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28 October 2015
Honduran Man Guilty of Illegally Reentering the United States After Previous DeportationsRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Kelvin Fabricio Lemus-Villatoro, of Honduras, pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.
Lemus-Villatoro was found in Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 24, 2015 when he was observed by agents of the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement operating a motor vehicle. Investigation of Lemus-Villatoro began when he was previously encountered by the New Hampshire State Police and charged with Driving without a License. Biographical information received from the New Hampshire State Police showed that Lemus-Villatoro had an immigration history which included the two deportations from the United States to Honduras, one on August 22, 2008, from Alexandria, Louisiana, and another February 17, 2009, from Dallas Fort Worth, Texas.
Lemus-Villatoro pled guilty to knowingly reentering the United States after previously having been deported to his native Honduras and was sentenced to time served since his arrest by Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on August 20, 2015.
Lemus-Villatoro will again be deported.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega.
Honduran Man Guilty of Illegally Reentering the United States After Previous DeportationRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Maynor Wenden Aleman-Troches, of Honduras, pled guilty this afternoon to a one-count Indictment alleging that he illegally reentered the United States after having been previously deported.
On September 13, 2015 agents of the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement performed a stop of a vehicle Aleman-Troches was operating. One of the officers approached the vehicle, spoke directly to Aleman-Troches, asking him his name, what country he was from, and whether he had any immigration documents that would allow him to be in the United States legally. Though Aleman-Troches gave the agents a false name, he admitted being from Honduras and to lacking any documents which would allow him to be in the United States legally. After his arrest, fingerprint analysis confirmed Aleman-Troches’s true identity. A further investigation established that Aleman-Troches had previously been deported on March 13, 2006, August 9, 2007 and March 30, 2009, to his native Honduras.
Aleman-Troches will be sentenced at 11:00 AM on February 2, 2016, and will be deported after serving his sentence.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred Rubega.
Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for Gang-Related Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that RAYMOND RIVERA, also known as “White Boy,” 25, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a year-long joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force into narcotics trafficking by members and associates of West Hell street gang, and gang-related violent activity. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, identified Melkuan Scott, also known as “Young God,” “Mel,” “Young” and “YG,” as the leader of the West Hell street gang who, along with RIVERA and other associates distributed crack cocaine in the Westland Street area of Hartford.
During the investigation, RIVERA was involved in four controlled purchases of crack cocaine, totaling approximately 180 grams, and was intercepted over wiretaps engaging in conversations related to the distribution of crack.
RIVERA has been detained since his arrest in April 2014. On April 27, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
Twenty-five individuals were charged as a result of the investigation. Scott and 22 other defendants pleaded guilty to various offenses. One defendant was shot and killed while his case was pending.
Scott awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Squad, Major Crimes Unit and Shooting Task Force are providing valuable assistance to the investigation, and the Capitol Region Emergency Response Team (CREST) assisted with the arrest of certain defendants. The Office of the Chief State’s Attorney is also assisting with this ongoing investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John H. Durham and Peter S. Jongbloed.
Hartford Man Charged with Gang-Related MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly and Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane today announced that ARTHUR STANLEY, also known as “Wiggs,” 26, has been indicted for the July 15, 2011 murder of Keith Washington, 23, of Windsor.
This matter stems from a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force into narcotics trafficking by members and associates of the Westhell and Team Grease street gangs and gang-related violent activity. The Hartford Police Department and Officers and Inspectors of the Cold Case Homicide Unit of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney are participating in the investigation.
At approximately 9:28 p.m. on July 15, 2011, the Hartford Police Department received a report of shots fired in the vicinity of 67 Oakland Terrace in Hartford. Officers responding to the scene located an unconscious person lying on the front porch of the residence with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who was subsequently identified as Keith Washington, was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on July 17, 2011.
On October 27, 2015, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging STANLEY, an active member of the Westhell street gang, with engaging in a Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering, namely the murder of Keith Washington. If convicted of the charge, STANLEY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life, or death if the government seeks the death penalty in the matter.
STANLEY has been detained in federal custody since April 2014 and is awaiting sentencing on a crack cocaine conspiracy offense.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, Hartford Police Department and Cold Case Homicide Unit of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney. The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John H. Durham and Peter S. Jongbloed, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin, who has been cross-designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in this matter.
Georgia Department of Corrections Employees Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing State Restitution FundsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Tammi Stephens, Daynna Gregory, and Richard Cantrell have been sentenced to federal prison for stealing victims’ restitution money from a fund controlled by the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC), where Stephens and Gregory formerly worked in its banking department.
“Stephens and Gregory stole from a fund that compensates crime victims, a fund that the two had been entrusted to help administer,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “By printing false checks and delivering them to Cantrell to launder through his business, Stephens and Gregory callously abused that trust, and effectively preyed upon crime victims a second time.”
“This sentencing holds all three defendants fully accountable for their organized criminal scheme to deprive previous crime victims of monies fully due them. The fact that two of the defendants were State employees abusing their positions of trust made the crimes all the more reprehensible,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.
“We are pleased to see justice served on these individuals for their role in abusing the public’s trust, thanks to the actions by both GDOC’s internal investigations unit and the cooperation of the FBI,” said Homer Bryson, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections. “The sentencing of Stephens and Gregory sends a strong message that this type of conduct will not be tolerated,” continued Bryson.
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: From September 2013 to June 2014, Stephens and Gregory were employees in the Georgia GDOC banking unit where they were responsible for issuing checks drawn on a restitution fund set up to compensate victims of other crimes. The defendants formed and carried out a plan to steal victim restitution money by having Stephens and Gregory use their access to the fund to issue fraudulent checks payable to a flower shop owned by Cantrell, who was not a GDOC employee. The checks were purposely issued to Cantrell's flower shop to hide the defendants’ involvement in the theft. Cantrell agreed to use his business to launder the stolen money.
After printing the fraudulent checks, Stephens and Gregory altered the Department’s financial records to further disguise their theft. Stephens and Gregory issued 29 fraudulent checks to the flower shop, which were then delivered to Cantrell, who cashed them and split the proceeds with Stephens and Gregory. In total, the defendants stole more than $232,426.76 in restitution funds, which they then spent on a variety of retail purchases.
- Tammi Stephens, 37, of Forsyth, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $232,426.76.
- Daynna Gregory, 41, of Lithonia Georgia, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $232,426.76.
- Richard Cantrell, 54, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $232,426.76.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor C. Wilmot and Kurt R. Erskine prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Fourteen Grape Street Crips Leaders, Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering Conspiracy, Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Fourteen leaders, members and associates of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips, a violent street gang operating in and around Newark, were charged by indictment today with racketeering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, firearms offenses and related crimes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Today’s third superseding indictment follows the coordinated takedown in May 2015 of 50 alleged members and associates of the Grape Street Crips who were charged by criminal complaints with drug-trafficking, physical assaults and witness intimidation. The charges are the result of a long-running DEA and FBI investigation, in conjunction with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Newark Police Department and Essex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Narcotics. Overall, 71 defendants have been charged with federal and state charges.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The New Jersey Grape Street Crips controlled drug trafficking and other criminal activities in various areas of Newark, including the area of 6th Avenue and North 5th Street and public-housing complexes at Pennington Court, Oscar Miles, the Millard Terrell Homes, the John W. Hyatt homes and the former James Baxter Terrace complex.
Gang leaders, members and associates routinely engaged in acts of intimidation and violence to avenge attacks or perceived slights against the gang, silence individuals who were perceived to be cooperating with law enforcement and protect their drug trafficking activities. Members frequently used social media, including Instagram and YouTube, to disseminate the rules of the gang, intimidate witnesses and other members of the community, and promote the gang’s reputation for violence and drug-trafficking.
In October 2013, Kwasi Mack, a/k/a “Welchs,” 26, of Belleville, New Jersey, and Corey Batts, a/k/a “C-Murder,” a/k/a “Cee,” 30, of Newark, two Grape Street Crips leaders, plotted to kill a gang rival (Victim 3). After Batts missed an opportunity to shoot and kill Victim 3, Mack ordered Batts to have junior gang members patrol the Oscar Miles housing complex in case the gang rival returned to the area. Several weeks later, Batts and other gang members allegedly shot and nearly killed the gang rival and an innocent woman in broad daylight in Newark.
Also in October 2013, Mack and other Grape Street Crips members, including Justin Carnegie, a/k/a “Dew Hi,” a/k/a “Dew,” a/k/a “D,” 28, Rashan Washington, a/k/a “Shoota,” 25, and Aaron Terrell, a/k/a “Push,” 24, all of Newark, allegedly committed a shooting in retaliation for the murder of a fellow gang member.
Carnegie and Ahmed Singleton, a/k/a “Gangsta-Moo,” a/k/a “Gangsta,” a/k/a “Mooshie,” 26, of Newark, frequently carried and stock-piled firearms in furtherance of the gang’s activities and talked about harming individuals who were perceived to be cooperating with law enforcement. In May 2010, Carnegie stored a loaded Romarm SA Cugir 7.62x39 assault rifle, an American Industries Calico M100 .22LR carbine, 7.62x39 caliber ammunition, .22 caliber ammunition and $2,952 in Orange, New Jersey.
In March 2015, during the lawful wiretap of a cell phone used by Singleton, law enforcement agents intercepted Singleton detailing his efforts to intimidate a witness who took the witness stand to testify against him. Singleton was facing trial for aggravated assault in connection with a shooting. He bragged about how he had “beat trial” by intimidating the main witness and getting the state charges against him dismissed.
Numerous gang members — including Washington, Eric Concepcion, a/k/a “Eddie Arroyo,” a/k/a “E-Wax” a/k/a “Wax,” 28, Hakeem Vanderhall, a/k/a “Keem,” a/k/a “Sugar Bear,” 31, Jamar Hamilton, a/k/a “Gunner,” 27, Tyquan Clark, a/k/a “Tah,” 28, and James Gutierrez, a/k/a “Bad News,” 24, — sold thousands of “clips” of crack-cocaine in the area of 6th Avenue and North 5th Street (a clip is slang for a package containing 10 doses). To protect their territory, the Grape Street Crips used “community guns” that were easily accessible to gang members. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents seized numerous firearms, including a .410 caliber assault rifle, a .45 caliber Thompson semi-automatic carbine, a 7.62 caliber assault rifle and numerous semi-automatic handguns.
Also, Hanee Cureton, a/k/a “City,” 30, Khalil Stafford, a/k/a “Stod,” a/k/a “Homicide,” 31, and Lateef Grimsley, a/k/a “Bird,” 26, distributed kilogram quantities of heroin in and around Newark. Cureton controlled a heroin mill located inside a Newark apartment that was used exclusively to package heroin for street-level distribution. Law enforcement agents later recovered several kilograms of heroin, glassine envelopes, cutting agents and blenders from the apartment.
