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Wednesday 21 October 2015
Former Belmont Man Sentenced for Fraudulent BusinessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Belmont man who fled to Columbia in the early 1990s pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with the fraudulent sales of non-existent rare scholarly books to universities, seminaries and churches.
Richard Stanley Haugh, 73, pleaded guilty and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served of 20 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $167,883. In 1995, Haugh was indicted on 30 counts mail fraud in connection with purported sales of rare and scholarly texts.
From November 1989 to November 1990, Haugh claimed to be a scholar in theology and the history of Eastern Christianity. He operated a business, Notable and Academic Books, from his home, and claimed to be the exclusive U.S. marketing representative for Buecher Vertriebs Anstalt (BVA), a Liechtenstein entity specializing in the rare and scholarly book business.
Haugh also used the aliases Heinz Reuchlin and Paul Briel to operate Editions Briel, a company that fraudulently claimed to possess for immediate shipment translations of early Christian works, multi-volume encyclopedic scholarly works and an Encyclopedia of Eastern Christianity that Haugh claimed to have authored, which did not, in fact, exist. Haugh mailed marketing brochures advertising the books to universities, schools of theology and individuals around the U.S. and in foreign countries. Although he required advance payment for the books, neither Haugh nor Editions Briel possessed the books or had any means of obtaining them. The scheme defrauded more than 150 universities, seminaries, churches and individuals around the country as well as in Canada, England, Australia and Japan. Among those defrauded were Smith College in Massachusetts, Cornell University, Bates College, University of Michigan and others.
By 1992, Haugh had become a fugitive, in part because he was awaiting trial in Middlesex County on child sexual assault charges. Haugh was located in Colombia in 2014 and was extradited to the U.S. in April 2014 on the federal charges. Immediately following his sentencing in federal court yesterday, Haugh was turned over to the custody of the Belmont Police for prosecution on the pending sexual assault charges in Middlesex County.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and James V. Buthorn, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild and Ryan M. DiSantis of Ortiz's Criminal Division.
Former Albuquerque Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Cocaine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Mario Gomez, 29, a former resident of Albuquerque, N.M., who now resides in Denver, Colo., entered a guilty plea today in federal court to cocaine trafficking charges. The guilty plea was entered pursuant to a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Gomez was arrested in Jan. 2015, and charged along with co-defendants Erasmo Alamilla, 32, also of Albuquerque, and Janelle Montes, 34, of Rio Rancho, N.M., in a nine-count indictment alleging cocaine trafficking offenses committed in Bernalillo County, N.M. The indictment charged the defendants as follows: (1) Gomez, Alamilla and Montes with conspiracy to distribute cocaine from June 11, 2014 through Oct. 6, 2014; (2) Gomez and Alamilla with distribution of cocaine on June 11, 2014; (3) Gomez and Alamilla with distribution of cocaine on July 7, 2014; (4) Montes and Alamilla with distribution of cocaine on Aug. 7, 2014; (5) Montes and Alamilla with distribution of cocaine on Sept. 12, 2014; (6) Alamilla with possession of cocaine within a vehicle he was operating with intent to distribute on Oct. 6, 2014; (7) Alamilla with possession of cocaine within a residence with intent to distribute on Oct. 6, 2014; (8) Alamilla and Gomez with the use of a communication facility, a telephone, in the commission of a drug trafficking crime on Aug. 25, 2014; and (9) Alamilla and Montes with the use of a communication facility, a telephone, in the commission of a drug trafficking crime on Sept. 12, 2014. The indictment also called for the forfeiture of $26,034.00 by Gomez, Alamilla and Montes as the proceeds of their drug trafficking activities.
During today’s plea hearing, Gomez pled guilty to Counts 1, 2, 3 and 8 of the indictment. Gomez admitted that on June 11, 2014, he sold 282 grams of cocaine that he obtained from Alamilla to another individual, on July 6, 2014, he sold 283.6 grams of cocaine that he obtained from Alamilla to another individual and on Aug. 25, 2014, he communicated by telephone with Alamilla to discuss Alamilla supplying Gomez with additional cocaine to sell to others. Gomez further admitted that he withdrew from the cocaine trafficking conspiracy on Aug. 31, 2014.
Alamilla pled guilty on May 13, 2015, to Counts 1 through 5, 8 and 9 of the indictment, and admitted supplying Gomez and Montes with amounts of cocaine to sell to others from June 11, 2014 through Oct. 6, 2014. Montes pled guilty on Sept. 21, 2015, to Counts 1, 4, 5 and 9 of the indictment, and admitted to selling amounts of cocaine to others that she had obtained from Alamilla. Montes further admitted communicating on a telephone with Alamilla regarding the supply of cocaine to Montes.
At sentencing, Gomez and Montes each face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Alamilla will be sentenced to 46 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. All three co-defendants will be ordered to forfeit $21,100.00 jointly to the court as the proceeds of their drug trafficking activities. Sentencing hearings have yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaheen P. Torgoley.
Florence Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Brad Parham (843) 665-6688
Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Lauren E. Blackwell, age 29, of Bishopville, South Carolina has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Florence, to identity theft, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(7). United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of Florence accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that while working as a nursing assistant at a health care facility, Blackwell gained access to personal identifying information, including dates of birth and social security numbers, of co-workers and patients at the hospital. She then used this information to apply for unauthorized credit card accounts associated with the stolen identities. Additionally, while a student, she was able to obtain similar personal identifying information of other students which she used to open other credit card accounts. She was successful in opening 15 such unauthorized accounts, several of which she used to charge thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise.
Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty for identity theft is imprisonment for 15 years and/or a fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney A Bradley Parham of the Florence office is prosecuting the case.
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Federal Grand Jury Adds Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion Charges, as well as New Victims, to Fraud Case against Orange County AttorneyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An attorney who was indicted in September for allegedly stealing several million dollars from clients was named yesterday in a new indictment that adds additional wire fraud counts, as well as tax evasion and identity theft charges, to the case.
Stephen Young Kang, 46, of Newport Beach, is now charged in a 30-count superseding indictment that was returned yesterday afternoon by a federal grand jury.
The indictment filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles charges Kang with 22 counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, two counts of aggravated identity theft and three counts of tax evasion. The indictment also contains forfeiture allegations that would require Kang to surrender ill-gotten gains if he is convicted of criminal charges.
The new indictment re-alleges wire fraud and money laundering charges contained in the original indictment, which was filed on September 1 and alleged that Kang defrauded a corporation and a couple seeking to make investments related to applications for EB-5 visas (see: http://go.usa.gov/3SdpJ).
The new fraud allegations concern three additional victims – including one who came forward in response to the FBI’s call for additional victims when Kang was initially indicted – who collectively suffered losses of more than $1 million. The three additional victims gave money to Kang for investment purposes, but the attorney allegedly used the money for his own personal and business expenses.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Kang committed identity theft when he used the names and forged signatures of two individuals without legal authority during and in relation to the alleged fraud scheme.
Kang is now also charged with receiving substantial taxable income and willfully attempting to evade paying his taxes in the years 2012 through 2014.
Kang was arrested on August 10 by special agents with the FBI and IRS - Criminal Investigation at Los Angeles International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Seoul, Korea. He is currently free on a $750,000 bond.
Kang will be summoned to appear in United States District Court to be arraigned on the superseding indictment in the near future. At present, he is scheduled to go to trial in this case on November 3.
If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Kang faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the wire fraud charges, up to 10 years in prison for each of the money laundering offenses, five years in prison for the each of the tax evasion charges, and a mandatory two-year consecutive term of imprisonment for the identity theft charges.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Based on the evidence in this case, investigators believe Kang may have victimized others in locations where he practiced law or resided, including California, Texas, and Seoul, Korea. Anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Kang should contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
The case against Kang is the product of an ongoing investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS - Criminal Investigation.
Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes to Bring Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A former cook supervisor and correctional officer at Talladega Federal Correctional Institution pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to accepting more than $4,000 in bribes to smuggle tobacco and synthetic marijuana into the prison, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Bourbon.
DONALD D. JOHNSON, 25, of Birmingham, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon to one count of accepting a bribe as a public official. He is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 5.
Federal prosecutors charged Johnson, who entered a plea agreement with the government in September. According to those documents, Johnson was an employee of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and a public official when he accepted money from inmates to introduce tobacco and K2/Spice, or synthetic marijuana, into the prison.
According to the plea agreement, Johnson attempted to conceal the payments he received from inmates by using prepaid debit cards in other people's names and had money orders mailed to an address not associated with him. After the money orders were mailed, Johnson had other friends cash them for him.
In a June 15, 2015, interview with the DOJ OIG, Johnson admitted that he received two prepaid debit cards worth $3,350 as bribery payments from inmates. Johnson also told the OIG that he received multiple money orders as bribery payments.
The maximum penalty for bribery of a public official is 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the DOJ-OIG. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Pat Meadows.
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Durant Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Theft, Embezzlement and MisapplicationRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that LONNIE DALE JOHNSON, age 58, of Durant, Oklahoma, pled guilty to an Information charging him with BANK THEFT, EMBEZZLEMENT & MISAPPLICATION, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 656.
The charges arose from an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Information alleged that from in or about 2005, the exact date unknown, until on or about May 28, 2015, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, being an officer, director, agent, or employee of, or connected in a capacity with, First Texoma National Bank of Durant, Oklahoma, a bank whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, with intent to injure and defraud the said First Texoma National Bank of Durant, Oklahoma, willfully misapplied, embezzled, abstracted, and purloined more than $1,000.00 of the moneys, funds, assets or securities entrusted to the custody or care of First Texoma National Bank of Durant, Oklahoma, in that the defendant withdrew cash from the vault of the bank and misapplied, embezzled, abstracted and purloined the funds for his own use or benefit.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the defendant’s guilty plea, and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled upon its completion. The defendant will remain on bond pending sentencing.
The statutory range of punishment is not more than 30 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00 or both.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Dallas Men Sentenced on Cocaine, Heroin and Firearms ConvictionsRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Two Dallas men have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentences following their guilty pleas to drug distribution and firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Felix Medina, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay on Monday to serve a total of 108 months in federal prison. Co-defendant Jesse Rodriguez, 36, received the same sentence in June 2015. Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of that crime.
According to documents filed in the case, from November 1, 2013 through approximately February 21, 2014, Medina and Rodriguez conspired together and with others to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine and heroin in Dallas. During that same time, Medina and Rodriguez possessed numerous firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Medina and Rodriguez had two residences on Angelina Drive in Dallas – each next door to the other – from which they would sell the cocaine and heroin, store it, store the drug proceeds, and possess firearms for their protection, and the protection of the drugs and drug sales proceeds.
When special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and local law enforcement executed a search of the residences in February 2014, they found, among other things, approximately 223 grams of suspected cocaine, more than $18,000 in cash, more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 40 firearms, including the one Rodriguez was carrying in his pants’ waistband, video surveillance equipment, and equipment to facilitate communication between the two residences.
ATF investigated the case and Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Miller prosecuted.
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Dallas Gang Member Sentenced to 252 Months in Federal Prison on Child Sex Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A Dallas man, Trenton McLemore, 29, who facilitated his 16-year-old girlfriend’s commercial sex acts, and pleaded guilty in July 2015 to one count of sex trafficking of children, was sentenced today to 252 months (21 years) in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G Lynn. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
McLemore, a documented Webb Chapel Crip gang member, has been in custody since his arrest by officers with the Irving Police Department in September 2013.
“Prosecuting human trafficking predators, like Trenton McLemore, is a top priority in north Texas and throughout the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Parker. “The close working relationships we have established through the North Texas Anti-Trafficking Taskforce have made prosecutions like this possible. That task force, made up of other federal agencies, as well as state and local officials, community service providers, and experts who are already involved in anti-trafficking initiatives, is committed to not only bringing those predators to justice, but to examining the causes of, and solutions to, this violent behavior. In this case, I particularly commend the excellent collaboration and investigative work of the Irving Police Department and HSI Dallas.”
“We are grateful to everyone who worked together in bringing Mr. McLemore to justice for his terrible crimes,” said Chief Larry Boyd of the Irving Police Department. “Their efforts to rescue an underage victim of sex trafficking and take an active sexual offender off the street are highly commendable.”
“For predators convicted of the horrendous crime of sex trafficking minors, there are severe consequences in the form of lengthy prison sentences and a lifetime stigma, as Mr. McLemore has learned firsthand,” said Katrina W. Berger, special agent in charge of HSI Dallas. “Homeland Security Investigations employs exhaustive investigative techniques, and routinely works with local, state, federal and international law enforcement to identify and pursue prosecution against these sex trafficking predators, and rescue their victims.”
According to documents filed in the case, McLemore met “Jane Doe” and her family when she was 11-years old. In July 2013, when Jane Doe was 16-years-old, she ran away from home to be with McLemore, and the two began living in motels.
On August 1, 2013, McLemore began facilitating Jane Doe’s commercial sex acts in several ways. He asked friends and family to rent rooms for them at a Super 8 Motel and a Motel 6 in the Dallas area for her to use with commercial sex customers. McLemore also provided Jane Doe a cell phone for her to use to communicate with commercial sex customers. McLemore often used that phone to communicate with Jane Doe’s customers, sometimes posing as her and texting her customers to arrange “dates” and then leaving the motel room shortly before the customer arrived.
McLemore also took sexually explicit photos of Jane Doe that he distributed via text message to potential customers. Often, McLemore would stay near the motel room to act as Jane Doe’s bodyguard while she engaged in the commercial sex acts, and he would return to the room shortly after the customer left to collect the proceeds.
In mid-September 2013, a detective with the Irving Police Department conducting an operation to identify possible victims of human trafficking found a commercial sex advertisement on Mocospace.com with photographs of a female who appeared to be underage. He contacted the number, and after exchanging several messages regarding a potential commercial sex act, they agreed to meet on September 19, 2013, in a specific room at a Super 8 Motel in Irving, Texas.
As McLemore left that room shortly before the “date,” he was seen texting at the same time the detective was receiving messages about the “date.” When the detective arrived and entered the motel room, Jane Doe agreed to engage in a commercial sex act with him. She was then placed in custody and law enforcement determined she was a 16-year-old runaway from Dallas.
McLemore had stayed nearby while that “date” occurred, and his personal items were later found inside that motel room. When law enforcement learned Jane Doe’s age, they arrested McLemore for compelling prostitution of a person under the age of 18 and human trafficking. He has been in custody since that time.
The Irving Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Foos Pierce prosecuted.
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DMV worker, 5 others Charged in Identity Theft Scheme that used Puerto Rican Birth Certificates to Create Bogus Identity DocumentsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A clerk at the California Department of Motor Vehicles office in El Monte and five others have been indicted on federal identity theft charges for allegedly using legitimate birth certificates and Social Security numbers obtained from Puerto Rico to create new identities that were sold to people willing to pay thousands of dollars for fraudulent identity documents.
DMV clerk Tracey Lynette Jones, 33, of Long Beach, surrendered to federal authorities on Monday and was arraigned Monday afternoon in United States District Court. Jones entered a not guilty plea, was released on a $25,000 bond and was ordered to stand trial on November 24 before United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney.
Jones and the other five defendants were named in a four-count indictment returned on September 30 by a federal grand jury. The indictment charges all six defendants with conspiring to produce identification documents. Several of the defendants, including Jones, are charged with various identity theft offenses.
“Identity theft is a serious crime that undermines the economic fabric of our society and causes considerable harm to the individual victims,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “This identity theft scheme was particularly insidious because it both victimized the individuals whose identities were stolen and required the active participation of a government official. The fact that a DMV official abused her position of authority in committing this crime is egregious since such conduct can undermine the public’s confidence in a government institution entrusted with our personal information.”
Four of the remaining defendants were arrested last month by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and investigators with the DMV’s Investigations division. They are:
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Wilfredo Montero, 36, of Los Angeles;
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Adolfo Maria Cruz, 47, of Corona;
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Roberto Ruiz, 35, of Tustin; and
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Jose Cruz, 49, of Corona.
Out of the four defendants arrested in September, three have been freed on bond and Cruz remains in custody.
The sixth defendant charged in the case, Jorge “Diablo” Perez, aka Pedro Josue Figueroa-Marquez, 33, originally from Mexico, remains at large and is being sought by authorities.
