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Tuesday 20 January 2015
Daytona Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Federal Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Fortune Tyrone Hill (34, Daytona Beach) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute over 100 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack” cocaine. He was sentenced as a career offender because he has at least two prior felony convictions. Hill was found guilty on October 15, 2014, following a bench trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, on May 20, 2014, officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to a 911 call at an apartment complex, where an individual reported that her vehicle license tag had been stolen. When officers arrived at the complex, Hill attempted to flee and struck one of the officers. He was eventually arrested. Plastic bags containing a total of more than 100 grams of “crack” cocaine, two digital scales, and $1,020 were recovered during a search of Hill. Officers also recovered an additional $1,630 from his rental car.
This case was investigated by the Daytona Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.
Daytona Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Federal Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Fortune Tyrone Hill (34, Daytona Beach) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute over 100 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack” cocaine. He was sentenced as a career offender because he has at least two prior felony convictions. Hill was found guilty on October 15, 2014, following a bench trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, on May 20, 2014, officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to a 911 call at an apartment complex, where an individual reported that her vehicle license tag had been stolen. When officers arrived at the complex, Hill attempted to flee and struck one of the officers. He was eventually arrested. Plastic bags containing a total of more than 100 grams of “crack” cocaine, two digital scales, and $1,020 were recovered during a search of Hill. Officers also recovered an additional $1,630 from his rental car.
This case was investigated by the Daytona Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.
Convicted Tampa Sex Offender Sentenced to Four Years in Prison in Second Failure to Register as a Sex Offender CaseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Kevin Robert Leblanc (52, Tampa) to four years in federal prison for failing to register as sex offender after absconding from supervision in Florida and traveling to Arizona. He was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release. Leblanc has been in custody for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release since his arrest in August 2014.
According to court documents, on July 29, 1999, Leblanc was convicted of committing two child sex offenses in Massachusetts. Subsequently, he traveled to Florida, failed to register as a sex offender, and was prosecuted for failure to register. Leblanc pleaded guilty to this charge and, on August 25, 2011, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, and a 15-year term of supervision.
On April 4, 2014, Leblanc was released from federal prison, established a residence in Tampa, and commenced his term of supervised release. On July 25, 2014, he absconded from federal supervision. In doing so, he failed to update his sex offender registration status with Florida authorities, as required by law. Leblanc was arrested near Flagstaff, Arizona, on August 15, 2014, by the U.S. Marshals Service. When interviewed, he acknowledged knowing that he was required to register as a sex offender, that he did not notify Florida authorities that he was leaving the state, and that he failed to notify authorities because he “got fed up” with being supervised.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys D. Rodney Brown and Kelly S. Karase.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cocaine Importing Conspiracy Lands Mexican National Five-Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - Mexican national Ricardo Garza-Ramirez, 55, has been ordered to prison for five years following his conviction of conspiracy to import cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Garza-Ramirez pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2014, on the day he was set to begin trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez, who accepted the guilty plea, handed Garza-Ramirez a total of 60 months in federal prison. A legal permanent resident, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release from prison.
On June 17, 2014, Garza-Ramirez drove a BMW 3Series loaded with 15 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico into the U.S. through the Pharr Port of Entry. Unknown men placed the BMW under Garza-Ramirez’s name and instructed him to cross the vehicle into the country. At the time of his arrest, Garza-Ramirez admitted to crossing the vehicle in this fashion approximately seven or eight times.
Although he denied initially knowing the vehicle contained drugs, at the time of his plea, Garza-Ramirez admitted he knew or at least suspected the vehicle was loaded with some type of controlled substance.
Garza-Ramirez will remain in custody will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The investigation was conducted by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen J. Rees and David A. Lindenmuth prosecuted the case.
Civil Settlement Reached with Construction Company Falsely Claiming to be Owned by a Service Disabled VeteranRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Veteran Construction Associates LLC (Veteran Construction), a construction company headquartered in Burlington, New Jersey, will pay $1.3 million to resolve allegations that it improperly billed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on government contracts, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today.
Veteran Construction was formed in 2006 and listed a service-disabled veteran as its 51 percent owner. From 2008 through 2011 the company bid on and received government construction contracts that were reserved for companies that were certified as owned and operated by service disabled veterans. Veteran Construction successfully completed and invoiced the United States 68 times on those contracts for a total of $6.5 million.
The government, through the Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs, encourages businesses that are majority owned and operated by service disabled veterans through a federal government procurement program that sets acquisitions aside for exclusive competition among service disabled veteran owned small businesses.
The settlement resolves allegations that Veteran Construction was not owned and controlled by a service disabled veteran, and thus should neither have received the government contracts, nor invoiced the government for work performed on those contracts. Veteran Construction admitted that it is liable to the United States for its conduct under the False Claims Act.In addition to the $1.3 million payment by Veteran Construction, the company has agreed that it shall never seek to obtain any government contracts set aside for veterans of the United States military and will not seek any government contracts at all for three years from the settlement. The company agreed that none of its current or former members will maintain more than a 10 percent ownership interest in any company seeking to obtain government contracts set aside for veterans of the United States military for three years.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey G. Hughes of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division, and Special Agent in Charge Aaron Collins of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark C. Orlowski of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Division in Newark and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Andrew Ruymann of the U.S. Attorney=s Civil Division in Trenton.
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Defense Counsel: Michael A. Schwartz Esq., Philadelphia
Child Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Osbie Antonio Sea, a/k/a “Money,” “Hard Money,” and “Mr. Money,” 32, of Memphis, TN, was sentenced Friday to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, announced Edward L. Stanton III, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
According to the criminal information and statements made in open court, in early 2013, Sea came into contact with a then-14-year-old girl, while she was shopping at a K-Mart in the Raleigh area of Memphis. Sea introduced himself to her as “Money,” handed her a flyer, and told the teenage girl to call him if she wanted to make some money.
A short time later, following an argument with a family member, the victim ran away from home and called Sea. He first took her to his apartment and later to the Extended Stay America near the intersection of Kirby Parkway and Poplar Avenue. According to the victim, Sea knew she was underage, but she was instructed to tell everyone that she was 18 because “he knew he could get in trouble.”
While at the hotel, Sea posted pictures of the victim on the internet site www.Backpage.com. The victim stated she had had intercourse with at least two individuals at Sea’s direction and that Sea had taken all the money that she had earned from the commercial sex acts.
In addition to the prison sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen ordered Sea to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Leetra J. Harris represented the government.
# # # #Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Violating U.S. Sanctions Against Zimbabwe President Mugabe and OthersRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent-in-Charge Robert J. Holley of the FBI’s Chicago Office and Special Agent-in-Charge James C. Lee of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago announced today that a Chicago man was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions by agreeing to assist Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and others in an effort to lift economic sanctions against Zimbabwe. Between late 2008 and early 2010, C. Gregory Turner, met multiple times in Africa with Zimbabwean government officials, including President Mugabe and Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, who were individually subject to U.S. sanctions.
A November 2008 “consulting agreement” provided for total payment of $3.4 million in fees for Turner and his co-defendant, Prince Asiel Ben Israel, to engage in public relations, political consulting and lobbying efforts to have sanctions removed by meeting with and attempting to persuade federal and state government officials, including Illinois members of Congress and state legislators, to oppose the sanctions.
Turner, 72, also known as “Greg Turner,” of Chicago, acted out of greed, U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo said in imposing the sentence in Federal Court in Chicago. The judge also said she did not believe Turner’s claim that his conduct was in the name of humanitarianism and helping the people of Zimbabwe. Turner was ordered to begin serving his sentence on March 13, and he was placed on court supervision for a year after he is released from custody.
Turner was found guilty last October of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), following a jury trial in U.S. District Court. Turner was acquitted of one count each of conspiracy and acting as an agent in the United States of a foreign government without providing prior notification to the Attorney General.
“[Turner’s] motivation was his own financial enrichment. He sought to parlay his close relationships with well-connected government officials to score a big payday,” the government argued in a sentencing memo.
Ben Israel, 73, of Chicago, was sentenced last August to seven months in prison after pleading guilty to violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The sanctions against President Mugabe and other specially designated individuals in Zimbabwe ― for human rights abuses ― were initially imposed in 2003 by President George W. Bush and have been continued annually by President Obama, starting in March 2009. President Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF party have governed Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980. The sanctions neither bar travel to Zimbabwe nor prohibit public officials from meeting with specially designated nationals to discuss removing the sanctions, but individuals may not provide services on behalf of or for the benefit of specially designated nationals.
