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Tuesday 23 June 2015
Lee's Summit, Smithville Men Indicted for Internet Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Lee’s Summit, Mo., man and a Smithville, Mo., man were indicted by a federal grand jury today, in separate and unrelated cases involving child pornography.
USA v. Moore
Ronald L. Moore, Jr., 50, of Lee’s Summit, was charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Moore distributed child pornography over the Internet between June 27 and Aug. 28, 2014.
Moore is also charged with two counts of receiving child pornography over the Internet on Aug. 17, 2013, and on Sept. 15, 2012, and one count of possessing movies of child pornography on Sept. 19, 2014.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Moore to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offense, including a desktop computer and two hard drives.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI.
USA v. Arnold
Jacob A. Arnold, 19, of Smithville, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Arnold received child pornography over the Internet on March 17, 2015. Arnold is also charged with possessing child pornography on June 4, 2015.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Smithville, 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.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Indictment: Washington Men Arrested in Kansas with More than 13 Pounds of MethRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - Two Washington men who were arrested in in Thomas County with more than 13 pounds of methamphetamine have been indicted on federal drug charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Jose Valenzuela-Rojo, 30, Pasco, Wash., and Rafael Gastelum-Castro, 34, Pasco, Wash., are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
They were arrested June 8, 2015, in Thomas County.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years and not more than life in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is investigating.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Carlos Hernandez, 21, Los Angeles, Calif.; and Daniel Ortiz-Rivera, 23, a citizen of Mexico, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, and one count of traveling across state lines in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred June 5, 2015, in Thomas County, Kan.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million on the possession charge, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other charge. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
Mario Alberto Hernandez-Esqivel, 37, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found June 4, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Michael E. Foxworthy, 25, Wichita, Kan.; Lashawnda L. Lindeman, 26, Wichita, Kan.; and Stephen A. Espinoza, 24, Wichita, Kan., are charged with drug trafficking. Foxworthy is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lindeman and Espinoza are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred June 5, 2015, in Wichita.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Conspiracy: Not less than five and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Daniel Nicholson, 50, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred June 12, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Ascencion Montes-Martinez, 35, Lynwood, Calif., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 28, 2015, in Thomas County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Angelica M. Flores, 21, Pratt, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm with the serial number removed. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 19, 2015, in Ford County, Kan.
If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Dodge City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Indictment Unsealed Charging Boat Operators with Manslaughter in Scuba Diver’s DeathRead the Press Release
Two United Kingdom nationals have been charged with crimes involving the death of a scuba diver in the Florida Keys.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rear Admiral Scott A. Buschman, Commander of the Coast Guard 7th District and Director of Homeland Security Task Force Southeast, and Thomas E. Robarge, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), made the announcement that an indictment has been unsealed against Christopher Jones, 50, and Alison Gracey, 47, both of the United Kingdom, who were charged with crimes involving the death of a scuba diver in the Florida Keys in December 18, 2011.
The indictment charges Jones and Gracey with one count of involuntary manslaughter, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1112, and one count of making a false official statement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). Additionally, the indictment charges Jones with one count of the Seaman’s Manslaughter Statute, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1115. If convicted, Jones faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years and Gracey a maximum statutory penalty of eight years.
According to the allegations in the indictment, the defendants operated a commercial dive charter boat called “GET WET.” The alleged unlawful and careless manner in which the defendants operated the boat caused the death of an individual scuba diver. Additionally, the indictment alleges that the defendants knowingly and willingly made a false statement to the U.S. Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center about the boat’s ownership.
On June 5, 2015, Dutch authorities in St. Maarten arrested Jones and Gracey based on the previously-sealed indictment. The Department of Justice, the Coast Guard, and Coast Guard Investigative Services are seeking the extradition of Jones and Gracey to the United States to face the charges in the indictment from St. Maarten.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime Raich.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
Illegal Firearms Dealer Admits Selling More Than 200 Guns to Drug Dealers and Other Criminals in the Camden AreaRead the Press Release
Guns Originated from Straw and Gun Show Purchases and Straw Purchases in Ohio
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man today admitted selling to a Camden drug dealer and other criminals in the Camden area at least 200 firearms that he purchased with cash from other illicit firearms dealers, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Joshua Jackson, 35, a/k/a “Trent,” of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count each of dealing firearms without a license, conspiracy to deal in firearms without a federal firearms license, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this and related cases and statements made in court:
Jackson admitted that between December 2009 and September 2010, he sold or brokered the sale of at least 200 handguns that he purchased with cash from illegal gun distributors in Ohio and from straw purchases by associates of his from gun stores in Columbus, Ohio.
Jackson sold many of the weapons to Terrance Laboo, 33, of Oaklyn, New Jersey. Laboo previously pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler and admitted that at the time of the firearms purchases from Jackson he was a Camden drug dealer engaged in ongoing sales of PCP. Jackson also sold guns to other criminals in the South Jersey area.
Laboo has acknowledged that at the time he purchased these firearms from Jackson, he was distributing PCP and cocaine from the corner of 4th and Chestnut Streets in Camden. Laboo also previously admitted he sold, directed or brokered the sale of many of the firearms he purchased to other drug dealers in southern New Jersey.
Jackson obtained most of the firearms through purchases at gun shows from unlicensed gun sellers who were not subject to background checks. Some of the firearms also were purchased at Ohio gun stores by straw purchasers working for Jackson, who then transported the handguns to New Jersey from Ohio and resold them to Laboo and others in the Camden area. Laboo previously admitted he knew he was buying guns that came illegally from Ohio and Virginia.
Jackson transported the illegal firearms purchased in the Columbus, Ohio, area back to Camden and the surrounding area using a rental car and by using an associate to transport them in duffel bags on Greyhound buses running between Columbus and the Greyhound bus terminals in Philadelphia and Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
The illegal firearms dealing count and the conspiracy count to which Jackson pleaded guilty each carry a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The possession of firearms by a convicted felon count carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George P. Belsky, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. Mr. Fishman also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Ohio, directed by U.S. Attorney Carter M. Stewart, and agents of the ATF Field Division in Columbus, Ohio, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Donald Soranno.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Justin Loughry Esq., Philadelphia
Houston Man Heads to Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of ChildrenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Pierre Johnson, 40, has been handed a significant sentence following his conviction of conspiring to traffic children under 18 for commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Johnson pleaded guilty July 10, 2014.
Today, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison handed Johnson a sentence of 168 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. In imposing the sentence, Judge Ellison noted the serious nature of the crimes Johnson committed.
Johnson admitted that during parts of 2013, he used force, fraud or coercion to cause at least three minor girls under 18 to engage in commercial sex acts. Johnson trafficked underage children across three states, including Texas, Louisiana and Colorado. All of the victims were photographed in online ads that were posted for prostitution. In the ads, the minors were falsely advertised as being adults. Johnson provided the children with drugs and alcohol and kept all of the monies the girls earned. Johnson would also transport the minors by car across state lines so they could perform commercial sex acts in response to the on-line ads he posted.
Johnson has been in custody since his arrest in March 2014. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Pierre Johnson’s co-conspirator, Dominqiue Howard, 25, was sentenced earlier this month also to 168 months.
An investigation by the Houston FBI Innocence Lost Task Force, which includes such agencies as the Houston Police Department, developed this case using statements from victims as well as on line advertisements for the victims’ services and hotel records from several hotels.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie N. Searle and Sherri L. Zack, 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."
Hartford Man Sentenced to Prison for Crack Cocaine Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMIE COLEMAN, also known as “City,” 24, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for his role in a crack cocaine trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a year-long joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force into narcotics trafficking by members and associates of West Hell street gang, and gang-related violent activity. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, identified Melkuan Scott, also known as “Young God,” “Mel,” “Young” and “YG,” 24, as the leader of the West Hell street gang who, along with his associates, distributed crack cocaine in the Westland Street area of Hartford.
Scott regularly supplied COLEMAN with crack cocaine, which COLEMAN sold to his own customers.
Twenty-five individuals were charged as a result of the investigation, and 24 defendants have been convicted on charges in the indictment or related charges. One defendant was shot and killed while his case was pending.
On December 2, 2014, COLEMAN pleaded guilty to one count of using a telephone to facilitate a narcotics trafficking offense.
Scott has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Squad, Major Crimes Unit and Shooting Task Force are providing valuable assistance to the investigation, and the Capitol Region Emergency Response Team (CREST) assisted with the arrest of certain defendants. The Office of the Chief State’s Attorney is also assisting with this ongoing investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John H. Durham and Peter S. Jongbloed.
Gloucester County, New Jersey Man Admits Operating Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue, Real Estate Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Woolwich Township, New Jersey, man today admitted scamming distressed homeowners into giving him their houses and then soliciting fake real estate investments from private investors – secured by those same properties – that netted him more than $3 million in illicit profits, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Randy Poulson, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to Count One of an indictment charging him with mail fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Poulson owned and operated Equity Capital Investments, LLC and Poulson Russo LLC and was the former president of the South Jersey Real Estate Investors Association. Paulson gave speeches, seminars, monthly dinners and various private tutorial sessions, purporting to teach real estate investing tips to individuals who paid fees to attend.
Poulson engaged in a two-pronged scheme. First, he promised to pay the mortgages of distressed homeowners facing foreclosure if they sold their homes to him. Using this method, Poulson obtained the deeds to more than 25 distressed homeowners’ residences, causing them to vacate the homes so renters could move in. Afterwards, Poulson then stopped making the monthly mortgage payments, causing those mortgages to go into foreclosure without the distressed homeowners’ knowledge.
In the second part of the scheme, Poulson solicited seminar attendees and other private investors to invest in Equity Capital Investments, which purportedly bought and sold real estate. Poulson told the investors that their money would be used to acquire and rehabilitate a property, which Poulson claimed he would rent out and then sell for a 10 to 20 percent return on the investment.
The properties for which Poulson solicited the investments were those he acquired in the first part of the scheme. Although Poulson claimed that he would use funds to acquire and rehabilitate those properties, Poulson spent the money on personal expenses and to repay other investors. As a result of the scheme, Poulson was able to fraudulently obtain more than $3 million from investors.
The mail fraud count to which with Poulson pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel, in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Attorney in Charge R. Stephen Stigall of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Gilbert J. Scutti Esq., Somerdale, New Jersey
Former Store Owner Sentenced on Synthetic Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
Rochester, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Amber Snover, 24, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of using a communication facility to facilitate a controlled substance, was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to forfeit $771,109 in United States currency by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Noto, who handled the case, stated that the defendant used a telephone to order various synthetic controlled substance analogues. Snover ordered the synthetic drugs for Charles Fitzgerald and others at the 420 Emporium located in Batavia, NY. A total of $771,109 in United States currency was seized during the execution of a search warrant at the residence Snover shared with Fitzgerald on West Hills Estates in Rochester on July 25, 2012.
Fitzgerald was convicted and sentenced to 30 months in prison. Three employees of Fitzgerald’s who worked at the 420 Emporium stores located in Batavia and Henrietta, NY have also been convicted and sentenced.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency, under the direction of James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and investigators from the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Major David Krause.Former Realtor Sentenced to 5 Years for Leading Decade-Long Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Yesterday, Julio Cesar Esquivel Reyes, 41, of Tolleson, Ariz. was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver to five years in prison and ordered to pay $568,413 in restitution. Reyes previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“Mortgage fraud is a serious offense that has detrimental effects on the economy as a whole. The facts of this case are especially egregious because the defendants used their affiliation with a church to further the crime,” said U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo. “This sentence and that of Pastor Tovar send a solid message that those engaging in such actions will be prosecuted and incarcerated.”
