Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
28 April 2015
Two Individuals Charged for Possessing Stolen Personal Identification Information at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International AirportRead the Press Release
Two Miami Dade County residents were charged for their participation in a stolen identity fraud conspiracy based on information discovered while they were boarding a flight at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.
Godfrey Teekah, Jr., 28, and Phillip Collins, 29, both of Miami Gardens, were each charged by indictment with conspiracy to possess fifteen or more unauthorized access devices (social security numbers issued to other persons), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(b)(2), possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3), and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1). The defendants face a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, ten years in prison for the possession of unauthorized access devices charge, and a mandatory term of two years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, for the aggravated identity theft charge.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Teekah and Collins were allegedly in possession of the stolen personal identification information of real persons with the intent to use that information in order to defraud others. The defendants were allegedly stopped while attempting to board a flight at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in February of 2013. The defendants were allegedly found in possession of more than 326 names, social security numbers, and dates of birth, belonging to other individuals. In addition, the defendants allegedly possessed nine debit cards in the names of other individuals.
The defendants had their initial appearances today before United States Magistrate Judge Patrick M. Hunt.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz.
An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov
Trio Sentenced for Drug RobberyRead the Press Release
Two Cedar Rapids men and one Cedar Rapids woman were sentenced in federal court today for their June 9, 2014, robbery of a drug dealer of his methamphetamine and cash. Leonard Landt, age 28, was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment in federal prison. Snofawn Torres, age 22, was sentenced to 44 months’ imprisonment in federal prison. Bart Waddell, age26, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment in federal prison.
All three were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Each defendant must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
All three are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Reinert and Lisa Williams and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Task Force comprised of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; the Iowa City Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 14-CR-119.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Toledo man sentenced to 12 years in prison for child pornographyRead the Press Release
A Toledo man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Jason H. Quinney, 40, was living in a YMCA shelter near two schools when he shared images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary sentenced Quinney to 150 month in prison.
The investigating agency in this case is the United States Secret Service, Toledo, Ohio. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Freeman.
Three Mexican nationals indicted for distributing black tar heroinRead the Press Release
A 24-count federal indictment was filed charging three Mexican nationals for conspiring to sell black tar heroin across Northern Ohio, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
Victor Morales-Garcia, 38, of Columbus, Mario Perez Sanchez, age unknown, and Pedro Ortega-Gomez, 36, both of Madison, Ohio, are charged with conspiring to sell black tar heroin in Lake, Cuyahoga, Erie and Huron counties.
The men had a base of customers from Huron County who travelled on a daily basis to purchase the heroin. Most of these sales took place between the far west suburbs of Cuyahoga County to Painesville in Lake County, according to court documents.
This group utilized numerous men to act as couriers as deliver the heroin to customers. Many of these couriers were brought illegally to the United States from the Nayarit/Tepic area of Mexico to the Painesville area with the promise of working on a farm or in an automobile garage. Once in Ohio, these individuals became couriers for the drug trafficking group, according to court documents.
On April 6, law enforcement officials stopped a car being driven by Gomez and discovered a large bag of heroin, all individually packaged in small balloons. Subsequent searches led to the discovery of a .22-caliber revolver, numerous wire transfer receipts showing thousands of dollars being wired to Mexico, drug ledgers and cash, according to court documents.
“This is a drug trafficking group whose tentacles spread from Mexico to all over Northern Ohio,” Dettelbach spread. “They preyed on people for profit.”
“These three defendants operated a revolving door distribution center of black tar heroin,” Anthony said. “This is another great example of the tireless, collaborative efforts by the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force to take suppliers of dangerous narcotics off our streets. “
This case is the being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Corts following an investigation by the Northern Ohio Law Enforcement Task Force. The NOLETF is a task force comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cleveland Division of Police, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the police departments of Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Lakewood, the Regional Transit Authority, Westlake and Shaker Heights. The NOLETF is also one of the initial Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiatives, which supports and helps coordinate numerous Ohio drug task forces in their efforts to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking in Ohio.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Third Clarksville Man Sentenced to Life in Prison in Large Scale Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Demetrius Duncan, aka Whirley, 34, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was sentenced today to life in prison for his role in a large cocaine distribution conspiracy, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. There is no parole from federal sentences.
Duncan, along with Chris Young, aka Soulja C and Alto Parnell, aka AP, were indicted in January 2011 and convicted at a jury trial on August 23, 2013, of participating in a lengthy conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack cocaine. Duncan was also convicted of other charges including being a felon in possession of firearms, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony.
“The sentence imposed by the Court was mandated by federal law and reflects the harm that such defendants do to their communities, said U.S. Attorney David Rivera.” “Previous sentences imposed for a multitude of offenses apparently had no effect on deterring Duncan from future criminal behavior.”
Based on Duncan’s involvement in the drug conspiracy, and his previous convictions, which included three drug trafficking felonies and two felonies involving armed violence, Chief U.S. District Judge Kevin H. Sharp sentenced him to the mandatory sentence of life in prison on the drug conspiracy followed by a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The trial proof showed that Duncan regularly obtained drugs from Brian Vance, aka Bird, another Clarksville resident who was a ranking member of the Vice Lords street gang, and that the conspiracy involved at least 500 grams of powder cocaine and 280 grams of crack cocaine. Vance previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 200 months in prison.
Much of the drugs distributed in this conspiracy were supplied through Robert Porter of Clarksville, Tenn., who also pleaded guilty and has already been sentenced to 300 months in prison.
Duncan’s co-defendants at trial, Alto Parnell and Chris Young, were also previously sentenced to life in prison due to their involvement in the drug conspiracy, and their criminal records.
Duncan was one of 32 defendants charged in a lengthy investigation focusing on drug trafficking in the Clarksville, Tenn. area. The investigation uncovered substantial gang activity within the drug conspiracy and multiple firearms were seized during the take-down phase of the investigation in December 2010.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Clarksville Police Department, with assistance from other state, local, and federal agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sunny A.M. Koshy and Lynne T. Ingram represented the United States.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade on Officer ShootingRead the Press Release
“Yesterday's shooting was a tragedy and we offer our deep condolences to the family. Police work sometimes requires use of deadly force, but officers may use only as much force as is reasonable under the circumstances. In a situation like this, it is important to protect the rights of both the deceased and the officer. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the investigation."Statement by Attorney General Lynch on Supreme Court Arguments on Same-Sex MarriageRead the Press Release
Attorney General Loretta Lynch released the following statement regarding arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on same-sex marriage:
“I am committed – as is this department – to ensuring equal dignity and equal treatment for all members of society, regardless of sexual orientation. As we argued today before the Supreme Court, same-sex couples deserve that treatment now. ”
St. Petersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Michael Cornell (53, St. Petersburg) today pleaded guilty to theft of government funds. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Cornell’s mother was the recipient of Social Security benefits. She died on February 2, 2010, and all of her benefits ended upon her death. The Social Security Administration did not receive notice of her death and, until October 2013, monthly benefit checks continued to be sent to a post office box that Cornell shared with his mother. Cornell forged his mother’s signature and deposited the checks into a bank account that they shared. He then transferred the funds to a personal account for his use. The total amount paid out after his mother’s death was $44,448. Of that, the SSA was able to recover $12,440 from Cornell’s bank accounts.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam M. Saltzman.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today as the result of a child pornography investigation that began in Australia.
Joshua Ryan Clark, 27, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Clark to pay $3,000 in restitution to his victims.
On Jan. 26, 2015, Clark pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. According to court documents, Clark actively traded child pornography via e-mail, including depictions of prepubescent children (as young as three years old) engaged in all manner of sexual activity. Clark directly contacted other pedophiles via e-mail and text; Clark claimed in a chat with another pedophile that he had sodomized a 12-year-old victim (which the government has not been able to corroborate) and expressed a desire in another message to rape a child.
Law enforcement officers in Australia discovered several e-mail messages from Clark to a resident of Queensland, Australia, to which Clark had attached images of child pornography – one message contained 100 images of child pornography.
An FBI agent in Springfield received a 16 GB thumb drive from Yahoo! that contained the contents of Clark’s e-mail account, including 2,264 depictions of child pornography. Clark admitted that he used the e-mail account to trade child pornography with numerous individuals beginning in 2006 or 2007.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Sheffield Lake woman sentenced to 12 years in prison for production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
A Sheffield Lake woman was sentenced to 12 ½ years in prison for producing and possessing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.
Megan A. Boyer, 24, was sentenced to 150 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to two counts.
From February 27, 2013, through on or about February 13, 2014, Boyer did use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce a two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct and such visual depiction was produced or transmitted using materials that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer, according to court documents.
Boyer is further charged with possessing a Verizon HTC cell phone, a removable secure digital card (SD card), and several Polaroid photographs that contained child pornography on February 13, 2014, according to court documents.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Elyria Office.