According to the evidence at trial, in early November 2008, Turner and Ben Israel began having discussions with Mugabe, Gono and other ZANU-PF leaders regarding the influence Turner and Ben Israel could wield to have the sanctions removed. The defendants discussed with Mugabe, Gono and others their association with many public officials who purportedly had close connections with then President-Elect Obama. Turner violated IEEPA by conspiring to engage in public relations, political consulting and lobbying efforts on behalf of President Mugabe and other Zimbabwe officials. In early December 2008, Ben Israel’s U.S. bank blocked a wire transfer of $89,970 into his account from a Zimbabwe official affiliated with ZANU-PF, and Ben Israel later traveled to Africa and personally withdrew $90,000 from the bank account of that same Zimbabwe official.
Turner and Ben Israel arranged for trips by federal and state government officials to meet with President Mugabe and other Zimbabwean officials, including in November and December 2008, and January and December 2009; attempted to have Gono and other Zimbabwean officials speak at an issues forum in Washington, D.C., sponsored by a then U.S. Representative from California, and to assist those officials in obtaining visas to travel to the U.S. to attend the event; arranged for President Mugabe to meet with federal and state government officials in New York; lobbied a caucus of state legislators on behalf of Zimbabwean officials; and failed to apply to the Treasury Department for a license to engage in transactions and services on behalf of specially designated nationals.
In early December 2008, Turner and Ben Israel arranged for a delegation to travel to Zimbabwe. After members of the delegation returned, President-Elect Obama’s transition team forwarded information about contact from a member of the delegation to the FBI based on its concerns that sanctions may have been violated.
The Justice Department’s Counterespionage Section assisted in the investigation.
The government was represented by Trial Attorney David Recker with the Justice Department’s Counterespionage Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Georgia Alexakis.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Violating U.S. Sanctions Against Zimbabwe President Mugabe and OthersRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions by agreeing to assist Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and others in an effort to lift economic sanctions against Zimbabwe. Between late 2008 and early 2010, the defendant, C. GREGORY TURNER, met multiple times in Africa with Zimbabwean government officials, including President Mugabe and Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, who were individually subject to U.S. sanctions.
A November 2008 “consulting agreement” provided for total payment of $3.4 million in fees for Turner and his co-defendant, PRINCE ASIEL BEN ISRAEL, to engage in public relations, political consulting, and lobbying efforts to have sanctions removed by meeting with and attempting to persuade federal and state government officials, including Illinois members of Congress and state legislators, to oppose the sanctions.
Turner, 72, also known as “Greg Turner,” of Chicago and Israel, acted out of greed, U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo said in imposing the sentence in Federal Court in Chicago. The judge also said she did not believe Turner’s claim that his conduct was in the name of humanitarianism and helping the people of Zimbabwe. Turner was ordered to begin serving his sentence on March 13, and he was placed on court supervision for a year after he is released from custody.
Turner was found guilty last October of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), following a jury trial in U.S. District Court. Turner was acquitted of one count each of conspiracy and acting as an agent in the United States of a foreign government without providing prior notification to the Attorney General.
“[Turner’s] motivation was his own financial enrichment. He sought to parlay his close relationships with well-connected government officials to score a big payday,” the government argued in a sentencing memo.
Ben Israel, 73, of Chicago, was sentenced last August to seven months in prison after pleading guilty to violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The sanctions against President Mugabe and other specially designated individuals in Zimbabwe ― for human rights abuses ― were initially imposed in 2003 by President George W. Bush and have been continued annually by President Obama, starting in March 2009. President Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF party have governed Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980. The sanctions neither bar travel to Zimbabwe nor prohibit public officials from meeting with specially designated nationals to discuss removing the sanctions, but individuals may not provide services on behalf of or for the benefit of specially designated nationals.
According to the evidence at trial, in early November 2008, Turner and Ben Israel began having discussions with Mugabe, Gono, and other ZANU-PF leaders regarding the influence Turner and Ben Israel could wield to have the sanctions removed. The defendants discussed with Mugabe, Gono, and others their association with many public officials who purportedly had close connections with then President-Elect Obama. Turner violated IEEPA by conspiring to engage in public relations, political consulting, and lobbying efforts on behalf of President Mugabe and other Zimbabwe officials. In early December 2008, Ben Israel’s U.S. bank blocked a wire transfer of $89,970 into his account from a Zimbabwe official affiliated with ZANU-PF, and Ben Israel later traveled to Africa and personally withdrew $90,000 from the bank account of that same Zimbabwe official.
Turner and Ben Israel arranged for trips by federal and state government officials to meet with President Mugabe and other Zimbabwean officials, including in November and December 2008, and January and December 2009; attempted to have Gono and other Zimbabwean officials speak at an issues forum in Washington, D.C., sponsored by a then U.S. Representative from California, and to assist those officials in obtaining visas to travel to the U.S. to attend the event; arranged for President Mugabe to meet with federal and state government officials in New York; lobbied a caucus of state legislators on behalf of Zimbabwean officials; and failed to apply to the Treasury Department for a license to engage in transactions and services on behalf of specially designated nationals.
In early December 2008, Turner and Ben Israel arranged for a delegation to travel to Zimbabwe. After members of the delegation returned, President-Elect Obama’s transition team forwarded information about contact from a member of the delegation to the FBI based on its concerns that sanctions may have been violated.
The sentence was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division; Robert J. Holley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and James C. Lee, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The Justice Department’s Counterespionage Section assisted in the investigation.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Georgia Alexakis, and David Recker, a trial attorney with the Justice Department’s Counterespionage Section.
Chelsea Man Sentenced for Role in Fraudulent Drivers License SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea man was sentenced today for his role in a scheme to produce fraudulent identification documents.
Leonel Sanchez, 52, was sentenced to a total of 26 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2014, Sanchez pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to conspiracy to produce false identification documents and aggravated identity theft. From December 2012 through January 2013, Sanchez bribed an employee of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in connection with a scheme to issue Massachusetts driver’s licenses to individuals who presented fraudulently obtained Puerto Rican identification documents.
This sentencing is the most recent development in the ongoing investigations involving identity theft and public corruption relating to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Celia J. Blue, Registrar of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts States Police; David W. Hall, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Boston Field Office; and Cheryl Garcia, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Regional Office, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Ortiz’s Public Corruption Unit.
Cannonball N.D. Man Sentenced on Two Counts of AssaultRead the Press Release
BISMARCK - U. S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on Jan. 20, 2015, Ryan Maurice Thunderhawk, 24, Cannonball, N.D., was sentenced before U. S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland to serve six years in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Thunderhawk was also ordered to serve three years supervised release and pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund.
On July 6, 2014, assaulted an adult female with the intent to do bodily harm, and which resulted in serious bodily injury. Thunderhawk was in a relationship with the female victim at the time of the incident which occurred on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Indian Affairs -Standing Rock Agency
Assistant U. S. Attorney Gary Delorme prosecuted the case.
CEO and Chairman of International Pulp Mill Company Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Hiding over $8.4 Million in Secret Swiss Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Thomas E. Bishop, the Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced that GEORGE LANDEGGER pled guilty on January 16, 2015, to willfully failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (“FBARs”) with the IRS regarding secret Swiss bank accounts that he maintained and controlled at a Swiss private bank headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland (the “Swiss Bank”). LANDEGGER, the Chairman and CEO of an international pulp mill company, maintained his undeclared accounts at the Swiss Bank from at least the early 2000s up until 2010. During that time, LANDEGGER’s undeclared assets reached a high value of over $8.4 million. LANDEGGER entered his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As he admitted, George Landegger maintained secret Swiss bank accounts he repeatedly failed to declare to the IRS, and he took steps to conceal his ownership of the accounts. The benefits of citizenship or residency in the United States come with certain obligations, including, as George Landegger well knew, the legal requirement to report foreign bank accounts. He will now pay for his illegal conduct.”
IRS Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas E. Bishop said: “The Internal Revenue Service has made uncovering hidden offshore accounts and income a top priority and, working with the Department of Justice, we continue to demonstrate our success in doing so. The prosecutions of individuals who decide to keep their foreign assets concealed and of those who advise and assist them serve as clear warnings to anyone who doubts the U.S. Government’s resolve.”
According to the Information filed today in Manhattan federal court:
From at least the early 2000s, up until 2010, LANDEGGER maintained undeclared bank accounts on his own behalf at the Swiss Bank. In 2005, a representative of the Swiss Bank (“Swiss Bank Representative-1”) recommended to LANDEGGER that for the protection of LANDEGGER and the Swiss Bank, LANDEGGER utilize the services of an attorney based in Zurich, Switzerland, to form a sham entity to hold LANDEGGER’s undeclared accounts at the Swiss Bank. Thereafter, a sham trust was formed to hold LANDEGGER’s undeclared accounts at the Swiss Bank and further conceal LANDEGGER’s ownership of those accounts from the IRS. The sham trust, which was organized under the laws of Lichtenstein, was named “Onicuppac,” which is the word “Cappucino” in reverse.