“Schemes like this that undermine our financial system and lead to millions of dollars in losses impact consumers at all levels,” said Matt Allen, special agent in charge for HSI Arizona. “That’s why HSI will continue to work with its enforcement partners to ensure that those who engage in high-dollar fraud schemes pay a price to pay for their crimes.”
Reyes, a former realtor, and his co-conspirators embarked on an 11-year mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in losses just under $2 million. Among other things, the defendants provided false information to lenders and used straw buyers to perpetrate the scheme. During the course of the conspiracy, the defendants obtained at least 14 loans on 11 properties that totaled over $3 million and resulted in nine foreclosures. A portion of the scheme was co-led by Pastor Luis Antonio (“Tony”) Maldonado Tovar of Grupo Amistad church. By misrepresenting that the proceeds would be used to benefit the church, Tovar and Reyes recruited members and affiliates of Grupo Amistad church in Phoenix to act as straw buyers for a number of the fraudulent transactions. Tovar was previously sentenced to 33 months imprisonment for his role in the offense. He was ordered to self-surrender to serve his sentence on Jan. 20, 2015, but failed to appear and remains at large - any information on Tovar’s whereabouts should be reported to the U. S. Marshals Service at 1-800-336-0102 or [email protected]. Picture attached.
Also sentenced in this case were Evangelina Gardner (14 months’ imprisonment) and Reyes’s father, Andres Esquivel (12 months’ imprisonment).
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Jennifer Levinson, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-12-01122
RELEASE NUMBER: 2015-049_Reyes et al
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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.
Former New Hampshire Construction Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Hill, New Hampshire, man pleaded guilty today to three counts of tax evasion in the U.S. District Court in the District of New Hampshire, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith of the District of New Hampshire.
Ronald Martin formerly owned and operated Martin Construction in Northfield, New Hampshire, and employed between three to eight individuals at various times. In 2008, 2009 and 2010, Martin’s business earned a total of approximately $1.2 million in gross revenue, but Martin did not file any federal corporate or individual income tax returns for Martin Construction or for himself and did not pay any federal income tax in any of those years. Martin took steps to conceal the business revenue by directing that payments and invoices for selling scrap metal be made in the name of his nephew. He also only deposited a small fraction of the income earned from Martin Construction into the business’ bank account. Instead, he diverted a significant portion of the business income for personal expenditures. In addition to failing to file tax returns and to pay individual and business income taxes, Martin also failed to file any federal employment tax returns or pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) any federal employment taxes for any of his employees.
A federal grand jury in the District of New Hampshire indicted Martin on three counts of tax evasion in July 2014. Martin faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on each tax evasion count. Martin’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20. Martin currently is detained on unrelated pending state criminal charges.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and Acting U.S. Attorney Feith commended the special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman of the District of New Hampshire and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Former Illinois Public Health Chief of Staff Sentenced for Bribery, Kickback Scheme and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. –A former Chief of Staff for the Illinois Department of Public Health, Quinshaunta R. Golden, was sentenced to a federal prison term of eight years (96 months) today for taking bribes and kickbacks related to $13 million in grant and contract funds awarded at her direction and for obstructing justice in a federal grand jury investigation. Golden appeared today before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough in Springfield.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Myerscough ordered that Golden pay $1,000,000 in restitution to IDPH, jointly and severally with Roxanne Jackson, a defendant in a separate but related case. Golden was ordered to remain on supervised release for three years following her release from prison. Golden remains on bond and will self-report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on Sept. 1, 2015, to begin serving her sentence.
Golden, 46, of Homewood, Ill., served as Chief of Staff at IDPH from 2003 to early 2008. In that capacity, Golden had significant control over the agency’s offices and had certain approval authority and control over the awarding of grants and contracts. In 2008, Golden left the department and took a position at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
On April 10, 2014, Golden pled guilty to taking bribes and kickbacks pursuant to a plea agreement. On May 29, 2015, an addendum was filed related to Golden’s plea agreement that established that Golden did not oppose the presentence report finding that she was not entitled to a sentencing adjustment for acceptance of responsibility.
According to evidence presented by the government during sentencing and court documents, from 2006 to 2008, Golden used her agency position to direct approximately $11 million in grant funds, for programs relating to breast, cervical and prostate cancer, HIV/AIDS, and emergency preparedness, to three not-for-profit organizations: Broadcast Ministers Alliance, Access Wellness and Racial Equity, and Medical Health Association. These organizations were then controlled by Leon Dingle, Jr., and his for-profit corporation known as Advance Health, Social and Educational Associates, Inc. (AHSEA)
As part of the scheme, Golden directed that an associate, Roxanne Jackson, a former IDPH administrator, be hired as a paid consultant for Leon Dingle, Jr., and the three not-for-profit entities. As a result, approximately $772,500 in grant funds disbursed to the three not-for-profit entities was paid to Jackson from July 2007 to April 2008. This included approximately $407,500 in April 2008, at the end of Golden’s tenure at IDPH. As a condition of Jackson receiving grant funds, Golden required that Jackson pay her one-half of whatever she received, less any funds to be withheld for payment of taxes, which were never paid.
Golden further directed that Jackson work as a paid consultant for VIP Security. Golden caused approximately $2 million in contract funds to be paid by IDPH to VIP Security to conduct background checks and interviews of Illinois nursing home residents related to the Identified Offender Program. Golden required that Jackson give Golden kickback payments for each background investigation performed by VIP Security.
From February to April 2012, Golden attempted to persuade a material witness with the intent to obstruct an official grand jury investigation in the Central District of Illinois. Golden met with the witness on multiple occasions and falsely denied receiving improper kickback payments. Golden admitted to the witness that she caused grants to be issued to certain vendors and to the witness, but encouraged and instructed the witness not to tell the truth concerning the kickback scheme and to conceal the truth from the witness’s attorney and the grand jury, and to create a false story by saying that the witness used the grant and contract funds for gambling and other personal expenses.
In a related but separate case, in December 2014, a jury convicted Leon Dingle, Jr., and his wife Karin, both of Chicago, of conspiracy to defraud, mail fraud and money laundering for their use of millions of dollars in grant funds for their personal benefit and to pay personal expenses. Sentencing for the couple is scheduled on Sept. 10, 2015.
Sentencing for Jacquelyn Kilpatrick, bookkeeper and vice-president of operations for AHSEA, is scheduled on Sept. 15, 2015. Kilpatrick pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and filing a false income tax return. Kilpatrick’s husband, Edmond Clemons, is also scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 15, after he pled guilty to filing a false income tax return.
Roxanne Jackson was sentenced on June 12, to 25 months in federal prison for her part in the bribery and kickback scheme and filing false income tax returns. Jackson was also ordered to pay $1,000,000 in restitution jointly and severally with Golden to IDPH.
Central District of Illinois U.S. Attorney Jim Lewis expressed his appreciation to the federal law enforcement officers assigned and the agencies who support the Central District of Illinois U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption Task Force and participated in this investigation: U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Chicago Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Chicago Field Office; the Illinois Secretary of State Office of Inspector General; and, Illinois State Police, Division of Internal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass prosecuted the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.
Individuals who wish to provide information to law enforcement regarding matters of alleged public corruption are urged to call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 217-492-4450.
Former Fayette teacher pleads guilty to receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A 31-year old man from Weirton, West Virginia pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston to receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. Joshua Mark Taylor, a former teacher at Collins Middle School, in Oak Hill, West Virginia entered a guilty plea before United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. in Charleston.
According to court documents and proceedings, Taylor was employed by the Fayette County Board of Education as teacher at Collins Middle School from approximately March of 2013 to January of 2014. Taylor admitted that in November of 2013, he exchanged a large number of text messages with a 12-year-old female who was a student at the school. Taylor also admitted that from about November to January of 2014, he persuaded the student to take photographs of her genital area and send them to him on his cell phone. Taylor admitted to receiving the sexually explicit images on his cell phone on December 14, 2013. Finally, Taylor admitted to distributing or attempting to distribute the sexually explicit images through interstate commerce.
The investigation was initiated by the West Virginia State Police in January of 2014, after the father of the student reported her missing. Taylor picked the minor up at her family home and returned her to her home uninjured after she was missing for nearly 22 hours. The investigation led to Taylor’s arrest the next day in St. Marys, West Virginia. Prior to being arrested, Taylor sent the minor a text message urging her not to cooperate with the investigation or prosecution.
Taylor faces a mandatory prison sentence of 15 years, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Taylor will also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Goodwin credited the West Virginia State Police and the other law enforcement agencies that worked so hard on the investigation. “The collaborative efforts of the West Virginia State Police, West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation should be commended. Their cooperation brought yet another child predator to justice,” said Goodwin.
Assistant United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is being brought as part of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Former Des Moines, Iowa, Police Officer Sentenced for Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
Former Des Moines, Iowa, Police Department Officer Colin J. Boone, 39, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Pratt of the Southern District of Iowa to serve 63 months in federal prison for using unreasonable force during a 2013 arrest, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division and U. S. Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt of the Southern District of Iowa.
This case arose from Boone's use of excessive force against Orville Hill during Hill’s arrest on Feb. 19, 2013. During the incident, Boone arrived at a scene where three fellow Des Moines police officers were holding Hill on the ground and a fourth officer was standing over the group. Boone ran up to the group and kicked Hill in the face, knocking out two of Hill’s teeth and breaking his nose. Other officers reported Boone’s conduct to supervisors after learning that Boone had submitted a written report in which he failed to account truthfully for his actions. On March 13, 2015, a jury found Boone guilty of violating Hill’s civil rights by using unreasonable force.
“As this sentences makes clear, there are serious consequences when law enforcement officers betray the trust of their community by violating the rights of individuals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “The Department of Justice stands ready to hold accountable those who violate the civil rights laws.”
This investigation was conducted by the FBI, and was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Bobbi Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Mahoney of the Southern District of Iowa.
Former Chief of Baltimore City Division of Transit and Marine Services Sentenced to Prison for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Barry Stephen Robinson, age 65, of Accokeek, Maryland, today to a year and a day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with a bribery scheme perpetrated in 2014 while Robinson was Chief of the Division of Transit and Marine Services of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. Chief Judge Blake also ordered Robinson to pay forfeiture in the amount of $20,000, of which all but $13,550 had already been seized.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Baltimore City Inspector General Robert H. Pearre, Jr.; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jankowski of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
“Barry Stephen Robinson took a $20,000 bribe to cancel a $60,000 debt owed to Baltimore City, and a $70,000 bribe to allow the theft of city property worth $250,000,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “This sort of corruption can occur when dishonest people are trusted to handle valuable government property.”
“Using his official position and the resources of Baltimore City, Robinson abused the trust placed in him in order to personally enrich himself,” said Thomas Jankowski, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington D.C. Field Office. “IRS-Criminal Investigation stands committed to weed out individuals, such as Robinson, who take the path to financial enhancement through greed and corruption at the expense of those they serve.”
Barry Robinson was Chief of the Division of Transit and Marine Services of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation and supervised Baltimore City’s “Circulator” and “Water Taxi” programs. He had authority to approve contracts with advertisers and vendors and to purchase and pay for goods and services.
