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Thursday 23 October 2014
33 Defendants Charged in Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK - Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas; along with David Downing, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the arraignment of 27 defendants in a 78-count indictment charging 33 defendants with prescription drug charges. One defendant, Timmy Larvale McCain, 38, of Little Rock, was also charged with a weapons charge.
“According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, non-medical use of prescription drugs is higher than abuse of cocaine, heroin and hallucinogens combined,” stated Thyer. “Just because oxycodone is prescribed medically, doesn’t make it a safe drug to abuse. Arkansas has consistently ranked among the top 10 states with the highest rate of non-medical use of pain relievers by 12-25 year olds since state estimates first began in 2002. My office is committed to support the work of DEA and other law enforcement partners by prosecuting those who set-up and run illegal pill distribution networks. This 78-count indictment against distributors in a Little Rock-based network demonstrates that commitment.”
“The abuse of prescription drugs, such as oxycodone, is a serious problem in our communities. All too often, this abuse leads to addiction, shattered lives, and even death. For the health and safety of our citizens, DEA and our local law enforcement partners will continue to target those who illegally obtain and distribute these potentially dangerous drugs. We hope that the arrests in this case serve as a reminder to anyone who might illegally divert pharmaceuticals that they will be held accountable for the harm they cause,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Downing.
Thirty-one of the 33 defendants have been arraigned this week. Twenty-seven were arraigned today by United States Magistrate Judge J. Thomas Ray after being issued summonses and arrest warrants. These defendants have been released from federal custody. Four other defendants -- Charolda Walton, 41; Felicia Holmes, 51; William James Johnson, 31; and Timmy U.S. Attorney’s Office News Release Page 2 of 5 Larvale McCain, 38, all of Little Rock -- were arrested in an early-morning operation on Monday. Those four have since been released on bond with special conditions of release. Michael Carrier will be arraigned November 20, 2014. One defendant has not yet been located and served with an arrest warrant.
The DEA investigation, which began in June 2013, used multiple undercover operations and numerous other law enforcement actions. Charolda Walton was determined to be a primary distributor of these pills, and operated out of her home in Little Rock.
Working with the Little Rock Police Department and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, the DEA made 22 controlled purchases of Schedule II narcotics in this case, including oxycodone, morphine, and hydromorphone. All told, in this investigation the DEA purchased or seized approximately 2,230 oxycodone 30 mg pills. In this organization these pills were being sold for anywhere for $22 to $28 per pill, giving these pills a street value of approximately $49,060-$62,440. In addition, agents seized 22 morphine pills, 178 hydromorphone pills, and more than $21,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
The indictment charges 33 defendants in 78 separate counts stemming from a large-scale investigation into prescription pill trafficking in central Arkansas. The indictment was handed down by a Federal Grand Jury on October 7, 2014. The indictment was unsealed by the court on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. The counts include conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, distribution of oxycodone and morphine, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and hydromorphone, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and the use of telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone each defendant will face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with assistance from the Little Rock Police Department, the Benton Police Department, and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Givens and Alex Morgan.
An indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
10 Defendants Indicted for Operating A Prostitution Racketeering Enterprise Involving Approximately 40 Bay Area BrothelsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury in San Francisco has indicted 10 defendants for their alleged role in a far-reaching prostitution racketeering enterprise that recruited Asian women to work as prostitutes in approximately 40 brothels located throughout the Bay Area, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag, Tatum King, Acting Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco, and Police Chief Susan Manheimer of the San Mateo Police Department.
The defendants – Allen Fong, Ya Huai Hung, Leow Wan Ru Veron, Robert Chun, Jie Mu, Laurence Shu Kwan Lee, Kevin Hartig, Waylon Fong, Angelina Chuong, and Chonthicha Jaemratanasophin – are charged with Conspiring to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity; Use of Facility in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Promote Prostitution; Laundering of Monetary Instruments; Importation of Aliens for an Immoral Purpose; and Transportation in Interstate and Foreign Commerce for Prostitution.
According to the indictment, all 10 defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Conduct a Racketeering Enterprise for operating 40 brothels in the greater San Francisco Bay Area from at least August 2002 through July 2014. Members and associates of the Enterprise solicited, enticed, and persuaded adult females, primarily from Asian countries, to work for the Enterprise as prostitutes in the Northern District of California. The Enterprise rented the apartments used as brothels through nominee lessees for limited periods of time, and then opened other brothels, often with overlapping rental periods. The Enterprise used social networking websites such as MyRedbook.com, Craigslist.org, and Backpage.com to post advertisements for prostitution services, which included contact information and photographs of nude and partially nude women assuming provocative and suggestive poses. The Enterprise’s telephone operators answered the calls for telephone numbers posted on the website advertisements for prostitution services, coordinated the meeting place between the prostitutes and their customers (“Johns”), and directed the “Johns” to a particular brothel. The prostitutes kept approximately two-thirds of their earnings from the “Johns” and paid one-third to the Enterprise, primarily through Allen Fong, the alleged ringleader of the Enterprise.
The Enterprise allegedly operated brothels in the cities of Pinole, San Mateo, Redwood City, Sunnyvale, Belmont, Fremont, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Foster City, San Bruno, Colma, and South San Francisco.
The indictment further alleges that, from at least March 4, 2004, through Oct. 3, 2013, members of the Enterprise sent numerous outgoing international wire transfers to Asian countries such as Singapore, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, including to known Enterprise members and prostitutes. Enterprise members sent at least twenty-three international wire transfers, totaling $179,218.00, to Leow Wan Ru Veron, the Enterprise’s recruiter of prostitutes in Singapore. Chonthicha Jaemratanasophin, an Enterprise prostitute, funded twenty international wire transfers, totaling $109,300.00, to Singapore and Thailand.
As set forth in the indictment, Allen Fong, 58, of San Mateo, is charged in all thirty-two counts of the Indictment with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity, Conspiracy to Use Facility in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Promote Prostitution and substantive counts of Use of Facility in Interstate Commerce to Promote Prostitution, Conspiracy to Launder Money and substantive counts of Money Laundering, and Conspiracy to Transport for Prostitution and Importation of Alien for Immoral Purpose;
- Ya Huai Hung, 53, a citizen of Taiwan, is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity, Conspiracy to Use Facility in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Promote Prostitution, Conspiracy to Launder Money and substantive counts of Money Laundering, and Conspiracy to Transport for Prostitution and Importation of Alien for Immoral Purpose;
- Leow Wan Ru Veron, 53, a citizen of Singapore, is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity, Conspiracy to Use Facility in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Promote Prostitution, Conspiracy to Launder Money and substantive counts of Money Laundering, and Conspiracy to Transport for Prostitution and Importation of Alien for Immoral Purpose;
- Robert Chun, 54, of San Francisco, is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity, Conspiracy to Use Facility in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Promote Prostitution, and Conspiracy to Launder Money;
- Jie Mu, 43, of San Francisco, is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity, Conspiracy to Use Facility in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Promote Prostitution, Conspiracy to Launder Money, and Conspiracy to Transport for Prostitution and Importation of Alien for Immoral Purpose;
- Laurence Shu Kwan Lee, 36, of San Francisco is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity and Conspiracy to Use Facility in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Promote Prostitution;
- Kevin Hartig, 58, of Daly City, is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity and Conspiracy to Launder Money;
- Waylen Fong, 70, formerly of San Mateo, is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity and Conspiracy to Launder Money;
- Angelina Chuong, 39, of San Francisco, is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity and Conspiracy to Launder Money; and
- Chonthicha Jaemratanasophin, 48, a citizen of Thailand, is charged with Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity and Conspiracy to Launder Money.
Allen Fong, Robert Chun, Jie Mu, Laurence Shu Kwan Lee, Kevin Hartig, Angelina Chuong, and Chonthicha Jaemratanasophin were arrested today and made their initial appearances in federal magistrate court in San Francisco. Chonthicha Jaemratanasophin was detained. The other defendants were released on bonds ranging from $100,000 to $500,000.
Allen Fong’s next scheduled appearance is at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2014, before the Honorable Richard Seeborg, United States District Court Judge. The other defendants are scheduled to appear for continued proceedings in Magistrate Court at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2014.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment for Conspiracies to Conduct a Racketeering Enterprise and Money Laundering; ten years’ imprisonment for Conspiracy to Import Alien for Immoral Purpose and Transportation in Interstate and Foreign Commerce for Prostitution; and five years’ imprisonment for Conspiracy to Use a Facility in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Promote Prostitution. The fines range from $250,000 to $500,000, or twice the gross profits or value of the funds, whichever is greater. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Deborah R. Douglas is the Assistant United States Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney David Countryman, Christine Tian, and Daniel Charlier-Smith. The prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by ICE HSI, and the San Mateo Police Department.
(Fong indictment )
Wednesday 22 October 2014
Wrangell Man Indicted for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Greg Alan Salard, 53, of Wrangell, Alaska, charging him with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that on June 5, 2014, Salard distributed a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct through the internet, and that on October 15, 2014, he was in possession of child pornography.
