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Monday 17 November 2014
Three Sentenced on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistWHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Three West Virginia residents were sentenced on drug trafficking charges, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Diane Savage, 50, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for oxycodone distribution. She will also forfeit $2,332.94. She pled guilty in January 2014 to a criminal Information charging her with one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Oxycodone.” An investigation by the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, revealed that Savage would receive shipments of painkillers from California and orchestrate a group of associates to redistribute the pills.
Sylvester Walker, 22, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for selling crack cocaine near the Luau Manor, a public housing authority facility in Wheeling. He pled guilty in December 2013 to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 feet of a Protected Location.” The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, led the investigation.
Clarence W. Bertram, 23, of Wheeling, West Virginia was sentenced to 21 months in prison for selling crack cocaine near Wheeling Central Catholic High School. Following an investigation by the West Virginia State Police and the Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, he pled guilty in February 2014 to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1000’ of a Protected Location.”
U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld prosecuted Bertram and Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Bernard prosecuted Walker and Savage on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Thirteen Area People Indicted on Fraud Charges Involving Motor Vehicle TitlesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – RANDALL HINTON was indicted in August on multiple fraud charges involving his scheme to alter and counterfeit documents in order to obtain state issued motor vehicle titles for himself and others. Last week, twelve additional individuals were indicted in two separate indictments for their part in the use of the altered and counterfeited documents to obtain motor vehicle titles and motor vehicle title loans.
According to the indictments, the schemes involving the defendants resulted in financial losses to the State of Missouri, financial institutions, title loan companies and individuals. As the documents were often altered to decrease the value of the vehicles or to change the state of residence of the vehicle owners to addresses in Illinois, the owners of the vehicles were able to evade paying the appropriate taxes and license fees to the Department of Revenue for the State of Missouri. When Hinton removed the names of financial institutions which had financed the purchases of the vehicles from legitimate titles, Hinton, Arronda Williams and others were able to sell the vehicles to innocent purchasers who were then unable to register the vehicles due to existing liens. The final aspect of the scheme enabled individuals to use the altered documents to obtain motor vehicle title loans from companies located throughout the United States. As a result of existing liens or the fact that the value of the vehicles was less than the defendants represented, the title loan companies experienced large financial losses.
In a superseding indictment filed last week, Hinton, St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of conspiracy to defraud, three felony counts of mail fraud, three felony counts of interstate transportation of falsely made securities, two felony counts of aggravated identity theft and one felony count of making a false statement. Arronda Williams, St. Louis, was charged in a separate indictment by a federal grand jury on one felony count of conspiracy to defraud, two felony counts of mail fraud, two felony counts of wire fraud, two felony counts of pledging falsely made securities and one felony count of aggravated identity theft
The following co-defendants were also indicted by a federal grand jury last week on related charges. The indictments were sealed until earlier today:
- BRYNESHA HINTON, St. Louis, Missouri
- KELITA OZIER, St. Louis, Missouri
- MARQUITA STALLINGS, St. Louis, Missouri
- CATHERINE CRAWFORD, St. Louis, Missouri
- ROBERT WILLIAMS, St. Louis, Missouri
- JUSTINE CARTER, St. Louis, Missouri
- KIERA HALL, St. Louis, Missouri
- TY'ANDRA WILLIAMS, St. Louis, Missouri
- ESSICA GRIFFIN, St. Louis, Missouri
- NADAUNTE BROWN, St. Louis, Missouri
- DAVON STEWART, St. Louis, Missouri
If convicted, these charges carry a penalty range of up to 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
This case was investigated by the Postal Inspection Service, Missouri Department of Revenue, Illinois Secretary of State, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Berry is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington Collects over $2,350,216.67 in Civil and Criminal Actions for U.S. Taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2014Read the Press Release
SPOKANE – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that his office collected $2,350,216.67 in civil and criminal actions in the Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2014. Of this amount, Mr. Ormsby’s office collected $1,546,303.16 in criminal cases and $803,913.51 in civil actions.
United States Attorney General Eric Holder announced on November 19, 2014 that the Justice Department collected $24.7 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2014. The more than $24 billion in collections in FY 2014 represents nearly eight and a half times the appropriated $2.91 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.
“Every day, the Justice Department’s federal prosecutors and trial attorneys work hard to protect our citizens, to safeguard precious taxpayer resources, and to provide a valuable return on investment to the American people,” said Attorney General Holder. “Their diligent efforts are enabling us to achieve justice and recoup losses in virtually every sector of the U.S. economy. And this result shows the fruits of the Justice Department’s tireless work in enforcing federal laws; in protecting the American people from violent crime, national security threats, discrimination, exploitation, and abuse; and in holding financial institutions accountable for their roles in causing the 2008 financial crisis.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department of Justice’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Michael C. Ormsby stated, “The United States Attorney’s Office’s enforcement actions help to not only ensure justice is served, but also to deliver a valuable return to the taxpayer. Attorneys and staff in my office are fully committed to collecting funds owed to victims of crime and to agencies of the federal government through on-going efforts to collect restitution from criminals, debts owed to agencies of the federal government for money borrowed or fines levied and money from government contractors and others who are found to have defrauded the government. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington will continue to prioritize its collection efforts, particularly in these tight financial times.”
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.
Of further note, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $ 667,936.00 in asset-forfeiture actions during Fiscal Year 2014. In aggregate, the Department of Justice collected $4,531,566,571.00 in such actions during the same time period. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Texas Man Sentenced to 183 Months for Violent Kidnapping of Gay ManRead the Press Release
Court Finds Defendant Acted Because of Victim’s Sexual Orientation
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the FBI’s Dallas Division Office announced that Brice Johnson, 19, of Springtown, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court to 183 months imprisonment for kidnapping a young gay man after luring the victim to his home and brutally assaulting him because of his sexual orientation.
Johnson admitted in plea documents that, in the early morning hours of September 2, 2013, he connected with the adult male victim, identified as A.K., through the cell phone application for www.MeetMe.com. A.K.’s www.MeetMe.com page indicated he was a gay man, while Johnson’s web page indicated he was not gay. During their online communications, Johnson said that he was interested in engaging in sexual activity with A.K. Johnson invited A.K. to his home, gave A.K. his cell phone number and address, and exchanged text messages planning their sexual encounter. Just a few minutes after A.K. arrived at the house, Johnson severely beat him and bound A.K.’s wrists with an electrical cord.
After the beating, Johnson locked the victim in the trunk of his own car and drove the car to a family friend’s house. Individuals at the home repeatedly warned Johnson that he had to take A.K. to the hospital or they would call the police. Johnson eventually transported A.K. to an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) station in Springtown. A.K. was found to have suffered multiple skull and facial fractures from the beating, which required the victim to be hospitalized for ten days. Johnson admitted that he saved A.K.’s cell phone number using a gay slur as the contact name.
During the plea hearing, Johnson admitted that he held and confined the victim against his will in order to conceal the violent assault and to remove A.K’s severely injured body from the home where Johnson was a long-term houseguest. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor found that the kidnapping was perpetrated by the defendant because of the victim’s sexual orientation.
“Using violence against another person because of his sexual orientation will not be condoned,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta for the Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to work with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute hate crimes.”
“Quite simply, hate crimes of any nature will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. “Prosecutions under this law are important to ensure all people in our community know they have the full protection of the law. I commend not only the victim for his continued cooperation throughout this investigation, but our law enforcement partners including the FBI, the Springtown Police Department and the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, who worked tirelessly in this case to ensure our hate crime laws are strictly enforced.”
“The FBI is committed to thoroughly investigating violent crimes of this nature, and will continue to work with our local and state law enforcement partners to ensure justice for victims of these crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Diego Rodriguez of the FBI’s Dallas Division Office.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the Springtown Police Department, and the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Foos Pierce and Trial Attorney Saeed Mody of the Civil Rights Division.
Springfield Man Sentenced for $1.3 Million K2 ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than $1.3 million of synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as K2.
Travis E. Butchee, also known as “Donkey,” 38, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to seven years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Butchee to forfeit to the government $1,354,034, which represents the proceeds of the mail fraud conspiracy and for which Butchee is jointly and severally liable with his co-defendants.
On Oct. 15, 2013, Butchee pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering. Butchee admitted that he conspired with others between March 1, 2011, and June 24, 2013, to defraud the Food and Drug Administration and to defraud the public by falsely representing that a number of synthetic cannabinoid products were “incense” or “potpourri” and “not for human consumption.” In reality, Butchee admitted, these substances contained compounds that were intended for human consumption as a drug.
Based upon the invoices, ledgers, and product seizures by law enforcement, this conspiracy was responsible for the manufacture and/or distribution of at least 188.14038 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoid products.