The chart below summarizes the offenses charged in the third superseding indictment and the maximum and minimum penalties faced by each of the charged defendants. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl Kotowski, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel, for the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Fishman also thanked prosecutors and detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray, police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Eugene Venable and Chief Anthony Campos, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Armando B. Fontoura, for their work on the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Osmar J. Benvenuto, Elizabeth M. Harris and Barry Kamar of the District of New Jersey’s Criminal Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Count
Offense
Defendant(s)
Max Penalties
1
Racketeering Conspiracy
Kwasi Mack, a/k/a “Welchs,” “The Prince,” “Mini Me,” 26, Belleville
Corey Batts, a/k/a “C-Murder,” “Cee,” 30, Newark
Hakeem Vanderhall, a/k/a “Keem,” “Sugar Bear,” 31, East Orange
Eric Concepcion, a/k/a “Eddie Arroyo,” “E-Wax,” “Wax,” 28, Clifton
Justin Carnegie, a/k/a “Dew Hi,” “Dew,” “D,” 28, East Orange
Ahmed Singleton, a/k/a “Gangsta-Moo,” “Gangsta,” “Mooshie,” 26, Newark
Jamar Hamilton, a/k/a “Gunner,” 26, Tottowa
Tyquan Clark, a/k/a “Tah,” 28, Newark
Rashan Washington, a/k/a “Shoota,” 25, Newark
Hanee Cureton, a/k/a “City” 30, Springfield
Khalil Stafford, a/k/a “Stod,” “Homicide,” 31, Newark
James S. Gutierrez, a/k/a “Bad News,” 24, Newark
Life imprisonment;
$250,000 fine
2
Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
Kwasi Mack
Corey Batts
10 years in prison; $250,000 fine
3
Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
Kwasi Mack
Corey Batts
10 years in prison; $250,000 fine
4
Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
Kwasi Mack
Corey Batts
10 years in prison; $250,000 fine
5
Conspiracy to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
Kwasi Mack
Corey Batts
3 years in prison; $250,000 fine
6
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
Kwasi Mack
Corey Batts
20 years in prison; $250,000 fine
7
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
Kwasi Mack
Corey Batts
20 years in prison; $250,000 fine
8
Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Kwasi Mack
Corey Batts
Life imprisonment; 10-year mandatory minimum; $250,000 fine
9
Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Kwasi Mack
Corey Batts
20 years in prison; $250,000 fine
10
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
Kwasi Mack
20 years in prison; $250,000 fine
11
Conspiracy to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
Kwasi Mack
Justin Carnegie
Rashan Washington
Aaron Terrell, a/k/a “Push” 24, Newark
3 years in prison; $250,000 fine
12
Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Kwasi Mack
Justin Carnegie
Rashan Washington
Aaron Terrell
20 years in prison; $250,000 fine
13
Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Kwasi Mack
Life in prison; 25-year mandatory minimum; $250,000 fine
14
Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin
Kwasi Mack
Life in prison;10-year mandatory minimum; $10,000,000 fine
Corey Batts
Life in prison; 20-year mandatory minimum; $10,000,000 fine
15
Distribution, and Possession with Intent to Distribute, Heroin
Corey Batts
30 years in prison; $2,000,000 fine
16
30 years in prison; $2,000,000 fine
17
30 years in prison; $2,000,000 fine
18
Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime
Kwasi Mack
Life in prison; 25-year mandatory minimum; $250,000 fine
19
Use of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime
Corey Batts
Life in prison; 25-year mandatory minimum; $250,000 fine
20
Conspiracy to Distribute Crack-Cocaine
Hakeem Vanderhall
Eric Concepcion
Jamar Hamilton
Tyquan Clark
Rashan Washington
James S. Gutierrez
Life in prison;10-year mandatory minimum; $10,000,000 fine
21
Continuing Criminal Enterprise
Hakeem Vanderhall
Eric Concepcion
Jamar Hamilton
Tyquan Clark
Rashan Washington
Life in prison; 20-year mandatory minimum
22
Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin
Justin Carnegie
Ahmed Singleton
Life in prison;10-year mandatory minimum; $10,000,000 fine
23
Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin
Hanee Cureton
Khalil Stafford
Lateef Grimsley, a/k/a “Bird,” 26, Newark
Life in prison;10-year mandatory minimum; $10,000,000 fine
24
Distribution of Heroin
Khalil Stafford
Life in prison;10-year mandatory minimum; $10,000,000 fine
25
Distribution of Heroin
Hanee Cureton
Life in prison;10-year mandatory minimum; $10,000,000 fine
26
Felon-in-Possession of a Firearm
Kwasi Mack
10 years in prison; $250,000 fine
27
Felon-in-Possession of a Firearm
Corey Batts
10 years in prison; $250,000 fine
Fort Smith Chiropractor Sentenced in Federal Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas – A Fort Smith chiropractor was sentenced today to serve 17 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release announced Acting U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser and Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the department, working with its law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue and prosecute those individuals who willfully seek to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service and evade their tax obligations,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo.
According to court documents, Philip Roberts, 60, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, had an outstanding federal income tax liability of over $2,000,000, for tax years 1991 through 2004. In 2008, Roberts filed a series of false and fraudulent documents with the IRS in an effort to obstruct and impede the tax laws, including filing false financial instruments that claimed millions of dollars of transactions with both the Secretary of the Treasury and the IRS Commissioner, and filing forms that falsely reported payments to the IRS.
Roberts pleaded guilty on June 22 to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the IRS. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas also ordered Roberts to pay a $3,000 fine. This is Roberts’ second conviction for income tax related offenses. In 2000, after a jury trial, Roberts was convicted of two counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns and sentenced to serve 16 months in prison.
“An important part of our mission is to protect the integrity of the Federal tax system,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “TIGTA will vigorously investigate individuals who attempt to corruptly interfere with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws through fraudulent means, and will do everything within its power to ensure that those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and Acting U.S. Attorney Elser commended the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, who investigated the case, as well as Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and David Zisserson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Davis of the Western District of Arkansas, who prosecuted the case.
* * * E N D * * *
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Former Owen County auditor sentenced on theft chargesRead the Press Release
TERRE HAUTE - United States Attorney, Josh J. Minkler, announced today the sentencing of the former auditor of Owen County. Angela Lawson, 57, Gosport, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison by U. S. District Judge William T. Lawrence after her conviction on five counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funding.
"The citizens of Owen County deserve elected officials whom they can trust to be fiscally responsible and to do the right thing,” said Minkler. “When that trust is betrayed, it shakes the foundation of our democracy and weakens the effectiveness of local government.”
Angela Lawson served as the elected auditor of Owen County from 2005 through 2012 and as chief deputy auditor from January 2013 through August 14, 2014. She also served as an Owen County Council member from January 2013 through December 2014. In the scope of her employment, Lawson possessed the authority to make public expenditures on behalf of Owen County through a credit card account at Walmart.
During her time in office, Lawson had access to separate credit cards which were issued to various authorized buyers. Over the period March 1, 2010, through December 31, 2014, Lawson stole nearly $310,000 and used it to pay personal expenses that included food, alcohol, gift cards, toys, jewelry and vacations.
Loss totals include:
- 2010--$36,720.18
- 2011--$56,376.04
- 2012--$80,847.03
- 2013--$79,240.51
- 2014--$56,415.04
This investigation was a collaborative effort between the United States Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police, Indiana State Board of Accounts and Mr. Robert Cline (Special prosecutor assigned to investigate)
According to Drug and Violent Crime Chief Bradley Blackington who prosecuted this case for the government, Lawson must serve three years of supervised release after her sentence and repay over $300,000 in restitution.
Former Niagara Falls Businessman Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Timothy DePetris, 46, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to bank fraud before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryEllen Kresse, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant, as owner of Electro-Dyn Choke Corporation in Niagara Falls, caused payroll checks to be issued to him and another individual and negotiated the payroll checks even though he knew there were insufficient funds in corporation’s account at M&T Bank to cover the checks. As a result of the defendant’s conduct, M&T Bank suffered a loss of approximately $177,500.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.
Former Navy Range Manager Pleads Guilty to Accepting Illegal GratuitiesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court, before Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III, HARRY C. MANN, age 79, of Manns Harbor, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to accepting illegal gratuities while employed by the U.S. Department of Navy at the Dare County Bombing Range. The charge carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain to the defendant, restitution, one year supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
According to the United States Attorney’s factual proffer, Mann, had been employed by the Navy at the range southwest of Manteo, since 1968. The range provides air warfare training support to the Navy and the Marine Corps. Aviators practice dropping inert bombs and firing live rounds of ammunition at practice targets. As range manager, Mann’s official duties included constructing and maintaining the targets. Between January 2005 and May 2011, Mann requisitioned approximately 16 million dollars in excess government property, which included many types of functional heavy equipment, like trucks, excavators, bulldozers, cranes, trailers, and metal connex boxes. He obtained the property from the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO), which was created by the Department of Defense to centralize the disposal of excess property for better accountability and to reutilize military property within the Department of Defense. If the Department of Defense no longer has use for the property, excess material may be used for emergency management in the United States and humanitarian aid worldwide. The Department of Defense could also sell excess property to the public.
Mann, however, without proper authorization, sold DRMO acquired property to local metal scrappers. These men paid Mann a percentage of the proceeds they received for scrapping numerous pieces of heavy equipment and aluminum expedition runway matting. In total, these men state they paid Mann approximately $175,000 in kickbacks. Mann, according to the government’s proffer, demanded that these men pay him in cash when they were alone so others could not witness the payments. One such cash payment of $16,300 was paid to Mann at his residence on May 18, 2011. Mann told the local scrapper to put the envelope of cash in a flower pot. These men, Rudy Lozano and John Williams, previously pleaded guilty to Theft of Government Property.
Chief Judge Dever scheduled sentencing for the Court’s January 25, 2016 term of court.
"One of DLA OIG's missions is to investigate and support the prosecution of crimes relating to fraud, waste and abuse of Department of Defense property," said Jerry Unruh, DLA's deputy inspector general. "It is essential that we hold government employees accountable for using their positions of trust for their own personal gain at the expense of the US Treasury."
"Corrupt Department of Defense employees who enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers are reprehensible," said John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. "DCIS' top priority is to root out fraud and corruption affecting the DOD, and bring these violators to justice."
The investigation of this case was jointly conducted by the Navy Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Defense Investigative Service, and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Office of the Inspector General. The Navy was first alerted of the criminal activity by inspectors from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles after witnessing the transportation of heavy pieces of equipment in the Edenton area. Assistant United States Attorneys Felice M. Corpening and Susan B. Menzer represented the government.
Former National Guard Member Sentenced for Enticing a MinorRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 35-year-old former sergeant with the National Guard who was stationed in Weslaco has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. A federal jury convicted Curtis Billups, of San Antonio, on July 17, 2015, following a three-day trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo, who presided over the trial, ordered Billups serve 151 months in federal prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. In handing down the sentence, Judge Marmolejo commented on the danger Billups poses because he acts on his thoughts.
Billups was working the area as part an enhanced border presence. In late March 2015, Billups made contact via the Internet with a person he believed to be a father offering his 12 and 14-year-old daughters for sex. In reality, the individual was actually an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Following approximately a week of correspondence, Billups traveled from Weslaco to Laredo to meet with the undercover agent, believing he would be taken to the girls to have sex with them. Instead, he was arrested and taken into custody.
