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Thursday 20 August 2015
Cushing Woman Sentenced to One Year of Probation for Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Crystal Dinapoli, formerly known as “Crystal Burch,” 23, of Cushing, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to one year of probation for making a false statement to a government agent. Dinapoli pleaded guilty to the charge on April 1, 2015.
According to court records, in June 2014, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was investigating Dinapoli’s then-boyfriend for illegally possessing firearms. In 2013, Dinapoli purchased several handguns from a local firearms dealer. Agents were investigating whether Dinapoli’s boyfriend had possessed any of them. Dinapoli told an ATF agent that she transferred those handguns to her boyfriend’s father, a statement that was false. Later that day, ATF agents found her boyfriend with two of the handguns.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF.
Coin and Precious Metals Dealer and His Company Plead Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A coin and precious metals dealer and his company pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges for defrauding more than 400 customer-victims of over $15 million, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The Tulving Company, Inc., and its owner, Hannes Tulving, Jr., 60, of Newport Beach, California, entered their guilty pleas today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler.
Matthew Quinn, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Division joins Acting U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
According to the filed plea documents and statements made in court, Tulving was the sole owner, shareholder and President of The Tulving Company, Inc. (Tulving Co.), a California-based business that sold coins, bullion, and other precious metals over the Internet. Court records show that from about August 2013 to January 2014, Tulving and his company executed a scheme to defraud customers nationwide by inducing them to place orders for coins and other merchandise knowing those orders could not be fulfilled. Court records show that the customers paid for the merchandise, expecting their orders to be delivered according to the timetable advertised on the company’s website. According to information contained in plea documents, Tulving and his company accepted the customers’ payments but failed to deliver some of the merchandise. Instead, they diverted the customers’ payments to fulfill other customers’ orders, to pay the company’s debt, and to return the money to previous customers who did not receive their merchandise. Today, the defendants admitted to defrauding more than 400 victims of over $15 million.
As stated in Hannes Tulving’s plea agreement, the wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of his plea with the government, the defendant has agreed to pay restitution to his victims. Tulving was released on bond after entering his guilty plea.
According to the company’s plea agreement, the Tulving Co. faces at sentencing a fine in the amount $500,000, or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the crime or twice the gross pecuniary loss to the victims of the crime, whichever is greatest. The company also faces a minimum of one year of organizational probation and will be required to pay full restitution to the victims.
The U.S. Secret Service handled the investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Rose also thanked the Commodities Futures Trading Commission for their assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Zolot is in charge of the prosecution.
Cochise County Receives More Than $25,000 in Federal Money to Promote Law Enforcement EffortsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Today, U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo announced that $25,189 in additional federal funds has been awarded to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office to fund equipment for law enforcement, with the goal of preventing and controlling crime and increasing officer safety. The grant funds are supplied by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (“BJA”), which is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (“OJP”).
“These funds support the basic operational law enforcement needs of the county,” said U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo. “This grant will enhance Cochise County’s efforts to increase officer readiness, reduce crime, and increase public safety. We encourage all agencies to be proactive and apply for future law enforcement grant funding through our Office of Justice Programs.”
Additional information about BJA and its programs is available at: https://www.bja.gov/Default.aspx
Information about OJP and its programs can be found at:http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2015-064_COCHISE GRANT (2015-DJ-BX-0975)
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ricky Nuckles has been sentenced to 17 years, 7 months in federal prison for trafficking 22 kilograms of cocaine and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that offense. Nuckles was found guilty by a jury on May 13, 2015.
“One of our most solemn responsibilities is to protect the public from the blight of illegal narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn. “Thanks to a vigilant off-duty DEA agent, 22 kilograms of cocaine is off the streets, and Nuckles' drug-trafficking days are finished.”
“We have removed another cocaine trafficker off of the streets, thanks to the quick thinking and fine police work performed by one of our own Special Agents,” said Daniel R. Salter, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This criminal can no longer pose a danger to the community.”
According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: On the morning of December 23, 2013, Ricky Nuckles parked his car beside a pump at a gas station on Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta, Georgia, and entered the station’s convenience store. As he entered, Nuckles placed a call on his cell phone. Moments later, a second car entered the gas station and parked beside the defendant’s car. The driver of the second car then carried a large suitcase over to Nuckles' car, placed it inside, and quickly returned to his car and drove away. The defendant watched the delivery through the store’s window and remotely locked his car the moment the suitcase was placed inside.
Unbeknownst to Nuckles, an off-duty DEA agent was also at the gas station that morning, and watched the delivery happen while waiting in line for an emissions inspection. The agent confronted Nuckles as he attempted to return to his car and leave the station. The agent identified himself, and after explaining what he saw, Nuckles fled back inside the convenience store and immediately discarded the cell phone he used to arrange the drug delivery.
When Nuckles exited the store the second time, the agent was still waiting by Nuckles’ car. After learning that the defendants had a loaded firearm next to his driver’s seat, the agent placed himself between Nuckles and the car and dialed 911. Minutes later, additional DEA agents and uniformed Atlanta Police Department officers arrived at the gas station. Nuckles consented to a search of the suitcase, inside which agents found 22 kilograms of cocaine with a wholesale value of approximately $750,000. Agents also found an FN model 57 handgun and two 25-round extended magazines next to the driver’s seat of the car, within easy reach.
Ricky Nuckles, 41, of Johns Creek, Georgia, has been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Orinda D. Evans to 17 years, 7 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Schansman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.
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.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Carlos Alberto Renteria-Garcia, 23, of Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a heroin trafficking charge. The guilty plea was entered under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Renteria-Garcia was arrested on Feb. 16, 2015, at the Amtrak Train Station in Albuquerque after DEA agents found approximately 5.06 pounds of heroin concealed in the bedroom Renteria-Garcia was using during his ride aboard the train during a consensual search. Renteria-Garcia was indicted on March 10, 2015, and charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute.
During today’s proceedings, Renteria-Garcia pled guilty to the indictment, and admitted that he was in possession of more than a kilogram of heroin on Feb. 16, 2015. He further admitted that DEA agents found the heroin concealed in his room on the Amtrak train during a stop in Albuquerque.
At sentencing, Renteria-Garcia faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Interdiction Unit of the DEA’s Albuquerque office which focuses on disrupting the flow of narcotics, weapons, and the proceeds of illegal activities as they are smuggled into or through New Mexico in passenger buses, passenger trains, commercial vehicles and automobiles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel R. Meyers is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center that is partnering with the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative with the overriding goal of reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. The law enforcement component of the HOPE Initiative is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that on August 18, 2015, GIOVANNI CANDELARIO, 22, of Bridgeport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release during which he must complete 300 hours of community service, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 10 p.m. on February 1, 2014, a vehicle in which CANDELARIO was a passenger engaged in a chase with Bridgeport Police. The vehicle eventually stopped on Ogden Street in Bridgeport and CANDELARIO fled on foot. CANDELARIO was apprehended after he was found hiding in a trash can behind an apartment building on Hallet Street. Officers subsequently traced the route of CANDELARIO’s flight and located a Smith and Wesson MP .40 caliber pistol on the driveway of an Ogden Street residence. The firearm had been previously reported stolen.
In March 2012, CANDELARIO was convicted in state court of possession with intent to distribute narcotics. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
CANDELARIO has been detained since his arrest. On August 19, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
This prosecution stems from Project Longevity, a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to violence. A critical component of the Project Longevity strategy is the “call-in,” a face-to-face meeting where Project Longevity partners engage group members and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. CANDELARIO attended a call-in on October 30, 2013, in Bridgeport, and was offered services. CANDELARIO rejected the offer of services and he and his group committed acts of violence, which in turn drew the full and focused attention of local, state and federal law enforcement.
This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Bookkeeper Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Embezzling over $1.3 Million from Non-Profit OrganizationsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Sharon Harrison, age 48, of Rosedale, Maryland, today to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for embezzling from four non-profit organizations for which she worked. Judge Motz also entered an order that Harrison pay restitution of $1,306,797.70, the total amount that she embezzled.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Hinckley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Special Agent in Charge Cary A. Rubenstein of the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General; and Robert H. Pearre, Jr., Inspector General, City of Baltimore Office of Inspector General.