Co-defendant Michael J. Saguto, 44, of Kirbyville, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to the same two conspiracy charges. Co-defendant Christian L. Turner, 46, of Kirbyville, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison without parole. Turner pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue and to being a felon in possession of firearms.
In a separate but related case, Butchee’s wife, Victoria A. Butchee, also known as Victoria A. Wohlin, 29, of Springfield, also has pleaded guilty to her role in the mail fraud conspiracy and awaits sentencing.
Travis Butchee opened The Man Cave, a retail business at 1927 S.Glenstone in Springfield, in February 2013. Travis Butchee and Saguto are the owners of Southern Spice, LLC and Saguto is the owner of Blues Away, a head shop and novelty store in Memphis, Tenn. Turner was employed by Saguto at Blues Away.
Plea agreements for both Travis Butchee and Saguto cite a number of transactions in which materials used to manufacture and distribute synthetic cannabinoids were shipped via UPS or FedEx to members of the conspiracy – including controlled substance analogues (synthetic chemical compounds similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), green leafy substances which served as carrier media, labels that were affixed to packages of “Donkey Punch,” “Jolly Grape Giant,” “South of the Tracks,” “Baby Face,” “Scarface,” “Hillbilly Hay,” and other synthetic cannabinoid products, and foil and plastic packaging bags.
Travis Butchee and Saguto also admitted that they conducted financial transactions that involved the proceeds of the unlawful mail fraud conspiracy. They conspired to wire funds to the People’s Republic of China in order to carry out the conspiracy.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, COMET (Combined Ozarks Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team) and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.Sevenson Environmental Services Inc. Agrees to Pay $2.72 Million to Settle Claims of Alleged Bid-Rigging and KickbacksRead the Press Release
Sevenson Environmental Services Inc., an environmental remediation firm based in Niagara Falls, New York, has agreed to pay more than $2.72 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Act by accepting kickbacks, rigging bids and passing inflated charges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in connection with work performed at the Federal Creosote Superfund Site in Manville, New Jersey, the Department of Justice announced today. Sevenson was the prime contractor responsible for the cleanup of the Federal Creosote Site, which was funded by the EPA.
“The integrity of the public procurement process is severely undermined when federal contractors engage in anticompetitive contracting practices for their own personal gain,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General August E. Flentje for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will hold those accountable who abuse their positions at the public’s expense.”
“EPA is vigilant to ensure that the type of fraud perpetrated by Sevenson employees at Federal Creosote is not tolerated and that federal funds are recovered,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Sevenson solicited and accepted more than $1.6 million in kickbacks from six companies in exchange for the award of subcontracts for work at the Federal Creosote Site. It also resolves allegations that Sevenson conspired with the subcontractors to pass the majority of those kickbacks to the EPA and that it conspired with one subcontractor to pass to the EPA additional inflated charges for soil disposal.
This case was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, with assistance from the New York Field Office of the department’s Antitrust Division, the EPA Region 2, the EPA’s Office of the General Counsel and the Kansas City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
- Septuagenarian Sent to Prison for Two Child Pornography Charges
San Diego Realtor Sentenced for Commercial Sex with 13-year-old GirlRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – San Diego realtor Michael E. Lustig was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for prostitution-related crimes, including his admissions that he paid for sex with a 13-year-old girl on several occasions.
Lustig, 71, was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2013 and pleaded guilty in July. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez.
According to court records, Lustig was first contacted in June of 2012 by San Diego Sheriff's deputies during an operation targeting customers of prostitution in the Encinitas area. At the time that Lustig was arrested, deputies seized two cellular telephones which led to information that he had been in contact with two minor females.
Interviews with the minors conducted by FBI Agents and San Diego Sheriff’s Deputies during a joint investigation revealed that Lustig had contacted them separately to engage in commercial sex activity. One of the minors was 11 years old at the time that sexual activity began with Lustig, and the other was 13 years of age. According to court records, surveillance video from a motel in El Cajon, California, showed Lustig entering a motel room with one of the minors and emerging 43 minutes later.
According to court records, Lustig had contacted the minors multiple times over a span of multiple months. Interviews with the minors confirmed that Lustig, known to them as “George,” had paid them for sexual activity and that at least one of the minors had identified herself as a minor.
In the plea agreement, Lustig admitted that he used a cellular telephone to contact the 13-year-old minor on multiple occasions between at least October 2011 and June 2012, seeking to engage in commercial sex activity. Lustig admitted that he thereafter engaged in commercial sex activity with the minor, paying the minor in return for sexual activity.
For example, according to the plea agreement, Lustig admitted that on October 15, 2011, he wrote the minor, asking, “Hey, is the bookstore open? I'm in desperate need of books rite now.” Lustig admitted in court that he was using code for commercial sex activity. On November 11, 2011, Lustig wrote the same minor, “U free sometime in the next 2 hours?” and “Any chance for library in 35 min, @ 7:15?”
Similarly, on June 8, 2012, Lustig wrote the minor simply “Bookstore?” meaning that he wanted to establish a date for commercial sex activity.
“Michael Lustig victimized the most vulnerable population in our community – children – and today he was brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “We will do everything in our power to protect children from predators.”
“This investigation serves as another example of how seamless law enforcement is in San Diego County when it comes to those who prey on the vulnerable," commented San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore. “We will offer any resources available to protect our children.”
“Michael Lustig, a sexual predator, is off the streets today because of the dedicated work of the San Diego law enforcement community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, Eric S. Birnbaum. “The FBI remains dedicated to protecting our children from sexual predators and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make our cities a safer place for all of our children to live and succeed.”
DEFENDANT Case Number: 13CR3921-BEN Michael Lustig Age: 71 Rancho Santa Fe, California CHARGESThree counts of Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering Enterprises, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1952(a) Maximum Penalty: Five years per count, 15 years total; 3 years supervised release.
INVESTIGATING AGENCYSan Diego County Sheriff’s Department
Federal Bureau of InvestigationSacramento Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Berghuis, 42, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme in the Sacramento area that defrauded family members, friends, and other acquaintances of more than $2.7 million, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
On October 18, 2013, a jury convicted Berghuis of four counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. According to evidence presented at trial, between 2005 and 2008, Berghuis convinced certain investors to take out home‑equity loans to make their investments. Berghuis promised these investors he would use their money to invest in hard-money loans, real estate transactions, or the purchase of real estate franchises. He also offered several victims a deed of trust on his commercial property, promising each that they would be in second position on the title.
In fact, Berghuis used investors’ money to pay back other investors and to buy himself luxury goods, including several Mercedes Benz cars. Berghuis purchased a top of the line S65 Mercedes Benz worth more than $200,000 by signing over a check that he had received from an investor earlier the same day. He then made a series of excuses to the investors as to why he could not pay them back on the promised dates. Some victims lost their homes or continue to pay on mortgages they took out to make their investments with Berghuis.
“Ponzi schemes like this one are devastating to the victims, and prosecuting the perpetrators of such schemes is one of our highest priorities,” U.S. Attorney Wagner said. “This office will continue to work closely with the FBI and IRS CI to root out fraudsters, and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“This is a case about lying, cheating, and stealing,” Acting IRS CI Special Agent in Charge Thomas McMahon said. “In a three-year period, Berghuis defrauded family, friends and trusting investors out of millions of dollars. Today‘s sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes, promotes respect for the law and provides just punishment.”
“Today’s sentence should send a message to both investors and the criminals who often prey upon the victims. Berghuis’ victims lost homes and savings to an elaborate Ponzi scheme disguised as an investment opportunity,” said Special Agent in Charge Monica Miller of the Sacramento FBI. “The FBI continues to work with our law enforcement and business partners to identify and investigate fraudsters whose greed-based schemes rob individuals of their hard-earned savings and assets.”
In sentencing Berghuis to 14 years in prison, United States District Judge William B. Shubb commented that Berghuis preyed upon his family, friends and others and that they continue to suffer the consequences. Judge Shubb stated that Berghuis had “no conscience” and that rather than the giver Berghuis claimed to be, he was a “taker.” Judge Shubb explained that there was a need to deter Berghuis and others like him from perpetrating similar fraud schemes.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles prosecuted the case.
Ridgeway Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Violating Federal Gun LawsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Ridgeway, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in jail and ordered to forfeit firearms involved in the offenses on his conviction of conspiracy to possess firearms by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Francis Anthony Milliard, 57.
According to information presented to the court, Milliard entered into a conspiracy with David Allen Blashaw in order for Milliard to possess firearms while being a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Milliard.
Previously Convicted Middleburg Sexual Predator Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Orlando Justino Gomez (55, Middleburg) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The court also ordered him to serve a seven-year term of supervision upon completion of his prison sentence. Gomez, who is already a registered sexual predator as the result of a prior state conviction for attempted capital sexual battery, was also ordered to register as a sexual offender pursuant to federal law. He pleaded guilty on July 18, 2014.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, on June 10, 2014, Gomez was found to be in possession of multiple images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diidri Robinson.