In the spring of 2013, Robinson received a check for $40,000 payable to the Baltimore City Director of Finance, in payment for advertising on Circulator buses. Robinson returned the check and proposed that for $20,000 in cash, he would cancel the $40,000 debt to the city and provide written documentation that it had been paid. The debtor declined the offer at that time. In January 2014, Robinson renewed his offer to extinguish the debt to the City of Baltimore. This time, he offered to cancel $60,000 of debt in return for $20,000 in cash. From January 23 to March 11, 2014, Robinson received four cash payments of $5,000 each. In return, Robinson provided a signed letter on Baltimore City letterhead falsely stating that the $60,000 debt had been paid.
Robinson also admitted that he stole and sold bus shelters belonging to the City for $70,000. In 2011, Robinson arranged for Baltimore City to purchase 13 bus shelters from a Canadian company for $249,290. On multiple occasions from May 2013 to March 2014, Robinson said since the city did not keep track of the shelters, he planned to sell them for his personal benefit. On April 9, 2014, Robinson accepted $70,000, in return for the city’s bus shelters.
Seeking to disguise the source of the bribery proceeds, Robinson deposited the cash bribe payments he received into two bank accounts in the name of another person, and used a portion of the proceeds to install carpeting, televisions and a range hood in his home.
According to court documents, the intended loss to the City of Baltimore from Robinson’s schemes was approximately $310,000.
U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, the Baltimore City Office of Inspector General and IRS-Criminal Investigation, for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara S. Sale, who prosecuted the case.
Former Belen Police Department Detective Sentenced for Using Excessive Force Against ArresteeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – John Lytle, 42, a former detective with the Belen Police Department in Belen, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court for violating an arrestee’s civil rights by assaulting him during the course of an investigative stop and arrest.
Lytle was sentenced to five years of probation. As part of his plea agreement, Lytle is precluded from working or seeking future employment as a law enforcement officer in any capacity. He also must forfeit his law enforcement certification.
During his guilty plea in April 2014, Lytle admitted that on March 15, 2012, while working in his capacity as a Belen Police Department detective, he repeatedly struck the victim, identified by the initials R.A., who was handcuffed and compliant during the entire course of the investigative stop. Lytle further admitted that, at one point during the stop, he pulled the handcuffed victim from the back of a police squad car, threw him to the ground, and struck him again. The victim suffered injuries to his face and torso as a result of Lytle’s assault.
The conviction in this case resulted from the investigative work of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico Holland S. Kastrin and Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Federal jury finds Columbus man guilty of drug traffickingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Columbus, Ohio man who possessed heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in a Parkersburg hotel room was found guilty today by a federal jury, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. On August 4, 2013, drug task force officers arrested Toby Germaine Person, 39, and Amanda Sue White, 25, both of Columbus, Ohio, in their hotel room at the Comfort Inn and Suites in Parkersburg. The arrests followed the execution of a search warrant whereby police seized distribution quantities of heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine along with cash, digital scales, and packaging materials. Officers obtained the search warrant after conducting a traffic stop of two individuals who had just purchased drugs from Person in the hotel room.
Person has an extensive history of drug trafficking that includes felony convictions in federal court in both Ohio and the Southern District of West Virginia. He was serving two concurrent terms of federal supervised release at the time of his arrest. White was convicted in Wood County on state charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to the state penitentiary.
Person faces up to 20 years in federal prison as a result of his conviction to be followed by up to a consecutive four years for having violated the terms of his supervised release when he is sentenced on October 5, 2015. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the trial.
The case was investigated by personnel from the Parkersburg Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Virginia State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Jennifer Rada Herrald handled the prosecution.
Fargo Man Convicted by Jury of Armed Bank Robbery and CarjackingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the conviction of MALCOLM ROY EVANS, 52, for armed bank robbery, carjacking, attempted carjacking, and forcing another to accompany while fleeing from the scene. On January 22, 2015, EVANS was indicted for these offenses and, following a four-day trial, a jury found EVANS guilty on June 18, 2015, of all counts of the indictment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Hollenhorst said: “Through the hard work of law enforcement and the full cooperation of the victims of these crimes, a violent criminal was brought to justice. The streets of the Fargo-Moorhead area are much safer as a result.”
As proven at trial, on December 29, 2014, EVANS entered a Wells Fargo bank in Moorhead, Minn., and threatened to shoot the teller with a sawed-off shotgun if she didn’t give him money from the bank’s till. EVANS left the bank with approximately $10,100 and attempted to carjack at gunpoint a woman and her college-age daughter who were driving a Volkswagen minivan, but the two victims ran from the minivan and took the keys with them. The defendant fled on foot for approximately two blocks before he got into a Ford F-150 parked nearby, pointed the sawed-off shotgun at a third victim’s head, and ordered him to “drive to the interstate.” At EVANS’ direction, the victim got out of the truck at the West Acres Mall in Fargo, N.D. EVANS abandoned the truck in a parking lot several blocks away and took a bus from the West Acres Mall to a nearby motel.
As proven at trial, on December 30, 2014, law enforcement arrested EVANS at the motel where they found more than $2,500 in cash, a sawed-off shotgun, shotgun shells, and some of the clothing EVANS was seen wearing in the Wells Fargo bank surveillance video.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Moorhead Police Department, and the Fargo Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Hollenhorst and Bradley M. Endicott are prosecuting the case.Defendant Information:
MALCOLM ROY EVANS, 52
Fargo, N.D.
Convicted:
- Armed Bank Robbery, one count
- Carjacking, one count
- Attempted Carjacking, one count
- Forcing a Person to Accompany the Defendant While Avoiding and Attempting to Avoid Apprehension, one count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
El Paso Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
In El Paso yesterday, 43-year-old Blanca Arcelia Ramos Estrada, owner of Blanca and Sons Tax Service in El Paso, pleaded guilty to preparing a false tax return announced Acting United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge William Cotter.
Appearing before United States Magistrate Judge Miguel A. Torres, Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. By pleading guilty, Ramos admitted she fraudulently inflated income amounts for her clients in order to maximize their refunds under the Earned Income (EIC) Provisions of the tax code. The IRS investigation determined that Ramos aided and assisted in the preparation and filing of a number of similar false tax returns with combined losses of approximately $140,000.
By pleading guilty, Ramos faces three years of imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than one year. No sentencing date has been scheduled.
This case was investigated by the IRS-CI. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Spitzer is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
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District Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Assault for Stabbing Man in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Quintanilla, 24, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of aggravated assault while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon stemming from a stabbing on Nov. 9, 2013, in Northwest Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced. The verdict was returned following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Yvonne Williams scheduled sentencing for August 26, 2015. Quintanilla faces up to thirty years’ incarceration.
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 9, 2013, the victim was walking back from dinner with his friends and observed his vehicle broken into. As the victim was assessing the damage, Quintanilla, wearing a mask which covered his face, came walking down the street with another man. Quintanilla continued approaching and got closer and closer to the victim, who was backed-up against his car. A physical altercation ensued, whereby Quintanilla stabbed the victim multiple times with a knife. The victim underwent surgery and suffered a collapsed lung. Quintanilla was forcibly detained by the victim’s friends until the police arrived.
In announcing the verdict, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Third District. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Christopher Macchiaroli who investigated and indicted the case, Litigation Technology Specialists William Henderson, Paul Howell, and Anisha Bhatia; Paralegal Specialists Todd McClelland, Karen Hansen, Allison Daniels and Caroline Fitzhugh, and Interns Benjamin Field and Aly Mance. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Misler and Daniel Lenerz, of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, who prosecuted the matter.
Diecisiete Supuestos Jefes Y Asociados Del Clan Úsuga Acusados Formalmente Como Parte De Un Golpe Coordinado En Brooklyn Y Miami Contra El Grupo Bacrim Narcotraficante Y Armado Colombiano Más Grande Y Con Más InfluenciaRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Sur de la Florida (SDFL), Kelly T. Currie, Fiscal Federal Interino para el Distrito Este de Nueva York (EDNY) y Jay Bergman, Director Regional de la Zona de los Andes de la Administración Antinarcóticos de los Estados Unidos ( DEA), anunciaron hoy la apertura de cinco acusaciones formales en los tribunales federales en Brooklyn, Nueva York y en Miami, la Florida, imputando cargos a 17 supuestos jefes y asociados de la BACRIM (banda criminal) colombiana más grande y con mayor influencia, el CLAN ÚSUGA (antes conocido como los Urabeños). A los supuestos jefes y otros miembros de alto rango dentro del CLAN ÚSUGA se les imputa el manejo de empresas criminales continuas, participación en conspiraciones internacionales de tráfico de cocaína, y de utilizar armas de fuego para llevar a cabo sus delitos de narcotráfico. El CLAN ÚSUGA y muchos de sus jefes principales ya antes habían sido designados por el Presidente de los Estados Unidos y el Departamento del Tesoro de los Estados Unidos, la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros como narcotraficantes específicamente designados de acuerdo con la Ley de Nombramiento de Capos Narcotraficantes Extranjeros. El Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos ofrece una recompensa de $5 millones para información que lleve al arresto y o condena del supuesto jefe principal del CLAN ÚSUGA, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, también conocido como Otoniel.
“Las acusaciones formales que se anuncian hoy son el resultado de un esfuerzo nacional e internacional para parar el movimiento de drogas por todo el mundo y dentro de nuestras comunidades”, dijo Kelly T. Currie, Fiscal Federal Interino para el Distrito Este de Nueva York. “Estamos unidos junto con nuestros socios en Colombia con el firme compromiso de erradicar a los jefes de las empresas narcotraficantes criminales dondequiera que se encuentren”.
“Los casos señalados hoy demuestran que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos, en colaboración con nuestros socios internacionales para el cumplimiento de la ley, sigue combatiendo con éxito a los jefes y asociados de las empresas criminales BACRIM que quieren suministrar estupefacientes dentro de los Estados Unidos”, dijo Wifredo A. Ferrer, Fiscal Federal de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Sur de la Florida. “Juntos, las Oficinas de las Fiscalías Federales de los Estados Unidos y las autoridades de Colombia nos dedicamos a desmantelar sistemáticamente una estructura BACRIM tras otra, y a eliminar la amenaza que presentan para nuestras comunidades”.
El Sr. Currie y el Sr. Ferrer expresaron su agradecimiento a la Oficina de Campo de la Administración Antinarcóticos en Nueva York, la División de Campo de Miami, y la Oficina Dentro del País en Bogotá, y además al Departamento de Seguridad Interna, Investigaciones de Seguridad Interna (HSI) Grupo de Trabajo El Dorado de Nueva York, y a la Policía Nacional Colombiana, las agencias responsables de encabezar las investigaciones. El Sr. Currie y el Sr. Ferrer también expresaron su gratitud por la ayuda incalculable aportada por la Fiscalía General Colombiana y la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos.
“Estas acusaciones formales son el resultado de años de trabajo y con demasiada frecuencia con el sacrificio de todo corazón por parte de los hombres y mujeres valientes de la Policía Nacional Colombiana y la Oficina de la Fiscalía General de Colombia”, dijo el Director Regional de la DEA Jay Bergman. “Estas acusaciones formales representan el compromiso inalterable bilateral de los Estados Unidos para definitivamente desmantelar lo que se puede considerar la última de las grandes bandas criminales estructuradas a nivel nacional en Colombia.”
“Estas acusaciones formales hoy demuestran nuestro compromiso, junto con nuestros socios internacionales para el cumplimiento de las leyes, para deshacer una red criminal responsable de contrabandear toneladas de cocaína dentro de los Estados Unidos” dijo Luis Sierra, el Agregado de HSI en Colombia. “HSI seguirá utilizando sus autoridades aduaneras únicas para atacar y desmantelar esta clase de organizaciones, y seguirá activamente las pistas, sin importar a dónde nos lleve esa información.”