During trial, the government presented the emails and text messages involving Billups, many of which were sexually explicit in nature. The evidence showed he intended to travel to Laredo to have sex with the two fictitious children.
Billups attempted to convince the jury that he believed the communications were part of a role playing game and that no children were actually involved. The jury was not convinced and convicted him as charged.
Billups will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa and Jorge Vela prosecuted the case.
Former NIH Employee Admits to Using Her Government Credit Card for Unauthorized PurchasesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Francesca Maria Daniele, age 49, of LaPlata, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with the misuse of her government credit card.
The plea agreement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Elton Malone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Special Investigations Branch.
In July 2014, Daniele worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), purchasing equipment from vendors and administering contracts on behalf of NIH. To perform her job, Daniele was issued a government credit card.
According to her plea agreement, from July 12 through July 28, 2014, Daniele used her government credit card to fraudulently make approximately $21,830.19 of personal purchases at retail stores. She used her cell phone to contact the credit card’s customer service center to facilitate approval of those purchases. To conceal the scheme, Daniele falsely reported that her credit card had been lost.
Additionally, on October 15, 2014, Daniele opened a credit card account in the name of her minor child. She used the credit card to buy a laptop computer, video game console, a ring and other items, all of which were shipped to a hotel room she rented under an assumed name. Daniele did not pay for several of the items, resulting in a loss to the credit card company of approximately $508.48.
Daniele has agreed to the entry of an order requiring her to forfeit and pay restitution of at least $22,338.67, the total amount of loss resulting from her conduct.
Daniele faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2016, at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the HHS-OIG for its work in the investigation, and thanked Assistant United States Attorney Thomas P. Windom and Trial Attorney Justin D. Weitz of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, who are prosecuting the case.
Former Hilton Middle School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Charles Kane, 46, of Spencerport, NY, pleaded guilty to attempted online enticement of minor before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life, a fine of up to
$250,000, or both.Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant, a middle school teacher in the Hilton School District, was arrested April 2, 2015 as he attempted to meet with a person he thought was a 14 year old girl.
The investigation determined that in October 2014, the defendant posted an ad on Craigslist which read “daddy/daughter. Love younger women.” A federal law enforcement officer, working in an undercover capacity, posed as the father of a young daughter and conversed with Kane online for the next several months. During these conversations, Kane discussed traveling to meet the undercover and engaging in sexual activity with the undercover’s ten year old daughter.
On January 26, 2015, another undercover officer noticed a different sexually explicit ad on Craigslist which was traced back, once again, to the defendant. The officer responded to the ad in the persona of a 14 year old girl. Kane responded that he was “down with it.” The defendant asked the girl where she lived and said he wanted to meet her. The two remained in contact through March of 2015. During online chats, Kane sent the undercover officer photos of himself, including one he took in the men’s room at the Middle School where he taught, and repeatedly asked for photos of the 14 year old girl. Also during the chats, the defendant repeatedly discussed engaging in sexually explicit activity with the child and traveling to and meeting with the child for sexual purposes. One message read “I could get a room and I could sneak you there.” Kane acknowledged that he could get in “big trouble” and told the girl “this is between you and me.”
Following repeated requests, the girl agreed to meet the defendant at a theatre in Webster on April 2, 2015. The defendant was observed entering a pharmacy just before meeting with the undercover, where they learned that Kane purchased a box of condoms. Kane was arrested as soon as he pulled up to the theatre parking lot. He has been in federal custody since his arrest, and was held following a detention hearing last month.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Craig Hanesworth and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Adam S. Cohen. The task force includes the Buffalo Police Department, Cheektowaga Police Department, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
Former Gloucester County Financial Advisor Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for $900,000 Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – John Montague, a former Gloucester County, New Jersey-based financial advisor was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for defrauding his clients of more than $900,000 by having them make investment checks payable to himself, which he then diverted to his personal use, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Montague, 60, of Mantua, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud. Judge Hillman imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Montague was licensed to sell mutual funds, variable annuities, and insurance premiums but at no time was he licensed to sell corporate or municipal securities, direct participation programs, or options. Montague engaged in a scheme to defraud his clients by soliciting and inducing them to purchase investment vehicles that Montague knew he could not sell. Montague described the investment vehicles to his clients as guaranteed investments that promised a rate of return of approximately 6 percent. Montague instructed his clients to make their investment checks payable to him, and he then deposited them into his personal bank accounts. To maintain the clients’ confidence in the investments, Montague issued periodic “dividend” checks to his clients.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Montague to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $788,716 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Attorney in Charge R. Stephen Stigall of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Former Danville Middle School Teacher Sentenced to 65 Months’ Imprisonment for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Mitchell Phillip Wolf was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for possession of child pornography announced Acting United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson.
Wolf, 60, of Danville, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2015, to possessing child pornography. According to the plea agreement, Wolf admitted to knowingly possessing approximately 50,000 digital files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Wolf admitted to intentionally saving the image and video files to his personal desktop computer and to assorted CD-ROMs and DVDs that he stored in his home office and bedroom. On many of the CD-ROMs and DVDs, Wolf hand-labeled their content with terms consistent with child pornography, such as “PTHC” for “pre-teen hardcore.” Wolf admitted to downloading the digital files from the internet using an online peer-to-peer file sharing program. Wolf was charged by an information on April 3, 2015, with a single count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B).
The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Phyllis J. Hamilton, U.S. District Judge, following a guilty plea to the charged count. In addition to the prison term, Judge Hamilton also ordered Wolf to serve a ten-year period of supervised release, including conditions prohibiting his use of computers and Internet, prohibiting him from frequenting locations where children may be present, and requiring him to submit to searches upon request of law enforcement, among other conditions. Wolf will begin serving the prison term on January 4, 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wade M. Rhyne is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Janice Pagsanjan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force, and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
Former Corporate Lawyer Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court in Connection with Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHARLES A. BENNETT pled guilty in Manhattan federal court today to an Indictment charging him with securities and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud over 30 investors of more than $5 million over the course of more than five years. Among other false and misleading statements, BENNETT lied to investors by claiming to have exclusive access to a highly successful privately held investment fund in which he would purportedly invest the investors’ money. BENNETT solicited millions of dollars from over 30 investors, including his close friends and family members, but never actually invested any of the money in the investment fund or any other investment vehicle. Instead, BENNETT used the investors’ money for his own personal benefit and to pay back other investors. BENNETT was arrested on December 12, 2014, and pled guilty today before United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As he admitted today, Charles Bennett spun an elaborate web of lies and ensnared dozens of investors, including his own friends and family. Bennett, a former corporate attorney, solicited millions of dollars from investors, issuing fake promissory notes and account statements, but actually just spent all of the money on his personal expenses. He now awaits sentencing for his fraudulent investment scheme.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, and other statements made in open court:
From 2008 through November 2014, BENNETT, a former corporate lawyer at a law firm based in New York City, engaged in a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, during which he solicited money from investors based on materially false and misleading representations. Specifically, BENNETT told the investors that he himself had invested money in a highly successful privately held investment fund, and that, should they choose to invest, the investors’ money would be held in BENNETT’s account. BENNETT communicated by email and telephone with many of the investors in order to tell them about the purported status of their investments, including their purported returns. BENNETT also led most of the investors to believe that they were the only individuals to whom he had extended the offer to invest with him.
BENNETT created false and misleading paperwork in furtherance of the scheme, including “promissory notes” that he provided to the investors as a record of the amounts of money they had given to BENNETT to invest. BENNETT also provided certain investors with account statements that purported to show the amount that BENNETT (and the investors, through BENNETT) had invested. In fact, BENNETT never invested any of the investors’ money in the investment fund or in any other investment vehicle, but instead spent the money on his own personal expenses and to repay other investors.
During the course of the fraudulent scheme, BENNETT solicited more than $5 million from more than 30 investors.
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BENNETT, 57, formerly of Manhattan, now living in Minnesota, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud. The securities fraud count and the wire fraud count each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and the charges carry a maximum fine of $5 million, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. BENNETT is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Swain on March 17, 2016.
Mr. Bharara praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for their assistance with the investigation.
The case was brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Lester is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Business Manager and Two Contractors Charged with Theft from Labor Union, Unlawful Labor Payments, Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A former business manager of the Local 657 of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) and two building contractors were charged today with stealing from Local 657 and related offenses.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Steven D. Anderson of the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General’s Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations’ Washington, D.C., Regional Office and District Director Mark Wheeler of the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards’ Washington, D.C., District Office made the announcement.
Anthony Wendel Frederick Sr., 49, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was charged with one count of theft from a labor organization, one count of receiving unlawful labor payments, wire fraud and one count of money laundering
Gary Amoes Cooper, 56, of Upper Marlboro, and Christopher Andrew Kwegan, 58, of Randallstown, Maryland, each also were charged with one count of theft from a labor organization, one count of payment unlawful labor payments, wire fraud and several counts of money laundering. Cooper and Kwegan own STS General Contracting of Greenbelt, Maryland. All three defendants are in custody and are scheduled to have their initial appearance at 1:45 p.m. EDT today before U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey of the District of Columbia.
LIUNA is a labor organization that represents laborers in the construction industry. LIUNA’s Local 657 represents construction laborers in Washington, D.C., and five adjacent counties. For approximately 10 years, until June 2014, Frederick served as the business manager for Local 657.
The indictment alleges that, from May 2013 to June 2014, Frederick directed more than $1.7 million in Local 657 funds to STS Contracting without the knowledge or authorization of the Local 657 Executive Board or officials in the LIUNA International. Specifically, according to the indictment, in June 2014, a routine audit of the local union by LIUNA revealed that Frederick had paid nearly $1.1 million to STS Contracting for minimal renovations at the Local 657 administrative building. In addition, the indictment alleges that, without authorization, Frederick directed over $580,000 in Local 657 funds to STS Contracting for expediting permits for the construction of a new training center for Local 657, which expediting had previously been handled by another construction firm. According to the indictment, the LIUNA auditor also discovered that Frederick grossly overpaid STS Contracting for expediting various permits, including $20,000 to expedite a $143 excavation permit, and more than $20,000 to renew existing permits, which could have been accomplished online for approximately $250 apiece.
The indictment further alleges that Cooper and Kwegan used the stolen Local 657 funds to make a down payment of $225,000 on a home purchased by Frederick and to pay for the construction of a three-car garage on the property, and directed more than $600,000 to a corporation owned in part by Frederick’s wife. In addition, Cooper and Kwegan allegedly depleted a company bank account, which primarily contained stolen Local 657 funds, by withdrawing more than $500,000 in cash, sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to third parties in Qatar, and using the remainder for personal items, entertainment, shopping trips, hotel stays and overseas travel.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Department of Labor. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Vincent Falvo of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Eric Bartoli, fugititive for more than a decade, is in custody in the U.S. and scheduled to appear in court ThursdayRead the Press Release
Eric V. Bartoli, who was indicted in 2003 and was a fugitive for more than a decade, is in custody in the United States, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the FBI, and IRS Special Agent in Charge Kathy Enstrom.
Bartoli is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge John Adams Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Akron to be arraigned on a 10-count indictment.