The case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of distribution of child pornography, Salard faces a maximum statutory penalty of not less than five and up to 20 years imprisonment. If convicted of possession of child pornography, Salard faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment. Both counts carry fines of up to $250,000, as well as the possibility of a lifetime period of supervised release following any sentence of imprisonment. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing Project Safe Childhood (PSC) initiative which was launched to increase federal prosecutions of sexual predators of children, and to reduce the number of Internet crimes against children, including distribution of child pornography. As a part of PSC, the United States Attorney’s Office has partnered with state and local agencies and non‑governmental organizations to increase law enforcement presence on the Internet, and to educate the public about safe Internet use, thereby reducing the risk that children might fall prey to online sexual predators. For additional information on the PSC initiative, please go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
Wilkinsburg Man Plead Guilty in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Brandon Thompson, aka “Mouser”, of Wilkinsburg, Pa., was convicted of conspiring to distribute in excess of 100 grams of heroin, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Thompson, 32, pled guilty yesterday before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing to occur on Feb. 25, 2015, at 9:30 a.m.
In support of the guilty plea, the Court was informed that, between 2011 and 2013, Thompson was supplied with hundreds of bricks of heroin on credit by members of a drug trafficking organization based out of Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood. Thompson’s suppliers obtained the heroin from out-of-state sources of supply. After Thompson received the heroin, he r-distributed it and paid those who supplied him back.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least five and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration in Pittsburgh and New York, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the United States Marshals Service, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, the Wilkins Township Police Department, the East Pittsburgh Police Department, the New York Police Department, the Blair County District Attorney's Office, and the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
Webster Woman Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Janet Faticone, aka Janet Bixby, 50, of Webster, N.Y. was charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley E. Tyler, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant works at New York State Title and Abstract (NYSTA). Without proper authority, Faticone acted as a “settlement agent” for a national title insurance company, to facilitate the issuance of title insurance policies. However, as part of the alleged scheme, the defendant created forged and fraudulent mortgage loan insurance policies for which she received commission payments.
The defendant made an initial appearance today before U. S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson. Faticone was released and is due back in court on December 5, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. for a status hearing.
This law enforcement action is part of President Barack Obama=s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.
The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Investigator Bill Fedrau of the New York State Department of Financial Services’ Financial Frauds and Consumer Protection Division, under the direction of Assistant Chief Sean Ralph, Director Frank Orlando, Executive Deputy Superintendent Joy Feigenbaum and Superintendent Benjamin M. Lawsky.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.Video Gambling Company Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that criminal charges were filed against Pennsylvania Coin, LLC, a Pennsylvania corporation, in U.S. District Court in Williamsport yesterday.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Pennsylvania Coin, LLC is charged in a one-count Information with conspiracy to commit money laundering between January 2007 and October 2012. Allegedly, Pennsylvania Coin, LLC maintained and operated illegal video gambling devices in establishments in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Patrons at the establishments received cash payments based on credits; Pennsylvania Coin LLC received fees from the owners of the establishments and allegedly split proceeds from the use of the gambling devices with owners of establishments.
Pennsylvania Coin, LLC allegedly used its share of the proceeds to pay employees and maintain the devices, established accounts at financial institutions where the proceeds were deposited and co-mingled the illegal funds with legitimate business income to conceal the nature, source and amount of the proceeds from the illegal gambling activity, in violation of the federal anti-money laundering statute.
The charge arises out of the seizure of 288 illegal gambling devices and over $77,000 in U.S. currency from 180 business establishments in October 2012 by agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement as part of a joint investigation.
Filed simultaneously with the Information is a plea agreement which is subject to approval of the Court. The plea agreement provides that Pennsylvania Coin, LLC will enter a guilty plea and forfeit to the government $1,427,866 and the 288 seized gambling machines.
Assistant United States Attorney Wayne P. Samuelson is assigned to prosecute the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statues and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is a fine of $500,000 and a five-year term of probation. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors when sentencing. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence.
United States Attorney’s Office Announces Sentence in Prison Assault CaseRead the Press Release
Inmate threw mixture of urine and feces at nurse in Terre Haute Federal Correctional Facility
TERRE HAUTE – Josh Minkler, the Acting United States Attorney, announced the sentencing of an inmate at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex who was found guilty of assaulting an employee of the facility. James Jackson, 32 was sentenced to 30 months (2 ½ years) by U. S. District Judge William T. Lawrence.
“Protecting the employees of the Bureau of Prisons is a responsibility we take very seriously,” said Minkler. “Maintaining order in the prison system is a dangerous job and we will do all we can to assist in that effort.”
Testimony at the plea hearing indicated Jackson is an inmate at the Correctional Complex serving a 76 month sentence for firearm and drug charges from the District of Columbia. On November 10, 2013, the victim, a registered nurse was dispensing medication to inmates housed in the Special Housing Unit (SHU). A correctional officer opened the food slot of Jackson’s cell so the victim could pass medication to Jackson’s cell mate. As the door was opened, Jackson threw a mixture of urine and feces which struck the victim in the face and her upper body.
The victim was examined by a doctor after she became ill a few days later. She had to undergo months of testing for infectious diseases. She did not develop any further complications from the incident.
According to James M. Warden who prosecuted the case for the government, Jackson’s sentence is as high as the U.S. sentencing guidelines allow and he will serve the 30 months consecutive to all other time.
United States Attorney’s Office Announces Sentence in Bank Robbery CaseRead the Press Release
Terre Haute man found guilty of robbing Farmersburg bank
TERRE HAUTE – Josh Minkler, the Acting United States Attorney, announced the sentencing of a Terre Haute man for the July 15, 2013, robbery of the First Financial Bank in Farmersburg Indiana. Kenneth E. Shelton, 44, Terre Haute, was sentenced to 160 months (over 13 years) in federal prison by U. S. District Judge William T. Lawrence.
“Protecting our communities from violent crime is the number one priority of the United States Attorney’s Office,” said Minkler. “Our resolve to keep violent criminals in prison will never waiver.”
Shelton and an accomplice entered the First Financial Bank on Main Street in Farmersburg on July 12, 2013, to survey the bank. Shelton asked the teller to conduct an account inquiry to make certain he could access his account. On July 15, 2013, Shelton and his accomplice drove to Farmersburg to rob the bank. Shelton walked in and handed a teller a note demanding money. Shelton verbally threatened to shoot the tellers if they did not hurry up and further told them not to push any alarm buttons.
Shelton fled the bank with the money and was driven back to Terre Haute by his accomplice. During their flight, Shelton discarded clothing he wore during the robbery near McDaniel Road in Terre Haute. Law Enforcement soon identified the accomplice who implicated Shelton and recovered the clothing and nearly all the money stolen in the robbery at Shelton’s apartment. The accomplice is pending trial in U.S. District Court. He is presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Warden who prosecuted the case for the government, Shelton must make full restitution on money that was not recovered and serve three years of supervised release after his sentence.
Two Wheeling Area Men Indicted on Firearms 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 – A federal grand jury returned indictments charging two Wheeling area residents with unlawful possession of firearms, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Convicted felon Melvin B. Neff, 56, of Wheeling, West Virginia, is charged with one count of “Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm” after he was discovered in possession of five rifles, two shotguns, and a pistol. Neff was previously convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County Pennsylvania for violating the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act.
Convicted felon Zachary M. Foster, 22, of Triadelphia, West Virginia, is charged with one count of “Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm” after he was discovered in possession of two revolvers. Foster was previously convicted in the Circuit Court of Ohio County, West Virginia of the felony offense of Attempted Burglary.
Neff and Foster each face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00. 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 defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Vogrin is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Wheeling Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigations.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Members of Newman Drug Gang Plead Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Seven Gang Members, Including Kenneth Newman, Have Already Entered Guilty Pleas
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that two defendants pled guilty today in federal court in Huntington to charges stemming from their roles in the Kenneth Newman drug conspiracy. Marshall Lee Graves II, also known as “Bro Marsh,” age 30, of Huntington, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On January 20, 2014, a search was conducted at Graves’ Collis Avenue residence during which agents found 53.9 grams of cocaine powder, 34.5 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” a loaded SKS rifle and $1,100 in cash.
Curtis Rollins, age 34, of Huntington also pled guilty to using a cell phone to facilitate drug trafficking. On December 31, 2013, Rollins made a phone call to Kenneth Newman to arrange the purchase of cocaine. During the call, Rollins told Newman that he had two people who needed something and they were “about to come through.” This call was part of a series of calls on the afternoon and early evening of the same day in which Rollins requested “2 extra things,” specifically powder cocaine, at least part of which he intended to provide to others.Graves faces a sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine. Rollins both face a sentence of up to 4 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Both will be sentenced by Chief Judge Robert C. Chambers on February 9, 2015.
Six additional defendants previously pled guilty to charges stemming from their involvement with Kenneth Newman, including Tonda Click, Brandon Appleton, Ariell Varney, Kamel Burris, William Petties, and George Newman, Kenneth Newman’s brother. Burris and Petties have both been sentenced to 60 and 46 months imprisonment, respectively. The remaining four await sentencing. Kenneth Newman also entered into a plea agreement and pled guilty possession with intent to distribute various controlled substances. Newman’s plea agreement was set aside because he failed to cooperate as required by the agreement. Because the plea agreement was set aside, Newman still faces twenty additional drug and gun charges.
Marcus Graves, the brother of Marshall Graves is scheduled to plead guilty tomorrow in federal court in Huntington.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Huntington Police Department, Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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.