According to the indictment, the conspiracy was allegedly spearheaded by Montero and catered to individuals willing to pay as much as $5,000 for new identities obtained with genuine birth certificates and Social Security numbers obtained from Puerto Rico residents. Investigators are working to identify the source of the documents obtained from Puerto Rico.
The case, which is the result of a three-year undercover investigation, revealed many of the ring’s customers were previously deported felons. Federal prosecutors have filed charges against three people believed to be customers of the identity theft ring, and authorities are seeking to take those individuals into custody.
“If anyone had any doubt about why identity theft is a serious public safety threat, this investigation should be a wake-up call,” said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. “Based on our evidence, this ring’s clients had good reason to want to obscure their pasts. And for a price, the defendants were allegedly willing to oblige. Our probe is ongoing and we’re aggressively pursuing all those involved.”
An affidavit in support of criminal complaints that were previously filed in the case describes a July 2012 meeting between Montero and an HSI undercover special agent posing as prospective client. After the undercover investigator indicated he wanted to purchase identity documents, Montero led him to his garage where he pulled out a Puerto Rican birth certificate and matching Social Security card which were concealed inside a boxing glove.
After obtaining identity documents for buyers, the defendants, for an additional fee, allegedly helped their clients use the documents to apply for California driver’s licenses or California identification cards under the assumed identities. The indictment alleges defendant Jones altered records in the DMV’s electronic databases to make it appear the applicants had passed required exams to obtain a driver’s license when, in fact, they had not.
“DMV does not tolerate any type of illegal conduct among employees who tarnish the image of the thousands of other DMV employees who work hard to ensure every applicant meets all licensing requirements,” said Jean Shiomoto, Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in the identity theft conspiracy, the six defendants named in the indictment would face a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
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Couple Stages Wife's Disappearance to Avoid North Carolina Criminal ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Brad Parham (843) 665-6688
Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Paul David Arrington, age 46, of Lowell, North Carolina and Amy Lynette Arrington, age 44, of Lowell, North Carolina each pled guilty in federal court in Florence, to conspiracy to communicate a false distress message, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of Florence accepted the guilty plea today of Paul Arrington and will impose his sentence after she has reviewed the presentence reports which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Judge Hendricks accepted Amy Arrington’s guilty plea on June 17, 2015, and on October 20, 2015 imposed a sentence of 30 months imprisonment and ordered restitution in the amount of $47,597.80.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearings established that Paul and Amy Arrington conspired to fake the disappearance of Amy in order for her to avoid having to face charges pending against her in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. On July 5, 2014, the couple drove from Gastonia, North Carolina to North Myrtle Beach where Amy went into the water for a short period of time, then, as planned, left the beach and made her way to Florida. Paul then falsely reported to a life guard on the beach that Amy was missing. As a result of the false report, multiple agencies, including the United States Coast Guard, responded in a futile search for Amy. Law enforcement agencies eventually detected the fraud and Amy turned herself in to authorities in North Carolina.
Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty for conspiracy to communicate a false distress message is imprisonment for 5 years and/or a fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Horry County Fire/Rescue. Assistant United States Attorney A. Bradley Parham of the Florence office is prosecuting the case.
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Cocaine Conspirators Arrested for Importing Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine into South CarolinaRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Beth Drake (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles and Special Agent in Charge David A. Thomas of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Special Agent in Charge Dan Salter of the Drug Enforcement Administration stated that 19 individuals have been recently indicted and arrested for conspiring to distribute cocaine across Aiken, Lexington, Saluda, Sumter, Richland, and Lee Counties in violation of Section 846 of Title 21, United States Code. Those recently indicted and arrested as part of this coordinated local, state and federal investigation were Juan Pablo Contreras, a/k/a “Juan David Montoya” (Sumter); Eduardo Esaid Contreras-Reyes (Sumter); Marco Antonio Castro, a/k/a “Chino” (West Columbia); Javier Toscano-Serrano (West Columbia); Andre LeWayne Brooks (Sumter); Jimmy Tony McDowell, a/k/a “Jimmy Fingers” (Sumter); Jermaine Terrell Hilton, a/k/a “Fifty” (Sumter); Michael Antonio Floyd, a/k/a “Tony,” “Tone,” and “Fat Tony” (Sumter); Rayshon Jamaal Foster, a/k/a “Shan” and “Terry Brown” (Sumter); Donald Antwon Dingle, a/k/a “Red” and “Flash” (Sumter); Corey Emanuel White, a/k/a “Chopper,” “Choppa,” and “El Chop” (Sumter); Damonion Mckinzie Bing (Aiken); Alvaro Valencia-Gonzalez, a/k/a “Shorty” (Aiken); Alejandro Quinones Leyva, a/k/a “Guero” (North Carolina); Travis Jermaine Pough (Aiken); Andre Maurice Hightower (Lexington); Antonio Terrill Sweat, a/k/a “Tony” (Aiken); Harold Matthew McFadden (Sumter); and Bryant Christopher Ford (Atlanta, Georgia).
The arrest warrants were served along with the execution of seventeen search warrants in the midlands of South Carolina. During the arrests and search warrants as part of this coordinated effort, law enforcement seized approximately ten kilograms of cocaine, more than three-quarters of a million dollars in cash, numerous vehicles, a bulletproof vest, ammunition, and more than forty firearms (including eleven assault rifles) used as part of this drug trafficking network.
These arrests follow months of intense investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement partners that began with concerns raised by local law enforcement in Aiken, Lexington, Saluda, Sumter, Richland, and Lee Counties about violence, gangs, and substantial drug trafficking. As a result, federal agencies joined with our state and local counterparts to target both the street gangs and the sources of this cocaine supply. That investigation resulted in the identification of 22 individuals responsible for importing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Atlanta into South Carolina and then distributing across the Midlands. Assisting in the investigation and today?s operation included the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, US Postal Inspectors, SLED, SC DPPPS, Sumter Police Department, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, Aiken Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia Police Department, Lee County Sherriff’s Office, Chester County Sheriff’s Office, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, and the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
United States Attorney Bill Nettles explained: “If we are going to effectively fight violent crime and gangs, we must seek to curtail illegal drugs, the fuel that powers these gangs. In order to do this, the law enforcement community must stand together and present a unified front, seamlessly sharing information and each department undertaking the tasks that they are best prepared to address. This case is a sterling example of that type of teamwork.”
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J.D. Rowell and Kelly Hall. The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this Indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Cleveland man sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbing Family DollarRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his armed robbery of a Family Dollar store, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Willie L. Monroe, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Adams after previously being found guilty of attempted armed robbery and use of a firearm in commission of the robbery.
Monroe robbed the Family Dollar at 1915 South Taylor Road in Cleveland Heights on Sept. 23, 2014, according to court documents.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Kendra Klump following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Cleveland Heights Police Department.
Cleveland man faces tax chargesRead the Press Release
A grand jury returned an indictment charging Gerald D. Dotson, 45, of Cleveland, with 27 counts of filing false tax returns, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that Dotson filed a series of false tax returns during 2011, 2012, and 2013 claiming falsified wage income and tax credit information for individuals resulting in at least $139,675 in fraudulent refunds. The indictment further alleges that in some instances, Dotson requested that portions of the refunds be directed to bank accounts directly and indirectly controlled by him.
“The nation’s tax system should not be seen as a free standing ATM for criminals to ransack at will for personal enrichment,” said Kathy Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “Honest taxpayers are the real victims with these schemes and IRS-CI will ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases they will be less than the maximum. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Kendra Klump following an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cleveland man charged with bank fraud, identity theftRead the Press Release
A grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Devin Cooper, 26, of Cleveland, with one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that Cooper executed a scheme to defraud Fifth Third Bank by fraudulently obtaining debit cards associated with three victim business accounts. The indictment further alleges that Cooper used these debit cards to make unauthorized purchases and cash withdrawals totaling over $290,000. The indictment also charges Cooper with unlawfully using the means of identification of two individual victims during the course of the Bank Fraud.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Kendra Klump following an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Parma Police Department.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Charlotte Man Indicted on Hobbs Act Robbery and A Related Gun Charge Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Demarcus Donte Ivey, 34, of Charlotte, has been indicted on robbery and gun charges, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte returned the two-count indictment on Tuesday, October 20, 2015, charging Ivey with Hobbs Act Robbery and use of a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.
John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division; Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; and Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray join U.S. Attorney Rose in making this announcement.
“Crimes of violence uniquely affect the community and specifically the victims of such crimes. In this district, we work closely with our state counterparts and make prosecutorial decisions that maximize our options and ensure that the appropriate venue is utilized, whether it is state or federal court. Given the factors and circumstances of this case, Ivey’s federal prosecution will best meet the ends of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Rose, who is also handling Ivey’s prosecution.
“A man’s life was cut short because of the ruthless and callous actions of a violent killer. Today’s indictment is the result of an intense investigation between federal and local law enforcement agencies committed to holding accountable offenders who put the safety of our communities at risk,” said Strong, FBI’s Special Agent in Charge.
“The strong partnership between my office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office creates a coordinated effort between state and federal prosecutors working here in Mecklenburg County to ensure that our resources are shared to best protect this community and seek justice in every case,” said District Attorney Murray.
“This indictment sends a very strong message to those who engage in violent criminal activity. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and our partner agencies will continue to be steadfast in our focus to keep the community safe,” said CMPD Chief Putney.
According to the allegations contained in the charging document, in or about September 2009, Ivey robbed Club Nikki’s, which is located in Charlotte. The indictment alleges that over the course of the robbery, Ivey shot and killed Adrian Youngblood, who was a patron at Club Nikki’s.
The Hobbs Act Robbery offense carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, and the offense related to the use, carry, brandish and discharge of a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death carries a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.
Ivey is currently in state custody and will be transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals to appear in court on the federal charges.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making this announcement, U.S. Attorney Rose praised the investigative work of the FBI and CMPD and thanked the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office for their continued support and cooperation with this case.
U.S. Attorney Rose is in charge of Ivey’s prosecution.
Cedar Rapids Man to Federal Prison for Distributing Heroin Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
A man who distributed heroin to a user who nearly died from an overdose was sentenced October 19, 2015, to fourteen years in federal prison.
Marcus DeJohn Wallace, age 20, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 8, 2015, guilty plea to distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury.
At the guilty plea hearing, Wallace admitted that on February 24, 2015, he distributed $50 worth of heroin to a person in the parking lot of a business on Edgewood Road. He also admitted that the person to whom he had sold the heroin took it to a nearby vehicle, where another person was waiting.. Both individuals used the heroin Wallace had sold while in the automobile. Both immediately overdosed and lost consciousness after using it. The driver’s head slumped forward activating the horn. A passerby heard the horn honking, saw the two unconscious individuals, and called 911. When paramedics arrived, the passenger was able to be revived without medical intervention. The driver was totally unresponsive until paramedics repositioned the driver’s head to open his airway. Wallace admitted that without medical intervention by the paramedics, the driver was at a substantial risk of anoxic brain injury and death as a result of using the heroin Wallace distributed.
Wallace was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Wallace was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wallace is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Marion Police Department; the Iowa City Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 15-CR-00025-LRR.
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Caseyville Woman Indicted for Armed Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
On October 20, 2015, a federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis, Illinois, indicted Jenna McGlasson, 28, of Caseyville, Illinois, for one count of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, which is a violation of the Hobbs Act, and for one count of Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, in connection with the armed robbery of the Caseyville, Illinois, Mini Mart that occurred on June 25, 2015, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. McGlasson has been in custody since September 24, 2015, and is being held without bond.
If convicted of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, McGlasson faces a term in prison of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. If convicted of the offense of Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, McGlasson faces a minimum term in prison of 7 years up to a maximum term of life, consecutive to, meaning in addition to, any term of imprisonment imposed for the count related to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, as well as a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of the Metro East Armed Robbery Initiative announced by United States Attorney Wigginton. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak for prosecution.
California Resident Sentenced to Prison for Helping to Transport Heroin Across the CountryRead the Press Release
SCRANTON-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 28-year-old California resident was sentenced yesterday to 46 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy in Scranton, for possessing with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Jose Rosario Huizar-Rios, of Fresno, California, who is a citizen of Mexico, admitted to transporting heroin from California to the Mt. Pocono area of Monroe County in July 2014.
Huizar-Rios was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2014, as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Judge Conaboy ordered Huizar-Rios to serve two years on supervised release following his prison sentence. Huizar-Rios also faces possible deportation from the United States.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.
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California Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Oscar Toro, 43, of Fremont, Calif., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Toro will be sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Toro was charged in March 2014, on a criminal complaint alleging that he possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute on March 4, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, Toro was arrested after law enforcement seized approximately 3.4 kilograms of methamphetamine from a hidden compartment underneath Toro’s vehicle.
Toro was subsequently indicted on March 26, 2014, and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Toro pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on March 4, 2014, law enforcement officers found 3,415 grams of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment in his vehicle. Toro further admitted that he was given $1,000.00 to drive the methamphetamine from Calif. to Ky., and would later receive another $5,000.00.
Toro is in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo Armijo is prosecuting the case.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Four Armed Commercial RobberiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Phillip Thomas McGowans, age 27, of Brooklyn, Maryland, today to 12 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for robbery. Judge Bennett also entered an order that McGowans pay $2,214.60 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Commissioner Kevin Davis of the Baltimore Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Wes Adams; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
According to his plea agreement, on July 25, 2014, McGowans pointed a handgun at an employee at the Village Liquors store in Brooklyn, Maryland and demanded money. McGowans fled with $800. On August 11, 2014, McGowan again robbed the same liquor store, pointing a handgun at employees. McGowan fled with $1,149, a bottle of vodka and cigarettes.
McGowan also robbed the New York Fried Chicken store on East Patapsco in Baltimore City on August 19 and 30, 2014. On both occasions, he pointed a weapon at an employee. He fled with $200 on the first occasion and an undetermined amount on the second robbery.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the Anne Arundel County and Baltimore Ciy Police Departments, FBI, and Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Bonnie S. Greenberg and Michael Hanlon, who prosecuted the case.
Babysitter Sentenced to 26 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Aaron Michael Burns, 26, of Norfolk, was sentenced today to 312 months in prison for production of child pornography. In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, he was sentenced to a term of lifetime supervised release.
Burns pleaded guilty on July 8, 2015. According to court documents, in June 2013, a three year-old girl was taken to a local emergency room because she claimed her live-in babysitter, defendant Burns, had touched her genitals. Burns was arrested by Norfolk Police Department (NPD), but left his computer powered on at the victim’s residence. The victim’s father saw a desktop folder on the computer labeled “child-sex.” Subsequent to a search warrant, NPD searched and seized a number of Burns’ computer devices. Forensic examinations by NPD and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed over 20 images of the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct another set of sexually explicit images of an unidentified toddler, and numerous images that Burns downloaded from the Internet.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI); and Michael Goldsmith, Chief of Norfolk Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted 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. 2:14-cr-9.
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Attorney General Recognizes 14 Members of Maryland Law Enforcement for Their Efforts to End Corruption at the Baltimore City Detention CenterRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Attorney General Loretta Lynch recognized 279 Justice Department employees and 33 individuals, including 14 members of Maryland law enforcement, with Attorney General Awards at a ceremony today in Washington DC. These annual awards recognize department employees and other individuals for their dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission.
“The individuals being honored today stand out within a department that holds all of its employees and partners to an extremely high standard of excellence,” said Attorney General Lynch. “They have put in long hours, made immense sacrifices, and, in some cases, placed themselves in harm’s way. They have taken on issues that once seemed intractable, and made progress on problems that once seemed impossible. And their outstanding work is an inspiration to public servants everywhere.”