“Non-profit organizations that receive federal funds have a legal duty to use them for the intended purpose,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Sharon Harrison helped herself to federal funds intended to provide services for disadvantaged children and homeless families in Baltimore.”
According to her plea agreement, Harrison was a bookkeeper or fiscal manager for the following non-profit groups, all of which received federal funds to assist in their mission:
Health, Education, Advocacy, Life Inc. (HEAL) from 2005 to March 2011;
Between Friends, Inc. from September 2008 to November 2011;
Jobs, Housing & Recovery, Inc. (JHR) from May 20, 2013 to February 12, 2014; and
Reservoir Hill Improvement Council (RHIC) from December 2012 to February 2014.
HEAL and JHR provided services for the homeless in Baltimore City. Between Friends assisted disadvantaged children to find foster homes and provided services to the children and their foster families. RHIC developed and implemented solutions to needs arising at the Reservoir Hill Community in Baltimore.
Over the course of her employment at these non-profits, Harrison embezzled over $1.3 million. Specifically, Harrison admitted that she embezzled: $226,888.34 from HEAL; $784,781.17 from Between Friends; $161,750.14 from JHR; and $133,178.04 from RHIC.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, HUD-OIG and Baltimore Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Leo J. Wise, who prosecuted the case.
August Grand JuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 21 indictments charging 24 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Alejandro Alcantar-Mascote, age 33, of Grand Island, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about July 7, 2015, following deportation. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* David Allison, age 33, of St. George, Utah, is charged with possession of a stolen firearm on or about July 2, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Yimy Arevalo-Coyoy, age 29, of Grand Island, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about Jun 22, 2015, following deportation. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Oscar Gonzalez-Ahumada, age 38, is charged in a two-count indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine from an unknown date but at least as early as November 1, 2013 and continuing through July 28, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges the defendant with illegal re-entry. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Dillon Grabowski, age 19, of Lodgepole, Nebraska, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture containing acetyl fentanyl analogue, a controlled substance analogue, beginning on or about January, 2015, and continuing to on or about May 21, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Juan Hernandez-Martinez, age 38, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about August 11, 2015, following deportation after conviction for a felony offense. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Justin Lasley, Sr., also known as Justin Lee Lasley, Sr., age 35, of Macy, Nebraska, is charged with domestic assault by a habitual offender on or about July 29, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* William Lopez-Lopez, age 34, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about August 1, 2015, following deportation. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Natalie Murta, age 30, of Omaha, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine beginning on or about June 1, 2015, and continuing to on or about June 23, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Ruben Navarro-Robles, age 37, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about August 12, 2015, following deportation. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Denny Ochoa-Gonzalez, age 36, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about August 10, 2015, following deportation after conviction for a felony offense. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Adan Preciado-Medina, age 46, of Hastings, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about July 21, 2015, following deportation after conviction for a felony offense. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jeffrey M. Rindone, age 36, of Wood River, Nebraska, and Scott W. Rindone, age 33, of Lincoln, Nebraska, are charged in an eight-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit bank fraud beginning in or about May 2013 and continuing through about September 2013. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II thru XIII of the Indictment charges Jeffrey Rindone and Scott Rindone with bank fraud between on or about May 22, 2013 and on about September 12, 2013. Jeffrey Rindone and Scott Rindone together operated a business, Rindone, Inc., which built houses and borrowed money to do so from West Gate Bank, through lines of credit. The defendants allegedly submitted bogus claims for disbursements on their lines of credit totaling approximately $182,450. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Duane L. Rouillard, III, age 27, of Winnebago, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with assaulting a federal officer on or about May 11, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 8 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II and III of the Indictment charge the defendant with assault with a deadly weapon, on or about May 11, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
* Edwin Geovany Sanchez Mejia, age 28, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about July 30, 2015, following deportation. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Kevin Smith, age 52, of Hastings, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine on or about July 12, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jerrell S. Tyndall, age 20, of Walthill, Nebraska, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon on or about July 25, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Augustine Valadez-Briceno, age 33, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about July 31, 2015, following deportation. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Adolfo Villa-Cervantes, age 26, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States on or about July 28, 2015, after deportation or removal following a conviction for an aggravated felony offense. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Jaquan D. Washington, age 19, Blayne L. McCroy, age 21, and Edward Davis, age 24, all of Omaha, were charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendants with bank robbery resulting in the taking of approximately $1,026.90, from the Bank of the West, 8707 West Center Road, Omaha, Nebraska, on or about November 20, 2014. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges the defendants with discharging a firearm during and in relation to robbing the Bank of the West, on or about November 20, 2014. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
* Shane M. Wibbels, age 39, of Pleasanton, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Counts I and II of the Indictment charge the defendant with making a false statement in an Agricultural Financial Statement regarding his total liabilities which was submitted to the Henderson State Bank, Greeley, Nebraska, on or about January 2009, and on or about March 22, 2010. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 5 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.
Arizona Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking Conviction in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Charles Douglas Notbohm, Jr., 51, of Tuscon, Ariz., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., for his conviction on drug trafficking charges. Notbohm was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Notbohm was arrested in Lordsburg, N.M., on Feb. 21, 2014, after officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle in which he was traveling and found more than 116 grams of methamphetamine. On May 21, 2014, Notbohm, James Richard Reeves, 46, also of Tucson, and Armando Conrad Gonzales, 34, of Las Cruces, were indicted and charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On July 16, 2014, Notbohm, Reeves and Gonzales were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The superseding indictment also charged Gonzales with being a felon in possession of a firearm
Notbohm pled guilty on Oct. 7, 2014, to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering his guilty plea, Notbohm admitted that on Feb. 21, 2014, he and Reeves were driving from Tucson to Las Cruces for the purpose of delivering methamphetamine to Gonzales. He further admitted that as the two men were driving through Lordsburg, they were stopped by a police officer who found more than 116 grams of methamphetamine in their vehicle.
On Sept. 18, 2014, Reeves pled guilty to the two methamphetamine trafficking charges in the superseding indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Reeves faces a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison. Reeves remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
On Nov. 18, 2014, Gonzales pled guilty to Counts 1 and 3 of the superseding indictment, charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In entering his guilty plea, Gonzales admitted making an agreement with Reeves to purchase four ounces of methamphetamine from Reeves which Reeves and Notbohm were to transport from Tucson to Las Cruces. Gonzales further admitted that on April 11, 2014, he possessed a firearm and ammunition even though he was prohibited from doing so based on his status as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by Deming office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Lordsburg Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna R. Wright of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Arizona Man Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Emery Lee Begay, 32, of Lakeside, Ariz., was sentenced this afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Socorro and Catron Counties, N.M.
Begay and his co-defendant Jorge Luis Garcia-Valenzuela, 22, a Mexican national residing in Lakeside, Ariz., were arrested on Oct. 25, 2014, after they traveled to Quemado, N.M., with the intention of selling methamphetamine and marijuana to undercover officers. According to the complaint, on Aug. 19, 2015, Begay delivered approximately 22.6 grams of methamphetamine and approximately three kilograms of marijuana to the undercover officers in Socorro, N.M., after Garcia-Valenzuela allegedly negotiated the drug deal with the officers. The complaint also alleges that Garcia-Valenzuela and Begay were arrested on Oct. 25, 2014, in Quemado when they arrived to consummate a drug deal with the undercover officers. The officers allegedly seized approximately 800 grams of methamphetamine and more than eight kilograms of marijuana when they arrested the two men.
Begay and Garcia-Valenzuela were subsequently indicted on Nov. 19, 2014, and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, distribution of methamphetamine and marijuana, and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana with intent to distribute. According to the indictment, the offenses were committed between Aug. 19, 2014 and Oct. 25, 2014, in Socorro and Catron Counties.
On May 21, 2015, Begay pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Garcia-Valenzuela entered a guilty plea on June 19, 2015, to a felony information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Garcia-Valenzuela will be sentenced to 100 months in prison and will be deported following his term of incarceration. His sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for Sept. 24, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque and Gallup offices of the FBI, the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Ramah Navajo Tribal Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE—Terrence Connors, 61, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced late yesterday afternoon in federal court to 60 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction.
