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Monday 27 April 2015
Delaware man sentenced for heroin traffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Clarksburg resident Antonio DeJesus, 28, originally of Delaware, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for heroin trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced.An investigation by the Clarksburg, West Virginia Police Department and the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, revealed that DeJesus conspired with others to possess and distribute heroin in Harrison County, West Virginia throughout August and September 2014.
DeJesus pled guilty in December 2014 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Morgan prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided
Delaware Doctor Who Illegally Sold Controlled Substances on the Silk Road Drug Marketplace Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton today sentenced Olivia Bolles a/k/a “MDpro” (32, Newark, Delaware) to five years in federal prison for the illegal distribution of controlled substances. She pleaded guilty on January 20, 2015.
According to court documents, between March 2013 and October 2, 2013, Bolles, a licensed medical doctor in Delaware, operated as the vendor “MDPro” on an underground website known as Silk Road. Silk Road operated as an online criminal marketplace designed to enable its users to buy and sell drugs and other illegal goods and services anonymously, outside the reach of law enforcement. The website provided a sales platform for vendors and buyers to conduct transactions online.
Between June 13, 2013, and August 20, 2013, DEA purchased oxycodone, heroin, diazepam, Xanax, Adderall, hash oil, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Vyvanse from “MDPro” on the Silk Road website. The investigation determined that Bolles had shipped the controlled substances, which were purchased from “MDPro,” from Delaware to Florida. The investigation also found that Bolles had used her personal bank accounts to purchase items that were used to further her illegal drug dealing business, including packaging and laboratory materials. More than 600 sales of controlled substances were mailed by Bolles and her girlfriend, Alexandra Gold, to individuals in more than 17 different countries. Gold was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison for her role in this case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (Orlando and Wilmington, Delaware), with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.
Deland Businessman Sentenced to 78 Months for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - Senior United States District Judge John Antoon, II has sentenced Stephen B. Deluca (58, Deland) to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The Court also sentenced him to serve three years of supervision after his release, and ordered him to pay $18,701,804 in restitution. A federal jury found Deluca guilty in March 2013.
Evidence presented during the ten-day trial established that Deluca, the president and sole shareholder of Delco Oil, Inc., had engaged in a scheme to defraud several FDIC-insured banks and a private finance company (CapitalSource Financial Services) by falsely inflating the amount and value of Delco=s inventory and accounts receivable, which were then used to secure revolving lines of credit. The scheme resulted in more than $18 million in losses to CapitalSource.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.
Convicted felon pleads guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a convicted felon originally from Detroit, Michigan pleaded guilty today in federal court in Huntington to unlawfully possessing a firearm. Joseph Lovell Cook, 22, entered a guilty plea to possessing an SKS semi-automatic assault rifle on July 3, 2014, in Barboursville, West Virginia. Cook was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a 2010 assault with a dangerous weapon conviction in Michigan and a 2012 drug trafficking conviction in Cabell County, West Virginia.
Cook faces up to ten years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10, 2015.
The FBI Drug Task Force and the DEA Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Greg McVey and Jennifer Rada Herrald are in charge of the prosecution.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.
Convicted Georgia Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Rodney Joel Neal (53, Montezuma, Georgia) to two years in federal prison for failing to register as sex offender after traveling to Jacksonville from Georgia. He was also sentenced to a seven-year term of supervision and ordered to register as a sex offender following his release. Neal has been in custody since his arrest in Jacksonville, on October 10, 2014.
According to court documents, on or about May 24, 1988, Neal was found guilty and sentenced for committing two criminal offenses, aggravated child molestation and child molestation, in Macon County, Georgia. Subsequent to his conviction and release from prison, Neal traveled from Georgia to Jacksonville in July 2014 and failed to register in Florida as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Conspirators in Mall Kidnapping Hoax SentencedRead the Press Release
Urbana, Ill. –The woman at the center of a hoax kidnapping from a Champaign, Ill., mall in June 2014, and her alleged kidnapper, were sentenced today, as announced by U.S. Attorney Jim Lewis, Central District of Illinois. Monica Adriana Zacatlan Ramirez, 20, of Urbana, was ordered to serve 18 months in federal prison. Eduardo Guerrero Cortez, 26, of Mexico, was sentenced to 10 months in prison. Both have remained detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrests in July 2014. In addition, both Ramirez and Cortez were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $45,374, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Champaign Police Department, the Champaign Sheriff’s Office and the Champaign County State’s Attorney for the time, resources and expenses each of these agencies spent in investigating the hoax kidnapping.
On Dec. 15, 2014, Ramirez pled guilty to conspiracy to provide law enforcement with false statements, making false statements to law enforcement and making false statements to a federal grand jury. On Dec. 19, 2014, Cortez pled guilty to the conspiracy. The third defendant, Jarbey Emerson Reyes Villalobos, 19, of Champaign, pled guilty on Feb. 15, 2015. Villalobos is scheduled for sentencing on May 29, before U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce. Villalobos has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on July 25, 2014.
Ramirez, Cortez and Villalobos admitted that they conspired to provide law enforcement with false statements regarding the nature of Ramirez’s kidnapping from Market Place Mall in Champaign on June 11, 2014. In fact, there was no force, threat or coercion involved in the kidnapping of Ramirez and she voluntarily consented, agreed, and participated in the planning of the hoax so that her willingness to be with Cortez would be concealed from her family members who did not approve of him.To advance the scheme, prior to the hoax kidnapping, Ramirez petitioned the circuit court in Champaign for an emergency order of protection against Cortez. After the court granted the order of protection, Ramirez called Cortez and told him to pick her up from the Market Place Mall and make it appear that she was taken by force. Cortez recruited Villalobos, armed with a knife, and another individual, to go to the mall, collect Ramirez and put her into their vehicle. Villalobos threatened Ramirez’s companion and the defendants fled the area. From June 11 to June 14, Ramirez, Cortez and Villalobos traveled from Illinois to Texas.
The charges were investigated by the Champaign Police Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield and Houston Divisions; the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office; and, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson.Colorado Man Pleads Guilty in Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Received in excess of $2.6 million in fraudulent income tax refunds
NORFOLK, Va. – Mark J. Jones, Sr., 51, of Aurora, Colorado, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.
Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States Senior District Judge Robert G. Doumar.
Jones waived indictment and was charged in a criminal information on April 13, 2015. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 42 years when he is sentenced on September 21, 2015.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Jones’ scheme was discovered in 2013 after a local check cashing business noticed one of its employees had cashed over $2 million in U.S. Treasury checks. The employee of the check cashing business identified another co-conspirator as the individual who cashed the treasury checks and indicated he paid her $200 per check to cash the treasury checks in violation of the company’s policies. A subsequent IRS investigation determined that Jones, along with unidentified co-conspirators stole the personal identifying information of numerous people and filed at least 810 fraudulent income tax returns. As a result of these false returns, Jones and his co-conspirators received in excess of $2.6 million in fraudulent income tax refunds.
This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigations division of the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph L. Kosky is 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. 2:14-cr-132.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 31 Years for Four Bank Robberies and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
A man who committed four bank robberies in Cedar Rapids was sentenced today to 31 years in federal prison.
Javon Dockery, age 29, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after an October 2, 2014 guilty plea to four counts of bank robbery and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. At the guilty plea hearing, Dockery admitted that he robbed a Cedar Rapids branch of the US Bank on April 30 and June 26, 2014. He also admitted that he robbed a Cedar Rapids branch of the Guaranty Bank on May 16 and May 29, 2014. Further, Dockery admitted that, during the commission of the June 26 robbery, he brandished a firearm.
Dockery was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Dockery was sentenced to 372 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $500 was imposed, and he was ordered to make $25,935 in restitution to the two banks. He must serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 14-68.