Seis de los jefes del CLAN ÚSUGA fueron acusados tanto en Brooklyn como en Miami. Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, también conocido como “Otoniel”, “Mao”, “Gallo” y “Mauricio-Gallo”, imputado como jefe principal del CLAN ÚSUGA. Roberto Vargas Gutiérrez, también conocido como “Gavilán,” Carlos Alberto Moreno Turberquia, también conocido como “Nicolás,” Aristides Manuel Mesa Paez, también conocido como “El Indio,” y César Daniel Anaya Martínez, también conocido como “Tierra,” son supuestos comandantes del CLAN ÚSUGA responsables de cobrar impuestos por las drogas, manejar a los combatientes armados, y mantener control sobre áreas territoriales específicas dentro de Colombia. También fue acusado tanto en Brooklyn como Miami un supuesto administrador del CLAN ÚSUGA, Ramiro Caro Pineda, también conocido como “Nolasco,” encargado de cobrar los impuestos del narcotráfico, coordinar los envíos de las drogas y de mantener el control sobre las pistas aéreas y los puertos en la costa colombiana.
Las acusaciones formales de Brooklyn también imputan cargos a otros siete jefes del cartel, incluyendo a Daniel Rendón Herrera, también conocido como “Don Mario,” el fundador y jefe anterior del CLAN ÚSUGA, a Luis Orlando Padierna Pena, también conocido como “Inglaterra,” a Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, también conocido como “Chiquito” y “Chiquito Malo,” comandantes del CLAN ÚSUGA, y a Jhoni Alberto Grajales, también conocido como “Guajiro,” a Orlando Gutiérrez Rendón, también conocido como “Negro Orlando,” a Gustavo Palomino Araujo, también conocido como “Camilo,” y a Eduard Fernando Cardoza- Giraldo, también conocido como “Boliqueso,” supuestos jefes de las oficinas de cobro de drogas y de grupos paramilitares armados alineados con el CLAN ÚSUGA.
Una acusación formal abierta hoy en Miami, Estados Unidos versus Dairo Antonio Úsuga- David, et. al., 15 CR 20403 WPD les acusa a Dairo Antonio Úsuga- David, también conocido como “Otoniel”, “Mao”, y “Mauricio”, a Jairo De Jesús Durango Restrepo, también conocido como “Gua Gua”, a Roberto Vargas Gutiérrez, también conocido como “Gavilán”, a Aristides Manuel Mesa Páez, también conocido como “El Indio”, a Alverio Feo Alvarado, también conocido como “Benevides”, a Oscar David Pulgarín Ganan, también conocido como “Nino” y “Coroso”, a Ramiro Caro- Pineda, también conocido como “Nolasco”, y “Hugo”, a César Daniel Anaya Martínez, también conocido como “Tierra”, y a Eduardo Luis Vargas Gutiérrez, también conocido como “ Pipon”, de conspiración para distribuir 5 kilogramos o más de cocaína, sabiendo que sería importada a los Estados Unidos. Específicamente, se les imputa a los acusados la distribución, remontándose desde 2002 e incluyendo hasta junio de 2015 en Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panamá, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, México y en otros lugares.
Según una acusación formal suplente abierta previamente en Miami, Estados Unidos versus López Londono, et. al., 10 CR 20763 - Lenard (DE 9), comenzando alrededor de octubre, 2006, hasta el 10 de febrero de 2012, a los acusados Henry De Jesús López Londono, también conocido como “Mi Sangre”, “Salvador”, “ Carlos Mario”, “Brother”, “Krackin”, y “ Federico”, Jhon Fernando Giraldo Úsuga, también conocido como “ Simón”, y “Revenlino”, Arley Úsuga Torres, también conocido como “07”, “Siete”, y “Samuel”, José Carlos Londono Robledo, también conocido como “Tito” y “Wolverine”, Carlos Antonio Moreno Tuberquia, también conocido como “Nicholas”, Edison Gómez Molina, también conocido como “El Doctor”, y Juan Diego Giraldo Úsuga, también conocido como “Menor” y “Camilo”, se les acusa de conspiración para distribuir 5 kilogramos o más de cocaína sabiendo que sería importada a los Estados Unidos. Gómez Molina, Giraldo Úsuga y Fernando Úsuga se declararon culpables de una acusación formal suplente el 26 de noviembre de 2013, el 20 de marzo de 2014 y el 8 de mayo de 2014, respetivamente (DE 72, 98, 110). Según sus proffers, estipulando los hechos (DE 74, 101, 112), remontándose por lo menos a octubre de 2006 y hasta finales de febrero de 2012, Gómez Molina, Giraldo Úsuga y Fernando Úsuga, juntos con otros, utilizaron aviones y otros medios de transporte para enviar múltiples cargamentos de cocaína de Colombia a Centroamérica. Los cargamentos variaban entre 300 y 600 kilogramos cada uno. Desde allí se entregaba la cocaína a representantes de otras organizaciones, que se encargaban de la cocaína y al final la importaban a los Estados Unidos. Cada acusado admitió que era responsable de enviar o de intentar enviar por lo menos 150 kilogramos de cocaína y que sabían que la cocaína al final se importaría a los Estados Unidos. Gómez Molina fue sentenciado a 63 meses de encarcelamiento el 4 de febrero de 2014 (DE 90). Giraldo Úsuga fue sentenciado a 63 meses de encarcelamiento el 9 de junio de 2014 (DE 124). Fernando Úsuga fue sentenciado a 168 meses de encarcelamiento el 29 de agosto de 2014 (DE 139).
En otra acusación formal en Miami, Estados Unidos versus Víctor Alfonso Mosquera Pérez, 14 CR 20332 – Moore/McAliley (DE 1), a Víctor Alfonso Mosquera Pérez, también conocido como “Negro”, se le acusa de conspiración para distribuir 5 kilogramos o más de cocaína, sabiendo que sería importada a los Estados Unidos. Específicamente, la distribución supuestamente ocurrió desde el 2008 hasta aproximadamente el 9 de mayo de 2014, en Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua y otros lugares.
Según otra acusación formal, Estados Unidos versus Andrés Fernández Pérez Restrepo, 14 CR 20333 – Ungaro/Otazo-Reyes (DE 1), a Andrés Fernández Pérez-Restrepo, también conocido como “Anthrax”, se le acusa de conspiración para distribuir 5 kilogramos o más de cocaína, sabiendo que sería importada a los Estados Unidos. Específicamente el acusado supuestamente participó en la distribución desde por lo menos julio de 2012 hasta el 2 de marzo 2014en Colombia, Honduras y otros lugares.
Como se detalla en una de las acusaciones formales de Brooklyn, Estados Unidos versus Úsuga-David et al., 14 CR 625 (S-2) (DLI), entre junio de 2003 y diciembre de 2014, Úsuga-David, Vargas Gutiérrez, Moreno Turberquia, Padierna Pena, Ávila Villadiego, Anaya Martínez y otros, como jefes del CLAN ÚSUGA, conspiraron para importar más de 73 toneladas métricas de cocaína a los Estados Unidos. El CLAN ÚSUGA coordinó la producción, compra y traslado de cargamentos de múltiples toneladas de cocaína, así también como la recepción de los cargamentos de cocaína en México y Centroamérica, para la importación final a los Estados Unidos. El CLAN ÚSUGA también controlaba territorios en varias áreas de Colombia e imponían un impuesto a cualquier narcotraficante que trabajase en esos territorios - una tarifa establecida por cada kilogramo de cocaína fabricado, almacenado o transportado a través de las áreas bajo su control. La acusación formal alega además que los acusados empleaban a sicarios, quienes llevaban a cabo actos de violencia incluyendo homicidios, agresiones, secuestros y asesinatos para cobrar deudas de drogas, mantener la disciplina, controlar y ampliar el territorio de drogas y para promover y mejorar la posición de la organización.
En la segunda de las acusaciones formales abiertas en Brooklyn, Estados Unidos versus Gutiérrez Rendón, 14 CR 607 (CBA), a Orlando Gutiérrez-Rendón, también conocido como “Negro Orlando”, se le acusa de encabezar la organización de narcotráfico Gutiérrez-Rendón, dicha organización de tráfico de cocaína y de cobros de deudas de cocaína basada en Cali, Colombia, que estaba alineada con El CLAN ÚSUGA. Según la acusación formal, la organización de Gutiérrez-Rendón estaba involucrada en el envío de cargamentos de múltiples toneladas de cocaína desde Colombia a México, El Salvador y Panamá para su importación final dentro de los Estados Unidos. Se alega además que la organización actuaba también como agencia de cobros, usando violencia y asesinatos para cobrar pagos y deudas pendientes relacionados con los envíos de cocaína, de parte del CLAN ÚSUGA. A cambio de su papel en el cobro de fondos, la organización recibía un porcentaje de participación como dueños en los cargamentos de cocaína. A Gutiérrez-Rendón se le acusa también de conspirar para asesinar a narcotraficantes rivales, incluyendo el asesinato de Samir García. Entre enero de 2006 y mayo de 2013, Gutiérrez-Rendón supuestamente importó más de 30.000 kilogramos de cocaína a los Estados Unidos.
En la tercera acusación formal en Brooklyn, Estados Unidos versus Palomino- Araujo, 15 CR 162 (CBA), a Gustavo Palomino Araujo, también conocido como “Soldado”, “Zarco”, y “Camilo”, se le acusa de encabezar la organización Palomino Araujo, organización responsable de tráfico de cocaína, cobros de deudas de cocaína y una organización paramilitar basada en Cali, Colombia que estaba alineada con el CLAN ÚSUGA. Se alega que la organización facilitó el traslado de envíos de múltiples toneladas de cocaína desde Colombia a México y Centroamérica para su importación a los Estados Unidos, que controlaba territorio en varias áreas de Colombia, que imponía un impuesto a cualquier narcotraficante operando en las regiones bajo su control, y que empleaba a sicarios para cobrar deudas. A Palomino Araujo también se le acusa de conspirar para asesinar a numerosos narcotraficantes rivales.
En la cuarta acusación formal en Brooklyn, Estados Unidos versus Cardoza- Giraldo, 15 CR 305 (KAM), a Eduard Fernando Cardoza-Giraldo, también conocido como “Boliqueso”, se le acusa de narcotráfico internacional de cocaína por su papel controlando una oficina de cobros de deudas de drogas alineada con el CLAN ÚSUGA.
En total, se imputan cargos a 25 individuos en las investigaciones coordinadas entre las Oficinas de las Fiscalías Federales de Estados Unidos en Brooklyn y Miami. Todos los acusados contemplan una sentencia máxima de cadena perpetua si se les condena por todos los cargos en su contra. Ciertos individuos nombrados en las acusaciones formales abiertas hoy también tienen cargos en otras Oficinas de Fiscalías Federales de los Estados Unidos. Estos casos son el resultado de esfuerzos continuos por parte del Grupo Conjunto de Trabajo Contra el Crimen Organizado de Narcotráfico (OCDETF), una asociación entre agencias de orden público a nivel federal, estatal y local. La misión de OCDETF es identificar, investigar y procesar a miembros de alto nivel de las empresas narcotraficantes, uniendo y vinculando las pericias y capacidades únicas de las fuerzas de orden público federales, estatales y locales.