In April 2009, LANDEGGER, Swiss Bank Representative-1, and another individual had a meeting in Switzerland, the purpose of which was to discuss the future of LANDEGGER’s undeclared accounts at the Swiss Bank, in light of the public news that another Swiss bank, UBS AG, had been investigated by United States law enforcement authorities for helping U.S. taxpayers maintain undeclared accounts. During that meeting, LANDEGGER and Swiss Bank Representative-1 discussed the possibility of LANDEGGER disclosing his undeclared accounts to the IRS, including by entering the IRS’s offshore voluntary disclosure program (the “OVDP”). LANDEGGER affirmatively rejected the possibility of disclosing his undeclared accounts to the IRS, whether by entering the OVDP or by any other method. Instead, LANDEGGER and Swiss Bank Representative-1 determined to empty the accounts of their assets by slowly moving the undeclared assets out of Switzerland. Thereafter, between May 2009 and July 2010, LANDEGGER, with the assistance of Swiss Bank Representative-1 and others at the Swiss Bank, emptied the assets from his undeclared accounts at the Swiss Bank by transferring a portion of those undeclared assets to a new, declared account in Canada, and by transferring the remainder of the undeclared assets to an account maintained by another individual in Hong Kong.
During the time LANDEGGER maintained his undeclared accounts at the Swiss Bank, capital gains and losses were generated in the account from LANDEGGER’s investments in foreign securities. Between 2007 and 2010, the high value of LANDEGGER’s undeclared assets was over $8.4 million. For each of the calendar years from at least the early 2000s through 2010, LANDEGGER failed to file FBARs with the IRS, as he was required to, disclosing his signatory or other authority over his undeclared accounts at the Swiss Bank.
LANDEGGER, 77, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of his plea, LANDEGGER has agreed to pay a civil penalty of over $4.2 million and back taxes of over $71,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Sullivan on May 12, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding efforts of IRS-CI in the investigation. Mr. Bharara also thanked U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Paul and Jason H. Cowley are in charge of the prosecution.
Buffalo Man Sentenced on Cocaine ChargesRead 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 Jose R. Ramos, 36, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Alsup, who handled the case, stated that on April 20, 2012, the defendant attempted to accept delivery of a package mailed form Puerto Rico that contained approximately 2.5 kilograms of cocaine. The package was delivered initially to an address in Niagara Falls, NY. Shortly after taking the package from the residence where it was delivered, Ramos was apprehended by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Office and Special Agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge, Shelly A. Binkowski.
Broward Real Estate Broker Sentenced in Three Cases for over $5 Million FraudRead the Press Release
A Broward real estate broker was sentenced today to 41 months in prison, three years supervised release and ordered to pay $4,029,892, in restitution to victims in three separate fraud cases by U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Miami Field Office, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Drew J. Breakspear, Commissioner, Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office, made the announcement.
Christopher Wayne White, 44, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pled guilty on November 21, 2014 in Case No. 14-60283-CR-Dimitrouleas to one count of wire fraud. According to documents filed with the court, White made numerous false statements to the mortgage lender in connection with the purchase of a luxury home on Sea Island Drive in Fort Lauderdale. According to court records, White inflated his bank account balances, income, deposit and assets to fraudulently induce the mortgage lender to issue a mortgage loan in excess of $4.9 million dollars. The property was subsequently foreclosed by the lender resulting in substantial losses.
In Case No. 14-60282-CR-Dimitrouleas, White pled guilty on November 21, 2014 to six counts of wire fraud. According to court documents, White was a licensed real estate broker and owner and operator of the Christopher White Group in Fort Lauderdale. White obtained multiple real estate deposits in excess of $750,000 via wire transfers involving properties in Broward County from individuals and refused to return the escrow deposits. Subsequently, the Secretary of Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation ordered an emergency suspension of White’s real estate broker’s license.
In Case No. 14-60216-CR-Dimitrouleas, White pled guilty on November 21, 2014 to three counts of making material false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. According to documents filed with the court, these statements were included on White’s April 16, 2014, application for naturalization submitted to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. White made the following material false statements in his naturalization application: (1) that he had never claimed to be a U.S. Citizen; (2) that he had never committed, assisted in committing or attempted to commit a crime or offense for which he was never arrested; and (3) that he had never failed to support his dependents.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, ICE-HSI, Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Ferrer also thanked the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for their assistance. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Katz and Thomas P. Lanigan.
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 http://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 http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 15 Years in Prison for Providing Material Support to Al QaedaRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for the Southern District of New York announced that Wesam El-Hanafi was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 15 years in prison for his extensive efforts to support al Qaeda – including financial support and facilitating surveillance of a New York City landmark for an attack – that spanned nearly three years. El-Hanafi was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in April 2010 and transferred to United States custody. On June 10, 2012, El-Hanafi pleaded guilty to one count of providing and attempting to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda, and one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda, before U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood, who also imposed today’s sentence.
“Wesam El-Hanafi was deeply involved in supporting al Qaeda both financially and by facilitating surveillance of a New York landmark to bring an attack to our homeland in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara. “Today’s sentence is a fitting punishment for these crimes and we will continue, with our law enforcement partners, to pursue punishment for those who provide and conspire to provide material support for terrorists.”
According to various public filings and statements made during public proceedings, including today’s sentencing:
From 2007 through late 2009, El-Hanafi supported al Qaeda in a variety of ways. In 2007, El-Hanafi and his co-defendant Sabirhan Hasanoff developed contact with individuals whom they understood to be affiliated with al Qaeda. After a period of providing financial support to these individuals, in February 2008, El-Hanafi traveled to Yemen to meet with two terrorist operatives who El-Hanafi understood were members of al Qaeda. While in Yemen, El-Hanafi swore an oath of allegiance, called bayat, to al Qaeda and delivered money and other items, including a laptop computer, to the terrorist operatives. El-Hanafi also taught the terrorist operatives in Yemen covert Internet communications techniques and supplied them with encryption tools that would facilitate communicating without detection. El-Hanafi and Hasanoff additionally sent other items, including remote-controlled devices capable of use in an explosives attack, to El-Hanafi’s terrorist contacts in Yemen.
El-Hanafi and Hasanoff together funneled approximately $67,000 to terrorist operatives overseas. El-Hanafi and Hasanoff collected some of this money from a third individual who resided in the United States. During this time, both El-Hanafi and Hasanoff used aliases to disguise the source of their money when making cash donations to their terrorist contacts.
Moreover, at the direction of his Yemen-based terrorist contacts, El-Hanafi assigned Hasanoff to perform surveillance of locations in the United States, including the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan, as potential targets of a terrorist attack by al Qaeda. El-Hanafi received Hasanoff’s report of his surveillance of the New York Stock Exchange, and sent that report to the terrorist operatives in Yemen.
El-Hanafi and Hasanoff also undertook efforts to enable their own travel to engage in jihad in Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Their al Qaeda contacts would not facilitate El-Hanafi’s and Hasanoff’s travel for jihad, however, because al Qaeda viewed the two men as more valuable for potential attacks on U.S. soil.
* * *
In addition to his prison term, El-Hanafi, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release. El-Hanafi was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment fee and forfeiture in the amount of $70,000.
Hasanoff pleaded guilty on June 4, 2012, to one count of providing and attempting to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda, and one count of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda. On Sept. 30, 2013, Hasanoff was sentenced to a total term of 18 years in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, and was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $70,000.
Assistant Attorney General Carlin is grateful for the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York-based Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) – which principally consists of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives of the New York City Police Department. Assistant Attorney General Carlin would also like to thank the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs, the Kansas City-based JTTF, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri for their extraordinary assistance in this matter.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Cronan, Aimee Hector, Michael Lockard, and Brendan R. McGuire are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Joseph Kaster of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 15 Years in Prison for Providing Material Support to Al QaedaRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John P. Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced that WESAM EL-HANAFI was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 15 years in prison for his extensive efforts to support al Qaeda – including financial support and facilitating surveillance of a New York City landmark for an attack – that spanned nearly three years. EL-HANAFI was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in April 2010 and transferred to United States custody. On June 10, 2012, EL-HANAFI pled guilty to one count of providing and attempting to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda, and one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda, before U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood, who also imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “Wesam El-Hanafi was deeply involved in supporting al Qaeda both financially and by facilitating surveillance of a New York landmark to bring an attack to our homeland in our city. Today’s sentence is a fitting punishment for these crimes and we will continue, with our law enforcement partners, to pursue punishment for those who provide and conspire to provide material support for terrorists.”