Connors and co-defendant Thomas Jones, 44, of Cerrillos, N.M., were arrested in Dec. 2012, on criminal complaints charging them with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to the complaints, on Dec. 17, 2012, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force executed a traffic stop on a car in which Connors and Jones were driving on Interstate 40 near Gallup, N.M. While searching the care, agents found approximately 990.37 grams of methamphetamine and a pistol.
Connors and Jones were subsequently indicted in Jan. 2013, and were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Connors also was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment stated that the offenses were committed on Dec. 17, 2012, in McKinley County, N.M.
On March 25, 2015, Connors pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Connors admitted that on Dec. 17, 2012, law enforcement found 990.37 grams of methamphetamine in the car Connors was driving. Connors also admitted purchasing the methamphetamine earlier that day in Phoenix, Ariz., and that he paid Jones to help him transport the methamphetamine to Albuquerque.
Jones pled guilty on Nov. 3, 2014, to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Jones admitted helping Connors transport the methamphetamine to Albuquerque, and acknowledged that he was paid for his services with methamphetamine. Jones was sentenced on July 1, 2015, to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of HSI and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Cairns prosecuted the case.
The HIDTA Region II Task Force is comprised of officers and investigators from the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomfield Police Department and Aztec Police Department, and is part of 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.
Afterschool Program Employee Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to More Than 17 Years in Prison for Producing, Receiving, Distributing, and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RENE CARDONA, a former employee of an afterschool program in the Bronx, was sentenced to 17½ years in prison for producing, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. On April 9, 2015, CARDONA was found guilty by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams following a bench trial. CARDONA, who was arrested on April 30, 2014, has been detained since his arrest.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Rene Cardona sexually exploited and victimized young children, including children he was supposed to care for at an afterschool program. He preyed on the most innocent and vulnerable in our community.”
According to the Complaint and other documents filed in this case, and statements made in related court proceedings:
On or about March 13, 2014, the Guam Police Department received information that an 11-year-old boy (“Victim-1”), while residing in Guam, produced child pornography for an adult male in New York, New York, later identified as CARDONA. Victim-1 met CARDONA over the social media site Instagram in or about February 2014. FBI agents in Guam subsequently obtained a search warrant directed to Instagram, which revealed that, in or about February 2014, CARDONA and Victim-1 traded photographs, with CARDONA repeatedly asking Victim-1 to provide sexually explicit photographs of himself. Victim-1 eventually provided CARDONA with five sexually explicit photographs of himself engaged in the lascivious exhibition of his genitals.
After identifying CARDONA’s residence, and learning that CARDONA had been employed in an afterschool program located in the Bronx, New York, law enforcement agents obtained a search warrant for CARDONA’s residence. During the execution of the search warrant, CARDONA admitted to law enforcement agents that he had engaged in the chats with Victim-1 described above. CARDONA further admitted, among other things, that: (1) CARDONA had had sexual contact with a 14-year-old boy (“Victim-2”); (2) CARDONA took three to four sexually explicit photographs of Victim-2; and (3) CARDONA had had inappropriate sexual contact with children, including children he had encountered through an afterschool program. CARDONA’s Instagram account further reflects that in or about February 2014, CARDONA provided an image of Victim-2 engaged in sexually explicit conduct to another individual over the Internet.
During the course of the search of CARDONA’s residence, law enforcement agents identified a laptop computer and an iPhone, which were each later confirmed to belong to CARDONA. Forensic analysis revealed that the laptop and iPhone contained hundreds of images and videos that depicted actual minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the files contained on the laptop and iPhone depicted pre-pubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
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For the offenses with which he was convicted, CARDONA faced a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. In addition to his term of imprisonment, CARDONA, 23, was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.
CARDONA worked at the Betances summer camp and afterschool programs in the Bronx from 2012 to approximately 2014 and thereafter as a mentor for youths at the Youth Men’s Initiative at Betances Community Center from January to April 2014. Cardona also worked as a volunteer at the Betances Community Center at various times starting in 2011. The investigation of CARDONA’s conduct relating to inappropriate sexual contact with youths in violation of state law is being handled by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Bharara thanked and praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department in this matter, as well as the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Gina Castellano and Andrew DeFilippis are in charge of the prosecution.
Acoma Pueblo Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Tribal Police OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Adele Antonio, 35, a member and resident of Acoma Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a year and a day in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release for assaulting a tribal police officer.
Antonio was arrested Feb. 23, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging her with assaulting an officer of the Acoma Tribal Police Department resulting in serious bodily injury on Feb. 12, 2015. The assault occurred on Acoma Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M., after the tribal officer responded to a call from Antonio’s residence. The tribal police officer received serious injury to his neck as a result of extreme physical pain inflicted by being kicked by the Antonio. As a precautionary measure the tribal police officer was airlifted to the hospital in Albuquerque, N.M. Antonio was subsequently indicted on the same charge on March 10, 2015.
On May 8, 2015, Antonio pled guilty to a felony information charging her with aggravated battery on a peace officer. Antonio admitted that after the Acoma Tribal Police officer placed her under arrest, she kicked the tribal police officer in the neck while he was attempting to place Antonio’s partner under arrest, and that the assault occurred in Indian Country in Acoma Pueblo.
This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Acoma Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Adams prosecuted the case.
Wednesday 19 August 2015
Winchester Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON - A Winchester, Ky., tax return preparer has admitted in federal court that she submitted false individual income tax returns and evaded paying thousands of dollars in federal income taxes.
Virginia Christine Smith, 44, pleaded guilty today to tax fraud in front of U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves.
According to her plea agreement, Smith knowingly underreported income on her personal tax returns in 2009, 2010, and 2011. During that time period, she owned a professional tax return preparation business called Christina’s Bilingual Service, which she operated out of her home in Winchester, Ky.
Smith admitted failing to pay $40,079 in federal taxes. As part of her guilty plea agreement, Smith pledged to repay that amount to the Internal Revenue Service, plus penalties and interest.
Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Caroline D. Ciraolo, Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division; and Christopher A. Henry, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj Gupta prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government.
Smith will appear for sentencing on November 18, 2015. She faces a maximum of three years in prison. The Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal statutes before imposing a sentence.
Wheeling man convicted of heroin traffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Tyrell Askerneese, 36, of Wheeling, was convicted in federal court today of heroin trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Askerneese sold heroin in Ohio County, West Virginia in May 2014. He pled guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin.” He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, both HIDTA-funded initiatives, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp presided.
Wentzville Man Sentenced on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – JAMES STALEY was sentenced to 84 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,313,568 on charges involving his scheme to defraud investors by making false promises of high rates of return and minimal risk. With his April plea, Staley admitted to defrauding sixteen investors/lenders by causing them to invest over $3.3 million, giving him commissions totaling over $570,000.
According to court documents, in 2007 James Staley operated Wealth Financial International. That same year, he became a sales agent for a Premium Financing Company located in California known as B & B Equity. As a sales agent, Staley found individuals to provide loans for life insurance policies. In many instances, several of these investor/lender’s funds were bundled together to provide financing to purchase one life insurance policy. Staley received a commission for each investor/lender that he found to contribute financing for the purchasing of the life insurance policies. B & B required the lender/investor to invest in the insurance policy for a fixed period of time, varying from 18 months to two years. During this period of time, Staley represented to clients of Wealth Financial that B & B Premium Financing Company would sell the bundled insurance policies on the open market with guaranteed returns. However, Staley was well aware that if B & B was unable to secure a buyer for the bundled insurance policies, his clients would lose all their monies invested in the Premium Financing product sold by B & B.
Staley, Wentzville, Missouri, pled guilty in April to four felony counts of wire fraud. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge E. Richard Webber.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Dianna Collins and Dorothy McMurtry handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Upshur County man convicted of manufacturing methamphetamineRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven S. Bennett, 39, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was convicted today of manufacturing methamphetamine, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Bennett manufactured methamphetamine in Randolph County, West Virginia in October 2014. He pled guilty today to one count of “Manufacturing Methamphetamine.” He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Montoro prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Buckhannon Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John S. Kaull presided.