Two FCI Gilmer Inmates Convicted of Unlawful Possession of HeroinRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistCLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution, Gilmer were convicted and sentenced after they were discovered in possession of heroin, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Antonio Whitehead, 27, of Macon, Georgia, and Brian Carnegie, 29, of Cleveland, Ohio, each pled guilty today to one count of “Possession of a Prohibited Object - Heroin” after an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Special Investigative Services Unit at FCI Gilmer. Whitehead and Carnegie, who are both currently incarcerated on drug trafficking charges, were each sentenced to an additional six months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Morgan prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Toy Manufacturer Employee Indicted, Arraigned on Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Christi Romano, aka Christi Machala, 35, of Smithfield, R.I., was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence today on a federal indictment which alleges that she stole more than $274,000 from a toy manufacturer and distributor in Smithfield where she was employed, and that she allegedly lied to the FBI during an investigation into the theft, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI.
A federal indictment returned on October 15, 2014, charges Romano with seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making false statements.
The indictment alleges that on at least seven occasions between February 16, 2010, and March 26, 2012, Romano transferred $274,751.06 from bank accounts belonging to Chrisha Creations, a toy manufacturing and distribution business located in Smithfield, R.I., to pay personal credit card debt. The indictment also alleges that Romano made false statements to the FBI, by falsely stating to the FBI that she did not steal or misapply funds belonging to Chrisha Creations.
Appearing for arraignment today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan, a not guilty plea was entered on Romano’s behalf. Romano was released on $10,000 unsecured bond.
An indictment is merely an allegation 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.
Wire fraud is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Making false statements is punishable by a statutory penalty of up to 5 years in federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Rose.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
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[email protected]Three MS-13 Members Sentenced for Gang-Related Murder and Racketeering Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Three members of La Mara Salvatrucha – also known as the “MS-13” gang – were sentenced to 27 years in prison for the June 21, 2010, murder of Alexander Temaj-Castanon and to racketeering conspiracy charges today, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and Tatum King, Acting Special agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), San Francisco.
According to court documents, Davie Jimmy Mejia-Sensente, a/k/a “Crazy” or “Loco,” 31, Carlos Mejia- Quintanilla, a/k/a “Sleepy” or “Dormido,” 25, and Luis Amilar-Zanas, a/k/a “Trucha,” 35, were all members of MS-13. MS-13 is a transnational street gang with local chapters, or “cliques,” throughout the world, including El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States. MS-13 members engage in crimes such as murder, narcotics trafficking, and obstruction of justice.
One of principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must seek out and kill rival gang members. In the San Francisco Bay Area, MS-13’s principal rival has been and remains the Norteños, gang members who have roots in Northern California and who claim allegiance to the Nuestra Familia prison gang.
According to court documents, Mejia-Sensente, Mejia-Quintanilla, and Amilar-Zanas were all MS-13 members since at least 2002, originally joining the gang in their native El Salvador. During the late evening of June 20, 2010, the three were together on a Muni 14 Mission bus heading from San Francisco to Daly City. Alexander Temaj-Castanon got on the bus and sat near Mejia-Sensente, Mejia-Quintanilla, and Amilar-Zanas, and the three thought that Temaj-Castanon looked like a Norteño gang member. As a result, they decided to kill him.
Amilar-Zanas left a backpack containing a loaded gun for Mejia-Sensente and Mejia-Quintanilla to use, and then exited the bus. When the bus stopped on Mission Street in Daly City, Mejia-Sensente and Mejia-Quintanilla exited along with the victim. Mejia-Sensente was carrying the backpack with the gun, and after waiting until no one else was around, Mejia-Quintanilla took the gun from the backpack and shot Temaj-Castanon at least once, knocking Temaj-Castanon to the street. Mejia-Sensente then took the gun from Mejia-Quintanilla and shot Temaj-Castanon again. Temaj-Castanon died from his gunshot wounds. He was not affiliated with any gang.
All three of the defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to conduct the affairs of MS-13 through a pattern of racketeering, which included murder, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), as well as to using a firearm during and in relation to the racketeering conspiracy, causing the murder of Alexander Temaj-Castanon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j) and 2. The defendants were each sentenced to a term of 27 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole for federal sentences.“The brutal and senseless murder of Alexander Temaj-Castanon is an outrage that demonstrates the danger gangs pose to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. “I commend the outstanding work of our federal and local law enforcement partners who collaborated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring these violent criminals to justice. We hope Alexander Temaj-Castanon’s family and loved ones are brought some measure of closure by the sentences handed down today.”
“We’re gratified by today’s sentences because they represent another important stride in our ongoing effort to combat gang-related crime in the Bay Area,” said Tatum King, Acting Special Agent in Charge for ICE, HSI San Francisco. “Working with the Daly City Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we’ve successfully brought to justice three dangerous gang members who ruthlessly murdered a member of our community. Rest assured, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to pursue transnational criminal organizations like MS-13, who show no regard for the law or human life.”
In addition to the gang-related charges, Mejia-Sensente also pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5), while Amilar-Zanas also pled guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after having previously been deported, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a) and (b)(2).
The sentences were imposed by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, United States District Court Judge, in San Francisco.
Andrew M. Scoble and Matthew L. McCarthy are the Assistant United States Attorneys who are prosecuting this case, with the assistance of Erica Doerr, Ponly Tu, Ana Guerra, Marina Ponomarchuk, and Daniel Charlier-Smith. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Daly City Police Department, working with Homeland Security Investigations.Three Defendants Sentenced in Cocaine Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr. announced that CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH, age 35, ANDREW BROWN a/k/a “Tank,” age 35, and MEGAN TONTH, age 25, all of New Orleans, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan, after having previously pled guilty on July 16, 2014, to a cocaine trafficking indictment.
JOSEPH had pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 235 months, a $20,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of 10 years.
BROWN and TONTH had pled guilty to distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine. BROWN was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 97 months and a term of supervised release of 4 years. TONTH was sentenced to 3 years of probation.
The other three defendants charged in the case, CHARLES HERRON, ISAAC THOMPSON, and DOMINIQUE HANDY have pled guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in December 2014.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Michael B. Redmann is in charge of the prosecution.
Ten-Time Drug Felon Involved in Stand-Off with U.S. Marshals Sent to Federal Prison for over Thirty YearsRead the Press Release
A man who was arrested after a six-hour stand-off with the U.S. Marshal’s Service was sentenced on October 20, 2014 on his tenth felony drug conviction to more than 30 years in federal prison.
Brandon Thompson, 44, from Iowa City, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 16, 2014 guilty plea to possession with intent to deliver 500 grams or more of methamphetamine after a prior felony drug offense.
At the guilty plea, Thompson admitted he possessed the methamphetamine and intended to distribute it to another person. Information disclosed at the plea and sentencing hearings indicates that Thompson was arrested in North English, Iowa, in March 2013, in a vehicle that contained pounds of nearly 100-percent pure methamphetamine, almost $10,000 in cash, and a stun-gun that was disguised as a cellular phone.
Thompson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Thompson was sentenced to 380 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thompson’s sentence was increased based on his extensive criminal history, which included nine prior felony drug convictions, along with convictions for burglary, being armed with a dangerous concealed weapon, theft, eluding, and others. Chief Judge Reade also discussed Thompson’s history of escaping from custody, the most recent of which ended with a six-hour long standoff with the U.S. Marshal’s Service and other law enforcement agencies at an Iowa City area motel on March 25, 2014. Thompson refused to surrender and was forced out of the motel room with tear gas.
Thompson 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 Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; the Iowa City Police Department; the Clinton Police Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services; and the Iowa National Guard. The DEA Task Force was assisted by the United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/ login.pl. The case file number is 14-CR-12.
Sentencing HearingRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Stacey Haynes (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney’s Office announces today that there will be a sentencing hearing tomorrow (October 23, 2014) in United States v. Chason Renee Chase. The hearing will be held at 10:00 am on October 23, 2014, before United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. (courtroom # 4) at the Matthew J. Perry Federal Courthouse in Columbia, South Carolina.
- San Antonio Woman Falsely Claims $204,188 in Unemployment Benefits and Ordered to Prison
Ridgeway Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Manufacturing OffensesRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsRyan Earl Bess, 33, of Ridgeway, Illinois, pled guilty today in United States District Court in Benton to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiring with two other individuals to grow more than 100 marijuana plants and one count of actually growing more than 100 marijuana plants, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. The indictment, returned by a Federal Grand Jury on September 5, 2012, alleged that the offenses occurred in Gallatin County between April 2012 and August 29, 2012. Ryan fled Illinois following his indictment and was arrested in Colorado earlier this year.
Sentencing was set for February 11, 2015, at the United States District Courthouse in Benton. At that time, Bess faces between 5 and 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5 million fine, and 4 years to life on supervised release to follow his incarceration on each count.
The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Providence Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison on Heroin Trafficking, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Jose Fuentes, 43, of Providence, was sentenced today to 77 months in federal prison for trafficking heroin and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Divisionof the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi also ordered Fuentes to serve three years supervised release upon completion of his prison term. Fuentes pleaded guilty on June 2, 2014, to three counts of distribution of heroin and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to information presented to the court at the time of Jose Fuentes guilty plea, on three occasions Fuentes sold various amounts of heroin to ATF undercover agents. The third sale of heroin to ATF agents included the exchange of a firearm as partial payment for heroin.