According to various public filings and statements made during public proceedings, including today’s sentencing:
From 2007 through late 2009, EL-HANAFI supported al Qaeda in a variety of ways. In 2007, EL-HANAFI and his co-defendant Sabirhan Hasanoff developed contact with individuals whom they understood to be affiliated with al Qaeda. After a period of providing financial support to these individuals, in February 2008, EL-HANAFI traveled to Yemen to meet with two terrorist operatives who EL-HANAFI understood were members of al Qaeda. While in Yemen, EL-HANAFI swore an oath of allegiance, called bayat, to al Qaeda and delivered money and other items, including a laptop computer, to the terrorist operatives. EL-HANAFI also taught the terrorist operatives in Yemen covert Internet communications techniques and supplied them with encryption tools that would facilitate communicating without detection. EL-HANAFI and Hasanoff additionally sent other items, including remote-controlled devices capable of use in an explosives attack, to EL-HANAFI’s terrorist contacts in Yemen.
EL-HANAFI and Hasanoff together funneled approximately $67,000 to terrorist operatives overseas. EL-HANAFI and Hasanoff collected some of this money from a third individual who resided in the United States. During this time, both EL-HANAFI and Hasanoff used aliases to disguise the source of their money when making cash donations to their terrorist contacts.
Moreover, at the direction of his Yemen-based terrorist contacts, EL-HANAFI assigned Hasanoff to perform surveillance of locations in the United States, including the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan, as potential targets of a terrorist attack by al Qaeda. EL-HANAFI received Hasanoff’s report of his surveillance of the New York Stock Exchange, and sent that report to the terrorist operatives in Yemen.
EL-HANAFI and Hasanoff also undertook efforts to enable their own travel to engage in jihad in Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Their al Qaeda contacts would not facilitate EL-HANAFI’s and Hasanoff’s travel for jihad, however, because al Qaeda viewed the two men as more valuable for potential attacks on U.S. soil.
In addition to his prison term, EL-HANAFI, 39, a citizen of the United States, who formerly resided in Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. EL-HANAFI was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment fee and forfeiture in the amount of $70,000.
Hasanoff pled guilty on June 4, 2012, to one count of providing and attempting to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda, and one count of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda. On September 30, 2013, Hasanoff was sentenced to a total term of 18 years in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, and was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $70,000.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York-based Joint Terrorism Task Force (“JTTF”) – which principally consists of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives of the New York City Police Department. Mr. Bharara thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs, the Kansas City-based JTTF, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri for their extraordinary assistance in this matter.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Cronan, Aimee Hector, Michael Lockard, and Brendan R. McGuire are in charge of the prosecution.
Bogalusa Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that DAVID LEE KILLEN, age 43, a resident of Covington, pled guilty today to a one-count Bill of Information for health care fraud. KILLEN admitted to fraudulently billing health care insurance plans for chiropractic and other services that were not rendered or were otherwise unauthorized.
According to court documents, KILLEN was a chiropractor who owned and operated Back on Track Clinic, LLC in Bogalusa. KILLEN billed insurers for chiropractic services, back braces, and X-rays that he did not provide. KILLEN also billed insurers for an expensive allergy test, the antigen leukocyte antibody test, otherwise known as an “ALCAT.” KILLEN either did not render the ALCATs or used it to incentivize his patients, bartering for reductions in co-payments or erasing co-payment balances if the patient would agree to the test. KILLEN also fraudulently billed insurers for services using physician provider numbers without authorization, or on days when the physicians were not working in his clinic.
KILLEN faces a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance set sentencing for April 29, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General for investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Juliana A. Etland is in charge of the prosecution.
Bitcoin Exchanger Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to Four Years in Prison for Selling Nearly $1 Million in Bitcoins for Drug Buys on Silk RoadRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ROBERT M. FAIELLA, a/k/a “BTCKing,” an underground Bitcoin exchanger, was sentenced today to four years in prison for his role in knowingly transmitting nearly $1 million in Bitcoins intended to facilitate drug trafficking on “Silk Road,” a black-market website designed to enable users to buy and sell illegal drugs anonymously and beyond the reach of law enforcement. FAIELLA pled guilty in September 2014 before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who also imposed today’s sentence.
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, the Indictment, the Superseding Information, and statements made in other documents filed in Manhattan federal court and related court proceedings:
From about December 2011 to October 2013, FAIELLA ran an underground Bitcoin exchange on the Silk Road website, a website that served as a sprawling and anonymous black market bazaar where illegal drugs of virtually every variety were bought and sold regularly by the site’s users. Operating under the username “BTCKing,” FAIELLA sold Bitcoins – the only form of payment accepted on Silk Road – to users seeking to buy illegal drugs on the site. Upon receiving orders for Bitcoins from Silk Road users, he filled the orders through BitInstant, a company based in New York, New York. BitInstant was designed to enable customers to exchange cash for Bitcoins anonymously, that is, without providing any personal identifying information, and charged a fee for its service. FAIELLA obtained Bitcoins with BitInstant’s assistance, and then sold the Bitcoins to Silk Road users at a markup.
With the knowledge and active assistance of Charles Shrem, the Chief Executive Officer of BitInstant, FAIELLA exchanged nearly $1 million in cash for Bitcoins for the benefit of Silk Road users, so that the users could, in turn, make illegal purchases on Silk Road.
In addition to the prison sentence, FAIELLA, 55, of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $950,000, representing the amount of funds involved in the offense that were intended to promote illegal activity.
FAIELLA’s co-defendant, Shrem, was sentenced to two years in prison by Judge Rakoff on December 19, 2014.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, which comprises agents and officers of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, the New York State Police, the U. S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the New York Department of Taxation and Finance. Mr. Bharara also thanked the FBI’s New York Field Office.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Serrin Turner is in charge of the prosecution, and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Adams of the Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit is in charge of the forfeiture aspects of the case.
Bangor Resident Sentenced to over Three Years for Bath Salt Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that
Elizabeth Mikotowicz, 26, Bangor, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor
to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the
intent to distribute and to distribute MDPV, a chemical compound commonly referred to as “bath
salts” or “monkey dust.” Mikotowicz pleaded guilty to the charge on May 12, 2014.According to court records, between April and December 2011, the defendant illegally
distributed MDPV in Penobscot County and elsewhere. The defendant distributed MDPV to
others who were using and selling the drug in the Bangor area. Mikotowicz is one of eighteen
defendants who pleaded guilty to conspiring with Ryan Ellis to distribute the drug. Ellis
previously pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Shining Laser at Law Enforcement AircraftRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Timothy Earl Wilson, 46, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, on March 2, 2014, Wilson pointed a powerful green laser two times at Air-1, a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter while it was flying 500 feet above the ground. As a result of the laser strikes, the tactical flight officer experienced a feeling of pressure, throbbing, and irritation in his eyes that lasted 30 minutes and the flight crew was forced to divert attention away from its law enforcement responsibilities.
The federal statute that makes it a federal crime to knowingly aim the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft was signed into law in 2012 by President Obama in response to increasing threats posed by laser illuminations of aircraft. Last year, there were 3,894 reported laser strikes in the United States, or 10.67 incidents per day.
Wilson is scheduled for sentencing on March 30, 2015, before Senior United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii. Wilson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, along with forfeiture of the seized lasers. 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 is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Aurora Drug Dealer Sentenced to 147 Months in Federal Prison for Intent to Distribute Cocaine While Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
DENVER – Korian Kenny Bascombe, age 31, of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced late last week by U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello to serve 147 months (over 12 years) in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, federal and state law enforcement authorities announced. Following his prison sentence, Bascombe was ordered to serve 4 years of supervised release. Bascombe was also ordered to forfeit $7,746.00, a firearm and a 2000 Cadillac DeVille.
Bascombe was originally charged by indictment on February 26, 2013, followed by a superseding indictment on June 18, 2013. He then pled guilty before Judge Arguello on September 9, 2014. Other defendants charged in the superseding indictment include Robert Bellender (aka Ghost), Victor Rivas-Pinzon, Andrew T. Sorensen, and Bruce Thomas. Bellender, Rivas-Pinzon and Thomas pled guilty and were sentenced to 54, 42, and 38 months in prison, respectively.
According to information contained in court documents, including the stipulated facts contained in Bascombe’s plea agreement, Bascombe was arrested after a traffic stop on February 24, 2013. During a search of Bascombe’s car subsequent to his arrest, 28 grams of crack cocaine and a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol with ammunition was found in the vehicle.
Based on the investigation by the Front Range Task Force, Bellender began purchasing distribution quantities of powder cocaine and crack cocaine from Bascombe for $1,200 per ounce when Bellender’s initial supplier stopped distributing to him. Bascombe and Bellender were converting or “cooking” powder cocaine to convert it into the crack form.
Between October of 2011 and his arrest, Bascombe sold a crack cocaine to Bellender and his co-conspirators. Twenty kilograms is the equivalent of approximately 705 ounces.
This case was investigated by agents of the Front Range Task Force which include the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado National Guard, and the Mountain Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Boma.
Aplington Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Contact: Steve Young
A man who unlawfully possessed three rifles, two handguns, and 161 rounds of ammunition was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison.