Rhode Island Real Estate Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Cranston, Rhode Island, man was sentenced today to prison for tax fraud in the District of Rhode Island, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
John Fall was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell to serve 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 26, after a federal jury trial in Providence, Rhode Island, Fall was convicted of one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the IRS, one count of tax evasion and two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false corporate tax returns.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Fall was a real estate consultant who bought, sold and brokered real estate. Fall also participated in handling the financial affairs of his wife and her businesses, including her dental practice, Comfort Dental Inc., and Broad Street Investments. Between 1999 and 2010, Fall used numerous nominee entities and business names to conceal his business and financial transactions. Fall also concealed his transactions using multiple bank accounts, including commingled or “warehouse” bank accounts in at least six states, as well as the entities Comfort Dental and Broad Street Investments. To further disguise business and financial transactions, Fall used aliases to conceal his ownership and control over his nominee entities. Fall filed false federal income tax returns for 1998 and 1999, and failed to file tax returns for the tax years 2000 through 2010. The IRS audited Fall for tax years 1998 through 2000, and assessed taxes due and owing totaling approximately $72,000.
Fall also caused the filing of false tax returns on behalf of Comfort Dental for the years 2005 through 2007. Fall caused his wife’s businesses to make payments to various entities that he controlled, which were falsely recorded on the corporate tax returns as deductible business expenses. When Comfort Dental and Fall’s wife were audited by the IRS in late 2008, Fall attempted to obstruct the audit by attempting to obstruct his wife’s compliance with an IRS summons and by encouraging his wife’s accountant to not provide the IRS with information requested. Instead, Fall provided false and fraudulent information and documentation to the IRS concerning the nature of the payments by Comfort Dental and Broad Street Investments to his various entities.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended the special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case. Ciraolo also thanked Assistant Chief John Kane and Trial Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Rhode Island for their substantial assistance.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at the division website.
Real Estate Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A Cranston, Rhode Island, man was sentenced today to prison for tax fraud in the District of Rhode Island, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
John Fall was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell to serve 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 26, after a federal jury trial in Providence, Rhode Island, Fall was convicted of one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the IRS, one count of tax evasion and two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false corporate tax returns.According to the evidence presented at trial, Fall was a real estate consultant who bought, sold and brokered real estate. Fall also participated in handling the financial affairs of his wife and her businesses, including her dental practice, Comfort Dental Inc., and Broad Street Investments. Between 1999 and 2010, Fall used numerous nominee entities and business names to conceal his business and financial transactions. Fall also concealed his transactions using multiple bank accounts, including commingled or “warehouse” bank accounts in at least six states, as well as the entities Comfort Dental and Broad Street Investments. To further disguise business and financial transactions, Fall used aliases to conceal his ownership and control over his nominee entities. Fall filed false federal income tax returns for 1998 and 1999, and failed to file tax returns for the tax years 2000 through 2010. The IRS audited Fall for tax years 1998 through 2000, and assessed taxes due and owing totaling approximately $72,000.
Fall also caused the filing of false tax returns on behalf of Comfort Dental for the years 2005 through 2007. Fall caused his wife’s businesses to make payments to various entities that he controlled, which were falsely recorded on the corporate tax returns as deductible business expenses. When Comfort Dental and Fall’s wife were audited by the IRS in late 2008, Fall attempted to obstruct the audit by attempting to obstruct his wife’s compliance with an IRS summons and by encouraging his wife’s accountant to not provide the IRS with information requested. Instead, Fall provided false and fraudulent information and documentation to the IRS concerning the nature of the payments by Comfort Dental and Broad Street Investments to his various entities.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended the special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case. Ciraolo also thanked Assistant Chief John Kane and Trial Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Rhode Island for their substantial assistance.
###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Readout of Justice Department Officials' Visit in BaltimoreRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice released the following readout of meetings attended by senior department officials to address the ongoing situation in Baltimore:
At the direction of Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the head of the Civil Rights Division, Vanita Gupta, the director of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office, Ron Davis, and the head of the Community Relations Services (CRS) office, Grande Lum, participated in several meetings today with city leadership, law enforcement, faith leaders, young people and members of the community to discuss the unrest in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray. Department officials reiterated their offer to the city to provide federal resources, such as technical assistance to the Baltimore Police Department. Department officials also reaffirmed their commitment to expeditiously and thoroughly carryout the ongoing, independent civil rights investigation into the death of Mr. Gray.
The COPS office assured law enforcement and the community members that the Collaborative Reform Review into the Baltimore Police Department will continue and that the department plans to announce their initial report in the coming weeks. COPS encouraged faith leaders and members of the community who attended the meetings to participate in the Collaborative Reform Initiative and share their stories and provide information that may be useful to the team leading the review. Department officials heard from residents about concerns regarding the Baltimore Police Department and the lack of trust that they feel exists between the police and community.
CRS shared that their conciliators have been on the ground in Baltimore since Thursday and will continue to bring in staff as necessary to help open lines of communication within the community and between the community and local officials.
The department officials thanked community members that have been engaged in constructive discussions, discouraging violence and encouraging peaceful demonstrations. The department officials met with the officer who is still hospitalized after being injured during the violence on Monday afternoon and reiterated that officer safety must remain a priority. Department officials also met with the family of Mr. Gray and expressed their condolences on behalf of the department.
The department officials provided continuous updates throughout the day to Attorney General Lynch and her closest advisors.
Pinedale Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Federal Voluntary Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alvin Charley, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Pinedale, N.M., was sentenced today in Albuquerque, N.M., to 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his voluntary manslaughter conviction.
According to court filings, Charley killed another Navajo man on Aug. 15, 2014, by stabbing him in the chest. The crime occurred on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M., during a fight between Charley and the victim.
On Jan. 28, 2015, Charley pled guilty to a felony information charging him with voluntary manslaughter. In entering his guilty plea, Charley admitted stabbing the victim in the chest during a fight that began after the two men had been drinking alcohol and arguing.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque and Gallup offices of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez.
Parkersburg cocaine and heroin dealer pleads guilty in federal courtRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man who had cocaine, heroin, and cash pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney, Booth Goodwin. Dustin Keith Jarvis, 34 pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine today before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. in Charleston.
On April 23, 2014, drug task force officers executed search warrants at Jarvis’ apartment and his rented storage unit in Mineral Wells, West Virginia. Among other items, police seized approximately 120 grams of cocaine, 380 grams of heroin and more than $12,000 in cash. This case is part of a larger cooperative investigation by drug task forces in Wood County, West Virginia and Washington County, Ohio.
Other individuals prosecuted in federal court as part of this investigation include Brent J. Sidwell who pleaded guilty on April 24, 2015, to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, Timothy Fields who was sentenced to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and David Naylor who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Jarvis faces up to 20 years in prison, and a $1 million fine when sentenced on August 11, 2015.
This case represents the ongoing cooperation between the Parkersburg Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, Washington County, Ohio Major Crimes Task Force, and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney, Joshua Hanks is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Palm Beach County Gastroenterologist Sentenced for His Role in an Income Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Dr. Krishna Tripuraneni, 56, of Palm Beach County, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Darrin P. Gayles to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release and two hundred hours of community service, for his participation in an income tax fraud scheme.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office, made the announcement.
Tripuraneni had previously pleaded guilty to one count of filing false tax returns, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
According to court documents, Tripuraneni, a physician licensed in the State of Florida who specializes in the field of Gastroenterology, filed fraudulent income tax returns. Tripuraneni's primary place of business is Palm Beach Gastroenterology Consultants LLC (“PBGC”), Wellington, Florida. Tripuraneni also operates two other businesses from this same address, identified as Palm Beach Surgery Center (“PBSC”) and PB Anesthesia Associates, LLC (“PBA”). Tripuraneni is the listed owner of record of PBGC and the Manager and Registered Agent for PBSC and PBA in Florida Corporate records.
For the tax years 2004 to 2008, Tripuraneni knowingly and willfully underreported his income from the above mentioned entities. Tripuraneni received income in the form of direct compensation, distributions, and corporate funds and used these payments to cover personal expenditures. This resulted in the filing of false corporate and personal tax returns by Tripuraneni.
Tripuraneni utilized funds from the above companies to pay for expenses related to a new home that he built in Manalapan, Florida, payments on condominiums that he had purchased, interior design improvements to his residences, and tuition payments for his children. Some of these payments were then fraudulently classified as professional consulting, building repairs, and miscellaneous expenses by the referenced companies.