It was another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Parker County, Texas, Man Sentenced to 183 Months in Federal Prison for Violent Kidnapping of Gay ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the FBI’s Dallas Division Office announced that Brice Johnson, 19, of Springtown, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court to 183 months imprisonment for kidnapping a young gay man after luring the victim to his home and brutally assaulting him because of his sexual orientation.
Johnson admitted in plea documents that, in the early morning hours of September 2, 2013, he connected with the adult male victim, identified as A.K., through the cell phone application for www.MeetMe.com A.K.’s www.MeetMe.com page indicated he was a gay man, while Johnson’s web page indicated he was not gay. During their online communications, Johnson said that he was interested in engaging in sexual activity with A.K. Johnson invited A.K. to his home, gave A.K. his cell phone number and address, and exchanged text messages planning their sexual encounter. Just a few minutes after A.K. arrived at the house, Johnson severely beat him and bound A.K.’s wrists with an electrical cord.
After the beating, Johnson locked the victim in the trunk of his own car and drove the car to a family friend’s house. Individuals at the home repeatedly warned Johnson that he had to take A.K. to the hospital or they would call the police. Johnson eventually transported A.K. to an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) station in Springtown. A.K. was found to have suffered multiple skull and facial fractures from the beating, which required the victim to be hospitalized for ten days. Johnson admitted that he saved A.K.’s cell phone number using a gay slur as the contact name.
During the plea hearing, Johnson admitted that he held and confined the victim against his will in order to conceal the violent assault and to remove A.K’s severely injured body from the home where Johnson was a long-term houseguest. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor found that the kidnapping was perpetrated by the defendant because of the victim’s sexual orientation.
“Using violence against another person because of his sexual orientation will not be condoned,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta for the Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to work with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute hate crimes.”
“Quite simply, hate crimes of any nature will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. “Prosecutions under this law are important to ensure all people in our community know they have the full protection of the law. I commend not only the victim for his continued cooperation throughout this investigation, but our law enforcement partners including the FBI, the Springtown Police Department and the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, who worked tirelessly in this case to ensure our hate crime laws are strictly enforced.”
“The FBI is committed to thoroughly investigating violent crimes of this nature, and will continue to work with our local and state law enforcement partners to ensure justice for victims of these crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Diego Rodriguez of the FBI’s Dallas Division Office.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Springtown Police Department, and the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cara Foos Pierce and Trial Attorney Saeed Mody of the Civil Rights Division.
Oxford Man Sentenced to 146 Months for Hobbs Act Robbery and Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced SHAQUAN DONDREL MANSON , 19, of Oxford to 146 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. The court also imposed a fine.
MANSON was named in an Indictment filed on January 21, 2014, charging him with Conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act Robbery, a Hobbs Act Robbery and Aiding and Abetting; and Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. On July 10, 2014, MANSON pled guilty to the Hobbs Act Robbery and to Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm during and in relation to a Crime of Violence.
According to the investigation, on July 7, 2013, MANSON and an accomplice entered Bowen’s Mini Mart located in Oxford, North Carolina, wearing ski masks and possessing handguns. Upon entering the store, the robbers ordered the customers and the store clerk to lie on the ground. One customer was kicked in the side. Manson then walked behind the counter, pointed his firearm at the clerk’s head, and ordered her to stand up and open the cash registers. The clerk complied, and provided MANSON with $2,500 in U.S. currency. MANSON then directed the clerk to lie on the ground with the customers. MANSON and his accomplice then fled the scene. After MANSON exited the store, he fired his weapon once towards the store. The discharged round struck the front door of the business.
On or about August 10, 2013, MANSON was arrested in Person County, North Carolina. MANSON had in his possession, at arrest, a backpack containing ski masks and gloves, and a firearm in his pants. In a subsequent interview with investigators, MANSON admitted to robbing Bowen’s Mini Mart and to possessing a firearm during the robbery.
This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Granville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette prosecuted the case for the government.
Owner of "Luitie's Lair" Sentenced to 40 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Lutgarda Mueller, 65, of Gloucester, Virginia, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a fine of $5000.00, and forfeiture of more than $500,000.00 in illegal proceeds for participating in a conspiracy to distribute drug analogues and launder money.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.
Mueller pleaded guilty on August 4, 2014. According to court documents, Mueller, also known as “Lutie,” owned a store known as Luite’s Lair in Gloucester. She was selling “Spice” from the store over a period of years. At the time of her arrest she was found to have $600,000 in cash in her house. During the sentencing hearing, Gloucester Sherriff Darryl Warren testified that Lutie’s Lair was one of five stores selling “Spice” in Gloucester County in 2012. During 2012 and 2013 the Gloucester County Sherriff’s Office received over 600 calls for service related to “Spice.” Of those, 83 were calls to Lutie’s Lair. Sherriff Warren went on to testify that “Spice” related calls for service in 2012 and 2013 created an “unsustainable strain” on his office’s ability to serve the Gloucester Community. He concluded by noting that with the five stores, including Lutie’s Lair, being out of business, the calls for service related to “Spice” have decreased to virtually zero.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Virginia State Police and the Gloucester Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt prosecuted the case
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:14-cr-7.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Extorting More Than $1,000,000 in Stolen MoneyRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistWHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jason Kirkland Weese, 31, of East Liverpool, Ohio, will serve 63 months in prison for his role in extorting more than $1,000,000.00 from a former Bethany College employee, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
An investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department revealed that Weese exchanged sexually explicit text messages and photographs with a female employee of Bethany College who was embezzling money from the school. Weese then threatened to disclose the female employee’s theft and the illicit relationship. He used the messages and photographs along with threats of physical force to coerce the female employee into giving him large amounts of the stolen money. Weese and his wife used the embezzled funds to make a variety of luxury purchases, including a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro.
Weese pled guilty in June 2014 to one count of “Extortion Conspiracy” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting Money Laundering.” He was sentenced to 63 months on each count, to be served concurrently for a total of 63 months in prison.
As part of the sentence, Weese was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,037,398.52. He will also forfeit nearly $700,000.00, a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro along with certain aftermarket accessories, a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander, a 2013 Honda TRX90X all-terrain vehicle, and a Toro Timecutter MX4260 lawnmower.
U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Northwest MO Man Sentenced after Thousands of Child Porn Images Found on ComputerRead the Press Release
Project Safe Childhood
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Newtown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today on charges related to Internet child pornography.
Nicholas Alex Dickinson, 32, of Newtown, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On June 3, 2014, Dickinson pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet, attempting to distribute child pornography over the Internet and possessing child pornography. Dickinson admitted that he used a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to collect and share child pornography over the Internet.
On July 18, 2012, a detective with the Kirksville, Mo., Police Department began an investigation relating to the downloading of child pornography files from a list of computers identified by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigators.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dickinson’s residence on May 2, 2013. Officers seized a laptop computer, an external hard drive and other computer media during their search. A forensic examination of the computer and computer media determined that Dickinson had saved more than 7,000 images and/or video files of child pornography, in addition to more than 5,000 animation/cartoon files depicting child pornography, more than 2,000 images of child erotica (modeling images), 67 “naturist” videos, four images and two videos of minors depicting bestiality and/or bondage and four documents of written stories related to sexual activity involving children.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore. It was investigated by the Kirksville, Mo., Police Department, the Sullivan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Norristown Man Charged in Child Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
Robert Wendell Landis, 29, of Norristown, Pennsylvania was charged by superseding indictment, unsealed today, with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roberta Benjamin.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Newman Drug Gang Member Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Leroy Lumpkin Wilson, also known as Brian Knowles and B. K., 33, of Lexington, Kentucky, pled guilty in federal court in Huntington today to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin. Wilson admitted that between as early as 2010 and January 20, 2014, he worked as a drug courier for Mark Silverburg, a drug supplier for Kenneth Newman, also known as “K-Kutta.” Wilson transported cocaine from around Lexington to Huntington for Newman. Wilson also carried payments for the cocaine from Newman to Silverburg.
On January 8, 2014, Wilson brought approximately $6,800 from Newman’s residence on Artisan Avenue in Huntington to Silverburg in Kentucky. On January 9, 2014, Silverburg instructed Wilson to travel from Lexington to Newman’s residence in Huntington. Prior to that drive, Silverburg placed a brown paper bag in the trunk of the car Wilson was driving. Once Wilson arrived at Newman’s residence, Newman took two plastic bags full of cocaine out of the brown paper bag. Wilson estimated the total weight of the cocaine to be between 6 and 9 ounces.
Wilson also performed construction work on rental property owned by George Newman, Kenneth Newman’s brother. Wilson was paid in cash and in heroin for the work performed. George Newman instructed Wilson to pay his workers in heroin.