Mark Harken, 32, from Aplington, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 29, 2014, guilty plea to one count of being a felon and unlawful user of methamphetamine in possession of firearms and ammunition.
At the guilty plea, Harken admitted he was a felon and unlawful user of methamphetamine, and that on April 11, 2014, he possessed five firearms, including a semi-automatic rifle. Evidence at sentencing showed that Harken, after being pulled over by an Aplington police officer on April 11, 2014, was in possession of the firearms. Following the traffic stop, Harken assaulted the officer by punching him multiple times and by pulling a handgun and pointing it at the officer. Harken fled from the police in his truck, reaching speeds of up to 95 mph, before eventually driving off road into a wooded area. Harken was eventually taken into custody after a struggle, during which officers had to use a Taser on him.
Harken was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Harken was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Harken is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Aplington Police Department and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 14-CR-3028.Americus Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced that Douglas Roseth, 23, of Americus, Georgia entered a plea of guilty on January 20, 2015 to one count of production of child pornography before the Honorable Clay D. Land, U.S. District Court Judge, in Columbus, Georgia.Mr. Roseth admitted that he posed as a teenage girl on social media chats and enticed young boys to masturbate and expose themselves to him. Sexually explicit screenshots of these chats were found by the United States Secret Service after they assumed the investigation and forensically examined Mr. Roseth’s computers. Secret Service agents were able to track down several of the boys who identified sexually explicit screen shots of themselves that had been taken during social media chats. Each boy stated they had been enticed to do so by what they presumed to be a teenage girl while on a social media site.
The plea agreement carries a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 15 years imprisonment up to a maximum of 30 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both. Mr. Roseth will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.“This case reminds us that child predators will use whatever they can to entice child victims into their traps. As parents, we must be vigilant about monitoring our children’s use of computers, and as law enforcement we must remember that people like Mr. Roseth use deceit to lure their prey, requiring us to spare no resource or effort to find and catch producers of child pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Moore.
The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, as well as the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Columbus Police Department, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant United States Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the GovernmentQuestions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Air Force Sergeant Sentenced to Ten Years for Attempting to Meet Children for SexRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Nicholas Darwin Yancey (30, Melbourne) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted child enticement. The Court also ordered him to forfeit two cellphones and a computer that he had used to commit the offenses. Yancey pleaded guilty on October 2, 2014.
According to court documents, on February 10, 2014, Yancey, a Staff Sergeant on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, posted an advertisement on Craigslist soliciting individuals for “texting/sexting.” An undercover law enforcement officer with the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, posing as a 14-year-old child, responded to the ad. Yancey and the “child” communicated over the Internet for months, during which time Yancey told the “child” that he wanted to engage in sexual intercourse with her and solicited nude photographs of her. He also stated that he had a crush on her, and invited her to a sleepover at a hotel on MacDill Air Force Base.
On June 26, 2014, the undercover officer observed several additional postings from Yancey on Craigslist. The officer responded to one of the advertisements posing as a second “child.” Yancey and the second “child” communicated using an Internet messaging application. Yancey told the second “child” that he wanted to engage in sexual intercourse with her, and possibly one of her friends. He arranged to meet the second “child” for sex on July 3, 2014, but later attempted to change the meeting. When the second “child” declined, Yancey informed her that he would simply go down the list, referring to his ability to find another person to meet. On June 27, 2014, Yancey contacted the first “child” and arranged to meet her later that week for sex. On June 29, 2014, he traveled to the Ballast Point area in Tampa, where they had arranged to meet, and was arrested.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Kaiser.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Air Force Sergeant Sentenced to Ten Years for Attempting to Meet Children for SexRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Nicholas Darwin Yancey (30, Melbourne) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted child enticement. The Court also ordered him to forfeit two cellphones and a computer that he had used to commit the offenses. Yancey pleaded guilty on October 2, 2014.
According to court documents, on February 10, 2014, Yancey, a Staff Sergeant on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, posted an advertisement on Craigslist soliciting individuals for “texting/sexting.” An undercover law enforcement officer with the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, posing as a 14-year-old child, responded to the ad. Yancey and the “child” communicated over the Internet for months, during which time Yancey told the “child” that he wanted to engage in sexual intercourse with her and solicited nude photographs of her. He also stated that he had a crush on her, and invited her to a sleepover at a hotel on MacDill Air Force Base.
On June 26, 2014, the undercover officer observed several additional postings from Yancey on Craigslist. The officer responded to one of the advertisements posing as a second “child.” Yancey and the second “child” communicated using an Internet messaging application. Yancey told the second “child” that he wanted to engage in sexual intercourse with her, and possibly one of her friends. He arranged to meet the second “child” for sex on July 3, 2014, but later attempted to change the meeting. When the second “child” declined, Yancey informed her that he would simply go down the list, referring to his ability to find another person to meet. On June 27, 2014, Yancey contacted the first “child” and arranged to meet her later that week for sex. On June 29, 2014, he traveled to the Ballast Point area in Tampa, where they had arranged to meet, and was arrested.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Kaiser.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Monday 19 January 2015
Qualcomm Sales Director Admits Insider TradingRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO –Derek Montague Cohen, a former Sales Director at Qualcomm, Inc (NASD: QCOM) pled guilty today to insider trading and admitted netting almost $200,000 in fraudulent proceeds by trading ahead of Qualcomm’s 2011 acquisition of Atheros Communications. At the time of his illegal trade, Cohen was a director in Qualcomm’s North America Sales Department. Two of his former colleagues in the Sales Department -- Robert Herman and Michael Fleischli -- have already been charged and taken responsibility for their misconduct.
According to Cohen’s plea agreement, he and Herman were part of an informal stock trading group that occasionally shared tips and opinions with each other about the stock market. Beginning in December 2010, their immediate supervisor notified them that Qualcomm was contemplating a major acquisition of a public company, and emphasized that this information was secret. Because of his access to inside information at Qualcomm, Cohen knew there were a limited number of companies that could potentially be considered as acquisition targets by the company.
As detailed today in court, by the morning of January 4, 2011, Cohen had learned from his position at Qualcomm that the identity of the acquisition target was Atheros. Cohen then engaged in a series of stock and options trades to take advantage of this inside information at the expense of ordinary shareholders. Over the span of just a few hours, Cohen purchased 10,400 shares of Atheros stock, and 375 call options in Atheros, at a cost of over $430,000. Less than an hour after Cohen’s last illegal trade, the New York Times reported on the planned acquisition by Qualcomm, which caused Atheros’s stock price to rocket upward. Defendant sold his stock and stock options later that month for an illegal profit of just under $200,000 – an amount that he agreed to forfeit to the United States as part of his plea agreement.
Cohen was the fourth former Qualcomm executive charged with insider trading in connection with the company’s Atheros acquisition. Jing Wang, Qualcomm’s former Executive Vice President and President of Global Business Operations, pled guilty in July 2014 to insider trading and money laundering based on three separate instances in which he misused Qualcomm’s confidential information to trade in a secret brokerage account in the name of a British Virgin Islands entity. Wang – who reaped over $240,000 from his insider trading and then attempted to obstruct federal investigations into his misconduct – is to appear in federal court on February 20, 2015, at which time his sentencing hearing will be scheduled. Cohen’s co-defendant Robert Herman – who made just under $30,000 in proceeds and pled guilty in late 2014 – was sentenced earlier this month to three years of probation, fined $50,000, and ordered to complete 1,500 hours of community service. The fourth insider trading defendant, Michael Fleischli, was charged in May 2014 with making approximately $3,000 from insider trading on the Atheros acquisition, and is currently on a three-year period of supervision pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement.
Wang’s stock broker, former Merrill Lynch vice president Gary Yin, has also been convicted of conspiring with Wang to launder the proceeds of Wang’s insider trading and obstruct the investigation into his misconduct. Yin is also scheduled to appear in federal court on February 20, when it is expected that his sentencing hearing will be set.
United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy complimented the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its exemplary work on this matter and expressed appreciation for the Los Angeles office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement (“SEC”), which worked collaboratively with prosecutors while conducting separate civil investigations of the same securities fraud offenses.
Cohen’s sentencing is set for May 22, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. before the Honorable Janis L. Sammartino.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 14CR1202-JLS Derek Montague Cohen Age: 52 San Diego, California CHARGESTitle 15, U.S.C., Secs. 78j(b), 78ff – Securities Fraud (Insider Trading). Maximum penalties include 20 years in prison, $5 million fine and three years of supervised release.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 13CR3487-WQH Jing Wang Age: 52 Del Mar, California CHARGESTitle 15, U.S.C., Secs. 78j(b), 78ff – Securities Fraud (Insider Trading). Maximum penalties include 20 years in prison, $5,000,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and restitution.