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California Woman Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft for Retail Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Rocio Contreras-Loya, 40, of Sante Fe Springs, California, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Contreras-Loya to serve three years of supervised release, to pay $15,443.80 in restitution, and to forfeit $26,777.13 in cash proceeds of the charged offenses. Contreras-Loya pleaded guilty on January 30, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Contreras-Loya engaged in a retail scheme between July 2013 and July 2014, whereby she defrauded retail stores by applying for, and obtaining, credit accounts in the identities of unknowing third party victims. Contreras-Loya then used the credit accounts to fraudulently purchase merchandise and gift cards. Contreras-Loya admitted she received, from her co-defendant Arleen Cifuentes, victim identification information and false California driver's licenses in the victims' names, containing Contreras-Loya's photo. Contreras-Loya admitted that she and her co-defendants executed the scheme on at least fifteen occasions in the District of Idaho. Cifuentes and Contreras-Loya were arrested shortly after executing the scheme at the Boise Town Square Mall.
Co-defendant Arleen Cifuentes pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on January 27, 2015. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 27th before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. Co-defendant Ivan Fonseca remains a fugitive.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Boise Police Department.
Auburn Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison for Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
A 33-year-old Auburn, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 92 months in prison for two counts of human trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. JOHN HENRY CYPRIAN, JR., aka “Lucky,” was arrested in June 2014 following a Bellevue Police Department investigation into CYPRIAN’s sex trafficking of two women in Western Washington and Portland, Oregon. CYPRIAN pleaded guilty to two counts of human trafficking on December 15, 2014. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik imposed three years of supervised release and required CYPRIAN to register as a sex offender.
“This defendant used fear, false promises, and addictive drugs to exploit young, troubled women,” said Acting United States Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “He viewed his victims as nothing more than objects that existed to satisfy his sexual and material needs. This kind of conduct in our communities will not be tolerated and will continue to be the target of our coordinated law enforcement response.”
According to records in the case, between April 2013 and his arrest in June 2014, CYPRIAN rented hotel rooms throughout the greater Seattle area as part of his prostitution scheme. CYPRIAN forced the two women to work as prostitutes at hotels in SeaTac, Bellevue, Everett, Mountlake Terrace, and Portland. CYPRIAN posted ads on Backpage.com and other adult sexual services websites. CYPRIAN controlled the women with beatings and threats, and forced them to give him all the money they earned. At sentencing CYPRIAN was ordered to pay the women a total of $161,700 representing the ill-gotten gains he acquired by exploiting them.
“I’m very proud of the hard work of the detectives assigned to the Bellevue Police Department’s VICE unit. Their dedication to duty and commitment to this victim ensured that this violent predator will remain behind bars for many years,” said Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett. “This case highlights the fact that human trafficking is a reprehensible crime and that law enforcement will combine all of its resources to identify and protect victims of human trafficking as we bring those who prey on the vulnerable to justice. I want to thank the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Mountlake Terrace Police Department for their partnership and support.”
The case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department with assistance from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Mountlake Terrace Police Department and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham and Trial Attorney Victor Boutros with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Atlanta man pleads guilty to federal drug chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Atlanta man who possessed cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, and a loaded gun in 2014 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Reginald Wendell Weems, 33, entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base before Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
On September 15, 2014, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force were notified that Weems was in the 1400 block of 15th Street in Huntington with crack. Agents subsequently conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Weems was a passenger. Agents searched the vehicle and recovered over 35 grams of crack and a loaded 9mm pistol. Weems admitted to possessing the crack and the pistol. Weems also admitted to selling crack in the Huntington area.
Weems faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3, 2015.
The DEA Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is in charge of the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.
Applied Materials Inc. and Tokyo Electron Ltd. Abandon Merger Plans After Justice Department Rejected Their Proposed RemedyRead the Press Release
Applied Materials Inc. and Tokyo Electron Ltd. abandoned their plans to merge after the Department of Justice informed the companies that their remedy proposal failed to resolve the department’s competitive concerns.
“The companies’ decision to abandon this merger preserves competition for semiconductor manufacturing equipment,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Renata B. Hesse of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The semiconductor industry is critically important to the American economy, and the proposed remedy would not have replaced the competition eliminated by the merger, particularly with respect to the development of equipment for next-generation semiconductors.”
The proposed merger of Applied Materials and Tokyo Electron would have combined the two largest competitors with the necessary know-how, resources and ability to develop and supply high-volume non-lithography semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
During the investigation, the division cooperated with the Korean Fair Trade Commission, China’s Ministry of Commerce, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office and competition agencies from several other jurisdictions.
Applied Materials, based in Santa Clara, California, is the largest provider of non-lithography semiconductor manufacturing equipment with approximately $9 billion in 2014 revenue.
Tokyo Electron, based in Tokyo, is the second-largest provider of non-lithography semiconductor manufacturing equipment with approximately $6 billion in 2014 revenue.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Two Years for Federal Identity Theft ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – David William Welbig, 66, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to two years in prison followed by two years of supervised release for his aggravated identity theft conviction. The conviction arose out of his efforts to evade arrest on interstate transportation of stolen securities charges filed in April 1991 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
Welbig was indicted on Nov. 4, 2014, and charged with using a fraudulently obtained passport and aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleged that in July 2014, Welbig concealed his identity and sought to evade arrest by using a passport issued to a person who was deceased. It also alleged that Welbig committed an aggravated identity theft offense by using a passport issued in the name of another person. Welbig was charged with committing these offenses in Bernalillo County, N.M.
On Feb. 19, 2015, Welbig pled guilty to Count 2 of the indictment, charging him with aggravated identity theft. In entering his guilty plea, Welbig admitted using the identification information of a deceased person to obtain a U.S. passport to evade arrest on an outstanding indictment and arrest warrant issued in the District of Colorado in 1991.
The indictment filed against Welbig in the District of Colorado was transferred to the District of New Mexico in Sept. 2014. In Oct. 2014, Welbig entered guilty pleas to all three counts of interstate transportation of stolen securities in the indictment.
This case was investigated U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Cairns.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine in Lea CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Boyd, 40, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to trafficking methamphetamine in Lea County, N.M.
Boyd was arrested in Hobbs, N.M., on Feb. 20, 2015, after law enforcement officers seized 174 grams of methamphetamine, 110 grams of marijuana, 70 grams of heroin, drug paraphernalia and a handgun from the vehicle Boyd was driving.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Boyd pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering his guilty pleas, Boyd admitted that on Feb. 20, 2015, officers found 174 grams of methamphetamine, 70 grams of heroin and a firearm in the rental car he was driving. Boyd also admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and heroin in Hobbs.
At sentencing, Boyd faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison followed by a minimum of four years of supervised release. He remains in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, the Lea County Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terri J. Abernathy of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The Lea County Drug Task Force is comprised of officers from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Hobbs Police Department, Lovington Police Department, Eunice Police Department the Tatum Police Department and the Jal Police Department, and is part of the NM 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.
7-Eleven Franchisee Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud, Alien Harboring, and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, Farrukh Baig was sentenced to 87 months in prison following his September 22, 2014, guilty plea to committing wire fraud and concealing and harboring illegal aliens employed at 7-Eleven, Inc. (7-Eleven) franchise stores located throughout Long Island and Virginia.
The sentence was announced by Kelly T. Currie, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Raymond R. Parmer Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York Field Office (HSI); Joseph A. D’Amico, Superintendent, New York State Police; Edward Webber, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police; and Irv Miljoner, District Director, United States Department of Labor.
“Using the 7-Eleven brand in our neighborhoods, the defendant exploited his alien employees, stealing their wages and requiring them to live in unregulated boarding houses. He now faces time in prison for not only systematically employing illegal aliens, but also for concealing their employment by stealing the identities of children and even the dead,” stated Acting United States Attorney Currie. “We are committed to preserving the rule of law and protecting our communities from the abuses of corrupt businesses seeking to gain illegal advantage. I would like to thank our partners at HSI, New York State Police, Suffolk County Police, and the United States Department of Labor for their hard work on this important and ongoing investigation.”