Silverburg, the Newman brothers, and seven other defendants have pled guilty to various charges stemming from the year-long investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Huntington Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. The investigation revealed that in addition to cocaine and heroin, members of the Newman conspiracy were responsible for distributing oxycodone, crack cocaine, morphine, MDMA, known on the street as “Molly” or “Ecstasy,” and marijuana.
Wilson faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on February 23, 2015.
The case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
New York City Woman Sentenced to Almost Two Years for Oxycodone TraffickingRead 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 Ebony
Howard, 29, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor by
Chief Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 22 months in prison and three years of supervised release
for possession with the intent to distribute oxycodone. Howard pled guilty on June 4, 2014.Court records reveal that on March 15, 2013, the defendant and William Waters were
encountered by officers with the Waterville Police Department who had information that Waters
and Howard were travelling with a large number oxycodone tablets. Howard and Waters were
driven to police headquarters where officers seized 645 oxycodone 30 mg tablets from
Howard. At sentencing, Howard was identified as a courier for Waters, who is scheduled to be
sentenced on Wednesday. Waters worked closely with central Maine drug dealer, Maurice
McCray, who is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow.
The case was investigated by the Waterville Police Department, with assistance from the
Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEROME T. WALKER, also known as “Ratchet,” 26, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 14, 2014, officers from the New Haven Police Department conducted a traffic stop of WALKER, who was driving with a suspended license, in the vicinity of Norton Street and Elm Street. After initially pulling over, WALKER accelerated from the scene at high rate of speed. A short time later, New Haven and Hamden Police officers found WALKER’s vehicle parked at a residence on Warner Street in Hamden. Officers then observed WALKER walking in front of the residence and he was placed under arrest. In the vicinity, officers found a duffel bag containing a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver and a set of car keys belonging to the vehicle that WALKER had been driving.
WALKER has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
WALKER has been detained since his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on February 17, 2015, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Jennifer Laraia.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
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[email protected]Miami-Dade Resident Sentenced in Stolen Identity Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Brian McGlamery, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, and Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director, State of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, announce that Louidji Joseph, 31, of Miami Gardens, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King to 48 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Joseph was furthered ordered to pay $56,042 in restitution.
Joseph previously entered a plea of guilty to one count of fraudulent possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3), and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).
According to court records, from December 13, 2013 through April 29, 2014, the State of Florida unemployment insurance claims of more than 100 victims were accessed online from Joseph’s residence using the victims’ personally identifying information (“PII”), including their names and social security numbers. A federal search warrant was obtained for Joseph’s residence, and was executed on May 14, 2014. On that date, law enforcement discovered hundreds of pieces of PII inside the residence. In a post-Miranda statement, Joseph admitted the PII belonged to him, and further admitted he filed and collected fraudulent unemployment claims. The amount of the intended loss resulting from Joseph’s offense is $480,000; in total, $56,042 was paid out in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims as a direct result of Joseph’s actions.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations and State of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie R. Galvin.
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.
Medical Lake, Washington Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Production and Distribution of Child Pornography ImagesRead the Press Release
SPOKANE – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that James Gene Poindexter, age 26, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced today after having previously pleaded guilty on September 2, 2014 to Production and Distribution of Child Pornography. Senior United States District Court Judge Justin L. Quackenbush sentenced Poindexter to a twenty year term of imprisonment -- fifteen years for Production of Child Pornography and five years for Distribution of Child Pornography, to be served consecutively. Poindexter’s twenty year sentence of imprisonment will be followed by a life term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. Poindexter is required to register as a sex offender.
According to court records, in October and November 2013, Microsoft made three separate CyberTip reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. As a result, the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that Poindexter had distributed child pornography images via the Internet. In March of 2014, a federal search warrant was executed at Poindexter’s residence in Medical Lake, Washington. Poindexter’s computer and cellular telephone were seized. A forensic examination of these electronic devices revealed that Poindexter was in possession of over 600 child pornography images. Poindexter confessed to the production of child pornography and to molesting several minors. As a result of this investigation, on September 25, 2014 Poindexter also pleaded guilty in Spokane County Superior Court to: Rape of a Child in the Third Degree; Third Degree Child Molestation; and Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes. Sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2014 on these Washington State charges.
Michael C. Ormsby said, “I commend the outstanding investigative work in this case by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and FBI. This egregious case is yet another example of the exemplary working partnership between state and federal law enforcement officers in the Eastern District of Washington. Make no mistake, the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Washington is and will continue to be committed to prosecuting aggressively and seeking appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes.”
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
- Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and PSC Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.CR-14-00044-JLQ
McKean Inmate Sentenced to Extra Prison Time for Possessing Pot, Oxy in PrisonRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - An inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months in jail on his conviction of possession of contraband in prison, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Jarrid Brewer, 25.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around April 2013, to in and around May 2013, Brewer was in possession of contraband, namely, marijuana and oxycodone hydrochloride.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Brewer.
Martinsburg Resident Convicted of Crack Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistMARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Martinsburg, West Virginia resident Jomo Kenyatta Morris, 25, was convicted of crack cocaine trafficking, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Morris pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base” after an investigation by the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.
Morris faces 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Marshall County MHIT “Blitz” Targets Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistMOUNDSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA – Leaders from the Mountaineer Highway Interdiction Team (MHIT) announced today that as part of a law enforcement initiative to actively combat drug trafficking, authorities executed a successful “Blitz,” or saturation patrol, in Marshall County, West Virginia between November 13 and November 14, 2014.
Representatives from the West Virginia State Police, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Glen Dale Police Department, and the Moundsville Police Department recently expanded MHIT operations into Marshall County. The underlying goal of MHIT is to impede the flow of illegal drugs into and through the State of West Virginia. MHIT largely targets highways and state routes, but also concentrates on airports, bus terminals, hotels, motels and parcel and package interdiction.
Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Cecil is “proud of the collaborative and well-orchestrated law enforcement effort to strategically address drug abuse in Marshall County. By dedicating additional resources to patrolling public highways, we enhance our ability to quickly recognize and respond to drug trafficking activities as they unfold.”
On November 13, officers executed arrest warrants resulting in 13 felony arrests and 14 misdemeanor arrests for charges ranging from drug trafficking and larceny to battery and fraud. Authorities also apprehended a fugitive from justice and seized 1.5 pounds of marijuana and $1,000.00 in United States currency. The highway interdiction efforts on November 14 culminated in the arrest of four individuals on misdemeanor drug charges and the seizure of prescription pills.
“By increasing the presence of law enforcement officers along heavily traveled roadways, we can aggressively and efficiently target drug trafficking operations,” said West Virginia State Police Captain James Merrill. “Highway interdiction increases the pressure on drug dealers to move their operations elsewhere, ultimately making our communities stronger and safer.”
Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPOKANE – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Joshua Nicholas Higgins, age 25, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, was sentenced today after having previously pleaded guilty of Production of Child Pornography. Senior United States District Court Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen sentenced Higgins to a fifteen year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a life term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. Higgins is required to register as a sex offender. At today’s sentencing hearing Judge Nielsen described Higgins as a predator, whose conduct warranted the lengthy sentence and the life time of supervision.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, in October 2012, Higgins, a New Jersey resident, began communicating electronically and through Skype with a young teenage girl in Kennewick, Washington. Higgins enticed the girl to engage in sexual acts, and images of those acts were transmitted from Washington State to New Jersey over the Internet. In May 2013, Higgins moved to Kennewick and had sexual intercourse with the young girl numerous times. Additional pornographic images of the girl were produced and transmitted electronically. Higgins was arrested in August 2013 and admitted his criminal conduct.
Michael C. Ormsby said, “The safety of our children is paramount to safe communities in the Eastern District of Washington. Prosecuting criminals who produce, distribute, and / or possess child pornography is a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Washington. My Office, together with its Federal and state law enforcement partners, is and will continue to be committed to investigating, prosecuting, and seeking appropriate punishment for child pornography crimes.”
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
- Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
- Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
- Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
- Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
- Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This investigation was conducted by the Kennewick Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Ian L. Garriques, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.4:14-CR-6034-WFN
Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding Fema After Massachusetts Tornado in 2011Read the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Gregory K. Null, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, announced that ROBBIE ROSSI, 42, formerly of Massachusetts and Nevada, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fraudulently obtaining disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, a severe storm and tornado outbreak struck central Massachusetts on June 1, 2011. After a Presidential Declaration authorized FEMA to provide disaster relief funds to local residents, ROSSI obtained more than $12,000 in disaster relief benefits by falsely representing that he lived at a residence on New Bridge Street in West Springfield, Mass., that had been damaged by the storm. As part of the scheme, ROSSI provided FEMA with false documentation of rent payments he claimed to have paid in the months following the storm. Between August 2011 and April 2013, ROSSI received payments at various addresses that he supplied to FEMA, including a residence in Enfield, Conn.