Title 18, U.S.C., Secs. 1956(a)(1)(B)(i) – Money Laundering. Maximum penalties include 20 years in prison, $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 13CR3488-WQH Gary Yin Age: 56 San Diego, California CHARGESTitle 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371 – Conspiracy to obstruct proceedings and commit money laundering. Maximum penalties include 5 years in prison, $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and restitution.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIESFederal Bureau of Investigation
Friday 16 January 2015
Woman Sentenced in Federal Court for Committing Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
Pocatello - RaeLeigh Day, 42, of Burley, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to three years of probation for bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Day pleaded guilty to the charge on October 29, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Day filed for bankruptcy in December 2009 and omitted from the filed petitions, schedules, and statement of financial affairs a Honda four-wheeler and a Honda ATV. Day’s electronic signatures verified the truthfulness of the filed documents under penalty of perjury. After a meeting of creditors, Day filed amended paperwork listing a 2005 Honda four-wheeler worth $480 and a 2004 Honda ATV worth $860, describing both vehicles as being in need of “major work.” Day again verified the information under penalty of perjury. When the Chapter 7 trustee requested information about the ATVs, Day provided a letter stating that the ATVs were wrecked and attached photographs of wrecked ATVs. The ATVs in the photographs, however, were not the ATVs in question in the bankruptcy proceeding. The chapter 7 trustee obtained possession of the actual ATVs and confirmed they were not the ATVs in the pictures. Day’s ATVs were in good condition, and the trustee sold them for $3,500. Day admitted in court that she provided the photographs and other false information with the intent to mislead and conceal the assets from the chapter 7 trustee, in order to influence or prevent the trustee from seizing and selling the ATVs in the course of the bankruptcy proceedings.
“Those who seek the protection of the U.S. bankruptcy court have a firm obligation to be truthful and to make appropriate disclosures,” said Olson. “This office is committed to seeking appropriate penalties for those who instead choose to conceal and mislead.”
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations.
William I. Jackson Sentenced for Drug and Guns OffensesRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On Jan. 15, 2015, William Isaac Jackson, 26, of Elizabethton, Tenn., was by the Honorable Leon Jordan, U.S. District Judge, to serve 150 months in prison for conspiracy to possess a quantity of crack cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Upon his release from prison Jackson will supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for four years. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jackson’s wife, Latari Jackson, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. She will be sentenced at a later date.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation included the Elizabethton Police Department, Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States.
Wilcox County Man Sentenced for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL-- United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announces that Isiah Smith was sentenced on January 16, 2015 to twenty four months confinement by United States District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose. Smith was sentenced for the federal felony offense of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine. Court papers revealed that undercover officers purchased small amounts of crack cocaine from Smith on six separate occasions. Smith also received an additional twelve month term of confinement, to run consecutive with the twenty four month sentence, as he was on federal supervised release from a prior federal felony drug conviction when he committed the current offense.
The case was investigated by the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office.
Week in Review – South BendRead the Press Release
South Bend, Indiana — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:
PLEAS
- James D. Garcia, Jr., 32, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate judge is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation. Sentencing has been set for April 20, 2015. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth M. Hays.
- Usbaldo Martinez, 33, of Logansport, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of possession of a firearm. The magistrate judge is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. Sentencing has been set for April 16, 2015. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.
- Darius Williams, 30, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of possession of heroin with intent to distribute. The magistrate judge is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. Sentencing has been set for April 24, 2015. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Week in Review – HammondRead the Press Release
Hammond, Indiana — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:
PLEAS
- Milton Bell, 51, of Gary, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate judge is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Sentencing has been set for April 23, 2015. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.
- Crescencio Lozano Romero, 37, of Connell, Washington, pled guilty to the felony offense of possession with intent to distribute heroin. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sentencing has been set for April 16, 2015. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang.
- Jose Ruiz, 37, of Illinois, pled guilty to the felony offense of distribution of cocaine. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Sentencing has been set for April 14, 2015. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
DISPOSITIONS
- Laquintin Abbey, 26, of East Chicago was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of aiding and abetting the straw purchase of a firearm. According to documents filed in this case, on March 22, 2014, Abbey fraudulently represented to an employee of Cabela’s Retail, a licensed firearms dealership in Hammond, Indiana, that she was the actual purchaser of a firearm when in fact she was purchasing the firearm for someone else. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.
- Robert Barker, 29, of Calumet City, Illinois was sentenced to 35 months imprisonment with 2 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to documents filed in this case, Barker coerced an individual who later cooperated with law enforcement to purchase guns on his behalf. Barker utilized this individual to purchase or attempt to purchase 10 guns between October and December 2013. During this time, Barker was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was a convicted felon. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang.
- Dexter Eugene Howard, 36, of Gary, Indiana was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to two felony offenses of Bank Robbery. According to documents filed in this case, Howard robbed the 5/3 Bank located at 6760 Broadway in Merrillville, Indiana on March 13, 2014. He stole $2,000 cash during this robbery and was ordered by the Court to pay restitution in that amount. Howard also robbed the 5/3 Bank located at 8477 Broadway in Merrillville, Indiana on March 20, 2014. He stole $2,813 cash during this robbery; because the money was recovered , the court did not order restitution. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang.
- Andy Mitchell, 55, of Chicago was sentenced to 24 months’ probation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. According to documents filed in this case, on December 18, 2013, the defendant was part of a group who staged automobile accidents in Northwest Indiana and Chicago and subsequently submitted false and fraudulent police reports and insurance claims for property damage. This case was the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toi Denise Houston.
- Linda Rosenberg, 60, of Chicago, Illinois was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment with 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to a three count information charging the following: Count 1, conspiracy to receive kickbacks for the referral of Medicare and Medicaid patients to service providers; Count 2 dispensing a controlled substance without legitimate medical purpose and; Count 3, misbranding. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Drug Administration and Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.
Week in Review – Fort WayneRead the Press Release
Fort Wayne, Indiana — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:
DISPOSITION
- Hayley VanDurmen, 22, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to one year probation after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly selling a firearm to a convicted felon and aiding and abetting. According to documents filed in this case, on or about April 26, 2013, VanDurmen knowingly aided and abetted in the selling of a firearm to a convicted felon. This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.
Warren Pair Indicted for False Statements to a Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Pamela E. Vincent, 43, and William Roberts, 40, both of Warren, with false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that on or about October 9, 2014, Roberts aided, abetted, and counseled Vincent in connection with the acquisition of a Ruger, model 9E, 9mm pistol, from J & D Firearms, Inc., 3323 Parkman Road, Warren, in that Vincent knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement which was intended to deceive J & D Firearms, Inc., as to a fact material to the lawfulness of the sale of the firearm, in that Vincent represented that she was the purchaser of the firearm, when in fact, she was purchasing said firearm for another individual.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason M. Katz.
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.
U.S. Attorney's Office Filed 167 Firearms Indictments Last YearRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio filed 167 firearms indictments last year, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach announced.
“Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work collaboratively to target the worst of the worst,” said Steven M. Dettelbach. “These include people who carry firearms, ammunition and sometimes body armor despite prior felony convictions, or those who help prohibited people to obtain firearms.”
“ATF’s mission is to combat violent crime and protect the public,” said Donald J. Soranno, Special Agent in Charge of the Columbus Field Division. “We will continue to actively investigate the criminal use of firearms and strive to make our communities safer for the people who live and work there.”
Broken down by geography in the district, the most indictments filed came out of the Cleveland office, with 86. That was followed by the Youngstown office (34), Akron office (27) and Toledo office (20).
Details of selected cases:
Operation Samson II: Sixty people were indicted and 110 firearms were seized as part of a summerlong enhanced enforcement initiative targeting the criminal possession, use and sale of firearms in Greater Cleveland. Forty-two people were indicted in federal court while 18 people were indicted in state court. Charges include engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of unregistered firearms that had been modified (sawed-off shotguns), possession and sale of firearms with obliterated serial numbers and related drug counts.
The indictments are the result of “Operation Samson II,” which was organized around three operational groups. The first used undercover operations to investigate people known to criminally possess, use and sell firearms, as well as people possessing firearms while conducting drug activities. The second group, referred to as the “Follow the Gun Group,” used firearms trace data and ballistics information from the National Ballistics Information Network to pursue leads related to firearms that have been diverted from legal commerce to criminal use. The third group involved ATF Industry Operations conducting inspections at Cleveland-area federal firearms licensees to ensure that dealers are selling firearms in accordance with federal law and regulations.
United States v. Barnette: Jeremy P. Barnette, 28, of Ravenna, was charged with making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. The indictment alleges that on or about March 27, 2014, Barnette, in connection with the acquisition of the following firearms: a Norinco, Model 84S-1, 5.56x45 rifle; a Ruger, Model 03800, 45 ACP pistol; and a Glock, Model 19, 9mm pistol, from Ohio Trading, 8855 State Street, NE, Louisville, Ohio, stated on the Firearm Transaction Report that he was purchasing the firearms for himself, when he was, in fact, purchasing the firearms for another individual who was a convicted felon. His case remains pending.