Los encargados de procesar los casos en el Distrito Este de Nueva York son los Fiscales Federales Adjuntos de los Estados Unidos Steven L. Tiscione, Gina M. Parlovecchio, y Margaret Lee, de la Sección de la Oficina Encargada de Narcóticos y Lavado de Activos Internacionales.
El encargado de procesar los casos en el Distrito Sur de la Florida es el Fiscal Federal Adjunto de los Estados Unidos Michael Nadler, de la Sección de Narcóticos de la Oficina.
Una acusación formal es un documento formal de cargos que le informa al acusado de los cargos en su contra. Todas las personas imputadas en una acusación formal gozan de la presunción de la inocencia hasta que se pruebe su culpabilidad.
Detroit man convicted of oxycodone traffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Markus Deanthony Franklin, 22, of Detroit, Michigan, was convicted today of prescription painkiller trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Franklin, also known as “Diego,” sold oxycodone in Monongalia County, West Virginia in September 2014. He pled guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Oxycodone.” 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 Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John S. Kaull presided.
Department of Justice Filed Charges on more than 2,700 Human Smugglers in Fiscal Year 2014Read the Press Release
Between 2009 and 2014, More Than 18,000 Individuals Charged With Human Smuggling by Federal Prosecutors
The Justice Department is committed to using its resources to bring to justice those that are breaking the law by smuggling migrants into the United States. In Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14, Oct. 1, 2013, up to Sept. 30, 2014), the Justice Department filed criminal charges against 2,762 individuals for human smuggling or harboring immigrants. Nearly 90 percent of the criminal charges filed in FY14 for smuggling took place in Texas (1,515), California (511), Arizona (394), Florida (75) and New York (31). The announcement of these actions is just one part of ongoing, collaborative efforts to tackle unlawful migration. These efforts also helped to address last year’s influx of Central American migrants, including unaccompanied children and families crossing into the Rio Grande Valley, and demonstrate a continued commitment to dismantling human smuggling operations that put so many lives at risk.
Individuals that facilitate smuggling acts need to be aware that they face criminal prosecution and fines. They also need to be aware of the dangers faced by the individuals that are being smuggled and also that the Department of Justice will seek forfeiture of funds transferred to others in connection with a smuggling crime. In addition, individuals trying to bring a family member to the United States by transferring funds to a coyote should be aware that those acts are against the law and their funds can be seized by the federal government.
The penalty for human smuggling if done for commercial benefit is up to 10 years in prison and an accompanying fine. For example, in January, Ruth Fernandez Morales-Lopez pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle of the Southern District of Texas to bringing in and harboring aliens and money laundering. Morales-Lopez admitted that she was the person who decided, based on whether they paid their smuggling fees, which individuals could stay at the “stash house,” located in San Benito, Texas. She further admitted that more than $1 million in her bank account was comprised of smuggling fees and that she structured her withdrawals from that account to circumvent the Bank Secrecy Act. Morales-Lopez faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the smuggling charge and up to 20 years for money laundering. The remaining five defendants in the case, all of whom pleaded guilty, each face up to 10 years of federal imprisonment.
Many of the stories revealed in court cases outline the severe examples of exploitation and violence against migrants. For example, in April 2014, a federal jury in Del Rio, Texas, convicted Eduardo Rocha Sr., 44, for his role in a human smuggling ring operation in Carrizo Springs, Texas, known for torturing its victims and exploiting their families. The evidence presented during the trial showed that Rocha Sr. extorted additional money from family members of migrants that already lived in the United States. In some instances, he ordered his accomplices to subject migrants to brutal violence and mutilation while their family members were forced to listen over the phone.
The Justice Department has a long history of working with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal partners to investigate and prosecute human smugglers. These collaborative efforts lead to prosecutions of those responsible for the illegal entry of individuals, including unaccompanied minors. The string of human smuggling convictions on the southwest border emphasizes the federal law enforcement resources being brought to bear to dismantle and disrupt these dangerous, criminal operations. Human smuggling acts can also lead to extremely dangerous circumstances that pose a public safety threat and significant humanitarian concerns. Many of the cases prosecuted by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country involve migrants who have been kidnapped, taken hostage, beaten, sexually assaulted, threatened or who have actually died as a result of living under some of the most perilous conditions.
Tragic stories have become all too familiar along the southwest border. In October 2014, for example, Carlos Hernandez-Palma and Fernando Armenta-Romero were apprehended and sentenced for their role in the death of an undocumented immigrant woman that they abandoned in the wilderness of Otay Mountain near the San Diego border. Court records revealed that the woman’s husband pleaded with the smugglers, to no avail, to call for assistance for his pregnant wife after she became gravely ill during the venture. It would be several days before the U.S. Border Patrol found his wife’s body. Her cause of death was attributed to hyperglycemia from being diabetic and hypothermia from environmental exposure.
In addition, the Justice Department is working with countries like Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico to identify and prosecute smugglers who are aiding unaccompanied children crossing the U.S. border. The coordinated efforts also target facilitators operating in foreign countries.
These ongoing enforcement efforts started before last year’s surge of unaccompanied minors and the Justice Department will continue to be vigilant in bringing smugglers to justice. In the years 2009 to 2014, the Justice Department charged more than 18,000 defendants with smuggling or harboring immigrants.
Delaware Man Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Sexually Abusing 13-Year-Old D.C. GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Sanders III, 22, of Dover, Delaware, was sentenced today to ten years in prison on a felony charge stemming from his sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Sanders pled guilty in April 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of first-degree child sexual abuse. He was sentenced by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. Upon completion of his prison term, Sanders will be placed on 5 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s factual proffer at the plea hearing, during April of 2014, Sanders came to live with a relative in Southeast Washington. The victim was on spring break from school that week, and was visiting relatives in the same household. During that week, Sanders engaged in several sexual acts with the girl. The conduct was discovered by family members via text messages that Sanders and the victim had sent to one another.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division, which investigated the case, as well as the staff of Safe Shores, which interviewed the victim. He also expressed appreciation for the specialized medical treatment provided by the team of child abuse experts at the Freddie Mac Child and Adolescent Protection Center at the Children’s National Medical Center. In addition, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key; Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Dallas Woman Admits Role in March 2014 Heroin Overdose Death of Dallas TeenagerRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A 25-year-old Dallas woman is the latest defendant to appear in federal court and plead guilty to a felony drug offense stemming from her role in the March 2014 heroin overdose death of a Dallas teenage girl, Rian Hannah Lashley, announced John Parker, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Kathryn Grace Dirks, a/k/a “Kat,” appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin. Dirks of the third of four defendants charged in the case to plead guilty. Last month, Glen William Brunton, 28, pleaded guilty to the same offense, and in March 2015, Cierra Allyn Rounds, 27, did the same. Each faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine. Dirks is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay on October 19, 2015; Brunton is scheduled to be sentenced on October 5, 2015; and Rounds is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2015.
The remaining defendant in the case, Jimison Erik Coleman, 36, is set for trial before Judge Lindsay on August 3, 2015. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin; one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, the use of which resulted in the death and serious bodily injury of Lashley; and one count of distribution of heroin, the use of which resulted in the death and serious bodily injury of Lashley.
According to documents filed in the case, Dirks admitted that in 2013 and part of 2014, she was involved in a romantic relationship with co-defendant Coleman. In addition to being her boyfriend, Coleman also acted as Dirks’ primary source of supply for heroin, methamphetamine, Xanax and other drugs. During the time they were together, Coleman routinely distributed drugs, including heroin, MDMA and prescription drugs to dancers and patrons at a Dallas strip bar where Dirks worked. Dirks admitted that, on occasion, she assisted Coleman by directing customers who were interested in purchasing drugs to him, and in return, Coleman provided Dirks with heroin and other drugs to support her drug addiction.
During the early morning hours of March 25, 2014, Dirks, Coleman and Lashley traveled from an apartment complex to an IHOP restaurant in Plano, Texas. After arriving at the restaurant, Dirks, Coleman and Lashley were joined by co-defendants Brunton and Rounds. While sitting in a booth, the group ate breakfast and discussed traveling to a music festival in Miami, Florida.
Later that morning, according to the factual resume, in a parking lot near the IHOP, Coleman delivered five baggies of “China White” heroin to Brunton, and Brunton subsequently distributed the heroin to Lashley in exchange for approximately $120.00. Prior to March 25, 2014, Lashley had never used heroin.
After acquiring the heroin, Dirks, Rounds and Lashley left the IHOP in Lashley’s vehicle and travelled to a residence in Dallas where Rounds lived. Coleman and Brunton left in a separate vehicle.
Once the group arrived at the residence, the three went inside, and once inside, Dirks and Rounds, at Lashley’s request, took possession of the heroin originally supplied by Coleman and Brunton and used a syringe to inject the heroin into the Lashley. Later that morning, Lashley began showing signs of distress and eventually stopped breathing. Dirks admitted she and Rounds tried to resuscitate Lashley, to try to reverse the effects of the heroin, by placing Lashley in a bathtub filled with water and ice. Lashley was eventually placed on a couch where she appeared to go to sleep.
Dirks admitted she took $3000.00 in cash belonging to Lashley and that she left the residence with Coleman shortly after Lashley was placed on the couch. Lashley died later that afternoon, and an autopsy concluded that she died as a result of the toxic effects of heroin.
A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty.
The Dallas Police Department, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Buena Park Police Department are investigating. Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy are prosecuting.
Dakota City Woman Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Lupe Cortez, 35, of Dakota City, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 22, 2015, to 51 months in prison by United States District Judge Laurie Smith Camp. Cortez had previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine for her involvement in a conspiracy to distribute multiple pounds of methamphetamine in the South Sioux City, Nebraska, area. After serving her sentence Cortez will be required to serve a Term of Supervised Release of 5years.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Nebraska State Patrol.
Crestview Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA –Paul R. Bloom, 31, of Crestview, pled guilty today to production and receipt of child pornography. The plea was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
During his plea, Bloom admitted to using a publicly available peer-to-peer file sharing network to receive child pornography. During February and March 2015, undercover law enforcement agents downloaded sexually explicit video files that were traced to Bloom’s residence. Agents executed a federal search warrant at Bloom residence and seized multiple pieces of digital media, including laptops and external hard drives. An on-scene forensic review of the digital media revealed large amounts of child pornography. While interviewing Bloom and reviewing the seized evidence, law enforcement agents determined that Bloom produced child pornography in his own home. The child pornography produced by Bloom involved a nine-year-old female. A final forensic review of Bloom’s digital media revealed more than 850 videos and 2,000 images of child pornography that he had received and/or shared over the last few years.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2015, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. For the production of child pornography, Bloom faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison, life on supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. For the receipt of child pornography, Bloom faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, life on supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Pensacola Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, [email protected]Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on 1992 Conviction for Conspiracy to Distribute LSDRead the Press Release
A man who was a fugitive from justice for almost twenty-one years was sentenced June 22, 2015, to more than ten years in federal prison.
Matthew West, age 50, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 3, 1992, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD).
Evidence at trial showed that, between October 1990 and October 1991, West obtained around 12,000 hits of LSD from out-of-state sources. West sold the LSD to others who redistributed the LSD in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Following the guilty verdict, West was ordered detained pending sentencing but was released in August 1993 when a request for new trial was granted. When West failed to appear for a detention hearing in April 1994, a warrant was issued for his arrest. West turned himself in on that warrant on December 27, 2014. The order granting a new trial was overturned on appeal in June 1994 while West was a fugitive.
West was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. West was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment and fined $6,000. A special assessment of $50 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
West is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 92-CR-0023.