“Today’s sentencing holds Farrukh Baig accountable for knowingly stealing identities to hire and employ an illegal workforce. He also stole more than $2.6 million from his overworked and underpaid employees,” said Raymond R. Parmer Jr., special agent in charge HSI New York. “This case serves as a stern reminder about the consequences facing employers who exploit illegal alien labor and violate our nation’s laws.” According to court filings and facts presented in court, the defendant, who owned, managed, and controlled fourteen 7-Eleven franchise stores during the course of the conspiracy, hired dozens of illegal aliens, equipped them with more than 20 identities stolen from United States citizens, housed them at residences he and his coconspirators owned, and stole substantial portions of his workers’ wages. During the scheme, the defendant generated over $182 million in proceeds from the 7-Eleven franchise stores.
This sentence marks an important milestone in the government’s ongoing investigation, which is already one of the largest criminal alien employment investigations ever conducted by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, the court entered an order forfeiting the defendant’s rights to ten 7-Eleven stores in New York and four 7-Eleven stores in Virginia, as well as five houses in New York worth over $1.3 million. In addition, the court ordered the defendant to pay $2.5 million in restitution for the back wages that he stole from his workers.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Business and Security Fraud Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher A. Ott is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Morris and Elliot M. Schachner of the Office’s Civil Division, which is responsible for the forfeiture of assets.
This prosecution was the result of efforts by President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit http://www.StopFraud.gov.
Tips and Information
For questions or concerns about immigrant workers and job seekers, contact the New York State Department of Labor Division Policies and Affairs (DIPA) at its toll-free worker hotline (1-877-466-9757).
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-351(SJF)
The Defendant:
FARRUKH BAIG
Citizenship: Naturalized United States Citizen
Age: 58
Head of Harbor, New York
Friday 24 April 2015
Woodbury Police Chief Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Stealing Federal Grant FundsRead the Press Release
Kevin Mooneyham, 47, of Woodbury, Tennessee, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury, and charged with stealing federal program funds and wire fraud, announced David Rivera, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Mooneyham, who is the Chief of the Woodbury Police Department, was arrested this morning by TBI agents and will appear before a United States Magistrate Judge later today.
“Funds designated for alcohol enforcement programs are made available to local law enforcement agencies with the underlying purpose of deterring drunk driving and ultimately saving lives,” said U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “Mooneyham’s scheme to steal these grant moneys prevented the officers of his department from conducting these enforcement programs and placed the community at a greater risk.”
According to the indictment, from 2013 until March 2015, Mooneyham, in his role as Chief of the Woodbury Police Department, was responsible for administering and overseeing the overtime grants provided by the Governors Highway Safety Office to the Town of Woodbury, Tenn. These funds were awarded exclusively for the purpose of alcohol enforcement, the majority of which were used to pay overtime for officers engaged in DUI enforcement such as saturations and checkpoints.
During this time, Mooneyham fraudulently prepared and submitted false timesheets for overtime hours, misrepresenting the fact that he had worked DUI enforcement, when he in fact had not worked. The submission of these false timesheets resulted in Mooneyham being paid more than $25,000 to which he was not entitled. These stolen funds were derived from federal grants provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office, to be used exclusively for DUI and alcohol enforcement programs.
The indictment also alleges that numerous officers of the Woodbury Police Department expressed an interest in working GHSO overtime patrols but were informed by Mooneyham that no funds were available. When city officials inquired about other officers working overtime patrols, Mooneyham informed them that no officers were interested.
The indictment further alleges that Mooneyham received approximately 91% of the overtime that was paid pursuant to these federal grants to employees of the Woodbury Police Department in 2014, and that he received 100% of such overtime paid during the first quarter of 2015.
“Though the arrest of a law enforcement leader is very disappointing, the public rightfully expects that grant money like this will benefit the community, not its police chief,” said Mark Gwyn, Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
“The citizens of this community and our law enforcement officers are greatly disappointed to find that a public servant, held to such a position of trust, has instead violated that trust and his oath of office,” said Jennings Jones, District Attorney General for the 16th Judicial District.
If convicted, Mooneyham faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for theft of federal program funds and up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, for wire fraud. He also faces forfeiture of the proceeds of his offenses.
An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. This defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely.
Willard Maldonado Pleads Guilty to Five Violations of the Bald Eagle Protection Act and the Lacey ActRead the Press Release
Spokane – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Willard Phillip Maldonado entered guilty pleas to six criminal charges relating to the commercialization of eagles. Five of the charges are violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 668(a)) and one charge is a violation of the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1) and 3373(d)(1)(B). According to information disclosed during the proceeding, the crimes occurred over a period of more than two years -- from December 6, 2010 through January 27, 2014. The crimes involved the unlawful killing of bald and golden eagles and the offering for sale and the actual selling of their feathers.
As a member of the Yakama Indian Tribe, Maldonado can lawfully possess eagle feathers for non-commercial purposes. All members of federally recognized Indian tribes can obtain eagle feathers from a national repository maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for that purpose. However, it is unlawful for anyone to offer eagle feathers for sale or to sell eagle feathers. As part of his Plea Agreement, Maldonado admitted that he unlawfully killed eagles and offered eagle feathers for sale through the use of social media.
Maldonado’s guilty pleas are the culmination of a lengthy investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Yakama Nation tribal authorities. The investigation identified people around the United States and in Canada who responded to solicitations made by Maldonado. The investigation followed other similar investigations in recent years that have led to similar convictions, including
United States v. Hawk, 09-CR-2034-EFS-1 and United States v. Wahchumwah, 09-CR-2035-EFS-1.
The sentencing hearing for Maldonado has been set for July 29, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. in Yakima, Washington before District Court Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr.
Virginia Beach Man Indicted for Prostituting a 15 Year OldRead the Press Release
Indictment Alleges Moore Used Internet to Sell the Girl’s Sexual Services in Tidewater
NORFOLK, Va. – Alvin Norlee Moore III, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges of sex trafficking of a minor and use of the Internet to promote prostitution.
According to the indictment and other public documents, the government alleges that Moore met a 15 year old girl in November 2015 and immediately started using her as a prostitute at various hotels at the ocean front and other places in Virginia Beach. He advertised her services on www.backpage.com. After about three weeks, the victim was able to return home to her family, who then notified the authorities. Moore also had other women working for him as prostitutes for the past several years in the Tidewater area.
Moore faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Norfolk Field Office; and James A. (Jim) Cervera, Chief of Police, Virginia Beach Police Department, made the announcement after the grand jury returned the indictment.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Virginia Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:15-cr-52.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Two Former Police Officers to be Sentenced for Using Unreasonable ForceRead the Press Release
Contact Person: John Potterfield (803) 929-3000
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated that United States District Court Judge Bryan Harwell has set sentencing in the case of United States v. Eric Walters and Franklin Brown, Case No.:14-258.
WHEN: Monday, April 27, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. WHERE: McMillan Federal Building
401 West Evans Street, Courtroom 1
Florence, South Carolina####
Two Dallas Roommates Each Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Obstruct Justice and Lying to Exonerate Another Roommate Facing A Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Two women who pleaded guilty in November 2014 to federal felony offenses stemming from their conspiracy to obstruct justice to exonerate a fellow roommate, have been sentenced, announced John Parker, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Daisy Emerson, 24, and Ofelia Nunez, 19, were each sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn to 21 months in federal prison. Each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and one count of making a false declaration before a court.
According to documents filed in the case, Emerson and Nunez’s roommate, convicted felon Chaddrick Darrion Ashley, 25, was arrested on March 26, 2014, for possession of a firearm by a felon. Shortly after his arrest, Emerson conspired with Ashley and Nunez to come up with a strategy to exonerate Ashley. They agreed that Nunez would execute a false affidavit claiming she, not Ashley, owned the gun, and that Nunez had mistakenly left her gun in the car.