According to information presented to the court, on March 5, 2012, Fuentes sold to an ATF undercover agent 4.4 grams of heroin for $325.00; on March 16, 2012, Fuentes sold to an ATF undercover agent 9.9 grams of heroin for $650; and on October 12, 2012, Fuentes sold to an ATF agent .77 grams of heroin in exchange for a .380 semi-automatic pistol and $100 in cash.
Fuentes was taken into custody by ATF agents immediately after he took possession of the firearm and the drug transaction was completed. He has been detained since his arrest.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Private Investigator and Former NYPD Officer Arrested in Bribery Scheme to Obtain Reports from Federal Law Enforcement DatabaseRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, George Venizelos, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and William J. Bratton, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest of JOSEPH P. DWYER and RONALD G. BUELL on charges that DWYER, a private investigator often retained by Court-appointed attorneys in the Southern District of New York, paid bribes to BUELL, then an NYPD Officer, so that BUELL would access a confidential federal law enforcement database to obtain personal information about potential witnesses in federal criminal cases. DWYER was also charged with mail fraud for improperly billing the Criminal Justice Act fund – which provides public funds for indigent defendants – in connection with the bribery scheme. DWYER and BUELL were arrested this morning, and presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, private investigator Joseph Dwyer bribed NYPD officer Ronald Buell for confidential reports from a federal law enforcement database, and, at least in some instances, asked the public to foot the bill. Private investigators assisting criminal defendants can – and should – do many things to serve their clients, but bribing law enforcement officials for confidential data is not one of them. Any private investigator who pays such a bribe, and any law enforcement officer who accepts one, should expect to be prosecuted.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos said: “As alleged, Dwyer and Buell conspired to access a database containing sensitive law enforcement information, abusing their positions of trust for personal gain. In addition to robbing us of taxpayer money, corrupt practices rob us of trust in government, particularly with respect to those who take an oath to enforce and obey the law, not break it. The FBI will continue to investigate those in public positions who engage in corrupt activities.”
Commissioner of the NYPD William Bratton said: “These two individuals are charged with crimes that involved the abuse of their positions for monetary gain. By illegally accessing confidential information, they undermined the integrity of law enforcement operations and data systems. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau for their commitment in pursuing this case.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation operates the National Crime Information Center database (“NCIC”), which allows federal, state and local law enforcement the ability to access confidential personal information about individuals in connection with their law enforcement duties. The database is not accessible to the general public, and the disclosure of certain information in the database can jeopardize law enforcement operations and safety.
Between at least October 2011 through at least in or about November 2013, BUELL, while an active-duty member of the New York City Police Department, accessed the NCIC using a New York state computer system on at least 15 occasions to obtain criminal history information and other personal information related to witnesses and other individuals associated with at least 11 federal criminal prosecutions in the Southern District of New York on which DWYER had been retained as a defense investigator and paid with public funds pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act (“CJA”), Title 18, United States Code, Section 3006A.
During the same time period, BUELL deposited into his personal bank account at least 17 checks issued by DWYER’s private investigations firm, totaling nearly $9,000. In addition, DWYER submitted billing invoices to the CJA administrative office in the Southern District of New York seeking payments and reimbursements for purported investigative work performed to obtain criminal histories of the individuals associated with the federal criminal prosecutions, when, as alleged, DWYER had illegally obtained the criminal history information through bribes paid to BUELL. The United States Treasury Department issued checks on these invoices, which were mailed from a location outside the State of New York to DWYER’s office on Long Island, New York.
DWYER, 46, is charged with one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit bribery and to access a federal database without authorization, one count of bribery, one count of unauthorized database access, and one count of mail fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison.
BUELL, 48, is charged with one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit bribery and to access a federal database without authorization, one count of bribery, and one count of unauthorized database access. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Criminal Investigators at the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau. Mr. Bharara noted that the investigation is ongoing.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hadassa Waxman and Brooke E. Cucinella are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. v. Dwyer and Buell Complaint
Press Release by United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler Relating to November 2014 ElectionsRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler, announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh will lead the efforts of her office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2014, general elections. Mr. Cavanaugh has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Alaska and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Loeffler said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose. To ensure that complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Loeffler stated that Kelly Cavanaugh, Assistant U.S. Attorney/District Election Officer, will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. The public can reach Mr. Cavanaugh by telephone at 907-271-5071.
Pottawattamie County Resident Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On October 21, 2014, Craig Duane Ellis, a 35 year-old resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner to 70 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Ellis was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release following the imprisonment.
On July 18, 2014, Ellis pled guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ellis was pulled over for a traffic stop on February 14, 2014, in Fremont County, Iowa, and two 12-gauge shotguns were found in the vehicle. Ellis was prohibited from possessing a firearm after he pled guilty in 2001 to third degree kidnapping.
The investigation was conducted by the Fremont County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
(Download Press Release)
Postal Clerk Pleads Guilty to Stealing Prescription Painkillers from Mail and Burglarizing Post OfficeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A former U.S. Postal Service clerk in Tuscaloosa pleaded guilty today to stealing prescription painkillers from the mail and to breaking into the Skyland Post Office, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Max Eamiguel, of the Southern Area Field Office, and Postal Inspection Service Team Leader Frank Dyer.
NICHOLAS STEVEN DAVIS, 42, of Tuscaloosa, entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler. Davis admitted stealing a medical parcel containing about 180 tablets of hydrocodone from the mail on July 6, 2012, while he worked as a distribution clerk at the Skyland Post Office. The parcel was addressed to someone on Lake Lurleen in Coker, Ala.
Davis also pleaded guilty to breaking into the Skyland Post Office on June 15, 2014, intending to commit theft, after he was fired from the Postal Service.
The maximum penalty for the charges Davis pleaded guilty to is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. No sentencing date has been set.
The Postal Service OIG and the Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Salter is prosecuting.
Portsmouth Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Heroin and Crack DistributionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. –Antwan Black, a/k/a “Twizzy,” 31, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release for the distribution of heroin and crack cocaine. He was further sentenced to an additional consecutive 5 years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Royce E. Curtin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior United States District Judge Robert G. Doumar.
According to court documents, Black was the leader of a drug trafficking organization out of Portsmouth, Virginia. Between 2009 and July, 2013, Black sold heroin, cocaine-base and cocaine in the Portsmouth area. In 2012 and 2013, Black began using other individuals to man hotel rooms in the downtown Portsmouth area to sell drugs. Black furnished the room with ounces of heroin and crack cocaine daily. He paid for the hotel rooms, cell phones and other costs for his dealers. At the end of the day, Black retrieved the money from sales and would re-supply the room. Black carried a firearm with him during most of his drug deliveries. He and his co-conspirators also used homes of drug users to sell their narcotics. Drug users were given free drugs for access to their homes. As part of the investigation, authorities recovered two loaded firearms – a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and a MK99 assault rifle – from residences used by Black. Both firearms were loaded.
Black was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 10, 2014 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine on March 17, 2014.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Portsmouth Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Cross prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EasternDistrict of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:14-cr-15.
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Polk City Man Sentenced to 5 Years Imprisonment on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On October 22, 2014, Domenic “John” Pighetti, age 70, of Polk City, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner to five years in prison for knowingly possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Pighetti was ordered to serve five years supervised release following the imprisonment, to pay a $17,500 fine, and to pay $100 to the Crime Victims Fund. Pighetti was also ordered to forfeit the computer equipment and media involved in the offense.
Evidence in this case included the fact Pighetti started collecting child pornography in 2006, after reading in the newspaper about someone else being caught doing so by law enforcement, and the fact that Pighetti sought out and collected child pornography from 2006 until caught by law enforcement authorities in 2013.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.
Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
(Download Press Release)
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit GoodsRead the Press Release
Contact: Craig M. Wolff
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that
Michael Kurnik, 25, of York, Pennsylvania, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to
conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods.According to court records, Kurnik regularly purchased what purported to be OtterBox
cell phone cases from suppliers in China and resold them to individuals in the United States.
These individuals in turn often sold the cases on eBay and other online sites. One of the resellers,
who lived in Maine, told Kurnik in May 2013 that he had been contacted by OtterBox and told
that he was going to be sued for selling counterfeit cases on eBay.Despite being told of the OtterBox lawsuit, Kurnik continued to buy the phone cases
from China and resell them in the United States. In December 2013, he sent a shipment of
counterfeit cases to the reseller in Maine, who by that point was cooperating with law
enforcement. A search warrant was executed at a warehouse in Manchester, Pennsylvania used
by Kurnik and agents seized about 6,700 counterfeit OtterBox cases. Kurnik admitted in an
interview that by May 2013 he knew the cases he was selling were counterfeit, but he continued
buying cases from China to resell in the United States until December 2013.
Kurnik faces up to 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine. He will be sentenced after
the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s
Homeland Security Investigations.Penn Hills Man Found with Heroin During Turnpike Traffic Stop Gets 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Penn Hills resident has been sentenced in federal court to five years imprisonment and five years supervised release, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, on his conviction of violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Anthony Lucas, 43.