These falsified profit and loss statements, which included the improper payments, were used by a tax preparer to file Tripuraneni’s corporate and personal income tax returns. Tripuraneni caused the preparation and filing of a false 2006 U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation, IRS Form 1120S; a U.S. Return of Partnership Income, IRS Form 1065 and a U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, IRS Form 1040. These returns were false in that the corporate returns included fraudulent business expenses which reduced the corporations’ income and failed to include the diverted corporate income and to correctly report the defendant’s share of the income generated by these companies, thereby understating the defendant’s total income and the tax due and owing on his personal return.
The false returns resulted in the following misrepresentations and outstanding taxes:
Tax Year Underreported Income Outstanding Taxes 2004 $3,256,616 $1,139,815 2005 $3,940,641 $1,369,581 2006 $4,158,162 $1,533,048 2007 $3,688,283 $1,291,940 2008 $3,084,364 $1,049,593 TOTAL $18,128,066 $6,383,977Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the IRS-CI, FBI and DCIS. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark.
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.
Oceanside Lawyer Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Defrauding Thousands of Distressed Homeowners in $13 Million Loan Modification SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Two defendants were sentenced today for their roles in defrauding more than 3,000 homeowners across the nation through a sham law firm in Oceanside, California.
Dean Gregory Chandler, the former President, Chief Executive Officer, and attorney for the company, 1st American Law Center, was sentenced to 144 months. Michael Eccles, a manager in the company’s telemarketing call center, was sentenced to 60 months.
The two defendants were each convicted of multiple felony counts in November 2014, after a three-week jury trial. Chandler was convicted of 8 felony counts: three counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy and money laundering. Eccles was convicted of five counts: conspiracy and two counts each of mail fraud and wire fraud.
The 1st American Law Center Scheme
According to evidence presented at trial, Chandler created 1st American Law Center in 2009 in partnership with convicted drug trafficker Gary Bobel (who has been separately convicted and sentenced for his role in the scheme). Chandler arranged to have Bobel oversee the call center and its teams of telemarketers, who pitched loan modification services on behalf of the law center. Those telemarketers, including Eccles, promised potential clients that a panel of attorneys would pre-screen applicants’ financial information to ensure that only the most qualified applicants would be approved as clients of the law firm; that a team of attorneys would negotiate with clients’ mortgage lenders; that those attorneys would draft all documents to be submitted to the mortgage lenders; that the “attorney retainer fee,” which averaged $3,495, would be preserved in an attorney-client trust account until the client was satisfied; and that clients were protected by a money-back guarantee.As presented at trial, Michael Eccles was promoted to manager of the call center in December 2009, and he took advantage of the new position to script additional lies for the telemarketers to use with clients, including that the law firm had been in business since 1992; that they had been successfully modifying loans for over 20 years; that they had helped over a hundred thousand homeowners; and that it took attorneys on average 200 hours to complete a successful loan modification – all to suggest that the clients could take hope and comfort in the expertise and established success of the “law firm” they had hired. The telemarketers even persuaded homeowners to pay the company=s fees instead of using their limited funds to stay current on their mortgage payments.
Witness testimony and documentary evidence at trial proved that Chandler had almost no role in the loan modification process, and that nearly all of the statements made by telemarketers to the clients were lies. Chandler, the attorney, did not pre-screen all of the applications or negotiate with lenders. Rather than successfully modifying 98% of their client’s mortgages, as they claimed, the firm failed to modify three out of every four loans. Instead of keeping clients’ payments in an attorney trust account, they were funneled into various other accounts to pay co-schemers, sales commissions, and company expenses. Instead of having funds available to deliver on its money-back guarantee, the firm failed to provide refunds to untold numbers of clients who requested them.
For his part, Chandler served as the face of the law firm, and the firm’s commercial, website, and brochure featured Chandler’s name, image, and state bar license number. Chandler reviewed telemarketer call scripts submitted to him for approval, and also listened in real time and on recordings to telemarketer calls to clients.
Chandler Lied While Trying to Stay One Step Ahead of the Feds
According to evidence at trial, however, Chandler’s chief role was to mislead regulatory and enforcement agencies that threatened the law firm’s profitable operations. In that capacity, in October 2009 Chandler lied under oath in a sworn declaration to an Assistant Attorney General at the California Department of Justice. Multiple witnesses testified that the statements in Chandler’s declaration were false. And when the constant customer complaints threatened the company’s bottom line, Chandler also lied repeatedly to the Better Business Bureau in efforts to try to inflate the law center’s sagging ratings. For his role in the scheme, Chandler earned over $275,000 in about a 14-month period. In July 2010, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service executed a search warrant at his law firm, Chandler also drained one of the firm’s bank accounts of $16,500 and used it for his own benefit, instead of to pay employees or refund victims. This transaction was the basis of the money laundering charge.Victims Speak
During the trial, multiple victims of the defendants’ fraudulent scheme came from across the country to testify about their experiences. For example, a couple from Evansville, Indiana, both in their 70s, related how they contacted 1st American Law Center to avoid losing the home where they had spent 27 years raising a family, which was specially modified to accommodate their paraplegic son’s wheelchair. Due to medical problems, which forced the husband to retire as an auto mechanic, the couple fell behind on their payments. The couple put their faith in the promise that an attorney would negotiate with their lender. They also counted on the money-back guarantee if the firm was unsuccessful. The couple ultimately lost their home, and their money.With today’s sentencings, thirteen individuals have now been sentenced as a result of the fraudulent operation of 1st American Law Center. Gary Bobel received a sentence of 92 months. Telemarketer Shelveen Singh, who operated out of Riverside, was sentenced to 110 months. Other convicted telemarketers include Travis Iverson, Scott Spencer, Johnny Hearn, Anthony Calandriello, Mark Spencer, and Roger Jones. Information Technology Director Steven Gersztyn was convicted and sentenced for lying to federal agents during the investigation of the case, and Amy Hintz and Sarah Grimm were each convicted of theft of government property for stealing documents while making copies of evidence in the FBI’s custody.
Federal Law Enforcement Condemns Loan Modification Schemers
United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy commented, “The real tragedy of this case is that the defendants chose to profit from the suffering of others. In difficult economic times, they exploited a particularly vulnerable segment of our population—homeowners who were desperately trying to make ends meet and stay in their homes.”“Mr. Chandler and Mr. Eccles misused and abused their positions of trust to prey upon those who were financially vulnerable and desperate to save their homes,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric S. Birnbaum. “The sentences imposed today reaffirm our commitment to hold accountable the guilty who profit by taking advantage of vulnerable people.”
“The defendants used a slew of lies to sell their loan modification services and obtain money from distressed homeowners throughout the United States,” said IRS Criminal Investigation’s Special Agent in Charge Erick Martinez. “Loan modification scams thrived for a time, but that time is gone, and as the sentences imposed today show, it’s time for those responsible to face judgment.”
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 12CR4031-BEN Dean Gregory Chandler Age: 50 Fallbrook, California Michael Eccles Age: 35 Vista, California CHARGESDefendant Chandler was convicted of Counts 1-4 and 6-8.
Defendant Eccles was convicted of Counts 1, 3-4, 6 and 7.
Count 1: Conspiracy to commit mail fraud or wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349.
Maximum Penalties: 20 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss resulting from the offense, $100 special assessment, restitution.Counts 2-4: Mail Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341.
Maximum Penalties: 20 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss resulting from the offense, $100 special assessment, restitution.Counts 6-7: Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
Maximum Penalties: 20 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss resulting from the offense, $100 special assessment, restitution.Count 8: Money Laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Maximum Penalties: 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine or twice the pecuniary gain or loss resulting from the offense, $100 special assessment, restitution.Federal Bureau of Investigation
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal InvestigationNorth Carolina Man Sentenced in New Mexico for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Travis Lavar Clark, 35, of Raleigh, N.C., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 51 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Clark’s crime of conviction involved possession of more than 750 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Clark was arrested on Feb. 20, 2014, in El Paso, Texas, on an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on Feb. 19, 2014, charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on Nov. 12, 2013, in Doña Ana County, N.M.
On June 10, 2014, Clark pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Nov. 12, 2013, law enforcement officer found approximately 757.34 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in the trunk of the vehicle he was driving. Clark also admitted that he was being paid to take the methamphetamine from El Paso to open up a “store” in Las Cruces to sell the methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force (RIDTF)/Metro Narcotics Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The HIDTA Regional Interagency Drug Task Force/Metro Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers from the Las Cruces Police Department and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office. 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.
Mt. Sterling Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Distributing Thousands of Oxycodone PillsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON — A Mt. Sterling, Ky., man, who previously admitted to being responsible for the distribution of 20,000 prescription pills in Montgomery County, has been sentenced to 150 months in federal prison.
On Friday, April 24, U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves sentenced Jeffrey Scott Wingate, 52, for possession with intent to distribute Oxycodone. Wingate was also ordered to forfeit approximately $200,000, several firearms, and two vehicles.