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Carrolltown Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Heroin Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Carrolltown, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison and five years supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to possess and distribute heroin, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on William S. Rounsley, 22.
According to information presented to the court, from April 2012 to March 8, 2013, Rounsley conspired with his five co-defendants to possess and distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rounsley.
Carnegie Man Sentenced for Possession of CocaineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Carnegie, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to three months in prison and three years supervised release on his conviction of possession of cocaine, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Brian J. Wimbley, 43.
According to information presented to the court, on Jan. 26, 2012, Wimbley possessed less than 500 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute it.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wimbley.
Carlsbad Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Larry Allen Jennings, 50, of Carlsbad, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 46 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Jennings was arrested on April 17, 2014, on a criminal complaint alleging that he unlawfully possessed drug paraphernalia, firearms and ammunition on Jan. 17, 2014, in Eddy County, N.M. Jennings subsequently was indicted on July 16, 2014, and charged with unlawfully possessing ten firearms and approximately 1,177rounds of ammunition. At the time, Jennings was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, aggravated assault, and bribery of a witness.
On Oct. 23, 2014, Jennings entered a guilty plea to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department and Artesia Police Department and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force. 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.
Buffalo Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Alicia Maghett, 51, of Lackawanna, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, hydrocodone, before U.S. Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $500,000 fine.Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that between October 2013 and February 25, 2014, the defendant conspired with Troy Cooley and Markiel Hall to sell hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance, in the City of Buffalo.
Also charged in this case are co-defendants Anthony McCutcheon, Troy Cooley, Deandre Sparks, Williams Jefferson, Markiel Hall, Morrell Buster, Andre Owens and Carmella Rivera. Sparks, Hall and Owens have been convicted. Charges are pending against McCutcheon, Cooley Jefferson, Buster, and Rivera. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Michel.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for MurderRead the Press Release
JOHNNIE JEFFERSON, also known as “Jeezy,” 24, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 264 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in the October 2012 murder of Dawayne Cobb in Bridgeport.
According to court documents and statements made in court, JEFFERSON and Trumaine Hearst devised a plan to rob Dawayne Cobb of marijuana. On October 10, 2012, JEFFERSON and Hearst drove to the vicinity of 220 Sunshine Circle to meet Cobb and robbed from him at gunpoint a jar containing approximately two ounces of marijuana. Although Cobb offered no resistance, Hearst shot him twice. JEFFERSON and Hearst transported the stolen marijuana to a Bridgeport residence and subsequently distributed it amongst themselves and others.
Later that day, Cobb was discovered in the driver seat of his idling vehicle. He had gunshot wounds in his shoulder and abdomen.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to addressing violence in the inner city whenever and wherever it appears,” stated U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with local police departments and the FBI in prioritizing those responsible for gun violence. Our hearts go out to the family of Dawayne Cobb for their tragic loss. This young man was struck down in the prime of his life over a small amount of marijuana. This sentence makes clear that defendants responsible for such lawless cruelty will be held accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing serves to warn those engaged in violent criminal activity that the Safe Streets Task Force is committed to bringing violent offenders to justice,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Patricia M. Ferrick. “We have zero tolerance for gun violence, and we will continue to work side by side with our law enforcement partners so that tragedies like this will one day become obsolete.”
“Today sends a clear message that gun violence won’t ever be tolerated in Bridgeport, and the people who commit it will face the consequences,” stated Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett, Jr. “Our detectives did outstanding work in this case to bring justice to Mr. Cobb’s family and work closely with both state and federal prosecutors to ensure that criminals are held accountable to the highest level when they commit gun violence in our city. We owe that and more to the kids and families who live, work and play in Bridgeport every day.”
On November 3, 2014, JEFFERSON pleaded guilty to one count of causing the death of Dawayne Cobb through the use of a firearm.
Hearst pleaded guilty to the same charge on November 10, 2014. On May 19, 2015, he was sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment.
JEFFERSON and Hearst have been detained since July 16, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Daly noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their sentenced term of imprisonment and are not eligible for parole.
This matter was investigated by Bridgeport Police Department and the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Dayton and Rahul Kale.
Alpharetta Business Owner Convicted of Defrauding NASA and National Science Foundation of Almost $800,000Read the Press Release
ATLANTA – Craig D. Near and Genziko, Inc., of Alpharetta, Georgia, were convicted by a federal jury Friday, June 19, 2015, on seven counts of wire fraud and two counts of filing false claims against the United States, all relating to a procurement fraud scheme targeting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
“For years this defendant supported himself and his family in a suburban lifestyle, with practically his only earnings being the fruits of his scheme defrauding the government,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John Horn. “The Small Business Innovation Research Program, which Near defrauded, supports technological innovation by investing federal research funds in critical priorities. Near’s scheme diverted funds that should have been used for these important goals.”
“The NASA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring aggressive oversight of taxpayer funds used for scientific research by NASA contractors and grantees,” said Paul Martin, NASA Inspector General.
“The Small Business Innovation Research Program sets aside funds to support small companies that conduct innovative research. These convictions of guilt on nine counts, including wire fraud and false claims, send a strong signal to anyone who would seek to defraud this program and divert taxpayer dollars intended for scientific research to personal use. I commend the U.S. Attorney’s office and our investigative partners for their work on this case,” said Allison Lerner, the National Science Foundation Inspector General.
“The United States Secret Service and our law enforcement partners take an aggressive approach towards investigating individuals who commit fraud to illegally enrich themselves. We will continue to work closely with prosecutors to ensure offenders are put behind bars,” said Reginald G. Moore, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: From approximately June 2008 to June 2014, Near submitted numerous fraudulent grant and contract proposals to various federal agencies seeking funds for scientific research. Near submitted all of the proposals through his company, Genziko. All of the proposals falsely stated that Genziko had multiple employees. The proposals also listed the credentials of an apparently impressive management team with many years of experience in the relevant scientific and engineering specialties, without the knowledge or consent of several of those individuals.
Some of the proposals also contained fraudulent budgets. Near, through Genziko, Inc., inserted a variety of fake costs into the fraudulent budgets, including salaries for engineers and technicians who were not needed to accomplish the research work. Near pocketed the salaries for these “phantom employees” and also collected inflated overhead and general and administrative costs from the government based on their fictitious wages. At the same time, Near pocketed money earmarked for the university subcontractors and scientist consultants who actually completed work on the research projects. Taken together, these fraudulent techniques allowed Near and Genziko, Inc., to conceal the fact that they were making profits ranging from 79 to 197 percent on the three proposals that were actually granted by the government. These profits were far in excess of the seven percent maximum that was allowed for these contracts by the NSF and NASA.
In sum, Near and Genziko, Inc., received almost $800,000 in federal research funds on the three granted proposals. Rather than using the money for the scientific research for which it was intended, Near spent it almost entirely on personal expenses such as mortgage payments, private school tuition for his children, vacations, shopping, and large money wires to family and friends overseas.
Sentencing has been scheduled for 10:00 am on September 1, 2015, before United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash.
This case is being investigated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alana R. Black and Lynsey M. Barron are prosecuting the case.
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 home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
APRN Admits Receiving Kickbacks from Drug Company for Prescribing Pain MedicationRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HEATHER ALFONSO, 42, of Middlebury, waived her right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to receiving kickbacks in relation to a federal healthcare program.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ALFONSO was employed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) at Comprehensive Pain and Headache Treatment Center (CPHTC) located in Derby. As part of her practice, ALFONSO prescribed various controlled substances to clients of the treatment center.
The investigation revealed that ALFONSO was a heavy prescriber of a drug that is used to treat cancer pain. A review of Medicare Part D prescription drug events for prescribers of the drug showed that ALFONSO was responsible for more than $1 million in claims and was the highest prescriber of the drug in Connecticut. Interviews with several of ALFONSO’s patients, who are Medicare Part D beneficiaries and who were prescribed the drug, revealed that most of them did not have cancer, but were taking the drug to treat their chronic pain. Medicare and most private insurers will not pay for the drug unless the patient has an active cancer diagnosis and an explanation that the drug is needed to manage the patient’s cancer pain.
The investigation further revealed that the manufacturer of the drug paid ALFONSO as a speaker for more than 70 dinner programs at a rate of approximately $1,000 per event. In many instances, the dinner programs were only attended by ALFONSO and a sales representative for the drug manufacturer. In other instances, the programs were attended by individuals, including office staff and friends, who did not have licenses to prescribe controlled substances. For the majority of these dinner programs, ALFONSO did not give any kind of presentation about the drug at all.
From January 2013 until March 2015, ALFONSO was paid $83,000 by the drug manufacturer. In pleading guilty, ALFONSO admitted that the money she was paid influenced her prescribing of the drug.
The charge of receipt of kickbacks in relation to a federal healthcare program carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000. Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for September 17, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Daly stated that the investigation is ongoing.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Squad. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas P. Morabito and Richard M. Molot
U.S. Attorney Daly encouraged individuals who suspect health care fraud to report it by calling the Health Care Fraud Task Force (203) 785-9270 or 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
22 Individuals Charged in Superseding Indictment for Drug Trafficking in the Municipality of CaguasRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 19, 2015, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a superseding indictment against 22 defendants charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), Caguas Strike Force, are in charge of the investigation.
On August 7, 2013, federal and state authorities arrested 139 individuals from several areas in the municipality of Caguas. These individuals were charged in four separate indictments. Seventy-nine of those charged were part of a drug trafficking organization which operated in the Turabo Heights Public Housing Project. Today, law enforcement authorities executed 22 arrest warrants against the individuals who continued operating the drug points at Turabo Heights, after the arrests in 2013.
The superseding indictment charges 22 individuals for conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), heroin, cocaine, marihuana, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet) and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), all within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising the Turabo Heights Public Housing Project, a housing facility owned by a public housing authority, and other areas nearby and within the Municipality of Caguas, Puerto Rico.
During the span of the conspiracy, in order to be able to operate a drug point at Turabo Heights, “rent” would be paid to the leaders of the drug trafficking organization and their family members. As part of the manner and means of the conspiracy, control of the drug points at Turabo Heights was, obtained and maintained by the use of force, violence, and intimidation. The drug points operated twenty-four (24) hours a day in 3 shifts per day, including a “midnight marihuana” shift. Facilitators would act as intermediaries in drug sale transactions when clients opted not to enter the housing project.
The leader of the organization, José A. García-Cosme, aka “Papo Cachete” was arrested in August of 2013 during the first round of arrests involving this organization. During his absence from the Turabo Heights Public Housing Project, García-Cosme maintained control of the drug points through individuals and co-defendants directly designated by him. These individuals managed the daily activities of the drug points, the execution of the main leader’s orders, the collection of payments or “rent” from the different drug point owners, and the safe delivery of those payments or “rent” directly to the leader.