“The longstanding corruption at the Baltimore City Detention Center was brought to an end because of exceptional work by dedicated law enforcement professionals,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service was awarded to a District of Maryland team for their outstanding efforts to end corruption at the Baltimore City Detention Center through the successful investigation and conviction of forty defendants charged in a racketeering conspiracy, including 24 correctional officers. The investigation and prosecution revealed that Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang members and associates bribed correctional officers at BCDC and related prison facilities to smuggle drugs, cell phones and other contraband. Correctional officers arranged favored treatment and privileges for imprisoned BGF gang members, and officers thwarted interdiction and law enforcement efforts against BGF inmates. BGF members and associates held at BCDC had long-term sexual relationships with several correctional officers and impregnated them. The team also worked closely with state correctional officials and other agencies to identify systemic weaknesses and develop effective reforms. The shocking facts detailed in the charging documents prompted the state legislature to step in with enhanced oversight. As a result of the case, correctional and law enforcement agencies developed new intelligence about prison corruption and a strategy about how to conduct criminal investigations behind bars.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service was presented to: Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert R. Harding and Ayn B. Ducao, Legal Assistant Joanna B. Huber, all with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; FBI Supervisory Special Agents Wendy L. Hassett and John C. Hawkins; FBI Special Agents Karen R. Franks, Erika Jensen, Jeffrey P. Kramer, David D. Lee, and Sarah T. Lewis; FBI Intelligence Analyst Jody E. Zaruba; and FBI Task Force Officers Michael R. Corcoran from the Baltimore Police Department, Lynn G. Grant from the Prince George’s County Police Department, and Michael J. Baier formerly with the Baltimore Police Department and now with the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
Attorney General Lynch Recognizes Blackwater Prosecution Team with Award for Distinguished ServiceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch today recognized a team from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI’s Washington Field Office for the successful prosecution of four former security guards for Blackwater USA on charges stemming from their roles in the Sept. 16, 2007, shooting at Nisur Square in Baghdad, Iraq, that resulted in the killing of 14 unarmed civilians and the wounding of numerous others.
The team members were among 279 Justice Department employees and 33 individuals outside of the department to receive Attorney General Awards at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Today’s 63rd annual ceremony recognized individuals for their outstanding service and dedication to carrying out the missions of the Department of Justice.
The team that worked on the Blackwater investigation was honored with the award for Distinguished Service, one of the Justice Department’s highest honors.
“The individuals being honored today stand out within a department that holds all of its employees and partners to an extremely high standard of excellence,” said Attorney General Lynch. “They have put in long hours, made immense sacrifices and, in some cases, placed themselves in harm’s way. They have taken on issues that once seemed intractable, and made progress on problems that once seemed impossible. And their outstanding work is an inspiration to public servants everywhere.”
“These awards reflect the unwavering dedication to justice displayed by lawyers and support staff of our Office and others across the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Phillips. “The Nisur Square shooting presented a test as to whether our criminal justice system was capable of holding these American contractors accountable for their criminal acts overseas against foreign nationals. Those who worked on this case persevered through years of incredibly challenging work to prosecute those responsible for the shooting of innocent, unarmed Iraqi civilians, securing convictions that reaffirmed the commitment of the American people to the rule of law."
“It took an enormous amount of investigative expertise, persistence and fortitude to ensure that justice and accountability was attained in this case,” stated Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The team’s ability to overcome each of the monumental challenges faced is a testament to their remarkable skill and unwavering commitment to ensuring the rule of law is faithfully applied. These individuals showed tremendous courage, dedication and integrity in following through on the successful pursuit of justice.”
The Distinguished Service Award is one of the Justice Department’s highest honors for employee performance. Recipients exemplify the highest commitment to the Justice Department’s mission. The team members from the U.S. Attorney’s Office who were honored today include: Jonathan M. Malis, Chief of the Criminal Division; T. Patrick Martin, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division; Gregg A. Maisel, Chief of the National Security Section; Kenneth C. Kohl, Deputy Chief of the National Security Section; Jay I. Bratt, former Deputy Chief of the National Security Section; Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Crabb, Jr., Christopher R. Kavanaugh, and David Mudd; former Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Asuncion; and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant. Mr. Bratt and Mr. Asuncion are now Deputy Chiefs with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and Mr. Kavanaugh is now with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Virginia.
Other team members who were recognized today include Attorney Demetra Lambros, of the Appellate Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Brian M. Rasmussen, formerly the FBI’s Assistant Legal Attaché (ALAT) in Baghdad and now Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, and Special Agents Marc Daniel Hess, Jeremy David Moore, Thomas F. O’Connor, and Katrice Stubbs, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Those honored today represented a much larger group from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and other agencies that played an integral part in the extraordinary and unprecedented investigation and subsequent trial. These many contributors showed remarkable professionalism, tenacity, and courage throughout the investigation and prosecution of the security guards who were accused of taking part in the shooting in and around Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle in the heart of Baghdad. Those killed included 10 men, two women, and two boys, ages 9 and 11. At least another 18 victims were injured.
The four security guards who stood trial worked for Blackwater USA, a private security contractor that was paid by the U.S. government to provide protective services to U.S. officials. They were found guilty by a jury on Oct. 22, 2014, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Over the course of 11 weeks, the government presented testimony from 71 witnesses, including over 30 from Iraq. This represented the largest group of foreign witnesses ever to travel to the United States for a criminal trial. The witnesses included 13 people who were wounded in the shootings, as well as relatives of many of those who died. The government’s witnesses also included nine members of “Raven 23,” the Blackwater team that was on the scene on the day of the shootings, including one former security guard who pled guilty in December 2008.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Hosts the 63rd Annual Attorney General Awards Honoring Department Employees and Others for Their ServiceRead the Press Release
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch recognized 279 department employees for their distinguished public service today at the 63nd Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony. Thirty-three other individuals outside of the department were also honored for their work. This annual ceremony recognizes individuals for their outstanding service and dedication to carrying out the missions of the Department of Justice. The department will also present one posthumous award in honor of Deputy U.S. Marshal Josie Wells for his exceptional heroism in the line of duty.
“The individuals being honored today stand out within a department that holds all of its employees and partners to an extremely high standard of excellence,” said Attorney General Lynch. “They have put in long hours, made immense sacrifices and, in some cases, placed themselves in harm’s way. They have taken on issues that once seemed intractable, and made progress on problems that once seemed impossible. And their outstanding work is an inspiration to public servants everywhere.”
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service is the department’s highest award for employee performance and this year’s award was presented to the team responsible for the thorough investigation of the Ferguson, Missouri, Police Department.
On Aug. 9, 2014, Ferguson Police Department Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown. The shooting immediately drew worldwide scrutiny, spawned weeks of unrest that resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency in Ferguson and the mobilization of the National Guard, which threatened to devolve into large-scale civil unrest. Simultaneously, the case and aftermath spawned a national debate on the nature of the roles of race and class in policing. Immediately following the shooting, the department’s Civil Rights Division began criminal and civil investigations to uncover and analyze the facts surrounding the shooting and the broader practices of the Ferguson Police Department. These reports were widely read, were published in the most prominent news sources around the world and were received as credible by community members and law enforcement alike. The work of the recipients not only calmed the community, it set the framework for a groundbreaking project to improve police practices and police and community relations, while also reinforcing the credibility of the department by enforcing the civil rights of all Americans.
The recipients of the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service include, from the Office of the Attorney General, Counselor Benjamin C. Mizer, who is now the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the department’s Civil Division; from the Office of the Associate Attorney General, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Molly J. Moran; from the Civil Rights Division, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Kappelhoff, Office of the Assistant Attorney General Senior Counsel Chiraag Bains, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Robert J. Moossy, Criminal Section Acting Chief Paige Fitzgerald, Criminal Section Deputy Chief Kristy L. Parker, Criminal Section Trial Attorney Fara T. Gold, Special Litigation Section Deputy Chief Christy E. Lopez, Special Litigation Section Trial Attorneys Charles W. Hart Jr. and Jude J. Volek and Special Litigation Section Equal Opportunity Specialist Earl H. Saunders; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristian M. Stevens; from the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office, Special Agents Carolyn A. Cerone and Cynthia Dockery; and from the Office of Public Affairs, Public Affairs Specialist Dena W. Iverson.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism is given to recognize an extraordinary act of courage and voluntary risk of life during the performance of official duties.
The recipients of the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism are, from the U.S. Marshals Service-Southern District of Mississippi, Deputy U.S. Marshal (DUSM) Josie Wells, and from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington, D.C., Field Division, Special Agent (SA) Mark T. Simala.
On March 10, 2015, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)-Middle District of Louisiana was involved in a significant incident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, while attempting to arrest fugitive Jamie Croom during Operation Violence Reduction. Croom was wanted on two counts of first degree murder and violation of his federal supervised release. USMS personnel and Task Force Officers (TFO) responded to the Elm Grove Gardens Hotel in Baton Rouge in an attempt to arrest Croom. Dressed in tactical attire with clearly marked law enforcement insignias, the entry team knocked and announced their presence when opening the door. Law enforcement personnel proceeded into the room, at which time DUSM Wells was struck by gun fire initiated by Croom, who was hiding behind the hotel room door. Law enforcement personnel immediately returned fire at the threat, striking Croom and subsequently restraining him. Task force personnel immediately extracted DUSM Wells from the room to the parking lot and attempted to render first aid. DUSM Wells was placed in a TFO’s vehicle and transported to Lane Regional Medical Center in Zachary, Louisiana, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
On Nov. 19, 2014, SA Simala came to the aid of John Robert Phillips after he was involved in a horrific vehicle accident. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, SA Simala was able to rescue an unconscious Phillips from his burning vehicle shortly before it became engulfed by flames. Had SA Simala not acted, Phillips undoubtedly would have perished inside his burning vehicle. During the incident, SA Simala suffered burns to his outer clothing, smoke inhalation and had several small and treatable glass cuts to his right hand. Meanwhile, Phillips is said to be doing well and recovering from a shattered pelvis and two broken legs.
The Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism and Exemplary Integrity is presented to pay tribute to the memory and achievements of former Attorney General Edward H. Levi, whose career as an attorney, law professor, dean and public servant exemplified these qualities in the best traditions of the department. This year’s award is presented to Charles E. Samuels Jr., Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Samuels is honored for his distinguished public service career. He began his career as a correctional officer and moved through the ranks before becoming the eighth director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Dec. 21, 2011. During his tenure as director, Samuels has significantly enhanced the operations of the largest agency in the department, thereby increasing public safety and reducing crime. He has refreshed the country’s largest corrections system, bringing a renewed emphasis to the department and administration priorities, such as the Smart on Crime Initiative, prisoner reentry, Children of Incarcerated Parents, evidence based approaches to programs, solid labor-management relations, transparency and ensuring the most efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Samuels has made great strides in aligning the work of the department with the Bureau of Prisons’ crime prevention mission through a variety of significant initiatives centered around enhancing safety of staff and inmates; increasing security and order inside federal prisons; increasing and improving inmate program offerings; realigning resources to increase efficiencies; increasing transparency with the public and stakeholders; enhancing labor-management relations; enhancing programs to strengthen bonds between incarcerated parents and their children; and expanding the use of sentence reduction mechanisms. Through continual direct communications with thousands of employees around the country, using web-based messages, videos and live teleconferences, he rallies staff around his message of making a positive difference in the lives of others.
The Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award recognizes employees who have served at least 20 years in the department and have demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication throughout their careers. This award is presented only in exceptional circumstances to those individuals of special merit and is not awarded to express general appreciation for tenure alone. This year’s Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award is presented to Joyce R. Branda, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.
During her distinguished 30-year career in the Civil Division, Branda has consistently made significant contributions to the department’s mission and its people, which led to her being selected in 2012 as Deputy Assistant Attorney General, the highest ranking career manager in the Civil Division. Her exemplary management in that role has been reflected by her selection in September 2014 to serve as the Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division. Branda has demonstrated the highest standards of excellence and commitment throughout her career.
The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement is an honorary award granted to recognize state and local law enforcement officials who have made significant contributions to cooperative law enforcement endeavors.
This year’s award is presented to Brian Bailey, Danny Doyle and Joshua Mauney, Task Force Officers of the U.S. Marshals Service-Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force Investigative Operations Division.
This team assisted in an investigation that led to the successful arrest of Billy Lee Owens, a fugitive wanted on 22 outstanding warrants from five separate agencies. As evidenced by his criminal history and previous arrests, Owens was an infamous thief with a complete lack of regard for public safety in his attempts to evade capture. During the 48 hours prior to his capture, Owens led law enforcement officers on two vehicle pursuits, striking a dismounted task force officer with a stolen vehicle during one pursuit. On June 18, 2014, the recipients captured and arrested Owens.
The Attorney General’s Award for Meritorious Public Service is the top public service award granted by the department, and is designed to recognize the most significant contributions of citizens and organizations that have assisted the department in the accomplishment of its mission and objectives. One Meritorious Public Service award is presented this year to Michael Lieberman, Washington Counsel and Director at the Anti-Defamation League Civil Rights Policy Planning Center.
Lieberman is recognized for his significant contributions to the enactment and implementation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Prior to its enactment in 2009, Lieberman was a major contributor to the act’s development, both as policy counsel for the Anti-Defamation League and as the organizer and leader of the Hate Crimes Coalition, a working group of diverse non-governmental organizations (NGOs) representing communities across the nation. Through his leadership in the coalition, Lieberman worked collegially and constructively with the department and Congress to secure passage of an effective and potent hate crimes statute. Since its enactment in 2009, Lieberman has been an active and helpful community partner in the department’s implementation and enforcement of the act. He has worked with community groups and law enforcement across the nation to ensure that hate crimes are reported to law enforcement by working to build trust between community groups and local law enforcement through outreach and training events; expanding the Uniform Crime Report to collect hate crimes data on more religions; developing a law enforcement guide for identifying and reporting cases of hate crimes based on gender identity; providing active NGO participation in NGO/law enforcement joint hate crimes trainings across the nation; and filing amicus briefs in federal and state hate crimes cases on appeal that support the department’s legal positions on the act. Through these efforts and more, Lieberman has made significant contributions that assist the department in the accomplishment of its mission and objectives.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is the Justice Department’s second-highest award for employee performance. The recipients of this award exemplify the highest commitment to the department’s mission. Twelve Distinguished Service Awards are presented this year to individuals or teams of people.
The first Distinguished Service Award is presented to members of the team responsible for successfully litigating to enjoin anti-steering rules maintained by credit card companies. This team is honored for its outstanding achievements in prevailing in one of the most significant and challenging cases the department’s Antitrust Division has litigated in decades. The Antitrust Division filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in October 2010 to enjoin anti-steering rules maintained by American Express, MasterCard and Visa that prevented merchants from encouraging consumers to use lower-cost forms of payment. Because merchants had no ability under the defendants’ rules to reward lower-cost credit card networks with increased transaction volume, the $50 billion in swipe fees that credit card networks collect from merchants each year were insulated from the forces of competition. The recipients negotiated successful settlements with Visa and MasterCard but continued to litigate against American Express until the case proceeded to a seven-week trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York in the summer of 2014. In February 2015, Judge Garaufis found, after a full rule-of-reason analysis, that American Express violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The team persuaded Judge Garaufis of American Express’s liability in spite of complex two-sided platform issues associated with the payments industry, American Express’s relatively low market share, and a determined defense by a well-financed defendant represented by lawyers from some of the country’s most prestigious litigation firms. Judge Garaufis complimented the parties for conducting the best trial he had ever presided. In addition to the significant benefits that the team’s success will bring to American consumers, it will also pay dividends for the division for many years as potential future defendants evaluate their risks of litigating against the Antitrust Division.
Award recipients include, from the Antitrust Division, Litigation III Section Chief David Kully, Litigation III Section Assistant Chief Ethan Glass, Litigation III Section Trial Attorneys Craig Conrath, Andrew Ewalt, Mark Hamer, Gregg Malawer, Bennett Matelson, John Read, Lisa Scanlon, Joseph Vardner and Rachel Zwolinski, Networks and Technology Section Trial Attorney Ihan Kim, Competition Policy Section Economists Jeffrey Lien and Diane Owen and Economic Litigation Section Economist Deborah Minehart.
The second team to receive the Distinguished Service Award receives the award for its extraordinary work and exceptional service in the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) investigation and litigation against Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) for its issuance of fraudulently inflated ratings of Residential Mortgage Backed Securities (RMBS) and Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) in the run-up to the 2007 through 2008 financial crisis. The investigation and litigation, coordinated with related civil actions by 19 states and the District of Columbia, led to a record $1.375 billion settlement, half of which ($687.5 million) constitutes a penalty to be paid to the federal government, and is the largest penalty of its type ever paid by a credit rating agency. As part of the settlement, S&P admitted it ignored senior analysts within the company who complained it had given top ratings to financial products that were failing to perform as expected and it had declined to downgrade underperforming assets because it was worried that doing so would hurt the company’s business. While this strategy helped S&P avoid disappointing its clients, it did major harm to investors, including federally insured financial institutions that suffered losses exceeding $20 billion and to the larger economy, contributing to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The litigation and its resolution provided further proof that the department will vigorously pursue investigations and litigation, no matter how challenging, to address misconduct that contributed to the financial crisis.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California, Assistant U. S. Attorneys George S. Cardona and Anoiel Khorshid; from the Office of the Associate Attorney General, former Deputy Associate Attorney General Geoffrey T. Graber; from the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, Trial Attorneys James T. Nelson and Sondra L. Mills, Director Michael S. Blume and Investigator Michael A. Nash; from the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch, Assistant Director Arthur R. Goldberg and Trial Attorneys Bradley Cohen and Jennie L. Kneedler; and from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, Trial Attorney Thomas D. Zimpleman.