Nunez executed that false affidavit, and just days before Ashley’s trial on that offense in federal court, she executed a second affidavit affirming those facts. Both she and Emerson falsely testified in Ashley’s federal trial on the firearm offense in September 2014 to corruptly obstruct and influence those official proceedings. Nunez falsely testified as to several facts about events on the day of Ashley’s arrest, and Emerson falsely testified, denying any involvement in producing the false affidavit. The goal of their conspiracy was, through false affidavits and false testimony at trial, to have the jury acquit Ashley.
Ashley’s trial ended in a mistrial. Approximately one month later, however, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Ashley with one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count, admitting he helped Emerson and Nunez execute a false affidavit and encouraged them to testify falsely at his trial. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1, 2015.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Three More Defendants from Georgia Plead Guilty in Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Charles Moore, 25, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, Jonathan Penn, 20, of Suwanee, Georgia, and Terrance Barimah, 26, of Floranceville, Georgia, each pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court for their roles in a credit card fraud scheme that targeted local retailers in October of 2014, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The defendants were indicted on November 13, 2014.
Moore pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to the plea agreement, Moore traveled to the District of Idaho, along with his co-defendants, for the purpose of making fraudulent purchases of gift cards and prepaid debit cards from retail stores, using stolen credit card numbers encoded onto stock debit cards. Moore admitted to obtaining the stock debit cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers, and making purchases at retail stores on October 5, 2014. In all, Moore admitted to traveling to five separate retail stores, and making 29 total purchases, using nine different credit card numbers that he was not authorized to use. Upon his arrest, Moore was found in possession of $2,740 in cash and 43 gift cards and pre-paid debit cards. Sentencing is set for July 7, 2015, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
Penn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, Penn traveled to the District of Idaho, along with his co-defendants, for the purpose of making fraudulent purchases of gift cards and prepaid debit cards from retail stores, using stolen credit card numbers encoded onto stock debit cards. Penn admitted to obtaining the stock debit cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers, and making purchases at retail stores on October 5, 2014. In all, Penn admitted to traveling to five separate retail stores, and making 24 total purchases, using six different credit cards numbers that he was not authorized to use. Upon his arrest, Penn was found in possession of three debit cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers, and 30 gift cards. Sentencing is set for July 8, 2015, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
Barimah pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of device-making equipment. According to the plea agreement, Barimah traveled to the District of Idaho, along with his co-defendants, for the purpose of making fraudulent purchases of gift cards and prepaid debit cards from retail stores, using stolen credit card numbers encoded onto stock debit cards. Barimah admitted obtaining blank stock pre-paid debit cards from his co-defendants, and encoding them with credit card numbers belonging to real individuals who had not authorized the defendant or his co-defendants to make purchases on the accounts. Barimah provided the debit cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers to his co-defendants, and expected to receive cash payment and/or a portion of the proceeds of the fraud. Upon his arrest, Barimah was found in possession of 41 gift cards representing the proceeds of the fraud, a laptop computer, and a "mini magnetic strip card reader/writer" that was used to encode the cards. Sentencing is set for July 8, 2015, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a $100 special assessment. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years, a term of supervised release of not more than one year, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a special assessment of $100. Illegal possession of device-making equipment is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a $100 special assessment. As part of their pleas, the defendants also agreed to forfeit $49,953.41 in cash proceeds of the charged offenses.
Moore, Penn, and Barimah were indicted, along with Rakeen Anderson, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, Kyandre Banks, 34, of Lilburn, Georgia, Jean Estinville, 26, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Rashine Kale, 38, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Clarence Collins, 34, of Douglasville, Georgia,
Mikki Williams, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Brian Treadwell, 25, of Buford, Georgia, on charges relating to a wire fraud and identity theft scheme. Collins, Banks, Estinville, Kale, Moore, Penn, Williams and Treadwell were each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Anderson was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Barimah was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and illegal possession of device-making equipment.
Co-defendant Brian Treadwell is scheduled for sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill on June 16, 2015. Co-defendant Clarence Collins is scheduled for sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill on June 17, 2015. Co-defendant Mikki Williams is scheduled for sentencing before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill on June 16, 2015. Co-defendant Rashine Kale is scheduled for a change of plea hearing before Chief U.S. Magistrate Candy W. Dale on May 12, 2015. Co-Defendant Rakeen Anderson is scheduled for a change of plea hearing before Chief U.S. Magistrate Candy W. Dale on May 26, 2015. Co-Defendant Jean Estinville is set for a change of plea hearing on a date to be scheduled. Co-defendant Kyandre Banks remains a fugitive.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Boise Police Department.
Tensed Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Mark Allen Daves, 51, of Tensed, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States Magistrate Court for assault, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Daves was placed on two years of supervised probation. During his probation term, Daves will report to jail for four consecutive weekends, he is not allowed to possess any firearms, and he is prohibited from drinking alcohol or going to bars, among other restrictions. United States Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale also ordered Daves to pay a $1,250 fine. He pleaded guilty to the charge on January 21, 2015.
According to court documents, Daves admitted to hearing shots fired while he was in his home in Tensed, Idaho. He took his shotgun to investigate. Daves fired his shotgun and then confronted a hunter. Daves indicated an argument ensued and he was fearful the shotgun would be used against him. Likewise, the victim reported that he was afraid Daves was going to use the shotgun to shoot him. Daves shot off all rounds in the shotgun and hit the hunter in the chest with his gun. The victim and defendant differed in their versions of how those shots were fired. Daves is a former San Diego jail deputy. During the sentencing U.S. Chief Magistrate Candy W. Dale told Daves she considered it a serious offense and jail time needed to be imposed in order to have specific and general deterrence. All parties noted how tragic the situation could have turned out. “If anything, we hope the lesson learned is to call law enforcement if you have a concern,” said Olson. “Do not simply take matters into your own hands.”
The case was investigated by CDA Tribal Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Telemarketer Sentenced for Role in Multi-Million Dollar ScamRead the Press Release
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Christopher Garten, 24, of Orlando, FL, was sentenced in federal court this morning on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. Garten was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Garten was also ordered to pay $32,508 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
The investigation determined that Garten was a telemarketer for National Solutions and related companies located in Orlando, Florida. National Solutions defrauded consumers across the continent using the fictitious names, Bluescape Timeshares International, Country Wide Timeshares, Countrywide Timeshares MA, Landmark Timeshares, Propertys Direct, Quicksale Propertys, Sun Property Networks, Sun Property’s, Universal Propertys, VIM Timeshares, Propertys DRK, Quick Sale Advisers, Quick Sale International, City Resorts, Resort Advisers, American Timeshares, Exit Week, and Resort Advisors International. These companies targeted owners of timeshares throughout the United States and Canada. In various court filings related to the National Solutions scam, the government has alleged that the overall scam bilked over 2,500 consumers out of at least $6 million, including eight victims within the Southern District of Illinois.
This prosecution is one of nearly one-hundred timeshare resale fraud prosecutions brought in the Southern District of Illinois over the past four years. The case is part of an ongoing investigation by the Midwest Region Office of the Federal Trade Commission and the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Service. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States AttorneysWilliam Coonan and Michael Hallock.
Tax Preparer Heads to Prison for Stealing More Than $228,000; Barred from Tax PreparationRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Michelle A. Morin has been ordered to prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Lucy Cruz, special agent in charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Morin owned and operated Discount Tax Service, a Laredo-based tax preparation business, and admitted to causing more than $228,000 in tax loss to the government. She pleaded guilty June 10, 2014.
Today, U.S. Senior District Judge George P. Kazen handed Morin a sentence of 30 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay $20,146 in restitution. Morin is also barred from ever engaging in a tax preparations business.
At the hearing, an IRS agent testified regarding Morin’s fraudulent tax preparation business. Morin continued to prepare fraudulent taxes while on bond and has agreed never to engage in a tax preparation business. Upon sentencing Morin, Judge Kazen commented that she has robbed U.S. tax payers of hard-earned money. He added that Morin probably stole more money and that the IRS will eventually find it.