United States v. Powell: Lewis Powell, 37, of Warren, was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for of being an unlicensed dealer willfully engaged in the business of dealing firearms and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. Powell sold 20 firearms, including three with obliterated serial numbers, as well are heroin, according to court documents.
United States v. Green: Michael Green, 34, of Niles, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms, ammunition and body armor. Green possessed a MAADI, model RML, 7.62” x 39” rifle; a Ruger, model SR40, .40 caliber pistol; 97 rounds of 7.62” x 39” ammunition; 16 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and body armor after he had previously been convicted of burglary, assault on a peace officer and failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer.
United States v. Thompson et. al.: Jemel E. Thompson, 25, of Ashtabula, and Maranda M. Rabenold, 31, of Madison, pleaded guilty to firearms violations last year.
On or about August 8, 2014, Thompson was in possession of ammunition, after he had been previously convicted of arson in the Oakland County, Michigan, Circuit Court. On or about June 16, 2014, Rabenold, aided and abetted by Thompson, made false statements to the Great Outdoors Store, North Kingsville, Ohio in connection with the purchase of a HiPoint, 9mm pistol. On or about July 19, 2014, Rabenold, aided and abetted by Thompson, made false statements to LWS LJC, Inc., Jefferson, Ohio in connection with the purchase of a HiPoint JCP pistol. Thompson also pleaded guilty to heroin charges.
Both are scheduled to be sentenced in March.
Firearm prosecution statistics for calendar year 2002 through 2013 are as follows:
2002: 117 indictments
2003: 155 indictments
2004: 184 indictments
2005: 220 indictments
2006: 187 indictments
2007: 191 indictments
2008: 157 indictments
2009: 156 indictments
2010: 166 indictments
2011: 218 indictments
2012: 176 indictments
2013: 207 indictments
Towson Man Exiled to 15 Years in Prison for Drug Possession, Illegal Possession of A Firearm and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Also Admitted to a Shooting in Baltimore City
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander, sentenced Mukengi Wilson, age 41, of Towson, Maryland, today to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute crack; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and attempting to tamper with a witness.The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Tuggle of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Commissioner Anthony W. Batts of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby.
According to Wilson’s plea agreement, on October 5, 2013, law enforcement officers saw Wilson engage in several hand-to-hand drug transactions at a narcotics shop operating at the intersection of East Lafayette and North Montford Avenues in Baltimore. In each transaction, Wilson received cash from the customer in exchange for drugs. Two officers wearing vests labeled “POLICE” approached Wilson in a vehicle. When Wilson saw the officers, he attempted to flee. He threw small objects to the ground from his left hand, and reached into his waistband and removed a clear plastic bag and threw it to the ground. The officers arrested Wilson and recovered the items from the ground. The small objects from Wilson’s left hand were two zip lock baggies containing crack cocaine. The clear bag contained nineteen zip lock baggies, each of which contained crack cocaine.
After his arrest, Wilson spoke with officers and informed them that there was a gun in the basement in his girlfriend’s house at 2301 East Lafayette Street. He stated that the residents of the house did not know that the gun was there. Wilson also drew a map showing the location of the gun. Officers went to the house and were given consent to search the house. One of the officers went to the basement and found a 9mm semiautomatic handgun in the location indicated by Wilson in the hand-drawn map. The gun was loaded with one round of ammunition in the chamber and three rounds of ammunition in the magazine. The hammer of the gun was cocked. Wilson had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a gun or ammunition.
In addition, from the time of Wilson’s federal indictment on November 13, 2013 until a superseding indictment was returned on May 21, 2014, Wilson, who was detained pending trial, made repeated telephone calls to a witness, encouraging the witness to give false testimony in U.S. District Court. The telephone calls were made on recorded, monitored jailhouse telephone systems.
Wilson also admitted that on September 23, 2013, he shot at a man referred to as “Love,” after the man sped through the intersection of East Lafayette and North Montford Avenues. Although the vehicle crashed, “Love” was able to drive away.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Lemmon, who prosecuted the case.
Stearns County Man Charged in Murder-for-hire PlotRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced a criminal complaint charging ROBERT JAMES SCHUELLER, 29, in a murder-for-hire plot targeting the fiancé of his former paramour. SCHUELLER is charged with the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1958(a).1 The defendant appeared this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Tony Leung in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“This defendant is charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Allyn. “Fortunately for the intended victim in this case, the contract killing was never carried out. The FBI and Stearns County Sheriff’s Office pursued diligently this investigation, and we are grateful for their successful efforts to keep Minnesotans safe from violence.”
According to the complaint and documents filed in court, ROBERT SCHUELLER is the President of Nomad Pipeline Services (Nomad). Between approximately May 2013 and August 2013, SCHUELLER, who is married, was engaged in an extramarital affair with R.T., then an employee of Nomad. Approximately three months after R.T. ended the relationship with SCHUELLER, SCHUELLER learned that R.T. was in a relationship with C.A. SCHUELLER subsequently tried to reignite the relationship with R.T., but was rebuffed.
According to the complaint and documents filed in court, on February 6, 2014, SCHUELLER contacted another employee of Nomad, W.E. SCHUELLER knew W.E. had several prior felony convictions and had served time in prison. He asked if W.E. maintained contact with anyone from prison. When W.E. answered in the affirmative, SCHUELLER told W.E that he wanted to hire someone to murder C.A. On February 13, 2014, W.E. pretended to have identified a former prison associate who may be willing to murder C.A. for SCHUELLER.
According to the complaint and documents filed in court, sometime in March 2014, SCHUELLER sent a package to W.E. containing $10,000 in cash and two of his own business cards, on which he had written C.A.’s name and information about where C.A. worked. On May 2, 2014, W.E. called SCHUELLER and told him that he was unable to find someone to carry out the murder. After the phone call, SCHUELLER texted W.E., “burn those business cards.” W.E. subsequently returned the $10,000 to SCHUELLER.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie E. Allyn and Steven L. Schleicher.
Defendant Information:
ROBERT JAMES SCHUELLER, 29
Farming Township, Minn.
Charge:
• Use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, 1 countStaunton Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA – A Staunton, Virginia woman, who worked as a financial advisor for a Staunton-based branch of a national bank chain, pled guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Lynchburg to wire fraud charges.
Kirsten Flynn Hawkins, 45, of Staunton, Va., waived her right to be indicted and pled guilty to a three count Information charging her with three separate counts of wire fraud. Hawkins will be sentenced on May 5, 2015 and faces a maximum possible penalty of up to 30 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each of the three charges for which she was convicted. In addition, Hawkins’ plea agreement calls for restitution to be made to her victims in an amount of approximately $500,000.
“Through a series of lies and deceitful measures, Ms. Hawkins betrayed the trust of those who gave her control of their finances,” Acting United States Attorney Anthony P. Giorno said today. “I only hope the restitution to be ordered by the court in this matter can restore to the victim the money which was stolen.”
According to evidence presented at today’s guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Bubar, Hawkins worked as a financial advisor for “Bank One.” During that time, between August 2011 and August 2014, the defendant devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money though false representations and promises.
Evidence showed that it was the purpose of the scheme for Hawkins to take control of “Victim One’s” various bank and investment accounts, which were located in “Bank One.” At various times between 2011 and 2014 and on the three separate occasions charged, Hawkins caused money to be transferred from the accounts of Victim One to her personal banking accounts. The funds were used to pay various living expenses, utilities, rent, travel, jewelry, clothing, eating out and to provide other economic benefit for herself and her family.
The investigation of the case was conducted by United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Bubar is prosecuting the case for the United States.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced on Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – RAJU MUKHI was sentenced to three years’ probation, ordered to pay full restitution and agreed to a penalty in the amount of $838,439 for failing to file a report to the IRS on his foreign financial accounts and for filing false tax returns.
United States citizens are required to report income from foreign countries, such as bank accounts, securities and any other financial accounts on their tax returns. If the value is more than $10,000, they are required to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, Form TD F90-22.1 (FBAR).
According to court documents, Mukhi failed to disclose the existence of Clariden Bank and Goldman, Sachs & Company Bank-Singapore accounts and the income earned in these accounts to his tax preparers for the years 2006 and 2008. Additionally, Mukhi failed to file an FBAR disclosing that he had financial accounts in Singapore and Switzerland for years 2007-2010."Hiding income and assets offshore is not tax planning; it's tax fraud," said Sybil Smith, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. "We are continuing our work to crack down on offshore tax evasion."