According to information presented to the court, Lucas conspired to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. On June 22, 2013, Lucas was stopped on the Pennsylvania Turnpike by the Pennsylvania State Police. A consent search of the vehicle revealed 350 bricks of heroin (164 grams) in a back pack located in the trunk.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Somerset County District Attorney for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lucas.
Oak Island Man Indicted for Aiming Laser Pointer at an AircraftRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh, North Carolina returned an indictment charging CHRISTOPHER LEE FUNK, 34,with knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in flight (a helicopter), in violation of the provisions of Title 18, United States Code, Section 39A.
If convicted, the maximum penalty for this charge is 5 years imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the Oak Island Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Eric D. Goulian is prosecuting the case for the government.
North Tonawanda Woman Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Calvina Myles, 28, of North Tonawanda, who was convicted of bank fraud, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution totaling $28,512.78 by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that between September 2012 and March 2013, Myles and co-defendant David Johnson used the names and personal identification information of two individuals to apply for two Capital One credit cards in those names. The defendants, and a third co-conspirator, Avery Gill, purchased merchandise and gift cards from retail stores using the credit cards. As a result of this conduct, Capital One suffered a loss of $29,429.16.
Avery Gill was sentenced to time served on October 14, 2014 and David Johnson will be sentenced on November 5, 2014.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge, Shelly A. Binkowski.North Augusta Man Pleads to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Bill Day (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that James O'Neal Arthur, Jr., age 57, of North Augusta, South Carolina has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Columbia, to Possession of Child Pornography, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252S(a)(5)(B). United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Arthur was an employee of a government contractor, near Aiken, when an internet audit was conducted on April 1, 2014. The audit revealed Arthur had been visiting inappropriate websites so he was sent home while a review was conducted. While at home, Arthur contacted co-workers in an effort to get them to hide laptop computers and hard drives he had in his office. A forensic examination of the material found in his office uncovered thousands of images of minor females engaged in sexually suggestive/explicit conduct. Further investigation revealed that Arthur had been producing child pornography for years by making videos, and then producing thousands of pictures by making still photos from the films.
Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty for Possession of Child Pornography is imprisonment for 10 years and/or a fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.New Castle Man Admits Producing Child Porn Videos Found on Computer He Sold at Flea MarketRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of New Castle, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Donald A. Miller, 43, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, on Dec. 22, 2013, Miller employed, used, and coerced an eight-year-old victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing videos depicting her sexual exploitation. The child victim was identified and Miller arrested after the sexual videos were discovered on a used Samsung Galaxy Tablet that Miller sold to a New Castle resident at a flea market in Ohio the day before Christmas 2013. The resident immediately notified the New Castle Police Department when she happened upon the videos depicting Miller and the child stored in the Galaxy’s memory. The witness was able to identify Miller as the individual who sold her the electronic device.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for Jan. 28, 2015, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The defendant remains in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the New Castle Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Miller.
Navajo, N.M., Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Voluntary Manslaughter ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Mervin Ervin Charley, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Navajo, N.M., was sentenced this afternoon to ten years in federal prison for his voluntary manslaughter conviction. Charley will be on supervised release for two years after completing his prison sentence.
Charley was arrested on Jan. 21, 2014, on an indictment charging him with second degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. According to the indictment, Charley killed a two-year-old child on May 30, 2013, by placing the victim in a situation that endangered the victim and resulted in the victim’s death.
On July 18, 2014, Charley entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging him with voluntary manslaughter, and admitted killing the victim in the heat of passion on May 30, 2013.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback.
Mount Airy Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Robbing Four Gas Stations and Stealing A CarRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced Joshua Payne, age 21, of Mount Airy, Maryland, today to 164 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on four counts of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a robbery.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Carroll County Sherriff Ken Tregoning; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. AChuck@ Jenkins; Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department; Carroll County State’s Attorney Jerry Barnes; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; and Howard County State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino.According to his plea agreement, from November 27 to December 1, 2013, Payne pointed a handgun - which he stole from his brother - at the cashiers of the following gas stations in Maryland: Shell gas station, 649 Lakeview Drive, Mount Airy; High’s gas station, 6700 Sykesville Road, Eldersburg; and BP gas station, 15882 Frederick Road, Lisbon. He stole hundreds of dollars from the cash registers.
On December 6, Payne returned to the Shell gas station on Lakeview Drive in Mount Airy, and threatened the cashier with a long kitchen knife, taking approximately $690 from the register.
Payne also admits that on November 29, 2013, he pointed a gun at a driver of a car and stole the car, along with the owner’s two cell phones.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, the Carroll and Frederick County Sheriff’s Offices, Howard County Police Department, and the Carroll, Frederick and Howard County State’s Attorney=s Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Lemmon and Bonnie S. Greenberg, who prosecuted the case.
Morgantown Man Charged with Multiple Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Arthur Sean Warner, 43, of Morgantown, West Virginia, with multiple drug trafficking offenses, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Warner is charged with one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base,” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana” after an investigation led by the Mon Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Warner faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00 for each of the cocaine charges and up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00 for the marijuana charge. 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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Middle District Election Officer AppointedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Michael J. Moore announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Charles W. “Chuck” Byrd will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2014, general elections. AUSA Byrd has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Georgia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Moore said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 4, 2014, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Moore stated that AUSA/DEO Byrd will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 706-649-7700.
This number is for reports of voting irregularities only. All press inquiries or requests for information should be directed to Pamela Lightsey at 478-621-2603.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 404-679-9000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Moore said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
Miami Resident Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Possession of Stolen IdentitiesRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that defendant Daniel Ogletree, 25, pled guilty to one count of possession of 15 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). Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. At sentencing, the defendant faces up to 10 years in prison for the access device charge, and a mandatory term of two years in prison, consecutive to any other term in prison, for aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, law enforcement accompanied state probation officers during a probation check on the defendant’s residence. The defendant gave verbal consent for a search of his bedroom, and law enforcement found a handwritten sheet of paper containing a list of 15 names, dates of birth, and social security numbers. Law enforcement also found a bank statement in another person’s name that had that person’s social security number and date of birth handwritten on the bank statement. Ogletree admitted that it was his handwriting on the sheet of paper and bank statement, and that he did not personally know the people whose personal identifying information he wrote on the sheet.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Abraham and John R. Byrne.
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.
Mexican Citizen Apprehended in Lackawanna County Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) announced today that a 26-year-old native and citizen of Mexico has been charged with illegal reentry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Bairon Morales-Morales, age 26, was charged in a one-count indictment by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg today.
The indictment alleges that Morales-Morales, an alien who has previously been arrested and deported from the United States on November 21, 2006, reentered the United States illegally and was apprehended in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.
If convicted, Morales-Morales faces a maximum sentence of up to 2 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alice Song Hartye.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
McKees Rocks Woman Gets Probation with Home Detention for Purchasing Weapon for FelonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A McKees Rocks resident has been sentenced in federal court to three years’ probation, including six months home detention with electronic monitoring on her conviction of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Gustave Diamond imposed the sentence yesterday on Asia M. Harris, 34.
According to information presented to the court, on Aug. 16, 2011, Harris aided and abetted the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Mark Brazil, by acting at his direction in selecting and purchasing, with $800 provided by Brazil, a .40 caliber pistol to which she allowed Brazil access. Harris could lawfully purchase a firearm, while Brazil, a convicted felon whose possession of a firearm is forbidden under federal law, could not.
The firearm was recovered during a search at 96 Stratmore Avenue in Pittsburgh by Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Police on Oct. 16, 2013.
At sentencing, Judge Diamond ordered that the firearm be forfeited to the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Margaret E. Picking prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County Police, and the City of Pittsburgh Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Harris.
MCC Escapee Joseph Banks Sentenced to 36 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man who escaped from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in December 2012, just five days after he was convicted of armed robbery of two banks and attempting to rob two others in 2007 and 2008, was sentenced today to 36 years in federal prison. Approximately $547,000 stolen in the two robberies remains missing.
JOSEPH BANKS, also known as “Jose Banks,” 39, “intimidated and terrified” employees and bystanders at each of the four banks and those victims’ fears were renewed when Banks escaped and remained at large for three days before he was recaptured, Assistant U.S. Attorney Renato Mariotti argued in seeking a lengthy sentence.
“The defense claims [Banks’] bank robberies were common, but they inflicted an uncommon level of terror, by his design,” Mr. Mariotti said.
Rejecting Banks’ claims that he is “humble” and “anti-gun,” U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer called Banks “narcissistic,” adding that he was and remains “a threat and a menace” to society. Judge Pallmeyer further rejected Banks’ so-called “sovereign citizen” defense, which he maintained at his trial in December 2012 and which he admitted was an act.
Banks was also ordered to pay $589,000 restitution. He has been in federal custody for six years and will receive credit for time served. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence and there is no parole in the federal prison system.
With nearly two dozen prior convictions, Banks was found guilty at a trial in December 2012 of attempting to rob the First Commercial Bank, 6945 North Clark St., on Aug. 30, 2007, and Chase Bank, 5134 North Clark St., on Aug. 26, 2008. He was arrested a week later on Sept. 3, 2008.