The third Distinguished Service Award is presented to the team responsible for their outstanding work organizing and leading a complicated and groundbreaking takedown operation that combined civil and criminal authorities to dismantle the notorious Gameover Zeus botnet and related to Cryptolocker, as well as the prosecution of Evgeniy Bogachev, a Russian national regarded as one of the most prolific cyber criminals in the world. The operation, which involved coordination among more than 10 countries and dozens of private sector partners, wrested control of a global botnet that had stolen approximately $100 million from U.S. and European businesses and consumers and dismantled the computer infrastructure of a “ransomware” scheme that netted millions from victims by locking them out of their files until they paid a ransom to the criminals. In connection with the takedown, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh unsealed a 14-count indictment against Bogachev, charging him with conspiracy, computer hacking, wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering in connection with his alleged role as an administrator of the Gameover Zeus botnet. Bogachev was also charged by criminal complaint in Omaha, Nebraska, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud related to his alleged involvement in the operation of a prior version of Gameover Zeus. Although Bogachev remains a fugitive, he is on the FBI’s Cyber Most Wanted List and in March 2015, the FBI announced a $3 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Award recipients include, from the National Security Division, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Luke Dembosky; from the National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section Trial Attorney David Aaron; Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section Trial Attorneys Ethan Arenson and William A. Hall Jr.; from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, Principal Deputy Director Mary D. Rodriguez and Associate Director (Europe and Central Asia) Jason E. Carter; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Comber and Shardul S. Desai; from the FBI’s Anchorage, Alaska, Field Office, Special Agent Elliott R. Peterson; from the FBI’s Omaha, Nebraska, Field Office Special Agents James K. Craig and Sara K. Stanley; and from the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, Special Agent Steven J. Lampo.
The fourth team to be awarded the Distinguished Service Award is presented this award for its outstanding work on the successful long-term investigation and prosecution of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT). The ABT was a powerful, race-based Texas state-wide organization operating inside and outside state and federal prisons throughout Texas and the United States. ABT protected its criminal money-making enterprises, including narcotics trafficking, identity theft, counterfeiting and check fraud, through assault, murder and other acts of violence while enforcing violent internal discipline. In an investigation spanning six years and 17 separate indictments in five different federal districts, the recipients targeted the leadership and the most violent members and associates of the ABT. Their work culminated in the indictment and conviction of 73 ABT members and associates on charges ranging from racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, narcotics trafficking, assault in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses and obstruction of justice. This investigation and prosecution was exceedingly successful and the resulting convictions of every high ranking member of the ABT have effectively dismantled this violent criminal network. The collaborative work of the recipients in this long-term case is truly exceptional and worthy of this distinguished honor.
Award recipients include, from the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney David N. Karpel; from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Houston Field Division, Senior Special Agent Richard J. Boehning, Special Agent Allen D. Darilek and Intelligence Research Specialist Donna S. Gray; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Texas, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Braley; from the FBI’s Boston Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent William Scott O’Donnell; from the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent Keith W. Koncir; from the U.S. Marshals Service-Southern District of Texas, Deputy U.S. Marshal Justin J. Perusich; from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Special Agents Steven D. Cavitt and Steven N. VanGeem and Task Force Officer Steven J. Lair; from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Office of the Inspector General, Criminal Investigator Joshua D. Lyons; from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division-Major Gang Unit, Special Agent Devin R. Gonzales; from the Montgomery County, Texas, Sherriff’s Office, Detective David J. Wells; and from the Texas Rangers Company “A”, Texas Ranger Brandon Bess.
The fifth Distinguished Service Award is awarded to the Blackwater team for its historic achievement in bringing to justice four Blackwater contractors assigned to a security team in Baghdad, who, without justification, fired a sniper rifle, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades at innocent, unarmed Iraqi civilians at Nisur Square, killing 14 and injuring at least 18 others on Sept. 16, 2007. The Nisur Square shooting was a watershed event for our nation’s involvement in Iraq and it presented a test as to whether the U.S. Criminal Justice System was capable of holding these American contractors accountable for their criminal acts overseas against foreign nationals. It took seven long years to obtain the guilty verdicts in the case, during which time the team overcame complex legal challenges, which included a dismissal of the entire case by the district court and a successful appeal, daunting problems of proof arising from a factual scenario that the defendants characterized as a “battlefield,” and the enormous logistical and victim-witness challenges of bringing more than 40 Iraqi witnesses to the United States to testify at a time when Iraq was undergoing a particularly intense period of turmoil. The team’s ability to overcome each of these monumental challenges is a testament to their tremendous skill and unwavering dedication. Ultimately, the jury’s guilty verdicts on virtually every charge represent a reaffirmation of the power of the rule of law.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay I. Bratt, John Crabb Jr., Kenneth C. Kohl, Gregg A. Maisel, Jonathan M. Malis, T. Patrick Martin and David Mudd, and Victim Witness Program Specialist Yvonne Bryant; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Virginia, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh; from the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section, Attorney Demetra Lambros; from the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent Brian M. Rasmussen; from the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office, Special Agents Marc Daniel Hess, Jeremy David Moore, Thomas F. O’Connor and Katrice Stubbs; and from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, Deputy Chief Anthony Asuncion.
The sixth Distinguished Service Award is awarded to the multi-agency team responsible for their exemplary performance in the shutdown of the Silk Road website and the subsequent sale of bitcoins. The multi-agency effort to dismantle the Silk Road website was a landmark event in the department’s fight against cybercrime. These efforts brought the owner and operator to justice through a cutting-edge criminal investigation and subsequent trial and pioneered the first-ever government-sponsored sale of bitcoins. Silk Road was a sprawling, black market bazaar which operated on the “dark web” and required all transactions to be paid for in bitcoins, enabling its users to anonymously buy and sell illicit goods and services, including drugs, counterfeit IDs, computer hacking tools, pornography and weapons. The team, which was nominated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Marshals Service, led this extraordinary and groundbreaking effort by successfully navigating uncharted government territory and dismantling a notorious criminal enterprise of unprecedented scope and sophistication. The case not only serves as a model for others to follow in conducting complex cybercrime investigations, prosecutions and asset dispositions in the future, but it also demonstrates that law enforcement is capable of rising to the challenge in the growing shift of criminal activity on the Internet.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Howard and Serrin Turner; from the FBI’s New York Field Office, Special Agent Vincent D. D’Agostino and Computer Scientist Thomas Kiernan; from the U.S. Marshals Service-Southern District of New York, Acting U.S. Marshal Eric B. Timberman; from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Office of General Counsel, Associate General Counsel Clifford R.R. Krieger; from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Asset Forfeiture Division, Assistant Program Manager Kyle T. Bateman; from the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, Assistant Deputy Chief for Policy John W. Vardaman III and Attorney-Advisor Joseph F. Mignano; from the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Intelligence Analyst Catherine Diane Pelker; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Cohen Levin and Christine I. Magdo; from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Special Agent Jared Der-Yeghiayan; and from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent Gary L. Alford.
The seventh Distinguished Service Award is awarded to the state of Maryland’s Prison Corruption Task Force. In 2011, the state of Maryland established a Prison Corruption Task Force for state, local and federal officials to share intelligence about high levels of gang activity in state correctional facilities. Based on leads developed by the task force, federal agents and prosecutors used sophisticated investigative techniques to expose a widespread racketeering conspiracy in which leaders of Maryland’s most prominent criminal gang corrupted correctional officers and exerted influence while incarcerated in the Baltimore City Detention Center. The correctional officers smuggled contraband, drugs and cell phones into the facility and engaged in sexual relationships with gang members. Gang leaders generated large profits by selling drugs and extorting payments from non-gang-affiliated inmates. Using cell phones and electronic payment systems, gang leaders arranged to bribe correctional officers, purchase and sell drugs and transmit money outside the jail. As a result of evidence gathered through multiple wiretaps, surveillance and cooperating witnesses, the team successfully prosecuted 40 defendants, including 24 correctional officers. The team also worked closely with state correctional officials and other agencies to identify systemic weaknesses and develop effective reforms. The shocking facts detailed in the charging documents prompted the state legislature to step in with enhanced oversight. As a result of the case, correctional and law enforcement agencies developed new intelligence about prison corruption and a strategy about how to conduct criminal investigations behind bars.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Maryland, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ayn B. Ducao and Robert R. Harding and Legal Assistant Joanna B. Huber; from the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, John C. Hawkins; and from the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent Wendy L. Hassett, Special Agents Karen Robertson Franks, Erika Jensen, Jeffrey P. Kramer, David D. Lee and Sarah Lewis, Intelligence Analyst Jody E. Zaruba and Task Force Officers Michael R. Corcoran, Michael J. Baier and Lynn G. Grant.
The eighth Distinguished Service Award is awarded to Melinda B. Morgan, Director of the Finance Staff in the Justice Management Division (JMD).
Morgan is a department and federal government leader in financial management, as evidenced by the success she has achieved in saving taxpayer money, implementing complex financial systems and managing a large workforce during times of financial stress. She makes certain all of the department’s 40 components have the strongest financial management portfolio by ensuring that policies and priorities are not only communicated but implemented according to guidelines. Since 2004, Morgan has been instrumental in safeguarding the department’s clean audit opinions, including the last four years, with no significant deficiencies identified by the auditors at the consolidated level. This is known in financial circles as a “clean-clean” audit opinion and it is a mark of outstanding financial management achievement on behalf of the taxpayers. The department has maintained a clean audit opinion while major department organizations have transitioned to a new financial system that, to date, has reduced eight legacy systems to three. Measured by either the millions of dollars she has achieved in savings or by the improvements she has made in the department’s financial operations and support for our national security and law enforcement programs, Morgan stands out as one of the department’s key executives responsible for improved financial management in government.
The ninth Distinguished Service Award is presented to the team responsible for their outstanding work in the groundbreaking national security cyber case, United States v. Wang Dong, which involved charges against five members of the Chinese military for computer hacking, economic espionage and other offenses directed at six American victims in the U.S. nuclear power, metals and solar products industries. The investigation was extremely complex and involved extensive and close coordination over several years. Throughout the investigation, the team worked collaboratively and thought creatively, exploring all available options to marshal the proof available from different sources sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt who was responsible for the charged crimes. It is notable among other cyber investigations for the volume and complexity of technical information, stored in different systems, that the team developed new ways to analyze. The recipients’ exemplary efforts were a critical step forward in addressing the national security cyber threat. This award included recipients from the National Security Division, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the FBI.
The 10th Distinguished Service Award is awarded to the team responsible for its extraordinary work in United States v. Citigroup, which resulted in a landmark settlement of civil fraud claims with one of the architects of the nation’s financial crises, Citigroup Inc. Totaling $7 billion, the settlement included payment of a record $4 billion penalty under FIRREA, Citigroup’s agreement to provide $2.5 billion in consumer relief and Citigroup’s acknowledgment that it made misrepresentations to investors in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). The recipients conducted a sweeping, two-year investigation of Citigroup’s RMBS securitization practices, issuing nearly 50 subpoenas, reviewing over 25 million documents and taking testimony from over 30 witnesses.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Colorado, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lila M. Bateman, J. Chris Larson and Kevin T. Traskos and Financial Analyst Laura K. Keane; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard K. Hayes, Charles S. Kleinberg, Edward K. Newman and John Vagelatos; and from the Office of the Associate Attorney General, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua I. Wilkenfeld.
The 11th Distinguished Service Award is awarded to the team for its work in the historic $16.65 billion settlement with Bank of America for fraud in the origination and securitization of residential mortgages. In his January 2012 State of the Union address, President Obama called upon the Attorney General to create a priority taskforce aimed at bringing financial accountability to banking institutions for their role in the residential mortgage crisis and resulting economic downturn. Delivering on that promise, the recipients assembled and led teams to investigate the entire platform of RMBS offered for sale in 2006 through 2008 by Merrill Lynch, Bank of America and Countrywide. This team pursued extensive and detailed fact investigations, developed and adapted innovative legal theories under FIRREA and prepared comprehensive civil complaints seeking billions of dollars in penalties. In addition to resolving RMBS-related claims, the settlement also resolved claims by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices of the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of New York related to faulty loan origination practices by Bank of America and Countrywide that resulted in misrepresentations about the quality of those loans to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration. The exhaustive efforts and perseverance of these teams advanced the core mission of the department by holding Bank of America accountable for its fraudulent conduct that contributed to the financial crisis, as well as providing substantial compensation for entities supported by American taxpayers and critical assistance to homeowners and neighborhoods impacted by the mortgage meltdown.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth M. Abell and Affirmative Civil Enforcement Auditor Emily J. Rosenthal; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pierre G. Armand and Jaimie Nawaday; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of New Jersey, Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Feder and Leticia B. Vandehaar and Auditor Barbara Radey; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan J. Davis, Leon W. Weidman and Brent A. Whittlesey; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of North Carolina, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark T. Odulio and Daniel S. Ryan; and from the Civil Division, Director of E-Discovery, FOIA and Records Allison C. Stanton.
The 12th Distinguished Service Award is awarded to the team responsible for the review of the U.S. government’s handling and sharing of information prior to the Boston Marathon bombings, identified areas where broader information sharing between agencies may have been required, or where broader information sharing in the future should be considered. The report made two recommendations: that the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) clarify Joint Terrorism Task Force alert procedures and that the FBI consider establishing a procedure for sharing threat information with state and local partners more proactively and uniformly. The FBI and DHS concurred with the recommendations and took immediate actions to implement them.