Between tax years 2007 - 2010, Morin aided and assisted in the preparation of fraudulent returns by willfully placing false items on tax returns she prepared for clients knowing they were not entitled to claim them. Such claims included false Schedule A itemized deductions, false Schedule C business losses and false Form 5695 residential energy credits in addition to gifts to charity, job expenses and miscellaneous deductions. Morin also, in certain instances, improperly directed portions of taxpayer tax refunds into her personal bank account.
As part of her plea, Morin admitted fraudulently claiming a false Schedule C loss in the amount of $83,184.00 for a non-existent online business on a on a taxpayer’s 2009 tax return. Morin also fraudulently reported $2,000 in residential energy credits that she knew the taxpayer was not entitled to claim. Subsequently, Morin improperly directed $2,000 of the false refund to her personal account.
Morin was permitted to remain on bond, with the condition she does not prepare taxes, and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
This case was investigated by IRS-CI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sanjeev Bhasker.
St. Louis County Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Arson in Ferguson, MissouriRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – ANTONIO WHITESIDE of St. Louis County pled guilty this morning and admitted to starting a fire inside the Ferguson Supermarket, Inc. on November 24, 2014, the date St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch announced the grand jury decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson.
Whiteside pled guilty to one count of attempted arson before United States District Judge John A. Ross. Sentencing has been set for July 23, 2015.
Whiteside faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
United States Attorney Richard Callahan noted that it was the close cooperation between the county and federal law enforcement officers that enabled law enforcement to solve the case. The charge was the result of a joint investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bomb and Arson Unit and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office also provided significant assistance.
South Jersey Convicted Felon Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Traffic Guns from South Carolina to New JerseyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Lawnside, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for illegally possessing firearms and selling 22 guns without a license, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Anthony Gilmore, a/k/a “Tone,” 25, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to deal firearms without a license and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between April 8, 2013, and July 8, 2014, Gilmore conspired with four others to sell 22 firearms on several occasions, for profit and without a license. The 22 firearms included handguns, shotguns and an assault rifle. Gilmore personally sold or participated in the sale of at least seven firearms, including handguns and shotguns, as well as a bullet-proof vest, to a witness cooperating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Gilmore’s conspirators obtained the firearms in South Carolina and brought them to New Jersey on a weekly basis, at times using Amtrak to transport the guns. On two occasions, Gilmore sold a firearm to the cooperating witness along with ammunition. All 22 weapons are now in the custody of law enforcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Gilmore to serve three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George P. Belsky Jr. in Newark, New Jersey, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked special agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski, as well as officers from the Winslow Township and Clementon police departments, for their work in the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Defense counsel: Assistant Federal Public Defender Christopher O’Malley Esq., CamdenSix Milwaukee Men Sentenced for Multiple Armed Robberies Including Shooting of Store ClerkRead the Press Release
United States Attorney James L. Santelle announced today that six Milwaukee men who were identified as being members of the “Open Door” robbery crew have been sentenced in federal court. Daunte Nichols (age: 21) was convicted of two counts of armed robbery affecting interstate commerce pursuant to the Hobbs Act, two counts of robbery of a financial institution, and one count of armed robbery of a financial institution. Nichols was also convicted of discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with his shooting of the store clerk during the armed robbery of a Citgo gas station on December 16, 2013. Nichols was sentenced to the ten-year mandatory term of imprisonment for discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and 100 months’ imprisonment for the remaining armed robbery and robbery counts to be served consecutively to the ten-year mandatory term, for a total term of imprisonment of 220 months or 18 years and four months.
Marques Davis (age: 19), Montiez Vaughn (age: 19), and Joey James-Roby (age: 18) were convicted of one count of armed robbery affecting interstate commerce pursuant to the Hobbs Act, one count of armed robbery of a financial institution, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. James-Roby was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 84 months and Davis and Vaughn were sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 70 months. Naquan Moore (age: 20) was convicted of two counts of armed robbery of a financial institution and one count of brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 108 months. Christopher Jones (age: 18) was convicted of two counts of robbery of a financial institution and one count of armed robbery of a financial institution and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 72 months.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Allis Police Department, the Milwaukee Police Department, the Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force, the Brown Deer Police Department, the Bayside Police Department and the Cudahy Police Department. The investigation revealed that members of the “Open Door” robbery crew committed at least 20 robberies, including multiple armed robberies, in the Milwaukee metropolitan area from December of 2013 until May of 2014. In addition to those members of the robbery crew prosecuted federally, four individuals are being prosecuted by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and their cases are currently pending.
The Hobbs Act, passed by Congress in 1946, provides federal jurisdiction for cases involving violent, habitual criminals who commit armed robbery of businesses involved in interstate commerce. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office collaborate together to ensure that violent offenders are effectively prosecuted, making our communities safer for all.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret B. Honrath and Laura S. Kwaterski.
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Rochester Man Sentenced on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Elijah McKnight, 43, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between 2008 and November 7, 2013, McKnight conspired with others to distribute kilograms of cocaine in the Northeast side of Rochester.
The defendant was arrested November 7, 2013 after selling cocaine to confidential informant. That same day, a search warrant was executed at 497 Carter Street in Rochester, the residence of McKnight’s cocaine supplier. Law enforcement officers recovered 387 grams of cocaine, scales, packaging material, and a loaded handgun.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of on the part of Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (GRANET).Rochester Man Arrested, Charged with Defrauding Three Elderly Individuals in A Jamaican Lottery ScamRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Roydel Nicholson, 62, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the defendant defrauded three individuals out of a total $138,393.00 in a Jamaican lottery scheme. The victims include a 94 year old man from California, a 74 year old man, also from California, and a 77 year old woman from Detroit.
The complaint states that the victims were led to believe in telephone conversations that they had won various prizes such as $1,000,000. But in order to receive their prizes, the victims had to pay taxes, transportation fees and other various fees. Of the $138,393.00 Nicholson allegedly received from the victims, the complaint states that the defendant wired $114, 520.97 to individuals in Jamaica.
The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge J. Michael Kennedy and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge, Boston Division.
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.
Ring Leader of Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring in San Juan County Sentenced to 114 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Isaac Anaya, 31, of Farmington, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., for trafficking methamphetamine in San Juan County, N.M. Anaya will serve a 114 month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release.
Anaya is one of 29 individuals charged in Feb. 2014, with drug trafficking offenses as the result of a multi-agency investigation targeting drug trafficking in northwestern New Mexico. The investigation culminated on Feb. 26, 2014, when 26 of the defendants were arrested during a law enforcement operation led by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force. Two other defendants were arrested during the course of the investigation and the final defendant was arrested on March 3, 2014.
The 29 defendants were charged as a result of Operation “Brown Ice,” a year-long investigation that initially targeted a methamphetamine trafficking organization led by Anaya that distributed quantities of methamphetamine throughout San Juan County and expanded to include other drug trafficking activity in the area. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
Thirteen of the defendants, including Anaya were charged in a 15-count federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in San Juan County from May 2013 through Sept. 2013. The remaining 16 defendants were charged with state drug trafficking and firearms offenses based on criminal complaints. During the course of the investigation, officers seized approximately five pounds of methamphetamine and five firearms. The law enforcement operation on Feb. 24, 2014, included the execution of eleven federal search warrants at two Bloomfield residences, four Farmington residences, two residences in San Juan County, two Bloomfield businesses, two Farmington businesses and a storage unit in Bloomfield. It also included the execution of three state search warrants at two residences in San Juan County and one Farmington residence. Officers seized numerous firearms, including a fully automatic Glock 19, a short-barreled rifle and a carbine with an obliterated serial number, four blasting caps, four small binary explosives and approximately 31.7 grams of methamphetamine during the execution of the search warrants and the law enforcement operation.