On Dec. 28, 2007, Banks was wearing a fake beard, a wig, sunglasses, gloves, a suit, and an overcoat when he entered the Citibank branch located 3128 North Ashland Ave. Armed with a gun, he leaped the counter, pushed bank employees to the ground, and forced them to open the vault for him. An employee suffered a panic attack and clutched his chest, hyperventilated, turned pale, and fell to the floor, thinking all the while that he was having a heart attack and would die. Banks fled the bank with approximately $317,000, which was never recovered.
On July 19, 2008, wearing a black stocking mask that obscured his face, Banks robbed a different Citibank branch located at 3753 North Clark St. Again, Banks brandished a gun and forced his way into the vault before fleeing with approximately $272,000. Of that, approximately $42,000 was recovered from a safe deposit box while the remaining $230,000 has never been found. Evidence at Banks’ trial showed that he spent some of the money on several vehicles.
Banks and his cellmate, Kenneth Conley, another convicted bank robber, escaped through the wall of their cell at the MCC and repelled down the exterior of the high-rise federal detention facility. Conley was captured two weeks later and is serving a sentence of 20 years for bank robbery, consecutive to 41 months for the escape.
The sentence was announced today by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert J. Holley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Also representing the government were Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sheri Mecklenburg and Peter Salib.
Last of the "30 Minutes or Less" Robbers Gets 16 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. –The last of four defendants who participated in the high speed robberies of four Las Vegas convenience stores during April 2012, was sentenced to prison this week, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.
Michael Hall, 28, of Las Vegas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey on Monday, Oct. 20, 2014, to 194 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Hall pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, to four counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
“We are working with our local police departments to prosecute federally deserving defendants who use guns to commit store robberies,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “Fortunately more victims were spared and this robbery spree was terminated because of excellent police work by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the alert officer who observed the last robbery and chased down the defendants by car and on foot.”
Hall was the getaway driver for each of the robberies that occurred between about 4:00 and 4:30 p.m. on April 6, 2012, causing law enforcement to dub the crimes the “30 minutes or less” series. Hall’s co-defendants, Delon Hunter, 18, William Bonaparte, 24, and Erica Bowden-Payne, 26, all pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison. In each robbery, Hunter pointed a handgun at Bonaparte, who was posing as a customer. Hunter threatened to shoot Bonaparte if the store employee did not turn over money and other items. A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer observed the last robbery in progress near Cheyenne Road and Buffalo Drive, and confronted the defendants as they were leaving the store. The defendants fled in the getaway vehicle driven by Hall, leading officers on a high speed chase before their vehicle came to a stop near Tenaya Way and Rainbow Boulevard. Three of the defendants fled on foot and were apprehended nearby. The fourth defendant, Bowden-Payne, remained in the vehicle and was apprehended there.
The case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cristina D. Silva. The case was screened through the Southern Nevada Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force, a team of federal and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors who meet on a regular basis to discuss arrests involving guns and explosives. Project Safe Neighborhoods, also known as PSN, is a Department of Justice initiative and a nationwide commitment to reduce gun and gang crime in America.
Large-Scale Birmingham Cocaine Dealer Gets 23-Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A federal judge today sentenced a Birmingham man to more than 23 years in prison for his role in a large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay A. Morris.
U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced ARTAVIS “Tav” DESMOND MCGOWAN, 41, to 23 years and four months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute, and distributing cocaine.
A federal jury convicted McGowan on the charges in November 2013, following a six-day trial. The judge found that McGowan had been involved in trafficking at least 15 to 50 kilograms, or 33 to 110 pounds, of cocaine.
"McGowan and his conspirators were prime movers of dangerous and illegal drugs in our community," Vance said. "They enriched themselves, while tearing apart neighborhoods and lives with the violence, death and addiction that accompany drug-trafficking and drug abuse. Today's sentence takes a major dealer off the streets for 23 years," she said.
"McGowan was a leader in a large-scale drug-trafficking organization that sold dangerous drugs in our community," Morris said. "This sentence should send a clear message to all drug traffickers that their actions will not be tolerated. Our job in law enforcement is to make the community safer by taking dangerous criminals off the streets. Our state and local counterparts joined the DEA and the U.S. Attorney's Office in devoting tireless energy to investigating and bringing McGowan to justice."
On Oct. 5, 2011, DEA agents seized six bricks of cocaine and other drugs, including large amounts of heroin, from a home at 1156 Skyline Drive in Birmingham. Agents also seized $341,679 in cash from the house. McGowan and his confederates used the home as a “stash” house where they removed cocaine from drug “load” vehicles driven from Austin, Texas, to Birmingham. The basement of the home also was used to process drugs and money.
Evidence at trial also showed McGowan’s fingerprints were found on two of the 46 kilogram wrappers found in the trash in the basement of the Skyline Drive home. In May of this year, DEA agents executed a search warrant at 108 Page Ave. in Birmingham and found McGowan with more than $61,000 in cash.
The DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Dimler prosecuted.KC Woman Pleads Guilty to $3 Million Fraud Scheme that Forced Employer to CloseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to a nearly $3 million fraud scheme that forced her employer out of business.
Irene Marie Brooner, 52, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to bank fraud.
Brooner, a certified public accountant, worked at Galvmet, Inc., a sheet metal fabrication facility and steel service center located in Kansas City, from 2001 until her termination in February 2014. At its peak in 2008, the company had 26 employees and $14 million in annual sales. Galvmet filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations in 2014. At the time of closing, the company had 18 to 20 employees and $10 million in annual sales.
Brooner’s duties as controller included managing payroll, accounts receivable and payable, and maintaining the ledger at Galvmet.
Brooner admitted that, over a period of more than 10 years (January 2004 until February 2014), she created a total of 389 unauthorized Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions from Galvmet’s bank account to her personal bank accounts. (An ACH is a batch-oriented funds transfer system that includes direct deposits of payroll from companies.) Those unauthorized ACH transactions included 148 payments to her checking account and 133 payments to her savings account. Brooner also defrauded Galvmet by inflating her salary. From March 2004 to December 2011, Brooner manipulated the payroll account to increase her net pay on approximately 108 payroll checks.
Brooner’s fraud scheme resulted in a loss of at least $1,863,914 to Galvmet. As a result, Galvmet ceased operations. While reviewing bank records during the filing of Galvmet’s Chapter 13 bankruptcy in February 2014, the company’s president noticed unauthorized transfers from Galvmet’s payroll account to Brooner’s personal account. He reported the apparent embezzlement to the FBI.
To keep the scheme going, Brooner also falsified documents to support Galvmet’s operating loan with Missouri Bank & Trust, causing an additional loss to the bank of $1.1 million. The total loss from Brooner’s fraud scheme was at least $2,963,914.
Brooner spent the embezzled funds on personal items. According to today’s plea agreement, Brooner spent some of the proceeds to remodel, stock, furnish and decorate the ornately-finished bar in the basement of her new home. The bar, which she called “the Dirty Duck,” includes seating for approximately 15, a granite bar top, four or five tap lines, a refrigeration system, three flat-screen televisions, a smoke machine at the entrance, two couches and stained wainscoting around the room approximately eight feet tall. Mannequins, positioned throughout the bar, are outfitted with authentic U.S. and German uniforms and weaponry from the World War II era, including a Thompson sub-machine gun and multiple M-1 Garands with attached bayonets. Brooner told FBI agents that her husband, a carpenter, remodeled the bar in 2003 and 2004. From 2004 to 2014, Brooner spent $18,383 on alcohol.
Brooner’s spending included paying off her mortgage for $289,290, buying $81,686 in jewelry, and spending at least $400,392 on clothing and other retail, $97,180 on restaurants, $78,439 on vehicles, $169,389 on furniture and home decor, $62,003 on travel, $38,317 on electronics, $21,346 in ATM withdrawals, $59,571 on spa visits and beauty items, $68,745 on tuition for her children, $18,383 on alcohol, $104,060 to her children, $216,377 in assorted checks under $500, $64,557 in donations, $254,168 in other credit cards, and by purchasing other items.
Brooner purchased a 2004 Lexus R33 sport utility vehicle, on which she made 64 payments totaling $51,813. Brooner also bought 69 pieces of jewelry and accessories from Meierotto’s Midwest Jewelers totaling approximately $29,701 and 82 pieces of jewelry and accessories from Tivol Jewelers totaling approximately $51,984.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Brooner must forfeit to the government her personal residence, a 2004 Lexus, numerous assorted jewelry and a money judgment of at least $2,963,914, all of which represent the net proceeds obtained and loss caused by Brooner’s scheme.
Under federal statutes, Brooner is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $1 million, and an order of restitution of $2,963,914. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel M. Nelson. It was investigated by the FBI.Judge Sends Chester Woman to Prison for 15 Years for the Sex Trafficking of FemalesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Rashidah Brice, a/k/a “Camille,” a/k/a “Milly,” 25, of Chester, PA, was sentenced today to 185 months in prison for sex trafficking females for prostitution. Brice pleaded guilty on August 20, 2013, to sex trafficking of a minor by force and two counts of sex trafficking by force. She, along with co-defendant Christian Dior Womack, operated a prostitution venture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, that recruited young females, one of whom was a minor, to work as prostitutes for them between May 25, 2012 through February 3, 2013. The defendants engaged in acts of physical violence and threats of physical harm to maintain the participation of females in their prostitution business.
