2013 and June 2015. Creech is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The indictment charges the four other individuals with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General; the United States Secret Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General; the Internal Revenue Service; the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office; the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; the Florida Department Of Children and Families, Office of Public Benefits Integrity; and the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Public Assistance Fraud. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay Taylor.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Drug Robbery SchemeRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HAROLD HARRINGTON, also known as “Chopper” and “Chapo,” 27, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participating in a drug robbery scheme.
This matter stems from “Operation Samson,” a multi-layered initiative headed by the ATF and the Bridgeport and New Haven Police Departments that targeted violent criminals, illegal firearm possession and firearm trafficking. In the spring of 2014, approximately 40 ATF special agents and personnel from Connecticut and across the country were deployed with New Haven and Bridgeport Police to conduct numerous covert operations.
According to court documents and statements made in court, during the operation, an undercover agent and a confidential informant made several controlled purchases of suspected crack cocaine from Donald Gaines, also known as “Stretch” and “Shorty,” of New Haven. During their contact, the informant asked Gaines if he and anyone he knew would be interested in committing a drug robbery. Gaines stated that he did not want to participate in the robbery itself, but introduced the informant and the undercover agent to Harrington. The undercover agent told Harrington that he wanted to hire someone to commit a home invasion robbery of a drug organization’s “stash house” in order to steal six to eight kilograms of cocaine. Harrington agreed to participate and helped plan the robbery, which would include the use of firearms. Harrington also stated that he would bring members of his crew to help commit the robbery.
The undercover agent and Harrington agreed to split the cocaine taken during the robbery, and they agreed to give Gaines one kilogram of the drug for putting the two individuals together.
On March 21, 2014, the day of the proposed robbery, Harrington arrived at the meeting location with Louis Toler, also known as “A.B.,” of New Haven. After Harrington, Toler and the undercover agent had a detailed discussion about how the robbery was going to be carried out, Harrington and Toler were arrested. A subsequent search of Toler’s car revealed a loaded firearm.
The informant then called Gaines, told him the robbery had gone smoothly and arranged to meet him to deliver the cocaine. When Gaines arrived at the designated location, he identified the law enforcement surveillance and drove off at a high rate of speed. After a short chase, Gaines crashed his car on an off ramp in West Haven, attempted to flee on foot and was apprehended.
Harrington has been detained since his arrest. On May 6, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
Harrington has prior state felony convictions for criminal possession of a firearm, possession with intent to sell crack cocaine and first degree robbery.
On March 5, 2015, Gaines pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and, on May 1, 2015, Toler pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. They await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Dayton and Robert Spector.