Award recipients include, from the department’s Office of the Inspector General, Investigative Counsels Jonathan A. Marks, Julie McConnell and Ann Marie Terzaken, Program Analyst Katherine Hazemey and Oversight and Review Division Paralegal Specialist Valencia E. Philyaw; from the DHS Office of Inspector General, Program Analyst Lindsay K. Clarke, Intelligence Officer Anthony D. Crawford, Lead Inspector Elizabeth A. Kingma, Inspector Megan T. Pardee and Analyst Brendan S. Bacon; from the Intelligence Community’s Office of Inspector General, Senior Auditor Catherine A. Cruz, Inspector William F. Rucker and Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Inspections William F. O’Neill; and from the Central Intelligence Agency’s Office of Inspector General, Audit Project Manager Mark A. Krulikowski, Auditors Matthew D. Seaman and Eric T. Tarnovsky and Attorney Renee Rocque Lee.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service in Indian Country recognizes extraordinary efforts by department employees who demonstrate the department’s commitment to fighting crime in Indian Country. This year’s award is presented to, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tanisha R. Payne, Steven L. Tiscione and Amir H. Toossi and Paralegal Specialist Huda Abouchaer; and, from the DEA’s New York Division, Special Agent Francis G. O’Regan. This team is recognized for its outstanding achievements in connection with the seven-year investigation of drug trafficking through the Akwesasne Native American Reservation on the U.S. and Canada border. The investigation resulted in the arrest, prosecution and conviction of more than 100 members and associates of a massive international criminal syndicate responsible for smuggling more than 100,000 kilograms of marijuana, tens of thousands of ecstasy pills and hundreds of kilograms of cocaine through Native American reservations straddling the border between the United States and Canada. The investigation resulted in the complete dismantlement of the three largest smuggling networks on the Akwesasne, a designated high-intensity drug-trafficking area (HIDTA), with the leaders of all three organizations pleading guilty to continuing criminal enterprise charges and the conviction of Canadian drug kingpin Jimmy Cournoyer, leader of a Montreal-based criminal enterprise that worked directly with the Rizzuto Crime Family of the Montreal Mafia, the Hells Angels, the Bonanno Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra and the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. These prosecutions stemmed the flow of a massive drug pipeline into the U.S. and drew national attention to the tremendous security risk posed by international drug cartels utilizing sovereign tribal lands to smuggle drugs and weapons across our northern border.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement recognizes outstanding professional achievements by law enforcement officers of the Department of Justice. This year’s award is presented to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Special Operations Group (SOG) played an essential role in the apprehension of Eric Frein, a fugitive wanted for the Sept. 12, 2014, ambush of the Pennsylvania State Police that killed Corporal Byron Dickson and critically wounded Trooper Alex Douglass. In support of the Pennsylvania State Police and with the assistance of hundreds of law enforcement officers, the SOG team apprehended Frein on Oct. 30, 2014, after an almost seven-week manhunt, the longest in Pennsylvania state history. The pursuit of Frein, a self-reported sniper with a myriad of outdoor survival and military tactical skills, required SOG deputies to deploy the full range of their tactical capabilities in rural operations and put themselves in the way of serious harm. SOG collaborated with other USMS units in its investigation, including the Investigative Operations Division, the Office of Strategic Technology and the Office of Emergency Management. Because of the perseverance, dedication, cooperation and bravery of the recipients during the long and difficult search, the SOG team was able to apprehend a dangerously armed suspect without incident.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Marshals Service, Middle District of Pennsylvania Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal James A. Nelson, Northern District of Georgia Criminal Investigator Travis D. Burdette, Tactical Operation Division Supervisory Criminal Investigators Scott C. Kimball and Scott M. Malkowski, Central District of California Criminal Investigator Markus R. Dale, District of Arizona Criminal Investigator Justin M. Davis, District of Columbia Criminal Investigator Scott R. Dmytryshyn, District of Minnesota Criminal Investigator Nathan T. Matthews, Eastern District of Kentucky Criminal Investigator Zachary P. Thompson, Western District of Kentucky Criminal Investigator John S. Schaaf, Eastern District of Michigan Criminal Investigator Joseph E. Godlewski, Middle District of Florida Criminal Investigator Mark J. Graham and Eastern District of Washington Criminal Investigator Julio A. Hernandez.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Management recognizes outstanding administrative or managerial achievements which have significantly improved operations or productivity, or reduced costs. This year’s award is presented to the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Program Management Office. Award recipients include, from OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, Associate Deputy Director Ruby F. Qazilbash, Senior Policy Advisor Thomas B. Talbot IV and Special Assistant Thurston L. Bryant; and from the OJP Office of General Counsel, Assistant General Counsels Peter M. Brien and Emily M. Gallas and Deputy General Counsel Charles T. Moses III.
The Office of Justice Programs Program Management Office’s assiduous and collaborative work has laid the foundation to promote sexual safety in confinement facilities across the country. This work most certainly represents a special service in the public interest which is over and above normal requirements, and of an outstanding and distinctive character in terms of improved operations, public understanding of the department’s mission, and accomplishments of one of the major goals of the department. At the end of the day, if it were not for the work of the Prison Rape Elimination Act Management Office during this time period, the department and the nation would be years away from improved conditions of confinement. This team thoughtfully developed a plan and implemented it, and now the office operates seamlessly as if it has been in operating for years. Taking a concept from “zero to one” is an extraordinary feat, especially in such a complicated area.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Information Technology recognizes outstanding achievements in applying information technology to improve operations and productivity, reduce or avoid costs, and solve problems. This year’s award is presented to the team responsible for implementing the department’s Unified Financial Management System.
Award recipients include, from JMD Finance Staff’s Unified Financial System Group, Deputy Director Christopher C. Alvarez, Assistant Director Mark C. Miller, Deputy Assistant Director Matthew J. Roper, Deputy Assistant Director for Production Jeffrey D. Pullen, Deputy Assistant Director for Migration and Integration Ping Oberst, Deputy Assistant Director for Infrastructure Marc Berlove, Testing Manager Tim D. Taylor, and Implementation Managers Jocelyn M. Harris and Arlene B. Helm; from JMD Finance Staff, Quality Control and Compliance Deputy Assistant Director Vu C. Truong; from JMD Service Delivery Staff, Unix Team Lead Jerome K. Milligan; and from the FBI’s Finance Division, Unit Chief Robert J. White Jr. and Management and Program Analyst Lowell Alden Williams.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions in protecting U.S. national security. Two Awards for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security are presented this year.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security is presented to the team who investigated and prosecuted two individuals and one company for economic espionage and theft of trade secrets for stealing valuable and sensitive U.S. trade secrets for the benefit of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This marked the first-ever jury trial conviction under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996. The investigation uncovered a 20-year plan hatched by high-level PRC government officials to obtain E.l. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) trade secrets for the production of titanium dioxide (Ti02) and exploit its value through PRC state-owned enterprises. Ti02 is a commercially valuable white pigment that is used in a multitude of products including paint, plastic and food items. DuPont’s unique process for creating Ti02 also creates a rare intermediary compound that has military and aerospace uses, such as coatings for ballistic missiles. Transfer of these trade secrets to the PRC would have had an extremely negative impact on the United States’ $13 billion per year Ti02 industry. The defendants had obtained the trade secrets and were in the process of providing them to state-owned entities of the PRC when law enforcement intervened. After hard-fought litigation and a seven-week trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of California, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter B. Axelrod, John H. Hemann and Candace Kelly and Visual Information Specialist Sutton A. Peirce; from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Supervisory Trial Attorney Richard S. Scott; from the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent Kevin J. Phelan, Special Agents Bianca N. Betz, Cynthia Ho, Cecily Laine Rometo and Christopher J. White and Intelligence Analyst Nathan D. Francis; from the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Supervisory Special Agent Katherine E. Pattillo; and from the U.S. Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Special Agent Justin E. Fletcher.
The second Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security is presented to the team responsible for the successful prosecution of United States v. Mohamed Osman Mohamud. The team’s exceptional diligence and expert handling of difficult litigation challenges led to a conviction and 30-year sentence for attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. The defendant in this case sought to detonate a truck bomb at a public Christmas celebration in Portland, Oregon, in the hopes of murdering thousands of people. The case posed numerous unique challenges in handling classified and sensitive information and countering a defense claim of entrapment. The guilty verdict obtained in this case brought justice to a dangerous extremist and affirmed the department’s use of investigative sting techniques to detect and neutralize homegrown terrorists.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Oregon, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pamela R. Holsinger, Ethan D. Knight and Jeffrey S. Sweet, Supervisory Litigative Support Specialist Susan E. Cooke, Litigation Support Specialist Rena R. Rallis and Paralegal Specialist Lori A. McBryde; from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, Supervisory Trial Attorney Alexis L. Collins, Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman, and Legal Administrative Specialist Pamela J. Hall; from the National Security Division’s Office of Intelligence, Supervisory Attorney-Advisor Paul E. Ridge and Attorney-Advisor Bryan Chehock; from the National Security Division’s Office of Law and Policy, Attorney-Advisor Joseph F. Palmer; from the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Supervisory Special Agent Jared J. Garth; from the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Supervisory Special Agent Ryan Dwyer; from the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent Elvis M. Chan; from the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office, Special Agent Miltiadis Trousas; and from the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent Thomas M. Ford Jr.
The Attorney General’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity is the department’s highest award for performance in support of the Equal Employment Opportunity program. One Equal Employment Opportunity Award is presented this year for outstanding leadership and performance in equal employment opportunity and diversity in the department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). Jeffrey Sands, Senior Attorney in ENRD, is presented this award for his leadership and tireless work to achieve equal employment opportunities for minority attorneys and law students in the ENRD’s workforce. In addition to performing his regularly assigned duties as a senior attorney, he has devoted countless hours and energy to promote equal employment opportunities through his work on the Environmental Enforcement Section (EES) Hiring Committee for Lateral Attorneys, the EES Legal Intern Hiring Committee, the ENRD Diversity and Career Development Committee and through the individual counseling he has provided to minority attorneys and law students who have been referred to him and whom he has met during outreach activities. Sands has done a great deal to advance equal employment opportunity for minority attorneys and law students, and his work in this area has been a great benefit to both the department and ENRD.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Legal Support recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of legal support to attorneys by paralegal specialists and other legal assistants.
In the Paralegal Category, this year’s Award for Excellence in Legal Support is presented to Milton E. Ramos, Paralegal Specialist in the FBI’s San Juan Division. Ramos’ initiative was evident when he reviewed the San Juan Division’s Legal Unit administrative tort claim procedures in order to assess its strengths and weaknesses. His experience allowed him to develop a more concise and effective process in order to obtain quicker reimbursements of government vehicle accident claims in which the FBI was not at fault. Ramos developed and implemented this process in concurrence with the San Juan Third Party Draft. As a result of this new process, he saved the FBI thousands of dollars. Additionally, Ramos utilized his professional experience and knowledge to organize and implement new procedures designed to fully comply with the annual requirements of the Ethics Program for the San Juan Division. The Office of Integrity and Compliance reviewed the new procedures and the inspectors highly praised Ramos’ dedication and effective work. They further indicated they would recommend some of Ramos’ innovative procedures as a best practice for other FBI offices. Another significant example of Ramos’ outstanding performance was his assistance to the Civil Division Torts Branch litigation team assigned to the litigation of Ortiz Lebron v. United States. Throughout the four year litigation process, Ramos’ expertise and support were crucial. His ability to coordinate informal interviews of FBI witnesses and their preparation for depositions and trial testimonies saved the litigation team time and effort. He actively assisted the litigation team with the review and signing of deposition transcripts of FBI witnesses, including Spanish-speaking Task Force Officers. Ramos saved the FBI time and money through his work and attention to detail.
In the Legal Support Category, this year’s Award for Excellence in Legal Support is presented to Beryl A. Robbins, Senior Legal Assistant Coordinator in the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan. Robbins, a 30-year veteran of the Eastern District of Michigan, is presented this award for volunteering to undertake the position of Senior Legal Assistant Coordinator. She was selected for this role because of her expertise in the area and extraordinary professionalism and dedication. Robbins is now responsible for creating, updating and maintaining all forms used by the office in criminal case filings and training all legal assistants about proper case filing practices. She is also the office liaison to the Clerk of the District Court. As a result of her work, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has seen a vast improvement in the quality and uniformity of its court filings, which has resulted in an almost negligible rate of errors and an equally impressive improvement in its working relationship with the courts.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Administrative Support recognizes outstanding performance in administrative or managerial support by an administrative employee or secretary.
In the Administrative Category, this year’s Award for Excellence in Administrative Support is presented to Michelle T. Stallings, Office Manager in the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General. Stallings is presented this award for her sustained outstanding performance in the field of administrative support, and for her extraordinary achievements in revamping the Criminal Division Office of the Assistant Attorney General’s support structure. She has restructured the front office’s secretarial and paralegal support system, making major changes in a short amount of time. Additionally, she recruited top talent to the front office; designed and implemented new training programs and materials; and raised the standards of professionalism by encouraging each assistant to improve his or her skills and aim for top-notch work product, as well as provide good customer service. On her own initiative, Stallings reviewed existing policies and revised them as appropriate to improve and streamline operations. She performed analytical studies to measure the effectiveness and productivity of office workflow and she improved the flow of correspondence and memoranda through the use of internal databases and tracking systems. Stallings essentially transformed the operations of the front office, and raised the bar for quality and timeliness of work, professionalism and operating efficiency. Her work in the front office now serves as a model for standards to follow in the different sections within the Criminal Division.
In the Secretarial Category, this year’s Award for Excellence in Administrative Support is presented to Patricia M. Jones, Special Assistant to the Executive Officer in the National Security Division. Jones is presented this award for her dedication to the mission of the division’s Executive Office through her hard work and positive approach to all of her assigned tasks. She has provided exceptional service for the Executive Office, the Office of the Assistant Attorney General and other sections of the division. Her extraordinary customer service has proven to be invaluable when providing the complete range of administrative and logistical support services. Her integrity, initiative, diligence, knowledge and professionalism play a critical role to ensure success in supporting the national security mission.
The Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility recognizes a department attorney who has made significant contributions in the area of professional responsibility by successfully handling a sensitive and challenging professional responsibility issue in an exemplary fashion and/or leading efforts to ensure that department attorneys carry out their duties in accordance with the rules of professional conduct. This year’s award is presented to G. Bradley Weinsheimer, Deputy Counsel on Professional Responsibility in the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). Weinsheimer is presented this award for his tireless and dedicated efforts to ensure that the department’s attorneys and agents maintain and are held accountable to the highest standards of professional responsibility. As Deputy Counsel of OPR, Weinsheimer, through skillful and creative management, has enabled OPR to reduce its backlogged investigations and inquiries while producing thorough, well-reasoned reports of its investigations. He also ensured that the results of OPR’s inquiries and investigations were fully understood by the subjects of the investigations and the department’s components. With improved intake, assignment and management policies in OPR, inquiries and investigations do not remain pending as long as in the past and subjects receive more immediate and critical feedback assessing their professional responsibilities. Under Weinsheimer’s leadership, the department’s attorneys are better able to carry out their duties in accordance with the rules of professional conduct.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Service in Freedom of Information Act Administration recognizes exceptional dedication and effort to the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). President Obama’s Open Government Directive and the Attorney General’s FOIA Guidelines prioritize the need for the government to incorporate information technology into FOIA processing when responding to requests for information. This year’s award is presented to Carmen L. Mallon, Chief of Staff in the Office of Information Policy (OIP). Mallon is presented this award for her exemplary and sustained role as a dedicated, highly-talented manager of a multi-faceted office with government-wide responsibilities. As OIP’s Chief of Staff, she provides strategic direction, guidance and support to three distinct teams of professionals charged with carrying out the statutory responsibilities of encouraging and overseeing compliance with FOIA. The department’s senior leadership offices also confidently rely upon Mallon to personally provide advice and assistance on record-disclosure issues. In carrying out these many responsibilities, Mallon has proven herself to be a truly outstanding federal manager, with unmatched dedication to her duties, excellent problem-solving skills, exceptional ability and outstanding subject-matter expertise. She is an industrious and skilled leader, whose talents and attributes are a continuous credit to both OIP and the department.
The Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention recognizes exceptional dedication and effort to prevent, investigate and prosecute fraud, white-collar crimes and official corruption. This team is presented this award for its work in the four-year investigation, Operation Sledgehammer (OS). Over the course of the four-year investigation, OS charged more than 100 perpetrators at the state and federal levels; influenced positive reformations to Florida’s personal injury protection (PIP) laws; and developed investigative best practices that have been shared nationwide with other law enforcement officers and private liaison partners. As a result of the investigation, OS dismantled 21 fraudulent treatment clinics operating in South Florida. The case also charged 105 perpetrators operating at all levels of the fraud scheme, to include staged accident participants, patient recruiters, money launderers, licensed medical staff, true owners and doctors. Seven of the most egregious chiropractors operating in Florida were charged federally, resulting in convictions and prison sentences for six of them; the seventh is an active fugitive. Three doctors and a patient recruiter proceeded with a federal jury trial in March and April 2014, and were found guilty of 104 of the 105 charged counts. The total federal prison time for those charged in the case exceeded 2,000 months and more than $92 million in restitution has been awarded to the victims. The investigation and prosecution of OS eliminated the fraud that was being perpetrated by direct targets of the investigation; however, the greater accomplishments of the case were its broad-based deterrent effect on others in South Florida and the influence it had on state legislation. One of the 49 victim insurance companies identified in the case reported a 61 percent decrease in PIP billings in Palm Beach County, Florida, between 2010 and 2014, representing a savings of over $21 million. Throughout the case, members of the investigative team provided input through the National Insurance Crime Bureau to assist with legislative changes based on the scheme characteristics uncovered during the investigation. Effective Jan. 1, 2013, the Florida legislature reformed PIP laws, making it more difficult for perpetrators to commit staged accident fraud.