Bartoli is accused of operating a large-scale ponzi scheme from 1995 through 1999. Bartoli allegedly created and operated a company by the name of Cyprus Funds, Inc., which was based in Doylestown, Ohio and incorporated in Central America. Bartoli and his co-conspirators allegedly operated Cyprus to sell certificates of deposit and unregistered mutual funds. Cyprus raised approximately $65 million from an estimated 800 investors in Latin America and the United States. Some of Cyprus’s victims include retirees, according to court records.
Bartoli was sued in 1999 by the Securities and Exchange Commission on charges involving the Cyprus Funds, Inc. Bartoli did not appear at a scheduled hearing regarding the SEC charges. He was subsequently found in contempt of court and a civil arrest warrant was issued. Bartoli had fled Ohio and was arrested in New Hampshire. Bartoli was not detained at that time and became a fugitive.
A 10-count federal indictment was filed against Bartoli in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in October 2003. He was charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, sale of unregistered securities, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and attempted income tax evasion.
Bartoli has been featured on shows including American Greed and Life on the Run, among others.
Bartoli was taken into custody by the Peruvian National Police in Lima, Peru, in 2013. The operation was a joint effort between the FBI, Diplomatic Security Service, and the Peruvian National Police.
“The fact that this man is back on American soil and will finally stand before a judge to answer to these charges is a tribute to all who have worked on this case,” Dettelbach said. “They never stopped pursuing justice for the victims.”
“A little over 12 years past the date of indictment, Bartoli's life on the run has come to an end,” Anthony said. “The over 800 investors will now have some closure by seeing that the FBI, in cooperation with our international partners, never gave up and has brought this fugitive to justice.”
“Honest and law-abiding citizens are fed up with those who use deceit and fraud to line their pockets with other people’s money,” Enstrom said. “Tax evasion and fraud of this magnitude, and with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, deserves to be punished.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antoinette T. Bacon and Miranda Dugi following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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.
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.
Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services Announce $1.5 Million in Funding to Increase Support for Male Violence Survivors and Support Safe Streets ExpansionRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced $1.5 million in new federal grants focused on violence prevention efforts in Baltimore.
Joining Administrator Robert L. Listenbee of the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at a press conference to announce the grants were Deputy Director Kristina Rose of the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime, Regional Director Joanne Grossi of the Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen.
“At the Department of Justice, we firmly believe that a public health approach – one that fights not just the symptoms but the root causes of violence – is the most effective and sustainable way to prevent and reduce crime in our communities,” said Administrator Listenbee. “What is so tremendously gratifying about these efforts is that they are all the direct result of partnerships – between Safe Streets Baltimore, the health department, the schools, the faith community and agencies across the federal government. We are proud to make these investments and honored to be part of this exciting work.”
“Violence devastates individuals and families and can undermine the very fabric of our communities,” said Regional Director Grossi. “The good news is that there is hope – we know what works to prevent violence. The federal government is looking forward to collaborating with NACCHO and the city of Baltimore to prevent the violence and foster a safe and healthy environment for all residents.”
The three grants from the U.S. Department of Justice include:
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$999,564 from the Office for Victims of Crime to more effectively reach male survivors of violence and their families.During the three-year project period, these partners will convene a planning group to develop a culturally-relevant, trauma-informed curriculum for survivors, establish a standardized and multidisciplinary shooting response protocol and implement a plan to increase public awareness of the effects of trauma and victimization.
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$278,000 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention for the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention to implement strategies and evidence-based programs to reduce youth violence.As a means of addressing school climate issues, the Baltimore City Health Department and the Baltimore Public School System aim to enhance the capacity of schools to successfully implement and sustain the school-wide positive behavioral interventions and support (PBIS) model.
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$70,000 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to integrate the faith community into activities aimed at the prevention and reduction of youth violence and victimization within and around the Safe Streets Baltimore areas.Specifically, this funding will support a Faith Community Coordinator position to conduct outreach to Baltimore’s diverse faith-based community which serves and surrounds the Safe Streets areas.
Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has awarded the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) with $175,000 to fund a pilot of Safe Streets in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of Baltimore.
A request for proposals is currently offering community-based organizations in West Baltimore the opportunity to bring the program credited with reducing gun violence to their neighborhoods.
In 2014, Safe Streets workers had 15,000 client interactions and mediated 880 conflicts. More than 80 percent of interactions were deemed to be “likely” or “very likely” to result in gun violence. Three of the four sites have gone over a year without a fatal shooting.
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Columbia Man Indicted for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
Adrian Lamont Levy, 32, of Columbia, was charged in a two-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces an Aug. 19, 2015, federal indictment and includes an additional charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Today’s indictment alleges that Levy, who has been convicted of felony crimes, was in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, a Kel Tec 9mm rifle, a Century Arms rifle, an SWD Incorporated pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol and ammunition on Sept. 2, 2015.
The indictment also contains the original count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Levy allegedly was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol on July 4, 2015.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
Clermont Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges has sentenced Jenifer E. Hoffman (39, Clermont) to nine years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return. She was also ordered to pay more than $10.7 million in restitution. Hoffman pleaded guilty on June 29, 2015.
According to court documents, Hoffman and her two conspirators, John C. Boschert (43, Apopka) and Bryan T. Zuzga (39, Coldwater, Michigan), defrauded over $10 million from more than 100 victims through investments offered in connection with a company called Assured Capital Consultants. As part of their solicitations, the conspirators represented to investors that money would be placed in a Performing Private Placement Investment, and that Boschert had connections to the trading program being used. Investors were told that their investments would be safe and that none of their money would leave the attorney escrow account that belonged to Zuzga, who was represented as being an attorney licensed in Florida. Investors were further advised that their funds would be used as collateral for a line of credit, which would then be used in trading.
None of those representations were true. Zuzga was not an attorney licensed in Florida or any other state, and the funds were not deposited into any escrow account controlled by him. Instead, the three operated a scheme in which money from later investors was paid to earlier investors. The three also used some of the money from the scheme for themselves, including purchasing residences for Hoffman and Zuzga.
In a prior civil proceeding, the United States forfeited two residences belonging to Hoffman and Zuzga, which had been purchased with proceeds from the scheme. The government obtained more than $850,000 from the sale of the two properties, and the proceeds from those sales were distributed to the victims of the scheme.
Boschert and Zuzga previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this scheme. On June 23, 2015, Boschert was sentenced to nine years in federal prison. Zuzga was sentenced on September 24, 2015, to six years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roger B. Handberg, James Mandolfo, and Nicole M. Andrejko.
Christopher Anthony Burkett Pleads Guilty to Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Christopher Anthony Burkett, 42, of Knoxville, Tenn., pleaded guilty on October 28, 2015, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, to using a minor to produce child pornography and to distributing child pornography.
Pursuant to his plea agreement, Burkett admitted that, from July 2014 through September 2014, he posed as a 19-year-old man on Facebook and solicited two minors to send pornographic images of themselves to him via the Internet. Burkett also admitted to sending pornographic images of one minor victim to another minor victim via the Internet in order to coax the recipient to send him additional pornographic pictures of herself.
Sentencing has been set for 11:00 a.m., March 24, 2016. Burkett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and maximum of up to 50 years in prison, as well as supervised release following incarceration, restitution, and fines. Burkett will also be required to register as a sex offender in any state in which he lives, works, or attends school.
This investigation was conducted by the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Morris represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Charlotte, North Carolina Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Scheme to Engage in Sextortion, Coercing Minor to Engage in Sex, and Distribution of Images Depicting the Sexual Victimization of ChildrenRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that JOHN MICHAEL FOWLER, age 51, from Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, distribution and receipt of images depicting the sexual victimization of children, transmitting interstate communications with the intent to extort, and coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced FOWLER to serve 300 months in prison, to be followed by ten years of supervised release. Additionally, FOWLER will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, in about September 2011, FOWLER met Victim 1, a 16-year-old female, and they developed a sexual relationship. Thereafter, when Victim 1 sought to end the relationship, FOWLER became angry and threatened to tell her family and the principal of her school about the relationship. He also threatened to send sexually explicit photographs of Victim 1 to her school and family. As a result of these threats, FOWLER continued to have sex with Victim 1 until about August 2013. FOWLER also sent sexually explicit pictures of Victim 1 via e-mail on numerous occasions.
In about August 2013, Victim 1 enrolled in a university in the New Orleans area and moved to the Eastern District of Louisiana. FOWLER continued to harass Victim 1. When Victim 1 sought to end the relationship, FOWLER threatened to harm her friends and siblings. He also sent sexually explicit photographs of Victim 1 to classmates at Victim 1’s school. Further, FOWLER contacted four of Victim 1’s classmates via e-mail in August 2014 and informed them that Victim 1 worked as a prostitute and was mentally unstable.
Beginning on about August 29, 2014, an FBI Special Agent assumed Victim 1’s identity and began corresponding with FOWLER via cellular phone. FOWLER promised not to hurt Victim 1’s sibling if Victim 1 agreed to allow FOWLER to come to New Orleans and have sex with her. Thereafter, FOWLER came to New Orleans and was arrested.
A search of FOWLER’S e-mail account and cellular phone revealed that, in addition to his victimization of Victim 1, FOWLER also sought and downloaded numerous images and videos of children as young as approximately two years old being sexually victimized. Moreover, law enforcement authorities learned that FOWLER met Victim 2, a fifteen-year-old boy, in Charlotte, North Carolina via an online classified advertisement website in July 2014 and, over the next month, coerced Victim 2 to engage in sexual acts with him.
“We thank the FBI and the Charlotte Police Department for their outstanding work in this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Polite. “Today’s lengthy sentence reflects our commitment to protecting our young people from sexual exploitation.”
“This matter is taken very seriously by everyone in the FBI’s New Orleans Office,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeff Dutton. “In addition, the FBI’s New Orleans Child Exploitation Task Force continues to work relentlessly in order to identify and locate any and all online child predators. “
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.”
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Charlotte, North Carolina Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg was in charge of the prosecution.
Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Related to K2 DistributionRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that the owner of Puff N Snuff, LLC, with two locations in Camdenton and Eldon, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a money-laundering conspiracy related to the distribution of synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as K2.
Charles Sterling Austin, Jr., 63, of St. Charles, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy. As the owner of Puff N Snuff, Austin also pleaded guilty to the same charge on behalf of the company.
By pleading guilty today, Austin admitted that he purchased synthetic marijuana from several sources and sold it in his smoke shop. Austin knew that his customers were using these synthetic cannabinoids as a drug. The packages of synthetic cannabinoids bore trade names such as, “Mayan,” “Island Breeze,” “4bidden,” “Remix,” “Cheap Trip,” “Dr. Feel Good,” “White Rabbit,” “XXXtreme Bliss Blueberry Sky,” “Deathgrip,” and others. These packages also bore false representations that the contents were “incense” and “not for human consumption” when, in fact, these products contained synthetic cannabinoids that were intended for human consumption as a drug. The false labeling was intended to defeat the regulation of these drugs by the Food and Drug Administration and assure customers that they were not purchasing an illegal high. Undercover law enforcement agents purchased synthetic cannabinoids from Puff N Snuff on multiple occasions during 2012 and 2013.