U.S. Investigations Services Agrees to Forego at Least $30 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Contractor Allegedly Failed to Perform Required Quality Control Reviews on Contracts for Background Investigations with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management
The Justice Department announced today that U.S. Investigations Services Inc. (USIS) and its parent company, Altegrity, have agreed to settle allegations that USIS violated the False Claims Act (FCA) for conduct involving a contract for background investigations that USIS held with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The companies have agreed to forgo their right to collect payments that they claim were owed by OPM, valued at least at $30 million, in exchange for a release of liability under the FCA. USIS and Altegrity are headquartered in Northern Virginia.
From its privatization in 1996 until September 2014, USIS provided background investigations services for OPM under various fieldwork contracts. The government alleged that beginning in at least March 2008 and continuing through at least September 2012, USIS deliberately circumvented contractually required quality reviews of completed background investigations in order to increase the company’s revenues and profits. Specifically, USIS allegedly devised a practice referred to internally as “dumping” or “flushing,” which involved releasing cases to OPM and representing them as complete when, in fact, not all the reports of investigations comprising those cases had received a contractually-required quality review. The government contended that, relying upon USIS’ false representations, OPM issued payments and contract incentives to USIS that it would not otherwise have issued had OPM been aware that the background investigations had not gone through the quality review process required by the contracts.
“Shortcuts taken by any company that we have entrusted to conduct background investigations of future and current federal employees are unacceptable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will ensure that those who do business with the government provide all of the services for which we bargained.”
“Contractors who do business for the federal government have a responsibility to provide the goods and services that they promise,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen Jr. of the District of Columbia. “This particular company failed to meet its obligations of comprehensively reviewing the backgrounds of current and prospective federal employees. This settlement demonstrates our commitment to holding government contractors accountable.”
“This case demonstrates my office’s dedication to protecting tax payers’ money,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama. “We will continue to vigorously pursue all fraud against the government in order to restore and safeguard funds paid by our citizens.”
In February 2015, Altegrity, USIS and their affiliates filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in Delaware. The settlement of USIS’ FCA liability is part of a broader settlement that also resolves other matters between the United States and USIS/Altegrity that were part of the bankruptcy proceeding.
The FCA lawsuit against USIS was originally filed under the whistleblower provisions of the act by Blake Percival, a former executive at USIS. The FCA prohibits the submission of false claims for government money or property and, under the act’s whistleblower provisions, a private party may file suit on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The United States may elect to intervene and take over the case, as it did here. Mr. Percival’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Alabama, OPM and OPM’s Office of Inspector General.
The claims resolved by the settlement agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. The case is United States of America, ex rel., Blake Percival, v. U.S. Investigations Services, LLC, No. 14-cv-00726-RMC (D.D.C.).
U.S. Investigations Services Agrees to Forego at Least $30 Million to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that U.S. Investigations Services Inc. (USIS) and its parent company, Altegrity, have agreed to settle allegations that USIS violated the False Claims Act (FCA) for conduct involving a contract for background investigations that USIS held with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The companies have agreed to forgo their right to collect payments that they claim were owed by OPM, valued at least at $30 million, in exchange for a release of liability under the FCA. USIS and Altegrity are headquartered in Northern Virginia.
From its privatization in 1996 until September 2014, USIS provided background investigations services for OPM under various fieldwork contracts. The government alleged that beginning in at least March 2008 and continuing through at least September 2012, USIS deliberately circumvented contractually required quality reviews of completed background investigations in order to increase the company’s revenues and profits. Specifically, USIS allegedly devised a practice referred to internally as “dumping” or “flushing,” which involved releasing cases to OPM and representing them as complete when, in fact, not all the reports of investigations comprising those cases had received a contractually-required quality review. The government contended that, relying upon USIS’ false representations, OPM issued payments and contract incentives to USIS that it would not otherwise have issued had OPM been aware that the background investigations had not gone through the quality review process required by the contracts.
“Contractors who do business for the federal government have a responsibility to provide the goods and services that they promise,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. of the District of Columbia. “This particular company failed to meet its obligations of comprehensively reviewing the backgrounds of current and prospective federal employees. This settlement demonstrates our commitment to holding government contractors accountable.”
“Shortcuts taken by any company that we have entrusted to conduct background investigations of future and current federal employees are unacceptable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will ensure that those who do business with the government provide all of the services for which we bargained.”
“This case demonstrates my office’s dedication to protecting tax payers’ money,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama. “We will continue to vigorously pursue all fraud against the government in order to restore and safeguard funds paid by our citizens.”
In February 2015, Altegrity, USIS and their affiliates filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in Delaware. The settlement of USIS’ FCA liability is part of a broader settlement that also resolves other matters between the United States and USIS/Altegrity that were part of the bankruptcy proceeding.
The FCA lawsuit against USIS was originally filed under the whistleblower provisions of the act by Blake Percival, a former executive at USIS. The FCA prohibits the submission of false claims for government money or property and, under the act’s whistleblower provisions, a private party may file suit on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The United States may elect to intervene and take over the case, as it did here. Mr. Percival’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Alabama, OPM and OPM’s Office of Inspector General.
The claims resolved by the settlement agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. The case is United States of America, ex rel., Blake Percival, v. U.S. Investigations Services, LLC, No. 14-cv-00726-RMC (D.D.C.).
Two Individuals Pled Guilty for Endorsing and Cashing Stolen and Fraudulently Obtained United States Treasury ChecksRead the Press Release
Two individuals pled guilty for endorsing and cashing stolen and fraudulently obtained United States Treasury checks.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.
Pete Hoggins, 32, and Hani Sobhi Alshaikh, a/k/a “Danny”, 35, both of the Southern District of Florida, each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit forgery and theft of public money, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Hoggins also pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A. The defendants face a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, and Hoggins also faces a mandatory term of two years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, for the aggravated identity theft charge.
According to court documents, Alshaikh worked at a gas station in Pompano Beach, Florida. On multiple occasions from December 2011 to January 2014, Hoggins brought Alshaikh stolen and fraudulently obtained Treasury checks to cash at this gas station. Hoggins and Alshaikh forged the payees’ endorsements on the Treasury checks. Alshaikh then deposited those checks into several different business checking accounts that he had opened at various banks in the name of his company, HSA Investment Group.
The total number of victims in the scheme was more than 50, but less than 250. The total amount of intended loss was more than $200,000 but less than $250,000.
Hoggins is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2015 at 10:30 a.m., and Alshaikh is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., both before United States District Judge William J. Zloch.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia E. Shick.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Two Defendants Sentenced for Identity Theft Fraud Scheme Involving $144,170 Tax Refund CheckRead the Press Release
Two defendants sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams for an identity theft fraud scheme involving a $144,170 tax refund check.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Ronald J. Verrochio, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made the announcement.
On August 19, 2015, Eve Mary Jean, 30, of Miami Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On July 17, 2015, co-defendant James Medard, a/k/a “James Joseph,” 40, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $144,170.
Each of the defendants previously pled guilty to one count of theft of government property, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 641 and 2, and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections l 028A(a)(1) and 2.
According to court documents, the defendants stole a United States Department of Treasury tax refund check in the amount of $144,170 that was in the names of two identity theft victims. Jean opened a checking account in the names of the victims, and Medard deposited the check into the account by forging the victims’ names on the back of the check. The victims did not know Medard or Jean, and did not authorize the defendants to possess or deposit the check.
Court documents state that Jean withdrew $110,000 from the fraudulent bank account by making a check payable to Destiny Real Estate Investment, a company owned by Medard. Jean and Medard then deposited the check into Destiny Real Estate Investment’s bank account. Jean issued two other checks to Medard in the amounts of $9,200 and $15,000 from the bank account that she had set up in the names of the victims.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and the USPIS. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John R. Byrne.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Two Columbia Men Indicted for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Columbia, Mo., men were indicted by a federal grand jury today, in separate and unrelated cases, for illegally possessing firearms.
USA v. Simmons
Terry Allen Simmons, also known as Terry Roger Walker or Marcus Walton, 27, of Columbia, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.