Award recipients include, from the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agents Shaun P. O’Neill, Craig B. Stallings, Roger M. Stevens, William Stewart and Frances Szczepanski and Administrative Specialist Luz Delgado; from the FBI’s Tampa, Florida, Division, Special Agent Jorge A. Rivera; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Marie Villafaña and Evelio J. Yera; from the Department of the Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service, Special Agent Pamela Martin; and from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Supervisory Special Agent Fred Burkhardt and Special Agent Teresa Grimaldi.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Community Partnerships for Public Safety recognizes outstanding achievement in the development and support of community partnerships designed to address public safety within a community. The award recognizes the significant contributions of citizens and organizations that have assisted the department in the accomplishment of these programs. This year’s Outstanding Contribution to Community Partnerships for Public Safety Award is presented to the team responsible for implementing the Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance (CRI-TA) through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
In August 2014, President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder directed the COPS Office CRI-TA team to assess and provide technical assistance in the communities surrounding Ferguson after the tragedy. With the theme “public safety is not just the absence of crime but the presence of justice,” the COPS Office has become a strong voice for collaborative reform and critical response for law enforcement agencies nationwide and the source for innovation in procedural justice for disenfranchised communities. Moreover, the COPS Office has reframed the conversation around social justice and community engagement with law enforcement. With the implementation of the CRI-TA in Las Vegas; Spokane, Washington; Philadelphia; St. Louis County, Missouri; Baltimore; and Fayetteville, North Carolina, law enforcement has a new tool to address its systemic challenges related to community trust. The outcome of the CRI-TA assessment process is a road map for reform in a report tied to technical assistance goals. As the training provider for the 60 agencies in St. Louis County, the St. Louis County Police Department is undergoing the collaborative reform process and the lessons learned will be incorporated into their police academy and transform policing for these communities experiencing such tension and mistrust of law enforcement practices. The COPS Office intends to use this process to facilitate significant law enforcement reform efforts in communities across the nation.
Award recipients include, from the COPS Office, Senior Advisor to the Director Katherine A. McQuay; Deputy Director of the Community Policing Advancement Directorate Robert E. Chapman; from the Research and Development Division, Assistant Director Matthew C. Scheider and Social Science Analyst Jessica A. Mansourian; from the Grant Operations Directorate, Deputy Director for Grant Operations Sandra R. Webb; and from the Partnerships and Technical Assistance Division, Supervisory Policy Analyst Helene Brody Bushwick, Senior Program Specialist Tawana V. Elliott, Policy Analyst Melissa E. Bradley and Collaborative Reform Specialist Billie Yrlas Coleman.
The Cubby Dorsey Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Wage Grade System Employee recognizes extraordinary performance and contributions by wage grade system employees, including laborers, mechanics and skilled craft workers. This year’s award is presented to Philip Stoick, Automotive Mechanic in the FBI’s Minneapolis Division. Stoick, in addition to his regular duties, has designed and built custom trunk vaults for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) within the FBI’s Minneapolis Division. Previously used custom trunk vaults were purchased at a cost of between $1,600 and $2,000 to the FBI. Conversely, the trunk vaults built by Stoick are completed with a cost of under $500 to the FBI. Due to the high cost of commercial trunk vaults, not all SUV vehicles had one installed. However, with the lower cost, now all FBI Minneapolis Division SUV vehicles are being outfitted with a custom vault that allows for the safe transportation of weapons while providing special agents with more storage space for investigative gear.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee recognizes exceptional performance and notable accomplishments towards the department’s mission by an employee with less than five years of federal career service. This year’s award is presented to Nan Roberts Eitel, Associate General Counsel for Chapter 11 Practice in the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees’ Office of the General Counsel. Eitel is presented this award for her exceptional service in modernizing the U.S. Trustee Program’s (USTP) review of the compensation and expenses sought by attorneys in large Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. In the time she has been with the program, Eitel has undertaken extensive study of professional compensation schemes both in and out of bankruptcy, engaged in extensive stakeholder review, drafted an innovative and workable set of industry guidelines and worked tirelessly to ensure their successful implementation. Her efforts have resulted in an approach to professional compensation that is grounded in modern bankruptcy practice, and that supports the USTP mission by enhancing public confidence in the integrity of the bankruptcy compensation process.
The John Marshall Awards are the department’s highest awards offered to attorneys for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance. Eleven awards in nine categories are presented this year.
The first John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation is presented to Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of New York Justin Anderson, Douglas B. Bloom and Perry A. Carbone. This team is responsible for the successful prosecution of a group of New York state politicians for bribery and corruption, ranging from the highest ranks of state government, to the governing body of America’s largest city, to the highest officials of a local municipality. The team conducted a complex undercover operation that exposed the broad extent and brazen nature of corruption in New York state politics and led to the arrest and conviction of five political figures with one more awaiting trial. Three of those defendants, the former majority leader and president pro tempore of the New York State senate and acting lieutenant governor of New York, a New York City councilman and a leader of a New York City Republican party, heavily contested the charges and were convicted after hard-fought trials. The team’s work helped catalyze ongoing efforts at reform of New York state and local government.
The second John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation is presented to the team responsible for convicting serial killer and sexual predator Jorge Avila Torrez. As a result of the tireless efforts of investigators and prosecutors over the course of several years, Torrez was held accountable by a federal jury in April 2014 for the premeditated murders of three innocent victims and the abduction and sexually motivated assault of three survivors. Prosecutors charged Torrez with the capital murder of Amanda Jean Snell, a promising young petty officer in the U.S. Navy, who was found dead in her barracks near the Pentagon in July 2009. Although Snell’s death was not ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, a later re-examination of the evidence, including DNA analysis, proved that she was the victim of a sexually motivated assault and murder. The prosecution team proved that Torrez was also responsible for attacks on three young women in Arlington, Virginia, and the brutal murder of two young girls in Zion, Illinois, despite the fact that an innocent man stood accused of the Illinois killings for approximately five years. Following a lengthy trial involving the presentation of more than 60 witnesses and hundreds of exhibits, the defendant was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Fahey and Michael E. Rich, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Heberle and Senior Litigation Counsel James L. Trump.
The John Marshall Award for Participation in Litigation is presented for this team’s outstanding work in negotiating the federal government’s first settlement involving student loans under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The lawsuit alleges that Sallie Mae Inc. (now known as Navient Solutions Inc.), SLM DE Corporation (now known as Navient DE Corporation) and Sallie Mae Bank (collectively Sallie Mae) failed to provide members of the military the 6 percent interest rate cap to which they were entitled in violation of the SCRA. The department’s settlement was the result of a joint effort with the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs. It requires Sallie Mae to pay $60 million in compensation to over 60,000 service members and to streamline the process by which service members may obtain interest rate reductions in the future. Attorney General Holder announced this landmark settlement along with ED Secretary Arne Duncan, who announced ED’s plans to adopt new industry-wide streamlined procedures that will minimize administrative burdens on service members and allow more of them to obtain the SCRA benefits to which they are entitled.
Award recipients include, from the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section, Chief Steven H. Rosenbaum and Trial Attorneys Tanya I. Kirwan and Elizabeth A. Singer.
The first John Marshall Award for Support of Litigation is presented to this team for their exceptional performance in three trials under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act against members of La ONU, one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking organizations in Puerto Rico. The three trials focused on the drug trafficking activities and the numerous murders committed by the organization. La ONU’s quest to maintain and increase their power of the drug trade led them to commit some of the most brazen murders seen in Puerto Rico, which cost the lives of ordinary law-abiding citizens. Among the murders that the recipients proved during the trials was the downing of a police helicopter by a member of La ONU, who shot at the helicopter during flight with an AK-47 rifle, killing the co-pilot. The recipients also proved the murder of a police woman and a librarian who were driving to work when they were caught in the crossfire and killed during a shootout between members of La ONU and their main rival. In total, the team convicted seven defendants who were all sentenced to life in prison. The defendants who were convicted included La ONU’s leader and main enforcers. As a result of the convictions obtained in the three trials, La ONU was significantly weakened. Moreover, the conviction of the defendants involved in these murders brought peace to the citizens of Puerto Rico, as they would no longer be threatened by members of an organization whose brazenness put at risk the lives of law-abiding citizens.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor O. Acevedo-Hernandez and Jenifer Y. Hernandez-Vega.
The second John Marshall Award for Support of Litigation is presented to Richard Farber, Senior Appellate Counsel in the Tax Division’s Appellate Section. Farber is presented this award for his exceptional record of accomplishments in support of litigation of the most important tax cases that are presented to the federal courts of appeals. He has long been regarded as an appellate advocate of the highest caliber and for that reason he has, for many years, been asked to supervise the government’s appellate litigation in the most important and complex tax cases. Over the past two years alone, his astute supervision of the government’s litigating strategy has saved more than $1 billion in revenue. Moreover, Farber has made major contributions to the Tax Division’s mission of protecting the public fisc.
The first John Marshall Award for Handling of Appeals is presented to Vijay Shanker, Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section. Shanker is presented this award for his superlative skill in appellate advocacy. Never flummoxed by a short deadline or a long dormant statute suddenly restored to life, he excels at solving puzzles and translating the solution into persuasive but crisp prose. Shanker routinely handles complex cases requiring meticulous analysis, thorough research and an orderly, scholarly and clear presentation. At oral argument, he knows that fist-pounding and hyperbole destroy credibility and that when representing the United States, earning the court’s trust and respect is critical. The soft-spoken Shanker earns that trust by anticipating the toughest questions and focusing on the key points needed to win. With superlative skill and integrity, he has secured dozens of appellate victories for the government, defending the convictions of violent carjackers and robbers, fraudsters and corrupt public officials, drug dealers, narcoterrorists and criminals who exploit children. He has also obtained several ground-breaking decisions on issues that lay at the intersection of forfeiture law, international relations and terrorism. Additionally, Shanker finds time to provide legal advice to department’s leadership and prosecutors on a variety of issues.
The second John Marshall Award for Handling of Appeals is presented to the Bay Mills Indian Community team for its outstanding win in a case by the state of Michigan that presented a direct, frontal-assault on the concept of tribal sovereign immunity from suit in the absence of Congressional authorization. Against a backdrop of bad facts in which to litigate this issue (apparently unlawful gaming by the tribe), the team presented cogent arguments as to why Congress had not authorized the kind of suit the state had brought and presented other clear avenues by which the state could obtain review of the legality of the tribe’s actions without necessitating a complete revision of tribal sovereign immunity concepts. Favorable decisions in the U.S. Supreme Court for Indian tribes have been quite scarce over the last decades. This decision was a shining star, achieved because of the team’s stellar work.
Award recipients include, from the Environment and Natural Resources Division, the Office of the Assistant Attorney General-Senior Counsel for Indian Affairs Gina L. Allery, Indian Resources Section Deputy Chief John H. Turner Jr., and Appellate Section Assistant Chief William B. Lazarus and Attorney Mary Gabrielle Sprague; from the Office of the Solicitor General, Deputy Solicitor General Edwin S. Kneedler and Assistant to the Solicitor General Ann E. O’Connell.
The first John Marshall Award for Providing Legal Advice is presented to the team responsible for guiding the department to its new position regarding Title VII and gender identity. In December 2014, Attorney General Holder announced that it is now the view of the department that Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination reaches discrimination due to gender identity, gender transition and transgender status. This announcement was the culmination of many years of not only legal analysis and internal discussion, but also outreach to stakeholders within the government and beyond. Transgender individuals are among the most marginalized in our society, and thus they are sorely in need of the protections of federal antidiscrimination law. Consequently, the significance of the department’s change in position cannot be overstated.
Award recipients include, from the Civil Rights Division, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory B. Friel and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela S. Karlan, and from the division’s Appellate Section, Chief Diana K. Flynn, Deputy Chief Sharon M. McGowan, Special Litigation Counsel Tovah R. Calderon and Trial Attorney Holly Thomas.
The second John Marshall Award for Providing Legal Advice is presented to the Justice Management Division’s (JMD) Office of General Counsel (OGC) for providing exceptional, soundly reasoned and well researched legal advice to JMD staff and senior departmental and component leadership across the department. Much of OGC’s work is often behind-the-scenes, providing crucial support and confidence to leadership and components in the performance of their missions. OGC’s contributions to the department’s nuts-and-bolts management issues, addressing all aspects of matters covering appropriations, personnel and appointments of officers, procurement, grant management, security, property management and department-wide directives are essential to the continued sound functioning of the department and effectuation of important policies and initiatives. Additionally, through its effective coalitions with other federal agencies and interagency legal working groups, OGC is recognized and called upon by other agency general counsels and interagency legal working groups to provide invaluable assistance.
Award recipients include, from JMD’s OGC, General Counsel Arthur E. Gary, Deputy General Counsel Barbara A. Bush, Assistant General Counsels John R. Caterini, Kristen Bucher Hahn, Barry C. Hansen, Pamela J. Jadwin, Morton J. Posner, Evelyn S. Tang and John E. Thompson and Staff Assistant Michelle M. Allen.
This year’s John Marshall Award for Alternative Dispute Resolution is presented to Daniel Tenny, Trial Attorney in the Civil Division’s Appellate Section. Tenny is presented this award for achieving a groundbreaking settlement of much publicized litigation that was closely followed by veterans groups and members of Congress. In Valentini v. McDonald, homeless veterans claimed, and the district court found, that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was improperly allowing land at its West Los Angeles Campus to be used for commercial purposes. Tenny’s intensive efforts over more than a year were central to the settlement, in which Tenny worked directly with the VA Secretary and disentangled the legal issues posed by the litigation from the substantive and policy issues on which the parties agreed. The settlement has been lauded by commentators who had previously been critical of VA’s operations in West Los Angeles as a new beginning and an opportunity to achieve significant policy objectives that would have been impossible if the parties had continued in an adversarial fashion. The parties have already begun working together on new homelessness plans and on a process for making better use of the West Los Angeles campus, outside the context of any adversarial litigation. Tenny achieved far more than could have been accomplished by success in the litigation and his work exemplifies the means by which the adversarial process can be transformed into a constructive endeavor.
This year’s John Marshall Award for Interagency Cooperation is presented to Dustin F. Minor, Hazardous Waste Branch Chief in the Office of Regional Counsel – Region 9 of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Minor has demonstrated extraordinary cooperation with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement and Environmental Defense Sections in connection with its joint efforts to pursue parties responsible for the contamination of over 500 abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation lands. These abandoned mines have contaminated land near Navajo homes, roads, grazing lands and cultural areas, resulting in one of the most severe environmental justice problems in Indian Country. Minor played an important role supporting the Environmental Defense Section in its ground-breaking work to craft a settlement with the Navajo Nation that will lead to the important response measures to address the uranium contamination resulting from mining on Navajo lands. He has also played an essential role in the work of a combined EPA/department team to litigate against responsible private parties and to foster outreach to the Navajo Nation. Minor played an equally central role helping litigate and settle consolidated Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act actions in connection with a 160-acre contaminated Superfund site in Rialto, California, litigation that was unusually challenging due to its extensive discovery and contentious disputes over its 10-year history. Ultimately, five separate consent decrees were entered, which together will result in the cleanup of the entire site at a cost of approximately $100 million. Minor played an important role in finding creative solutions that enabled both EPA and the U.S. Department of Defense to settle on terms that were appropriate to each agency.
Anchorage Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Selling Cocaine and CrackRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that an Anchorage man was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage for selling cocaine and crack.
Darryl Dewayne Mitchell, 31, of Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced today in Anchorage by U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess. Mitchell received a sentence of 60 months of imprisonment followed by a five year term of supervised release. On July 30, 2015, Mitchell pled guilty to five counts of distributing controlled substances – namely, cocaine and crack.
According to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Bennett, in January and February 2015, Mitchell sold cocaine and cocaine base to an undercover Anchorage Police Department detective five times. Mitchell ultimately sold a total of 91.27 grams of crack and 1.76 grams of cocaine. When law enforcement officers arrested Mitchell, they seized $4,516 in U.S. currency as well as a Cadillac and a firearm. These items derived from the sale of narcotics and Mitchell forfeited them to the United States as part of his plea.
In sentencing Mitchell, Judge Burgess noted the seriousness of the crimes, the need to deter future criminal conduct by Mitchell and others, and the need to protect the public as reasons for the sentence he imposed.
Ms. Loeffler commends the Anchorage Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security who conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bennett is a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office who is funded by the Municipality of Anchorage to prosecute violent crime and drug cases.
Anchorage Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Gun and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska B U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that an Anchorage man has been sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 120 months in prison for selling crack cocaine while in possession of a firearm.