ROSSI was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,718.60.
ROSSI has been detained since his arrest on January 14, 2014. On June 24, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.
This matter was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service, Las Vegas Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
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[email protected]Man Pleads Guilty to Assault on A Federal Officer in Va Hospital Shooting IncidentRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Charles Jobe, 54, of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to one count of assault on a federal officer, a misdemeanor in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a), announced Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware.
Jobe admitted to pointing an inoperable BB gun at several VA police officers at the Wilmington Veterans Administration Medical Center on June 6, 2014. The BB gun looked very similar to a handgun. Jobe did not comply with officers’ commands to drop his weapon, at which point an officer fired two shots at Jobe, one of which grazed his hand. Jobe was then taken into custody, where he received treatment for a small abrasion to his hand and was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility for a week. After his release from the psychiatric facility, Jobe was transported to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he has been detained ever since, pending the above federal charge.In a post-arrest statement, the defendant said that he was depressed, that he wanted to end his life, and that the above conduct was an attempt to commit suicide by having a police officer shoot him to death.
United States Magistrate Judge Sherry R. Fallon scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 15, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. Jobe faces a maximum penalty of 1 year imprisonment, 1 year of supervised release, a fine of $100,000, and a special assessment of $25.
The case was investigated by the Wilmington Field Office of the FBI and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Criminal Investigations Division, Office of the Inspector General. Special Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth L. Van Pelt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.Man Convicted of Armed Robbery of East St. Louis Pawn Shop and Armed Robbery of Belleville Liquor Store Case Is One of Many Brought as A Result of the United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton’s Metro-East Armed Robbery InitiativeRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsUnited States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton announced today that Timothy R. Collier, 48, of Centreville, Illinois was convicted in the United States District Court on November 12, 2014, of all five charges for the armed robbery and shooting of an East St. Louis pawn shop owner that occurred on April 25, 2013, and the robbery of a Belleville liquor store that occurred three months later on July 12, 2013. The verdict was announced after a six-day jury trial.
According to Court documents, Collier was indicted on November 20, 2013 with Interference with Commerce by Robbery (“Hobbs Act robbery”), Carry and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in connection with the armed robbery of East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan as well as with Interference with Commerce by Robbery (“Hobbs Act robbery”) and Carry and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence in connection with the armed robbery of Arena Liquor in Belleville. Collier pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Trial commenced on November 3, 2014. United States Attorney Wigginton has made use of several federal statutes in his initiative to curb the violent armed robberies occurring in the metro-east.
Evidence presented at trial established that on April 25, 2013, Collier entered the East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan armed with a silver revolver and pointed it at the owner of the business. As the owner reached for his own firearm in defense of himself, Collier fired several shots from his revolver which struck the owner in the hand, shoulder and chest, causing him to fall to the counter. Collier then stood on top of the counter, pointed the revolver to the back of the owner’s head directly behind his ear and fired a final shot. As a result of the shooting, the store owner is paralyzed and wheelchair-bound for life. Collier took hundreds of women’s rings and other items of jewelry, as well as cash and a .357 revolver belonging to the store owner. Although Collier was not immediately apprehended, the entire robbery and shooting was recorded on the store’s video surveillance which captured Collier’s face during the robbery and as he fled the store.
Three months later, on July 12, 2013, Collier conspired with his niece, Charmonequette Reynolds, and another associate, Roderick Taylor, to rob Arena Liquor in Belleville, Illinois. Reynolds, acting as the getaway driver, drove Collier and Taylor in her gold Grand Am to an area near Arena Liquor where the two men exited the vehicle armed with a silver revolver and a black and silver .40 caliber handgun. Collier and Taylor entered Arena Liquor, pointed the two firearms at the two individuals working in the store and demanded all of the money from the cash registers. Collier and Taylor left the liquor store with a large sum of United States currency and a cell phone belonging to one of the victims, returned to the getaway vehicle, and the three fled from the scene.
A witness driving near Arena Liquor noticed Collier and Taylor running from the store and followed them as they ran several blocks to the getaway vehicle. The witness recorded the license plates of Reynolds’ gold Grand Am and gave the number to Belleville Police officers. Reynolds was identified and apprehended within hours of the robbery. During a recorded interview, Reynolds admitted her involvement in the planning and participation in the armed robbery of Arena Liquor and identified Collier and Roderick Taylor as the two gunmen. Roderick Taylor was arrested later that same day and also admitted during a recorded interview to his participation in the armed robbery of Arena Liquor and identified Collier as the second gun man.
In recorded interviews of Reynolds and Taylor, both individuals identified Collier as the person seen in the surveillance video committing the robbery and shooting at the East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan on April 25, 2013. Reynolds and Taylor both testified that Collier had told them details about the robbery and shooting that occurred at the East St. Louis pawn shop and Reynolds testified that the day before the robbery she had agreed to be Collier’s getaway driver but was unable to follow through she was arrested that morning. Evidence at trial also included the testimony of Collier’s step-son, who testified that Collier had asked him to participate in the robbery of the East St. Louis pawn shop, which he refused, and that Collier admitted to him that he shot the owner during the robbery after a struggle at the counter. Collier’s step-son also testified that Collier attempted to sell him the .357 revolver Collier stole from the store owner. The silver revolver and the black and silver .40 caliber handgun used to commit the two robberies were recovered by law enforcement after Collier’s girlfriend admitted that she gave the two guns to two of Collier’s childhood friends to hide after Collier’s arrest. The silver revolver Collier used in the robbery and shooting of the owner of the East St. Louis pawn shop was turned over to law enforcement officers by Collier’s best friend who admitted during trial that he had been hiding the gun for Collier. Forensic analysis of the silver revolver performed by the Illinois State Police Forensic Crime Laboratory revealed a ballistic match to a bullet recovered from the crime scene of the East St. Louis pawn shop shooting. Analysis of the barrel of the silver revolver also revealed a DNA match to the victim of the shooting, unquestionably linking the firearm to the robbery of the East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan.
Collier is facing a term in prison of up to 20 years on each violation of the Hobbs Act. Collier also faces a minimum term in prison of 10 years up to a maximum term of Life for the conviction on Carry and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for the armed robbery of the East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan, which must be served consecutive to, meaning in addition to, any term of imprisonment imposed on the Hobbs Act violations. Additionally, for Collier’s conviction for a second offense of Carry and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for the armed robbery of Arena Liquor, Collier faces a minimum term in prison of 25 years up to a maximum of Life, consecutive to the term of imprisonment imposed on the other four counts of conviction. In addition to the term of imprisonment imposed, Collier can be fined up to $250,000 on each count and sentenced to a term of supervised release of up to 5 years.
The investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Belleville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the East St. Louis Police Department as part of the Metro East Armed Robbery Initiative. The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorneys Ali Summers and Steven Weinhoeft.
Long Island Man Sentenced for Engaging in A Multi-State Scheme to Steal Victims’ Retirement SavingsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, defendant Alexander Swanson, 49, was sentenced to 30 months of incarceration for engaging in a wire fraud scheme to steal the retirement savings of individuals in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere. “Swanson also forfeited more than $3 million in ill-gotten gains and was preliminarily ordered to pay more than $2.8 million in restitution to his victims.” According to court filings and facts presented during the sentencing proceeding, Swanson misrepresented his job, background, and investment experience to his victims, and then provided the victims with false reports touting his investments’ performance. These misrepresentations fraudulently induced the victims to invest with Swanson, who stole and squandered their retirement savings for his own benefit, including gambling his victims’ savings on sporting events.
The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and George Venizelos, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).
“Swanson gambled that a false persona, lying about his job, background, and investment expertise would be enough in order to bilk unsuspecting individuals out of their hard earned retirement savings. While the fake Swanson promised them secure investments and gambled their money away, the real Swanson today received the only payout his actions deserve: a significant jail sentence,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “I would like to thank our partners at the FBI for their hard work on this important investigation.”
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher A. Ott.
The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Denis R. Hurley at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York.
This prosecution was the result of efforts by President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit http://www.StopFraud.gov.
The Defendant:
ALEXANDER SWANSON
Age: 52
Smithtown, NY
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 13-CR-221
Lincoln County Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal Court for Selling OxycodoneRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Christopher D. Norman, 34, of Ranger, West Virginia, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for his involvement in the distribution of oxycodone in Lincoln County, West Virginia. The sentenced was imposed by United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr.
Norman previously pled guilty in May of 2014, admitting that on August 23, 2012, he sold oxycodone to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. In addition to the August 12, 2012 drug deal, the same confidential informant bought oxycodone from Norman five other times. Norman admitted distributing oxycodone in Lincoln County on nearly a daily basis for the past five years.