The superseding indictment also alleges that the co-conspirators had many roles in order to further the goals of the conspiracy, including: the leader, José A. García-Cosme, aka “Papo Cachete”; suppliers; enforcers; runners; sellers; and facilitators. Defendants Juan R. Matos-Vázquez, aka “Juan Cabezón;” Israel Arroyo-Serrano, aka “Pacho;” Alfredo Rivera-Flores, aka “Mamita;” and Raymond O. Díaz, aka “Ratón,” are also facing one charge of conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The other defendants are: Ramón L. Massa-González, aka “Flaco;” Luz E. García-Cosme, aka “La Vieja;” Gabriel Arroyo-Serrano, aka “Gloty;” Carlos Andrés García-Cintrón, aka “Carlitos;” Luis Montañez-Matos, aka “Tío Baúl;” Ricardo Pastrana-Tollens, aka “Ricky;” Héctor I. Llorens-Ruiz, aka “Cuajo;” Julio Velázquez-Báez, aka “Mueca;” Israel Banks-Jiménez, aka “Cascarita;” Javier Colón-González, aka “Loquillo;” John Martir-Rosado, aka “Al Qaeda;” Xavier Martínez, aka “Manota;” Jessamine Román-Rosa, aka “Katty;” Christian Colón-Agosto, aka “Loco Hugo;” Miguel Benítez-Benítez, aka “Bebeto;” Raynaldo Vázquez-Centeno, aka “Shamu;” and Neftalí Gómez-Dones. The defendants are facing a forfeiture allegation of forty-five million dollars.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alberto López-Rocafort and Teresa Zapata-Valladares are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The defendants were the targets of a long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDEFT) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Monday 22 June 2015
Winnebago Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Lawrence A. Smith, age 20, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced for his conviction for failing to register as a sex offender. Chief United States District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp sentenced Smith to 18 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Smith is required to register as a sex offender for life as a result of his prior conviction in the District of Nebraska for a sexual assault. Although Smith did register in Sioux City, Iowa, while he was at a halfway house, he failed to register when he left the facility and went to live on the Omaha Indian Reservation.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service.
Waycross Man Sentenced to 286 Months for Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Waycross, GA – Jacques Donte Taylor, 24, of Waycross, Georgia, was sentenced today to 286 months in prison by Chief United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood following his plea of guilty to a charge of coercion and enticement of a child under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activity. The prison term will be followed by a 15 year term of supervised release. Taylor will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Taylor pleaded guilty to the offense on December 8, 2014.
Evidence developed during the investigation revealed that Taylor communicated via Facebook with a twelve-year-old minor female. These communications led to the production of child pornography and the eventual coercion and enticement of the minor to engage in sex acts with him on two occasions. Taylor’s co-defendant, Donnel Cornelius Shavers, 23, also of Waycross, was sentenced by Chief Judge Wood on April 20, 2015 to 300 month’s imprisonment to be followed by a life term of supervised release following his pleas of guilty to charges of production of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a child.
United States Attorney Edward Tarver said, “This investigation again demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively prosecute individuals who are involved in predatory and exploitative acts directed at children. The conduct of these individuals was abusive and exploitative. The victims of their behavior were minors who had their innocence and childhood stolen from them. Clearly, the conduct of these defendants was deplorable. We cannot and will not tolerate these types of offenses. The pattern of predatory behavior shown by both Taylor and Shavers is one of the many disturbing components of their criminal conduct and the lengthy sentence given to each by the Court is completely justified.”
“HSI investigations involving child exploitation fall under Operation Predator, and this case is a clear demonstration of why we use the title of predator for those who seek to victimize the innocent,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, acting special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Atlanta. “The defendants in this case used social media to stalk their prey, entice them to produce child pornography and then coerce them into meeting for the purposes of sexual assault. Law enforcement has identified several victims of this scheme.”
Ware County Sheriff Randy F. Royal said, “I am proud of our investigator who began the initial investigation, which led to Mr. Taylor’s arrest. I am prouder still of the level of support and the spirit of cooperation between our agency and Homeland Security Investigations, which afforded the manpower and resources needed to broaden the scope of the investigation so that all the victims in this case will get the opportunity for justice.”
This prosecution was the result of a joint investigation by the Ware County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Crumby, Karl Knoche and Joseph Newman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Takoma Park Armed Robbery and Carjacking ShootingsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Tonnie Deonte Floyd, age 23, of Washington, D.C., today to 222 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for robbery, discharging a gun during the robbery and carjacking, in connection with an armored car robbery and a carjacking in which a victim was shot in the head and arm.
The sentenced was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; the members of the FBI Cross Border Task Force - Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. McCabe of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office; Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Cathy L. Lanier of the Metropolitan Police Department; and by Chief Alan Goldberg of the Takoma Park Police Department.
According to his plea agreement and court documents, on October 26, 2012, Floyd, Anthony Cannon, and Marcellus Freeman, driving a stolen Jeep, followed a Garda Cash Logistics armored transport vehicle to the Cricket store located in the 1300 block of University Boulevard East, Takoma Park, Maryland. A Garda employee went into the store and picked up a bag containing $3,911. As the employee returned to the armored truck, he was confronted by two co-conspirators with guns. The Garda employee dropped the money bag and at least one co-conspirator fired a gun at the employee. The employee shot back. One of the co-conspirators picked up the money bag. The co-conspirators ran back to the stolen Jeep. As the co-conspirators drove away, the employee continued to fire his handgun at the Jeep, striking a tire and the back window. Floyd was wounded in the shoulder during the gunfire.
The co-conspirators left the Jeep in a neighborhood nearby because it had a flat tire as a result of the shooting. They saw a man entering a vehicle, and shot the man in the arm and head, causing permanent and life-threatening bodily injury, then stole his vehicle. They drove the vehicle into the District of Columbia, where they set it on fire.
Marcellus Ramone Freeman, a/k/a Derrick Relando Pitts, age 24, also of Washington, D.C., previously pleaded guilty to robbery, discharging a gun during the robbery and carjacking. Freeman and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts his plea agreement, Freeman will be sentenced to between 241 months and 30 years in prison at his sentencing on July 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.
A federal jury convicted Anthony Terrell Cannon, age 26, of Washington, D.C., on September 12, 2014 of conspiracy, robbery, carjacking, two counts of discharging a gun during a crime of violence and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. Cannon awaits sentencing.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI Baltimore and Washington Field Offices, the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Police Departments, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Takoma Park Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys William D. Moomau and Bryan E. Foreman, who prosecuted the case.
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to 10 Years on Federal Importation of Heroin ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Stacey Haynes (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated that Kenneth Crawford, Jr., age 42, of Washington, D.C. and formerly of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment today in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, after earlier pleading guilty to importation of 100 grams or more of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960(a)(1), 960(b)(2), and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., of Columbia imposed the sentence, which will be followed by 8 years of supervised release.
Crawford was one of 10 defendants charged in April 2014, following a series of court-authorized, DEA-monitored wiretaps over several telephones in the Columbia area. The investigation revealed that a group of individuals in the Columbia area were obtaining heroin from various sources outside of South Carolina and then distributing it in the Midlands. Evidence indicated that Crawford was involved in the 2011 and 2012 importation of heroin into the United States from India. Several packages destined for Crawford and containing heroin were intercepted by law enforcement during the investigation. Evidence further showed that the co-defendants later obtained heroin in New York and transported it back to Columbia where it was distributed. The New York heroin suppliers have been charged by the Eastern District of New York for their role in the drug conspiracy. Three of Crawford’s co-defendants have plead guilty to their role in the drug conspiracy here in South Carolina and have been sentenced as follows: Charles Bradley, age 32, of Columbia was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment with 6 years of supervised release to follow; Anthony Glover, age 40, of Columbia was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with 8 years of supervised release to follow; and Jessany Lyons, age 25, of Far Rockaway, New York, was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release. Co-defendant Eric Bradley has plead guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing. One co-defendant is awaiting trial and is presumed innocent. Four other co-defendants charged in the indictment remain fugitives.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) High Intensity Drug Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Secret Service, Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
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Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Concealing and Transferring Assets in BankruptcyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Farrell Larson, 67, of Meadow, Utah, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to one count of fraudulent transfer and concealment of assets in a bankruptcy, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Larson was charged by information on June 1, 2015, by the United States Attorney’s Office.
According to the plea agreement, Larson was the President and co-owner of Select Onion and Larson Land Company, LLC, which operated an onion farm and onion processing plant in Ontario, Oregon. Larson Land Company merged with Select Onion and filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the District of Idaho in 2012, with Larson signing as debtor. On April 19, 2012, the Honorable Terry L. Myers, Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Idaho, held that Larson could not utilize cash collateral of Larson Land Company or Select Onion. In his plea agreement, Larson admitted that on April 20 and 23, 2012, he caused a total of $56,000 in cash to be withdrawn from Select Onion bank accounts. The cash represented assets obtained by Select Onion after the filing of bankruptcy. The withdraws and subsequent transfer of the money was done without the knowledge or authorization of the bankruptcy court or trustee. In his plea agreement, Larson admitted to knowingly concealing assets from the trustee, his creditors, and the bankruptcy court with the intent to defraud.
A violation of fraudulent transfer and concealment of assets is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a special assessment of $100. The Court also may order restitution to the victims of the crime. As part of his plea, Larson agreed to forfeiture of at least $47,000 as proceeds of the charged offense.
Larson's sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
The case was investigated by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Union County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse over the InternetRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Linden, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for emailing multiple videos and pictures of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
John Ellenbacher, 49, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of distributing images of child pornography over the Internet. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Ellenbacher admitted that between Aug. 15, 2012, and Aug. 21, 2012, he distributed 90 images and six videos depicting child sexual abuse to others via email. During his plea hearing, Ellenbacher also admitted to possessing more than 600 images and videos of child pornography on computer devices seized by federal law enforcement agents when they executed a search warrant at his home on March 20, 2013.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Ellenbacher to lifetime supervised release. As part of his guilty plea, Ellenbacher agreed to forfeit the computers and computer accessories he used to commit the offense. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John P. Woods, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Candace Hom Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Two Plead Guilty to Debt Elimination SchemeRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Bill Watkins (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Jeffrey Scott Green, age 53, and Lisa Flaugher-Green, age 52, both of Easley, pled guilty today in federal court in Greenville, to a conspiracy to defraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. Senior United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong, Jr., of Greenville accepted the pleas and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that this was an Electronic Funds Transfer (“EFT”) debt elimination case. Various branches of the Sovereign Citizen movement, which denies the jurisdiction and authority of the federal government, teach that they can discharge debts by presenting a check written off a closed account. The debtor writes on the check “EFT Only for discharge of debt.” On the back he writes “authorized representative without recourse.” Sovereign-Citizen groups falsely teach that if the creditor accepts the instrument then the debt is discharged even though no money ever changes hands. The Defendants were part of a group that endorsed the use of EFT instruments.
It was a part of the scheme and artifice to defraud that Jeffrey Scott Green and Lisa Flaugher-Green wrote checks on closed accounts and noted on the checks “EFT only for discharge of debt.” They then would mail these bogus “EFT instruments” and accompanying documents to creditors in an effort to trick the creditors into issuing documents noting that the debt was paid in full. Once the creditor discovered the scam, Defendants would refuse further payment on the grounds of a discharge procured by “EFT instruments.” Agents estimate that the Defendants attempted to eliminate over half a million dollars in debt using the scheme.
Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty the Defendants can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for 20 years, plus a special assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Two Miami Men Sentenced for Armed & Violent Carjacking of IRS EmployeeRead the Press Release
Two Miami men were sentenced today for an armed and violent carjacking in Miami of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Melissa Chedotal, Special Agent in Charge, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Rene Landa, Chief, South Miami Police Department, J.D. Patterson, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), Rodolfo Llanes, Chief, City of Miami Police Department (MPD), and Daniel Oates, Miami Beach Police Department, made the announcement that Ernest Bernard Hammett, 22, and Carl Lee Williams, 23, both of Miami, were sentenced for committing an armed, violent carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2119(1) and 924(c)(1)(A)(i)-(ii).