Mukhi, St. Louis, Missouri, pled guilty in October to one felony count of filing false tax returns and one felony count of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dianna Collins handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Springhill Woman Found with 230 Grams of Methamphetamine and more than $5,000Read the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Webster Parish woman pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Reiny Ratliff, 21, of Springhill, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Springhill Police responded on March 12, 2014 to a complaint that someone was illegally parked in a handicapped spot at a local retail store. While questioning Ratliff, the officer saw drug paraphernalia in the car, arrested her, and impounded the vehicle. Upon search of her purse, 229.7 grams of methamphetamine and $5,347 were found.
Ratliff faces up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release, a $1 million fine and forfeiture of the money found. A sentencing date of April 29, 2015 was set.
The DEA and Springhill Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles is prosecuting the case.
South Florida Man Indicted for Identity Theft and Debit Card FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Kency Aime (29, Biscayne Bay) with one count of access device (credit card) fraud and nine counts of identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the fraud count, and up to 5 years in prison for each identity theft count.
According to the indictment, Aime possessed 34 stolen MasterCard and Visa debit cards, as well as the Social Security numbers of nine individuals.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service and the Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
South Florida Man Indicted for Identity Theft and Debit Card FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Kency Aime (29, Biscayne Bay) with one count of access device (credit card) fraud and nine counts of identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the fraud count, and up to 5 years in prison for each identity theft count.
According to the indictment, Aime possessed 34 stolen MasterCard and Visa debit cards, as well as the Social Security numbers of nine individuals.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service and the Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Somerset County Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Pornographic Videos of ChildrenRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Windber, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to five years in prison, 10 years supervised release—the first 18 months of which must be served by conditions of home confinement, required to register as a convicted sex offender, and ordered to pay $5,000 restitution on his conviction of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Donald T. Reese, 69.
According to information presented to the court, on April 28, 2011, Reese knowingly possessed videos in individual computer graphic files which were produced using minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The computer graphic files were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Southwest Computer Crime Task Force of the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Reese.
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 Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov\psc.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to more than 20 Years for Drug Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Kewarren Lamar Jones (44, Sarasota) to 20 years and 5 months in federal prison for distributing 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and a related violation of his federal supervised release. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $7,500, the proceeds of his criminal conduct. Jones pleaded guilty on October 9, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, during the summer of 2013, Jones sold ounce quantities of crack cocaine to a confidential informant on three separate occasions. At the time of these transactions, Jones was on supervised release for a prior federal firearm offense.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to more than 20 Years for Drug Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Kewarren Lamar Jones (44, Sarasota) to 20 years and 5 months in federal prison for distributing 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and a related violation of his federal supervised release. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $7,500, the proceeds of his criminal conduct. Jones pleaded guilty on October 9, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, during the summer of 2013, Jones sold ounce quantities of crack cocaine to a confidential informant on three separate occasions. At the time of these transactions, Jones was on supervised release for a prior federal firearm offense.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Steven Phelps (40, Sarasota) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on October 24, 2014.
According to court documents, On June 27, 2014, detectives from the Sarasota Police Department executed a search warrant at Phelps’s home. During the search, 28 individually wrapped baggies of cocaine, an electronic scale, and a Davis Industries .32 caliber pistol were recovered. At the time of the search, Phelps was a convicted felon, and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Steven Phelps (40, Sarasota) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on October 24, 2014.
According to court documents, On June 27, 2014, detectives from the Sarasota Police Department executed a search warrant at Phelps’s home. During the search, 28 individually wrapped baggies of cocaine, an electronic scale, and a Davis Industries .32 caliber pistol were recovered. At the time of the search, Phelps was a convicted felon, and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.
Santa Rosa Attorneys Charged with Stealing from ClientRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Robert Anderson was arraigned today and Scott Steever was arraigned yesterday on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge José M. Martinez.
A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Anderson and Steever on December 18, 2014, each on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, six counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. According to the Indictment Anderson and Steever, who were both partners at the law firm Lanahan Steever and Anderson LLP (LSA), formerly known as Lanahan & Reilly LLP, in Santa Rosa, Calif., spent money held in a trust account for a client, identified in the Indictment as B.M., and used the money to pay expenses that were not related to B.M.’s representation. According to the Indictment, in November 2009, B.M. gave LSA approximately $300,000 to be held in trust on her behalf. Some of the money was intended to be used for outstanding legal issues and the remaining balance was to be returned to her. Shortly after the check was deposited, Anderson and Steever, and LSA employees acting at the defendants’ direction, began spending B.M.’s funds without authorization on expenses unrelated to the representation of B.M. By April 2010, all of the funds held on behalf of B.M. had been spent. In March 2012, after an attorney acting on behalf of B.M. asked for an accounting of the money remaining in the account for the benefit of B.M, Anderson sent B.M.’s attorney an email in which he falsely represented that, as of February 2012, B.M. had a remaining trust balance of approximately $252,511.55.
Anderson, of Redwood Valley, Calif. voluntarily surrendered and made his initial appearance today in federal court in San Francisco. Steever, of Rohnert Park, Calif. was arrested and made his initial appearance yesterday in federal court in San Francisco. Anderson and Steever were each released on a $100,000 bond. Anderson and Steever are scheduled for an initial appearance before the Honorable Edward M. Chen, U.S. District Court Judge, 2:30 p.m. on February 4, 2015.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and 18 U.S.C. § 1343, respectively, is 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and restitution. The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) and 18 U.S.C. § 1957, respectively, is 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Denise Marie Barton is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Denise Oki and Trina Khadoo. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Ridgefield Physician Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVID LESTER JOHNSTON, 46, of Ridgefield, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to committing health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, JOHNSTON is an osteopathic physician who operates Osteopathic Wellness Center, LLC, in Ridgefield. In pleading guilty, JOHNSTON admitted that he engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare and several private health insurance companies by submitting claims for osteopathic and physical therapy services that he did not perform, and by misrepresenting the nature of the services that were performed.
JOHNSTON specifically admitted that he submitted claims in connection with services rendered by a massage therapist, but falsely described the services rendered and falsely stated that he himself had rendered the services.
JOHNSTON is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on April 10, 2015, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. As part of the resolution of this case, JOHNSTON has agreed to enter into a civil settlement with the government and will pay $270,528 to settle federal civil claims arising from his conduct.
This matter has been investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Mattei, Heather Cherry and Richard Molot.
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[email protected]Rapid City Man Indicted on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
Patrick Harding, age 57, was indicted on November 19, 2014. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica Duffy on January 12, 2015, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years’ supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment charges that in August 2014, at Rapid City, Harding, who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was in possession of a stolen Glock pistol.
The charges are merely accusations and Harding is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case. Harding was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant AnnouncementRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/MONROE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force announced today that the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding of grants under the Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program, also known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
This program furthers the Department of Justice=s mission and violent crime reduction strategy by providing support to state, local and tribal efforts to reduce gun and gang-related violent crime. Contingent upon the availability of funds, grant awards totaling $300,000 are possible in the Western District of Louisiana to fund new and current comprehensive gun crime reduction strategies and gang violence reduction strategies. Grant proposal submissions must be received by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lafayette before 5 p.m. on February 6, 2015.
Various types of single or multi‑grantee grant applications are welcome including those that address the following:
- Gang violence and gun violence reduction, deterrence, prevention, community outreach and education;
- Enforcement, adjudication, and supervision programs;
- Prisoner Reentry Programs; or
- Other innovative related projects.
The FY2015 PSN Competitive Grant Announcement and links to other grants available, and information on the PSN Program can be found at the U.S. Attorney’s website at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla and www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/programs/project-safe-neighborhoods or at www.psn.gov and www.bja.gov/programs/psn .
For more information, contact Western District of Louisiana Assistant U.S. Attorney and PSN and Anti-Gang Coordinator Robert W. Gillespie Jr. at (318) 676-3600.
Complete instructions on how to register and submit an application for this and other grants are available at www.Grants.gov. The FY2015 PSN Grant number is BJA-2014-3810. Applicants can also contact the www.Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline for technical assistance with submitting any application by calling (800) 518-4726, (606) 545-5035 and by e-mail to [email protected].
Pennsylvania Physician Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges, Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of filing false individual and corporate tax returns and health care fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Dr. William R. Acosta pleaded guilty to seven counts before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Acosta, a physician licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, filed three false individual income tax returns and three false corporate income tax returns for calendar years 2001, 2002, and 2003, whereby he failed to report $561,129 in taxable income, resulting in an underpayment of $181,460 in income tax owed to the United States.
In addition, from Aug. 28, 2002, to Jan. 24, 2003, Acosta submitted false and fraudulent claims to Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield for levels of services higher than what he actually provided, and he unjustly received payment at the higher level from Highmark.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for May 14, 2015, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 28 years in prison, a fine of $1.750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Acosta.