As part of their venture, Womack and Brice also created internet advertisements in which they advertised these females as available for purchase for purposes of prostitution. The advertisements featured pictures of the females scantily clad, and provided a phone number to call to arrange a meeting with the females.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg ordered 10 years of supervised release, $35,700 in restitution, and a $300 special assessment. A sentencing hearing for Womack is scheduled for November 12, 2014.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victim’s Unit is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525- Inmate Indicted for Threatening Federal Judge
Hollywood Man Sentenced to over 12 Years for Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Case Involving Theft of over 5,000 IdentitiesRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced that Richard Anthony Siler, 50, of Hollywood, was sentenced to 154 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after being convicted at trial of one count of use of unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2), one count of possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(3), and three counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).
According to the evidence presented at trial, Siler had previously provided lists of individuals’ personal identity information to an FBI confidential source knowing the identity information would be used for identity theft tax refund fraud. In a subsequent recorded conversation, Siler told the confidential source that Siler could sell approximately “ten thousand” to “thirteen thousand” people’s identity information a week. Siler also told the confidential source that these identities were “never before revealed.” The evidence at trial established that Siler had worked for a company where he had access to lists of people’s personal identity information.
On February 14, 2014, Richard Siler sent an e-mail to the confidential source containing an attachment with the personal identity information of approximately 5,200 elderly Medicare patients. On that same date, the confidential source provided Siler with $6,200 in currency in exchange for those identities and Siler was arrested.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and IRS-CI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger and Francisco Maderal.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at 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.
Hewitt Mother and Son Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
In Waco today, 26-year-old Conner Phillip Koss and his mother, 60-year-old Le’Ann Koss, both of Hewitt, TX, were sentenced to 121 months and 70 months in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in a marijuana distribution scheme announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman.
In addition to the prison terms, United States District Judge Walter S. Smith, Jr., ordered that Conner and Le’Ann Koss each pay a $2,000 fine and be placed under supervised release for a period of five years after completing their prison terms.
On July 24, 2014, Le’Ann Koss pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and one substantive count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. On June 26, 2014, Conner Koss pleaded guilty to the same charges. By pleading guilty, the defendants admitted that from October 2010 until November 2013, they conspired with family members and others to possess over 50 kilograms of marijuana.
Also sentenced today was Brian Thomas Smith, age 23. Judge Smith sentenced Smith to two years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty in July to his role in the marijuana distribution scheme. Judge Smith also ordered Smith to pay a $1,000 fine.
Hewitt
Phillip Larry Koss, age 59, remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in March to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Originally scheduled to be sentenced today, Phillip Larry Koss instead requested new counsel be appointed to represent him--a request which Judge Smith granted today. He faces up to five years in federal prison.On November 29, 2013, authorities executed a search warrant at the Koss’ residence and discovered approximately 12 pounds of tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, several firearms and some $27,000 in U.S. Currency. Court records allege that the defendants obtain high grade marijuana from the State of California and arrange for it to be transported to their residence in Hewitt for distribution. Authorities have also recovered approximately 200 pounds of marijuana resulting from related search warrants executed in California as well as traffic stops during this investigation.
The Koss’ other son, Chad, is scheduled for a re-arraignment hearing at 10:00am tomorrow before Judge Smith. He faces the conspiracy charge only.
This investigation is being conducted by the McGregor Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Yuba County (CA) Narcotics Enforcement Team. Assistant United States Attorney Mary F. Kucera is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
Harrisburg Couple Charged with Counterfeit U.S. Currency OffensesRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Richard Thomas Kramer, age 23, and Kristina Lynn Gates, age 21, both of Harrisburg were indicted today and charged with counterfeiting offenses. Specifically, Kramer was charging with both manufacturing counterfeit obligations of the United States and passing counterfeit obligations of the United States. Gates was charged with passing counterfeit obligations of the United States.
According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, in August of this year, the couple began passing counterfeit $20 bills at businesses throughout Dauphin County in Pennsylvania. It was later determined that Kramer was manufacturing the counterfeit $20 Federal Reserve notes. If convicted, Kramer faces 40 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $500,000. Gates faces 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Susquehanna Township Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daryl F. Bloom.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
****Four Members of Heroin Distribution Ring Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Reginald Jones, age 26, of Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. Co-defendant Jeffrey Michael Anderson, age 35, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. On October 20, 2014, co-defendants William Ulysses Robinson, age 38, of Grasonville, Maryland and Shawn Christopher Malley, age 25, of Crofton, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.
The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Tuggle of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore; and Hagerstown Police Chief Mark Holtzman.
According to their plea agreements, beginning as early as September 2013, Anderson and Jones worked with Rahdel Sharbaan to obtain bulk quantities of heroin from sources in New York and transport that heroin to Maryland for further distribution. Anderson would either travel to New York himself, or have Sharbaan and Jones bring the heroin and cutting agent to him in Maryland via commercial bus. With Malley’s assistance, Anderson used stash locations to store and cut the heroin, including a storage unit in Gambrills, Maryland, and Malley’s home. Once diluted, Anderson sold the heroin in bulk to several Maryland-based dealers who in turn sold to other dealers and end users. Robinson obtained drugs from Anderson which he distributed in street-level quantities. Jones used the drug proceeds from Anderson to pay the source in New York.On May 15, 2014, investigators executed search warrants, seizing: 40.1 grams of heroin, cutting agents, packaging materials and paraphernalia from the storage unit; 49 grams of heroin from Anderson’s vehicle; and $2,957, drugs, multiple cell phones and digital scales from Malley’s home.
Anderson admitted that he agreed to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin.
Jones faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the conspiracy.Anderson and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts his plea agreement, Anderson will be sentenced to 192 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Malley and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts his plea agreement, Malley will be sentenced to either 96 or 60 months in prison, depending on whether he is found to be a career offender, followed by four years of supervised release.
Robinson and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts his plea agreement, Robinson will be sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for Robinson and Malley on January 6 and 7, 2015; Anderson on January 30, 2015; and Jones on January 9, 2015.
Rahdel Sharbaan, age 31, of Bronx, New York, and Gary Barham, age 52, of Easton, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy. Barham is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. and Sharbaan on January 8, 2015, at 3:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised HSI-Baltimore, DEA, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Hagerstown Police Department for their work in the investigation and recognized the Maryland Natural Resources Police, St. Michael’s Police Department, Easton Police Department, Ocean City Police Department and Talbot County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth S. Clark, who is prosecuting the case.
Four Former Blackwater Employees Found Guilty of Charges in Fatal Nisur Square Shooting in IraqRead the Press Release
Four former security guards for Blackwater USA were found guilty today of charges stemming from the Sept. 16, 2007, shooting at Nisur Square in Baghdad, Iraq, that resulted in the killing of 14 unarmed civilians and the wounding of numerous others.
The jury verdicts, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The defendants include Nicholas Abram Slatten, 30, of Sparta, Tenn.; Paul Alvin Slough, 35, of Keller, Texas; Evan Shawn Liberty, 32, of Rochester, N.H.; and Dustin Laurent Heard, 33, of Maryville, Tenn. Slatten, who was accused of firing the first shots, was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder. Slough was found guilty of 13 counts of voluntary manslaughter, 17 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense. Liberty was found guilty of eight counts of voluntary manslaughter, 12 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense. Heard was found guilty of six counts of voluntary manslaughter, 11 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense.
“This verdict is a resounding affirmation of the commitment of the American people to the rule of law, even in times of war,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Seven years ago, these Blackwater contractors unleashed powerful sniper fire, machine guns, and grenade launchers on innocent men, women, and children. Today they were held accountable for that outrageous attack and its devastating consequences for so many Iraqi families. I pray that this verdict will bring some sense of comfort to the survivors of that massacre. I want to thank the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who have fought for the past seven years to bring justice to the memories of those who were gunned down in Nisur Square.”
“Today’s verdict demonstrates the FBI's dedication to investigating violations of U.S. law no matter where they occur,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “International investigations such as this one are very complex and frequently dangerous. This case took a tremendous amount of coordination to bring over a large number of foreign witnesses in support of this prosecution. I commend the FBI Special Agents, Task Force Officers, Intelligence Analysts and Language Specialists and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for working to bring those responsible to justice and conveying some measure of comfort to the victims’ families in Iraq.”
The verdicts came on the 28th day of jury deliberations and followed more than two months of trial. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered that the four defendants be detained pending sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The murder charge against Slatten calls for a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Each of the voluntary manslaughter counts against the other defendants carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. Each of the attempted manslaughter counts carries a statutory maximum of seven years of incarceration. The weapons offense carries a mandatory 30-year prison sentence.
Another Blackwater security guard, Jeremy P. Ridgeway, pled guilty in December 2008 to voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter. Ridgeway, who testified as a government witness in the trial, has not yet been sentenced.
The defendants worked for Blackwater USA, a private security contractor that was paid by the U.S. government to provide protective services to U.S. officials.