Judge Reeves also sentenced Charles Michael Spence, 39, of Mt. Sterling, to 81 months for conspiring to distribute Oxycodone. Spence acknowledged he was responsible for the distribution of 14,000 Oxycodone pills. Under federal law, both defendants must serve at least 85 percent of their prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years, following their release.
In November 2014, Wingate and Spence pleaded guilty to the drug charges and admitted that, from September 2013 through June 12, 2014, they conspired with co-defendant, Eric Gonzalez, aka Joel Ramon Hipolito, and others to distribute Oxycodone pills. Judge Reeves previously sentenced Gonzalez to 200 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
According to Wingate’s plea agreement, he also acknowledged that he conspired to distribute approximately 5 ounces of heroin.
Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Howard Marshall, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Rodney Brewer, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; David Charles, Chief, Mt. Sterling Police Department; and Fred Shortridge, Montgomery County Sheriff, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Kentucky State Police, the Mt. Sterling Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government.
Member of “Traveling Group” of Fraudsters SentencedRead the Press Release
BOISE — Brandt Stewart, 29, from Southfield, Michigan, was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Stewart to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
Stewart, co-defendant Myron Pardon, and others were part of a “traveling group” from Detroit, Michigan, that traveled to southern Idaho in December 2013, and February 2014, to make purchases at large “box stores” using counterfeit credit cards. Stewart, knowingly and with intent to defraud, used counterfeit credit cards to purchase “general use” charge cards at ten stores in Twin Falls, Boise and Meridian, causing losses in the amount of $8,906 in joint and several liability with co-defendant Myron Pardon. Some of the credit cards fraudulently used by Stewart belonged to actual account holders, thus constituting aggravated identity theft.
Stewart’s co-defendant Myron Pardon entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced on similar charges to 18 months incarceration on February 3, 2015, before Judge Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise, Idaho. The case of Stewart’s co-defendant, Matthew Lane, has been transferred to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, in Detroit, where Lane has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on May 19, 2015.
"Vigorous prosecution of those who travel here to carry out schemes to defraud Idaho citizens and businesses is a priority of this United States Attorney’s Office,” said Olson. “My office will work effectively and aggressively with local police departments and federal law enforcement agencies to put a quick end to these schemes.”
The case is the result of a joint investigation of the Boise Police Department and the United States Secret Service.
Marble Hill Man Pleads Guilty to Howell County Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Marble Hill, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy in which the government seized his aircraft and dozens of firearms.
Joshua William Vawter, 37, of Marble Hill, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Monday, April 27, 2015, to the charge contained in a Dec. 17, 2013, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty, Vawter admitted that he and a co-conspirator purchased seven duffel bags to transport 91.5 kilograms (202 pounds) of high-grade marijuana from California to Missouri. They placed the marijuana in the duffel bags, a suitcase and two golf bags, and loaded them onto Vawter’s airplane, a Piper PA-32-260, which he piloted. Vawter’s plane landed at West Plains Regional Airport in West Plains, Mo., on Oct. 31, 2013. Law enforcement officers conducted a search of the plane and seized the marijuana and $1,800. Drug Enforcement Administration agents estimate the total street value of the marijuana seized to be $1 million.
The next day DEA agents searched Vawter’s residence and seized 56 firearms from a vault in the basement. Agents also seized a total of $75,000 from the vault (including $18,000 that was hidden in the foam backing of a gun case). Four additional firearms were seized from the master bedroom, for a total of 60 firearms seized from the residence.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Vawter must forfeit to the government the airplane, the firearms and the money that was seized.
Under federal statutes, Vawter is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $1 million. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DHS Custom and Border Patrol, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Howell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bollinger County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri South Central Drug Task Force.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Juan C. Rodriguez, 36, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced in Las Cruces federal court this morning for his child pornography conviction. Rodriguez was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison to be followed by seven years of supervised release. He will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Rodriguez was arrested on April 23, 2014, by the FBI on an indictment charging him with possession of matter containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment alleged that Rodriguez possessed child pornography in Doña Ana County, N.M., between June 2013 and Aug. 2013.
On Aug. 12, 2014, Rodriguez pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that between June 6, 2013 and Aug. 22, 2013, he used a computer and computer-related media to download child pornography using a peer-to-peer network. Rodriguez acknowledged that law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Aug. 22, 2013, and seized his computer and computer-related media. He further acknowledged that a forensic examination of those items uncovered approximately 30 still images and five videos consistent with child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of FBI and the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory with assistance from the Denver office of the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander B. Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ronald Lee Gore, 30, of Las Cruces, N.M. entered a guilty plea yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges. The guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Gore and his co-defendant Marcus Dupre, 27, of Phoenix, Ariz., were charged in a criminal complaint on Oct. 6, 2014, with methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses. Gore, Dupre, Jose Miramontes, 35, and Ramona Baca, 30, both of Las Cruces, N.M., were subsequently indicted on Dec. 10, 2014.
The indictment charged Gore with three counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, conspiracy to possess a fully automatic machinegun, possession of a machinegun, and being a felon in possession of firearms. At the time, Gore was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of theft in the first degree and burglary in the second degree. Gore was charged with committing these crimes between April 22, 2014 and Oct. 2, 2014, in Doña Ana County, N.M.
Dupre pled guilty on Jan. 20, 2015, to distribution of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and admitted that on Oct. 2, 2014, he conspired with Gore to sell methamphetamine to an undercover federal agent in exchange for a fully automatic machinegun. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
The indictment was superseded on Feb. 18, 2015, to add an extra count charging Miramontes with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Dec. 15, 2014, in Doña Ana County. At the time, Miramontes was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of residential burglary.
During yesterday’s plea hearing, Gore pled guilty to the superseding indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Gore faces a statutory penalty of not less than five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison followed by at least four years of supervised release.
Miramontes and Baca have entered pleas of not guilty to the indictment. A trial has yet to be scheduled. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces offices of the FBI and DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Laredoan Sentenced for Receiving and Sharing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Alberto Garza-Gaona, 27, of Laredo, has been ordered to federal prison for receiving and sharing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. He pleaded guilty Sept. 5, 2014.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed Garza-Gaona a sentence of 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was further ordered to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notice Act. Garza-Gaona is a student Visa holder and is expected to face deportation proceedings following completion of his sentence.
In February 2014, an investigation was launched and focused on the distribution and receipt of child pornography through electronic file sharing using peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Soon after, law enforcement discovered various child pornography videos that had been downloaded to a to a specific IP address. That IP address was identified as belonging to Garza-Gaona.
A search warrant was executed at his residence on June 4, 2014, at which time agents seized numerous computer and storage devices. A subsequent forensic analysis led to the discovery of 27,134 images and 23 videos containing child pornography. An additional 497 child pornography video file remnants had also been discovered. All of the materials were found on devices located in the Garza-Gaona’s bedroom connected to various P2P networks.
Garza-Gaona admitted he downloaded the child pornography and that all of the media devices found in his bedroom belonged to him.
At the hearing today, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent testified regarding the high volume of pornographic videos found on Garza-Gaona's computer. Upon sentencing Garza-Gaona, Judge Marmolejo commented that child pornography is the torturing of young children. Garza-Gaona will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
HSI and the Webb County Sherriff’s Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanjeev Bhasker is prosecuting the case.
The charges were the result of Operation Child Guardian, which was launched by the Webb County Sheriff’s Office in 2009. The success of these investigations have put dozens of suspected child predators behind bars.
The prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Lapwai Man Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a ChildRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Gaylen K. Broncheau, 62, of Lapwai, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to abusive sexual contact with a child under twelve, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Broncheau was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on November 18, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, between 2008 and 2011, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, Broncheau had sexual contact with a child, touching the child’s genitals with his fingers, over the child’s underwear. The plea agreement states the child was under twelve when this occurred.
The charge is punishable by up to life in prison, up to lifetime supervised release following any prison sentence, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Sentencing is set for August 18, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Nez Perce Tribal Police, Idaho State Police, and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.
Kamiah Woman Pleads Guilty to Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a FBI AgentRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Pennie Sue Moffett, 41, of Kamiah, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to assaulting, resisting, and impeding an officer of the United States, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Moffett was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on May 20, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, on March 27, 2014, Moffett obstructed, impeded, and assaulted an FBI Agent who was engaged in his official duties by resisting arrest and kicking the agent. The plea agreement states the FBI agent did not suffer bodily injury as a result of Moffett’s conduct.
The charge is punishable by up to eight years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for July 21, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Nez Perce Tribal Police.