Anaya was sentenced today based on his guilty plea to Count 1 of the indictment, which charged him and his co-defendants with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in San Juan County from May 28, 2013 through Sept 25, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez commended HSI and the local law enforcement agencies that comprise the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force Metro Narcotics Task Force on the outstanding results of their investigation and said, “The convictions obtained as a result of this investigation illustrate the success of our District’s federal, state and local law enforcement collaboration in rooting out drug traffickers whether they operate in large communities or in rural counties.”
“Trafficking methamphetamine, as indicative of this sentence, is a serious crime,” said Waldemar Rodriguez, HSI Special Agent in Charge, El Paso, Texas. “HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to work diligently to get this hideous, addictive drug and the callous criminals who distribute it out of our communities.”
The federal and state cases filed as a result of Operation “Brown Ice” were investigated by the HSI office in Albuquerque, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force, the Bloomfield Police Department, the Farmington Police Department and the Aztec Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reeve L. Swainston and Shana B. Long are prosecuting the federal case, and Assistant District Attorney David Cowen of the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the state cases.
The HIDTA Region II Task Force is comprised of officers and investigators from the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomfield Police Department and Aztec Police Department, and is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Portland Man Convicted on Federal Tax ChargeRead the Press Release
Contact: Richard W. Murphy
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Senthil Prabakaran, 42, of Portland, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy Torresen to two months in prison for failure to file his 2010 federal income tax return. Prabakaran also was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $115,529. He will be under the supervision of the Federal Probation Office for a year after his release, during which time he will be subject to home confinement for up to four months and required to perform up to 160 hours of community service.
Prabakaran was indicted in June of 2014 on three counts of failing to file federal tax returns for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. Court records reveal that Prabakaran agreed to plead guilty to one count of the indictment and to pay restitution relating to the tax due for all three years. “As filing season comes to an end, it is important for citizens to have confidence that when they pay their taxes, their neighbors and co-workers are doing the same,” stated William Offord, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “The sentencing of Mr. Prabakaran sends a clear message that IRS Criminal Investigation, together with the Department of Justice, will investigate and prosecute those who violate our tax system.”
Perry Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Arthur Brock, age 32, of Perry, Georgia, was sentenced on April 22, 2015, to serve 100 months (eight years and four months) in federal prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable C. Ashley Royal, United States District Court Judge, in Macon, Georgia.
Mr. Brock entered a guilty plea to the charge on December 4, 2014. As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Brock admitted that on October 23, 2013, he met with a confidential informant and an undercover Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agent at the WalMart parking lot on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins, Georgia. Prior to the meeting, Mr. Brock had arranged to sell the undercover GBI agent two ounces of methamphetamine. After a brief conversation in the parking lot, Mr. Brock handed the undercover agent 52.2 grams of methamphetamine that was packaged inside of a tube sock, in exchange for $3,000.00.
“The long prison sentence in this case will guarantee that Mr. Brock will not pollute the streets of Houston County with methamphetamine for the better part of the next decade. I want to acknowledge the collaboration and good work of the GBI and the DEA. Drug dealers need to take notice; we will use every resource to make sure that if you distribute drugs, you will wind up in federal prison facing a long sentence with no possibility of parole,” said United States Attorney Michael Moore.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Howard prosecuted the case for the Government.
Notice of Court Proceedings - Former Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts to be SentencedRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Jay Richardson (803) 929-3000
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated that Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten has set a sentencing hearing in the case of United States v. James R. Metts, Case No. 3:14-429.
WHEN: Monday, April 27, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. WHERE: Matthew J. Perry, Jr., Courthouse
901 Richland Street, Courtroom V
Columbia, SC 29201####
Northampton Felon Charged with Second Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Northampton man, who was convicted in 2005 for possessing child pornography, was charged today in U.S. District Court in Springfield with the same offense.
Robert F. Sokolowski, Jr., 42, was charged in an information with one count of possessing material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Sokolowski has agreed to be sentenced to 12.5 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release pending approval by the Court. A plea hearing is scheduled for May 12, 2015.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2013, Sokolowski uploaded a child pornography file to a Facebook account in the fictitious name of “Amy Addams.” During a search executed by local law enforcement officers at Sokolowski’s apartment, a laptop was seized that revealed 14 fictitious Facebook accounts, including the “Amy Addams” account. Also found on the laptop were 400 images of child pornography, including a copy of the file that had been uploaded to the “Amy Addams” account, as well as four video files of child pornography, including one that depicted the rape of a female toddler.
On July 25, 2013, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the Facebook accounts used by Sokolowski and located additional evidence of child pornography.
The charging statute provides for a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and a maximum lifetime of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, forfeiture of his computer media, and restitution to the victims in his child pornography collection. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In June 2005, Sokolowski pleaded guilty to one count of possessing material involving the exploitation of minors. In October of that year, he and was sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Chief Russell P. Sienkiewicz of the Northampton Police Department; and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Ortiz's Springfield Branch Office.
The details contained in the Information are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
North Adams Woman Pleads Guilty to Concealing Marriage from Social SecurityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A North Adams woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Springfield on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, to fraudulently concealing her marriage from the Social Security Administration to secure unauthorized Social Security payments.
Nancy Killackey, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to one count of fraudulent concealment to secure unauthorized social security payments. Between Jan. 1, 2002 and Oct.1, 2013, Killackey fraudulently concealed her 2001 marriage with the intent to secure $72,635 in Social Security Supplemental Security Income payments. Because her husband earned sufficient income, Killackey was not eligible to receive the supplemental income benefit. When confronted by federal agents from the SSA Office of Inspector General, Killackey falsely claimed that she was not married to her husband. She said that on the day of their marriage, he had a heart attack and the wedding did not take place.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Regional Office, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.
New York Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact: Julia M. Lipez
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Paul Henry, 25, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 15 years in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for production of child pornography.
Court records reveal that on both January 25 and January 26, 2014, Henry filmed himself on his iPhone engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year old girl. Henry then distributed one of the videos via a social networking application on his phone to multiple individuals.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Portland Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Mountain Lake Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced the sentencing of DAVID LARRY RASMUSSEN, 42, to 204 months in federal prison for production of child pornography. RASMUSSEN was indicted on May 21, 2013, and pleaded guilty on March 11, 2013, to three counts of Production of Child Pornography. The defendant was sentenced today before Judge David S. Doty in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minn.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, RASMUSSEN produced and traded child pornography images and videos on-line. He took pictures of three children, ages 4, 3, and one and a half, in their homes and in his own home in Mountain Lake, Minn. On October 27, 2012, RASMUSSEN’S computers were seized by the Mountain Lake Police Department. Law enforcement conducted a search of the computers and found thousands of images and videos of prepubescent children subjected to sexual penetration, and included bondage and violent materials.
In a sentencing position filed with the court, the federal prosecutor argued for a significant sentence: He argued that RASMUSSEN “victimized the children of neighbors who trusted him in order to produce and distribute child pornography for the sexual gratification of himself and his friends” and that RASMUSSEN also “stored and distributed an astonishing amount of child pornography depicting the rape and torture of children.”
RASMUSSEN has been in custody since he was arrested on the federal charges on May 28, 2013. Prior to that, Rasmussen had been facing state charges.
This case resulted from an investigation conducted by the Mountain Lake Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.
Production and distribution of child pornography is against the law. In addition to prosecuting these cases, the Justice Department is presently funding a study focused on the correlation between involvement in child pornography and hands-on sexual abuse of children. A 2008 study (The Butner Study) published in the Journal of Family Violence found that up to 80 percent of federal inmates incarcerated for possession, receipt, or distribution of child pornography also admitted to hands-on sexual abuse of children, ranging from touching to rape.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children while identifying and rescuing victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.”
Defendant Information:
DAVID LARRY RASMUSSEN, 42
Mountain Lake, Minn.