The case was investigated by the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the West Virginia State Police.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Keshena man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
United States Attorney James L. Santelle announced that Wendell J. Martin, (age: 59), of Keshena, Wisconsin located on the Menominee Indian Reservation, was sentenced on October 24, 2014, to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by a life-time term of supervised release. The sentence was the result of a guilty plea by Martin on August 8, 2014, to count one of a two-count federal indictment charging him with sexually abusing a minor child incapable of declining participation.
The investigation revealed that on March 7, 2014, Martin, sexually abused a 13-year-old female, who was asleep at the time, at a residence on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Law enforcement officials interviewed Martin and he admitted that he sexually assaulted the victim.
This case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin L. Whittemore.
Justice Department Enters into a Settlement Agreement with Peapod to Ensure that Peapod Grocery Delivery Website is Accessible to Individuals with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with Ahold U.S.A. Inc. and Peapod LLC, the owners and operators of www.peapod.com, to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Peapod is America’s leading Internet grocer, delivering more than 23 million orders in 12 Midwest and East Coast states and the District of Columbia. The agreement resolves the department’s allegations that www.peapod.com is not accessible to some individuals with disabilities, including individuals who are blind or have low vision, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, and individuals who have physical disabilities affecting manual dexterity.
Many individuals with disabilities use computers and other electronic devices to access the Internet with the help of assistive technologies, including text-to-speech “screen reader” software programs, refreshable Braille displays, keyboard navigation and captioning. Such technologies have been readily available and widely used for decades; however, websites must include programming for the assistive technologies to function properly for users with disabilities. Inaccessible websites and mobile applications persist even while there are well-established industry guidelines – the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 – for making web content accessible.
Under the agreement, Peapod is required to adopt measures to ensure that users with disabilities are able to fully and equally enjoy the various goods, services, facilities and accommodations provided through www.peapod.com including:
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ensure that www.peapod.com and its mobile applications conform to, at minimum, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA Success Criteria (WCAG 2.0 AA), except for certain third party content;
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designate an employee as web accessibility coordinator for www.peapod.com, who will report directly to a Peapod, LLC executive;
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retain an independent website accessibility consultant, who will annually evaluate the accessibility of the website and its mobile applications;
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adopt a formal web accessibility policy;
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provide a notice on www.peapod.com soliciting feedback from visitors on how website accessibility can be improved;
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provide automated accessibility testing and accessibility testing by individuals with a variety of disabilities of www.peapod.com and its mobile applications;
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provide mandatory annual training on website accessibility for Peapod’s website content personnel.
“This agreement ensures that people with disabilities will have an equal opportunity to independently and conveniently shop online for groceries,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta for the Civil Rights Division. “We applaud Peapod for working cooperatively with the department and for its commitment to customers with disabilities.”
Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public accommodations in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages and accommodations of places of public accommodations. Title III of the ADA also requires public accommodations to take necessary steps to ensure individuals with disabilities are not excluded, denied services, segregated, or otherwise treated differently because of the absence of auxiliary aids and services, such as accessible electronic information. The Justice Department has long considered Title III and its implementing regulation to apply to the online services and communications of public accommodations.
To find out more about federal disability rights laws, call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov.
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Judge Sentences Washington, Pa., Man to 7 Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months imprisonment followed by five years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal drug trafficking laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Terence F. McVerry imposed the sentence on Keith Malone a/k/a K- Rizz, 39.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around January 2011 and continuing thereafter to in and around June 2012, Malone conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
The prosecution of Malone was the result of a long-term investigation that involved wiretaps on cell phones utilized by several members of the conspiracy. At the conclusion of the investigation, 20 defendants (including Malone) were charged in a large-scale cocaine conspiracy that operated between Warren, Ohio, and Washington, Pa. All 20 defendants have since pleaded guilty. The same investigation also resulted in the prosecution of 10 defendants charged in a large-scale heroin conspiracy that operated between Detroit, Michigan, and Washington, Pa. All 10 defendants have likewise pleaded guilty.
Assistant United States Attorneys Charles A. Eberle and Barbara K. Doolittle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Malone.
Judge Sentences Federal Inmate to 2 More Years in Prison for Possessing A WeaponRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - An inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 24 months in jail on his conviction of possession of contraband in prison, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Keith Hightower, 29. The sentence was imposed to run consecutively to the sentence Hightower is currently serving.
According to information presented to the court, on or about May 9, 2014, Hightower was in possession of contraband, namely, a weapon.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hightower.
Inmate Sentenced to an Additional Month in Prison for Possessing Cell PhoneRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - An inmate at the McKean Federal Correctional Institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 1 month in jail on his conviction of possession of contraband in prison, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Jose I. Aquino, 31. The sentence was imposed to run consecutively to the sentence Aquino is currently serving.
According to information presented to the court, on or about June 14, 2014, Aquino was in possession of contraband, namely, a cell phone.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended Officers of the McKean Federal Correctional Institution for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Aquino.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Two Years' Imprisonment for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
An alien who illegally reentered the United States after being deported was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Marcelino Aguilar-Vicente, age 31, a Mexican citizen living in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 15, 2014, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after being deported following a conviction for an aggravated felony.
In May 2014, Aguilar-Vicente was taken into Immigration custody after he was arrested in Black Hawk County, Iowa, for traffic violations. At the guilty plea, Aguilar-Vicente admitted he illegally reentered the United States after he was deported in March 2007. Prior to his deportation in 2007, Aguilar-Vicente was convicted in 2006 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, of four counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, and in Hopewell County, Virginia, of one count of conspiracy to commit grand larceny, and three counts of grand larceny, all aggravated felonies.
Aguilar-Vicente was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Aguilar-Vicente was sentenced to 24 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.Aguilar-Vicente is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 14-CR-62.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to 11 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Induce Other Aliens to Unlawfully Reside in the United StatesRead the Press Release
An illegal alien who conspired with others to transport and encourage aliens to reside in the United States in violation of the law was sentenced today to eleven months’ in federal prison.
Ramon Perez, age 22, an illegal alien from Guatemala living in Waucoma, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 28, 2014, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to transport, encourage and induce aliens to reside in the United States in violation of law.
In a plea agreement, Perez admitted he conspired with others to encourage aliens to work and reside in the Iowa in violation of the law. As part of the conspiracy, Perez brought aliens from Colorado to work and reside in Iowa. In Iowa, Perez transported aliens to work sites where he supervised their work constructing grain bins.
Perez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Perez was sentenced to eleven months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Perez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 14-CR-2039.
Iberia Parish Man Sentenced for Traveling to North Carolina to have Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Iberia man was sentenced to 210 months in prison for traveling to North Carolina in order to have sex with a minor.
Ray Paul Dionne, 55, of New Iberia, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik on one count of traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Dionne admitted that he traveled to North Carolina on two occasions in June and August of 2012 to engage in sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12. On August 27, 2012, when law enforcement learned that Dionne was staying at a North Carolina residence, they entered the residence and discovered Dionne lying in bed with the child.
“One of our top priorities in this District is protecting children,” Finley stated. “This case should send a message that Louisiana is not a safe haven for those who exploit children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and prosecute this type of activity to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Boiling Point Springs Police Department, Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Huntington Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that a Huntington man was sentenced today to three years and five months in federal prison for unlawfully acquiring five guns from a Huntington pawn shop. Estill Timothy Slone, 46, previously pled guilty in federal court in Huntington to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On February 26, 2014, Slone and Brittany Amanda Hewlett went to a Huntington pawn shop to buy five guns. Hewlett completed the required federal firearms form on which she lied claiming to be the actual purchaser of the guns when she knew the guns were really for Slone. Hewlett had agreed to acquire the guns for Slone who was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was a convicted felon. On March 4, 2014, Slone and Hewlett returned to the pawn shop to complete the transaction. The guns were delivered to Slone by an undercover ATF agent, after which Slone was immediately arrested.
Hewlett was sentenced in August of 2014 to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment for her role in this offense.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams handled the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by working with existing local programs that target gun crime.
High School Teacher Indicted for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
Project Safe Childhood
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a teacher at St. Elizabeth High School in St. Elizabeth, Mo., has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child.
Stephen Gregory Strobel, 25, of St. Elizabeth, was charged in a four-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on Nov. 5, 2014. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Strobel’s arrest and initial court appearance.
The federal indictment alleges that Strobel used a minor to produce a video of child pornography on April 22, 2014. Strobel is also charged with receiving child pornography over the Internet, distributing child pornography over the Internet and possessing child pornography between March 2014 and May 2014.