Justice Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Agree to Policing Reforms and Settlement of Police-Related Fair Housing Claims in the Antelope ValleyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced a comprehensive settlement agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) that will support wide-ranging reforms in LASD’s Antelope Valley stations in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. The Justice Department and the county of Los Angeles have agreed to enter into a court-enforceable settlement agreement that will require reforms to LASD’s data collection, training and accountability systems to improve the quality and effectiveness of LASD’s interactions with Antelope Valley residents, and reduce bias in its practices. The settlement agreement also provides for a monetary fund of $700,000 to compensate persons harmed by LASD’s alleged violation of the Fair Housing Act, and a civil penalty of $25,000 to the United States.
The agreement follows the department’s issuing of a findings letter in June 2013 following an investigation which began in August 2011. Sheriff Jim McDonnell, his predecessors and Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles Executive Director Sean Rogan were all cooperative throughout the investigation and began working with the department to negotiate a remedy to the problems revealed by the investigation.
This settlement resolves claims from the department's investigation which found patterns of excessive use of force, biased policing practices, including housing discrimination, and unlawful searches and seizures. LASD has already begun to implement many of the negotiated reforms under the leadership of Sheriff Jim McDonnell. The Justice Department and the county filed the settlement agreement with the United States District Court for approval and entry as an order.
“Constitutional policing and effective policing go hand in hand,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “We are confident that this settlement represents a commitment by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to respect the rights of residents and promote mutual confidence between law enforcement and the community. This agreement puts in place a structure that will foster lawful, bias-free policing in the Antelope Valley, and ensures compensation for persons harmed by past unlawful conduct. We look forward to continuing our positive partnership with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to implement the terms of this settlement agreement and to help restore the community’s confidence in fair, equitable, and effective law enforcement.”
The investigation was brought pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act. The investigation concluded that there was reasonable cause to believe that deputies engaged in a pattern or practice of misconduct in violation of the Constitution and federal law. The findings, which were announced in June 2013, include:
-
Pedestrian and vehicle stops that violated the Fourth Amendment;
-
Stops that appeared motivated by racial bias, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and federal statutory law;
-
The use of unreasonable force in violation of the Fourth Amendment; and
-
A pattern of intimidation and harassment by LASD deputies against African-Americans who held Section 8 housing choice vouchers. The goal of that intimidation and harassment, which violated the Fair Housing Act, was to terminate African-American voucher holders from the Section 8 program and to pressure them to move out of the Antelope Valley.
Under the settlement agreement, LASD has agreed to implement comprehensive reforms to ensure lawful policing and restore public trust. An independent monitoring team will oversee the reforms, which LASD intends to implement within four years. In addition, the monitoring team will provide technical assistance and publicly report on the LASD’s compliance efforts. The settlement agreement provides for a $700,000 fund to compensate persons harmed by LASD’s alleged violation of the Fair Housing Act, and a $25,000 civil penalty to the United States. The areas covered by the settlement agreement include:
- Stops, searches and seizures: measures to improve collection and analysis of policing data to identify instances and patterns of unlawful police-civilian contact, such as stops without adequate legal justification;
- Bias-free policing: improved training and supervisory review to prevent and identify biased or discriminatory conduct;
- Use of force: measures to improve the quality of use-of-force investigations and develop a better means to detect and correct problematic force patterns and trends;
- Policies and training: revised policies on use of force, preventing retaliation, supporting officers who report misconduct, and improving the field training program to ensure that officers develop the necessary technical and practical skills required to use force in a lawful and effective manner, with an emphasis on de-escalation and use of the minimal amount of force necessary;
- Internal and civilian complaint investigations: including standards for conducting objective, thorough and timely investigations;
- Supervision: including holding supervisors accountable for close and effective supervision; and providing guidance on effective accountability systems to improve public trust;
- Housing: measures to ensure proper limits on deputy involvement in searches of Section 8 voucher holders’ homes for compliance with program rules; and
- Community engagement: including measures to strengthen civilian involvement and feedback in setting policing priorities; public information programs to keep civilians informed of policing activities; requirements for community interaction at all levels of LASD; and establishing community advisory entities to ensure that meaningful feedback is obtained from the community.
This agreement does not resolve the department’s claims against the Housing Authority of Los Angeles County, the county of Los Angeles as it relates to the Housing Authority of the county of Los Angeles, the city of Lancaster or the city of Palmdale for related conduct under the Fair Housing Act. Those parties are continuing to work toward a resolution.
The investigation was conducted by the Civil Rights Division. The investigation involved an in-depth review of thousands of pages of documents, including written policies and procedures, training materials, and internal reports, data, video footage and investigative files. Department of Justice attorneys and investigators also conducted interviews with officers, supervisors, command staff and city officials as well as spoke with hundreds of community members and local advocates, and worked with experts in police practices.
-
Indictment: Former Bel Aire Police Chief Lied About Purchase of FirearmsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A former chief of the Bel Aire Police Department and a former officer were indicted Tuesday on federal firearms charges. The indictment alleges they conspired to buy firearms at a discount by claiming the weapons were the property of the police department and would be used for law enforcement purposes, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Former police chief John R. Daily, 62, Haysville, Kan., and Ricky L. Swanson, 39, Wichita, are the third and fourth defendants charged in the case. Both of them are charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud.
The indictment alleges Daily, who was chief from May 2006 to December 2013, signed paperwork for the purchase of three Sig Sauer Model 716 Patrol, 7.62 mm rifles, falsely stating that the military style weapons were being purchased for use by the police department and would not be sold. In fact, the rifles were not approved for officers to carry on duty. By misrepresenting the rifles as police department property, the defendants were able to take advantage of special pricing and tax exemptions.
The indictment alleges Swanson, who worked as an officer from November 2006 to December 2013, ignored an interim police chief’s directions to cancel the order. Instead he directed two of the rifles to be delivered to another location so he could take possession. He kept one of the rifles and sold the other one.
Also charged in the case are Nathan A. Mavia, 26, Wichita, Kan., and Robert McCaslin, 41, Wichita, Kan.
If convicted, Daily and Swanson face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.
OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Byron Cadavid, 30, Goddard, Kan., Robby Alan Murphy, 34, Wichita, Kan., and Norma Garcia-Cadavid, 30, Wichita, Kan., are charged with a firearm violation. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 9, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. David Lind is prosecuting.
Ronald B. Zolman, 49, Little River, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances and one count of growing marijuana plants. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 9, 2015, in Lyons, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge; and a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million on the drug charge. The Rice County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.
Gerardo Ramirez-Cigala, 47, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found April 20, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Mauro Humberto Sanchez-Vasquez, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found April 18, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Juan Salzar-Alvarenga, 30, a citizen of El Salvador, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported, and one count of transporting another unlawful alien within the United States. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 22, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the transportation charge, and a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Jorge Alberto Rodriguez-Vargas, 27, a citizen of Honduras, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found April 22, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Former Social Security Employee Sentenced for $10,000 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former employee of the Social Security Administration was sentenced in federal court today for illegally accessing personal identification information as part of a nearly $10,000 fraud scheme to steal from the government.
Mary Francis Taylor, 54, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one year and one day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Taylor to pay $9,853 in restitution.
On Sept. 16, 2014, Taylor pleaded guilty to the theft of government money.
Taylor worked as a teleservice technician in the Social Security Administration’s Mid-America Program Service Center in Kansas City, Mo., until she resigned on Jan. 10, 2014. In that role, she had access to sensitive private information for all individuals who possess a Social Security number.
Taylor admitted that she found a NetSpend debit card on a public bus in August 2013. She took the NetSpend debit card as well as some documents that contained additional personal identification information. Taylor called NetSpend, falsely claiming to be the cardholder (identified as Victim 1), and instructed NetSpend to add another beneficiary to the debit card. Taylor possessed identity information for this new beneficiary, identified as Victim 2, because she found Victim 2’s case file on a co-workers desk.
Taylor illegally accessed the SSA computer system to create an overage to Victim 2’s record, which was direct deposited into the bank account linked to the debit card that was stolen from Victim 1. As a result, SSA direct deposited $9,853 into that bank account.
Taylor used the debit card to pay off her account at Aaron’s and to pay arrearages on her home mortgage, utilities and car loan.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Alford III. It was investigated by Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations.
Former Operations Manager of Weco Repair Station Sentenced for Recklessly Endangering AircraftRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The former operations manager of WECO Aerospace Systems Inc. was sentenced today for conspiracy to destroy aircraft or aircraft facilities, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
United States District Judge John A. Mendez sentenced Jerry Edward Kuwata, 64, of Granite Bay, to one year in prison. WECO was a Federal Aviation Administration-certified repair business with facilities in Lincoln and Burbank, California. According to court documents, WECO was permitted by the FAA to repair certain types of aircraft parts, including starter generators and converters, used on various types of aircraft, including small helicopters used by tour companies and law enforcement agencies. WECO employees regularly failed to follow FAA regulations in repairing and overhauling the aircraft parts. In many cases, WECO did not even have equipment capable of performing required tests. WECO employees at both locations nonetheless performed repairs and returned parts to customers, falsely certifying that the parts had passed tests and had been repaired in accordance FAA standards. There have been no known instances in which a fraudulent WECO repair resulted in an aircraft accident. However, WECO customers who testified at the trial of WECO’s owner, William Hugh Weygandt, 65, of Granite Bay, consistently testified that once they learned of the fraudulent repairs, they removed all WECO-repaired parts from their aircraft due to safety concerns.