The trial began June 17, 2014. Over the next 10 weeks, the government presented testimony from 71 witnesses, including 30 from Iraq. This represented the largest group of foreign witnesses ever to travel to the United States for a criminal trial. The witnesses included 13 people who were wounded in the shootings, as well as relatives of many of those who died. The government’s witnesses also included nine members of “Raven 23,” the Blackwater team that was on the scene on the day of the shootings.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately noon on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, several Blackwater security contractors, including the four defendants, opened fire in and around Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle in the heart of Baghdad. When they stopped shooting, 14 Iraqi civilians were dead. Those killed included 10 men, two women, and two boys, ages 9 and 11. Another 18 victims were injured.
The four defendants and 15 other Blackwater security contractors were assigned to a convoy of four heavily-armed trucks known as a Tactical Support Team, using the call sign “Raven 23.” Shortly before noon, Raven 23 learned that a car bomb had detonated in central Baghdad near a location where a U.S official was being escorted by a Blackwater personal security detail team. Raven 23 team members promptly reported to their convoy vehicles, and the convoy drove to a secured checkpoint between the Green Zone and Red Zone.
Once there, in disregard of an order from Blackwater’s command, the team’s shift leader directed Raven 23 to leave the Green Zone and establish a blockade in Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle that was immediately adjacent to the Green Zone. While occupying the southern part of the traffic circle, seven of the 19 members of Raven 23, including the four defendants and Ridgeway, fired their weapons, resulting in the deaths or injury of the unarmed Iraqi civilians there. While leaving the traffic circle, Slough continued to fire his weapon, resulting in additional deaths and injuries.
Finally, further away, north of the traffic circle, Slough and Ridgeway again fired their weapons, resulting in the injury of three more unarmed Iraqi civilians.
The first to be killed was Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia’y, 21, an aspiring doctor, who was driving his mother to an appointment. His mother, Mahassin Mohssen Kadhum Al-Khazali, 44, a medical doctor, also was killed. Others who died included Ali Mohammed Hafedh Abdul Razzaq, 9, who was traveling with his family; Osama Fadhil Abbas, 52, a businessman who sold used cars and who was enroute to a business meeting; Mohamed Abbas Mahmoud, 47, a delivery truck driver, and his 11-year-old son, Qasim Mohamed Abbas Mahmoud; Sa’adi Ali Abbas Alkarkh, 52, a businessman; Mushtaq Karim Abd Al-Razzaq, 18, an Iraqi soldier who was standing at a military checkpoint; Ghaniyah Hassan Ali, 55, who was traveling with her daughter on a public bus, and who was in the area to get documentation for a trip to holy sites; Ibrahim Abid Ayash, 77, a gardener, who was traveling in another bus; Hamoud Sa’eed Abttan, 33, and his cousin, Usday Ismail Ibrahiem, 27, who were out looking for work with the Iraqi Army; Mahdi Sahib Nasir, 26, a taxi driver, and Ali Khalil Abdul Hussein, 54, a motorcyclist who was commuting to work.
The jury considered charges involving injuries to 14 men and three women. Because of travel issues, witnesses to support an 18th charge of attempted manslaughter did not appear at the trial, and the charge related to that victim’s injuries was dismissed by the government.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior and the Iraqi National Police provided cooperation and assistance in the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Asuncion, John Crabb, Jr., Christopher R. Kavanaugh, T. Patrick Martin, and David Mudd, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was originally indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan M. Malis and Kenneth Kohl.
Four Former Blackwater Employees Found Guilty of ChargesRead the Press Release
In Fatal 2007 Shootings at Nisur Square in Iraq
Jury Verdicts Follow 2 ½-Month TrialWASHINGTON – Four former security guards for Blackwater USA were found guilty today of charges stemming from the Sept. 16, 2007, shooting at Nisur Square in Baghdad, Iraq, that resulted in the killing of 14 unarmed civilians and the wounding of numerous others.
The jury verdicts, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The defendants include Nicholas Abram Slatten, 30, of Sparta, Tenn.; Paul Alvin Slough, 35, of Keller, Texas; Evan Shawn Liberty, 32, of Rochester, N.H.; and Dustin Laurent Heard, 33, of Maryville, Tenn. Slatten, who was accused of firing the first shots, was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder. Slough was found guilty of 13 counts of voluntary manslaughter, 17 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense. Liberty was found guilty of eight counts of voluntary manslaughter, 12 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense. Heard was found guilty of six counts of voluntary manslaughter, 11 counts of attempted manslaughter, and one firearms offense.
“This verdict is a resounding affirmation of the commitment of the American people to the rule of law, even in times of war,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Seven years ago, these Blackwater contractors unleashed powerful sniper fire, machine guns, and grenade launchers on innocent men, women, and children. Today they were held accountable for that outrageous attack and its devastating consequences for so many Iraqi families. I pray that this verdict will bring some sense of comfort to the survivors of that massacre. I want to thank the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who have fought for the past seven years to bring justice to the memories of those who were gunned down in Nisur Square.”
“Today’s verdict demonstrates the FBI's dedication to investigating violations of U.S. law no matter where they occur,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “International investigations such as this one are very complex and frequently dangerous. This case took a tremendous amount of coordination to bring over a large number of foreign witnesses in support of this prosecution. I commend the FBI Special Agents, Task Force Officers, Intelligence Analysts and Language Specialists and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for working to bring those responsible to justice and conveying some measure of comfort to the victims’ families in Iraq.”
The verdicts came on the 28th day of jury deliberations and followed more than two months of trial. The Honorable Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered that the four defendants be detained pending sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The murder charge against Slatten calls for a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Each of the voluntary manslaughter counts against the other defendants carries a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison. Each of the attempted manslaughter counts carries a statutory maximum of seven years of incarceration. The weapons offense carries a mandatory 30-year prison sentence.
Another Blackwater security guard, Jeremy P. Ridgeway, pled guilty in December 2008 to voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit manslaughter. Ridgeway, who testified as a government witness in the trial, has not yet been sentenced.
The defendants worked for Blackwater USA, a private security contractor that was paid by the U.S. government to provide protective services to U.S. officials.
The trial began June 17, 2014. Over the next 10 weeks, the government presented testimony from 71 witnesses, including 30 from Iraq. This represented the largest group of foreign witnesses ever to travel to the United States for a criminal trial. The witnesses included 13 people who were wounded in the shootings, as well as relatives of many of those who died. The government’s witnesses also included nine members of “Raven 23,” the Blackwater team that was on the scene on the day of the shootings.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately noon on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, several Blackwater security contractors, including the four defendants, opened fire in and around Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle in the heart of Baghdad. When they stopped shooting, 14 Iraqi civilians were dead. Those killed included 10 men, two women, and two boys, ages 9 and 11. Another 18 victims were injured.
The four defendants and 15 other Blackwater security contractors were assigned to a convoy of four heavily-armed trucks known as a Tactical Support Team, using the call sign “Raven 23.” Shortly before noon, Raven 23 learned that a car bomb had detonated in central Baghdad near a location where a U.S official was being escorted by a Blackwater personal security detail team. Raven 23 team members promptly reported to their convoy vehicles, and the convoy drove to a secured checkpoint between the Green Zone and Red Zone.
Once there, in disregard of an order from Blackwater’s command, the team’s shift leader directed Raven 23 to leave the Green Zone and establish a blockade in Nisur Square, a busy traffic circle that was immediately adjacent to the Green Zone. While occupying the southern part of the traffic circle, seven of the 19 members of Raven 23, including the four defendants and Ridgeway, fired their weapons, resulting in the deaths or injury of the unarmed Iraqi civilians there. While leaving the traffic circle, Slough continued to fire his weapon, resulting in additional deaths and injuries.
Finally, further away, north of the traffic circle, Slough and Ridgeway again fired their weapons, resulting in the injury of three more unarmed Iraqi civilians.
The first to be killed was Ahmed Haithem Ahmed Al Rubia’y, 21, an aspiring doctor, who was driving his mother to an appointment. His mother, Mahassin Mohssen Kadhum Al-Khazali, 44, a medical doctor, also was killed. Others who died included Ali Mohammed Hafedh Abdul Razzaq, 9, who was traveling with his family; Osama Fadhil Abbas, 52, a businessman who sold used cars and who was enroute to a business meeting; Mohamed Abbas Mahmoud, 47, a delivery truck driver, and his 11-year-old son, Qasim Mohamed Abbas Mahmoud; Sa’adi Ali Abbas Alkarkh, 52, a businessman; Mushtaq Karim Abd Al-Razzaq, 18, an Iraqi soldier who was standing at a military checkpoint; Ghaniyah Hassan Ali, 55, who was traveling with her daughter on a public bus, and who was in the area to get documentation for a trip to holy sites; Ibrahim Abid Ayash, 77, a gardener, who was traveling in another bus; Hamoud Sa’eed Abttan, 33, and his cousin, Usday Ismail Ibrahiem, 27, who were out looking for work with the Iraqi Army; Mahdi Sahib Nasir, 26, a taxi driver, and Ali Khalil Abdul Hussein, 54, a motorcyclist who was commuting to work.
The jury considered charges involving injuries to 14 men and three women. Because of travel issues, witnesses to support an 18th charge of attempted manslaughter did not appear at the trial, and the charge related to that victim’s injuries was dismissed by the government.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior and the Iraqi National Police provided cooperation and assistance in the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Asuncion, John Crabb, Jr., Christopher R. Kavanaugh, T. Patrick Martin, and David Mudd, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was originally indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan M. Malis and Kenneth Kohl.
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