According to today’s plea agreement, Austin made at least 28 bulk purchases of synthetic cannabinoids from at least two sources totaling $707,412 between Aug. 3, 2012, through Feb. 19, 2013.
During the four-month period from Aug. 27 through Dec. 30, 2012, Austin deposited $1,687,180 into Puff N Snuff’s bank account from the proceeds of the sale of synthetic cannabinoids, comingled with the proceeds from the sale of other products.
On Sept. 10, 2013, law enforcement officers seized $423,327 from the business bank account. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Austin must forfeit those funds to the government.
According to today’s plea agreement, Austin wrote seven checks from Puff N Snuff’s bank account totaling $134,750 as payment for construction of the Puff N Snuff building located at 1900 U.S. 54 Business in Eldon, Mo. Austin admitted that the purchase of the land and the construction cost of the Puff N Snuff building was paid for with proceeds from the sales of synthetic cannabinoids. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Austin must forfeit the property to the government. Austin must also forfeit to the government a money judgment of $707,412.
Under federal statutes, Austin is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000. Puff N Snuff is subject to a sentence of up to five years of probation and a fine up to $500,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the MUSTANG Task Force, the LANEG Drug Task Force, the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Morgan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Camdenton, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kirksville, Mo., Police Department, the North Missouri Drug Task Force, the Schuyler County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Edina, Mo., Police Department, the Linn County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Brookfield, Mo., Police Department.
Birmingham Physician Sentenced for Illegally Supplying Opioid PainkillersRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A Birmingham physician charged in May with illegally supplying controlled substances must serve four years' probation and never seek reinstatement of the license that allowed him to write prescriptions, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay A. Morris and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Spencer Collier.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins today sentenced PETER ALAN LODEWICK, 73, a physician at Lodewick Diabetes Center on Montclair Road, on one count of assisting someone else in acquiring the narcotic painkiller, oxycodone, by "misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, and subterfuge." The judge sentenced Lodewick in accordance with a binding plea agreement he entered with the government. Lodewick had voluntarily surrendered his Drug Enforcement Agency Controlled Substances Registration in January.
Lodewick was one of three Birmingham-area physicians charged this spring as part of DEA's Operation Pilluted in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, which focused on reducing trafficking and abuse of pharmaceuticals. ERNEST ALBERT CLAYTON, 72, a physician in Midfield, was sentenced in September for distributing methadone without a legitimate medical purpose. He received four years' probation, a $20,000 fine and was ordered to surrender his medical license and his DEA registration.
The third doctor, MUHAMMAD WASIM ALI, 51, who owns a pain clinic in Jasper, is scheduled for trial Nov. 9 in federal court in Tuscaloosa on charges of illegally distributing narcotic painkillers for other than legitimate medical purposes.
Lodewick admitted in his guilty plea that he issued prescriptions for large amounts of opiates, between May 2013 and December 2014, to two of his patients, even after learning they were pharmacy-shopping with his prescriptions. He discovered the pharmacy-shopping in May 2013 and wrote the two patients letters terminating their physician-patient relationship, but continued to write them opiate prescriptions, according court documents.
DEA, ALEA and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Wilson Hunter is prosecuted Lodewick's case.
Army Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than 90 Computers from Aberdeen Proving GroundRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Brian Lee Long, age 48, of Rising Sun, Maryland pleaded guilty today to theft of government property.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Special Agent Ed Collins of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.
According to Long’s plea agreement, from April 8, 2001 through January 21, 2015, Long was employed at the Kirk U.S. Army Health Clinic at Aberdeen Proving Ground, initially as a paramedic, then as a supply technician at the Logistics Division. Long admitted that from October 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014, he stole 73 laptop computers, 19 desktop computers and three monitors from the Logistics Division warehouse.
Long sold at least 19 of the stolen laptop computers and four of the stolen desktop computers to pawn shops for $18,400. Long also provided four laptop computers to another person, who sold them to a pawn dealer.
The total loss to the government as a result of Long’s conduct was $40,000, which is the amount Long is required to forfeit as part of his plea agreement.
Long faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for theft of government property. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for February 12, 2016 at 9:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron S. J. Zelinsky, who is prosecuting the case.
Arkansas Chiropractor Sentenced for Federal Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
An Arkansas chiropractor was sentenced today to serve 17 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser of the Western District of Arkansas.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the department, working with its law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue and prosecute those individuals who willfully seek to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service and evade their tax obligations,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo.
According to court documents, Philip Roberts, 60, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, had an outstanding federal income tax liability of more than $2 million for tax years 1991 through 2004. In 2008, Roberts filed a series of false and fraudulent documents with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in an effort to obstruct and impede the tax laws, including filing false financial instruments that claimed millions of dollars of transactions with both the Secretary of the Treasury and the IRS Commissioner, and filing forms that falsely reported payments to the IRS.
Roberts pleaded guilty on June 22 to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the IRS. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas also ordered Roberts to pay a $3,000 fine. This is Roberts’ second conviction for income tax related offenses. In 2000, after a jury trial, Roberts was convicted of two counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns and sentenced to serve 16 months in prison.
“An important part of our mission is to protect the integrity of the Federal tax system,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). “TIGTA will vigorously investigate individuals who attempt to corruptly interfere with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws through fraudulent means, and will do everything within its power to ensure that those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and Acting U.S. Attorney Elser commended the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, who investigated the case, as well as Trial Attorneys Robert A. Kemins and David Zisserson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Davis of the Western District of Arkansas, who prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Pablo Rocha, 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Rocha was arrested in Aug. 2013, and co-defendants Tony Daugherty, 47, also of Albuquerque, and Danielle McKee, 25, and Wilson Smith, 47, both of Alamogordo, N.M., were charged on Aug. 27, 2013, in an indictment charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleged that the conspiracy existed from July 30, 2013 through Aug. 7, 2013, in Otero and Bernalillo Counties, N.M.
The indictment was superseded on Dec. 17, 2013, to add Fabian Jaquez-Lazo, 25, a Mexican national residing in Albuquerque, as a defendant. In addition to charging all four defendants with participation in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, the superseding indictment also included four substantive counts charging the defendants with distributing methamphetamine in Bernalillo and Otero Counties.
On April 10, 2014, Rocha plead guilty to the superseding indictment and admitted that on July 31, 2013, he and his co-conspirators distributed 84.1 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent in Bernalillo County. Rocha also admitted they distributed 120.2 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent on Aug. 7, 2013, in Otero County. He also admitted that he and Daugherty distributed 16u grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent in Bernalillo County on Aug. 15, 2013, and that on Aug. 29, 2013 he, Daugherty and Jaquez-Lazo distributed 201.2 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover agent.
On April 3, 2014, Jaquez-Lazo pled guilty to the conspiracy count and a distribution count of the superseding indictment. The next day, Daugherty pled guilty to all counts of the superseding indictment against him. On April 10, 2014, Smith pled guilty to the conspiracy count and two distribution counts of the superseding indictment. All three men remain in custody pending sentencing hearings.
This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, the HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers from the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, HSI and the New Mexico State Police. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
27 October 2015
Wright County Egg Investigative Team Honored at the 18th Annual Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency AwardsRead the Press Release
CEDAR RAPIDS - On October 22, 2015, the team that investigated Jack and Peter DeCoster and their egg company following a national foodborne illness outbreak were honored at the 18th Annual Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) awards ceremony in Washington D.C. The team received the CIGIE Gaston L. Gianni, Jr. Better Government Award. Among the team members honored was Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.
In 1978 the Inspector General Act established Offices of Inspectors General within federal agencies to combat fraud, waste, and abuse and to improve the economy and efficiency of program operations. The Inspectors General community has nearly 14,000 professionals conducting audits, investigations, and inspections among other duties. The CIGIE is composed of Inspectors General and government ethics and law enforcement officials.
The Gaston L. Gianni, Jr. Better Government Award is given annually to recognize persons who contribute to attaining the ideals of the Inspector General Act and work toward improving the public’s confidence in government.
The Wright County Egg investigative team was honored based upon its exemplary work investigating and prosecuting Jack and Peter DeCoster and their Iowa egg company, Quality Egg LLC (Quality Egg), in the wake of one of the largest foodborne illness outbreaks in U.S. history. As many as 56,000 people were sickened as a result of eating eggs associated with the outbreak.
In the course of its investigation, the team uncovered evidence that company personnel bribed an inspector of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release eggs that had been retained or “red tagged” for failing to meet minimum quality grade standards. In a guilty plea, Quality Egg acknowledged that, on at least two occasions in 2010, its employees gave a cash bribe to a USDA inspector.
As a result of the investigation and prosecution, both Jack and Peter DeCoster were sentenced to serve three months in prison and fined $100,000. Quality Egg was ordered to pay a fine of $6.79 million and placed on probation for three years. All three defendants were ordered to make restitution in the total amount of $83,008.19. Quality Egg also agreed to forfeit $10,000 as part of its plea agreement.
“The 72 federal Inspectors General Offices have one of the most difficult and important jobs in all of government,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch at the awards ceremony. “It is a task basic to the functioning of our democracy: the task of ensuring that ours is a government not just of the people, but for the people – one sensitive to their concerns; responsive to their needs; and respectful of their sacrifices, whether in tax dollars or tours of duty.”
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, Kevin W. Techau, stated, “I am very pleased to congratulate Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan and our federal partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Justice for receiving the CIGIE award. This recognition stems from multiple federal agencies working closely together to protect consumers by investigating, prosecuting and convicting Jack and Peter DeCoster and their egg company following one of the largest national foodborne illness outbreaks ever experienced in the country. This award highlights the importance of effective government oversight in the area of food safety.”
Other members of the Wright County Egg investigative team who were honored with the award are identified in the attached congratulatory notice from the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. team_award.pdf (88.64 KB)
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Wrangell Father and Son Plead Guilty to Charges Relating to Violations of the Lacey ActRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska-U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a father and son from Wrangell, Alaska were arraigned and pled guilty in Juneau federal court to charges related to violations of the Lacey Act while fishing for halibut in the Gulf of Alaska.
Charles “Chuck” J. Petticrew Sr., 70, and Charles “Jeff” J. Petticrew Jr., 42, residents of Wrangell, Alaska, were charged by information with offenses related to Lacey Act violations. Both defendants appeared before United States District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess who took the defendant’s guilty pleas. Between June 28, 2010, and continuing until May 20, 2013, Petticrew Sr. and Petticrew Jr. conspired to falsify fishing locations on Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Longline Fishery Logbook entries, IFQ landing permits, and ADF&G Halibut Tickets indicating that they fished in Management Area 3A, when in fact, they had only fished Management Area 2C. Petticrew Sr., pled guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to falsify Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) records. Petticrew Jr., plead guilty to a single misdemeanor count for violating the Lacey Act by falsifying IFQ records during the same time period. Judge Burgess set sentencing for both defendants on January 4, 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack S. Schmidt, who is prosecuting the case, indicated that the law provides for a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, or both, for the charges related to Petticrew Sr. and a year in prison, a fine up to $100,000, or both, for the charges related Petticrew Jr.