At sentencing, Judge Mendez noted that Kuwata never took action to notify the FAA of the fraud, and expressed concern for the potential safety risks posed by such conduct.
A federal jury found Weygandt guilty at trial of conspiracy to commit fraud involving aircraft parts repair. He was sentenced on July 8, 2014, to two and a half years in prison. Other former WECO executives Michael Dennis Maupin, of Arbuckle; and Anthony Vincent Zito, of Saugus, previously pleaded guilty to federal offenses in connection with the conspiracy and await sentencing.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Inspector General for the Department of Transportation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Inspectors General of the Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith is prosecuting the case.
####
Former FCI Danbury Employee Admits Role in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KISHA PERKINS, 43, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to participating in a bribe scheme at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury (FCI Danbury) where she was employed.
“There is no tolerance for corrupt employees within the ranks of the Bureau of Prisons,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “Prison officials, like this defendant, will be held accountable in federal court. I commend the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General for their diligence in uncovering this corrosive bribery scheme. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners are committed to rooting out corruption at all levels of government.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, PERKINS was employed as a case manager at FCI Danbury. After receiving information about an alleged scheme to solicit and collect cash bribes from FCI Danbury inmates in exchange for a recommendation that inmates be released early to “halfway houses,” federal law enforcement initiated an undercover operation. As part of the operation, another FCI Danbury employee, working in an undercover capacity, told PERKINS about a scheme in which an inmate was purporting to make a cash payment in exchange for the inmate’s early release to a halfway house. In pleading guilty, PERKINS admitted to having participated in that scheme and also admitted that, in February 2014, she agreed to accept a pair of shoes or a Louis Vuitton pocketbook in return for aiding in the commission of the scheme by counseling the employee regarding the bribe scheme and failing to report the bribe scheme to prison officials.
PERKINS was arrested on March 14, 2014.
PERKINS pleaded guilty to one count of acceptance of a bribe by a public official, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of up to $250,000. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2015.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Wines.
Former Chairman of Louisville Episcopal Church Education Foundation and His Spouse Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $1.1 Million from the CharityRead the Press Release
Foundation Chairman laundered money through his wife’s business
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Charles Muir, the former chairman of the Woodcock Foundation, and his wife, Diana Muir, former owner of DBM-Dental Direct of Louisville, were sentenced today, by Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell, to serve prison terms for the interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering totaling $1,141,030, from the Louisville Episcopal Church Education Foundation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
“This crime was an act of staggering selfishness,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney John Kuhn. “The Muirs stole money from a charity that gave college scholarships to economically disadvantaged students. In effect, they were stealing college money from needy and deserving young people. And to make matters worse, their actions undermined the trust and confidence of generous and good-hearted donors who wanted to make a difference through contributions to an educational charity.”
Charles Muir, age 62, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and Diana Muir, age 61, was sentenced to six months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Both are from Louisville and previously admitted in court, that between April 2007 and June 2011, they unlawfully transferred or caused to be transferred in interstate commerce approximately $1,141,030 of funds that had been stolen or taken by fraud from the Woodcock Foundation. The funds were transferred from Your Community Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, to locations outside of Kentucky. The $1,141,030 was taken without authority from the Woodcock Foundation, a charitable trust providing college scholarships in the Louisville, Kentucky area. In addition the defendants conducted financial transactions involving the proceeds of the $1,141,030 by depositing checks from the Woodcock Foundation into the Your Community Bank account of DBM Dental to disguise the nature of the transactions.
According to court records, during the four year period of conduct, the couple withdrew approximately $262,000 by ATM at a casino in Indiana and in total withdrew more than $365,000 in cash.
From April 2007 through June 2011, Charles Muir was the chairman of the Woodcock Foundation, a charitable organization associated with the Episcopal Church of Louisville, Kentucky. During the same timeframe, Diana Muir owned and controlled DBM.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Calhoun and Jason Snyder, and was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service.
Former Bookkeeper at Saint Gabriel the Archangel Church and School Sentenced to Six Months Home Detention for Embezzling FundsRead the Press Release
Agreed to restitution in the amount of $83,191 to the Louisville Parish
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The former bookkeeper at Saint Gabriel the Archangel Church and School was sentenced in U.S. District Court today, by Senior District Judge Thomas B. Russell, to six months home detention as part of a three year term of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $83,191 to the Louisville Parish announced Acting United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
Tammy Goodlett, 49, of Louisville, admitted in court to devising a scheme to defraud Saint Gabriel. According to the single count indictment, Goodlett committed wire fraud when, as bookkeeper, she exceeded her authorized access by transferring funds from Saint Gabriel’s bank account to her own bank accounts, made unauthorized credit card expenditures, and manipulated financial records to make unpaid debts appear paid. The fraud to obtain funds and services to which she was not entitled began on or about August 13, 2010, and continued to on or about August 6, 2013. Specifically, Goodlett used Saint Gabriel’s credit card for personal expenses, such as concert tickets, without authorization. Also, Goodlett admitted to manipulating Saint Gabriel’s financial records to make it appear that she had paid her daughter’s school tuition at Saint Gabriel when she had not made the payments.
Goodlett has paid $11,757 toward the total restitution and currently owes $71,439.18 to the Louisville parish.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Zimdahl and was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Evansville man sentenced in child pornography caseRead the Press Release
Defendant abducted a nine year old boy playing near his home
PRESS RELEASE
Evansville – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today the sentencing of an Evansville man for possession and distribution of child pornography. Jack Perkins III, 30, was sentenced to five years in federal prison by Chief U. S. District Judge Richard L. Young.
“Protecting our innocent children from internet predators will remain a top priority of our office,” said Minkler. “Producing and distributing child pornography re-victimizes our children every time it is passed from one person to another.”
On January 31, 2012, the Evansville Police Department responded to an emergency call placed by the mother of a nine year old boy who was forcibly pulled into a car and taken away while playing outside with a friend. While patrol officers were at the scene of the abduction, the missing boy came running back home through an alley. The boy was partially clothed and obviously in distress. Before being transported to the hospital, the boy reported that he had been pulled into a car by an adult male and driven a short distance away from his family's residence in the Jacobsville neighborhood in Evansville. After parking the car, the boy reported the adult male climbed into the back seat and sexually assaulted him. The boy escaped from the car and ran home where EPD officers were beginning to investigate his disappearance.
Based on the description of the suspect vehicle and tips received after media reports of the crime, Jack Perkins III, was identified as the lead suspect in the case. On February 1, 2012, Perkins was located in his apartment on West Florida Street in Evansville. Perkins' vehicle was parked outside his apartment. During an interview with police, Perkins admitted that he sexually assaulted the nine year old boy.
Officers later found child pornography on Perkins’ computer and data storage discs in the apartment.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Todd Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case for the government, Perkins will serve his federal sentence consecutive to the 45 years he is serving for the sexual assault and abduction.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resource.”
###
Eufaula Woman Sentenced to 36 Months Probation, $22,600 Restitution for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that LINDA LUE ADAMS, a/k/a LINDA CORLEY, a/k/a LINDA MARTIN, age 68, of Eufaula, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 3 years of probation for Obstruction of Justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(c)(2). ADAMS was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $22,687.80.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. The defendant pled guilty in January, 2015.
The Information alleges that on or about the 12th day of December, the defendant, did corruptly attempt to obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding, to wit: an impending grand jury investigation of social security fraud in which the defendant and others were benefiting from social security disability payments to which they were not entitled, by making materially false statements regarding the involvement of other persons in the fraud for the purpose of preventing the prosecution of those other persons.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Equitable Sharing Press Conference Scheduled for Wednesday, April 29 in JacksonvilleRead the Press Release
U.S. ATTORNEY TO PRESENT EQUITABLE SHARING FUNDS
TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS
WHO: A. Lee Bentley, III
United States Attorney
Middle District of Florida
Chad Cook
Assistant Special Agent in Charge
Drug Enforcement Administration
Jacksonville Division
William (Bill) Berger
United States Marshal
Middle District of Florida
WHAT: Press Conference
Forfeited funds to be distributed to multiple state and local law enforcement agencies
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015
11:30 A.M. EST (start time has been pushed back 30 mins from 11 to 11:30).