Convicted:
• Production of Child Pornography, 3 counts
Sentenced:
• 204 months in prison
• 10 year term of supervised releaseMoon Investor Admits Guilt in $2M Fraud Scheme Involving 130 VictimsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Moon Township resident has entered a plea of guilty in Pittsburgh on charges of wire and mail fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Ryan Blumling, 35, appeared before United States District Court Judge Arthur J. Schwab and pled guilty to two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud in connection with a long running scheme whereby he swindled individuals who thought they were investing a coal mines and persons who were seeking loans to infuse cash into their businesses.
According to information presented to the Court, Blumling engaged in conduct over the period 2005 through 2014 in which he defrauded a series of potential investors and potential borrowers by making false representations and failing to use funds consistent with the promises he made to investors. Among his false representations were that the money given to him would be used in ongoing mining operations when, in fact, Blumling typically used the funds for personal expenses or to pay off previous investors who were threatening to sue him. In one instance identified for the Court, Blumling secured two wire transfers on the same day from an investor totaling $90,000. At the time Blumling received the money he had approximately $200 in his bank accounts. He used the investor’s funds to purchase a new Range Rover for himself, which a few weeks later he traded in on a new Lexus that he put into his wife’s name. In another instance Blumling sent an email to a potential borrower to assure the borrower that he has access to enough money to fund the borrower’s need for a loan of over $7,000,000. As a part of the email Blumling attached a bank statement for one of his accounts at PNC which showed a balance of over $9,000,000. However, as the investigation conducted by the FBI showed, in fact, at the time that account had a balance of zero.
According to the information provided to the Court there were more than 130 victims and more than $2,000,000 in losses suffered as part of Blumling’s fraudulent activities.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 or both at each of the four counts (two counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud). Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of assaulting a federal officer was sentenced on April 20, 2015, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Jorge Trujillo, age 22, was sentenced to 21 months in custody, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release.
Trujillo was indicted for Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury on August 19, 2014. He pled guilty on January 29, 2015.
On August 5, 2014, at McLaughlin, law enforcement officers responded to a call regarding a man with a knife making threats. After the officer told Trujillo to raise both of his hands above his head, he resisted by attempting to reach for a fixed-blade kitchen knife located in the waistband of his pants. Upon seeing the knife, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officer making the arrest immediately took the knife away from Trujillo.
This case was investigated by BIA Law Enforcement Services and the Corson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Trujillo was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 24 1/2 Years in Prison for Murder of GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin McDarrin Johnson, 52, of Landover, Md., was sentenced today to 24 ½ years in prison for killing his girlfriend last year at the apartment they shared in Southeast Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. announced.
Johnson pled guilty in February 2015, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence between 20 and 26 years. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston approved the plea and sentenced Johnson today. Upon completion of his prison term, Johnson will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Feb. 20, 2014, Johnson strangled his girlfriend, Detra Martin, 48, to death in the apartment they shared in the 800 block of Southern Avenue SE. After strangling her, Johnson left Ms. Martin in her bed, locked the bedroom door, and fled the apartment. Johnson did not show up to work the next day. Law enforcement acted swiftly, and arrested Johnson the day after the murder at a relative’s home in Maryland.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Cohen commended the work of the detectives, officers, and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner. Finally, he acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lashone Samuels, Ethel Noble, and Meridith McGarrity; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard DiZinno and Natalia Medina, who prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced in Shooting of Miami Gardens Police OfficerRead the Press Release
Randy Thomas, 45, of Miami Gardens, was sentenced yesterday to life in prison after having been convicted at trial of being a convicted felon who shot and injured a local police officer.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Filed Office, and Antonio G. Brooklen, Interim Chief, Miami Gardens Police Department, made the announcement.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that on January 11, 2014, two Miami Gardens Police Officers responded to a 911 call for assistance. On the scene, an officer separated Thomas and two women who were in a fight. Thomas then began to walk away. Another officer approached Thomas and asked him to stop, so that an investigation could be conducted. Thomas responded by turning around and pointing a gun at the officer. The officer attempted to flee to safety but was pursued by Thomas who fired at and struck the officer in the thigh. In order to protect the community and disarm the defendant, responding officers fired at Thomas. A 9mm pistol was recovered inches from Thomas’ hand, along with several matching spent shell casings. Video surveillance, introduced at trial, captured the shooting.
As a result of the gunshot wound, the responding officer underwent months of medical treatment before being able to return to his job.
Thomas is pending charges in state court for the attempted first degree murder of the law enforcement officer.
U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “Police officers put their lives on the line to protect us every single day. Individuals who target those sworn to maintain our safety will face judgment and be prosecuted accordingly.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Hugo Barrera stated, “Our community is very fortunate to have heroes that stand ready to defend us against violent criminals who want to harm us. ATF stands with our state and local partners to reduce violent crime and ensure that justice prevails.”
Interim Chief of Police for Miami Gardens Police Department Antonio G. Brooklen added, “The citizens of this great community have once again spoken and brought to bear a clear message that should resonate in the minds of all who would think to violate the law and that is, ‘Be it a private citizen or a law enforcement officer, criminal acts of this nature will be dealt with swiftly and without impartiality.’ The events that took place on January 11, 2014, could have resulted in a greater tragedy: we are thankful they did not, and applaud the multi-jurisdictional efforts that resulted in the successful prosecution of this case. We at the Miami Gardens Police Department are grateful for the continued support of U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer; Special Agent in Charge Hugo Barrera - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle.”
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigatory efforts of the ATF and Miami Gardens Police Department. Mr. Ferrer also thanked State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and members of the Miami Dade Office of the State Attorney for their assistance with this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina Moreno and Francisco Maderal.
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.justice.gov/usao-sdfl. 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.
Louisiana Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
Texarkana, Arkansas - Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Jonathan Taylor, aka “N.O.”, age 30, of Violet, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Texarkana.
U.S. Attorney Eldridge commented, “With today’s sentence, another drug dealer has been brought to justice. The eradication of drug trafficking is vital to the growth and well-being of Hot Springs and communities across the Western District of Arkansas. Our office remains focused on investigating and prosecuting drug trafficking activity in order to make our state a safer place for all of our citizens.”
According to court records, on May 27, 2014, members of the 18th Judicial East Drug Task Force and the Hot Springs Police Department were contacted by staff members of a Hot Springs hotel, regarding possible controlled substances found in a guest room while the room was being cleaned by the housekeeping staff. The substance was field tested on the scene by members of the 18th Judicial East Drug Task Force, which provided a positive result for the presumptive identification of methamphetamine. Further investigation revealed that the room in question had been rented by Jonathan Taylor. Subsequently, Taylor was encountered by investigators as he arrived back at the hotel. Taylor stated that he came to the hotel to retrieve a PlayStation game console that he left in the hotel room. Taylor was advised that controlled substances had been found in the room he rented, to which Taylor spontaneously responded that the controlled substances belonged to him. At that point, Taylor was advised of his Miranda rights and agreed to make a statement. During his interview, Taylor admitted that he was the current renter of the hotel room in question, and that the methamphetamine found in the room belonged to him. The substance was later determined to have an approximate weight of 6.4 ounces and was confirmed by the State Crime Lab as methamphetamine. Taylor was arrested on July 2, 2014, and pleaded guilty to the charge on December 1, 2014.
This case was investigated by the Hot Springs Police Department, the 18th Judicial Drug Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case for the United States.
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Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Local Man Pleads Guilty to Five Felony ChargesRead the Press Release
Antwyne Warren, a resident of St. Clair County, Illinois pled guilty in federal district court this morning to five felony charges including (1) conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting; (2) attempted robbery; (3) using or carrying firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and a crime of violence and aiding and abetting; (4) possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and (5) possession of heroin, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Warren was ordered held without bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for July 31, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. before the Honorable David R. Herndon, United States District Judge. Warren faces a minimum of ten years imprisonment on the conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting count and a minimum of five years on the using or carrying firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and a crime of violence and aiding and abetting count. By law, the sentences for these two offenses must run consecutively.