The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Strobel to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offenses, including a laptop computer and an iPhone.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the FBI, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Wayne County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Department.- Gulf Cartel Plaza Boss Heads to Federal Prison
Green Cove Springs Convenience Store Owners Sentenced for Income Tax Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia M. Howard today sentenced Abass Issa to 38 months in federal prison and Antoun Arbaji to 24 months in federal prison for theft of government property. The court also ordered each to serve a three-year term of supervision following their incarceration, and to repay the United States a total of $1,566,819.45 in restitution. Arbaji and Issa pleaded guilty on May 27, 2014, and June 26, 2014, respectively.
According to court documents, Arbaji owned and operated a Fina Express convenience store in Green Cove Springs. Issa owned and operated V&J Stores, Inc., another convenience store in Green Cove Springs. Beginning in 2011, Issa began obtaining known fraudulent IRS refund checks from a source in Tampa. The checks were either in the form of United States Treasury checks or tax refund anticipation loans. Many of the refund checks were issued in the names of deceased individuals, though some were issued in the names of living taxpayers. Over 200 stolen identities were involved in the scheme.
After Issa obtained the checks in bulk from his source in Tampa, he then located individuals, like Arbaji, to cash the checks in exchange for a fee. All proceeds were given to Issa, who kept a portion, and then returned the remainder to his Tampa source. During 2011, Issa and Arbaji used Arbaji’s bank account to cash $1,512,607 in fraudulent United States Treasury checks and $406,795 in fraudulent refund anticipation loans. Prior to indictment, the United States seized $352,584 from Arbaji’s bank account.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.
GenPhar Inc., Vaxima, Inc, Convicted of Fraud, No Verdict Reached on Jian DongRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Nathan Williams (843) 727-4381
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney William N. Nettles stated today that GenPhar Inc. and Vaxima Inc. were convicted on Friday, November 14, 2013 following a ten day trial in Federal Court. The jury did not reach a verdict on Jian Yun Dong, aka John Dong, and a mistrial was declared regarding his charges.
All three defendants were charged with Conspiracy to Commit Grant Fraud, Wire Fraud, Theft of Government Property and Providing False Statements. GenPhar and Vaxima were each convicted of one count of Theft of Government Property. GenPhar was convicted of an additional seventeen counts of Wire Fraud, and Vaxima was convicted of an additional sixteen counts of Wire Fraud. The jury did not reach a verdict on the Conspiracy count as to any defendant, on any counts against defendant Jian Dong, and one count of Wire Fraud. A mistrial was declared on those counts, and a hearing date regarding them has yet to be set.
The trial began on November 5, 2014, and concluded on November 14, 2014. Testimony at trial established that federal grant money was obtained by GenPhar and Vaxima for purposes of biodefense research, but was used for other purposes, specifically to construct a commercial office building. Testimony further established that a total of approximately six million dollars were spent on the construction, which included approximately four million dollars of improperly diverted grant money.
The Hon. C. Weston Houck presided over the trial. The convictions are the result of an investigation conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Klumb and Nathan Williams of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.Fort Worth Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison on Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — A 40-year-old Fort Worth resident, Christopher Robert Weast, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge John McBryde to serve 30 years in federal prison following his conviction at trial this summer on two felony child pornography offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
A federal jury convicted Weast in July 2014 on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.
The government presented evidence at trial that the investigation began in June 2012 when an officer with the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD), working online in an undercover capacity, downloaded child pornography from Weast. The investigation revealed that Weast had numerous files of child pornography on his computer and on an external hard drive.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The FWPD and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cole prosecuted.
- Former Chiropractic Clinic Owner Sentenced in $3 Million Automobile Insurance Fraud Conspiracy
Former CFO Charged with Stealing $1.2 Million, Spending Some of the Money on Women he Met OnlineRead the Press Release
The former chief financial officer of Alotech Ltd. was charged with defrauding his former employer out of more than $1.2 million, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office.
A criminal information was filed in federal court charging John H.C. Black, 56, of Cleveland Heights, with one count of wire fraud.
Black spent more than $450,000 of the stolen money buying cars and making purchases at Louis Vuitton, Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Victoria’s Secret, Neiman Marcus and other stores for women that Black met on the web site www.seekingarrangements.com, according to the information.
“According to these charges, this defendant defrauded his employer and betrayed the trust of all those who worked at Alotech,” Dettelbach said. “The fact that he blew hundreds of thousands of dollars on lingerie, purses and shopping trips to Chicago for women he met online only adds insult to injury.”
“Buying female companionship with Alotech’s bank account was not what John Black was hired to do,” Anthony said. “Black is being held accountable for the numerous financial schemes he utilized to defraud the company that paid his salary.”
Black was employed as the CFO at Alotech from July 1, 2009, through Aug. 31, 2012. Alotech is headquartered in Brooklyn, Ohio, and is engaged in the manufacture, research and development of cast parts used by the military, auto industry and aerospace industry, among other applications, according to the information.
He began to use Alotech’s business checking account for personal expenditures in early 2011. Black also encouraged Alotech’s chief executive officer to obtain two corporate credit cards – one in Black’s name and one in the CEO’s name – to be used in case of emergency. Black also obtained a debit card without authorization of Alotech of the company’s CEO, according to the information.
Black began issuing multiple corporate checks for his personal benefit around early 2011, and withdrawing cash from ATMs with the unauthorized debit card, according to the information.
Around October 2011, Black met multiple women through the website www.seekingarrangements.com. The website purported to match younger females, approximately 20-30 years old, with rich, older men. The men agreed to provide the women with cash and gifts in exchange for their companionship, according to the information.
Between October 2011 and August 2012, Black provided cash and gifts with money that he fraudulently obtained from Alotech. These include multiple personal vacations to Chicago and numerous purchases there. This also includes purchases at Hannoush Jewelry, Macy’s.com, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Sak’s Fifth Avenue and Victoria’s Secret, according to the information.
He also purchased two automobiles for one of the women, including an Audi, according to the information.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Kleinmann.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
An information 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.
Florida Woman Sentenced for Telemarketing SchemeRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsStephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Amber Jones, 28, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced in United States District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Friday, November 14, 2014, on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Jones was sentenced to one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Jones was also ordered to pay $6,934 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
The investigation determined that Jones was a telemarketer who worked for National Solutions and related companies located in Orlando, Florida. Telemarketers for National Solutions placed cold calls to timeshare owners and then falsely represented that their company had actual buyers for the owners’ timeshare property. The company solicited from each victim advanced fees of up to several thousand dollars in purported closing costs that were to be refunded to the owner at closing. Many timeshare owners were told that their closings would occur within a matter of days. Despite collecting fees from these victims, the National Solutions companies never sold a single timeshare unit and indeed made little effort even to market the properties for sale. Instead, Jones and her co-conspirators simply pocketed the advanced fees. Jones’ participation in the scheme began in August 2010 and continued through April, 2011. From 2007 to 2011, over 2,500 timeshare owners across the country were scammed by the National Solutions businesses to the tune of more than $6 million.
This prosecution follows an investigation by the Midwest Region Office of the Federal trade Commission and the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Quinley and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hallock.
Five Defendants Sentenced in Health Care Fraud Case Involving A Metroplex Chiropractor and Former Union RepresentativeRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — Five defendants who were convicted for their respective roles in a health care fraud case involving a chiropractor and a former union representative from the Dallas – Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex, were sentenced today, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Reginald Guy, 44, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 156 months in federal prison and ordered to pay approximately $2.4 million in restitution. Guy was convicted at trial in June 2014 on all counts of a superseding indictment charging one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, five counts of health care fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
Guy was a factory worker in Arlington, and from approximately 2003 until November 2009, when his employment was terminated, he served as a union representative. He used that union representative position to recruit and refer his co-workers to DFW Rehab & Diagnostics, which was operated from the office of Metroplex DFW Sports Rehab Center in Arlington, and then later from a stand-alone location in Grand Prairie, Texas. In exchange for monthly kickbacks, work excuse notes, and a variety of prizes, the workers agreed to allow their insurance companies to be billed for services they did not receive.
Dr. Abbas Zahedi, 49, of Carrolton, Texas, was convicted on the same offenses at that trial. A chiropractor, Dr. Zahedi owned and operated DFW Rehab & Diagnostics. Dr. Zahedi, who is in custody, is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge O’Connor on January 5, 2015.
From 2009 to 2012, Dr. Zahedi, Reginald Guy, and four convicted codefendants conspired to submit health insurance claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS) and other insurers for services not rendered. These four coconspirators, James Sterns, Tina Perkins, Donna Harris and Gregory Wattron, who cooperated with the government in the investigation and testified against Zahedi and Guy at their trial, were also sentenced today.
Sterns, 50, of DeSoto, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and ordered to pay approximately $2.2 million in restitution. Sterns owned and operated Metroplex. In early 2010, Sterns hired Guy to be the office manager of Metroplex, where he worked in that position to mid-2011, shortly before the clinic closed. In March or April 2011, Dr. Zahedi hired Guy to work as a consultant at the clinic’s Grand Prairie location. After Guy began working for Dr. Zahedi, Guy helped transfer patients and patient information to Dr. Zahedi, and the fraudulent referral and billing scheme continued.