Both defendants have signed plea agreements with the government, in which the government and the defendants agree to jointly recommend to the court that Petticrew Sr. pay a fine of $90,000 and Petticrew Jr. will pay a fine of $10,000, for a total combined fine of $100,000 to pay. The agreement further recommends that Petticrew Sr. and Jr. be placed on probation for a period of five years and during their probation period, both agree to install and pay for a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for the vessel used by the defendants or any other vessel who is fishing on behalf of the family corporation. The recommendation is subject to the approval of the court at sentencing.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Enforcement Division conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case.
Winchester Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy Charge Faces at Least A Ten Year Federal SentenceRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced today that Jamie Hilow, age 28, of Winchester, New Hampshire pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Landya B. McCafferty to Conspiracy to Distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841.
An offer of proof made during the change of plea hearing established that Hilow was employed as a runner for a drug trafficking organization headed, authorities allege, by Ross Gould, age 28, of Richmond, New Hampshire. Hilow distributed heroin for Gould to numerous individuals in and around Keene. On March 16, 2015, Gould was charged federally with possession with the intent to distribute heroin after search warrants executed at his Richmond, New Hampshire residence and another residence utilized by Gould to store narcotics on March 10, 2015 resulted in the seizure of over a kilogram of heroin, a large quantity of cocaine, prescription pills, currency, and 14 firearms.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to address the significant presence of heroin in New Hampshire,” stated Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith. “This case is a classic example of the results that can be achieved when resources are pooled and directed towards the sources of this dangerous drug.”
Hilow is detained pending his sentencing on February 16, 2016. Hilow faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life, a fine up to 10 million dollars and a term of supervised release of at least five years and as much as life. Supervised release is a period following Hilow’s incarceration during which he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the: (1) Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; (2) New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force; (3) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; (4) New Hampshire State Police; (5) Keene, New Hampshire Police Department; (6) Richmond, New Hampshire Police Department; and (7) Salem, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Cole Davis is prosecuting the case.
Waterloo Settles Clean Water Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
CEDAR RAPIDS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Iowa have reached a proposed settlement resolving allegations of Clean Water Act violations by the City of Waterloo. The agreement will require the city to assess its sanitary sewer system and develop a master plan to eliminate unlawful sewer overflows, including discharges of sewage into the Cedar River and sewage backups into homes and businesses.
A proposed consent decree, lodged yesterday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa requires Waterloo to perform comprehensive assessments of the capacity and condition of its waste water treatment facility and sanitary sewer system, which includes approximately 400 miles of sanitary sewer lines.
Based on the information developed by those assessments, by December 31, 2017, the city will be required to submit to the EPA and the State a master plan describing remedial measures necessary to address the sewer system’s problems with capacity, inflow and infiltration, with the goal of eliminating sanitary sewer overflows and bypasses. Following the master plan’s review and approval by the EPA and the State, Waterloo would then have until December 31, 2032, to complete all necessary work on its sewer system.
Additionally, the consent decree would require Waterloo to pay a total of $272,000 in settlement shared between the United States and the State of Iowa, complete a footing drain removal program that it has already begun, follow its sanitary sewer overflow response plan, and implement a Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance (“CMOM”) program for its sanitary sewer system.
The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval of the federal court before it becomes final. A copy of the consent decree is available online: http://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees
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Two “Pill Mill” Operators and a Medical Director Admit to Scheme to Distribute Oxycodone Without a Medical NeedRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Michael Resnick, a/k/a Michael Reznikov, age 54, and his wife, Alina Margulis, age 49, both of Brooklyn, New York, along with Daniel Alexander, age 53, of Pikesville, Maryland pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and alprazolam. Margulis also pleaded guilty to money laundering, and Resnick also pleaded guilty to structuring currency deposits.
The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
“State and federal authorities are working to shut down ‘pain clinics’ that are really just fronts for criminals who divert pharmaceutical drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Michael Resnick and his wife Alina Margulis operated a clinic in which they hired Daniel Alexander to prescribe opioid drugs to people who had no medical need for the drugs. Pharmaceutical pills can be just as harmful as illegal drugs when they are used without proper oversight.”
“Those who facilitate the illegal use of controlled substances negatively impact our entire community and will be held accountable,” said Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office.
According to their plea agreements, in late 2010 and early 2011, Resnick and Margulis traveled to Florida to learn how to operate a pain clinic under the direction of co-defendant Gerald Wiseberg, who owned and operated Total Care Medical Center in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Wiseberg told Resnick that operating a pain clinic would be a lucrative business and that no medical experience was required.
By early 2011, Resnick, Margulis and Wiseberg agreed to open a similar pain management clinic in Maryland. In March 2011, the defendants opened Healthy Life in Owings Mills. Healthy Life later moved to larger space in Timonium, Maryland, until it closed on May 15, 2012. Both Healthy Life locations attracted large and unruly crowds. Customers caused disturbances outside the locations, used narcotics and engaged in narcotics transactions. Over 80% of the customers who received a prescription from Healthy Life were from out of state, and approximately 97% of the customers received at least one prescription for oxycodone.
Wiseberg hired an individual to serve as the medical director at Healthy Life because Wiseberg believed that the individual would write prescriptions for narcotics to customers without a legitimate medical need. This individual resigned as the medical director in August 2011, when the Maryland Board of Physicians—the agency authorized to issue licenses to practice medicine in Maryland and to discipline licensees—initiated an investigation into the individual’s prescribing practices. This investigation ultimately led the Maryland Board of Physicians to suspend the individual’s medical license.
In September 2012, Resnick, Margulis and Wiseberg hired another medical director, Daniel Alexander, because they believed that Alexander would likewise write drug prescriptions to customers without a legitimate medical need. Specifically, Margulis told Alexander that Healthy Life only prescribed pills and did not offer any alternative therapies.
In order to increase profits, Alexander spent a limited amount of time with each patient so that he could see a very large number of patients each day. From September 2011 to March 2012, Alexander issued prescriptions to 627 patients on 946 separate office visits. Of those 946 visits, the customer received a prescription for oxycodone 97% of the time, and a prescription for alprazolam 23% of the time, despite Alexander’s knowledge that many of the customers did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. In a few instances, Alexander prescribed oxycodone to customers who he simultaneously discharged from Healthy Life, based on indications they were abusing illicit drugs. Alexander was paid $150 an hour, and received a total of $30,000 for his activities in the scheme.
Just as with Total Care, Resnick, Margulis and Wiseberg, who were not doctors, established the standard operating procedures for Healthy Life, including which drugs the prescribing physician could prescribe and the maximum dosage amounts of these drugs. Healthy Life also accepted cash payments in exchange for providing prescriptions for large amounts of oxycodone, alprazolam and other drugs, to customers who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs.
To maximize profits, they also encouraged the prescribing physicians to prescribe the maximum amount of oxycodone to each customer; and established that prescriptions would be written for 28-day cycles as opposed to 30-day cycles. Additionally, Margulis and Resnick handled complaints by Healthy Life customers who were unhappy with the prescriptions they received, particularly when a medical provider might prescribe less oxycodone than the customer wanted. In those instances, Margulis and Resnick would intervene and ask the prescribing medical provider to reconsider, knowing it would lead the provider to give the customer what the customer wanted.
Margulis and Resnick knew when customers would fail a urinalysis screening, either because the customers had illicit drugs (such as cocaine) in their system or because their sample lacked any indication of oxycodone, thereby signaling they were diverting their previous prescription or taking more doses than indicated by their previous prescription and thereby causing them to run out of oxycodone before their next appointment. Resnick and Margulis arranged that some of these customers who failed their urinalysis screen could simply retake the test at a later time so that the customers would continue to return to Healthy Life.
Margulis and Resnick received 28% of the net profits from Healthy Life, obtaining a total of $280,000. Wiseberg received 30% of the net profits. Margulis kept the accounting books for the business. From June 2011 to April 2012, Margulis wrote monthly checks of $12,000 to an entity Wiseberg controlled. Additionally, Resnick and Margulis paid Wiseberg $165,000 in cash in 2011 for Wiseberg’s 30% share.
In order to evade currency transaction reporting requirements, Resnick and others at his direction deposited cash accumulated from customers in amounts less than $10,000 into several bank accounts for Healthy Life. Resnick admitted that he engaged in a pattern of illegal structuring involving more than $100,000 in a 12-month period.
Resnick and Margulis have agreed to the entry of an order to forfeit $280,000, the amount of illicit profits they received from the scheme. Alexander has agreed to the entry of an order to forfeit $30,000, the amount he was paid for his activities at Healthy Life.
Resnick and Margulis face a maximum sentence of 20 year in prison for the drug conspiracy. Margulis faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for money laundering; and Resnick faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for structuring currency deposits. Alexander and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts his plea agreement, Alexander will be sentenced to between 36 and 72 months in prison. Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for Margulis and Resnick for March 18, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. and noon, respectively, and sentencing for Alexander on March 25, 2016 at 10:30 a.m.
Gerald Wiseberg, a/k/a Gerry Wiseberg and Jerry Wiseberg, age 82, of Boca Raton, Florida pleaded guilty on October 15, 2015 to his participation in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2016 at 9:15 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended DEA, IRS-CI, Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County State’s Attorneys’ Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason D. Medinger and Peter J. Martinez, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Two Grape Street Crips Gang Members Admit Dealing Heroin and Crack-Cocaine in Newark, New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two members of the Grape Street Crips gang today admitted their roles in conspiracies to distribute heroin and crack-cocaine in and around Newark, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Larry Coleman, a/k/a “LA,” 28, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. Tauheed Satchell, a/k/a “Tah,” 26, also of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to a separate information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute crack-cocaine and one count of possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Coleman admitted that from December 2014 through May 20, 2015, he conspired with others to distribute 20 bricks of heroin. Satchell admitted that from April 2014 through May 2015, he conspired with others to distribute 28 grams of crack-cocaine. Satchell, who was convicted in March 2009 of distributing a controlled substance on school property, also admitted possessing an AMT .380 9mm Kurz Backup semi-automatic pistol and six hollow point bullets.
The conspiracy to distribute heroin charge to which Coleman pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The conspiracy to distribute crack-cocaine charge to which Satchell pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The unlawful possession of a firearm charge to which Satchell pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Sentencing for Coleman and Satchell is set for Feb. 16, 2016 and Feb. 1, 2016, respectively.
In May 2015, over the course of three weeks, 50 alleged members and associates of the Grape Street Crips were charged by criminal complaints with drug-trafficking, physical assaults and witness intimidation. The charges are the result of a long-running investigation led by the DEA and FBI, in conjunction with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Newark Police Department and Essex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Narcotics. Over the course of the entire investigation, 71 defendants have been charged with federal and state charges.