Today’s indictment charges Simmons with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Simmons, who has been convicted of a felony, allegedly was in possession of a Kokiak Industries .380-caliber pistol on July 9, 2015.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
USA v. Carter
Darian Maurice Carter, 23, of Columbia, Mo., was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.
Today’s indictment charges Carter with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Carter, who has been convicted of a felony, allegedly was in possession of a Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol on March 31, 2015.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in these indictments 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.
Two Berkeley County men convicted in Baltimore to West Virginia heroin trafficking operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Frederick Smitherman, 36, and Brandon Lee Odell, 32, both of Inwood, West Virginia were convicted of heroin trafficking today in federal court, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
The defendants were involved in an extensive drug trafficking operation in which heroin was transported across state lines from Baltimore, Maryland into West Virginia. The operation was disrupted in June 2015 by a 163-count federal indictment encompassing 41 defendants.
Odell pled guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin.” He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Smitherman pled guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Interstate Travel in aid of Racketeering.” He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Paul Camilletti prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The matters were investigated by the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Tucson Man Convicted of 1998 Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, Christopher James Preston, 48, of Tucson, Ariz., a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child by a federal jury. The case was tried before U.S. District Judge James A. Soto on Aug. 10-18, 2015. Preston is being held after trial and is set for sentencing on Oct. 26, 2015.
The evidence at trial showed that in the summer of 1998, Preston sexually abused the minor victim on the Tohono O’odham reservation. At the time, Preston was the victim’s little league coach.
A conviction for aggravated sexual abuse of a child carries a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tohono O’odham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-13-1851-TUC-JAS-BPV
RELEASE NUMBER: 2015-063_Preston
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Topeka Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Carjacking, RobberyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA,KAN. - A Topeka man pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of carjacking and robbery, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Wesley Lavern Harris, Jr., 26, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of commercial robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on June 7, 2015, he took a man’s keys, money and car and left the victim in a bathtub at the Econo Lodge Motel at 2950 S.W. Topeka Blvd. Harris and others had placed an ad on a Web site advertising sexual services in order to lure a victim to a hotel room and rob him. Harris left the motel driving the victim’s 2002 Hyundai Sonata.
In his plea, Harris admitted that on June 8, 2015, he entered the back door of the Heartland Perma Column store at 1841 E. 1450 Road in Lawrence, Kan. He threatened to kill an employee and forced her and another employee to give him money from a box in the front office.
Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 86 months in federal prison. Sentencing will be set at a later date determined by the court.
Co-defendant Crystal Marie Jaimez, 23, Topeka, Kan., is set for jury trial Oct. 26. Co-defendant Christal Renee Aponte, 30, Topeka, Kan. has scheduled a change of plea hearing for Sept. 23.
Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, the Lawrence Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Dettelbach on the passing of Congressman Louis StokesRead the Press Release
"One of the first things I did when I became U.S. Attorney was arrange for Lou Stokes to address every federal prosecutor in the District. We were in the midst of a huge county corruption scandal, and public service was taking a public beating. But Lou Stokes was always there as a shining beacon of integrity, of excellence and most important of all for us, of justice. I will always remember not only his words and wisdom that day, and whenever we spoke, but the incredible example that his entire life set."
Slidell Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud in Aftermath of BP Oil SpillRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that RONALD BACKES, age 48, of Slidell, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to wire fraud relating to an application for financial assistance in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced BACKES to one year of home detention to be followed by four years’ probation. Judge Lemelle also ordered BACKES to pay $192,000 in restitution.
The Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) made disaster assistance money available to individuals affected by the oil spill resulting from the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The GCCF required individuals to verify loss of income. According to court documents, in August and September 2010 BACKES falsely represented to the GCCF that he earned $156,000 annually from a shrimping business and that another individual earned $36,000 annually as BACKES’s employee. To support these claims, BACKES created and submitted to the GCCF false receipts of shrimp sales. As a result of BACKES’s conduct, GCCF issued checks totaling $192,000.
This case was brought as part of this District’s partnership with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), a nationwide initiative to protect available funds and assistance for those victims of both natural and man-made disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and the recent Gulf oil spill. If you have knowledge of fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, you can contact the NCDF by either calling the hotline at (866) 720-5721, faxing (225) 334-4707, emailing at [email protected] or in writing to National Center for Disaster Fraud, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon was in charge of this prosecution.
Silver Spring Man Sentenced for Two Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Paul Milton Laney, age 60, of Silver Spring, Maryland today to 78 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for committing two bank robberies within three days.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Hinckley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on February 18, 2014, Laney entered a bank in the 13000 block of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring and demanded money from a teller. When the teller did not immediately comply, Laney leapt up onto the counter and stuffed $2,920 from the register into a plastic bag. As Laney was leaving, a bank employee attempted to stop him. Laney stated, “If you take another step closer, I’ll blow your head off.” The employee stepped away and Laney left the bank.
On February 21, 2014, Laney entered a bank in the 8700 block of Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring and demanded money from a teller. The teller was slow to put money in a bag. Laney leaned over the counter revealing a large kitchen knife inside his jacket and threated to kill the teller. The teller handed Laney approximately $999 from the register, and Laney left the bank.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Gardner, who prosecuted the case.
Scranton Man Indicted for Robbery of PNC BankRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an indictment was returned late yesterday by a grand jury in Scranton charging a Scranton man with robbing the West Scranton branch of PNC Bank.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment charges that on July 14, 2015, Chester Williams, age 31, robbed the West Scranton PNC bank of five hundred forty dollars ($540).
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Scranton Police Department. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Peter Hobart.
Indictments 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 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 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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Scranton Man Admits Role in Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a 26-year-old Scranton man pleaded guilty yesterday before Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Jimmy Cantelmo admitted to conspiring with his brother, Sean Cantelmo, and others to persuade a minor to engage in prostitution during February through August 2014.
The sex trafficking activity involved placing photographs of the minor along with ads in the adult “escort” section of a website; renting motel rooms in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties where the prostitution activities occurred; purchasing and providing condoms for the minor to use during commercial sex acts; and serving as security or “bodyguards” at the motels where the commercial sex acts took place.
Jimmy Cantelmo was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in April 2015, as a result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police. Four persons have been charged in connection with the investigation. Sean Cantelmo previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Justin Strait pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Judge Munley scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2015. Cantelmo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. Cantelmo remains detained in prison pending sentencing.
Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa.
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."
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 life imprisonment, 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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Santa Clara Pueblo Man Sentenced for Federal Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Leon J. Tafoya, 20, a member and resident of Santa Clara Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced this afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his assault conviction.
Tafoya was arrested on Sept. 16, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and aggravated assault. According to the complaint, Tafoya committed the crimes in Santa Clara Pueblo in Rio Arriba County, N.M. The complaint alleged that on Sept. 7, 2014, officers of the Santa Clara Pueblo Tribal Police Department responded to a call reporting an assault. They arrested Tafoya for stabbing another member of the Santa Clara Pueblo three times and assaulting a tribal police officer who responded to the stabbing. The complaint asserted that Tafoya attempted to gain control of the officer’s service weapon while the officer was placing Tafoya under arrest.
On May 7, 2015, Tafoya entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Tafoya admitted that on Sept. 7, 2014, he possessed a firearm and assaulted a victim by displaying that firearm in a threatening manner. Tafoya also admitted to assaulting another victim resulting in serious bodily injury to that victim.
This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI, the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and the Santa Clara Pueblo Tribal Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 5 YEARS in Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Troy Lee Vickers, 49, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to five years in prison for receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Vickers knowingly used peer-to-peer computer software to download at least 200 child pornography videos from the Internet. Most of the videos recorded the sexual abuse of prepubescent children, some of whom appeared as young as six years old. Some of the videos involved sadistic and masochistic conduct.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew G. Morris and Amanda Beck prosecuted the case.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.
Ringleader Pleads Guilty in $7.4 Million Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy That Targeted Northern Virginia Hispanic CommunityRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Rosita Vilchez, 39, a fugitive in Lima, Peru, until she was extradited to the United States in June 2015, pleaded guilty yesterday to leading a wide-ranging mortgage fraud conspiracy that targeted hundreds of victims in the northern Virginia Hispanic community. The mortgage fraud scheme, which operated between August 2005 and August 2007, generated nearly $7.4 million in fraudulent proceeds and caused losses of more than $15 million to lenders, most of which were federally insured.
Vilchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud affecting a financial institution. According to court documents, Vilchez operated a real estate firm (Vilchez & Associates), a title insurance company (Pino Title), and the branch of a loan brokerage business (Mount Vernon Capital Corporation) in Manassas, Va., all of which she used to carry out the fraud scheme. Vilchez and her co-conspirators submitted fraudulent loan documents that falsified their real estate clients’ income, employment, and assets so that they could obtain loans to buy property through Vilchez & Associates, which received commissions of as much as six percent of the selling price of every home.
The Vilchez conspiracy targeted Hispanic clients who were not proficient in spoken or written English, and the borrowers often were unable to read their loan documents and were unaware of the false statements submitted to the lenders on their behalf. According to court filings, the fraudulent loan applications made it possible for the borrowers to qualify for loans they could not afford to repay. Most of these borrowers later lost their homes to foreclosure.
To date, thirteen defendants have been convicted in connection with this conspiracy. Vilchez faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when she is sentenced on December 4, 2015. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Matthew Alessandrino, FDIC Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Gillis and Julia K. Martinez are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:12-cr-394.
Ravia Woman Sentenced to 60 Months Probation, $78,000 Restitution for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that MARNITA CAROL FOSTER a/k/a Marnita Carol Parker, age 48, of Ravia, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 5 years of probation and ordered to pay $78,939.50 in restitution for THEFT OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. The defendant pled guilty in March, 2015.
The Indictment alleged that on or about October 16, 2009, and continuing until on or about May 1, 2014, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, defendant MARNITA CAROL FOSTER a/k/a Marnita Carol Parker, did knowingly and willfully embezzle, steal, and purloin money of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a department or agency of the United States, namely, Department of Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation payments to which she knew she was not entitled, having a value in excess of $1,000.00.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Raceland Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that JAMIE PLAISANCE, age 38, of Raceland, pled guilty today to a one-count Indictment for possession of child pornography.
On March 16, 2015, Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, arrested PLAISANCE during the execution of a federal search warrant at his Raceland home. Agents found PLAISANCE in possession of several items, including an Apple I-Touch and cellular phones that contained images depicting the sexual victimization of prepubescent children. PLAISANCE appeared in federal court on March 17, 2015, and was detained by a United States Magistrate Judge.
According to court records, PLAISANCE has a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.
Due to his prior conviction, PLAISANCE faces a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years imprisonment up to twenty years, followed by up to a life term of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman set sentencing for December 9, 2015.
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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Fraud Unit Chief, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba is in charge of the prosecution.
Overton Man Sentenced for Enticing a JuvenileRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Paul Michael Tegeler, 68, formerly of Overton, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 7 years in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for coercion and enticement of a juvenile. After serving his sentence, Tegeler will be required to remain on supervised release for 10 years and register as a sex offender.
In April of 2014, the Nebraska State Patrol was contacted by law enforcement officers with the Arapahoe County, Colorado, Sheriff’s Office with a report that Paul M. Tegeler had been identified as an individual who had placed an advertisement on Craigslist looking for a sex slave. Law enforcement officials, using the persona of a 13-year-old female child, began communicating with Tegeler. During the conversations Tegeler described sexually explicit conduct to the female child and invited the female child to meet him for sex. Also during those online conversations with the undercover deputy, Tegeler asked the female child to send him nude images. The investigation culminated when Tegeler sent the female child a one-way bus ticket to travel from her home in Colorado to Lexington, Nebraska, so Tegeler could then take her to his residence in Overton, Nebraska and have sex with her. Tegeler was arrested by the Nebraska State Patrol in May of 2014, when he arrived at the bus stop in Lexington, Dawson County, Nebraska, expecting to meet the child he had been communicating with.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Arapahoe County Colorado Sheriff’s Office.
Orange County Sex Offender Convicted for Possessing and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Ashley Anders Bishop (42, Orlando) guilty of one count of possessing and four counts of receiving child pornography. Bishop was previously convicted of a sex offense and, as a result, faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for the possession count, and a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, for each count of receiving child pornography. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2015. In reaching their decision, the jury made a special finding that certain exhibits depicted children under the age of 12.
Bishop was indicted on May 27, 2015.
According to the testimony presented at trial, on October 6, 2000, in Orange County, Bishop was convicted of attempting to commit lascivious molestation on a child under the age of 12 and was sentenced to a 15-year prison term. After his release, Bishop, a registered sex offender, was arrested on two different occasions, and each time had a cellphone in his possession. Both phones were searched pursuant to state search warrants and found to contain child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Department of Corrections. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.
North Pole Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury on Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a North Pole man was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug and firearm charges.
Ray Don Groskreutz, 38, of North Pole, Alaska, was named in a two-count indictment, which alleges that Groskreutz possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin on July 27, 2015, and knowingly and intentionally possessed a handgun in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. The United States is also seeking forfeiture of the .380 caliber handgun seized from Groskreutz’s person on July 27, 2015, along with 14 firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition seized from his van.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea W. Hattan, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that, for the methamphetamine and heroin charge, Groskreutz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment, which must be consecutive to the drug trafficking crime, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal sentencing statutes, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Groskreutz is currently in custody on unrelated State charges.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Alaska State Troopers conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Nazi Memorabilia Collector Convicted of Possessing More than 10 Thousand Pornographic imagesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 62-year-old resident of Corpus Christi has entered a guilty plea to possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Lewis Wayne Blackburn admitted in court today that he possessed more than 10 thousand images and videos containing the pornographic material.
The investigation into Blackburn began when detectives with the Corpus Christi Police Department - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (CCPD-ICAC) used peer-to-peer software to successfully download various files containing child pornography. The images were found to originate from an IP address associated with Blackburn. As a result of this information, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) furthered the investigation and ultimately executed a search warrant at Blackburn’s residence in June 2015.
At the time of the search, authorities seized various electronic devices, on which forensic analysis ultimately revealed more than 9,900 images and more than 200 videos of child pornography. Blackburn admitted to using the peer-to-peer software to download the child pornography. The court also heard today that at the time of the search authorities noted Blackburn’s entire residence was covered in Nazi memorabilia and he possessed a fully-automatic WWII era .30 Caliber M2 Carbine gun.
Senior U.S. District Judge Hayden Head accepted the guilty plea today and set sentencing for Nov. 4, 2015. At that time, Blackburn faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Upon completion of any prison term imposed, Blackburn also faces a maximum of life on supervised release during which time the court can impose a number of special conditions designed to protect and prohibit the use of the Internet.
HSI and CCPD-ICAC investigated the matter.
The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez, 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."
Mississippi Phosphates Corp. Pleads Guilty to Clean Water Act Violation and Agrees to Transfer 320 Acres to Grand Bay National EstuaryRead the Press Release
Mississippi Phosphates Corp. (MPC), a Mississippi corporation which owned and operated a fertilizer manufacturing facility located on Bayou Casotte in Pascagoula, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to a felony information charging the company with a criminal violation of the Clean Water Act, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sam Hirsch of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis for the Southern District of Mississippi.
As part of the guilty plea, MPC admitted discharging more than 38 million gallons of acidic wastewater in August 2013. The discharge contained pollutants in amounts greatly exceeding MPC’s permit limits, resulting in the death of more than 47,000 fish and the closing of Bayou Casotte. MPC also admitted that, in February 2014, MPC discharged oily wastewater from an open gate on a storm water culvert into Bayou Casotte, creating an oily sheen that extended approximately one mile down the bayou from MPC.
MPC entered its guilty plea before Chief Judge Louis Guirola Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Because MPC is in bankruptcy and is obligated to assist in funding the estimated $120 million cleanup of its site, the court accepted the parties’ agreement for MPCto transfer 320 acres of property near to its Pascagoula plant to become a part of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which is managed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
“With this plea, Mississippi Phosphates has accepted responsibility for having discharged millions of gallons of industrial pollutants that killed tens of thousands of fish, damaged marine habitats and polluted recreational waterways,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hirsch. “Mississippi Phosphates has acknowledged its misconduct and has been sentenced to transfer property it owns that is adjacent to the Grand Bay National Estuary, thus protecting and potentially rehabilitating a vital marine resource that this company’s pollutant discharges had severely damaged.”