Perkins, 43, of Dallas, was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay approximately $2.4 million in restitution. Perkins worked as the biller and office consultant for Dr. Zahedi and was responsible for submitting claims to insurance companies.
Perkins’ sister-in-law, Donna Harris, 43 of Haltom City, Texas, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and was ordered to pay approximately $2 million in restitution. Harris permitted the clinic, in exchange for cash payments, to submit claims to BCBS for services purportedly performed by Dr. Zahedi and Wattron, when in fact she received no treatment. Then, in early 2011, Dr. Zahedi hired Harris to be the office manager at the Grand Prairie location. There, she continued to allow Dr. Zahedi to submit claims under her name to BCBS for services that were not performed. Harris also permitted Dr. Zahedi to submit claims to BCBS for Harris’ immediate and extended family members for services they did not receive.
Wattron, 56, of Grapevine, Texas, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and was ordered to pay approximately $1.3 million in restitution. He worked as an occupational therapist at the clinic from approximately 2008 until August 2011. Wattron agreed to allow Sterns and Dr. Zahedi bill insurance companies for occupational therapy that he did not perform.
The FBI and the Office of Personnel Management - Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Brasher prosecuted the case.
Final Two Holland Latin King Gang Members Sentenced to over 20 Years for Racketeering and Drug DealingRead the Press Release
Multi-year Investigation ends in 31 Latin King Members Convicted and Imprisoned for the Gang’s 20 years of Violence and Interstate Drug-Dealing.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Robert Holmes Bell imposed sentences of over 20 years for the final two defendants in the multi-year joint federal and state investigation and prosecution of 31 Holland Latin Kings (HLK) gang members. Judge Bell sentenced David Casillas to 30 years in federal prison, with 12 years credit for time served on earlier Latin King related offenses; he sentenced Antonio Rios to 25 years in prison, with five years credit for time already served. Casillas and Rios were convicted of conspiracy to engage in racketeering and conspiracy to deal over five kilograms of cocaine after a two-week trial in June 2014. Defendant Rios was acquitted of a separate marijuana conspiracy charge.
U.S. Attorney Miles said, “One of the Department of Justice’s top priorities is helping local law enforcement agencies protect our nation’s communities as safe places where our citizens can thrive. Violent street gangs, wherever they exist in West Michigan, are a true threat to the law-abiding people of our communities. This case is an example of the federal-state-local partnerships that my office uses as the most effective way to combat organized, violent groups. The collaboration of the Holland Police, Michigan State Police, and ATF was pivotal in this case. Without these partnerships, this case would not have been possible. My office shares great pride with our partners in successfully prosecuting this local chapter of a violent national gang.”
The three-year investigation revealed that the HLK began in the early 1990’s and grew to the size of over 50 members by the mid-2000’s. The Holland group was a local chapter of a national gang, the Almighty Latin King Nation. Holland members followed a national manifesto and regional constitution. The Holland chapter maintained a strict hierarchical structure that was mandated by national edict, including regional and local leadership positions. For example, a local chapter’s leaders were elected by membership vote. The president carried the title of “Inca,” the vice president was called the “Cacique,” and the “Enforcer” was responsible for maintaining a cache of firearms and imposing punishments (“violations”) for infractions of the gang’s rules. The organization’s finances were maintained by the “treasurer,” and the coffers were supplied by cocaine and marijuana sales.
The gang conducted secretive meetings, called “servicios,” which began with a Latin King prayer, after which members paid dues which were used to purchase narcotics, firearms, and pay
members’ criminal-defense bills. These “servicios” also included beatings of members as punishment for “violations” of the organization’s rules. Members employed anti-surveillance security procedures during “servicios,” including strip searches, which were ultimately unsuccessful because officers covertly recorded several meetings. The gang also benefitted from the national organization’s structure, which was based in Chicago, Illinois, also known to the gang as the “Motherland.” Latin King Members in Chicago and other states supported the HLK by providing guidance and narcotics. The HLK maintained supremacy among West Michigan gangs through the profitable sale of cocaine and marijuana (gang rules forbade the sale of other substances). The gang also benefitted from a well-earned reputation of violently defending its turf and members against perceived threats. This included shootings, stabbings, firebombings of residences, beatings, and events of witness intimidation.By the mid-2000’s, the Holland Latin Kings grew so large that it split into two factions: the East-Side and West-Side, with each subchapter maintaining its own leadership structure. The two subchapters grew to such strength that it became difficult for local law enforcement to conduct routine investigations of crime in Holland and West Michigan because the HLK successfully intimidated anybody otherwise willing to cooperate with law enforcement. Despite several members being convicted for minor offenses in state court, the gang would financially support incarcerated members, after which the members would quickly return to the gang’s criminal operation. This cycle of crime and violence continued until federal, state, and local authorities began collectively investigating the organization, through the use of confidential informants and the secret federal grand jury system.
The investigation became public on July 19, 2012, when over 100 state and federal officers simultaneously executed search warrants at over 15 residences and a business in Holland, which were all linked to the HLK. This collaborative effort involved the following agencies: the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); the Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office; the Michigan State Police; the Holland Police Department; and the Ottawa County Parole Office.
On February 8, 2013, a federal Grand Jury charged 31 members of the HLK street gang with conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic cocaine and marijuana. The indictment also alleged acts of violence in furtherance of the gang, including attempted murders, shootings, firebombings, beatings, stabbings, and acts of witness intimidation. Of the 31 charged, 29 defendants pled guilty to racketeering offenses. The Holland Latin Kings included at least three Regional Leaders:
- Eric Ruibal, aka, Cubano – Regional Inca (Leader of all Michigan Latin Kings). Ruibal, a Cuban national, was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic over five kilograms of cocaine. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, with 7.75 years credit for time already served.
- Mario Herrera, aka, Caveman – Regional Leader. Herrera was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and was sentenced to 7.67 years in federal prison, which included a substantial reduction due to Herrera’s cooperation with authorities.
Desidario Amaro, aka Desi – Regional Leader. Amaro was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and was the only defendant sentenced by
U.S. District Court Janet T. Neff, who substantially reduced Amaro’s potential sentence for his cooperation with authorities. Amaro was sentenced to 2.75 years in federal prison.
Several members held leadership positions in the local chapters of the gang. - Nicholas Bernal, aka Nicky B – Inca of the East-Side HLK. Bernal was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 100 or more kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison.
- Francisco Martinez, Jr., aka Chewbacca – Inca of the West-Side HLK. Martinez, Jr. was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 100 or more kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison.
- James Gonzales, aka Godfather – Cacique of the West-Side HLK. Gonzales was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity. He was sentenced to 16.67 years in federal prison.
- Ramon Gaytan, Jr., aka King Snaps – Enforcer of the West-Side HLK. Gaytan, Jr. was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 100 or more kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced to 16.67 years in federal prison.
- Arturo DeLeon – Cacique of the East-Side HLK. Deleon was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 100 or more kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison.
- Francinet Cruz – Enforcer of the East-Side HLK. Cruz was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 500 or more grams of cocaine. He was sentenced to 19.5 years in federal prison, with credit for 1.5 years of time served.
- Joseph Martinez, aka Dogface – former Enforcer of the West-Side HLK. Martinez was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 100 or more kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
- Julio Hernandez, aka Solo – former leader of the East-Side HLK. Hernandez was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 100 or more kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
- Jose Hernandez, aka BigTime – former Inca of the East-Side HLK. Hernandez was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 100 or more kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison.
- Frank Cisneros, aka Knuckles – former leader of the East-Side HLK. Cisneros was
convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity. He was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison. - Ramon Morales – former Inca of the East-Side HLK. Morales was convicted by plea agreement of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and conspiracy to traffic 100 or more kilograms of marijuana. He was sentenced to 11.25 years in federal prison.
The remaining seventeen defendants all pled guilty to racketeering offenses. Each was sentenced to federal prison for periods ranging between two and eleven years. All told, the indictment resulted in over 340 years of prison sentences for HLK members.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Bogdalek said “Unfortunately, far too many citizens live in fear of gang related violence. One of ATF’s primary missions is to make communities safe from the criminal activities of violent gangs such as the Holland Latin Kings. Along with our state and local partners and the United States Attorney’s Office, we are pleased with the conclusion of this case, knowing that Holland is a safer community as a result of this prosecution.”
The investigation was aided by several other agencies, including the Michigan Department of Corrections and the Kerr County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell A. Kavalhuna and Phillip J. Green. Mr. Green is now a federal magistrate judge in the Western District of Michigan.
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