WHERE: United States Federal Courthouse
(Jury Assembly Room)
300 N. Hogan Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
OPEN PRESS
NOTE: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license).
Media may begin arriving at 10:15 A.M. EST.
Eastern District of Washington Heroin/Opioid Overdose SummitRead the Press Release
Spokane – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that the United States Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the University of Washington, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute (ADAI), Kittitas County Public Health Department, and Central Washington University, will be hosting a summit meeting to discuss the growing problem of opioid overdose in Eastern Washington.
The United States Department of Justice has identified prevention of opioid abuse and death as a major priority for the United States Department of Justice. In a policy address delivery in March, 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder stated: “When confronting the problem of substance abuse, it makes sense to focus attention on the most dangerous types of drugs. And right now, few substances are more lethal than prescription opiates and heroin. Addiction to heroin and other opiates – including certain prescription pain-killers – is impacting the lives of Americans in every state, in every region, and from every background and walk of life – and all too often, with deadly results.”
Analysis by the University of Washington ADAI suggests the scope of the problem in the Eastern Washington is very serious. From 2002 to 2013:
• Two people per week died from an opioid overdose; • 3,084 people entered publicly funded treatment for the first time for opioid use, a 103% increase; • Local law enforcement evidence testing for opioids increased 79% and totaled 3,502 cases.
This summit with bring together disciplines that combat heroin and prescription opioid overdoses to exchange information and find effective ways to:
• Implement overdose prevention programs in Eastern Washington; • Provide naloxone to first responders and community members; • Support the implementation of Washington State’s Good Samaritan Overdose law; • Support the continuum of service for opioid-dependent persons, including medication assisted treatment; • Conduct public education to reduce the stigma of substance use disorders; • Support prevention, treatment, and intervention and recovery services while maintaining public safety; and
• Break down barriers between enforcement, prevention, treatment professionals and public health.The summit will convene May 5, 2015 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Student Union Building (SURC), Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA, 98926. Attendance is free, but advance registration is required. Please review the attached announcement for additional information.
Summit Committee Co-Chair Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MSW, MPH, University of Washington ADAI and Summit presenter Penny Legate, Parent and Former KIRO-TV Reporter and Evening Magazine host, will be available for media interviews between 12:00pm and 1:00pm in the SURC Room 273.
Day of the event Public Information Officer:
Barb Arnott
Public Affairs Coordinator
Central Washington University
509-963-2841
[email protected]For additional information please contact:
Susan Kingston
Center for Opioid Safety Education
UW ADAI
206-221-4041
[email protected]Sheriff Steven R. Tomson (ret.)
Law Enforcement Coordination Chief
United States Attorney’s Office, EDWA
509-710-5894 [email protected]District Heights Man Indicted for Second Degree Murder Arising from Baltimore-Washington Parkway Fatal Car CrashRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Anthony Lamont Payne, age 27, of District Heights, Maryland, today on charges of second degree murder arising from a fatal car crash. The indictment was returned yesterday and unsealed today upon his arrest.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Chief of Police Robert D. MacLean of the U.S. Park Police.
The one count indictment alleges that Payne killed the victim on March 20, 2015. The charge arises from a fatal car crash on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
Payne faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. An initial appearance was held at 4:00 p.m. today in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. Payne was detained under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services, pending a detention hearing to be held on April 30, 2015 at 12:30 p.m.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the U.S. Park Police for its work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Hollis Raphael Weisman and Special Assistant United States Attorney Conor Mulroe, who are prosecuting the case.
Disbarred Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston area attorney, who was disbarred in 2007 after practicing law for more than three decades, was sentenced to federal prison today for tax and bank fraud violations. His crimes arose in connection with recording fraudulent tax and bank releases on his seaside Marblehead home and his vacation home in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. Both properties were later foreclosed on.
John C. McBride, 66, was sentenced today to two years in prison, two years of supervised release, and restitution to be determined at a later date. In January 2015, McBride pleaded guilty before U.S. District Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to bank fraud and endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws.
In early 2008, McBride, a now-disbarred criminal defense lawyer, recorded six fraudulent federal tax lien releases against his Marblehead home, in order to obtain a $288,000 loan secured by that property and deprive the IRS of its nearly $700,000 secured interest. McBride prepared the releases himself, without the knowledge or authorization of the IRS, and forged the signatures of IRS officials on them. In March 2008, McBride attempted, unsuccessfully, to record two similar fraudulent tax lien releases against a second home he owned in Edgartown, on Martha’s Vineyard. In 2011, McBride attempted to obtain a $387,000 reverse mortgage loan from Bank of America, which was to have been secured by his Edgartown property. In connection with that loan application, McBride falsely told the bank that there were no liens on the Edgartown property and that he was not then in bankruptcy. In fact, there were substantial liens on the property and McBride’s bankruptcy case, which he had filed in 2009, was still ongoing. In furtherance of his effort to obtain the bank loan, McBride prepared and recorded a fraudulent and unauthorized discharge of mortgage which purported to discharge a more than $700,000 existing mortgage on his Edgartown property. Bank of America discovered that the discharge was fraudulent before the loan closed, and no funds were disbursed to McBride.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Robert E. O’Malley, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Office of Investigations, New York Field Office (TIGTA); Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.
Detroit One Collaboration Leads to Indictment of “RTM” Gang Members in Northwest DetroitRead the Press Release
Five members of a violent street gang in Detroit have been indicted on racketeering and other related charges, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade today.
McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Chief James Craig, Detroit Police Department.
The superseding indictment, unsealed today, is a result of the collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement under the Detroit One initiative.
According to the superseding indictment, the gang known as “RTM” short for “Related Through Money” operates in northwest Detroit, between the Southfield Freeway and Greenfield Road to the west and east and by Plymouth Road and Joy Road to the north and south. The RTM gang members refer to this area as the “Skuddzone” and actively use violence to stake out the gang’s “turf” and intimidate both rival gang members and the citizens of northwest Detroit and the surrounding area. The gang is active around Cody High School and has been involved in a number of assaults and acts of intimidation at the high school. The superseding indictment alleges a variety of crimes, including murders, shootings, carjackings, assaults, the breaking and entering of residential homes or businesses, and robberies and attempted robberies of jewelry stores. The five individuals charged with racketeering conspiracy are:
- Deonta Matthews, 20, of Detroit;
- Brandon Owens, 19, of Detroit;
- Brandon Sims, 20, of Detroit;
- Meyer Thedford, 20, of Detroit; and
- Antwan Foster-Stockton, 21, of Detroit.
Under the Detroit One Initiative investigators were able to combine separate probes into various members of this organization and its activities into one investigation. Detroit One is led by the Detroit Police Department and the FBI Violent Gang Task Force, which consists of representatives of Detroit Police Department, Redford Township Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Michigan Department of Corrections, and Michigan State Police.
“The Detroit One partnership has made it a priority to dismantle violent street gangs to restore peace to our neighborhoods,” McQuade said. By working together with various law enforcement agencies, we are able to detect patterns and repeated crimes by the same individuals to build larger cases out of separate incidents.”
“As part of the Detroit One Initiative, this collaborative investigation targeted some of the most violent criminal offenders in the Detroit area,” said Paul M. Abbate, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “As alleged in the indictment, RTM gang members have been involved in assaults and acts of intimidation in and around a high school. There is nothing more important than protecting our children and keeping our communities safe from violent offenders. Through the Detroit One Initiative, we wage this battle on behalf of law abiding citizens every day. The FBI, in cooperation with the officers, agents and prosecutors engaged in this effort, will continue to fight for the safety of the citizens we serve.”
Detroit One is a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicide and other violent crime in Detroit. This indictment is the latest in a string of indictments or informations over the last two years involving violent street gangs in the city of Detroit, including:
- Nine members of the Bounty Hunter Bloods street gang charged with federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering;
- Thirteen members of the Latin Counts street gang charged with federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering;
- Fourteen members of the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club / Vice Lords street gang charged with federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering;
- A Vice Lord leader charged under the federal street gang statute for his role in an armed robbery; and
- Three members of the Band Crew street gang charged under the state of Michigan gang felony statute for violent acts in furtherance of their gang activities.
These charges are just some of the tangible and significant results of this joint effort.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The burden is on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Delaware Port Employee Indicted on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Ronald Mays, 63, of Wilmington, Delaware was charged by indictment, unsealed today, with three counts of attempted possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Mays, who works for the Port of Wilmington, in Delaware, was arrested today by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations.
The indictment alleges that on or about January 6, 2014, February 12, 2014, and May 6, 2014, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Mays attempted to possess cocaine.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 60 years in prison, a maximum fine of $3 million, at least four years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $300.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sozi Pedro Tulante.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
DOD Employee Pleads Guilty for Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor in HondurasRead the Press Release
A civilian employee from the Department of Defense pleaded guilty today to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in a foreign place, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.