Other defendants who have recently pleaded guilty include Bernard Anderson, a/k/a “BA,” 32, and Dennis Wright, a/k/a “Hersh,” a/k/a “Coyote,” 32, both of Newark, who pleaded guilty to heroin distribution charges on Oct. 21, 2015, and Oct. 13, 2015, respectively. Monesha Johnson, a/k/a “Smoove,” 36, and Willie Brooks, a/k/a “Animal,” 24, both of Newark, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack-cocaine on Oct. 6, 2015. Antonio Foye, a/k/a “Steel,” 29, of Newark pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon and conspiracy to distribute crack-cocaine on Sept. 23, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl Kotowski, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel, for the investigation leading to the pleas. He also thanked prosecutors and detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray; police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Eugene Venable and Chief Anthony Campos; and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Armando B. Fontoura, for their work.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Osmar J. Benvenuto, Elizabeth M. Harris, and Barry Kamar of the Criminal Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Defense counsel:
Coleman: Adalgiza A. Nunez Esq., Newark
Satchell: Michael V. Gilberti Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey
Tribal Executives Indicted in Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that five current and former executives, and one employee, of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe’s Big Coulee District were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 6, 2015. The charges include Conspiracy to Commit Embezzlement from an Indian Tribal Organization and two counts of Embezzlement from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Those indicted are as follows:
Carrie Godfrey, age 49, of Sisseton, South Dakota, was Treasurer of the District Executive Board from January 2007 to January 2011, and Secretary of the Board from January 2011 through January 2015.
Gerald German, Jr., age 44, of Peever, South Dakota, was Chairman of the District Executive Board from January 2007 through January 2015.
Ann German, age 57, of Peever, South Dakota, is currently the Big Coulee District Coordinator.
Calvin Max, Sr., age 48, of Sisseton, South Dakota, has been Vice Chairman of the District Executive Board since January 2011.
Gerald Heminger, Jr., age 56, of Sisseton, South Dakota, was Vice Chairman of the District Executive Board from January 2007 to January 2011.
Colette White, age 55, of Peever, South Dakota, has been Treasurer of the District Executive Board since January 2011.
All six appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes in Aberdeen, on October 16, 2015, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that the defendants caused checks to be issued on the District’s bank accounts to themselves, to allegedly pay for home repairs and to assist them in paying their income tax liability incurred as a result of the stipends they earned as District executives. None of the checks were properly authorized, and the defendants used the Tribe’s money for their own purposes.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the financial crime investigator at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.
The defendants were released pending trial. Trial is scheduled for December 15, 2015.
Texarkana Drug Traffickers Arrested in Operation Flashback Meth InvestigationRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today the arrest of multiple individuals indicted for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas.
Arrests were made on Oct. 27, 2015 as part of Operation Flashback, a two-year joint federal and state investigation into individuals responsible for mid- and high-level trafficking and distribution of methamphetamine through the Eastern District of Texas as well as to Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. The defendants are alleged to have been responsible for trafficking and distributing more than 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine through the I-30 corridor, to Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and beyond. A federal grand jury returned a sealed 43-count indictment on Sep. 16, 2015 charging the following individuals with drug trafficking violations:
Jeffrey George, Jr., 29, of Texarkana, Texas; Joshua Thompson, 35, of Hot Springs, Arkansas; Kyle Davis, 29, of Texarkana, Arkansas; Demetrice Dornell Mullens, 25, of Texarkana, Texas; James Neal Byrd, 25, of Texarkana, Arkansas; Shawna Marie Seifert, 34, of Texarkana, Texas; Stacy Childs, 25, of Hot Springs, Arkansas; Stephanie Martinez, 33, of Hot Springs, Arkansas; Pablo Martinez, 39, of Royal, Arkansas; Dondrail Parks, 31, of Texarkana, Arkansas; Billy Krimmel, 36, of Gould, Arkansas; Lloyd Guedel Jones, Jr., 30, of Texarkana, Texas; Jay Dee Doolin, 53, of Hooks, Texas; Whitney Ann Smith, 52, of Texarkana, Texas; Mica Crumpton-Smith, 35, of Texarkana, Arkansas; Eliasar Mata, 31, of Dallas, Texas; Gary Don Sandlin, 58, of Texarkana, Texas; Roddis Faust, 28, of Texarkana, Texas; Michael Shane Spencer, 42, of Texarkana, Texas; Veronica Zuniga Rodriguez, 32, of Texarkana, Texas; April Michaelle Wright, 24, of Texarkana, Texas; Charles Randall Porter, 59, of Wake Village, Texas; Kenneth Wayne Milner, 42, of Texarkana, Arkansas; Jamilu Whiteside, 38, of Nash, Texas; Matthew Ray Thompson, 28, of Texarkana, Arkansas; Shauna Michelle Erwin, 37, of Wake Village, Texas; Sam Rich, 47, of Tyler, Texas; Kimberly Denise Unholz, 46, of Texarkana, Texas; Jeanna Renea Watson-Patterson, 30, of Nash, Texas; Daniel Garrett , 27, of Texarkana, Arkansas; and
Sheena Geneene McClendon, 30, of Texarkana, Texas.This case is the result of an extensive two-year joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, and Texarkana, Texas, Police Department; with the assistance of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Department; the Bowie County (Texas) and Miller County (Arkansas) Sheriff’s Offices; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas; and the District Attorney’s Offices of Bowie County (Texas) and Miller County (Arkansas). During the course of this operation, agents have successfully arrested approximately 75 individuals and seized approximately six pounds of methamphetamine, large amounts of marijuana, more than $35,000 in U.S. currency, one vehicle, approximately 45 firearms, and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
The investigation has led to additional arrests in the Northern District of Texas (Dallas area), including more than 16 additional defendants and the seizure of more than two kilograms of methamphetamine.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker and Paul Hable.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
South Sioux City Man Sentenced to more than 10 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Carlos Saul Vargas-Romero, 30, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, was sentenced on October 27, 2015, to 121 months in prison by United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp. Vargas-Romero had previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute multiple pounds of methamphetamine in the South Sioux City Nebraska area. After serving his sentence Vargas-Romero will likely be deported as he is currently in the country illegally.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Nebraska State Patrol.
South Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing and Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ralph Darel Lipsey (28, Miramar) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. Lipsey also has agreed to forfeit the monetary proceeds he obtained as a result of the crime, as well as the computer media he used to manufacture counterfeit notes. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in January 2015, Lipsey and his co-defendants, Marcos Rogelio Blake and Leon White, passed or attempted to pass counterfeit Federal Reserve notes at multiple businesses in Nassau County. Law enforcement officers subsequently issued an alert for the three individuals. On January 17, 2015, a deputy from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle with the three men inside. Blake, who was driving the vehicle, was detained due to a suspended license. During a search, the deputy found genuine and counterfeit bills on Blake. An inventory search of the vehicle yielded additional counterfeit notes and a lock box. The lock box contained computer media and supplies used to manufacture counterfeit bills.
On September 30, 2015, Marcos Rogelio Blake (24, New York) pleaded guilty to manufacturing and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, and possessing counterfeit business checks. His sentencing date has not yet been set. Leon White is scheduled for trial in December 2015.
This case was investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service, Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced in Dacotah Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Bank Robbery was sentenced on October 26, 2015 by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Rickey Daniel Starks, age 45, was sentenced to 48 months in custody, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $8,700 in restitution.
Starks was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 17, 2015. He pled guilty to Bank Robbery on June 30, 2015.
On March 5, 2015, the Sioux Falls Police Department responded to an armed robbery call at Dacotah Bank on East 10th Street in Sioux Falls. Information relayed to the officers was that a man walked in the front door of the bank wearing quite distinctive clothing, a ski mask and carrying a backpack. He demanded money and waved what appeared to be a gun in the air. Video from the bank’s surveillance cameras confirmed the information the police had received. Portions of the video were released to the local news media and several sources contacted law enforcement indicating the robber’s identity.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis R. Holmes prosecuted the case.
Starks was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ship Operator Pleads Guilty to Crimes Related to Pollution from Cargo Ship Traveling to Corpus ChristiRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A ship management company has pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for deliberately concealing pollution discharges from the ship directly into the sea and for falsifying its oil record book, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Rear Admiral David R. Callahan, Eighth District Coast Guard Commander. Chandris (Hellas) Inc. is headquartered in Greece and operated the M/V Sestrea - an 81,502 ton cargo ship that made calls in multiple ports in Texas.
Chandris pleaded guilty to a violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for failing to properly maintain an oil record book as required by federal and international law, as well as a violation of making a false statement for making a false entry in the ship’s oil record book.
Shortly following the plea, U.S. District Judge Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered the company to pay an $800,000 criminal fine along with a $200,000 community service payment to the congressionally-established National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The money will be designated for use in the Flower Garden and Stetson Banks National Marine Sanctuary, headquartered in Galveston, to support the protection and preservation of natural and cultural resources located in and adjacent to the sanctuary.
Chandris was also sentenced to three years probation. As a condition of the probation, all ships Chandris manages and are involved in transporting crude oil will be forced to comply with an Environmental Compliance Plan.
“Environmental crimes continue to occur throughout the Eighth Coast Guard District,” said Callahan. “When companies knowingly fail to adhere to marine anti-pollution laws, it affects each and every one of us. The Coast Guard will not tolerate the pollution of our marine environment and endangering of the public health. I am grateful for the hard work, dedication and professionalism exhibited by Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi, the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.”
According to the joint factual statement, on or about Dec. 18, 2014, the chief engineering officer on board the M/V Sestrea acting on behalf of Chandris used a hose to pump fresh water through the Oil Content Meter. Because of this, the meter was “tricked” into sensing that all of the oily bilge water being run through the Oil Water Separator within normal limits. As a result, the system discharged oily water in excess of 15 parts per million overboard into the sea.
Federal and international law requires that all ships comply with pollution regulations that include the proper disposal of oily water and sludge by passing the oily water through a separator aboard the vessel or burning the sludge in the ship’s incinerator. Federal law also requires ships to accurately record each disposal of oily water or sludge in an oil record book and to have the record book available for the U.S. Coast Guard when the vessel is within the waters of the United States. The M/V Sestrea called on the Port in Corpus Christi on Jan. 3, 2015.
According to court documents, the chief engineer knowingly failed to make the required entries into the oil record book including the fact that oily waste had been discharged directly into the sea. The chief engineer also made false entries in the oil record book to conceal the fact that the pollution control equipment had not been used. The crewmembers then attempted to conceal the discharge on Dec. 18, 2014, during a Coast Guard boarding at the port in Corpus Christi by providing the falsified oil record book to the boarding crew.
The investigation was conducted by the Coast Guard - Corpus Christi Sector and the Coast Guard Investigative Service in Corpus Christi. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Miller is prosecuting the case.
Scranton Man Charged with Federal Heroin Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Scranton man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton for heroin trafficking offenses.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment charges Camilo Andujar, aka “Melo,” age 24, with conspiracy to distribute heroin between June and August 2015, distribution of heroin and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
The charges stem from an investigation in which Scranton police allegedly made a purchase of heroin from Andujar and then obtained a search warrant for a residence, located on Electric Street in Scranton, where Andujar was residing. From the residence, police allegedly seized approximately 91 grams of heroin, a coffee bean grinder filled with heroin, $5,950 in cash, heroin packaging materials and drug paraphernalia.