“When operators break the law, they can harm natural resources and communities such as those around Bayou Casotte and neighboring waterways,” Acting Special Agent in Charge said Andy Castro of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Mississippi. “Over the years, state, local and federal governments have spent billions of dollars restoring the delicate Gulf Coast ecosystem. Illegally discharged wastewater compromises that hard work. EPA will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold companies fully accountable for their conduct, and to ensure they comply with laws that protect the public and from harm.”
As the felony information describes, when it was in full production, MPC manufactured diammonium phosphate fertilizers from phosphate rock which it received by ship and rail and from sulphur which was piped to its facility from a neighboring oil refinery. In its production of fertilizer, MPC generated a variety of pollutants and hazardous wastes. MPC has been regulated under a number of environmental statutes that govern the production, storage and release of a variety of air and water pollutants as well as hazardous wastes. In the manufacturing process, strong acids and ammonia were produced. If improperly discharged, acids and ammonia can be highly toxic to fish and to other forms of marine life. MPC was obligated to comply with permits issued by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) under the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as prescribed by the Clean Water Act. These permits regulated the storage and discharge of MPC’s stormwater and wastewater, prescribing the circumstances under which they could be discharged into Bayou Casotte and limiting the concentration and quantity of the pollutants they could contain.
As detailed in the felony information, since January 2000, MPC has been cited by MDEQ in numerous notices for hundreds of violations of its Clean Water Act permit for discharging wastewater exceeding its pollutant limits. MPC was also cited for its failure to maintain adequate wastewater storage capacity, its discharge of untreated wastewater from its sulfuric acid plant directly through MPC’s main outfall, its combined release of untreated and undertreated stormwater and process wastewater from other outfalls, and its failure to implement required remedial measures to prevent the pollutant discharges and environmental harm it has caused for decades. An April 2005 discharge resulted in the release of more than 17 million gallons of highly acidic wastewater into waterways adjacent to its facility, including Bayou Casotte, Tillman Creek and Bangs Lake of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. These waters are some of the most productive nurseries for aquatic species on the Gulf Coast. MPC’s massive discharge of pollutants resulted in the death of thousands of fish and other forms of marine life as well as the destruction of marsh grass, trees and shrubs. In the years following this environmental catastrophe, in spite of MDEQ’s orders and MPC’s remedial proposals, MPC never implemented the measures necessary to prevent the release of pollutants from its facility and the discharge of an even larger torrent of wastewater destroying even more marine life.
U.S. Attorney Davis praised the efforts of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, for its diligent work in the investigation of this matter. Senior Trial Attorney Jeremy F. Korzenik of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gaines Cleveland are the prosecutors in charge of the case.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Milwaukee man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for receiving more than one million images of child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Jeffrey Feldman, 48, of Milwaukee, pleaded guilty in April 2015 to one count of receipt of child pornography. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Lynn S. Adelman of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
According both to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea and to information introduced at sentencing, in January 2013, FBI special agents detected Feldman sharing files containing child pornography over the Internet via a peer-2-peer network. During a subsequent search of Feldman’s residence, agents recovered numerous encrypted computers and electronic storage devices. And forensic analyses of those devices revealed that Feldman had received over one million files that included child pornography images and videos.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jeffrey Zeeman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karine Moreno-Taxman of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Millington Reserve Officer Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A 66-year-old Millington reserve police officer has been indicted on multiple charges for possessing and producing child pornography. The indictment was announced by Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
According to the indictment, between July 2013 and July 2015, Rickie Friar created various images and videos of six minor females engaging in sexually explicit conduct. At least one of the minors was under the age of 12 years old at the time.
Over the aforementioned time period, Friar also transported one of the minor females between Tennessee and Oklahoma for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Furthermore, he downloaded child pornographic images from the Internet and stored them on his Compaq computer, according to the indictment.
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office has also filed charges alleging Friar had sexual contact with minor females. He has been in state custody since his arrest in July.
Friar has been indicted federally on one count of transporting a minor for criminal sexual activity; 10 counts of production of child pornography; and one count of child pornography possession.
• Friar faces a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment if convicted of transporting a minor for criminal sexual activity.
• Friar faces a minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment for each count of production of child pornography.
• Friar faces up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted of possession of child pornography.
• Friar faces up to $250,000 in fines per offense of conviction.
The case is being investigated by the Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force. The collective is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; Shelby County Sheriff's Department; Memphis Police Department; U.S. Postal Investigation Service; U.S. Marshals Service; and the U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Ireland is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Anyone who believes they may have information about this case or related activities is asked to contact the Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force at 901.747.4300.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Middletown Man Sentenced to 84 Months' Imprisonment for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Middletown man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg to 84 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge John E. Jones, III for receipt of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Steven Alan Shepherd, age 30, previously pleaded guilty to the receipt of child pornography in January 2015. Judge Jones also ordered Shepherd to pay restitution in the amount of $135,000.
The charges resulted from a search of Shepherd’s home on May 1, 2014, where over 21,000 images and 909 video files of child pornography were located and seized. Shepherd received the material via a computer in 2010.
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."
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom.
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Memphis Pastor Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis pastor has been indicted on child pornography possession charges. The indictment was announced by Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
According to the indictment, between August 2014 and May 2015, Demarcus Smith coerced a male under the age of 18 to photograph himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Smith, 32, asked the minor male to send him sexual images via cellphone on numerous occasions.
Smith is a pastor at Oak Hill Missionary Baptist Church in South Memphis. He’s also a member of the Baptist Ministerial Association.
He has been charged with one count of coercion and solicitation of a minor; one count of production of child pornography; and one count of receipt of child pornography.
• Smith faces a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment if convicted of coercion/solicitation of a minor.
• Smith faces a minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment if convicted of production of child pornography.
• Smith faces up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted of receipt of child pornography
• Smith faces up to $250,000 in fines per offense of conviction.
The case is being investigated by the Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force. The collective is comprised of Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security
Investigations; Shelby County Sheriff's Department; Memphis Police Department; U.S. Postal Investigation Service; U.S. Marshals Service; and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Ireland is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Anyone who believes they may have information about this case or related activities is asked to contact the Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force at 901.747.4300.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mayfield Heights man accused of embezzling $677,000 from his employerRead the Press Release
A Mayfield Heights man is accused of stealing more than $677,000 from his former employer, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office.
Geno Trunzo, 51, was indicted on one count of making or possessing forged securities of private entities and four counts of money laundering.
Trunzo worked for a company that engaged in the retail sale of mattresses and bedding supplies from 2004 until December 2014. Trunzo was promoted to be the company’s controller in late 2005. In this role, he managed the company’s accounts payable , was responsible for paying the company’s business expenses and had access to the company’s books, records, checks and credit lines, according to the indictment.
Trunzo forged and created approximately 431 checks drawn on the company’s accounts by affixing, without authorization, a stamped image of the name of an authorized signer of the checks. Trunzo made the checks payable to himself and to third-party payees for his personal benefit, causing a loss to the company of approximately $677,131, according to the indictment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hollingsworth following an investigation by the FBI.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
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.
Mayfield Heights man accused of embezzling $677,000 from former employerRead the Press Release
A Mayfield Heights man is accused of stealing more than $677,000 from his former employer, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office.
Geno Trunzo, 51, was indicted on one count of making or possessing forged securities of private entities and four counts of money laundering.
Trunzo worked for a company that engaged in the retail sale of mattresses and bedding supplies from 2004 until December 2014. Trunzo was promoted to be the company’s controller in late 2005. In this role, he managed the company’s accounts payable , was responsible for paying the company’s business expenses and had access to the company’s books, records, checks and credit lines, according to the indictment.