William Curry McGrath, 55, of San Antonio, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2015. McGrath was arrested in October 2014, and has been in custody since his arrest.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, McGrath was the Director of the Network Enterprise Center at the Soto Cano Air Base in Comayagua, Honduras, from December 2012 until his departure in March 2014. McGrath admitted that while stationed in Honduras, he met a 13 year-old girl and began a sexual relationship with her. He further admitted that he gave the girl money, gifts and other items of value in exchange for sexual acts.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Houston Division. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Amy E. Larson of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack of the Southern District of Texas.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
DOD Employee Pleads Guilty for Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with A Minor in HondurasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A civilian employee from the Department of Defense pleaded guilty today to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in a foreign place, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson and Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
William Curry McGrath, 55, of San Antonio, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal in Houston.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, McGrath was the director of the Network Enterprise Center at the Soto Cano Air Base in Comayagua, Honduras, from December 2012 until his departure in March 2014. McGrath admitted that while stationed in Honduras, he met a 13-year-old girl and began a sexual relationship with her. He further admitted he gave the girl money, gifts and other items of value in exchange for sexual acts.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2015. At that time, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. He was arrested in October 2014 and has been in custody since that time.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Houston Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack and Trial Attorney Amy E. Larson of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Crownpoint Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Update his Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ferlin Platero, 49, of Crownpoint, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., for failing to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria.
SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.
Platero was arrested on Dec. 17, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. On Jan. 8, 2015, Platero was indicted for failing to update his registration between July 1, 2014 and Dec. 9, 2014, in McKinley County, N.M.
According to court filings, Platero was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse in Nov. 1993. On Feb. 24, 2004, he registered as a sex offender in the State of Arizona and agreed to notify the sheriff of the county to which he moved if he were ever to move out of the county. Platero last registered as a sex offender on Oct. 26, 2012, in Ariz., and subsequently failed to notify the New Mexico Department of Public Safety or the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety that he was required to register as a sex offender when he moved to New Mexico
Today Platero pled guilty to a felony information charging him with failing to update his registration in McKinley County, N.M. He entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Platero faces a maximum of ten years in federal prison. He will be required to register as a sex offender following his term of incarceration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Leangelo M. Newton, 31, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release on one count of Possession of Ammunition by a Felon. Evidence showed that on June 26, 2014, Newton was in East St. Louis at the residence of a convicted felon, who was on parole, when agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Illinois Department of Corrections came to conduct a parole compliance check. Agents conducted pat downs of each person present within the home for safety reasons and found Newton to be in possession of five rounds of ammunition. Newton had been convicted of and was on probation for Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance in St. Clair County.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Illinois Department of Corrections Parole Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Reppert.
Collinsville Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Michael Alan Carver, 29, of Collinsville, Illinois, entered a plea of guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in a scheme to obtain money and property through the use of unauthorized access devices and through the commission of identity theft, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Carver faces a federal prison sentence of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release after serving his sentence, and mandatory restitution. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 2, 2015.
As part of the plea, Carver admitted assisting another in stealing mail out of mailboxes. The stolen mail contained means of identification of other persons that included names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. As part of the conspiracy, a conspirator used that information to apply for and obtain credit cards of other persons without authorization. The credit cards were then used to make purchases. Some of the fraudulently obtained items were then shipped or mailed to Carver’s residence. Carver obtained a percentage of the value of the unauthorized credit cards.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the Collinsville Police Department, the Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations, and the United States Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Butte County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Keith Joseph Banning, 59, of Magalia, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, an undercover investigation revealed that in June through August of 2012, an Internet user at Banning’s home address was using a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to share pictures and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including a number of videos involving children under the age of 10. A search warrant executed at Banning’s home revealed that his computers contained hundreds of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, and that at various times many of those videos were made available to others over the Internet through a file-sharing network.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Matthew G. Morris is prosecuting the case.
Banning is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2015, by United States District Judge John A. Mendez. Banning faces a possible sentence of five to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety.
####
Buffalo Police Officer Arrested, Charged with Civil Rights ViolationsRead 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 Robert Eloff Jr., 40, of Buffalo, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy to deprive an individual of rights under color of law. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“This area is extremely fortunate to have brave and selfless women and men serving as police officers whose sworn duty is to protect and serve, said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “As has been said many times, the vast majority of our police discharge their responsibilities with the highest standards of professionalism and honor. But when an officer misuses his position and engages in unjustified violence – this Office will investigate and bring charges as appropriate.”
"When government officials act under color of law, it is imperative that their actions are not willfully unreasonable and in violation of Constitutionally granted rights, said Brian P. Boetig, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Office of the FBI. “Incidents of unlawful actions by law enforcement officers reduce trust and confidence in the entire criminal justice system and make it more difficult for noble and honorable officers to beget the community's support to enhance public safety and the overall quality of life."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Guerra, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant is charged in connection with two separate incidents at Molly’s Pub in Buffalo in 2014.
According to the complaint, in the early morning hours of February 15, 2014, Eloff used his position as a police officer to strike and kick a victim identified as R.D. on his head and face. The attack happened while the victim was handcuffed behind his back and physically compliant.
The incident happened after R.D., who was under 21, was pushed out of the bar by a bouncer for using false identification. Once outside the bar, the victim was approached by the defendant who was wearing a shirt that said “POLICE,” a gun and handcuffs. According to the complaint, Eloff handcuffed R.D. behind his back and took him to the side of the bar along with another police officer. The complaint further states that after the victim did not answer questions from the officers, the defendant became angry and punched the victim in the right eye. After the victim fell to the ground, Eloff then put his knee on R.D.’s head. The victim was also kicked in the head. R.D. was subsequently arrested and taken to the Erie County Holding Center.
According to the complaint, a witness (Witness 1) who was with the victim at Molly’s Pub, told investigators that during the assault, the victim did not oppose Eloff and was screaming “stop.” According to Witness 1, a second witness, identified as Witness 2, recorded the incident on his cellphone. But, according to the complaint, another officer made Witness 2 delete the video from his phone. Witness 2 did take two photographs of the incident.
As for the second incident, in the early morning hours of May 11, 2014, William Sager was pushed down a flight of stairs at Molly’s Pub by Jeffrey Basil. Sager later died of his injuries and Basil was convicted in state court of murder. At the time Sager was pushed by Basil, Eloff was in Molly’s Pub working security for the bar.
According to the complaint, a victim identified as D.H. was with William Sager the night he was pushed down the stairs. The complaint states that D.H saw people carry Sager outside after he fell down the stairs. When the victim went outside, Sager was propped up, sitting the on the ground. As he was asking officers what happened, Eloff grabbed D.H. and told him to get out of there. The victim then walked away and called 911. When other officers arrived, the victim asked for Eloff’s name and badge number at which point he was arrested and handcuffed by Eloff and seated next to Sager. D.H. was later taken from the scene by other officers. According to the complaint, Eloff told officers that D.H. had physically interfered with Eloff and others inside the bar. A later review of surveillance video from Molly’s Pub revealed that the victim never confronted or was physical with Eloff in the bar. According to the complaint, Eloff caused D.H. to be arrested for trespassing, a crime he never committed and conspired to do so.
The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
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.
Broward Bank Robber Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Broward County resident pled guilty in federal court this afternoon to robbing the Wells Fargo Bank in Pompano Beach.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office, made the announcement.
Craig Joseph Naughtin, 43, of Pompano Beach, pled guilty to bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a). The defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of twenty years in prison.
According to court records, on February 3, 2015, Naughtin walked into the Wells Fargo Bank in Pompano Beach, approached the bank teller and produced a note that stated, in part, “give me all the money in your drawer.” The teller, fearing for her personal safety, gave the defendant more than $3,500 in bank funds. The robbery was recorded on video by the bank’s surveillance cameras. Naughtin was later arrested and found in possession of $3,561.00 in U.S. currency, as well as a demand note stating “no this is not a joke all the money in the cash draw, no GPS, no dye packs, I’ll be on my way no problems.”
Naughtin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., by United States District Judge Beth Bloom in Fort Lauderdale.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, Broward Sheriff’s Office and the South Florida Violent Crimes Task Force for their work on this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Berks County Man Sentenced to 75 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 36-year-old Reading man was sentenced to 75 months in prison today by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani in Scranton, for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in Monroe and Berks Counties.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Donald Patnelli, Jr., previously pleaded guilty to participating in the drug conspiracy responsible for distributing over one kilogram of heroin, more than 280 grams of crack cocaine, and other drugs from 2010 to 2013.
Patnelli was indicted by a grand jury in June 2013, as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Berks County District Attorney’s Office.
Judge Mariani also ordered that Patnelli serve five years on supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
# # #