The investigation was conducted by the Scranton Police Department, Special Investigations Division, Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law is up to forty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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San Francisco Resident Indicted for “Straw Hat Bandit” Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury indicted Richard Laurence Stewart today for committing a string of bank robberies throughout San Francisco, announced Acting United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson. The indictment follows a complaint and affidavit filed on October 19, 2015.
Stewart, 52, of San Francisco, was arrested on October 18, 2015, after an investigation by the San Francisco Police and the FBI led to a search of his San Francisco residence. According to a previously filed complaint and the indictment, the FBI has been investigating the Straw Hat Bandit since a robbery on October 27, 2014. The FBI believes Stewart went on to commit a number of robberies, each time wearing a disguise. The affidavit describes a number of different disguises allegedly used by Stewart during the robberies, including glasses, hats, a black curly wig, a fake beard and mustache, and a single surgical glove.
According to the affidavit, Stewart eventually was identified as the bandit after a witness saw him leaving the scene of one of the robberies in a taxicab. Authorities later linked Stewart to the taxicab request. In the search of Stewart’s apartment, agents found hats worn during some of the robberies, a blue surgical glove, and a demand note that stated, “This is a robbery.” The indictment charges Stewart with four counts of bank robbery or attempted bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). The robberies charged occurred on May 12, May 13, October 14, and October 16, 2015.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Stewart faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 on each count of bank robbery. Additional terms of supervised release, penalties, and restitution may be ordered upon conviction. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Stewart made his initial appearance on October 20, 2015, in San Francisco before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on November 3, 2015, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lloyd Farnham and Shailika Kotiya with the assistance of Veronica Ramirez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department.
San Felipe Pueblo Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Sexual Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Vincent Ortiz, 45, a member and resident of San Felipe Pueblo, was sentenced this morning in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 50 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his sexual abuse conviction. Ortiz will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Ortiz was arrested in July 2014, on an indictment charging him with sexual abuse and assault with a dangerous weapon. According to court filings, on July 5, 2014, Ortiz sexually assaulted a Kewa Pueblo woman and assaulted a San Felipe Pueblo man in San Felipe Pueblo in Sandoval County, N.M.
On Oct. 23, 2014, Ortiz entered a guilty plea to Count 1 of the indictment, charging him with sexual abuse. In entering the guilty plea, Ortiz admitted sexually abusing the victim on July 5, 2014, by engaging in a sexual act with the victim who at the time was incapable or unable to decline participation in the act.
This case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Adams.
The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Salisbury Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced David C. Andrews, age 52, of Salisbury, Maryland, today to 6 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. Judge Bennett also ordered that Andrews must continue to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Andrews was already required to register as a sex offender due to his previous conviction for possession of child pornography.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Andre Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Worcester County Sheriff Reggie T. Mason, Sr.; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Wicomico County Sheriff Michael A. Lewis; and Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew Maciarello.
According to Andrews’ plea agreement, between May 28 and July 12, 2010, Andrews made files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct available to others through a file sharing program installed on his computer. On July 17, 2010, a Wicomico County Sheriff’s detective working on undercover investigations of individuals trafficking child pornography through the use of file sharing programs was able to download child pornography being shared using the internet account at Andrews’ residence. A search warrant was executed at Andrews’ home and law enforcement located Andrews’ computer which contained 49 images and approximately 160 video segments of child pornography. Andrews admitted that he collected and shared child pornography over the internet, including the video downloaded by the detective. On October 12, 2011, Andrews pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in Wicomico County Circuit Court. The charge for possession of child pornography with intent to distribute was dropped.
Also according to Andrews’ plea agreement, on May 12, 2014, a Worcester County Sheriff’s Office detective was conducting an online investigation for individuals using file sharing software to share child pornography. During the investigation, the detective downloaded a video from Andrews that depicted a prepubescent girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators determined that the IP address associated with the account was assigned to Andrews’ residence.
On June 20, 2014, Andrews saw law enforcement officers conducting surveillance and photographing his home in preparation for obtaining a search warrant. Andrews admitted that on June 22, 2014, he ran memory-wiping software on the hard drive and reinstalled the operating system, thereby deleting any files or images, including any files containing child pornography from his laptop. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Andrews’ home on June 24, 2014, they were initially unable to find any devices belonging to Andrews or that appeared to be associated with child pornography. After locating Andrews’ laptop in the laundry room, investigators realized the hard drive had been removed. Andrews directed the investigators to a truck tire in the back yard of the uninhabited house next door where law enforcement recovered a gallon zip lock bag containing the hard drive from the laptop, as well as a tablet computer.
Although a forensic examination of the laptop hard drive was not able to recover any images or files, a forensic analysis of the tablet recovered 142 images of child pornography. Andrews admitted that he attempted to delete the files in an attempt to conceal them from investigators. Twenty-five of the images belonged to a series of child pornography whose victim(s) were previously identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended HSI Baltimore and Ocean City, Maryland, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Aaron S. J. Zelinsky, who prosecuted the case.
Rutherford Co. Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison on Securities Fraud Charges for Stealing over $2 Million from More Than 30 InvestorsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced today Chuckie Beaver, 52, of Ellenboro, N.C. to 57 months in prison for defrauding more than 30 investors of over $2 million, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Cogburn also ordered Beaver to serve three years under court supervision after he is released from prison.
Matthew Quinn, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Division and Thomas L. Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) join U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
According to information contained in court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Beaver was the sole owner of “Best Services, Inc.,” (Best Services), a company specializing in the repair of industrial electronic equipment. Court records show that from June 2012 to April 2014, Beaver induced over 30 victims, including friends, neighbors, and fellow church members, to invest in his fraudulent scheme, falsely claiming that his company needed additional capital to purchase materials to complete a large number of outstanding repair orders from major corporations. To further the scheme, Beaver created and showed his investors fake documents, including bogus repair orders indicating significant work activity, fake customer checks, and fake customer emails, giving a false impression he had strong relationships with major corporations.
Court records show that Beaver often gave his victims post-dated checks at the time of their initial investment, written for the full amount of the promised investment plus as much as 100% interest. According to court records, when the investors’ checks were returned by the bank for insufficient funds, Beaver made up a number of excuses to his victims, and, in some instances, he induced the victims to invest additional funds with the promise of even greater returns. Beaver previously admitted in court that contrary to what he promised his investors, he used their money to pay for personal expenses and to make payments to earlier investors, commonly referred to as Ponzi payments. In total, over the course of the scheme, Beaver defrauded more than 30 individuals from Mecklenburg, Gaston, Cleveland and Lincoln counties of more than $2 million. Beaver pleaded guilty to securities fraud in November 2014.
In announcing Beaver’s sentence, Judge Cogburn said that, “Everybody needs to watch out for this defendant” and stated that he did not trust anything the defendant said. “It is obvious he is a con man,” Judge Cogburn noted, adding, “Once a con man always a con man.”
Beaver is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
The investigation was handled by the Secret Service and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Zolot, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Rome Man Charged with Manufacturing Child Pornography by Enticing Minors to Photograph Themselves with Cell PhonesRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Clinton Briggs Miller has been arraigned on federal charges of enticing minors to produce child pornography, by allegedly blackmailing them to send him sexually explicit images of themselves. Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 19, 2015.
“Enticing, tricking, and intimidating children into taking sexually explicit photographs of themselves with their cell phones is as repulsive as it is illegal,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “This case illustrates the dangers faced by minors who send racy photos of themselves on phones or over social media.”
“As we have seen in countless other cases, child predators will exploit any technology they can to feed their perverse appetites,” said Special Agent in Charge Nick S. Annan, ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta. “I strongly encourage parents to educate themselves on how to protect their children from these predators by entering the keyword ‘iGuardian’ in the search box at www.ice.gov.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: In July 2015, Miller allegedly exchanged text messages with two minor females, one in California and one in Georgia. He befriended them, persuaded them to send him explicit photographs of themselves, and then threatened to post those photographs on social media websites unless they continued to send him increasingly explicit photographs.
Clinton Briggs Miller, 26, of Rome, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Walter E. Johnson.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Rome, Georgia, Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Traynor is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Rocky Mount Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that on Friday, October 23, 2015 in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced Benjamine fitzgerald ransome, 42, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina to 45 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
ransome was named in an Indictment filed on March 3, 2015 charging him with distribution of a quantity of cocaine base (crack); possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a felon. On July 13, 2015, Ransome pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
According to the investigation, RANSOME distributed marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base (crack) in Rocky Mount, North Carolina from 2012, until April 24, 2014. Law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to conduct controlled purchases of narcotics from RANSOME at B&R Auto Sales in Rocky Mount, North Carolina where RANSOME worked as a car salesman. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at B&R Auto Sales where they seized marijuana, a shotgun, and drug paraphernalia. A search warrant was also executed at RANSOME’s home, which uncovered cocaine, marijuana, a .38 caliber revolver, and drug paraphernalia.
The case was investigated by the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Dena J. King represented the government.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening President ObamaRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Brandon Correa, 31, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to making a threat against the president of the United States before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant posted online threats to kill President Obama in June 2014. Specifically, Correa posted a message on Twitter directed to President Barack Obama in which the defendant wrote “Im coming to watch you die.” The defendant was interviewed shortly after posting the threats and told a Secret Service Agent that the President was “evil” and that he had to “die.”
Correa was released from custody following the threat and was ordered not to have any contact with the President as a condition of his release. However, in August of 2014, the defendant again posted online threats directed against the President and others. Specifically, Correa posted messages on Facebook and Twitter directed to President Obama in which he wrote “GET READY to DIE Barack Obama.”
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, C. Todd Laster, and Investigators from the New York State Police, Protective Services Unit, under the direction of Major Stephen Nevins.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 21, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
Riceville Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child pornography pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Adam Haacke, age 27, from Riceville, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Haacke admitted that, between 2014 and 2015, he knowingly possessed child pornography on a hard drive.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Haacke was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Haacke faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mason City Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 15-2029.
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Previously Deported Mexican National Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A previously deported felon from Mexico was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 120 months in federal prison for his conviction for unlawfully reentering the United States. He will be deported after completing his prison sentence.
Roman Enrique Delgado-Montoya, 54, of Veracruz, Mexico, was charged on June 2, 2014, in a criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after having been convicted of an aggravated felony. Delgado-Montoya had previously been deported from the United States on Feb. 10, 2014, after he was convicted in Sept. 2009, of Arson in Calif.
Delgado-Montoya was subsequently indicted on Jan. 14, 2015, and charged with unlawful reentry into the United States. Delgado-Montoya committed the offense in Sunland Park, Doña Ana County, N.M. On May 22, 2015, Delgado-Montoya pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Court proceedings revealed that, over the years, Delgado-Montoya has used at least 39 aliases and has at least 17 prior criminal convictions. He also has been arrested on at least 20 other occasions in cases which have either been dismissed or for which there is no information as to disposition. Delgado-Montoya’s prior convictions include vehicle theft, tampering with a vehicle, multiple burglaries, receiving stolen property, possession of burglary tools, cocaine distribution, possession of narcotics, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, vehicle theft, being an aggravated felon receiving stolen property, arson and illegal entry into the United States.
This case was investigated by the Doña Ana station of the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brock Taylor, Edwin Garreth Winstead, III, and Luis A. Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates under this initiative.