Court documents indicate that Warren, a convicted felon, agreed with two men to rob a drug stash house containing cocaine in July 2013. Warren and a codefendant brought loaded firearms with them to assist in the robbery. ATF agents, who had been investigating Warren’s and his codefendants’ plans to commit the robbery, arrested the three men in St. Louis. Following Warren’s arrest, a deputy at the St. Clair County Jail located heroin in Warren’s rectum.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Assistant United States Attorney Monica A. Stump is prosecuting the case.
Lincolnites Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that on April 24, 2015, an Indictment was unsealed charging Nicole Lynn Zabel, a/k/a Nicki Lynn Zabel, age 41, and Kenneth Ali Carman, age 42, both of Lincoln, with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine between January of 2010 and April of 2015. The charge carries a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by at least five years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $10,000,000.
Both are scheduled for initial appearances in federal court in Lincoln on Wednesday, April 29, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Law School Graduate Gets 20 Years for Conspiring to Launder Drug MoneyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A law school graduate who operated a non-profit business has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder drug money, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Mendy Read-Forbes, 40, Platte City, Mo., was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan. She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. In her plea, she admitted that in March 2012 she began meeting with an agent posing as a drug dealer. Read-Forbes, a law school graduate who was not licensed to practice law, operated Forbes & Newhard Credit Solutions, Inc., a nonprofit corporation registered in Missouri to provide educational and social welfare services.
The agent told Read-Forbes he had assets to conceal from the sale of marijuana. She boasted she could use her legal training and her connections with federal attorneys and law enforcement officers to help him launder the money. She told the agent she would launder his cash by running it through her business. She said a lot of her customers paid in cash. So it would not be suspicious for her to be doing transactions involving cash. The plan also involved her listing the agent as an employee of her business and putting him on her company’s board of directors. As part of the scheme, she created a fictitious company called Maximus Lawn Care LLC.
Over the course of the investigation she laundered a total of more than $200,000 in purported drug funds. She also agreed to invest $40,000 of her money with the agent for the purchase of marijuana.
Co-defendants are:
Ronald E. Partee, who was sentenced to five years.
Laura Shoop, who is awaiting sentencing.
Grissom commended the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.
Kirtland Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine in San Juan CountyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Felix Trujillo, 52, of Kirtland, N.M., was sentenced late yesterday afternoon in Albuquerque, N.M., to 108 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking charges.
Trujillo was arrested on Oct. 28, 2014, on an indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute it in San Juan County, N.M., on July 28, 2014.
On Dec. 10, 2014, Trujillo pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on July 28, 2014, he possessed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to other people.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec.
The HIDTA Region II Task Force is comprised of officers and investigators from the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomfield Police Department and Aztec Police Department, and is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
Kingpin Sentence in Income Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
Contact Person: T. DeWayne Pearson (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina - United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Flavio Torres-Tello, a.k.a. “El Jefe”, age 42, of Newberry was sentenced in connection with a scheme that netted him and others $1.4 million dollars in fraudulent income tax refund checks from the United States Treasury. Torres-Tello pleaded guilty to unlawful identification document transfer in violation of 18 United States Code, Section 1028(a)(2) and aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 United States Code, Section 1028A. According to facts presented during the guilty plea hearing, Torres-Tello directed others to buy or steal IRS form W-2s from migrant workers in and around the Lexington County area. Torres-Tello used the W-2 forms to file hundreds of fraudulent income tax returns, often adding multiple fictitious dependents to inflate the amount of the refunds. Torres-Tello would then generate forged Mexican Consular Identification Cards to use as identification in order to cash the refund checks at retail locations. Torres-Tello received a sentence of 61 months of incarceration and faces deportation upon his release.
“The IRS is aggressively pursuing those who steal others' identities in order to file false returns,” said Thomas J. Holloman, III, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Our cooperative work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office will help protect taxpayers in South Carolina from being victimized by identity theft. The IRS is taking additional steps this tax season to further prevent, detect and resolve identity theft cases as soon as possible.” The case was investigated by Special Agents with the IRS, the Department of Homeland Security/HSI, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson of the Columbia office.
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Jury Finds Former Manager of Federally Funded Job Placement Centers Liable in Civil Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ALEX SAAVEDRA (“SAAVEDRA”), the former director of two Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation (“SEEDCO”) Workforce1 Career Centers, was found liable for violating the False Claims Act (the “FCA”) in connection with a federally funded program to provide assistance to unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers. The jury awarded damages to the United States in the amount of $13,000, which pursuant to the FCA will be trebled to $39,000. In addition, the FCA provides for a civil penalty of $5,500 to $11,000 for each violation. The Court will determine the amount of SAAVEDRA’s civil penalty at a later date. The verdict was returned yesterday following a one-week trial before United States District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Federally funded services such as SEEDCO’s career centers are meant to help people find jobs and achieve the American dream. Unfortunately, SAAVEDRA cared more about reporting big numbers than being honest. This fraudulent conduct resulted in the misappropriation of federal funds, and made it appear that more New Yorkers were getting help than actually were. Prior to the trial, the Government reached settlements with SEEDCO and six of its former managers for the same fraudulent conduct. Now a jury has found the last defendant, the highest ranking Workforce1 Center employee, liable as well. This Office will not hesitate to pursue companies and individuals who fraudulently exploit public funding. This verdict and this case underscore that individuals, as well as entities, responsible for fraud must be held accountable.”
According to the evidence presented at trial:
SEEDCO received federal funding to operate Workforce1 Career Centers (the “WF1 Centers”) in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. These WF1 Centers provided, among other things, employment training and job placement assistance. In order to receive federal funding for its WF1 Centers, SEEDCO was required to report its job placement performance through a database maintained by the New York City Department of Small Business Services (“SBS”), called WorkSource1. The information was necessary for the calculation of performance-based payments under the federal program.
From 2009 to 2011, SAAVEDRA, as WF1 Center director, caused the entry of false placements into WorkSource1 to make it appear that job candidates had obtained jobs by or with the involvement of SEEDCO when, in fact, they had not. These false placements resulted in performance payments, with federal funds, that SEEDCO had not earned. SAAVEDRA was present at internal all-staff meetings during which this scheme was discussed and, on at least one occasion, instructed a SEEDCO employee to report false placements.
Mr. Bharara thanked the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, for its assistance in the case. He also thanked the United States Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, the New York City Department of Investigation, and the New York City Department of Small Business Services.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Carina H. Schoenberger and Ellen Blain are in charge of the case.
Houston Man Sentenced in Galleria Mall Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - Emiliano Trevino, 25, has been ordered to prison following his conviction of one count of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Trevino pleaded guilty Jan, 29, 2015.
78 months; $2927.51 in restitution; supervised release 4 years
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner, who accepted the guilty plea, handed Trevino a 78-month sentence to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release.
On Oct. 16, 2014, Trevino robbed the BBVA Compass Bank at gunpoint located inside the Houston Galleria Mall on Westheimer Road in Houston. The robbery occurred at approximately 12:45 p.m. during normal shopping hours.
Trevino entered the bank and asked for a withdrawal of 20s, 50s and 100s. As he demanded the money, he pulled out a black revolver from his jacket, displaying the gun to the teller.
Trevino will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Searle is prosecuting.
Houston Man Convicted of Embezzling from Labor UnionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Henry Shuler, 65, of Houston, has admitted to stealing from United Transportation Union (UTU), Local 1982, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Shuler was the secretary/treasurer of UTU.
Agents received information from an internal UTU International auditor that Shuler embezzled union funds by writing checks to Sam’s Club for personal items not authorized by the union. Further investigation by Department of Labor (DOL) investigators revealed Shuler also disguised some of the stolen funds as repayment of union dues to nonexistent members.
The total amount of union funds stolen is approximately $40,000 over the course of six years.
He is set for sentencing July 17, 2015, at which time he faces up to five years imprisonment and a possible $10,000 maximum fine.
The case was investigated by DOL-Office of Labor Management Standards. Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Cook is prosecuting the case.