Larry Aron Meeks, Jr., 25, of Anchorage, Alaska, previously pled guilty to conspiring with others to sell significant quantities of crack cocaine for profit. As part of his plea, Meeks admitted selling crack cocaine on multiple occasions. He also admitted that, on one such occasion, he possessed a firearm in support of his drug business. Upon being released from prison, Meeks will be on supervised release for five years.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Courter, who prosecuted the case, in 2014 Meeks sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant who was working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). First, in April 2014, Meeks sold the informant 13.1 grams of crack cocaine. Approximately one month later, Meeks again sold crack cocaine to the informant, this time selling him 44.8 grams of crack cocaine in exchange for $3,750 in cash. During that deal, Meeks had a .40 caliber handgun strategically placed on top of the refrigerator in his kitchen where the deal took place.
Finally, in June 2014, during the execution of search warrants at Meeks’ residence, Meeks was found in possession of still more drugs, drug paraphernalia, and multiple firearms. Meeks had two guns in his bedroom next to more than $4,500 in cash. Agents recovered additional firearms in other locations, – one of which was loaded with a round in the chamber, digital scales, multiple cell phones, and a Coca-Cola bottle that had been modified to contain a hidden compartment. Inside the bottle, Meeks had stored bags of crack cocaine and heroin.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Burgess focused on the seriousness of Meeks’ offenses as well as the need to protect the public from future crimes and the importance of deterring others from committing similar crimes.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Loeffler praised the work of the law enforcement agencies involved in investigating the case, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Anchorage Man Charged with Four Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska - U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that an Anchorage man was indicted by a federal grand jury on four charges of bank robbery.
Gregory L. Cannon, 48, of Anchorage, Alaska, was named as the sole defendant in the Indictment.
Cannon was charged with the robbery of Northrim Bank on September 19, 2015, an attempted bank robbery of First National Bank on September 23, 2015, the robbery of a different branch of Northirm Bank on September 23, 2015 and the robbery of Credit Union 1 on September 28, 2015.
The FBI conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ambulance Driver Admits Role in Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Thael Kuran, 23, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and making false statements in a health care matter. The charges stem from a fraud scheme involving Brotherly Love Ambulance, Inc. U.S. District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 19, 2016. Kuran faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment.
In July 2010, the defendant’s mother, Feda Kuran, who was charged and convicted separately, began operating Brotherly Love Ambulance a co-schemer. From approximately July 2010 through approximately October 2011, Thael Kuran transported patients for Brotherly Love even though those patients could walk and could have been transported safely by means other than ambulance and were, therefore, not eligible for ambulance service under Medicare and Medicaid requirements. Thael Kuran also transported patients in his personal vehicle and in a minivan owned by Brotherly Love, both of which lacked the lifesaving equipment found in an ambulance. Even when he transported patients in his personal vehicle, Kuran completed ambulance “run sheets” for the trips and certified those sheets with his signature. In order to make the transports appear as though they had been done via ambulance, those run sheets misstated the medical condition of the patients and the care provided to the patients during the transports. After Brotherly Love ceased operations, Thael Kuran completed run sheets at a successor company, VIP Ambulance, that were false in that they were inconsistent with one another and contained no legitimate signature by an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
As a result of the overall scheme at Brotherly Love, the Medicare program was billed for more than $4.9 million and paid more than $2 million in inappropriate claims.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mary E. Crawley and Paul W. Kaufman.
ATF Investigation Leads to Charges Against Man from Elizabeth, Pa.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of malicious destruction of property by fire, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on Oct. 20 and unsealed today, named Jeffrey Tedesco, 36, of, Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about Feb. 13, 2015, Tedesco set fire to a residential rental home located in Forward Township, Pennsylvania.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, 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 Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office and Allegheny County Police 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.
8 Charged in Federal Court in Relation to Skimmers Installed in Gas Pumps to Collect Credit Card and Debit Card InformationRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Authorities this morning arrested four defendants charged with federal fraud and identity theft charges for allegedly participating in a scheme that installed credit card “skimmers” inside gas pumps at gas stations across Southern California and Southern Nevada.
A criminal complaint charges eight defendants – three of whom are fugitives at this time – with participating in a conspiracy that secretly installed electronic devices known as skimmers inside of gas pumps that were equipped with point of sale terminals. When gas station customers swiped their credit or debit cards through the device that reads the magnetic strips on the back of their cards, the information was stored on the skimmers that were hidden inside the gas pumps. According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, members of the conspiracy were able to later retrieve the account information without going back inside the gas pumps by using Bluetooth-equipped devices, such as cellular phones or tablets.
According to an affidavit by a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service, participants in the conspiracy manufactured skimmers with parts purchased at electronics stores. At the gas stations, they allegedly used large vans to conceal their activities as they forced open panels on the gas pumps and installed the skimming devices that were not visible to customers who used their credit cards at the pumps.
The affidavit outlines how the organization installed dozens of skimmers at gas stations operated by different companies in areas that include San Gabriel, Burbank, North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Eagle Rock, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Torrance, Long Beach, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Tustin, Fountain Valley, the Coachella Valley and Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Identity theft causes significant harm to individuals as well as imposing costs on society overall,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Members of the public are entitled to use their credit and debit cards at gas stations without fear that their identities could be stolen. The collective consequence of such criminal activity is that thousands of people have had their personal information compromised and now they must undertake substantial efforts to protect their identities.”
In conjunction with this morning’s arrests, investigators executed a series of search warrants. At one location, they found materials indicating that members of the conspiracy were actively involved in the manufacture of counterfeit credit cards.
The eight defendants named in the criminal complaint are:
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Nazar Daniyelyan, 47, of Sun Valley, who was arrested;
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Ruben Karapetyan, 39, of Porter Ranch, who was arrested;
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Armen Khalulyan, 30, of Los Angeles, who is a fugitive;
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Arutyan Oganyan, 41, of North Hollywood, who is a fugitive;
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Grigor Pambukyan, 26, of Van Nuys, who was arrested;
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Arsen Terzyan, 32, of Van Nuys, who was arrested;
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Anthony Tngryan, 26, of Van Nuys, who is a fugitive; and
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Oganes Tagaryan, 23, of North Hollywood, who is expected to surrender to authorities in the near future.
The four taken into custody this morning are expected to make their initial court appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The eight defendants are charged with conspiracy to possess 15 or more unauthorized access devices. If they are convicted of this charge, each would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
If any member of the public has information concerning the three fugitives in this case, they are urged to contact the Secret Service at (213) 533-4400.
“This conspiracy case demonstrates the effectiveness of multijurisdictional partnerships in the dismantling of criminal enterprises targeting innocent American citizens, “ said L. Robert Savage, III, the Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office. “This investigation and the resulting arrests should serve as a warning to criminals that law enforcement will not cease pursuing them.”
The investigation into the credit card skimming ring is ongoing. At this point, authorities have no estimate for the loss that may be associated with the stolen credit card information.
The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Fraud Task Force (LAFTF), which is an ongoing partnership between the U.S. Secret Service and the Los Angeles Police Department. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Glendale Police Department, the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation.
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15 Individuals in the SDTX Receive Attorney General AwardsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - Attorney General Loretta Lynch recognized 279 Justice Department employees and 33 individuals, including 15 people in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX), with Attorney General Awards at a ceremony today in Washington DC. These annual awards recognize department employees and other individuals for their dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission.
“The individuals being honored today stand out within a department that holds all of its employees and partners to an extremely high standard of excellence,” said Attorney General Lynch. “They have put in long hours, made immense sacrifices, and, in some cases, placed themselves in harm’s way. They have taken on issues that once seemed intractable, and made progress on problems that once seemed impossible. And their outstanding work is an inspiration to public servants everywhere.”
“I am extremely proud and thank Attorney General Lynch for recognizing this team for the work they have done,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. “The results of this case and the efforts of all involved are a direct reflection of the excellent collaboration we have among our federal, state and local law enforcement partners and with the Department of Justice. The successful resolution of this prosecution also demonstrates our abilities and continued efforts to gather resources whenever and wherever we can to get the job done and ensure justice for the citizens of this district. “
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is the Justice Department’s second-highest award for employee performance. The recipients of this award exemplify the highest commitment to the department’s mission.
The Distinguished Service Award is presented to the SDTX team for its outstanding work on the successful long-term investigation and prosecution of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT). The ABT was a powerful, race-based Texas state-wide organization operating inside and outside state and federal prisons throughout Texas and the United States. ABT protected its criminal money-making enterprises, including narcotics trafficking, identity theft, counterfeiting and check fraud, through assault, murder and other acts of violence while enforcing violent internal discipline. In an investigation spanning six years and 17 separate indictments in five different federal districts, the recipients targeted the leadership and the most violent members and associates of the ABT. Their work culminated in the indictment and conviction of 73 ABT members and associates on charges ranging from racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, narcotics trafficking, assault in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses and obstruction of justice. This investigation and prosecution was exceedingly successful and the resulting convictions of every high ranking member of the ABT have effectively dismantled this violent criminal network. The collaborative work of the recipients in this long-term case is truly exceptional and worthy of this distinguished honor.
Award recipients include, from the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Trial Attorney David N. Karpel; from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Houston Field Division, Senior Special Agent Richard J. Boehning, Special Agent Allen D. Darilek and Intelligence Research Specialist Donna S. Gray; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Texas, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Braley; from the FBI’s Boston Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent William Scott O’Donnell; from the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent Keith W. Koncir; from the U.S. Marshals Service-Southern District of Texas, Deputy U.S. Marshal Justin J. Perusich; from Homeland Security Investigations, Special Agents Steven D. Cavitt and Steven N. VanGeem and Task Force Officer Steven J. Lair; from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Office of the Inspector General, Criminal Investigator Joshua D. Lyons; from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division-Major Gang Unit, Special Agent Devin R. Gonzales; from the Montgomery County Sherriff’s Office, Detective David J. Wells; and from the Texas Rangers Company “A,” Texas Ranger Brandon Bess.
12 Individuals in District of Oregon Receive Attorney General AwardsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Attorney General Loretta Lynch presented 279 Justice Department employees and 33 individuals, including 12 people in the District of Oregon, with Attorney General Awards at a ceremony today in Washington, DC. These annual awards recognize department employees and other individuals for their dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission.
“The individuals being honored today stand out within a department that holds all of its employees and partners to an extremely high standard of excellence,” said Attorney General Lynch. “They have put in long hours, made immense sacrifices, and, in some cases, placed themselves in harm’s way. They have taken on issues that once seemed intractable, and made progress on problems that once seemed impossible. And their outstanding work is an inspiration to public servants everywhere.”
The 12-person trial team in the matter of U. S. v. Mohamed Osman Mohamud was recognized for The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security. This award acknowledges a special act or service by a Department employee or group who has greatly contributed to protecting U.S. national security.
“This award recognizes the exemplary accomplishments of the Mohamud trial team as a significant milestone in protecting national security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. “There were numerous unique legal challenges in this case: defining the scope of entrapment; protecting classified and sensitive information and techniques; and maintaining the secrecy of the classified true identities of the undercover agents. Throughout the litigation, the prosecutors met every challenge. Obtaining a guilty verdict in this case, therefore, did more than bring a dangerous extremist to justice. It affirmed the validity of terrorism sting investigations. Their dedication and work ethic greatly contributed to furthering the interests of national security.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office trial team, listed below, successfully investigated and prosecuted U.S. v. Mohamud for attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, and was recognized today by receipt of this Attorney General’s Award.
- AUSA Ethan Knight was lead counsel on the investigation and prosecution.
- AUSA Pamala Holsinger joined the team post-indictment and co-chaired the trial.
- AUSA Jeffrey Sweet oversaw the investigation of the case through indictment.
- Trial Attorney Jolie Zimmerman was the Counter Terrorism Section liaison throughout the investigation and trial, handling much of the CIPA litigation.
- Susan Cooke performed automated litigation support duties for trial preparation and trial.
- Rena Rallis performed automated litigation support duties during the discovery phase.
- Lori McBryde provided all other support functions including trial preparation and handling of classified pleadings.
- Special Agent Ryan Dwyer was the lead case agent and testified at trial.
- Supervisory Special Agent Jared Garth supervised the discovery and trial preparation of the case, with particular responsibility for resolving issues involving classified information and sensitive law enforcement techniques.
- Special Agent Miltiadis Trousas managed the undercover operatives and testified at trial.
- Special Agent Elvis Chan managed the undercover operatives and testified at trial.
- Supervisory Special Agent Tom Ford was the FBI HQ liaison who supervised and obtained approvals for the undercover operation
Tuesday 20 October 2015
Woman Faces Charge of International Parental Kidnapping for Taking Child from Urbana to CanadaRead the Press Release
Peoria, Ill. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Canadian woman, Sarah M. Nixon, 47, of Montreal, on a charge of international parental kidnapping, as announced by Jim Lewis, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. The indictment, returned today, alleges that Nixon took her minor-aged child from the United States in July 2015 with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of another person’s parental rights.
Nixon was previously charged by criminal complaint and a warrant was issued for her arrest. Nixon was arrested on Sept. 20, 2015, in New York, as she attempted to return to the U.S.
The affidavit filed in support of the complaint alleges that Nixon and the child failed to appear for a custody exchange with the child’s father in Urbana on July 13, 2015. A Champaign County circuit court had ordered that full custody of the child should immediately go to the father. When Urbana police officers went to Nixon’s home in the 700 block of East Green St., to check on Nixon and the child’s welfare, it appeared that all valuables had been removed and minimal possessions were left behind.
Also on July 13, according to the affidavit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Nixon and the child had entered Canada earlier in the day. Two days later, on July 15, Canadian officers found Nixon’s abandoned car and Nixon and the child at a nearby farmhouse in a rural area near Moose Creek, Ontario. Authorities then returned the child to the father.
According to the affidavit, following a week-long custody trial, on July 13, 2015, Champaign County Circuit Judge Arnold F. Blockman ordered that full custody of the child should go to the father. In Judge Blockman’s final order, the court determined that visitation between Nixon and the minor child would endanger the child’s mental and emotional health. Judge Blockman ordered that the child be immediately turned over to her father and that Nixon have no contact with the child except one recorded Skype or telephone contact per week for two months.
During Nixon’s initial court appearance on Sept. 21, in federal court in Syracuse, New York, she waived detention hearing and was ordered to remain detained in U.S. Marshals Service custody pending her transportation to the Central District of Illinois. The U.S. Clerk of the Court will issue a date for Nixon to appear for arraignment upon her return to Illinois.
If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for international parental kidnapping is three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Urbana Police Department; University of Illinois Police Department; the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services; the Ontario Provincial Police; and, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in cooperation with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOSE ALEJANDRO, 30, of Waterbury, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between August 2014 and May 2015, ALJANDRO was involved in the purchase and resale of between two and 3.5 kilograms of cocaine. During that time, ALEJANDRO sold cocaine to two individuals who then converted it to crack cocaine for street-level sales.
On May 29, 2015, federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at a Waterbury residence connected to ALEJANDRO and seized approximately 183 grams of cocaine, approximately 22 grams of crack cocaine, a money counting machine, a digital scale and other narcotics paraphernalia.
On June 23, 2015, ALEJANDRO pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven Task Force, which includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Perry.
Warrensburg, Independence Men Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Warrensburg, Mo., man and an Independence, Mo., man were sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Phuoc Hong, also known as Tony Hong, 33, of Warrensburg, and Arturo-Lorenzo Roldan, 35, of Independence, Mo., were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. Hong was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Roldan was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
Both Hong and Roldan pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from December 2013 to May 2014.
Hong admitted that he sold methamphetamine from his Warrensburg residence and from other locations. During the investigation, an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives purchased methamphetamine from Hong on 11 occasions and purchased cocaine or crack cocaine from Hong on four occasions.
Roldan admitted that he supplied Hong with approximately one to two ounces of methamphetamine per week, later increasing to two to three ounces per week.
Hong purchased his methamphetamine from Roldan and purchased his cocaine from a different source. Hong supplied methamphetamine to co-defendants Garrett D. Statler, 21, and Alyce M. Maher, 28, both of Warrensburg, Mo., Dylan K. Avery, 19, of Clinton, Mo., and Tony D. Meyer, 43, of Sedalia, Mo.
Statler, Maher and Avery have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and been sentenced. Meyer pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and awaits sentencing.
Meyer, Statler, Avery and Maher then supplied methamphetamine to others.
The investigation resulted in the purchase or seizure of a total of 424.6 grams of methamphetamine, 68.3 grams of cocaine and 65.7 grams of crack cocaine. In addition to the methamphetamine actually purchased from Hong, it is believed that he is responsible for at least another pound of methamphetamine that he sold to Meyer.
Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Roldan’s residence and seized 88.5 grams of methamphetamine and $12,000 that came from the sale of a pound of methamphetamine to another individual. Based on this, Roldan is responsible for approximately 1.65 kilograms of methamphetamine (an estimated two ounces a week for five months (1120 grams), 88.5 grams found during the search and a pound sale (448 grams) represented by the $12,000).
Meyer admitted that he was in possession of a Hi-Point 9mm pistol when his vehicle was stopped by Kansas City, Mo., police officers on Jan. 18, 2014. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Meyer has two prior felony convictions for assaulting a law enforcement officer, four prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for distributing a controlled substance, and prior felony convictions for trafficking in drugs, possessing drug paraphernalia, robbery, assault, and leaving the scene of an accident.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce E. Clark. It was investigated by the Warrensburg, Mo., Police Department, the Johnson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Knob Noster, Mo., Police Department, the Sedalia, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
United States Attorney's Office Hosts Students Against Gun Violence ProgramRead the Press Release
Whitten Preparatory Middle School takes pledge to stay away from gun violence
Jackson, Miss - United States Attorney Gregory K. Davis will be moderating a "Students Against Gun Violence" program at Whitten Preparatory Middle School in Jackson on Wednesday, October 21, 2015, at 9:00 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Davis will be joined by Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green, Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance, Hinds County District Attorney Robert Schuler Smith, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Reed with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The students of Whitten Preparatory Middle School will be given a gun-safety presentation by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. They will then take an anti-gun violence pledge administered by Judge Tomie Green and they will sign a pledge banner.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Smuggling Illegal Immigrants into USVIRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez on Monday sentenced Kenrick Christopher, 48, of Grenada, to 23 months in prison, and Jeard Shillingford, 33, of Dominica, to 18 months in prison for encouraging and inducing illegal immigrants to enter the United States for commercial or financial gain, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Judge Gomez also sentenced both men to serve three years of supervised release.
On June 24, 2015, Christopher and Shillingford pleaded guilty to encouraging and inducing illegal immigrants to enter the United States for commercial or financial gain. As part of their pleas, Christopher and Shillingford admitted to operating a sailing vessel containing 61 Haitian nationals seeking to enter the United States illegally, and that they did so for commercial or financial gain knowing that their actions were unlawful. The United States Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted the vessel off the coast of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands on June 10, 2015.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David White.
Two Martinez CA Men Sentenced to 60 Months Probation for Marijuana DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that ROBERT EDWARD LEE, age 41 and NICOLAS TRINIDAD CARMONA, age 29, both of Martinez, California, were sentenced in federal court today for POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE MARIJUANA, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2.
LEE was sentenced to 5 years of probation with 6 months home detention and CARMONA was sentenced to 5 years of probation with 8 months home detention.
The Indictment alleged that on or about November 20, 2014, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendants did knowingly and intentionally possess with the intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the U. S. Customs and Border Protection Aviation Enforcement Agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearings.
Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wilson represented the United States.
Two Essex County Men Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark federal grand jury today indicted two Essex County men for their respective roles in a scheme that allegedly defrauded credit card companies of hundreds of thousands of dollars, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman announced.
Richard Adebayo, 38, of East Orange, New Jersey, and Amos Peter Agbajaife, 37, of Newark, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. They were originally charged by complaint on Sept. 16, 2014. Adebayo was arrested in 2014 and Agbajaife remains at large.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2014 to April 2014, Adebayo and Agbajaife fraudulently obtained personal identifying information, including dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and passwords, of credit card holders. They used the information to fraudulently obtain replacement credit cards in the victims’ names and then used the cards to purchase high-value items from retail stores.
Adebayo was carrying a laptop computer when he was arrested. A forensic analysis of the computer allegedly revealed the stolen identities, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, bank account information, and credit card information of at least 70 victims. Law enforcement confirmed that approximately $350,000 in fraudulent charges was incurred on the credit cards of the victims.
Each count of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The count of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory term of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed for other counts of the indictment
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Svetlana M. Eisenberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Liu of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel for Adebayo: Michael D’Alessio Esq., West Orange, New Jersey
Three Sentenced in Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three individuals who participated in a conspiracy in August 2014 to trafficking two Boston area females, one of them a minor, into Rhode Island for the purpose of offering them for commercial sexual activity have been sentenced in federal court in Providence.
Kemont Bowie, a/k/a Daddy, 35, of Central Falls, was sentenced today to 13 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Bowie pleaded guilty on June 11, 2015, to conspiracy, sex trafficking of a child and transportation of a minor for sexual activity.
Ricky Wallace, a/k/a Justice, 34, of Pawtucket was sentenced on August 14, 2015, to 12 years in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years supervised release, for his participation in the conspiracy. He pleaded guilty on March 23, 2015, to one count each of conspiracy, sex trafficking of a child and transportation of a minor for sexual activity, and two counts of transportation of an individual for sexual activity.
Raechyl Spooner, 21, of Pawtucket was sentenced on October 8, 2015, to 3 years probation. She pleaded guilty on June 12, 2015, to one count of conspiracy.
The sentences, announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI; Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King; Central Falls Police Chief Colonel James J. Mendonca; Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; United States Marshal Jamie A. Hainsworth; and Arlington, Mass., Police Chief Frederick Ryan, were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, a 17-year-old female was taken from South Station in Boston in the early morning hours of August 19, 2014, and driven by the defendants to Rhode Island for the purposes of being trafficked for commercial sexual activity. According to the victim, she was driven to the same Pawtucket residence where she was located by law enforcement six days later and rescued by FBI agents, Pawtucket Police and Central Falls Police. She was located after she contacted a group home in the Boston area in which she resided, who in turn contacted the FBI. Provocative photographs taken of the victim were posted in advertisements placed on Backpage.com.
Additionally, on August 22, 2014, Wallace offered a 20-year-old Boston area woman a ride from South Station in Boston to nearby Cambridge, Mass. Instead of driving her to Cambridge, she was driven to Pawtucket and then to a motel in Seekonk, Mass., where she was photographed and offered on Backpage.com for commercial sexual activity. The woman repeatedly asked that she be driven back to the Boston area. The next day the woman was able to get away from Wallace and had contact with Seekonk Police, who was assisted by Rhode Island State Police in their investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Adi Goldstein.
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Contact:
Jim Martin (401) 709-5357
email: [email protected]
on Twitter @USAO_RI
Store Owner Sentenced for Defrauding Government Food Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Farhan Ali Abu Siam, 42, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for defrauding the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp program. The defendant pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic in SNAP benefits and commit wire fraud; wire fraud; and aiding and abetting trafficking in SNAP benefits.
The defendant owned and operated S&S Farmer’s Market, a retail grocery store, now defunct, that was located at 2722 Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia. At his guilty plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he knowingly trafficked in SNAP benefits, and directed his employees to traffic in SNAP benefits, by purchasing those benefits from customers of S&S, which is illegal. The defendant admitted that within a 15-month period, he was responsible for a program loss of $1,390,482.
In addition to the prison term, Senior U.S. District Court Judge John R. Padova ordered restitution of $1,390,482 to USDA, three years of supervised release to follow imprisonment, and directed that the defendant not own or operate any company that accepts SNAP benefits while on supervised release.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary E. Crawley.
St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Tashimo Scatliffe, 33, pleaded guilty Monday in District Court on St. Thomas to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Scatliffe has been detained since he was indicted in August.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on February 2, 2015, Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) officers responded to the Paul M. Pearson Housing Community after receiving a complaint from Building 7 regarding a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, officers observed Scatliffe leaving Building 7, and were notified that Scatliffe had a firearm. Further investigation by the VIPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) resulted in the retrieval of a firearm and casing in the area, a determination that the casing was fired from the firearm, and the finding of Scatliffe’s DNA on the firearm. Prior to February 2, 2015, Scatliffe was convicted in the Superior Court of firstdegree assault-larceny.
Scatliffe faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2016.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by ATF and the VIPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
Spirit Lake Officer Legally Justified in Shooting DeathRead the Press Release
FARGO - U. S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on Oct. 20, 2015, The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota has reviewed all of the investigative reports, interviews, the final autopsy report and photos relating to the shooting of Joseph Charboneau, 31, by Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer Terry Morgan on June 16, 2015, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This Office has concluded that Officer Morgan was legally justified when he shot and killed Mr. Charboneau.
According to the investigative reports, while officers were searching 7141 Crow Hill Road in Fort Totten, ND, to serve a warrant for another individual in the residence, Charboneau was located in the living room under a blanket and was holding a loaded firearm. Charboneau also grabbed a blow torch during a brief standoff with officers. After refusing to comply with several orders to drop the weapon, the deceased was shot by one of the law enforcement officers, Officer Morgan, at the scene. Charboneau posed a real and immediate threat to not only Officer Morgan, but also to a number of other officers at the scene as well as to another individual within the residence. Officer Morgan, confronted with an individual holding a firearm, at close range, and refusing to comply with orders to drop the weapon, was reasonable in his use of deadly force because Mr. Charboneau posed an immediate and continuing threat to the officers and others. The threat of death was real and had not abated. As Mr. Charboneau posed a significant threat of death or serious injury to the officers and the other individual within the residence, his use of deadly force was legally justified.
South Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A resident of Islamorada, Florida, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of filing a false tax return, Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announced today.
Justina Black, 53, previously resided in Washington, Michigan. Black is also known by the names Justina Kopek, Guistina Kopek and Justina Fazzolari.
According to court documents, Black operated a company called Justina Inc., which was in the business of buying and selling gold through “gold parties.” At these parties, individuals sold gold to representatives of Justina Inc., which then sold the gold to another company. Black caused corporate tax returns to be filed for Justina Inc. that did not report the full amount of gross receipts that the company received for the tax years 2009 and 2010. On the 2008 through 2010 corporate tax returns for Justina Inc., Black also falsely claimed deductions relating to a property in Florida that was not an asset of the company.
U.S. District Judge George C. Steeh set sentencing on March 31, 2016. Black faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Black is required to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Jeffrey A. McLellan of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Sandpoint Man Given Five Year Prison Sentence for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Brent Anthony Stevens, 30, of Sandpoint, Idaho, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for possession of sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Stevens to pay $3,000 in restitution to two children in images Stevens possessed, and to serve seven years of supervised release upon his release from prison. Stevens pleaded guilty to the charge on March 31, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, between July 22, 2013, and September 12, 2013, investigators with the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) observed that a computer in Sandpoint, Idaho, was making sexually explicit images of minors available on the internet. ICAC investigators were able to determine that the images were being shared from a computer at Stevens’ residence and obtained a search warrant.
Stevens was present during the search warrant’s execution. He admitted to downloading child pornography and told investigators they would find it on his computer. A computer forensic examiner later found child pornography on a computer and a thumb-drive seized from Stevens. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children determined that Stevens’ child pornography collection included images of at least 100 identified minors from multiple states and foreign countries.
The case was investigated through the collaborative effort of the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, Idaho Attorney General’s Office, United States Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Secret Service. These agencies participate in the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icactaskforce.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Rio Rancho Man Charged with Robbing Bank in AlbuquerqueRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joshua Abeyta, 22, of Rio Rancho, N.M., made his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., this morning on a criminal complaint charging him with bank robbery. Abeyta remains in custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing both of which are scheduled for tomorrow morning.
Abeyta was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with robbing the Santa Fe Federal Credit Bank located at 7101 Jefferson St. NE in Albuquerque, earlier in the day. The complaint alleges that Abeyta robbed the bank by handing a handwritten note with a robbery demand to a bank teller. The teller complied with Abeyta’s written and verbal robbery demands and handed money over to Abeyta. Abeyta left the scene on foot and was pursued by customers of the bank before being arrested by an Albuquerque Police Department officer.
If convicted of the crime charged in the criminal complaint, Abeyta faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.
Richmond Felon Caught with Gun and Ammunition Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Khadim Myboye Taylor, 29, of Richmond, pleaded guilty today to charges of possession of a weapon by a previously convicted felon.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Taylor was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his co-defendant, Joshua Brooks, 28, of Richmond, when Richmond police officers stopped the vehicle for speeding. After being asked to step out of the car for a pat down for weapons, Taylor attempted to flee and was observed by police dropping a .38 caliber pistol which was recovered.
Taylor was indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 4, 2015, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 19, 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 Charles E. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. David Schiller 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. 3:15cr135.
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Resilience in the face of adversity: West Virginia’s progress to loosen the grip of addictionRead the Press Release
West Virginia is in the path of a heroin and prescription painkiller-fueled storm that has wreaked havoc upon the state. Drug dealers are flooding our communities with deadly substances and earning handsome profits in the process. As a result, overdose deaths from heroin have skyrocketed while the number of deaths caused by prescription pills remains very high. Although the storm clouds are still lingering, efforts are underway to combat an epidemic that threatens our quality of life.
Painkiller abuse continues to be at the root of the problem. West Virginia is third in the nation in the number of painkiller prescriptions written by doctors – annually there are 138 prescriptions written for every 100 West Virginians for drugs like Oxycontin and Percocet. This is due in large part to improper prescribing practices.
Painkillers often serve as a gateway to heroin, which has become our most serious threat. Heroin is a cheap, readily available alternative to painkillers. Much of the heroin that we see in West Virginia comes from Mexico, where large amounts of the drug are produced each year. As long as the drug cartels in Mexico continue to profit from the sale of heroin in the United States, large quantities will continue to be produced there and transported here. Dealers sometimes mix fentanyl – a powerful painkiller - with heroin, creating what is often a lethal combination.
In addition to heroin, large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico are making their way to West Virginia. Mexican-made meth appears to be filling the void created by a decline in the production of methamphetamine here at home.
Fortunately, multi-jurisdictional drug task forces in West Virginia are aggressively pursuing criminal organizations that operate from afar, in places like Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The fact that the targets of our investigations are in distant cities requires us to coordinate with other agencies, to use sophisticated surveillance techniques, and to take a data-driven approach. Sometimes the targets are medical practitioners, pharmacies, or deviant wholesale distributors. Accordingly, supply-side intervention and prescriber education will be a critical part of our ongoing strategy.
In addition to enforcement, we are attacking the problem from other angles. We’ve partnered with talented people in the fields of prevention, treatment, community corrections, education, business, and the news media to create the United States Attorney’s Addiction Action Plan. While much has been accomplished already through this effort, a great deal of work remains. Whether it’s expanding access to effective treatment, enhancing the prevention curriculum in our schools, or getting Narcan into the hands of more first responders, we must act with a sense of urgency.
Although the drug epidemic in West Virginia is one of the biggest challenges that we face as a state, it is not insurmountable. By taking a comprehensive, community-based approach, we can effectively combat the problem. West Virginians will not run for cover in this storm but instead they will face it head-on and emerge stronger, safer, and healthier.
Philadelphia Woman Sentenced to 25 Years for Exploiting Six Year Old and InfantRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Christine Yoder, 33, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for charges of child exploitation that involved the sexual abuse of a 6-year old child and a 16-month old infant. Yoder pleaded guilty on March 9, 2015, to two counts of employing a child to produce images of the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct and two counts of distributing material involving the sexual exploitation of children.
In May of 2014, Yoder sent a photograph to an undercover FBI agent of a 6-year-old (“Minor #1”), which depicted that child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Thereafter, Yoder offered to fly Minor #1 to Detroit for sexual activity. Yoder also produced pornographic photographs of a 16-month old.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Petrese B. Tucker ordered 10 years of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
Notice of Press ConferenceRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Beth Drake (803) 929-3000
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA -- United States Attorney Bill Nettles, Special Agent in Charge David A. Thomas of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Dan Salters of the Drug Enforcement Administration will hold a press conference Wednesday, October 21, 2015, at the United States Attorney’s Office to announce the coordinated indictment and arrest of multiple drug trafficking organizations operating in and around Aiken, Lexington, Saluda, Sumter, Lee, Orangeburg, Chester, and Richland Counties.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 TIME: 2:00 p.m. WHERE:United States Attorney's Office
1441 Main Street, Suite 500
Columbia, SC
NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo id (such as driver’s license). Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Beth Drake, 803-929-3061. All media should be in place 20 minutes prior to start. Please be aware that the U.S. Attorney’s Office does not have the ability to validate parking. Paid parking is available in the lot behind the Wells Fargo Building located at 1441 Main Street.# # # #