Hammett was sentenced to a term of 25 years’ imprisonment. Williams was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. After release from imprisonment, Hammett will serve a term of 10 years of supervised release and Williams will serve a term of 5 years of supervised release. Both the defendants were also ordered to pay $35,023.25 in restitution.
According to statements made and documents filed in court, Hammett and Williams attacked the victim, an IRS employee, at a parking garage in South Miami on May 29, 2014. They forcibly took the victim’s property, including jewelry, a laptop computer, credit and debit cards and the victim’s vehicle. During the course of the carjacking, Hammett and Williams physically restrained, punched and choked the victim. The defendants also brandished and utilized a .40 caliber handgun to repeatedly strike the victim, causing the victim to suffer serious bodily injury. When another vehicle arrived in the garage, the victim escaped and notified security at the parking garage. Hammett and Williams then fled in the victim’s vehicle, which law enforcement promptly tracked to the Brownsville neighborhood of Miami. Hammett and Williams were arrested after attempting to flee on foot and toss the .40 caliber handgun. In addition to possessing some of the victim’s stolen property, the defendants were further identified through DNA evidence.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of members of the Violence Reduction Partnership, including TIGTA, ATF, FBI, South Miami Police Department, MDPD, MPD, and Miami Beach Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Sean T. McLaughlin and Anita White.
Through its Violence Reduction Partnership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal and local law enforcement allies have sought to dismantle the most violent criminal networks in various neighborhoods in the Southern District of Florida, while simultaneously working with community leaders and concerned citizens to mentor at-risk youth, provide job training, coordinate social services and support the reintegration of ex-offenders (returning citizens) to the community.
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 Colombian Nationals Sentenced for Conspiring to Import Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Involved in the production and shipment of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine
NORFOLK, Va. – Hermes Andrade Quintero, 45, of Medellin, Colombia, was sentenced today to 164 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine for the purpose of importation into the United States. His co-conspirator Osvaldo Jose Lopez Herrera, 37, of Ayapel Cordoba, Colombia, was sentenced to a term of 156 months, followed by five years of supervised release, for the same charge.
Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Office; and John S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Andrade Quintero and Lopez Herrera pleaded guilty on March 12 and 23, 2015, respectively, to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine for the purpose of importation into the United States. According to court documents, both men are associates of the Bacrim Los Urabeños, and admitted to their roles in the production of large quantities of cocaine in Colombia, and the subsequent transport of the cocaine to other members of the conspiracy for the eventual importation into the United States. Within the conspiracy, Andrade Quintero was responsible for constructing and operating a cocaine laboratory, transporting loads of cocaine, finding sellers of cocaine to fill orders, and coordinating payment for various loads of narcotics. Over the course of his two-year involvement in the conspiracy, he was attributed with the production and distribution of nearly 900 kilograms of cocaine. Lopez Herrera’s role was that of a courier, transporting several hundred kilograms of cocaine at a time to the Colombian coast, where additional co-conspirators exported it to the United States and elsewhere. All told, during the four years he worked with the conspiracy, Lopez Herrera was involved in the transportation of 2,300 kilograms of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Norfolk Resident Office and Bogota, Colombia Country Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Colombian National Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys V. Kathleen Dougherty and Kevin M. Comstock are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:13cr122.
Twenty Sentenced in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Twenty people indicted in December 2013 have been sentenced in U.S. District Court as of today for participating in a drug trafficking organization in Central Ohio.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Joseph P. Reagan, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the sentences.
The sentences are a result of a year-long investigation into the organization by local, state and federal law enforcement.
The organization was responsible for distributing cocaine, oxycodone, crack cocaine and marijuana in the central Ohio area. Some members of the organization, including some convicted felons, possessed firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking activities. The group supplied drug distributors with firearms to protect the distributors, the drug supply and proceeds from potential robberies. Firearms were placed in strategic places in various locations to intimidate potential robbers.
According to court documents, members of the group would torture and threaten individuals with serious physical harm who were perceived as owing money or drugs to members of – or individuals who were seen as potential witnesses against – the drug conspiracy.
Some of the defendants would launder their drug trafficking proceeds by exchanging tens of thousands of dollars for casino chips at Hollywood Casino in Columbus.
Jermonte M. Fletcher was also indicted on drug, firearm and money laundering charges in connection with the group. He was fatally injured during a shootout with law enforcement agents in Columbus on January 27, 2015. Fletcher had been facing a statutory mandatory minimum of 115 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Stewart acknowledged the cooperative investigation by the FBI, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff, DEA, ATF, the Ohio Casino Control Commission, and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers and Kevin Kelley, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe with Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who prosecuted the case.
Three men sentenced on child pornography casesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS-United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today the sentencing of three men for child pornography stemming from cases in the Southern District of Indiana.
John D. Gries, 48, Bayshore, New York,
James McCullars, 56, Huntsville, Alabama,
Brian K Chandler 36, Kokomo, Indiana
McCullars was sentenced to life in prison, must pay a $50,000 fine to the victims and had his house forfeited; Gries was sentenced to 30 years, both by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Chandler was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison by U. S. District Judge William T. Lawrence.
“These three men have made a career out of sexually abusing and exploiting children,” said Minkler. “The consequence for Mr. McCullars is that he will never get out of prison alive and never again exploit children again. If Mr. Gries and Mr. Chandler survive their prison sentences, they will hopefully be too old to exploit children.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Gries and McCullars operated their conspiracy for over 11 years from 2000 to 2012, without being detected by law enforcement. They operated various members-only online chat rooms dedicated to the advertisement, distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. The trial evidence, as well as admissions by other defendants prosecuted in connection with “Operation Rounder,” showed that McCullars, Gries and other members of the conspiracy used these chat rooms and a number of online servers to expand their personal collections of materials depicting the exploitation of children, and sought to evade law enforcement through the use of sophisticated data encryption software.
Operation Rounder has rescued nearly 100 children around the world who have been identified as victims of abuse. Other defendants who have been convicted in connection with this investigation include:
John Edwards, 62, of Indianapolis, sentenced to 17.5 years;
Thomas Vaughn, 45, of Anderson, Indiana, sentenced to 11 years;
John Rex Powell, 43, of Fort Myers, Florida, sentenced to 30 years;
Donald Printup, 36, of Niagara Falls, New York, sentenced to 14 years;
Michael Fredette, 46, of Waterford, New York, sentenced to 27 years;
Robert Guillen, 43, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, sentenced to 14 years;
David Bebetu, 51, of Agoura Hills, California, sentenced to 12.5 years;
Stephen Harvey Dault, 48, of McKinney, Texas, sentenced to 17 years; and
Rick Ricardo Leon, 53, of Arlington, Virginia, sentenced to 12.5 years.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police with assistance from the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Department of Justice’s High Technology Investigative Unit, as a part of Project Safe Childhood. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Amy Larson of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Senior Litigation Counsel Steven D. DeBrota of the Southern District of Indiana.
In an unrelated case, Brian K. Chandler was convicted of five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, five counts of distribution of child pornography and registered sex offender charges.
Between July 20, 2013, and August 2, 2013, Chandler enticed a minor boy which he had occasional custody of, to engage in sexually explicit conduct, then recorded that activity on his cell phone for later distribution. Chandler produced seven videos of the molestation, and was required to register as a sex offender during the period of his criminal activity.
It was also determined through forensic technology that Chandler possessed hundreds of other pornographic images and distributed them to others in his network to view. Chandler was convicted of possession of child pornography in Howard County Circuit Court in 2004 and 2011. He was required to register as a sex offender from his convictions and did not.
The Chandler case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Indiana State Police and the Kokomo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. McCormick.
Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Summer camps and the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Indianapolis –As summer is officially upon us, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler wants to remind camp organizers and parents that all children are welcome to attend camps, especially those with disabilities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is circulating a flyer to hundreds of summer camps located within the Southern District of Indiana reminding them of their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
Under the ADA, summer camps, both private and those run by municipalities, must make reasonable modifications to enable campers with disabilities to participate fully in all camp programs and activities. This generally means that children with disabilities are entitled to attend any camp or activity that non-disabled children attend, that camps must evaluate each child on an individual basis, and that camps must train their staff in the requirements of the ADA. Camps are obligated to pay for the cost of any reasonable modifications necessary for disabled children to participate in camp activities, and parents should not be charged any additional fee beyond standard camp enrollment costs.
“Summer camps present tremendous growth opportunities for children to learn independence, try new activities and gain self-confidence,” Minkler said. “The law requires camps to provide equal opportunities to disabled children whose needs can be reasonably accommodated.”
Additional information about the ADA is available at www.ada.gov, the ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (Voice) and (800) 514-0383 (TTY) or by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (317) 226-6333, Toll-Free (888) 368-5067, TTY (317) 226-5438 or via e-mail at [email protected].
Statements of Head of the Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York on the Agreement in Principle Regarding Rikers IslandRead the Press Release
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Head of the Civil Rights Division, issued the following statement today in connection with the agreement in principle in Nunez v. City of New York embodied in the attached letter filed today with the court:
“The Civil Rights Division is committed to transformative reform at Rikers Island. We are deeply encouraged by this agreement in principle. We are also grateful to have worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this landmark civil rights case, a model for corrections reform throughout the country.”
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York issued the following statement in connection with the agreement in principle among the parties in Nunez v. City of New York:
“I have repeatedly made clear our unwavering commitment to enduring and enforceable reform at Rikers Island. Today, we have reached a groundbreaking agreement in principle with city officials, subject to ultimate approval by the court. This comprehensive framework requires the city to implement sweeping operational changes to fix a broken system and dismantle a decades-long culture of violence. Its ongoing implementation will be overseen by the court and an independent federal monitor. Federal prosecutors will remain vigilant to ensure that the Constitution protects each and every person within the walls of Rikers Island.”
Statements of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and Head of the Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta on Agreement in Principle Regarding Rikers IslandRead the Press Release
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara issued the following statement today in connection with the agreement in principle among the parties in Nunez v. City of New York embodied in the attached letter filed today with the court:
“I have repeatedly made clear our unwavering commitment to enduring and enforceable reform at Rikers Island. Today, we have reached a groundbreaking agreement in principle with City officials, subject to ultimate approval by the Court. This comprehensive framework requires the City to implement sweeping operational changes to fix a broken system and dismantle a decades-long culture of violence. Its ongoing implementation will be overseen by the Court and an independent federal monitor. Federal prosecutors will remain vigilant to ensure that the Constitution protects each and every person within the walls of Rikers Island.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Head of the Civil Rights Division, issued the following statement today:
“The Civil Rights Division is committed to transformative reform at Rikers Island. We are deeply encouraged by this agreement in principle. We are also grateful to have worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this landmark civil rights case, a model for corrections reform throughout the country.”
Stamford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Illegal Gun Possession, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on June 19, 2015, FRANK GREEN, SR., 50, of Stamford, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and for violating the terms and conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction. GREEN pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August and September 2013, Stamford Police made two controlled purchases of purported cocaine from GREEN in the vicinity of a home on Amelia Place where GREEN had been residing. On October 4, 2013, police executed a search warrant at the home and seized from GREEN’s bedroom three small baggies of cocaine, a scale, packaging material, a cutting agent and a loaded .38 caliber revolver.
GREEN’s criminal history includes several state felony convictions and a federal narcotics felony conviction. In June 2011, GREEN was sentenced by Judge Chatigny to 39 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy. He was released from federal prison in April 2013.
On Friday, Judge Chatigny sentenced GREEN to 37 months of imprisonment for illegally possessing the firearm and a consecutive 11-month prison term for the supervised release violation.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Stamford Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Spector.