Trunzo forged and created approximately 431 checks drawn on the company’s accounts by affixing, without authorization, a stamped image of the name of an authorized signer of the checks. Trunzo made the checks payable to himself and to third-party payees for his personal benefit, causing a loss to the company of approximately $677,131, according to the indictment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hollingsworth following an investigation by the FBI.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
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.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney, FBI Assistant Director, and NYPD Commissioner Announce Arrest of Man for Hoax Threat to Blow up the Statue of LibertyRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and William J. Bratton, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced that JASON PAUL SMITH was arrested today in Lubbock, Texas, for communicating a hoax threat to bomb the Statue of Liberty that precipitated the evacuation of more than 3,200 people from Liberty Island in New York Harbor. SMITH is expected to be presented later today in federal court in the Northern District of Texas.
As alleged in the criminal Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
On April 24, 2015, SMITH initiated a call to the emergency 911 system (the “911 Call”) from his iPad using a service that assists hearing-impaired individuals with making and receiving telephone calls (the “Service”). In the 911 Call, SMITH identified himself as “Abdul Yasin,” described himself as an “ISI terrorist,” and threatened that “we” are preparing to “blow up” the Statue of Liberty.
Law enforcement officers responded to the threat that SMITH conveyed in the 911 Call, and conducted a sweep of the areas in and around the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island with the aid of canine units trained to detect explosives. Canine units alerted to the area of the visitor lockers at the base of the Statue of Liberty, prompting law enforcement officers and emergency responders to evacuate the more than 3,200 people who were on Liberty Island at the time. Subsequently, the threat conveyed by SMITH was determined to be unfounded.
The iPad registered in SMITH’s name has used the Service to make other 911 calls, including at least two calls in May 2015 from a user who identified himself as “Isis allah Bomb maker” and who threatened to attack Times Square and kill police officers at the Brooklyn Bridge.
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SMITH, 42, of Harts, West Virginia, is charged with one count of conveying false and misleading information and hoaxes, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force – which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD. Mr. Bharara also thanked the United States Park Police for its assistance.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zhou is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Guilty Pleas of Three Defendants Who Conspired to Import 100 Kilgrams of North Korean Methamphetamine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty pleas of YE TIONG TAN LIM, a citizen of Taiwan, ALLAN KELLY REYES PERALTA, a citizen of the Philippines, and ADRIAN VALKOVIC, a citizen of the Czech Republic, to conspiring to import 100 kilograms of North Korean-produced methamphetamine into the United States. TAN LIM, PERALTA, and VALKOVIC were arrested in September 2013, along with co-defendants Scott Stammers and Philip Shackels, following a long-term investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”). VALKOVIC pled guilty on August 5, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter. PERALTA pled guilty on August 18, 2015, and TAN LIM pled guilty August 19, 2015, both before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Ye Tiong Tan Lim, Kelly Reyes Peralta, and Adrian Valkovic’s conspiracy reads much like the script of an action movie - outlaw biker gangs providing protection and logistics for a U.S.-bound load of North Korean methamphetamine. But the plan was all too real, and the target for the drugs they planned to import were the streets of the United States. Thanks to the expert work of the DEA and prosecutors in my office, the conspiracy was thwarted and the drug traffickers’ mission made impossible.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the plea agreements for TAN LIM, PERALTA, and VALKOVIC, and statements made in court proceedings:
In 2012, TAN LIM and PERALTA, members of a criminal organization operating in Hong Kong and the Philippines, sold more than 30 kilograms of methamphetamine that had been produced in North Korea. Stammers and Shackels were responsible for storing the methamphetamine after it had been sold by TAN LIM and PERALTA. This North Korean methamphetamine was later seized by law enforcement agents in Thailand and in the Philippines and tested at more than 99% pure.
In 2013, TAN LIM and PERALTA again agreed to provide North Korean methamphetamine, this time agreeing to supply 100 kilograms of the methamphetamine to confidential sources working at the direction of the DEA (the “CSes”) for importation to the United States. As TAN LIM explained, his criminal organization was the only one currently able to obtain methamphetamine from North Korea: “Because before, there were eight [other criminal organizations]. But now only us, we have the NK [i.e., North Korea] product. . . . [I]t’s only us who can get from NK.” TAN LIM further explained that, because of recent international tensions, the North Korean government had destroyed some methamphetamine labs, leaving behind only the labs of TAN LIM’s organization: “And all the, the NK government already burned all the labs. Only our labs are not closed. . . . To show Americans that they [the North Korean government] are not selling it any more, they burned it. Then they transfer to another base.” In anticipation of these geo-political complications, TAN LIM noted that his organization had stockpiled one ton of North Korean methamphetamine in the Philippines for storage.
As a prelude to the 100-kilogram methamphetamine deal, TAN LIM and PERALTA arranged to have a sample of the drug delivered to Shackels, who sent that sample (along with a second sample from another supplier) to an address from which the methamphetamine samples would be sent to the United States. These two methamphetamine samples tested at more than 98% and 96% pure.
TAN LIM and PERALTA agreed to deliver the 100 kilograms of North Korean methamphetamine in Thailand, from where they understood it would be shipped to the United States by boat. In preparation, TAN LIM and PERALTA arranged for a “dry run,” sending a shipping container of tea leaves from the Philippines to Thailand in order to test delivery channels that would later be used for the shipment of methamphetamine.
VALKOVIC, Stammers, and Shackels agreed to provide security, transportation, and storage for the 100 kilograms of methamphetamine once it arrived in Thailand. VALKOVIC, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club (“OMC”) in Thailand, was to be the “ground commander,” and would supervise an armed crew of OMC members that would provide security for the methamphetamine. Stammers and Shackels were to arrange for the 100 kilograms to be taken to a warehouse, counted, re-packaged, and delivered to a marina in Thailand, to be transferred to a boat that would deliver the methamphetamine to the United States.
In September 2013, TAN LIM and PERALTA traveled to Thailand in order to receive payment for the 100 kilogram methamphetamine deal. TAN LIM, PERALTA, VALKOVIC, Stammers, and Shackels were arrested by Thai law enforcement on September 25, 2013.
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As a result of their guilty pleas, TAN LIM, 55, PERALTA, 43, and VALKOVIC, 45, each face a maximum possible term of life in prison and a mandatory term of 10 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of these defendants will be determined by the judge. VALKOVIC is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Carter on November 6, 2015. Sentencing dates have not yet been scheduled for TAN LIM and PERALTA.
The remaining defendants, Stammers, 46, and Shackels, 32, are charged with conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the United States. Trial is scheduled to commence before Judge Carter on September 21, 2015.
The guilty pleas were the result of the close cooperative efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit; and DEA’s Bangkok, Manila, Ghana, Pretoria, Bucharest, Nassau, and Copenhagen Country Offices. Mr. Bharara also thanked the Thai Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau and Crime Suppression Division; the Royal Thai Immigration; the Royal Thai Attorney General’s Office; the Republic of Liberia’s National Security Agency; the Republic of Liberia’s Attorney General’s Office; the Romanian National Police; Interpol; and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs for their support and assistance.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Anna Skotko, Michael D. Lockard, and Emil Bove are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges against Stammers and Shackels are merely accusations and these defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Sentenced to 37 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Chief District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis on Tuesday sentenced Juan Carlos Seguinot-Martinez, 34, of Puerto Rico, to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Judge Lewis also ordered Martinez to pay a $1,500 fine and $500 community restitution.
In April, Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Court records show that in December 2014, Martinez purchased and attempted to mail approximately one kilogram, approximately 2.2 pounds, of cocaine from St. Croix to Buffalo, New York.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland
Security Investigations, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami S. Badawy
Luzerne County Man Charged with Federal Heroin Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Luzerne County man was indicted late yesterday by a federal grand jury in Scranton for heroin trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment charges Pedro Noriega, age 42, of Plymouth, Luzerne County, with possession with intent to distribute heroin.
The charge stems from an investigation in April 2015 which investigators arranged to make a purchase of heroin from Noriega and then obtained a search warrant for Noriega’s residence on West Main Street in Plymouth, and allegedly seized approximately 495 bags of suspected heroin, 19 grams of raw heroin, packaging materials and drug paraphernalia from a bedroom in the residence.
The investigation was conducted by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Narcotics Investigations (BNI) of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). 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 twenty 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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